Frank Poole vs. HAL 9000, Discovery 1
The splendid chess program Chessmaster 8000
comes with a library of classic games. From just seeing
the near-end position in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
someone there has reconstructed the probable moves made
by astronaut Frank Poole as White and the HAL 9000
computer as Black. Since no one would buy the program solely for
its having this game, I node it here, partly as
advertisement for their fine product, but mostly because
it may shed some light on a hidden clue. Read on!
(Read chess notation and
algebraic notation if you need help deciphering
the moves.)
In Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey", super-computer
HAL 9000 engages astronaut Frank Poole in a game of chess en route
to the planet Jupiter. Although only the last few moves are seen,
the beginning of the game has been reconstructed here.
Frank and HAL undoubtedly played the
Ruy Lopez-Morphy defense opening.
Poole HAL
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. O-O Be7
6. Qe2
The so-called
Worrall attack, in lieu of the usual
6. Re1.
The idea is to use the
king's rook more profitably on
d1,
but
Black has other plans.
6. ... b5
7. Bb3 O-O
8. c3
This is an invitation to a variant of the
Marshall Gambit
which is usually seen only against
6. Re1.
8. ... d5
And here it is, even more effective because the
White
queen is in a
vulnerable position.
9. exd5
Wiser would have been the tame
9. d1 holding the
strong point e4.
9. ... Nxd5
10. Nxe5 Nf4
This
in-between move takes advantage of the
queen's
vulnerability to gain
time.
11. Qe4 Nxe5
12. Qxa8
With three
pieces to capture, none is a
bargain:
12. Qxf4 allows the other
knight to sink into
d3, with a gain of a
tempo, and for the
pawn black
has wonderful lines and a constricted
enemy.
12. ... Qd3
Depriving the White queen of the last safe retreat at
e4,
throttling the white center, and opening the brutal discovery
by the
queen's bishop on the next move.
White is busted.
13. Bd1
What else? Perhaps
13. Qa7, but then
Nf3+ 14. gxf3
and
mate to follow after
14. ... Ne2+ 15. Kg2 Bh3+ 16. Kxh3 Qxf3#
13. ... Bh3
Of course! The
White queen could
prosaically play to
a7,
but the result would be the same:
14. Qxa6
The
film picks up the
game at this point. Frank says,
"Anyway,
Queen takes Pawn, okay."
14. ... Bxg2
And HAL says, "
Bishop takes Knight's Pawn."
15. Re1
Frank: "What a
lovely move.
Rook to King one."
15. ... Qf3
HAL: "I'm sorry Frank, I think you missed it:
Queen to Bishop three, Bishop takes Queen, Knight takes Bishop. Mate."
While it is true that white has a
lost position,
it is
NOT a mate in two as HAL
claims!
Frank has
options besides
16. Bxf3 that will prolong the game.
(
MD: 16.
Qe6 is forced to prevent
Nh3#.
Then
16. ... Bh4 threatens to mate with
17. ... Qxf2#.
17. Bxf3 Nxf3#
as in the game, but at least we have lasted a move longer than Poole!
What about
17. Re2 Nxe2+? It looks like we could drag it out
a little longer.)
Did they make a mistake in the film?
Could this mistake be the first sign of the computer's
impending breakdown? Or has HAL already begun to deliberately
deceive his crew?
16. Bxf3 Nxf3#
0-1
Frank: "
uh huh.
Yeah looks like
you're right.
I resign."
HAL: "Thank you for a very
enjoyable game."
Frank: "Yeah.
Thank you."