BBC - The ancient game of chess has been solved, according to a group of scientists at IBM. Over a decade after Deep Blue defeated World Champion Garry Kasparov, computers have now completely solved the complex game.

The announcement comes with the World Chess Championship match a year away. No doubt both Viswanathan Anand, the sitting champion, and his challenger, Boris Gelfand, will be looking into the results of this breakthrough.

Whether this will reduce the allure of the game is unclear. Some say that it doesn't matter; computers have been able to beat humans for years. Others say that it will only increase the amount of so-called book moves, moves that are based on previous research and theory rather than responses created at the board, and reduce the game to one of memorization and savantism rather than creative genius.

The researchers have not provided the entire solution set to the more than 10^120 positions stored in a 755 petabyte warehouse dug in the earth's crust. However, as evidence of their triumph they have released the sequence of best moves from the starting position. This perfect game was annotated by our staffer and resident chess expert who was on hand as the computer first relayed these moves from the massive database.

Hilarious

If that was perfect chess, does that mean I'm invincible?

"At this point a large cloud came pouring from the computer housing"

lol

37... Ka2!!

The most artistic move in all of chess history.

By the way, wouldn't the most effective bongcloud play be to reach a winning positional with classical play, capture enough of the opponent's pieces, and then walk you king to the other side unimpeded?

In fact, that's what this brilliant computer seems to have done more or less :p

Did you lift that lame game from some amateur's bullet archive?

Loved it!  :-)

26. Kc4?!

Is this game meant to be some King Arthur tale where the valiant king blindly charges the opposition?

Computers probably won't ever solve chess, and if they do it won't be for probably 100+ years.

Ka2!!  What is that?  En Passant Royale?

That was great.  I especially liked the dance of the knights.

Chess made easy.  LOL

Indeed, perfect.

How can the king jump before it's gotten to the other side?  

37...Ka2!!  I believe that move truly deserves two exclamation marks.

note to self - read poster before reading.  that would have saved me a lot of "huh?"s.  well played ivandh. 

i think it was a puzzle posted in the forums. 

37... Ka2!! truly deserved those !! marks.

Thanks. :)

Your 1 month and 25 days late.