Radio Workshop

Man vs. Machine (Transcript)

by Nancy Farghalli

Introduction:   The New York Athletic club hosted the fifth game in a six game match between two opponents.  One player has held the number one world ranking since 1984, the other makes 3 million calculations per second.  500 fans watched the battle between the legend and the machine.  Nancy Farghalli files this report from the SUPER chess bowl.

Ambience:  Start commentary—Welcome to the Fide Man vs. Machine championships.  I'm Maurice Ashley, along with four time USA championship…

Fade under narration

NARRATION:  GARY KASPORAV, THE WORLD CHAMPION, AND DEEP JUNIOR, THE WORLD CHAMPION COMPUTER, ARE TIED AFTER FOUR MATCHES.  MAURICE ASHLEY AND HIS PARTNER, YASSER SERAIWIN, CALL THE PLAY BY PLAY.  

Ashley cut:  Now, night G E2. Yaz, you should be playing this game. You predicted all these moves. Yes. I've played with Gary a few times. I know where he's coming from. Kasparov is now attacking the knight.  Certainely, he could be excorsizing the demons from the last match against deep blue where he lost the mantle for humanity.  

Ambience: Noise of fans

NARRATION:  WHILE THE SPECTATORS SIT ON THE NINTH FLOOR, THE MATCH ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE THREE FLOORS ABOVE.  SOME FANS DON'T REALIZE THE ARRANGEMENT UNTIL THEY SIT DOWN ON A PAIR OF THREE-D GLASSES ON THEIR SEAT.  THE GLASSES MAKE THE BROADCASTING SCREEN COME ALIVE WITH  CHESS PIECES THAT FLOAT.

Ambience:  Noise of fans talking about the seat

NARRATION:  JASON DITMAR LEFT WORK TWO HOURS EARLY.  THEN, HE HAD TO WEAR A SUIT JACKET.  NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB REQUIRES ALL VISITORS TO WEAR JACKETS.  AND, NOW, HE DONS THREE D BLACK GLASSES THAT MAKE HIM LOOK LIKE A CHARACTER FROM THE MEN IN BLACK.

Ditmar cut:  I'm looking forward to the game ending quickly with a victory for the human and his arrival to speak with me.

NARRATION:  OTHER FANS RUMBLE ABOUT NOT SEEING KASPAROV OR DEEP JUNIOR IN THE FLESH. HOWEVER, JASON HAS HEARD THROUGH THE CHESSVINE THAT KASPAROV GREETS FANS AFTERWARDS.   THIRTY MINUTES HAVE PASSED. BOTH PLAYERS TRADE ROUTINE MOVES, MOVES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHOREGRAPHED IN CHESS THEORY.  

Ashley cut: Now Bishop D6 PLayed Instantly by deep junior. Clearly, we are still in deep juniors book. Kasparov now plays the move A3.

NARRATION: THE COMMENTATORS ASSURE THE CROWD NOT TO TAKE OFF THEIR GLASSES.   

Ashley cut:  This is typical of the three games before.  It is a slow start leading to a violent explosion.

NARRATION:  THE EXPLOSION HAPPENS AFTER ONLY TEN MOVES.

Ashley cut:  This is a stunning development.  Oh my god.  

NARRATION:  THE CROWD ERUPTS.  IN CHESS PARLANCE, A PLAYER'S KING IS VULNERABLE. AND, THAT PLAYER, IS KASPORAV.  WE SEE KASPAROV STORM AWAY FROM THE BOARD.

Ashley cut:  How do you walk away when a beast that calculates three million moves a second has just brought your king out, running out there.  He's wondering what I'm doing here. That's

like putting Bush in the front lines of the IRAQI army.

NARRATION:  THE GAME ENDS WITH A DISAPPOINTING DRAW--A TIE IN CHESS SPEAK.  JASON TURNS TO HIS FRIEND AND SAYS…15 DAYS, NINE MINUTES, AND THIRTY SECONDS.  THAT'S THE COUNTDOWN FOR THE START OF BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING—A GAME THAT USUALLY DOES NOT END WITH A TIE.

FOR COLUMBIA RADIO NEWS, IN MANHATTAN, I'M NANCY FARGHALLI.