After a difficult match with the Israeli chess program Deep Junior , in the same 2003, Kasparov had to fight with another electronic rival.

The ex-world champion was offered to cross swords with an old acquaintance - a very strong chess program Fritz. In addition, a year earlier, Fritz played a match in a draw with Vladimir Kramnik, who at the time was the world champion among people. The program performed well at the world championships among its fellow minds, although it became the world champion only once - back in 1995.

The creators of Fritz, together with X3D Technologies, offered know-how in the form of a 3D program interface. For deep immersion in chess nirvana, it was proposed to replace the good old tree with a detailed stereo image of the board and figures.

It was supposed to play in 3D glasses, it was necessary to rearrange the figures with voice commands. You can control the board (turn it, move it closer, move it away) using a special joystick.

In the photo: the view of the board on the monitor without 3D glasses. →
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To promote a new product, it was decided to hold this match in November 2003. By the revolutionary interface was attached quite solid iron. The program considered the moves using 4 Intel Xeon processors with a frequency of 2.8 GHz. This made it possible to process almost 4 million positions per second. Visualization of the highest quality provided designer monitor.

The match was again held in New York. For four demonstration meetings, Kasparov was offered a solid sum - 150 thousand dollars. If he succeeded in winning a general victory in the match, the grandmaster would get another 50,000 on top, with a draw - 25.

Thus, the prize money in case of loss ($ 150.000) was not so significantly different from the victory ($ 200.000) or, all the more, by a draw ($ 175.000). The main thing, as they say, is not victory, but participation. Especially if the event is not so much a sporting as an advertising.

1st party. Kasparov - X3D Fritz. ½: ½

Given the short distance of the match, Kasparov did not stand on ceremony with the robot and rushed to the attack in white. Already in the first moves, the white g- pawn resolutely dashed forward to two squares at once. On the 20th move, Harry won the quality while continuing to build on the most dangerous initiative. The electronic grandmaster walked along the edge of the abyss, but did not cross the invisible edge separating from the fall into the abyss. The remaining forces organized the machine perpetual check and combat draw was recorded (see diagram).

Kasparov was not satisfied with the level of his own game, considering that, in principle, he could bring the party to victory.

“I just could not fully adapt to the new conditions of the game - to make moves with my voice, to see everything in a three-dimensional image. Despite this, my position was better, and during the game a situation arose several times when I could increase my advantage. I think the computer overestimated its capabilities somewhat. ”

2nd party. X3D Fritz - Kasparov. 1: 0

Kasparov, who played black, easily leveled his position and made final preparations before attacking the enemy king. However, the storming of the enemy citadel tore a rude blunder. In the diagram you can see the consequences. Garik unsuccessfully crossed the rook from f7 to the neighboring g7 and retribution for inattention followed immediately - the white rook immediately demolished the infantryman at e5 . This is not a sacrifice, but a simple tactical strike - if the black pawn takes the insolent rook, the white queen takes the equivalent piece to f8 . This chess technique is called " X-ray ". The position of black fell down and after a few moves the man stopped the clock.

Kasparov explained his mistake with damned 3D glasses. To the second installment, Garik was not used to unusual conditions. No matter how plausible the virtual board and the figures looked, they were still not perceived as real. In addition, the device tired eyes pretty.

3rd party. Kasparov - X3D Fritz. 1: 0

Kasparov knows how to quickly recoup and in the next installment he caught a computer for an unfavorable debut version.

The position on the diagram after the 41st move of black, which can be called as " Suvorov 's Crossing the Alps ". Through the entire board, the pawn "mountain chain" extends, on the very edge of the board, the penetration of the white army through a narrow pass into the territory of the enemy is prepared. Black cannot interfere with invasion. Kasparov equalized the score.

“There is still a lot of positions that machines simply do not understand. Unfortunately, it is difficult to compete with the machine as an account - it remains for us to find such positions and lure programs into them. ”

4th party. X3D Fritz - Kasparov. ½: ½

The last fight was short. The diagram shows the most spectacular moment of the meeting - the parties simultaneously threaten each other. How would you play here (white move), dear reader?

The computer played correctly and after 3 moves the game and the match ended in a draw.

In general, both sides were satisfied with the overall draw result. Kasparov, in his own words, was “glad to play just a good match,” and it’s nice to make almost 44 thousand dollars for each game, too.


In the photo: Garry Kasparov and Repper boxer basketball player hockey player Anson Carter are studying the 3D versions of each other.

The creators of the X3D Fritz marketing dividend squeezed the match to the maximum. The organization of the competition took more than a million dollars, but the sales paid for all the expenses.

Although the organizers threatened that they would hold stereo battles with the world's leading grandmasters every year, there were no other significant competitions in 3D. Still, the 2nd game for chess players seemed to be a sufficient argument to refrain from such experiments. In the following years, there were still Fritz matches with world champions (Kramnik, Kasimdzhanov), but the board and the figures were ordinary.


One of the promotional photos of the event. On the right is Katie Horn - “Miss New York 2003”, as well as part-time opera soprano and C ++ programmer .

This is my final article on the struggle of Garry Kasparov with collective artificial intelligence. The 3D chess commercial match was the last duel of a renowned chess player with the strongest gaming robots. After a year and a half, Kasparov will officially announce the end of his sports career.

And then the chess confrontation of people and machines will become irrelevant at all - my co-author Rom77 will tell about this in the epilogue, to whom I give the final word:

“ After Kasparov. Computer chess - results and prospects . ”

Additionally

Match table

	one	2	3	four	Result	Glasses
Garry Kasparov	½	0	one	½	+1, –1, = 2	2
X3D Fritz	½	one	0	½	+1, –1, = 2	2

Debut statistics

Slavic protection - 1, 3
Spanish Party - 2
Queen's Gambit - 4

View all games turn by move at ChessGames .

Fritz program page in Russian Wikipedia . Article about the match in the English Wikipedia .
On YouTube, you can find the archive of the 4th installment ( 1st part , 2nd part ), as well as watch a short report about the match from the program "Vesti".