RELATIONSHIPS March 12, 2007 ISSUE

CHECKMATING FEAR AND EMOTIONALISM

YVONNE RENOULT

AS I PULLED INTO THE DRIVE, my fascination with a radio interview kept me fastened to my seat. I'm not a chess fan, but was nevertheless captivated by the story about the chess world's new grandmaster. The spiritual parallels intrigued me.

Inventor Frederick Friedel told in the interview how his chess computer, nicknamed "Deep Fritz," beat the world chess champion (a human being) in a six-game match. What captivated me most was the advantage the chess computer gains through its inability to respond emotionally. Whereas discouragement may set in after a human opponent misses a round, a temporary negative outcome has no ill effect on Deep Fritz. Its focus is never broken, but unwavering and constant, as it sees 20 moves ahead beyond the current snag.