|
In May 1997 Garry Kasparov, widely regarded as the greatest
chess player the world has ever seen, played Deep Blue - a
hulking, one-and-a-half ton IBM supercomputer - in a chess
tournament and 'scientific experiment'. International interest
in the match had exploded. The epic battle of Man Vs. Machine
had captured people's imaginations. To win the match the computer
did what many thought impossible at the time, it appeared
to think like a human...
Game
Over: Kasparov and the Machine is a documentary that examines
the run up to the infamous six game match between Kasparov
and IBM's supercomputer Deep Blue. It then looks at the match
itself and asks did IBM's machine really beat the world's
Grand Master or was there some human intervention?
To
those who are not familiar with the events, it probably sounds
like sour grapes on Kasparov's part. He was beaten by a machine
and couldn't take the fact that the programmers had beaten
him. But there are several questions that need addressing.
Firstly,
why was Kasparov beaten by a computer that made so many blunders
during its first game - a question Kasparov and other experts
believe may have seen IBM bending the rules in order to win
at all costs. During the first game Deep Blue thought like
a machine, which is why Kasparov mopped the floor with it.
But in the second game, Kasparov made a move that resulted
in Deep Blue making a countermove which many have claimed
could only have been made by a human.
The
fact that IBM's stock rocketed after the game, and that no
one was allowed to enter the room where Deep Blue was housed
has caused many to ask whether IBM cheated.
And
why is it that the achievements IBM had managed to gain were
not exploited further? Why did work on Deep Blue finish after
the match? Isn't that a little strange? Here we have a computer
that can think like a human, yet no further research is conducted
in order to reap the obvious potential benefits.
This
documentary consisting of interviews with Kasparov, his manager,
chess experts, and members of the IBM Deep Blue team, as well
as original footage of the match itself, Game Over
is not only an absorbing film about chess but a fascinating
snapshot of a historical moment when man was beaten by machine.
Extras
on the DVD include a copy of a chess program - Fritz special
edition. This has a database of over 300,000 matches and is
suitable for both novice players and professionals. It also
provides guest access to Playchess.com for interactive play.
The
inclusion of this software adds an extra point to the review
- it really is a great bit programme.
An
extremely entertaining DVD.
Darren
Rea
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
(Please note all prices exclude P&P - although
Streets Online charge a flat £1 fee regardless
of the number of items ordered). Click on the
logo of the desired store below to purchase
this item.
|
|
|
£14.99
(Amazon.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£16.99
(MVC.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£16.99
(Streetsonline.co.uk) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|
