Sunday, August 31, 2014

The Longest (and Strangest?) Game in The Database


I really don't know what to make of the following game...

HappySong - ninthknight
standard, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+


Okay, this is a sort of "Accelerated Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit" kind of thing. The Database has 1,739 examples; and White scores 40% - nothing majestic, but about on par for what happens in a large sample of Jerome Gambit games.

4...Kxf7 5.c3 d6 6.Qb3+ Be6 7.c4 Na5 8.Qb5 b6 9.d3 

Now follows some foreshadowing.

9...Bd7 10.Qd5+ Be6 11.Qb5 Ke7 12.0-0 Bd7



Black has the standard extra-piece-for-a-pawn advantage.

One might think White would be comfortable with a draw.

One might be wrong.

Hold on, now.

13.Qd5 Be6 14.Qb5 Bd7 15.Qd5 Be6 16.Qb5 Bd7 17.Qd5 Be6 18.Qb5 Bd7 19.Qd5 Be6 20.Qb5 Bd7 21.Qd5 Be6 22.Qb5 Bd7 23.Qd5 Be6 24.Qb5 Bd7 25.Qd5 Be6 26.Qb5 Bd7 27.Qd5 Be6 28.Qb5 Bd7 29.Qa6 Bc8 30.Qb5 Bd7 31.Qa6 Bc8 32.Qb5 Bd7 33.Qa6 Bc8 34.Qb5 Bd7 35.Qa6 Bc8 36.Qb5 Bd7 37.Qa6 Bc8 38.Qb5 Bd7 39.Qa6 Bc8 40.Qb5 Bd7 41.Qa6 Bc8 42.Qb5 Bd7 43.Qa6 Bc8 44.Qb5 Bd7 45.Qa6 Bc8 46.Qb5 Bd7 47.Qa6 Bc8 48.Qb5 Bd7 49.Qa6 Bc8 50.Qb5 Bd7 51.Qa6 Bc8 52.Qb5 Bd7 53.Qa6 Bc8 54.Qb5 Bd7 55.Qa6 Bc8 56.Qb5 Bd7 57.Qa6 Bc8 58.Qb5 Bd7 59.Qa6 Bc8 60.Qb5 Bd7 61.Qa6 Bc8 62.Qb5 Bd7 63.Qa6 Bc8 64.Qb5 Bd7 65.Qa6 Bc8 66.Qb5 Bd7 67.Qa6 Bc8 68.Qb5 Bd7 69.Qa6 Bc8 70.Qb5 Bd7 71.Qa6 Bc8 72.Qb5 Bd7 73.Qa6 Bc8 74.Qb5 Bd7 75.Qa6 Bc8 76.Qb5 Bd7 77.Qa6 Bc8 78.Qb5 Bd7 79.Qa6 Bc8 80.Qb5 Bd7 81.Qa6 Bc8 82.Qb5 Bd7 83.Qa6 Bc8 84.Qb5 Bd7 85.Qa6 Bc8 86.Qb5 Bd7 87.Qa6 Bc8 88.Qb5 Bd7 89.Qa6 Bc8 90.Qb5 Bd7 91.Qa6 Bc8 92.Qb5 Bd7 93.Qa6 Bc8 94.Qb5 Bd7 95.Qa6 Bc8 96.Qb5 Bd7 97.Qa6 Bc8 98.Qb5 Bd7 99.Qa6 Bc8 100.Qb5 Bd7 101.Qa6 Bc8 102.Qb5 Bd7 103.Qa6 Bc8 104.Qb5 Bd7 105.Qa6 Bc8 106.Qb5 Bd7 107.Qa6 Bc8 108.Qb5 Bd7 109.Qa6 Bc8 110.Qb5 Bd7 111.Qa6 Bc8 112.Qb5 Bd7 113.Qa6 Bc8 114.Qb5 Bd7 115.Qa6 Bc8 116.Qb5 Bd7 117.Qa6 Bc8 118.Qb5 Bd7 119.Qa6 Bc8 120.Qb5 Bd7 

Well over 100 moves have been made, and we're back to the same position. Of course, we have been there so many times, either player could have claimed a draw by repetition. In fact, a draw according to the "50 move rule" could also have been claimed.

Now White varies, claiming his disadvantage and eventually losing.

121.Qb4 Ke8 122.d4 exd4 123.Nxd4 Nc6 124.Nxc6 Bxc6 125.Re1 Nf6 126.e5 dxe5 127.Rxe5+ Kd7 128.Qd2+ Bd6 129.b3 Kc8 130.Re2 Kb7 131.Nc3 Qf8 

132.Nb5 Bxb5 133.cxb5 Re8 134.a3 Rxe2 135.Qxe2 Qf7 136.Qf3+ Kb8 137.Qc6 Re8 138.Bd2 Ng4 139.Rf1 Nxh2 140.Rd1 Qxb3 141.Qxe8+ Kb7 142.Ra1 Qc2 143.Bb4 Ng4 144.Rf1 Bh2+ 145.Kh1 Qc4 146.Qe1 Bf4 147.Bd2 Bxd2 148.Qd1 Bf4 149.Rg1 Nxf2 checkmate

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