Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine
2003, PG, 90 min.
Directed by Vikram Jayanti.

This unusual documentary based on chess and grand master Garry Kasparov’s 1997 match against IBM’s computer Deep Blue – to “whom” he lost – is fashioned something like a conspiracy thriller. Acknowledging the symbolic import of the “man against machine” bout, the film calls to mind the great storytelling of When We Were Kings in terms of addressing the various components of a legendary competition. The film also looks at the corporate imperatives of IBM, whose stock rose astronomically after the bout, upon which they dismantled Deep Blue to preclude a future rematch. Kasparov’s paranoia is no small factor either in this fascinating glimpse into the real bout of the century.

This article appears in April 8 • 2005.

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