Man versus Machine | Kasparov versus Deep Blue | By David Goodman and Raymond Keene

On-the-Scene Reporting and In-Depth Analysis and Commentary on the Most Sensational Match in Chess History

"The brain's last stand."
Newsweek

"A victory by Deep Blue would be a very important and frightening milestone in the history of mankind."
Garry Kasparov

"I just think we should look at this as a chess match between the world's greatest chess player and Garry Kasparov."
IBM chairman Louis V. Gerstner

In May 1997 world chess champion Garry Kasparov, regarded by many as the greatest player of all time, came to New York to face his most unusual and challenging opponent yet. Deep Blue, a supercomputer developed by a team of IBM scientists in a project that started over ten years earlier, was capable of calculating 200 million chess positions in a single second and was incapable of tiring, losing heart, or making an oversight. Six games were played for over $1 million in prize money. And in a stunning upset Deep Blue won, 3.5--2.5.

Man versus Machine: Kasparov versus Deep Blue was the first book to tell the full story of this historic encounter, from the personalities, hype, and controversies to the psychology of the match, why Kasparov lost and Deep Blue won, and a look at the future of chess in this new era. This book is the definitive on-the-scene report that every chess enthusiast must read. Comprehensive background on both contestants and authoritative coverage of events surrounding the match are provided. Every game is described and analyzed in detail, with ideas and variations found in no other book. The earlier 1989 and 1996 matches between the two contestants are also reviewed.

Authors David Goodman and Raymond Keene have collaborated on several bestselling chess books, including on-site accounts of the 1985, 1986, and 1987 Kasparov-Karpov world championship matches. Goodman is an international master, chess teacher, and journalist who has covered Garry Kasparov for such publications as Time and Chess Life magazines. He lives in New York. Keene is an international grandmaster, author of over 100 chess books (including the first book on last year's match), and chess columnist for The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Spectator. He lives in London.

Quality 128-page paperback with figurine algebraic notation, numerous diagrams, and glossy four-color cover. Foreword by international grandmaster Patrick Wolff.

Published in June 1997
ISBN 1-888281-06-5
Suggested retail price $14.95
Man versus Machine: Kasparov versus Deep Blue -- an authoritative and lasting record of the most unusual rivalry in chess history.


PDF File of Complete Book

Background Material


Praise for Man versus Machine: Kasparov versus Deep Blue ...

"If I had to pick only one book, I would choose Goodman and Keene, which has not only deeper analysis but also more extensive background material. They continue the dramatic story beyond the last move of the last game, including Kasparov's post-match press conference."
Chess Horizons

"A most interesting account of the match, with the games well annotated. Highly recommended."
George Koltanowski, San Francisco Chronicle

"An excellent book on the topic. While future books may have more profound and detailed annotations, probably none will give a better feeling of what it was like to be present at the match, and of why Kasparov played as he did."
Larry Kaufman, Computer Chess Reports

"A very interesting account ... good notes."
Dale Brandreth

"Goodman and Keene are absolutely qualified to write the most objective and definitive book on the Kasparov-Deep Blue match, and they have done so."
Patrick Wolff

"Lacking a human foe to psychologize, Kasparov inevitably turned inward -- first analyzing, then second-guessing, then fatally doubting himself. In this riveting narrative of the champion's man-against-machine battle with Deep Blue, Goodman and Keene show how a computer turned an ice-blooded grandmaster into a desperate, mistake-prone man."
Roger Lowenstein
Author of the New York Times besteller Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist


"Two of the finest writers on chess combine their talents to produce an instant classic on the match that captured the imagination of the world."
Larry Evans

"Most 'instant' chess books are mere collections of facts with no deep analysis or insight about why events happened and what we can expect in the future. This book is different and much better. Besides presenting remarkable you-are-there color, it answers the key question -- did Deep Blue win, or did Kasparov lose? No matter which, chess history was changed by the New York match. Goodman and Keene explain why, and they do so very well."
Leontxo Garcia, World Chess Service





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