Deep Blue | Chess Supercomputer: Creation, Match with Kasparov

For hundreds of years only humans have played chess. Hoaxers and crooks created chess machines - imitation of intelligent mechanisms. Such devices were operated by skillful players, who easily defeated famous politicians, scientists, writers or paid for the party of the common people.

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Four decades ago, the first computer programs appeared that were used by grandmasters for training and analyzing the games played. In the second half of the 1980s, representatives of the chess community did not doubt that a machine would never be able to defeat a person in a face-to-face confrontation. Ten years later, in May 1997, the Deep Blue supercomputer won a six-game match against Garry Kasparov . IBM's development changed the world of professional chess forever.

Making a Deep Blue Computer

The machine that beat the world champion was created by engineers at IBM. Chess fans were shocked by the defeat of Kasparov - the chess player has led the FIDE rating since 1985 and was rarely inferior in official games. Artificial intelligence experts have declared the victory of machines in mental confrontation with humans.

Deep Blue was developed in the second half of the 1980s. In 1985, a group of enthusiasts from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) created the software and hardware platform for a chess simulator. Work on improving the software has been going on for several years. In 1987 the program was renamed Deep Thought. Two years later, IBM bought out the software rights and began developing Beep Blue. Grandmaster Joel Benjamin became the project consultant.

In late 1996, IBM specialists were able to optimize supercomputer algorithms and improve the performance of the hardware platform. The machine could analyze up to two hundred million positions per second. After the historic match against Kasparov, the original computer, housed in two server cabinets, was split up. One rack went to the National Museum of American History. The second part of the machine's components was donated to the Computer History Museum.

Deep Blue matches - Garry Kasparov

The supercomputer played two matches against Garry Kasparov. In February 1996, the world champion defeated Deep Blue 4-2. The car won the first game of the confrontation, creating a sensation. For the first time in the history of chess, the strongest player on the planet lost to artificial intelligence. In the next five games Kasparov won three wins and two draws.

Before the 1997 match, IBM updated the software and hardware components of Deep Blue. In the repeated match, the supercomputer turned out to be stronger - 3.5: 2.5. Kasparov won the first game, the car won the second. Then the opponents reduced the fights to draws three times in a row. The sixth (and decisive) game was played by Deep Blue.

The victory in the first game of the 1996 match was achieved by Deep Blue in 37 moves. The computer played Alapin's variation against the Sicilian defense. The machine managed to find vulnerable points in Kasparov's pawn structure. After 24 ... exd5, all the pawns of the world champion were either isolated or doubled.

Garry Kimovich was able to level the position, but made an inaccuracy - 27… d4. Over the next ten moves, Deep Blue managed to win.

In the last game of the second match, Deep Blue made an atypical move for a machine. Kasparov chose the Caro-Kann Defense and played 7… h6. The supercomputer did not take care of the knight and made an unexpected sacrifice for the opponent in the opening - 8.Nxe6.

Eleven moves later, the game ended with the victory of the machine. Kasparov later suggested that the sacrifice was not made by a machine, but by a strong IBM consultant grandmaster. Deep Blue's creators denied all accusations of helping live chess players to the computer.

The Deep Blue match between Garry Kasparov attracted such intense worldwide attention that it inspired the film crew to create a documentary. This complete piece includes interviews with the thirteenth world champion, as well as fans and supercomputer developers. You will see with your own eyes everything that accompanied the match: suspicions, dramatic turns and feelings of Kasparov.