Deep Junior Survives Kasparov Attack

It appeared that Garry Kasparov had World Computer Chess Champion Deep Junior on the ropes and that Garry would win game two of the match, but Kasparov had apparently overlooked a queen sacrifice that enabled Deep Junior to force a draw.

The final position in Game 2 after Black played 30. ... Kf7

Commentators Maurice Ashley, Susan Polgar and Yasser Seirawan all seemed to feel that by giving a spite check with 25. ... Qa1+, Kasparov had blown a win. Kasparov agreed and said after the game that he could have won with 25. ... f4 26. Nf1 e3.

However, the Deep Junior programmers disagreed. At the press conference after the game, programmers Shay Bushinsky and Amir Ban said that, according to their computer, 25. ... Qa1+, the move Kasparov played, was actually the best move. That move led to a draw, whereas the computer might have had winning chances had Kasparov played 25. ... f4, the programmers said.

Kasparov felt that the move 22. b4 by the computer, winning the exchange, was a losing move. The computer had the wrong idea when it went after material. Instead, it should have continued the king-side attack, the commentators said.

In the final position, Kasparov and the Computer agreed to a draw because of the line 31. Re2 Ne4 32. Rc7+ Kf8 33. Rxe3 Nd2 and now there will be a draw by perpetual check with 34. Rc8+ Kf7 35. Rc7+ Kf8, because Kasparov dare not advance with 35. ... Kf6 because of 36. Re6+ Kf5 37. Rf8 defending the knight on f1 and White is winning.

It is remarkable that the programmers agreed to this draw without playing out this line. These programmers are obviously strong players, as compared to the programmers of Deep Blue six years ago who were essentially non-chess players. Also, the workings of the two programs is vastly different. Deep Blue was simply a brute force adding machine, calculating at 200 million positions per second. Deep Junior only calculates 3 million positions per second, but has a lot of chess-specific knowledge which Deep Blue did not have.

Nobody is placing any bets on the outcome. Kasparov has the advantage now but both sides are still learning. Kasparov could tire. A computer never tires.

Kasparov will be paid $500,000 by FIDE for playing Deep Junior. He can earn an additional $300,000 if he wins the match. The event is sponsored by X3D Technologies Corporation, which makes special 3D glasses useful for watching events such as this chess match. http://www.x3dworld.com . Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the President of FIDE and Kalmykia, is present. The event is moderated by Grandmasters Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan.

Sam Sloan

The final position in Game 2 after Black played 30. ... Kf7


[Event "FIDE Man-Machine WC"]
[Site "New York USA"]
[Date "2003.01.28"]
[Round "02"]
[White "DEEP JUNIOR"]
[Black "Kasparov, G"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B42"]
[BlackElo "2847"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.c4 Nc6
8.Nc3 d6 9.O-O Nge7 10.Re1 O-O 11.Be3 e5 12.Nd5 a5 13.Rc1 a4
14.Bxa7 Rxa7 15.Nd2 Nd4 16.Qh5 Ne6 17.Rc3 Nc5 18.Bc2 Nxd5 19.exd5
g6 20.Qh6 f5 21.Ra3 Qf6 22.b4 axb3 23.Rxa7 bxc2 24.Rc1 e4 25.Rxc2
Qa1+ 26.Nf1 f4 27.Ra8 e3 28.fxe3 fxe3 29.Qxf8+ Kxf8 30.Rxc8+ Kf7
1/2-1/2

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