The hugely popular movie, "The Matrix" will be releasing its sequel, "Matrix Reloaded" in U.S. theatres on May 15th; there are already rave reviews of it. Exciting trailers are available for viewing at the Matrix website and the special effects provide an intense sensory overload. One wonders what is in store in "Matrix Revolutions" which will be released in November 2003.

What is so interesting about the theme of this movie is the Manichean world of good and evil: those vegetarian humans protecting "the promised land of Zion" and those emotionless agents who are keeping people as slaves and preventing them from waking up to find the "real world."

These opposing forces are played out is somewhat of a chess-like battle complete with a fluorescent green Matrix annotation (see above right) and database of intelligence augmentation. Just as Neo (Keanu Reeves) was able to become a Kung-Fu master by uploading programs into a cerebral portal, will there be a day when chess players will be able to upload opening databases in their brains? If this were the case, the days of chess, as we know it, would cease to exist. However, it shouldn't be surprising if chess somehow finds its way into one of the two sequels. If not in reality, at least symbolically.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 7 May 2003