It's Man vs Machine in virtual reality

Press release

Garry Kasparov vs X3D Fritz

First World Chess Championship in Virtual Reality

Opening Ceremony at the ESPN Zone

Garry Kasparov and the X3D Fritz computer program will battle for supremacy for the world chess championship title in virtual reality.

(NEW YORK, NY) – November 3, 2003 – Legendary chess champion, Garry Kasparov, has his X3D viewing glasses on, ready to compete against the X3D Fritz computer program in the X3D “Man vs. Machine” world championship. This historic match will mark the marriage between the most dominant chess program and the most powerful 3D software to challenge the greatest chess brain of all time. Kasparov will neither touch nor move the pieces as the voice activated X3D Fritz works its magic to create the ultimate virtual reality experience.

Garry Kasparov testing the X3D technology in New York

On Friday, November 7th, 2003, the X3D “Man vs. Machine” opening ceremony will be held for the press from 10AM – 11AM at the ESPN Zone, 1472 Broadway, NYC. Speakers will include: Ken Potziba, Sports Commissioner of Mayor Bloomberg’s Office, Garry Kasparov, John Fernandez, the X3D Fritz operator, and Elliot Klein, the CEO of X3D Technologies. A Q&A session with all on the panel will then follow.

Attendees will also preview the technology that will be showcased for the first time during the X3D “Man vs. Machine” championship.

1. The X3D Display is a culmination of revolutionary hardware and software that allow radically lifelike images appear to jump off the screen and into the room without the need of special glasses.
2. The X3D PC is the first computer to show you the third dimension with the images appearing to float both inside and in front of the monitor. It comes with the entire multiple award winning software and hardware to create the ultimate virtual reality effect.

   To RSVP your attendance at this press event, please contact Belinda Banks at 718 320 4898 or email her at Belinda@sspr.com.

The X3D “Man vs. Machine” championship will be held at the New York Athletic Club in New York City on November 11th, 13th, 16th and 18th 2003, in four games with classic time control. The games will be broadcast by X3D Technologies, live on the Internet at www.X3D.com.

About X3D Technologies:
X3D Technologies is a leader in virtual reality with multiple award winning patented software and hardware applications, which allow viewers to see true depth 3D images that appear to float both inside and in front of the screen, covering a wide range of sectors. X3D’s product offering encompasses both glasses-based and glasses-free 3D technologies with which it is adding a new dimension to various industries including advertising, computer, and television. X3D’s 2D to 3D conversion software in real-time does 90 million complex calculations per second creating the ultimate virtual reality experience.

In a darkend room the 3D board appears to float between the monitor and the player, an effect that cannot be captured by a 2D photographic image.

Garry Kasparov is and has been the world's number one chess player for an incredible 19 consecutive years. On November 9, 1985 Garry became the youngest ever World Chess Champion when he beat Anatoly Karpov. In January of 1990, Kasparov created two milestones in chess history. First, he moved past Bobby Fischer's best ever rating of 2785 and then broke the magical 2800 sound barrier. He was the first player in Chess history to do so. At that time, it was the chess equivalent of breaking the four-minute mile. In 1999, after winning the three major events of that year, he created a unique new milestone by topping the 2850 ELO ratings mark. From December 1981 to February 1991, Kasparov made chess history by winning every single event for nearly ten years. He remains the undisputed “King of Chess”.

X3D Fritz: is the marriage of the most dominant computer chess software with the most powerful 3D software. X3D Fritz has ruled the virtual chess world since inception in 1991 accumulating more victories than any other professional chess software program in history. X3D Fritz can list amongst its victims chess goliaths like IBM Deep Blue, GM Polgar, GM Kortchnoi, GM Adams and Deep Junior before leveling 4-4 with then current World Champion Vladimir Kramnik achieving a rating performance of over 2800.

Links

• X3D Technologies presents Garry Kasparov vs X3D Fritz
• X3D announces ESPN coverage
• Garry Kasparov returns to the Man-Machine ring with X3D
• The beauty and the beast of Baku
• A new dimension in computing
• Interview with Frederic Friedel on Kasparov vs X3D Fritz
• Official match web site