Is Kasparov Right
about Solving Chess?

The 584-move argument, game trees, and why there's hope to solve chess from move 1

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The Monster Position

A chess endgame with only 8 pieces — yet it takes 584 perfect moves to win.

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Kasparov's Verdict

"Chess will never be solved" — but is he right?

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The Game Tree

~10⁴⁴ legal positions — but does a solution need to visit them all?

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Cutting the Tree

How pruning works: find one winning move, skip the rest.

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Real-Life Proofs

Route planning and cave systems — exhibit one robust strategy, ignore the rest.

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The Checkers Precedent

Schaeffer proved checkers is a draw in 2007 — most positions were irrelevant.

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Three Levels of Solving

Ultra-weak, weak, strong — Kasparov's hidden assumption.

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The Verdict

Decided branches get cut — the 584-move position may never arise.

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TL;DR

The argument in 4 slides.

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The Cons of Weak Solving

Weak solving gives the verdict — but not the full map. What does that mean?

Thank you

Is Kasparov Right About Solving Chess?

57 slides • 12 scenes • Generated from Manim video frames