In recent years, computers have gotten better and better at chess. In 1996, a computer, IBM’s Deep Blue, beat chess master Garry Kasparov in the first game they played, the first time a computer beat the world champion. Despite the fact that Kasparov won the match overall (by three games to one), the game became famous. The following year, in a rematch against improved software, the machine was able to win convincingly.
This victory caused an explosion in computer chess. Today, there are programs available for home use that can be played at any level of difficulty, from the most basic to the world champion level. It is also possible to play chess over the internet with real human players, either on a live server or for a long time via email (a new form of correspondence chess).
The best chess software in the world grows stronger every year, as advances in hardware speed allow you to analyze more moves in the same amount of time. Until now, humans have still had the upper hand when it comes to learning from history, that is, having a tried and true overall strategy, but software makers are rapidly building huge strategy databases containing almost every strategy. chess known to man. Today, it is believed that the modern successor to Deep Blue, called Hydra, could beat any human in the world, although this has not been proven.
The rise of computer chess has divided players in two directions. Some have embraced it, creating a game known as advanced chess, where players can use computer software that allows them to explore every possible move on the board and choose the one they think would be best. On the other hand, there is arimaa, a version of chess deliberately created to be very difficult for computers to play. Since the pieces are moved many times each turn, the computer cannot “think” as far ahead as a human, and the computer cannot store strategies since the starting positions are random each time. Today, the best arimaa programs cannot beat even moderately trained human players.