Can a computer beat the world champion?

Deep Blue, 1996 and 1997

Garry Kasparov and IBM's chess computer Deep Blue met twice. In Philadelphia in February 1996, the computer won the first game. It was the first time a computer had beaten a reigning world champion in a game under normal tournament conditions. But Kasparov won the match 4–2.

The rematch came in New York in May 1997. Before the last game the score was 2½–2½, and Kasparov resigned after just 19 moves. It was the first time a computer had won a match against a reigning world champion at regular tournament time controls. In 1994 a program had knocked him out of a short rapid match.

You can replay the whole game here on the site.

After Deep Blue

The big matches of 2002 and 2003 ended level. Then things moved quickly.

Michael Adams was seventh in the world when he lost in London in June 2005. The Bonn match was played from November 25 to December 5, 2006. Kramnik was world champion, the computer won two games, and four were drawn. It has been called the last big match of its kind.

Today

Since then, the matches that have drawn attention have often been played with a handicap: the computer starts without a pawn or a piece. In 2020 grandmaster David Smerdon won 5–1 when the program had to start without a knight.

For chess players, programs are now a training tool. During a tournament game they are forbidden: under FIDE's rules a player may not use notes or take outside help, or have an electronic device on them. Using a program during the game is cheating.

On LaviChess you can try it yourself against Lavi, our strongest computer, or against our other computer opponents, most of whom are kinder. Lavi can also review your games.