Research · Episode 3 · 7 October 2026

AI beats Stratego's most decorated player

An AI from MIT beat the world's best Stratego player, one of the last board games humans still won.

Watch on YouTube · In the full episode at 2:28

What Robyn said

Robyn, anchorAn AI from four US universities beat Stratego's most decorated player.

Robyn, anchorThat's according to the journal Nature.

Robyn, reporterIn the war game Stratego, pieces stay hidden until they clash.

Robyn, reporterGoogle's DeepMind says its 2022 AI reached expert level, but it lost to the best.

Robyn, reporterAtaraxos, the new AI, guesses hidden pieces before every move.

Robyn, reporterIt beat four-time champion Pim Niemeijer fifteen to one, with four draws.

Robyn, reporterA human might start freaking out if their most valuable piece is exposed, but the bot can be surprisingly composed.

Robyn, reporterThat's how MIT's Gabriele Farina puts it.

Robyn, reporterIts makers see uses in negotiations, but it cannot yet explain its moves.

Sources

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