OpenChess

Accepted and 57. Ra8

Just wanted to let you know that it may take me a couple of days to respond. I have been playing by hand from my blackberry (travelling) but I think is time I check with the computer to see how I am doing.

I will reply when I get back home.

No problem, take your time!

Ow, I don't think I'd have the guts to play like you've been doing. I'd still put the "unclear" stick on the position, probably drawn, but wouldn't it be epic after all this if I won? That idea keeps me going.

It would be epic indeed! It would be my most enjoyable defeat ever.

I feel confident that I can force a draw (thank God for online tablebase access at Shredderchess, online pgn viewers and the always dependable magnetic chess for the plane ). I know what I want to play next, but it feels that I have gone for too long without comp assistance and is starting to give me the heebie-jeebies.

Oh yeah? I always enjoy giving this challenge to people that claim they can force a draw (though this time I know it's very probable that it is the case):

I challenge you to send a long conditional line, where I can choose to deviate at any point

Accepting the challenge has its risks, unless you can force the draw and it'd make no difference and just speed the game tremendously (e.g. if I see the line goes to a draw and there is no escape, the game ends on the spot).

You can take as much time as you want to decide, of course.

I deserve you making this challenge after what I said. And I have enough respect for you to know better.

Let me re-state: "Ï seriously hope that I am not royaly screwing this up and what my very primitive heuristics tell me is a draw is in fact a draw".

Also, I most definitely do not have the skill to build such massive conditional. In other words: I respectfully decline your challenge

Next move is basically forced so I will play it anyway: Rxc2+

Oh well, it was worth a try, ain't it?

Anyway 58. Kh3

And if it relieves you, I'd have played what you played since move 38., where I would have played 37...e6 instead, so the black line was probably optimally best, no idea about the white line, perhaps it was me who screwed it up

No harm in trying!

Thanks for disclosing. Definitely makes me feel _a lot_ better.

I think the next move is also quite forced: d5

Well, we all know that Bxd5 would be an easy draw, considering that you could play pseudo-randomly into a position where I could have 2 extra pawns but in 6men tablebase draw territory.

So we get this instead:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bd7 6. Bg5 Nc6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O b5 9. Nxc6 Bxc6 10. Qe3 Rc8 11. Kb1 Nd7 12. Nd5 h6 13. Bh4 g5 14. Bg3 Bg7 15. h4 Bxd5 16. exd5 Qb6 17. Qe2 Nc5 18. Re1 Rc7 19. Qe3 g4 20. f3 O-O 21. Bf4 Qa5 22. Qd2 b4 23. Bc4 Na4 24. Bb3 Bxb2 25. Bxh6 Bf6 26. Qf4 Rfc8 27. Qxg4+ Kh7 28. Qh5 Nc3+ 29. Kc1 Bg7 30. Bd2+ Kg8 31. Bxc3 Bxc3 32. Re2 Kf8 33. Kd1 Qa3 34. Re4 Qb2 35. Qh6+ Bg7 36. Qc1 Qf6 37. Ke1 a5 38. Kf2 Rc3 39. Qd2 Bh6 40. Qe2 Bf4 41. g3 Be5 42. Kg2 Qg6 43. Rh3 f5 44. Rc4 R8xc4 45. Bxc4 a4 46. Bd3 Qf7 47. h5 Qxd5 48. h6 b3 49. axb3 a3 50. Bc4 Qd4 51. Rh5 e6 52. h7 Re3 53. Qf2 Rc3 54. Qxd4 Bxd4 55. h8=R+ Bxh8 56. Rxh8+ Kg7 57. Ra8 Rxc2+ 58. Kh3 d5 59. Bb5

I've looked a bit deeper and am liking my chances now

Well, maybe I will get my punishment for all that experimentation and for thinking I could draw this without a computer

Like I said before, the academic value of this game is very high for me (beyond chess, as I am doing finance research that benefited from the first 25 moves) and losing would by a very small price for it. Entertaining value has been even higher.

Anyway, I am running from meeting to meeting all day, but I am catching a red eye tonight. I will have time during the flight to look at this and pick my move.