3 more articles about Kasparov-Deep Blue and AI

If you are not old enough, you didn't see the days when a world champion could beat dozens of best computer chess programs even in a simul.

In 1997, the equilibrum has shifted in favor of the computers, after Deep Blue has been the first computer to beat a human world champ in a match.

The 6 game match is a historical moment of the human vs machine, so there have been many books & publications & media articles about it.

Let me share two of them, although not very recent, but still interesting to read:

1) @ THE CONVERSATION:
Twenty Years on from Deep Blue vs Kasparov: How A Chess Match Started the Big Data Revolution

2) @ TIME MAGAZINE:
Did Deep Blue Beat Kasparov Because of a System Glitch?

3) @MEDIUM.COM: CONVERSATIONS WITH TYLER COWEN (BONUS PACK):

...and the third, as a bonus, speaks about the future of AI from Kasparov's point of view. Don't forget to read what GK suggests about a match opportunity between Magnus Carlsen and the strongest computer program available (Stockfish?).

Garry Kasparov on AI, Chess and the Future of Creativity

9 reasons for Kasparov to restart playing chess

Deep Blue stopped playing chess just after crushing Garry Kasparov. It had been dismantled decades ago.

Garry Kasparov stopped playing chess 8 years after losing to Deep Blue. He was not dismantled, he only focused his brain on other tasks.

After a long break, a blitz event organised as an extension of US Championship brought together the legendary WC of 80s and 90s and three leading US players, Caruana, Nakamura and So.

No doubt that it was a clever example of show business to increase public interest to chess in US considering that how strong GK can resist creates a magic dilemma about the outcome of such event.

In the end, GK not only showed a brilliant performance against three players from World's Top-10 ranking but he also demonstrated tactical players keep their playing level high much longer than positional players.

Now if GK decides to return to active chess playing, i'm sure that he will not regret. Even though he could not win that blitz tournament, all his games were attractive and addictive.

Just imagine what more he could deliver with more preparation...

Read more on CHESSBASE

Kasparov is back for some blitz

It's got nothing to do with computer chess except for a never-to-forget match he'd played against Deep Blue in 1997. Anyway, this news is something to be aware of for all chess lovers.

He retired on top and choosed to speak with statements rather than killer chess moves, so that no one could forget about him. I'm one of those who think he was way more succesful on the board while thinking about a miracle move rather than speaking around.

After a campaign for FIDE presidentship which failed at the end, he recently appeared for a blitz match vs his old rival and his later mate Nigel Short. He played much more in style beyond expectations and won 8.5 to 1.5!

Now GK comes back for a more serious encounter against three strongest GMs of the US. Can he win this "human vs younger human" challenge?

To be honest, it's hard to guess because one can easily find out how unpredictable he could be during his career. I must hereby admit that this unpredictability mostly refers to unbelievable successes he achived many times during his career.

Read more about it at Chessbase and the official tournament site.

Carlsen finally makes it clear

DW: "Would you participate in a public game against a computer in the near future - or is that not an option for you? The last one I remember was Vladimir Kramnik against Deep Fritz in 2006."

MC: "I personally never wanted that. I find it much more interesting to play humans. And also, of course, now that they have become so strong in a game like that, I wouldn't stand a chance."

The reigning world champ Magnus Carlsen finally gives a clear answer to tons of past speculations about his chances against Stockfish or Komodo in a human vs machine match.

We knew such match would never happen.

So, would you still think that his statement "never wanted that" is just past tense and therefore doesn't apply to the future? Or would you still predict that a huge prize for losing such a match would push him to change his mind?

Read the interview made by Deutche Welle: HERE

Whispers from the past #1

Time is the best evaluation tool for your statements

Thierry Paunin: Two top grandmasters have gone down to chess computers. Portisch against “Leonardo” and Larsen against “Deep Thought”. It is well known that you have strong views on this subject. Will a computer be world champion, one day?

Garry Kasparov: Ridiculous! A machine will always remain a machine, that is to say a tool to help the player work and prepare. Never shall I be beaten by a machine! Never will a program be invented which surpasses human intelligence. And when I say intelligence, I also mean intuition and imagination. Can you see a machine writing a novel or poetry? Better still, can you imagine a machine conducting this interview instead of you? With me replying to its questions?

Jeux & Strategie #55 (1989)

Not sleepy, just a rest for the eyes.

The post title refers to one of my favorite jokes stating that your boss never sleeps on the job but he just lets his eyes take a short rest. Same applied to MC indeed. He was able to overcome Anand and defending his crown between conflicting scenes like these.

Beating a World Champ two times in a row

A revenge is necessary...

Losing to an engine rated 160 ELO lower and two times in a row is something to happen very rarely in computer chess. Hopefully, humans are different. I don't remember whether it happened before to other world champs like Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand.

What i will remember well is the case between Magnus Carlsen and Arkadish Naiditsch. MC had lost one against AN during the last olympiads in Trömsö/Norway, MC's homeland! A second one occurred recently during Grenke Chess Classic. Surprises add flavour to human chess indeed.

Naiditsch is the highest rated player from Germany

I try to imagine Stockfish 6 losing two games to Gull for instance. Hmm. One must find a very dedicated opening line to achieve that. Could you?

Here is the second game Naiditch won at Grenke:

Judit Polgar on Playboy? What?

I'd never thought Playboy was interested in chess. That's why i was first shocked to read such headline on chess sites. After stopping competitive chess play, the legendary female genius J.Polgar had been showing up on some artistic photo shoots to make people think she's going to another direction.

Hopefully the interview and photos inside are not way too different than the issues presenting Garry Kasparov years ago. It's about chess, life etc.

And for those who only heard about Judit Polgar and never seen her (is there anyone like that?), let's underline that the cover photo of the issue does not belong to Judit Polgar :-)

Man vs Machine: Cooperation takes over competition

Where have gone the good times when humans could quickly (b)eat machines on chessboards?

Who could foresee the day when no GM would be interested (dare?) to challenge a synthetic monster?

(Un)fortunately, human power is severely outplayed by human-made binaries since long ago. Today, chess engines are considered to play stronger than humans. Anyone disagrees?

Then what is the next step? A cooperation? Sound logical the same way you'd better drive a car instead of failing to overtake it. 

But of course, the taste of a nice walk is something different to preserve. It's emotional, healtier, natural, more socializing, less thrilling, authentic. Similarly, we may expect human chess will survive forever no matter how stronger machines will play.

On another track, i can't keep myself from dreaming about Formula-1 type of chess competitions where GMs, wearing pilot helmets, will drive their custom tailored engines to outperform their rivals.

 Levon Aronian searching for the bad move just after losing an important game 

Anand is back for the crown

The 2014 Candidates tournament ended with Anand's victory which without doubt was unexpected for many chess fans after his defeat vs Magnus Carlsen by the end of 2013 and world's second Aronian's peak performance in Zurich.

But surprises are the colour of the beauty and that's why competitions exist. Although Carlsen is still far above from the rest of the world, who knows another surprise is impossible?

Now waiting for Carlsen vs Anand to be revisited in August 2014.

In pursuit behind Carlsen

Just a couple of weeks after Zurich SuperGM tournament won by world champ and number #1 Magnus Carlsen (22, ELO 2881), eight crown-hungry followers including Anand who recently lost the crown to Carlsen, as well as determined Fide #2 player Aronian meet at the candidates tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, from 13 March to 31 March 2014

The winner will face Carlsen for World Championship match by the end of this year.

Official site: http://candidates2014.fide.com