Kasparov's 'fingerfehler' lets the computer off the hook

Score

The second game started ten minutes late, with Garry Kasparov Kasparov entering the room with a forceful stride. After shaking hands with Shay Bushinsky, who was operating the computer today, Kasparov played the aggressive Sicilian Defence which went down unorthodox lines. Slowly he built up a good position, securing (and then to everybody's surprise abandoning) a commanding square for his knight (d4). But he clearly had the upper hand. Just when it became clear he was winning the champion was lured into giving a long check with his queen. It looked like a very normal move that could do no harm, but as it turned out the computer had a dramatic defence. Kasparov saw the entire line immediately after he had played the move. He sat there shaking his head in disbelief, while the computer found the drawing line and sacrificed its queen to achieve it.

During his stage interview after the match Kasparov said he had seen the move 25...f4 thought that it was winning, but he decided that the queen check on a1 did not change anything. "It was a human move," he said. "You see a check like that and you simply play it. But I immediately realised that I had let it off the hook." Later on Kasparov and his seconds discovered that the move 25...f4 was not so clear after all and that White could probably draw after 26.h3.

A full report will follow. Here is the game for replay.

New York covered in a thin sheet of snow

The entrance to the very exclusive New York Athletic Club

Deep Junior operator Shay Bushinsky prepares for the game

Garry Kasparov entering the playing site for game two

After the firm stride a firm handshake

Settling into the game

The public can watch a 12-foot Kasparov on a giant 3D screen

You can follow the game on a Fritz8 3D board that floats majestically on (actually in front of) the screens.

You need to wear special polaroid glasses to see it all in 3D

Making our way back home after an exciting game