OT: Kasparov-Deep Junior on ESPN2 Friday

I don't think there has been a chess game covered live on US national television since the Fischer-Spassky world championship in 1972.

However, ESPN2 will actually be covering the final and decisive game between Garry Kasparov and the Deep Junior computer from 3:30-7:00 pm ET. If there are any other patzers out there, I'll be giving a very unexpert rundown here.

Obligatory hockey connection: Kasparov is a huge hockey fan.

[Q] Kasparov is a huge hockey fan. [/Q]

So is Deep Junior -- early favorite for Sega NHL 2K3 championship.

LOL. I'm sure DJ's chip is so riddled with to-task customization that any of us could out-calc it hungover and using long division, regardless of its processor speed.

But at chess, it's the best there is (including, quite possibly, Garry).

Cornell alum Jeremy Schapp is the talking head. Apparently the two bullet points are to bang on the "man vs machine" thing whenever possible, and introduce aggressive, active language even when improbable.

I can't believe I'm watching this.

And I have an Orgo prelim next week!

"this is like Game 7..."

um, not really.

By the way, I was at Jansen's dining today, and the whole team came in for their weekly team meeting. They were looking for a newspaper, and my roommate and I gave ours to them. "Nice guys," said Greg Hornby to some of his teammates, smiling. I was afraid he was suddenly going to spear us or something if we didn't give him the paper

Weird game. Started out looking like a mainline Njadorf Sicilian, transposed into Schevenigen Variation but then Kasparov morphs it into something else with a highly atypical move.

"Taking your wife"?

Um.... okay.

Riiiiiiiight....exactly what I was thinking.....

I would post the moves but all the sites I can find with realtime updating are so swamped that they barely load.

Here's the Najdorf Sicilian

Deep Junior v Kasparov

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6

Starting with 6. it's been a little hard to figure out, because ESPN is not doing a good job of reporting moves.

6. Be2 e5
7. Nb3 Be7
8. O-O O-O
9. kh1 Bd7
10. Be3 Bc6
11. Bf3 Nbd7
12. a4 b6

Evaluation: DJ looks jammed in. Kasparov reversed the standard move order pf 7. and 9. and might have taken DJ out of book.

13. Qd3 -- aggressive.

Garry needs to shave the back of his wrists. It must be an Azerbaidjani thing.

Is it tied going into the final, or are they within a point of eachother? (ie., does the winner win, or can one of them take it with a tie?)

Great site here:

[www.x3dworld.com]

13. ... Bb7
14. h3 Rc8

The match is all tied up, hence whoever wins this game wins the match.

Results:

1. GK
2. draw
3. DJ
4. draw
5. draw
6. today

All the analysts appear to be agreeing that Kasparov is in an excellent position to win from black.

15. Rad1

15...h6
16. Rfe1

Suddenly the situation is inert.

16... Qc7
17. g3

Interesting: Kasparov played three different Sicilian variations in his three games as Black.

NEEEEEERRRRRDDDDDSSS!

The nerd gets the babe ("jocks only think about sports; nerds only think about sex -- that's why we're good at it" )

Kasparov setting up a R for N sacrifice.

17... Rfd8
18. Kh2 Rde8
19. Re2 Qc4
20. Qxc4 Rxc4
21. Nd2 Rc7
22. Bg2 Rec8
23. Nb3

If he takes the N he's gojng for the W but risking the L by going down on material.

This is weird. Kasparov is Armenian !!

For those who want to know why this is weird:

[elf.hockey.cornell.edu]

Woohoo! Garry goes for the throat!!!! 23...Rxc3!

24. Pxc3 Bxe4
25. Bc1

which bothers GK. None of the analysts saw that coming as it appears to open up a part of the board that looked settled.

25... Bxg2
26. Kxg2 Rxc3

after the exchange of B's, GK grabs the extra pawn to (sort of) equalize in material.

Imbalances:

GK is up 2 pawns, plus 2 od DJ's pawns are isolated.
GK has both Ns (locked)
DK has both Rs.
GK strong in the center.

I'm *way* over my head, but personally I think it looks like a winning position for Black (GK).

> Kasparov is Armenian

I thought he was actually an ethnic Russian. Nationally he comes from Baku in what is now Azerbaidjan. But there are certainly plenty of Armenians who come from that region.

Weird news from the DJ progamming camp:

According to X3D, Kasparov offered a draw after 23... Rxc3

There is a thought that maybe he is ill.

Damnit, and now after

26. Kxg2 Rxc3
27. Ba3 Ne8
28. f4

with a very interesting position for both sides, they agree to a draw?!

Booing from the floor of the NYAC. We nerds are angry!!!

Must be they both want to listen to the Cornell-Dartmouth game.

Yep, worked out perfect for me.