Computer History Museum Debuts Computer Chess Exhibit

The Silicon Valley-based Computer History Museum, which has recently announced that it received a $15 million gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help preserve the history of computing, has debuted its latest physical and online exhibit, Mastering The Game: A History of Computer Chess. This marks the first new exhibit development since the institution relocated to its new home three years ago. Designed to appeal to a wide range of visitors, and created with the guidance of the world’s top thinkers in the fields of artificial intelligence, computer design and chess, this exhibit examines the drama behind the game considered by many to be the ultimate test of human intellect. The 1,000 square foot exhibit follows a chronological plan, from the theoretical foundations developed by such computing pioneers as Alan Turing and Claude Shannon, to the development of PC chess software and the drama of IBM’s chess-playing supercomputer, Deep Blue. Visitors explore the multi-layered history of computer chess, listen to chess software pioneers, learn the basics of chess algorithms and experience the sights and sounds of the era through vintage footage. In addition, a freestanding computer learning station will allow visitors to explore software concepts, such as the basic ideas that lie beneath all chess software programs. To satisfy the Computer History Museum’s global audience, the institution has also built an online version of Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess. More information on the physical exhibit's location and opening hours is available on the official Computer History Museum website.