Kramnik vs Deep Fritz

New chess duel Man vs Machine
01.03.2006 – At the end of November this year classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik will take up the challenge of facing a computer program in a six-game match, to be held in the very prestigious Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn, Germany. Kramnik stands to win one million US dollars if he beats the opponent, Deep Fritz. Press release.

Chess: Making it to the first league
11.08.2006 – In November classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik plays a match against the computer program Deep Fritz. The prize fund is one million dollars, and the title sponsor the giant energy concern RAG, a new and important player in chess sponsoring. Kramnik and the German Finance Minister took part in the press conference. Report and videos.

Kramnik: 'Fritz punishes you immediately'
23.11.2006 – The Stern, which means "star" in German, is one of the biggest news magazines in Europe, reaching almost eight million readers. In this week's edition there is an interesting interview with world champions Vladimir Kramnik, who speaks about his training for the match against Deep Fritz, his experience with computers, but also about the scandal in Elista. We bring you excerpts in English.

The last man vs machine match?
23.11.2006 – Three chess grandmasters have done battle with the program “Deep Fritz”: Robert Hübner, Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov. All three could only draw their matches. On Saturday world champion Vladimir Kramnik once again faces the machine – perhaps the last chance for humans to withstand the calculating power of the machine? Big article in Spiegel Online.

Kramnik-Deep Fritz: First game ends in a draw
25.11.2006 – Game one finished in a draw after Deep Fritz defused the opening danger to reach a roughly equal endgame. Kramnik paid Fritz the compliment of using the same Catalan opening he played against Topalov in their recent world championship match, but although White was in control it was never quite enough to tip the balance. Express report.

Presenting – Kramnik vs Deep Fritz in Bonn
25.11.2006 – The much-awaited match between the human world champion and the nine million position machine begins on Saturday. On the day before the event tradition dictates a presentation ceremony, press conference and the drawing of colours. And a gala dinner with the FIDE President. Photo report with tumultuous scenes and interesting news.

Man vs machine shocker: Kramnik allows mate in one
27.11.2006 – Vladimir Kramnik played another wonderfully profound game, piling the pressure on Deep Fritz on the black side of a Queen's Gambit Accepted, and taking the computer to the edge of defeat. As usual the computer defended tenaciously and by move 34 Fritz had equalised and the game was clearly drawn. And then Kramnik overlooked mate in one!

Seirawan on Kramnik vs Deep Fritz game one
27.11.2006 – Did the computer miss a sure-fire draw early in the game? Did Vladimir Kramnik miss a clever win in the ending? Twenty-four hours after the first encounter in the Man vs Machine duel ended in a draw match commentator GM Yasser Seirawan provides us with his thoughts and analyses the course of the game. Interesting and original analysis.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Game three drawn
29.11.2006 – The third game in the National Art Gallery in Bonn, Germany, saw Deep Fritz playing some surprisingly strategic moves. These included a pawn sacrifice for initiative in an inbalanced position on the black side of an Open Catalan. In the end the computer was pressing for a win, but Vladimir Kramnik defended well and the game ended after 44 moves in a draw. Full report.

How could Kramnik overlook the mate?
29.11.2006 – On Tuesday Vladimir Kramnik played a great game against Deep Fritz (order it now!), coming very close to victory with the black pieces. However, in this situation the world champion overlooked a simple mate in one. How is that possible, is there a reasonable explanation? To attempt one we have to delve into cognitive psychology. Report and video.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Game four a tough draw
01.12.2006 – Facing his computer opponent and 1.e4 with the black pieces world champion Vladimir Kramnik chose the solid Petroff Defence, but Deep Fritz (which you can buy) played very well to get a clear advantage. But then Kramnik showed his defensive skills by setting up a fortress the computer could not penetrate. The game ended in a 54-move draw.

Blunders in chess – Kramnik wasn't the first
01.12.2006 – Still mystified by Vladimir Kramnik's blunder in game two of his match against Deep Fritz? After our attempts at an explanation of this extraordinary blackout we return to the subject (with apologies to Vladimir) with opinions by our readers and with a collection of drastic blunders by other world champions and top players. Take comfort.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz – a mega media event
02.12.2006 – Rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated – the "Man vs Machine" contest still draws the attention of a wide audience, world-wide. And in Germany, where it is all happening, it is simply a mega-event. The press and television coverage is unprecedented, with reports in all channels. We bring you links and a video report.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Game five ends in a fighting draw
03.12.2006 – World champion Vladimir Kramnik had the white pieces for the last time in this match, and needed a win in order to have chances for an overall victory. He played a sharp game, very exciting for the world-wide audience, but one in which Fritz was able fight back. The game ended in a 35-move draw. Full report with pictures and video.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Computer wins match by 4:2
05.12.2006 – 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.