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1994-01-05
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3KB
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63 lines
EVANS ON CHESS By GM Larry Evans. Copyright.
THE CHIPS ARE DOWN
Each year the latest model chess machines are tested against top players. And
each year we're told the end is near.
In October 1990 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN noted: "The creators of Deep Thought
predict that their next chess computer will be ready by 1992 and may perform
at a 3400 level -- with a statistical expectancy of scoring 95% against the
world champion."
In some circles this boast was taken seriously despite the fact that a year
earlier Gary Kasparov -- at 2805 the highest rated player in history -- had
crushed Deep Thought in two clock games. Clearly, the lads in AI (Artificial
Intelligence) were hungry for a new breakthrough.
And why not? After all, computers have already revolutionized endgame theory.
In 1986 Ken Thompson of Bell Labs performed an awesome study of all finales
with five pieces or less on the board. He proved a Queen (and King) can
always beat two Bishops (and King); and that two Bishops can always beat a
lone Knight in 67 moves with best play. This discovery caused the 50-move
draw rule to be extended to 75 moves for certain positions, the first major
rule change in chess for 100 years.
In 37 informal blitz games (5 minutes per side) with "Fritz 2," Kasparov won
24, lost 9 and drew 4. He estimated the strength of this German program at
2650 in fast chess. "It never tires, never gives up, and always tries to
create hard problems," opined the world champ.
"I didn't know there was a list I could sign not to play it!" gasped Danish
grandmaster Bent Larsen after losing a tournament game to Deep Thought at Los
Angeles in 1988. Now IBM's Deep Blue, a chip off the old block, is twice as
fast and can evaluate 2 million positions a second via 14 parallel
processors.
Yet the chips were down in a 4-game match with Larsen, 58, last February in
Copenhagen. Revenge was sweet. He won their first game with the help of an
unorthodox sixth move. "It's obvious the machine has a hard time finding a
proper plan and sticking to it. It often seems to regret its moves," he said.
"If Larsen can beat the most advanced version, why should I be afraid of the
machine?" said Kasparov. "I don't expect any trouble from computers. They are
a big help as archives, but that is all."
But after its team made a slight adjustment, the machine drew its last three
games. How will the next generation of Deep Blue fare against the world
champion? It may be able to calculate as many as a billion positions per
second by using 1024 parallel processors!
Will that finally spell doom for the human race? Tune in next near!
White: BENT LARSEN Black: "DEEP BLUE" #1 Four Knights Game 1993 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3
Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bb5 Bb4 5 0-0 0-0 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 d3 Qe7 8 Ne2 Bg4 9 Ng3 Nh5 10
h3 Nxg3 11 fxg3 Bc5 12 Kh2 Bc8? 13 g4 Be6 14 Qe2 f6 15 Be3 Bxe3 16 Qxe3 h6 17
a4 Qb4 18 b3 b6 19 Rf2 c5 20 Kg3 Qa5 21 h4 Qc3 22 Raf1 Rad8 23 g5 Bxb3?! 24
cxb3 Rxd3 25 Qe2 hxg5 26 hxg5 fxg5 27 Rd1 Re3 28 Qb2 Qxb3 29 Qxb3 Rxb3 30 Rd5
Ra3 31 Rxe5 g4 32 Kxg4 c4 33 Rd2 Rxa4 34 Rd7 Rc8 35 Ng5 Ra2 36 Rxc7 Ra8 37 g3
Rf2 38 Ree7 Kh8 39 Rxg7 Rh2 40 e5 Rd8 41 Rh7 Rxh7 42 Nxh7 Rg8 43 Ng5 Black
Resigns
*****************************************************************************