AI beats 1800-rated chess bot in 31 moves after engine upgrades, no opening book used
MikePFrank · x · 2026-09-08
Mike Frank reports Astra's rematch win over the 1800-rated Wally chess bot: after improving its self-written Python engine and relaxing to a 1-hour clock, Astra scored a mid-game queen-rook fork, a +20 final advantage, and checkmate on move 31. Notably, Astra used no opening book or endgame database, played a bizarre opening (both knights out before any pawn moves), and still converted it into a dominant finish. The previous loss was attributed to shallow search under a 1-minute limit.
Related event: AI Agent Astra Defeats 1800-Rated Chess Bot After Engine Improvements(2 posts)→
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