The chess bot on Delta Air Lines will destroy you (2024) [video]

Strength and behavior of the Delta chess bot

• Several commenters report the Delta “easy” bot playing at roughly expert-to-master strength (estimates from ~2100 FIDE to ~2500 Elo), knowing opening theory and rarely blundering.
• Others say they beat it consistently (around 1600–2000 online ratings), or found it “laughably bad,” suggesting inconsistent experiences across flights, aircraft, or software versions.
• Some suspect a mislabeled difficulty setting (easy/hard inverted) or that there is actually only one strong level despite a UI that implies multiple.

Bugs and quirks

• Multiple users mention deterministic crash sequences or specific bugs (e.g., en passant where the captured pawn visually remains but the game logic treats it as gone).
• The bot feels like an old engine weakened by injecting occasional random blunders, which can be exploited by playing safe, non-sharp lines.

Difficulty tuning vs. hardware speed

• A recurring theory: difficulty was implemented as “think N seconds per move.” As onboard hardware improved, the engine searched much deeper, becoming far stronger than intended.
• Similar anecdotes are given for macOS Chess and older game AIs (strategy games, DOS/Windows titles) that became absurdly fast or strong on modern CPUs due to time-based loops.

Inflight entertainment and multiplayer

• Some airlines have removed built-in games entirely, relying on passengers’ own devices and Wi‑Fi portals; others offer weak or slow chess bots.
• A few systems allow playing other passengers, mostly useful for families on the same flight; expectations of cross‑flight pairing are called a newer “Wi‑Fi era” mindset.

Airline seating, devices, and etiquette

• A large subthread debates seat recline: tall passengers describe real pain and laptop damage risks; others argue recline is essential on long-haul or for back problems.
• Many blame airlines’ dense seating layouts rather than individual passengers, while others frame recline choices as a moral/etiquette test in shared space.

Other notes

• Commenters propose better inflight chess UIs (Elo sliders, personas) and mention separate chess-coaching tools that focus on explaining why mistakes happen rather than just what to play.