Chess Match Ends in Tie

The latest attempt by Garry Kasparov, the world’s leading chess player, to conquer a computer program ended in a tie Tuesday when he drew the fourth and final game of his match against “X3D Fritz,” which had voice-recognition and virtual reality features.

Kasparov, 40, said after the weeklong match at the New York Athletic Club that computer programs were stronger now than the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue he took on in 1996 and 1997, the benchmark for man vs. machine contests.

“Machines are getting better, but we humans are also learning,” said Kasparov, considered by chess experts to be the best player in the history of the ancient game. “Today, I know much more about computers than six years ago.”

The top-rated chess grandmaster and the computer’s programmers agreed to a draw in Tuesday’s fourth game after about 90 minutes and just 27 moves, the shortest game of the series that began with a Nov. 11 draw. X3D Fritz won the second game Thursday when Kasparov blundered.

The grandmaster won comfortably Sunday.

In chess, one point is awarded for a win and a half point for a draw. The match ended in a 2-2 tie.

In February in New York, Kasparov tied a six-game match 3-3 with Israeli-built world chess computer champion Deep Junior.