10 Interesting Stories From The World Of Chess
5. Computers Play Chess
Many attempts were made after this to use the calculation power of computers to compete at a realistic level with strong human players. From the late '70s, computers were beginning to score occasional victories against humans of master level and their abilities were only improving.
"Deep Blue" was IBM's dedicated chess machine that played a match against (at the time) chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1996, taking the first recorded game win by an AI over a champion. Kasparov won the match but lost a very close and controversial rematch the next year by three and a half points to two and a half.
Kasparov alleged that the computer's human "handlers" had intervened at a key point during one of the games, when Deep Blue played a move that was considered too "human". He also objected to the fact that Deep Blue had access to all of his previous matches and openings while he was refused access to historical games that the computer had played.
It is up for debate whether one of the handlers intervened and made a move, but in the grander scheme of things it failed to matter. Very shortly, computers and programs were crushing opponents of all levels.