Kasparov strikes back to even the score
The stakes could hardly have been higher in game three. A win was the only
way Kasparov could hope to win the match. Another loss and the fourth game would
be only a formality. A draw and Kasparov's back would be against the wall in
the fourth game with the disadvantage of the black pieces.
In some games computers play chess so well you wonder how humans have any chance
at all against them. Then they have games like this one and you wonder how humans
can ever lose! Garry Kasparov completely dominated X3D Fritz in game three to
bounce back from his horrible blunder in the second game and even the score
with one game left to play.
X3D Fritz looked completely confused almost from the beginning. The opening
moves of the game created a closed position with very little active play for
the powerful pieces. In such positions the human ability to make long-term plans
becomes far more effective than the machine's ability to calculate variations.
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the fully annotated game online and download PGN
Kasparov made it look easy and really it seemed quite easy indeed. X3D Fritz
never realized it had to attack with its kingside pawns. Without that sole
source of counterplay it was only a matter of time before Kasparov broke through
and wrapped things up on the kingside. There really isn't much to analyze in
terms of variations. The only possible plan for Black was completely ignored
by X3D Fritz so the game was totally one-sided. Had the computer advanced its
f and g-pawns it would have been an interesting battle.
The X3D Fritz team stepped in and stopped the carnage on move 45 in the position
below. X3D Fritz's evaluation was still only around a pawn and a half in White's
favor, far from a decisive advantage in its judgment. But the machine was showing
no sign of figuring out what to do and the humans in charge of the machine wanted
to put a stop to what had already been a thoroughly humiliating experience.
Game 3: final position after 45.Rb3. 1-0
In the final position there is nothing Black can do about Kasparov's plan to
double his rooks on the a-file and invade. Soon his extra b-pawn will promote
to a new queen, or force the win of a decisive amount of material. For example:
45...Ne8 46.Rba3 Nc8 47.Nb4 Rab8 48.Ra8 Bg5 49.Rxb8 Rxb8 50.Ra6 Bd8 51.Qa4 Ne7
52.Ra8 Rxa8 53.Qxa8 and the b-pawn can't be stopped.
What can we expect in Tuesday's final game four? X3D Fritz creator Frans Morsch
likes their chances with the white piece. Kasparov frankly admitted he wasn't
going into it as a must-win game, saying that he wanted to play good chess and
see what would happen.
After the game Kasparov happily explains that he was more worried about
what he had missed in game two than what was going on in game three.
Kasparov could have won this one in his sleep.
