Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine (2003)

In 1997, chess champion Garry Kasparov goes head-to-head against IBM's computer, Deep Blue, and accuses IBM of cheating its way to victory. Interviews with Kasparov, his manager and members of the Deep Blue team illuminate the controversy.

Director:

Vikram Jayanti

Stars:

Marc Ghannoum, Joel Benjamin, Michael Greengard

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Marc Ghannoum	...	Voice Over
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joel Benjamin	...	Self
Michael Greengard	...	Self
Anatoli Karpov	...	Self (archive footage)
Garry Kasparov	...	Self
Jeff Kisselhof	...	Self
John Searle	...	Self
Terry Wogan	...	Self - Interviewing Garry Kasparov (archive footage)

Storyline

Garry Kasparov is arguably the greatest chess player who has ever lived. In 1997 he played a chess match against IBM's computer Deep Blue. Kasparov lost the match. This film shows the match and the events surrounding it from Kasparov's perspective. It delves into the psychological aspects of the game, paranoia surrounding it and suspicions that have arisen around IBM's true tactics. It consists of interviews with Kasparov, his manager, chess experts, and members of the IBM Deep Blue team, as well as original footage of the match itself.

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Plot Keywords:

ibm | chess | cheating at a game | computer chess | man versus machine | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ancient Mountebanks would challenge people at chess puzzles, and the puzzles would have a surprisingly limited number of responses to avoid check.

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Quotes

Garry Kasparov: [after being defeated by Deep Blue] I think the competition just started!

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Connections

Features The Chess Player (1927)

User Reviews

pointless conspiracy theory

I'm not sure who this movie is targeting. There are interesting tidbits concerning the history of the challenge to make a chess machine. These might intrigue both chess fans and non-fans alike, though much more could be made of this, as the history is richer than even this film implies. More could also be made of the history between Kasparov and his arch-rival Karpov (two almost perfectly matched players, though you'd never guess from this movie). More could be made about the connection between chess champions and paranoia, or between chess and politics in the USSR (a connection which makes one understand better why chess players are so paranoid).

Instead, the makers of this film push the silly idea that IBM's Deep Blue beat Kasparov in '97 because of human intervention (ie, IBM cheated). The film bases this on one piece of evidence: Kasparov believes his loss in game two of the match was the result of a move that no computer would ever make. This is made all the sillier because a typical home chess program (Fritz 7) makes the very same move as Deep Blue after only a moment's thought. The film also claims that IBM never released the logs of Deep Blue's analysis after the game (just go to IBM's historical site concerning this match, and you will see this is not accurate).

Are documentaries getting lazier with their facts, or am I just finally wising up after years of taking them at their word?

Details

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

Fim de Jogo - Kasparov E a Máquina

Filming Locations:

Bled, Slovenia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Atlantis Communications, National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 84 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color