Lionel Messi’s “GOAT Horns” ad gave chess players two things to test

In an October 21 Instagram ad, Lionel Messi asked ChatGPT for a chess opening that suited his style. It came back with “GOAT Horns” and two moves for Black: …a6 and …c6. The name got people talking. The board gave them something to argue about, and Hikaru Nakamura gave them a chance to see the setup in a real blitz tournament.

What Black gives White in two moves

Set up a normal board and play 1.e4 a6 2.d4 c6. White already has pawns on e4 and d4, claiming space in the middle. Black’s …a6 controls b5, and …c6 prepares a later …d5. Black still has to make that central challenge, while White can bring out a knight with 3.Nc3 and keep developing.

Compare it with the Caro-Kann: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5. In the Caro-Kann, Black uses move two to challenge White’s e4 pawn. In the ad’s line, Black uses that time on …a6 instead. The difference is easy to feel if you play both positions from Black’s side.

The problem starts before the first move

Look at the back ranks in the ad. Decrypt pointed out that the kings and queens are reversed on both sides. On a standard board, each queen starts on her own color: White’s queen on d1 and Black’s on d8. The kings start beside them on e1 and e8.

That matters because the king’s square determines which checks and mating patterns are available. The quick mate discussed after the ad depends on the swapped pieces. From the standard starting position, the advertised moves are legal and leave a playable position.

What happened when Hikaru tried it

ChessBase reported that Hikaru Nakamura used the …a6 and …c6 setup with Black in a three-minute Titled Tuesday event and won the tournament on tiebreaks. That result shows how much play a strong player can find after an unusual start, especially at blitz speed. It also leaves the opening question intact: how quickly can Black get a foothold in the middle?

Try it from both sides

At your next game, play the first two moves from the ad, then give each player a turn as Black. See if Black can play …d5 before White builds up more pressure or advances the e-pawn. Then try the Caro-Kann move order and see what changes when Black challenges the center one move sooner.