Researchers Create Brain-Controlled Chess Set

German researchers created a brain-computer interface (BCIs) for chess, and report that 96 percent of moves were made correctly.

From Big Think:

"The BCI is based on a two-step process: first, identifying the piece a player wants to move, then moving it on the board. In this study, six players used a BCI chess application (which was based on an open-source Java app) along with an electroencephalogram (EEG) equipped with 31 passive electrodes that detected the chess piece and board position in the player's mind.

"Before the game, each player performed predefined chess moves to calibrate the BCI. During play, they also had a predefined amount of time for thinking about their next move. Specifically, they were given 15 seconds to consider the piece that they were going to move and five seconds to 'move' the piece. If the player only had one possible move, the BCI automatically executed it."

This is an amazing technological advancement, but it could be detrimental to the world of chess streaming. It's tough enough to make chess look cool, but can you imagine trying to do it while looking like this?