NIIT Brand Ambassador Viswanathan Anand, World No.2 is to play a Computer assisted match against Fide Champion Anatoly Karpov in Leon, Spain. The event is being held at the "Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez", Leon. The match is to be played from the 11th of June till the 13th of June. On the 14th,there will be a simultaneous exhibition where Anand will take on chess aficionados from the University of Leon.

The concept of computer assisted chess, referred to, as "Advanced chess " is to minimise tactical errors, thus improving the quality of the games. Both Grandmasters will be provided with a Computer that works on an AMD K6-2 400 MHz processor. They will use an analysis programme, Fritz to check their moves.

Advanced Chess allows the audience to see the thought process of the players. Certain moves that are chosen by the player's intuition, which a computer may usually not be able to calculate, will be of special interest. The players will of course not be able to see each other's analysis.

The programme will analyse each move. The player could check three or four moves, with the analysis programme before executing the right move. The position will be evaluated by the computer in units of pawns. The computers will help dwell deeply into complex tactical situations.

The match will consist of six games. Two games will be played each day starting at 16:30 hours local Spanish time (20:00 hours Indian Time). Each player will have one hour to finish the game. The second game will begin at 19:00 hours.

For the third and fourth games, the players will have access to a common database, Mega Database 1999 that will be loaded on the machines. The database contains over one million games. This will help the players search for similar moves played in other tournaments from the year 1770 till date.

Due to the time limit, the key will be in using the computers in positions where they are stronger than humans. Also dexterity in handling computers will be a factor.

According to Mr. Marcelino Sion, the master mind behind this concept Advanced Chess explains the complexity of the game to a larger audience .The emotion, beauty and the calculations that go behind each move will be revealed to the spectator. This event will also give an opportunity for Hardware and Software manufacturers to test their strength.

This concept started last year, with the match between Kasparov and Topalov. The match was decided by a tiebreak in Kasparov's favour. This year too, the match was to be played between Anand and Kasparov, the latter pulled out in March due to problems with the organisers. However tie breaks will not be used this year to decide a winner in case of a drawn match.

The match will be transmitted live on the Internet by net 64. For exact web sites refer www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.html or www.net64.es. There will be huge screens in the playing area wherein the audience can not only view the match, but also the analysis of the players. There will be live commentary by the Grandmasters Miguel Illescas and Felix Izeta. The commentary will also be available on the net.

Anand, will be playing Advanced Chess for the first time. He has been training in Spain after a month's break from tournaments. On the concept of man plus machine, Anand said" The partnership between man and computer will allow the human to enter uncharted waters. The task will not be easier with a machine as we still have to select a good move. The human has to be careful in positions where computers can mathematically calculate every variation. You can not fool the machine. In days before computers a team of seconds could have taken fifteen days to work out a position, the machine can do it in fifteen minutes."

Answering the oft-repeated question on the role of computers, Anand opined " The difference in having the computer is that in a certain position, a human may take time hence his ability to calculate may vary. These "nervous moments" call for judgement. The computer helps decrease this vagary. However, in situations where there are many variations, the human long-term consideration is greater than a computer's short-term calculation. This will also give a great opportunity for the public to see and understand how our thoughts develop with regard to chess."

Anand will be accompanied by his second GM. Ubilava Elizbar and his wife Aruna.