Deus Ex Machina—A Higher Creative Species in the Game of Chess

Computers and human beings play chess differently. The basic paradigm that computer programs employ is known as “search and evaluate.” Their static evaluation is arguably more primitive than the perceptual one of humans. Yet the intelligence emerging from them is phenomenal. A human spectator is not able to tell the difference between a brilliant computer game and one played by Kasparov. Chess played by today's machines looks extraordinary, full of imagination and creativity. Such elements may be the reason that computers are superior to humans in the sport of kings, at least for the moment. This article is about how roles have changed: humans play chess like machines, and machines play chess the way humans used to play.