Sci-fi story by Frederick Pohl and C.M.Kornbluth (?), "The Immortal Game" which describes the moves in an actual chess game. Anyone know it?

Question

Sci-fi story by Frederick Pohl and C.M.Kornbluth (?), "The Immortal Game" which describes the moves in an actual chess game. Anyone know it?

Question #132348. Asked by alexis722.
Last updated Mar 17 2017.
Originally posted Aug 29 2013 10:22 AM.

postcards2go

Answer has 4 votes

Currently Best Answer

postcards2go

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Answer has 4 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.

The story was written by Poul Anderson

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/poul-anderson/

Poul Anderson (1926-2001) wrote a science fiction article on chess called 'The Immortal Game,' which appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in February, 1954. The computerized chess pieces don't know they're merely acting out old moves from the famous Anderssen-Kieseritsky game played in 1851, and develop various strange delusions involving free will, loyalty, melodrama, and prose.

Response last updated by CmdrK on Mar 17 2017.
Aug 29 2013, 2:02 PM

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Answer 1

eyhung

Answer has 2 votes

eyhung

17 year member
121 replies avatar

Answer has 2 votes.

Yes, the actual chess game is known as the Immortal Game, played by Adolf Anderssen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_Game

Aug 29 2013, 10:49 AM

Answer 2

I found the chess game itself, but cannot find the short story. I think it was written from the perspective of the pieces and their frustration at the futility of the game, because no matter who won, the game would be played again and again.