When Lionel Messi asked ChatGPT to teach him a chess opening that matched his style - Here's what it suggested

Lionel Messi was seen asking ChatGPT for chess instructions with one move at a time. The Argentina footballer superstar recently retired from international football earlier this month.  

Lionel Messi tried his hand at the game of chess, with the help of ChatGPT, the video of which went viral on social media and has garnered a lot of attention. The Argentine football superstar, who recently retired from international football, was shooting for ChatGPT.

Arguably one of the most-followed athletes in the world, Messi, in the video asked ChatGPT for chess instructions with one move at a time. “Chat, you know my style. Show me a good chess opening, step by step,” Messi asked the Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI.

Within minutes Messi was ready to try another move. The video, which is shared by ChatGPT, was captioned, “I asked ChatGPT to teach me a chess opening that matched my style. It suggested Goat Horns."

This is not the first time Messi was involved in an advertising campaign involving chess. In November 2022 after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo appeared together for a Louis Vuitton campaign, centred around chess and photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

Earlier this year, Messi had collaborated with OpenAI before the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he imagined his hair in Argentina’s blue-and-white colors, thus encouraging his fans around the world to the image tool.

Was ChatGPT correct in suggesting Messi?

According to a Chess.com, AI models are known to give bad advices in chess, and several top professionals are unlikely to approve Black's suggested opening moves, described as "Goat Horns": 1.e4 a6 2.d4 c6.

Meanwhile, this new ad comes just two weeks after OpenAI released their Intelligent UI, which will allow the ChatGPT to assist with more visual and interactive responses. The Messi-ChatGPT ad comes a day after Bayern Munich used chess to promote a Champions League meeting with Arsenal.

The Bundesliga giants posted an image on X which showed Harry Kane playing and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka - the two England teammates - on the oppositive side of the chess board ahead of their clubs’ encounter.

About the Author

Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.