3rd February, 2003

HUMAN frailty cost Garry Kasparov dearly in game three of the $1 million
FIDE Man vs. Machine challenge, as Deep Junior pounced on a typical
human error to draw level with the world No.1 at the half-way stage of
their six-game match being hosted at the New York Athletic Club.

Kasparov's furious reaction at the board when he realized his mistake
left no doubt how costly the blunder had been, after yet again having
the better of the game against the computer. Kasparov carelessly walked
into a mate in five after 32 Rh5, which he thought was simply drawing.
However 32 ..Nxd4! turns out to be a winner for the silicon beast, as 33
Ng6+ Kg8 34 Ne7+ Kf8!, and now if 35 Rxh7 Nb3+!! 36 Kc2 (36 axb3 Qd1
mate) 36 ..Na1+ 37 Kc3 Qd2+ 38 Kc4 b5+ 39 Kc5 Qd6 mate.

Kasparov, whose battles with the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in 1996 and
1997 drew worldwide attention, has vowed to avenge his defeat to the
machine six years ago, but now faces a sense of Deep Blue deja vu with a
tough psychological struggle as the tension rises going into the
decisive second half of the match - He's worried; the computer isn't.

Whoever wins this match, the days when humans can compete on a level
playing field with computers could be numbered. Humans cling to the
hope that their intuition and pattern-recognition abilities will offset
the computer's raw calculating prowess. But software programs are
getting better and better, and (just like Kasparov in his 1997 match
with Deep Blue, and now his latest game with Deep Junior) they crucially
do not succumb to fatigue, loss of focus, impatience or emotional ups
and downs.

G Kasparov - DEEP JUNIOR
FIDE Man-Machine, (3)
Semi-Slav Defence
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e3 e6 5 Nf3 Nbd7 6 Qc2 b6 7 cxd5 exd5 8 Bd3
Be7 9 Bd2 0-0 10 g4 Nxg4 11 Rg1 Ndf6 12 h3 Nh6 13 e4 dxe4 14 Bxh6 exd3
15 Rxg7+ Kh8 16 Qxd3 Rg8 17 Rxg8+ Nxg8 18 Bf4 f6 19 0-0-0 Bd6 20 Qe3
Bxf4 21 Qxf4 Bxh3 22 Rg1 Qb8 23 Qe3 Qd6 24 Nh4 Be6 25 Rh1 Rd8 26 Ng6+
Kg7 27 Nf4 Bf5 28 Nce2 Ne7 29 Ng3 Kh8 30 Nxf5 Nxf5 31 Qe4 Qd7 32 Rh5
Nxd4 33 Ng6+ Kg8 34 Ne7+ Kf8 35 Nd5 Qg7 36 Qxd4 Rxd5 0

JOHN B HENDERSON