You can position your rocks perfectly, yes. But the opponent team can displace them whenever it's their turn. It's a game of strategy. The only thing that counts is the final arrangement. The robot won over humans 3 times out of 4.
Yeah there’s strategy, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to compare it to chess. Ultimately you just need your rocks in the middle.
If you’re a perfect shot and go last, you’ll always win.