In a recent Instagram ad, Lionel Messi asks ChatGPT to suggest a chess opening that matches his style. ChatGPT suggested the GOAT Horns. It clearly knew who it was talking to! The opening goes 1. e4 a6 2. d4 c6.
This opening did not stop at the ad. Inspired by it, GM Hikaru Nakamura tried the same ...a6 and ...c6 setup with Black at Chess.com's 3 0 Thursday. He went on to win the event on tiebreaks! It was lovely to see a grandmaster copying a football player's moves!
Now that Messi has tried the GOAT Horns, we think he should try playing 1...c6 instead of 1...a6. That is the Caro-Kann Defence. This is one of the trusted openings in chess. We have seen many chess players trying this opening to win with Black.
We have something for him to get started: Caro-Kann from Scratch, an interactive course by IM Sagar Shah. It costs just Rs. 36, and we think it would be a good place for him to start.
We are genuinely excited that Messi has shown an interest in chess. We also simply love him. During the FIFA World Cup 2026, we even held a special livestream.
We have loved watching him play football, so seeing him try chess makes us happy. We have made our suggestion, and now we would love to hear yours. Which opening do you think Messi should try next?
Let us know in the comments!
