Kasparov vs Deep Blue

1996 and 1997 chess matches

SportsScience & Technology

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Overview

What happened

On May 11, 1997, in a shocking turn of events, Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer developed by IBM, defeated Garry Kasparov, the world chess champ...

Date

May 11, 1997

Location

New York City, USA

Key people

Garry Kasparov, Feng-Hsiung Hsu, C.J. Tan, John McCarthy

Why it matters

This article provides a unique perspective on the 1997 chess match between Deep Blue and Garry Kasparov, offering a detailed analysis of the strategies and technologies used by both...

What was Kasparov vs Deep Blue?

Garry Kasparov, then-world champion in chess, played a pair of six-game matches against Deep Blue, a supercomputer by IBM. Kasparov won the first match, held in Philadelphia in 1996, by 4–2. Deep Blue won a 1997 rematch held in New York City by 3½–2½. The second match was the first defeat of a reigning world chess champion by a computer under tournament conditions, and was the subject of a documentary film, Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine. Both matches were widely covered by the media, and Deep Blue became a celebrity. After the match, it was reported that IBM had dismantled Deep Blue, but in fact it remained in operation for several years.

Background and consequences

Prizes were awarded for both matches by the sponsor, IBM Research, with Deep Blue's share going back to IBM. For the first match, the winner was awarded $400,000 and the loser $100,000; for the second match, the winner was awarded $700,000 and the loser $400,000. Carnegie Mellon University awarded an additional $100,000 to the Deep Blue team, a prize created by computer science professor Edward Fredkin in 1980 for the first computer program to beat a reigning world chess champion.

Related on thisDay

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Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Byzantium Dedication Creation — May 11, 330 Wikipedia source

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MLA

“Kasparov vs Deep Blue.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/kasparov-vs-deep-blue/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Kasparov vs Deep Blue. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/kasparov-vs-deep-blue/

Chicago

“Kasparov vs Deep Blue.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/kasparov-vs-deep-blue/.

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