Author: odell hall
Date: 23:10:16 11/10/98
Hi CCC
Many may notice two post with this same title, It is because I accidently
pushed the submit follow up button, while trying to find the text that I wanted
to quote from another post. Anyway as I was saying in the other post, A short
while ago Amir ban posted a letter which I thought was very interesting her's
the text.
It so happens I have a draft Shay sent me of an article he's writing for some
purpose, in which, in passing, he reviews the Deep-Blue affair. Here's the
quote:
...
Indeed, in May 1997, an IBM "monster" named Deep-Blue managed to
beat Gary Kasparov, the reigning human world champion, in a six-game match
3.5-2.5. IBM cleaned up, achieving an amazing financial gain:
1. Its stock jumped up 20%
2. It had planted the notion of supremacy in computing
3. Its sales of super computers grew as it branded the name "Deep Blue"
in its product line.
By refusing to play a revenge match and dismantling the Deep Blue
project, IBM ensured that its result would be perceived as an ultimate proof
of supremacy and prolonged the public relations effect to the maximum.
Kasparov, shattered by his loss, has never played a computer since then.
A few facts regarding computers and the game of chess can cast some
doubt about Deep-Blue's true strength. Few people know, for instance,
that prior to its game against Kasparov, Deep-Blue with all its calculative
might, was not even the official world computer champion.
It lost this title, lo and behold, to a PC program named 'Fritz', from
Germany, that managed to defeat it at the official world computer
championships held in Hong-Kong 1995.
Since then, the IBM team carefully avoided any more "embarrassments"
and did not confront any other computer programs officially. In fact, it
reduced its opponent field to just one person - Gary Kasparov.
...
Amir
The part that amused me is when it says that Garry Kasparov has not played
any computer programs since his defeat by deepblue! Wow! and this is the guy
that Patrick Wolf claimed is the Greatest Competitor in the history of the Game
of chess! I guess he no longer feels the urge to defend mankind, having let the
whole human race down in newyork. Actually this quote by Amir also in my mind
explains in a way why garry kasparov stormed of Icc when he suspected someone of
using a computer to make their moves during a simul. Garry has a deep seated
psychosis when it comes to computer chess , I guess the defeat was much more
damaging to his ego then I first expected.
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