Kasparov, Computer Talk Smack
By Michelle Delio | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1
09:51 AM Jan. 24, 2003 PT
NEW YORK -- Fear not, humans.
We're not completely clueless, and Garry Kasparov plans to prove it.
Kasparov, the chess grandmaster beaten in a match by computer Deep Blue six years ago, said Thursday he is proud to represent humanity in the latest battle of man vs. machine.
"I'll try to prove that the human race isn't hopeless," Kasparov said during a press conference in New York.
Kasparov is taking on Deep Junior, currently the world's best computerized chess player, in a match billed as the ultimate battle between wetware and software.
In this match, Kasparov will pit his skills against a chess-playing program instead of a machine like Blue specifically built to play the game.
"But this competition isn't just a game," Kasparov said. "It is also a scientific experiment that is very important for the whole human race."
Programmers Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky spoke for Deep Junior. They figure that as long as there are no unexpected catastrophes, such as a power failure, Junior will kick human butt.
"This match will demonstrate that computers are able to understand abstract concepts," Bushinsky said. "And that they can think as crazy as humans do."
Junior's programmers said that their creation can not only think in the abstract, it's also coded to take risks. Prior to Junior, chess-playing computers tended to assume the safest move was the best move.
Junior isn't as fast as Blue. It can calculate the potential outcome of about 3 million moves per second, compared with Deep Blue's 200-300 million.
Kasparov said he can calculate the potential of about 3 moves per second at best, "but they are the best moves."
Kasparov is expected to battle like an elegant martial arts master, whereas Junior plays chess as if it's engaging in a street fight, Ban said.
Kasparov said yesterday that the real challenge when playing as a human against a computer isn't lack of brain power.
"The problem is emotions. Computers don't feel the pressure, they don't get tired or hungry," Kasparov said. "But it is just that lack of imagination which gives humans the edge."
Kasparov said he has prepared for this contest partly by playing against the version of Deep Junior that won the chess championship last summer.
Junior's code has been tweaked since then, and Ban and Bushinsky can reprogram Junior between but not during the matches.
If Kasparov plays a stealthy game, instead of a purely tactical one which Junior can easily recognize and counter, experts believe the human could humble the machine.
Kasparov and Junior will battle in a six-game, almost two-week contest held at the New York Athletic Club.
The contest will start at 3:30 p.m ET on Sunday. All the matches can be viewed in real-time on Wired News, accompanied by commentary from two American grandmasters, Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley.
Kasparov will receive $500,000 whether he wins or loses. The winner will get $300,000, the loser $200,000. If the match is tied, each contestant will receive $250,000. Junior's programmers will handle their protégé's winnings, should the software prove that humans are indeed hopeless.
◎vacabs
◎Summary
We may play chess with a chess grandmaster, but have you ever played chess with a compluter program?
◎reflection
文章定位：
