SIMPSON'S

IN-THE-STRAND

SIMPSON'S

IN-THE-STRAND

Life, Jim

Raymond Keene

IN AN EARLY episode of Star Trek, 'Devil in the Dark', Captain Kirk, Spock and McCoy encounter the Horta, a subter- ranean life form, but one based on silicon, not carbon. For the first time the immortal words are uttered: 'It's life, Jim, but not as we know it.'

In Philadelphia last week, the world champion Garry Kasparov suffered a nasty accident in his own encounter with a sili- con-based entity, the IBM super-computer Deep Blue. This monstrous calculating machine can boast 256 processors operat- ing in parallel and therefore sees the astro- nomical total of 512 million different posi- tions every second. To the lay person it would seem that such immense calculating force would necessarily overwhelm the human brain, so Kasparov's defeat comes as no surprise. However, for the initiated chess is not simply a matter of calculation. The game certainly contains elements of science, but it also has an artistic dimen- sion, akin to the rhythms of music, espe- cially when played by a great master such as Kasparov.

After his loss in game one, Kasparov said: 'I congratulate the researchers at IBM for a fantastic achievement. They have suc- ceeded in converting quantity into quality. The first game was a masterpiece. After that defeat I couldn't sleep. The duel is going to be extremely tough.' Kasparov proved in game two that he could learn from the computer's modus operandi, especially recognising that he had underes- timated its power in that initial encounter. Having allowed the first game to become wide open, thus giving maximum opportu- nity for Deep Blue's tactical skill to run amok, Kasparov switched to a purely strategic vein for game two, and levelled the score. When he entered the press room after his victory he was received with thun- derous applause, as if he had rescued humanity from some kind of catastrophe.

Here is the historic win by Deep Blue against Kasparov, the first time that a com- puter has beaten a human world champion at a standard tournament time limit of 40 moves in two hours.

Deep Blue—Kasparov: Philadelphia, Febru- ary, 1996; Sicilian Defence.

• 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nffi 5 Nf3 Bg4 Although Kasparov has favoured this move before, the absence of Black's bishop from the queen's flank is extremely risky. The solid 5 e6 is safer. 6 Be2 e6 7 h3 Bh5 8 0-0 Nc6 9 Be3 cxd4 10 cxd4 Bh4 Hoping to transpose into ICramnik–Kasparov, Paris 1994, after 11 Nc3 Qa5 12 Qb3, but the computer is ready with an improvement. I would have thought that the unpretentious 10 ... Be7 would be Black's best, keeping the dark-squared bishop near his king for defensive purposes. Now it is chased out of play. 11 a3 Ba5 12 Nc3 Qd6 13 Nb5 Not just a naïve threat to Black's queen, but the start of a forcing operation which exploits Black's lack of development and the offside position of his bish- ops. 13 ...Qe7 14 Ne5 Bxe2 15 Qxe2 0-0 16 Racl Rac8 17 Bg5 The key to White's advantage. As a result of the absence of Black's king's bishop from its standard defensive post on e7, White now has a dangerous pin against Black's king's knight. 17 ...Bb6 18 Bxf6 Kett If 18 ... Qxf6 19 Nd7 wins material. 19 Nc4 An excellent move, which Kasparov had apparently overlooked. He cannot now capture on d4 since, ultimately, Qg4+ will win a piece. 19 ... Rfd8 20 Nxb6 axb6 21 Rfdl f5 22 Qe3 Qf6 23 d5 Although this gives Black a passed pawn in the centre, White's com- ing invasion on the queen's flank will soon have Black's queenside pawns at its mercy. Mean- while, Black's pawn structure over the entire board becomes as full of holes as a Swiss cheese. 23 ... Rxd5 24 Rxd5 exd5 25 b3 Another very fine and patient move, removing its own queen- side pawns from danger. There is no way that Black's pawn on b6 can run away. 25 ... IC.h8 26 Qxb6 Rg8 27 Qc5 d4 28 Nd6 f4 Kasparov tries a forlorn attack against White's king. Against a human opponent, nervous at the prospect of being attacked by the world champion, this might have worked, but this is just the kind of position in which Deep Blue can calculate its way out of trouble. 29 Nxb7 Ne5 30 Qd5 f3 31 g3 Nd3 32 Rc7 Re8 33 Nd6 Rel+ 34 ICh2 Nxf2 (Diagram) The climax of the game. Black is actu-

Position after 34. . . Nxf2

ally threatening mate in one with ... Rhl, but Deep Blue has already calculated many moves ago that this position is a forced win for White.

35 Nx17+ Kg7 If 35 ... Qxf7 36 Qxd4+ is good enough to win, but not 36 12.1d7 Rhl checkmate.

36 Ng5+ Kh6 37 Rxh7+ Black resigns On account of 37 ...Kg6 38 Qg8+ Kf5 39 Nxf3 when Black's mating threats have all evaporated and he is hopelessly behind on material and position.

The third game was drawn, so at the halfway stage the match was level pegging at 11/2 points each.

There was an excellent response to chess puzzle No. 1. Next week I will reveal the winner's name and set puzzle No. 2.