Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion by Feng-Hsiung Hsu Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion
Book Review: Best book I read all year - very inspiring and insightful
Summary: 5 Stars
The Deep Blue-Kasparov matches were what pushed me from being someone who knows how to play chess, into a serious tournament chess player 5 years ago. I found the matches to be fascinating, as did the media who put the results of the matches on the front pages of newspapers such as USA Today. I also happen to be a computer science major, who works full time as a software engineer. This book for me was the perfect blend of my two main interests in life - chess and computers.Hsu tells a very fascinating story. It is not just about chess and computers however. It is the story of a young immigrant who comes to the US to study, and ends up doing something that is of a major historical significance in the minds of many people.
This book was a real page turner. I did not want to put it down. I thought the path leading Hsu to work on chess programs was fascinating. He made a suggestion to the leading computer chess professor who did not like it. This inspired him to implement the idea. It was a case of several things coming together, which ended up leading to the creation of a great computer project.
Hsu's story of hard work was very inspiring. I liked how he did not consider the match to be "man vs machine", but man as a toolmaker vs man as a performer. If you found the Deep Blue matches interesting, you will certainly enjoy this book.
Book Review: The Truth About Deep Blue
Summary: 5 Stars
I really loved this book. Besides the interesting story behind the creation of the Deep Blue chess computer, this book tells the real story of the matches between Deep Blue and Garry Kasparov. Anybody interested in chess or computers would enjoy this book!Book Review: Beware chess players
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm a chess player first, and am interested in computer hardware and software second. I followed both matches while they were being played, including the sad (yet typical) paranoid delusions Garry sufferred in the second game of the second match that the IBM team had cheated. My hopes were thus high for a book from the leader of the IBM team, discussing the dramatic confrontation with one of chess's most notorious World Champions. Alas, the author ramblingly recounts insignificant details, sees the computer as some extension of his own ego and over and over claims credit for personally "beating" Garry, and provides way too much technical computer information for the average layman looking for a good read. I'm pretty sure if you ran into this guy at a party that within three minutes you'd make the decision to avoid him for the rest of the night, his writing is boring and full of that odd hubris that frequently afflict the computer people. A disappointment.Book Review: A good book written for the right audiance
Summary: 5 Stars
I am no chess player, nor does one have to be to understand and enjoy this book. Sensibly, the subject matter has been tailored to a general readership (apart from a few references to chip design) and tells a fascinating story, mixing intellectual endeavour with political intrigue. We know the end of the story, but that does not diminish the pleasure to be gained from reading this informed and fluent account of it: Alan Turing would have been delighted! In some ways it reminded me of 'The Double Helix'-which is a 'must' read.Book Review: Excellent and Informative Book on Deep Blue
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a computer chess afficionado, I have followed the progress of Hsu's project since 1988 or so. This book was a blast to read and really perked my interest in the subject again. Hsu's behind the scenes recollections were facinating. It is unfortunate that this project did not continue. I really would have loved to have seen more of Deep Blue's potential.