Game Changer

This Game Changer is an English-language paperback chess book about AlphaZero and the way it reshaped thinking about modern chess and artificial intelligence. It combines the story of a major breakthrough with a close look at the games that made it so striking.

What this book covers

Written by Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan, the book examines more than two thousand previously unpublished AlphaZero games. With access to the DeepMind team, the authors were able to look beyond the results and explain the thinking behind the program’s play.

The book also shows why the ten games released in December 2017 caused such a reaction. AlphaZero knew only the rules of chess, yet it defeated an engine of superhuman strength with a style built on initiative, piece mobility, long-term sacrifices and attack. Game Changer presents this as a consistent way of understanding chess, not a one-off surprise.

Inside the book

This is both a readable account of the AlphaZero breakthrough and a practical source of annotated games. It works as chess study material as well as a book for readers interested in the link between chess and AI.

• analysis of AlphaZero games
• discussion of its opening approach
• focus on piece mobility and initiative
• examples of attacking play and long-term sacrifices
• background on the DeepMind team’s work
• broader context for artificial intelligence

Who it is for

This book is a strong choice for club players, ambitious amateurs and more advanced readers who want a fresh perspective on chess strategy and dynamics. It will also appeal to anyone interested in the relationship between chess and AI, since Game Changer goes beyond game analysis to show how ideas from chess can inform problem-solving in other fields.

It also includes a foreword by Garry Kasparov and an introduction by Demis Hassabis.

Edition details

• Language: English
• Binding: paperback
• Page count: 416
• Authors: Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan
• Subject: AlphaZero and its influence on modern chess
• Foreword: Garry Kasparov
• Introduction: Demis Hassabis