Which side in chess would win if both players played “perfectly”?

Question

Isn’t chess a “finite” game where no luck is involved? Are computers able to calculate perfect strategies for both players?

And if yes, then which side is at the advantage?

In: 11

Answer 1

You’re correct that a definite answer must exist, because chess is a deterministic game. But the answer is not known.

It is generally believed that a perfect game of chess ends in a draw, since the best chess computers usually draw against one another, and highly skilled human players usually draw as well. But so far, chess is not a [(weakly) solved game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solved_game), so we don’t know for sure what the outcome of optimal play is.