Rematch
will
be
primarily
enjoyed
by
chess
lovers,
but
the
series
is
sprinkled
with
a
massive
dose
of
drama
and
intrigue
to
keep
everyone
hooked
through
all
six
episodes,
observes
Norma
Godinho.
‘Breaking
the
Internet’
is
a
phrase
used
widely
today.
When
a
cricketer
gets
married
to
a
popular
Bollywood
actress,
the
Internet
breaks.
From
the
salacious
to
the
silly,
any
news
can
break
the
Internet
now.
But
29
years
ago,
the
world
was
consumed
by
one
and
only
one
event
that
broke
the
Internet.
It
was
a
face-off
between
man
and
machine.
It
was
the
first
time
then
World
Champion
Garry
Kasparov
was
challenged
by
IBM’s
Deep
Blue
in
a
showdown
in
Philadelphia,
which
crashed
IBM
servers
as
scores
of
people
logged
in.
Later,
a
rematch
set
in
New
York
is
the
premise
of
the
OTT
series,
Rematch.
Rematch
is
based
on
this
history-defining
rivalry
between
Kasparov
and
Deep
Blue,
a
chess-playing
computer
all
under
the
glare
of
the
media,
former
players
and
chess
afficionados.
The
first
episode
opens
with
Kasparov
speaking
to
an
audience
in
San
Francisco,
25
years
after
the
famous
duel
in
New
York.
The
curtain
raiser
introduces
us
to
the
protagonists,
the
antagonists
and
the
grey
personalities,
with
the
primary
focus
being
the
first
historic
duel
between
the
human
and
machine
in
February
1996,
with
Kasparov
losing
the
first
of
the
six-game
series,
marking
the
first
victory
by
a
computer
against
a
reigning
world
champion
under
regular
time
controls.
The
episode
moves
forward
quickly
with
Kasparov
winning
the
duel
4-2,
stamping
human
dominance
over
machine.
Soon,
an
offer
for
a
rematch
is
made
by
IBM,
which
Kasparov
agrees
to
after
turning
down
the
offer
twice.
From
here
on
is
where
the
series
takes
shape
and
a
tiny
sub
plot
underlining
this
event
of
epic
proportions
tells
us
that
Kasparov
has
more
to
him
than
the
straight-faced,
stoic
man
he
is
known
to
be.
Staying
true
to
the
essence
of
the
plot,
the
story
beautifully
personifies
Deep
Blue,
showing
us
the
machine
through
the
lens
of
the
machine’s
maker
PC
(Orion
Lee)
and
Paul
Nelson
(Tom
Austen),
the
chess
champion.
Such
is
the
time
spent
on
the
machine
to
produce
all
permutations
and
combinations
for
a
winning
move
that
in
episode
2,
Kasparov
is
stuck
after
a
move
by
Deep
Blue
and
tells
his
team
after
Game
1,
‘I
was
taken
aback
by
Deep
Blue
on
Move
36.
For
a
moment,
it
was
playing
like
a
human
being.’
With
each
episode,
the
plot
moves
at
a
decent
pace,
effortlessly
pulling
in
the
audiences
to
the
thrill
of
every
game.
The
preparation
that
Kasparov
puts
in
ahead
of
every
game
is
remarkably
captured.
Intensity
and
stress
is
writ
large
on
Kasparov’s
face
with
each
passing
game.
The
equation
Kasparov
shared
with
his
mother,
not
only
as
a
maternal
figure
but
also
as
confidante
and
a
friend,
when
needed,
is
well
documented.
In
one
of
the
episodes,
his
mother
asks
Kasparov:
‘Why
did
you
agree
to
the
rematch?’
Kasparov
answers:
‘I
accepted
the
rematch
because
I
was
scared.
If
AI
triumphs,
what
will
become
of
chess?
What
will
become
of
me?’
The
casting
is
excellent.
Christian
Cooke
takes
the
audience
along
on
this
gripping
ride
as
he
embodies
Kasparov,
thinks
like
him,
portraying
his
frustrations,
vulnerabilities
and
his
stoic-faced
arrogance.
Sarah
Bolger
as
Helen
Brock,
the
R&D
head
at
IBM,
is
top
notch.
She
aces
the
role
of
a
working
woman
who
wears
the
pants
in
the
house
but
is
conflicted
with
the
guilt
of
sidestepping
her
maternal
role.
Cooke’s
easy
relationship
with
Trine
Dyrholm,
who
plays
his
mother,
is
not
easily
forgotten.
Kasparov’s
fondness
for
his
agent
Roger
Laver,
played
by
Aidan
Quinn,
deserves
a
mention.
The
eventual
friendship,
and
disagreements
between
PC
and
Nelson,
as
the
heart
and
soul
of
Deep
Blue
over
the
course
of
the
rematch
in
New
York,
is
praiseworthy.
What
the
series
also
managed
to
put
forth
is
that
there
was
a
lot
on
the
line
for
IBM,
for
whom
it
was
more
than
a
game
of
chess.
Although
Rematch
will
be
primarily
enjoyed
by
chess
lovers,
the
series
is
sprinkled
with
a
massive
dose
of
drama
and
intrigue
to
keep
everyone
hooked
through
all
six
episodes.
Rematch
streams
on
Lionsgate
Play.
Rematch
Review
Rediff
Rating:
