How Magnus Carlsen won chess back from the machines
Breakthroughs in computing have changed how high-level chess is played, making stalemates all too common. But the Norwegian champion’s stunning performance in Dubai wrests the game back from the grip of the supercomputers, Guardian US deputy sport editor Bryan Graham reportsNearly 25 years ago, the world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in a series of matches watched around the world. The Guardian’s US deputy sport editor, Bryan Graham, tells Michael Safi he vividly remembers those games, played in his home town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It seemed as if chess had been changed forever.Now the game of chess is in the midst of another pivotal transformation. With the rise of online chess and the recent success of the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit, the game has never been more popular – or accessible. But breakthroughs in computing have made it increasingly bloodless: top players simply study and memorise the ‘perfect’ moves (as determined by computers), reinforcing a style of play that more often than not ends in a draw. Continue reading…
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