Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Computer wins match by 4:2

by ChessBase
12/5/2006 – World champion Vladimir Kramnik played a very spirited final game in his match against Deep Fritz in Bonn, Germany. It was a very double-edged encounter, with the computer playing some highly unusual and deep ideas to gain the upper hand and win the game on move 47. The final score was 4:2. Annotated game and big photo report.
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The chess duel Man vs Machine, Vladimir Kramnik vs Deep Fritz is being staged from November 25 until December 5th. It is sponsored by the RAG AG, one of Europe's largest energy companies. The venue is the National Art Gallery in Bonn, Germany. Schedule:

Game 1: Saturday 25.11.2006 15:00 h
Game 2: Monday 27.11.2006 15:00 h
Game 3: Wednesday 29.11.2006 15:00 h
Game 4: Friday 01.12.2006 15:00 h
Game 5: Sunday 03.12.2006 15:00 h
Game 6: Tuesday 05.12.2006 15:00 h

There is full live coverage on the Playchess server, as well as on the official site and a number of partner sites. The Spiegel is broadcasting them with live audio commentary directly from the site, in German by GM Helmut Pfleger and GM Klaus Bishoff; and in English it is by GM Yasser Seirawan.

Game six

Deep Fritz 10 - Kramnik,Vladimir (2750) [B86]
Man vs Machine Bonn, Germany (6), 05.12.2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Bb3 Qc7 9.Re1

9...Nc6.

This position has occurred at least nine time in international tournament chess, with the moves played being 10.Bg5 (four times), 10.a3, 10.Nxc6, 10.Qd3, 10.Be3 and 10.f4. The move and manoeuvre Deep Fritz plays has certainly never been seen before. 10.Re3 0-0 11.Rg3 Kh8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qe2 a5 14.Bg5 Ba6 15.Qf3 Rab8 16.Re1 c5 17.Bf4 Qb7 18.Bc1.

The manoeuvre Bc1-g5-f4-c1 (with Ra1-e1 incerted) caused some amusement in the commentary boxes in Bonn, but as with Rf1-e1-e3-g3 the GMs slowly started to see meaning in the "madness". 18...Ng8 19.Nb1. Amazing: a mirrored knight retreat on both sides. Once again the GMs doing live international commentary broadcasts were surprised and amused by the computer moves, but slowly started to find reasons for it. 19...Bf6 20.c3 g6. The commentators who had given Black a substantial advantage (while Deep Fritz persistantly saw White in the lead) now slowly started to have doubts about Kramnik's position. 21.Na3. This was not the move the GMs anticipated (...Nd2 was the reason given for 19.Nb1). Deep Fritz is still playing moves that take a while for humans to appreciate. 21...Qc6 22.Rh3 Bg7 23.Qg3 a4 24.Bc2 Rb6.

Kramnik said later that immediately after he had played the move 24...Rb6 he had seen the computer's reply: 25.e5! dxe5 26.Rxe5 Nf6 27.Qh4 Qb7 28.Re1 h5 29.Rf3 Nh7 30.Qxa4 Qc6

White is now a pawn up and firmly on the path to victory. 31.Qxc6 Rxc6 32.Ba4 Rb6 33.b3 Kg8 34.c4 Rd8 35.Nb5 Bb7 36.Rfe3 Bh6 37.Re5 Bxc1 38.Rxc1 Rc6 39.Nc3 Rc7 40.Bb5 Nf8 41.Na4 Rdc8 42.Rd1 Kg7 43.Rd6 f6 44.Re2 e5 45.Red2 g5 46.Nb6 Rb8 47.a4 and Black resigned.

Fritz has played this game very impressively, as all the GMs and Vladimir Kramnik himself have admitted. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Picture Gallery


Vladimir Kramnik's workspace in game six


TV crews get a shot of Deep Fritz 10 before the game starts. The Deep Fritz hardware was located in an elevator at the back of the stage, which was closed during the games to prevent disturbance to Kramnik because of the cooling fans.


The trophy for which both sides are doing battle


Fritz operator Mathias Feist is ready to start


The world champion arrives, followed by his bodyguard and manager


The friendly handshake before the start of hostilities


The press – photographers and TV camera teams – are there in force


The first moves are played


During the opening phase Kramnik is allowed to view the moves and statistics in Deep Fritz' opening book.


As soon as Fritz leaves its book the monitor is turned away.


Kramnik playing 9...Nc6


... and leaves the stage for a break in his rest room


What the...? Fritz has played the extraordinary novelty 10.Re3!?


Mathias Feist grabs a bite behind the stage – and denies any knowledge of what Fritz is up to.


Fritz has played the shocker 25.e5, which Kramnik saw a split second too late


The world champion trying to figure out the consequences of the computer's move


The original Fritz display after 27...Qb7 (photographed from the balcony with a very long lens) shows the computer feeling itself a full pawn up


Kramnik quite unhappy with his position


The game will soon be over with a final victory for Deep Fritz


Mathias Feist receives the trophy for the computer


The defeated champion in the press conference (more about that later).

Final standing

 Player
Rating
1
2
3
4
5
6
 Tot. 
 Vladimir Kramnik
2760
½
0
½
½
½
0
2.0
Deep Fritz 10
-
½
1
½
½
½
1
4.0

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