Author: Matthias Gemuh
Date: 08:01:19 10/16/02
On their homepage one reads: Did Deep Fritz use Shakespeare to heckle the World Champion? It is an interesting theory: the Fritz team installed the latest chatter files during the Man vs Machine event in Bahrain, causing the machine to talk to the world champion in authentic Shakespearean verse during the game. The historical chatter drove Kramnik to distraction and prompted his ill-fated Morphy-esque knight sacrifice. That, in any case, ist how Schakespearean scholar and chess addict Michael Fischer tells it in his special report. Kramnik versus Deep Fritz, match game 6 While the reports have not been confirmed, there has been some talk of the Fritz team having employed a clever diversionary tactic in Game Six to unsettle the World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. Before the game, programmer Frans Morsch and the notorious – some might say nefarious – Fred Friedel apparently tinkered with the Deep Fritz program, installing the Shakespearean Chatter Files slated to appear with a future release of Fritz. Morsch thought it would give the computer better odds. Fred thought it would be funny to see Kramnik turn red and talk to himself. The conspirators rigged up several speakers around Kramnik’s chair and set them at volumes low enough that only Kramnik might hear the computer’s chatter. That the computer was talking to him doubtless distracted Kramnik; that Fritz was speaking entirely in Shakespearean verse surely drove Kramnik mad, prompting the questionable, Morphy-esque Knight sacrifice at f7. Our reports go on to say that a Bahraini match official managed to extract a full transcript from the Deep Fritz computer after the game. This transcript he then e-mailed to the chatter-file designer, S. Michael Fisher, in the USA. In a fit of good conscience, this same Mr. Fisher (no relation of Bobby Fischer) then decided to make public the entire sordid affair. What follows is a copy of that transcript. Kramnik, Vladimir - Deep Fritz Brains in Bahrain Match, Game Six 15.10.2002 Fritz: “Now is it time to arm: come, shall we about it?” The World Champion blinks at this and looks about him. Convinced he is hearing things, he plays the first move. 1.d4 Nf6 Fritz: “The game’s afoot.” Kramnik looks under the table. Not finding anyone there, he stares a while at Mathias Feist, the technician across the table, then continues with the game. 2.c4 e6 Fritz: “In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature.” At this, Kramnik realizes what’s going on, but the memory of his humiliating blunder in Game Five must be preventing him from making the infraction known to the arbiter, Enrique Irazoqui. Fritz technician Mathias Feist is frowning uncomfortably. Kramnik frowns too, but in anger. He proceeds to pound out the next few moves. 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 Fritz: “Better do so than tarry and be hang'd.” 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Fritz: “What sneaking fellow comes yonder?” 9…Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Fritz: “Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom! Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight: Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.” 10…Nxd7 Kramnik itches his ear and gives his bodyguard a sidelong look. 11.Nd2 0–0 12.0–0 Rc8 13.a4 Fritz: “Why I will fight with him upon this theme Until my eyelids will no longer wag.” Fritz had apparently expected 13.e4. After this the position becomes equal. 13...Bf6 Fritz: “Is this the scourge of France? Is this the Kramnik, so much fear'd abroad That with his name the mothers still their babes? I see report is fabulous and false: I thought I should have seen some Hercules, A second Hector, for his grim aspect, And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs. Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf! It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp Should strike such terror to his enemies.” I don't think Kramnik is a silly dwarf ! /Matthias.
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