It is a program. I need it to get task X done and I don't care how, whether it is strictly through CoT or with tools. There is no such thing as cheating in real work and no reason to handicap it. Just test the limits of what it can do with whatever means possible.

Trying to solve everything with CoT alone without utilising tools seems futile.

you are not understanding. its a proxy for how well it does other things.

A good proxy is knowing which tools to use to solve the problem. Not how to try and emulate how a human would play chess. That is pointless...

According to you, it says nothing about a person if they are good at chess