Chess Buzz for June 20, 1997
This Week's Topic: Computers, of course!
"It's all just ones and zeroes--all you have to do is get them in the right order..."
There's only one topic in the chess buzz this week: computers! Whether you're a player, a tournament director, a policy board member--or a World Champion--the mechanical minds have definitely become the hot topic on everybody's short list. Let's take a quick look at how computers affected world chess news recently.
World Chess Organization Says No Computer Champ
FIDE, the World Chess organization, had to abandon plans to invite Deep Blue to participate in the 1997 World Championship matches in December, because now that they are an official part of the International Olympic Committee, competition against machines is forbidden. Is this a step forward, or a step back for the international organization?
Interplay to Sponsor 1997 Championship
Meanwhile, the United States Chess Federation continues to enjoy a more harmonious relationship with the silicon wonders. Interplay, makers of some of the best computer games on the planet, continues to be a very generous and helpful sponsor. The 1997 Interplay Chess Championship coming up in August promises to be one of the most exciting yet!
Computer Topics at US Open Meetings
If you'll be attending the US Open meetings in Orlando in August, you'll have to choose between meetings on Scholastic Chess, Computer Chess, and Ratings--there are only so many hours to go around. But everyone will be able to attend the USCF Awards luncheon on Saturday, and while several of the recipients have important computer ties, we'd be willing to bet that the Grandmaster of the Year is the first US Champion to have his own Website!
1997 US Amateur Champion Owes It All to the Internet
Of course, more and more people are playing chess on the Internet as well. The USCF, in coordination with Engage, will be offering online play in the next few months. But the USCF is taking advantage of Internet play already--for the first time, the US Amateur Championship took place as a playoff on the Internet. Four regional champions from the North, South, East, and West met online, and the winner was Thomas LaForge of Wynandotte, Michigan, the North's regional champion. Hmmmm--We wonder if coming from the Steel Belt was an advantage?
USCF Weighs In On Garry's Side
Us "carbon-based lifeforms" have to stick together...
Of course you already know that the USCF's Policy Board has placed a top priority on creating a Website "second to none." But did you know the Policy Board also passed the following at the end of May meeting?
President Donald Schultz offered the following motion:
PB 97-114 (Schultz): The US Chess Federation supports the challenge of World Champion Garry Kasparov for a return match with Deeper Blue. PASSED 6-0-1 (Adams, Dorsch, Ferguson, Goichberg, Lieberman, Schultz in favor; Eade abstained)
The Chess Life Online feature article on the Deep Blue match is available in our archives.
(We wonder how fast Deep Blue could count all that prize money...)
The Ultimate Victory
And if you're the kind of person who can make computers jump through hoops, the USCF is considering a Tournament Assistant certification program for third party software to help tournament directors organize and manage rated events. Hey, if you can't beat them--put them to work!
Media Buzz
Admit it--we were all curious about why the big match was set up with conditions that HAD to favor the computer. Back to back game days are very unusual at that level of match play: it's usually one day on, one day off. It's hard for any human to play on an "off day," right?
However, one sharp-eyed Chess Buzz reader reports the REAL reason Garry Kasparov lost to Deep Blue. If you've got a copy of that national newsmagazine's pre-event cover story on the big match, take a close look at that close-up photo--Garry's playing without any black pieces! No wonder the poor guy lost--they probably didn't tell him he'd have to play a blindfold variation...
Well, that's the buzz for this week.
Have a hot story for us? A trend you want us to look into? An item only chessplayers can appreciate? Write webmaster@uschess.org