prize13-9, Exercise 2: The 1997 match

Model answer (check the details):

Two reasons it was more than a result. First, it was the first time a reigning world champion lost a match to a computer under standard conditions, which many people read as a milestone in machine intelligence. Second, it changed how chess is studied and played, because strong engines soon became standard tools for preparation and analysis.

A reason for care: the conclusion that the machine was "smarter" than the man is not a simple one. Deep Blue was special-purpose hardware searching a vast number of positions, a very different kind of process from human thinking. Kasparov also questioned the conditions of the match, including his access to the machine's earlier games, and the match was short, six games, so the evidence for general claims is thin.

Care: the claims about conditions are disputed and should be checked.