By Steve Sheinkin and Maurice Ashley
Illustrated by Thien Pham
Roaring Brook Press, 2026
232 pages
978-1-250-33476-3
Age 10 and older
Can a computer beat a World Chess Champion in a six-game match? In 1997, the team behind Deep Blue, a new supercomputer developed by IBM and Taiwanese American engineer Feng-Hsiung Hsu, hoped so. The Champion in question was Garry Kasparov, an intense competitor who “had never lost a match against anyone.” Providing live commentary on the match was the first Black grand chess master—and this book’s co-author—Maurice Ashley. Here the graphic novel format, illustrated in rich browns and blues, aptly illuminates the drama and suspense of each game, including Kasparov’s tense body language, behind-the-scenes reactions of members of the Deep Blue team, and the excitement of the invested crowds. While the match was billed as human vs. machine intelligence—and the public largely rooted against Deep Blue’s team—their intelligence and innovation are nonetheless given their due in an account that sheds light on a huge breakthrough in computer science and may act as fodder for discussions about the nature of intelligence. Spoiler alert: While three games end in a draw, and Kasparov ekes out one victory, Deep Blue takes the match. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center