Checking up on Kasparov's loss

Computer consultant Jonathan Ady, 38, is a chess master - one of only two in Hong Kong. He vies with former mainlander Yang Xian as the top player in the territory even though both are only ranked in the lowest of the three master levels.

When he plays white, his favourite opening is 1e4. When playing black, it is the Sicilian Najdorf. He is married and lives in Quarry Bay.

What's on your mind? The match between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue. At the end, what has really come to the fore is Kasparov's mental frailty. It just seems to have got to him the way he lost the last game. Any strong player would not have got into a mess like that. Normally, Kasparov's preparation before a game is phenomenal, but this time it looked like his preparation was absolutely nothing.

How did you feel when you heard the result? I was surprised - until I dug a bit deeper and it seemed Kasparov was psychologically beaten before the last game.

So if he had a rematch and changed his strategy he might have a chance? Oh yes. If Deep Blue played regularly in international chess you'd have some idea what its style and preferences were.

What's the attraction of chess? It's just part of you. It's a competitive thing. Playing fairly top-class tournament chess is just testing yourself against others, much like any other sport. I played for Hong Kong in the world team championships in Armenia in September. You just get into the routine of getting up at 9 am, having breakfast, seeing who you're playing, using a computer to prepare yourself until 3 pm and then playing until 10 pm. Then you turn into bed. It sounds gruelling, but I'd love to be good enough to do it full time.