Waves of change in chess

Game wading into waves of change

Shelby Lyman

Like so much in contemporary life, chess – like an onrushing river – is characterized by constant change.

Bobby Fischer had the equivalent of a dozen or more doctorates in chess. He studied and assimilated – like no one else before him – what seemed at the time to be a massive classical chess heritage.

Grandmasters today have access to a minimum database of more than 4 million games, far eclipsing the chess legacy that Fischer inherited – and that database is increasing at an accelerating rate.

Setting up the pieces, playing through a game or games and reviewing relevant positions are painfully time-consuming. Fortunately, chess software and the computer screen speed the process miraculously.

Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-rated player, has indicated that he rarely uses a 3-D chess set. His basic equipment is a computer and programs that display and analyze critical positions.

He and others can achieve in minutes results that are as good or better than grandmasters in the pre-electronic era could manage in days or weeks.

It can be argued that computers weaken the capacity for original analysis and insight. But they can also supplement creativity and playing ability.

Clearly, something new is afoot in the game. The chess mind is evolving.

Source: http://www.dispatch.com