Bad Beat in Chess?

[Post-Oak]

Where did all those chess experts go?

I bet on Kramnick +0.5 +226 in his six game match against Deep Fritz 10 (a computer program).

Given the rules of the match which are clearly designed to help Kramnik, I figured the match was likely to end in a draw.

Now I don't know much about chess, but from what I understand Kramnik was never in danger of losing game 1, which did end in a draw. In game 2 he would have to play black, so I was interested in seeing if he could draw again. Well the game ended with Kramnik making "a colossal blunder that allowed checkmate on the move."

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/...many_Chess.php

Another quote:
The blunder, which Seirawan called "a tragedy," was one that even the weakest amateurs would not ordinarily make and almost unheard of at this level.


Was this some kind of fixed match?

Assuming everything is on the up and up, is there any way for Kramnik to pull even? I just don't know if anyone can do more than draw a computer, even with white pieces.

You can replay the game here:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3509

The ending is a joke - a one move checkmate!

[goodsamaritan]

First poker, now chess!?!?! What isn't rigged anymore?

[rush66]

Curling.

[cbloom]

Everyone knows the Russian mob controls professional chess.

[Post-Oak]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone knows the Russian mob controls professional chess.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is your cumpulsion for one liners so strong that you must post even when you surely must know the comment isn't even funny?

Please don't spam unless the comment is actually somewhat humorous.

[XXXNoahXXX]

That ending was so bad it was funny.

[Post-Oak]

I should say that I personally don't think it was a fix.

I mean if they wanted to fix the match, would they do it in such a ridiculous way?

The again, I guess they would. Deep Fritz is a commercial product, and they could then claim they beat the world champion. And yet Kramnik would not have been considered to have been outplayed by the chess community, who knows about the circumstances.

The ending is just so absurd that I am trying to understand it.

The amount I wagered is small, and I don't even feel angry or anything. This is just something which interests me (which is why I was researching the match in the first place) and I wanted to hear from some of the posters here who are clearly experts when it comes to chess.

[Ortho]

This game is evidence that the match is NOT rigged. Kramnik could easily make a subtle blunder that the computer would be guaranteed to pick up on and that no one below IM level would even understand was a blunder. This was just a lapse of concentration by Kramnik, and perhaps evidence that he doesn't care about the match and isn't taking it seriously.

BTW, I did see this line a couple of weeks ago but couldn't find a bet here.

[kioshk]

[ QUOTE ]
Was this some kind of fixed match?



[/ QUOTE ]

Fischer always said the Russians cheated, fixed matches, etc. Fischer claimed that Karpov and Kasparov fixed matches. Maybe Kramnik and the computer have an arrangement.

[Post-Oak]

[ QUOTE ]
This game is evidence that the match is NOT rigged. Kramnik could easily make a subtle blunder that the computer would be guaranteed to pick up on and that no one below IM level would even understand was a blunder. This was just a lapse of concentration by Kramnik, and perhaps evidence that he doesn't care about the match and isn't taking it seriously.


[/ QUOTE ]

This would require Kramnik to swallow his pride though. Making a ridiculous blunder a 7 year old wouldn't make, on the other hand, leaves it up in the air as to whether or not he was "outplayed".

Again, I still doubt the match was fixed in anyway. It seems possible given the nature of the exhibition though. And the only reason it seems possible is because the last move is so absurd.

[ QUOTE ]

BTW, I did see this line a couple of weeks ago but couldn't find a bet here.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was leaning towards the line being +EV before the match started, which is why I placed the bet. After these two games, there is now not any question that the line was +++EV.

Evryone seems to agree that Kramnik has outplayed the computer over the first two games, aside from one ridiculous move which a child wouldn't even make.

I'm not sure how much you researched the this match, but I was certain Kramnik had no chance of winning until I read about the actual rules of the match. There are several ridiculous rules which are all designed to give Kramnik a chance. For example, while Fritz is still in it's opening book, Kramnik sees all of the computers evalutions for it's moves and his possible counter moves. That is just one example.