Previously a geeksonly proposition, distributed computing is coming to middle America. Chess players the world over will have a chance to play Garry Kasparov in a networked chess game that will allow players to band together and combat the champion chess master. The collaborative competition, which will take place on MSN, is another example of the possible uses of distributed computing, a process scientists have used for years to break up complex calculations into smaller, more manageable jobs. These jobs can then be done simultaneously by several individuals on several different computers, rather than by one individual on a single machine.

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