Web3 Meets Chess: Zero-Knowledge Proofs Put to the Test

Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) allow for the verification of chess moves without revealing the actual moves. This concept has been explored in various projects and research efforts, including zkautochess, ZeroKing, and ZkNoid.

ZKPs let a prover convince a verifier that a statement is true without revealing why it's true. Applied to chess, this means a player can prove their move was legal or that they checkmated their opponent in exactly N moves without showing the actual moves.

The projects mentioned above have built versions of ZK-chess, but there are limitations to what can be proven. For instance, it's difficult to detect whether a human quietly ran the position through an engine before typing the move in.