Marathon

Earlier this month, at the Kingston Invitational, Peter Lalic won a game against 12-year-old Billy Fellowes in 272 moves. Published in full, it would take up most of this article and resemble a cryptographic message more than a game of chess. But it earns a place in the record books as the longest over-the-board game in history, eclipsing the game Nikolic-Arsovic, Belgrade 1989, which was agreed drawn after 269 moves.

Billy Fellowes-Peter Lalic

Kingston Invitational, August 2024

The first diagram, at move 18, sets the scene. With more space to manoeuvre, Black holds a clear strategical advantage. The snag is that both of the natural pawn breaks which open up the position (b6-b5 or f6-f5) would improve White’s pieces in the short term by opening lines for Ra1/Bg2 and weakening a5/e5 pawns.

International chess rules state that if each side makes 50 moves without a pawn move or a capture, a player may claim a draw.