IBM unveiled its Deep Blue chess supercomputer prototype 30 years ago today — two years later in its second attempt, it defeated Grandmaster Garry Kasparov

On December 5, 1995, IBM took the wraps off its Deep Blue prototype, a supercomputer designed to beat the world’s greatest chess players. IBM would manage to achieve its goal two years later, after a host of software and hardware revisions. In 1997, Deep Blue famously triumphed over an at-his-peak chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, during a rematch in New York City. The win was a turning point for IBM, who was increasingly characterized as a has-been, with a dire share price to match. It was also a…