World champ takes 1-0 lead

In a wild game that featured unconventional play and surprise moves, mostly by Deep Blue, Garry Kasparov emerged victorious in his rematch with IBM's supercomputer.

Feng-hsuing Hsu of the Deep Blue development team resigned after 45 moves, three hours and forty seven minutes into Game 1. Kasparov rose from the table with a broad smile that signaled relief.

"It was just a beginning," said a drained Kasparov, who addressed spectators immediately after the game. "If we play all the games in the same style, I'll have to survive, because it takes a lot of energy."

In sharp contrast to what match analysts thought would be an aggressive effort from Kasparov, the world champ began by playing passively, an unconventional tactic for a champion known for his dynamic play.

Kasparov, playing white, began with a Reti opening, an unorthodox beginning for the world champion, but one that was designed especially to counter Deep Blue's agressiveness. The computer responded to Kasparov's first two moves instantaneously, causing Garry to ponder his third move for almost ten minutes. But after Deep Blue took a few minutes itself to "think" about its third move.

Fritz, a computer chess simulator used by commentators Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley and Mike Valvo to evaluate the game, showed that both players held slight advantages during the game.

Toward the end of the game, the world champion began to sense that victory was well within his grasp. His trademark confidence visibly restored, Kasparov appeared relaxed as he took his time during the endgame. Said commentator Maurice Ashley in the waning moments of the match, "Kasparov knows this game is over, but knowing Garry, he's probably thinking about the most devious way to finish off his opponent." When Kasparov picked up his watch from the table to signal victory, the audience at the Equitable broke into applause.

"Deep Blue really took the battle to Garry," said Seirawan of Deep Blue's agressive, attacking style of play. "It played an agressive game and I have to give it to the Deep Blue developers. Even though they lost, they've done an impressive job of improving the computer since last year."

Concluded Deep Blue developer Murray Campbell, "we have some work to do tonight."

(View a replay of Game 1)