Kasparov lets Deep Blue off the hook

The six-game match concludes with a final contest today. Kasparov and the computer split the first two games of the match, then played to draw in games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yesterday, after two days of rest, Kasparov played white and had the first move, an advantage sometimes compared to serving in tennis. As in all the previous games of the match, Kasparov played cautiously at the outset, seeking to avoid engagements that would allow the computer to take advantage of its superior calculating skills.

On his fourth move, Kasparov used a pawn to attack Deep Blue8217;s bishop a move that normally would be considered premature at that stage of the game. But Ilya gurevich, a Manhattan Grandmaster who watched the game with other chess fans on a video feed, said the move was successful.

8220;Kasparov8217;s fourth move was very unusual, but it worked,8221; Gurevich said. 8220;The computer played some dubious moves that gave Kasparov a long-term advantage.8221;

David Levy, an IM and expert on computer chess, said the pawn move was designed to give Kasparov a long-term advantage and worked because Deep Blue makes its decisions based on what it can see happening in the short term.

The move was designed specifically to throw the programme out of its opening knowledge and to force it to think for itself.

On the 29th move of the game, the computer forced an exchange of Queens with Kasparov and was able to take one of Kasparov8217;s weakened pawns. But in executing the move, Deep Blue misplayed on the 33rd move, Kasparov was able to regain the pawn and take the advantage in the endgame.

But with Kasparov threatening to promote one of his pawns into a Queen, the computer was able to mount a counterthreat and create a scenario in which it could place Kasparov8217;s King in a perpetual check. That forced Kasparov to offer the draw, which the computer accepted.

In the past, the World Champion had said he believes that barring human error, a person will always be better than a machine at chess. But Deep Blue8217;s win in game 2 shook that faith. Kasparov, said he thought Deep Blue showed signs of intelligence during the game. As in the previous games in the match, several hundred people paid 25 dollars each to watch the video feed of yesterday8217;s contest in a first-floor auditorium at the equitable centre. The game was played on the building8217;s 35th floor.

Game 6 of the match is to be played today.

Kasparov will take home 700,000 dollars if he wins, 400,000 dollars if he loses and 550,000 dollars if he and Deep Blue tie.

GAME 5 Kasparov-Deep BlueAtilde;?1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Bxf3 c6 6.d3 e6 7.e4 Ne5 8.Bg2 dxe4 9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bg2 Bb4 11.Nd2 h5 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.c3 Be7 14.d4 Ng6 15.h4 e5 16.Nf3 exd4 17.Nxd4 0-0-0 18.Bg5 Ng4 19.0-0-0 Rhe8 20.Qc2 Kb8 21.Kb1 Bxg5 22.hxg5 N6e5 23.Rhe1 c5 24.Nf3 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Nc4 26.Qa4 Rd8 27.Re1 Nb6 28.Qc2 Qd6 29.c4 Qg6 30.Qxg6 fxg6 31.b3 Nxf2 32.Re6 Kc7 33.Rxg6 Rd7 34.Nh4 Nc8 35.Bd5 Nd6 36.Re6 Nb5 37.cxb5 Rxd5 38.Rg6 Rd7 39.Nf5 Ne4 40.Nxg7 Rd1 41.Kc2 Rd2 42.Kc1 Rxa2 43.Nxh5 Nd2 44.Nf4 Nxb3 45.Kb1 Rd2 46.Re6 c4 47. Re3 Kb6 48.g6 Kxb5 49. g7 Kb4 0.5-0.5.