1979 computer chess bet for $50k

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  • 1979 computer chess bet for $50k

    In 1979, the Dutch software firm "Volmac" offered $50,000 to anyone who could devise a computer program that could win at least 2 games in a 4-game match against Max Euwe, before January 1, 1984. Unfortunately - Euwe died in 1981.

    Does anyone know if this bet continued (with someone else taking Euwe's place)?

    David Levy had won several thousand pounds from a bet placed in 1968 that no computer could beat him within ten years.

    The first GM to lose to a computer under tournament/match conditions was Bent Larsen in 1988.

  • #2
    Apparently Browne defeated it in that tournament. Earlier on the year it defeated Igor Ivanov.

    [Event "Long Beach"]
    [Site "Long Beach, CA USA"]
    [Date "1988.11.??"]
    [EventDate "?"]
    [Round "3"]
    [Result "0-1"]
    [White "Bent Larsen"]
    [Black "Deep Thought (Computer)"]
    [ECO "A20"]
    [WhiteElo "2560"]
    [BlackElo "?"]
    [PlyCount "86"]

    1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 d5 6. cxd5 Qxd5
    7. Nc2 Qh5 8. h4 Bf5 9. Ne3 Bc5 10. Qb3 b6 11. Qa4 O-O 12. Nc3
    b5 13. Qc2 Bxe3 14. dxe3 Re8 15. a4 b4 16. Nb1 Nbd7 17. Nd2
    Re6 18. b3 Rd8 19. Bb2 Bg6 20. Nc4 Nd5 21. O-O-O N7f6 22. Bh3
    Bf5 23. Bxf5 Qxf5 24. f3 h5 25. Bd4 Rd7 26. Kb2 Rc7 27. g4
    hxg4 28. Rhg1 c5 29. fxg4 Nxg4 30. Bxg7 Rg6 31. Qd2 Rd7
    32. Rxg4 Rxg4 33. Ne5 Nxe3 34. Qxd7 Nxd1+ 35. Qxd1 Rg3 36. Qd6
    Kxg7 37. Nd7 Re3 38. Qh2 Kh7 39. Nf8+ Kh8 40. h5 Qd5 41. Ng6+
    fxg6 42. hxg6+ Kg7 43. Qh7+ Kf6 0-1

    New computer analysis shows Black winning earlier with 17... Ne5 or Bg4.

    27. g4 was too optimistic. Maybe 27. Rdg1 or Ka1 with ... c5 28. Bb2.

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    • #3
      I remember Bruce Amos giving commentary, when David Levy was playing the computer at the Canadian Exhibition in Toronto in the late 70's. The game I witnessed was a Dragon, Levenfish attack which I also remember when I play one minute chess and pre-move. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 Bg7? (normally automatic vs anything else) 7. e5 dxe5 8.fxe5 Nfd7 9. e6 dxe6 10. Nxe6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qa5. This was never played by humans before, but the computer liked the idea of ruining white's pawn structure. Of course after 12. Qd4, white is much better, but not easy against a computer. This may have been one of the games Levy lost, but I do not remember for sure.

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