The Longest Game

The longest game that Wyllie Draughts ever played in thousands of online games occurred on the 27th October 2001 on the VOG game site in their "Tournament of Champions". The tournament consisted of 3-game matches of 3-move restriction checkers. This is an unusual format, since it means that one player gets the strong side twice and the other gets it only once. The game itself is of no great interest other than for its length. It was the third game of the second round, after a draw in the first game and a win for Wyllie Draughts in the second game. Wyllie's oponent, realising that a draw was not good enough, refused to accept a draw even when it became obvious that there was nothing left for either side to do, and proceeded to play on indefinitely.....

Black: Steve Jones (ae_whiteknight)
White: Wyllie Draughts (Wyllie_Program)
Denny Opening

1. 10-14, 24-20, 2. 7-10, 22-18, 3. 11-16(A), 20x11, 4. 8x22, 25x18, 5. 4-8 29-25(B), 6. 8-11, 25-22, 7. 10-15, 27-24, 8. 6-10, 24-19, 9. 15x24, 28x19 10. 3-7, 32-27, 11. 9-13, 18x9, 12. 5x14, 22-18, 13. 1-5, 18x9, 14. 5x14 26-22, 15. 11-15, 30-26, 16. 15x24, 27x20, 17. 14-17, 21x14, 18. 10x17 23-19, 19. 17-21, 22-18, 20. 21-25, 18-15, 21. 25-30, 26-23, 22. 13-17 15-11, 23. 7x16, 20x11, 24. 17-22, 11-8, 25. 30-26, 8-3, 26. 12-16 19x12, 27. 26x19, 31-27, 28. 22-26, 27-23, 29. 19-15, 3-8, 30. 2-7 8-3, 31. 7-10, 3-7, 32. 26-31, 7x14, 33. 15-18, 14-10, 34. 18x27, 10-7(C) 35. 27-23, 7-3, 36. 23-19, 12-8, 37. 19-16, 8-4, 38. 16-11, 3-8, 39. 11-7 8-3, 40. 7-11, 3-8, 41. 11-16, 8-3, 42. 16-19, 3-7, 43. 31-27, 7-3 44. 27-23, 3-7, 45. 23-18, 7-3, 46. 18-15, 3-7, 47. 19-16, 7-3, 48. 16-20 4-8, 49. 15-19, 8-4, 50. 20-16, 3-7, 51. 19-24, 7-3, 52. 16-11, 3-8 53. 11-16, 8-3, 54. 16-11, 3-8, 55. 11-16, 8-3, 56. 24-27, 3-7, 57. 27-23 7-3, 58. 16-11, 3-8, 59. 11-7, 8-3, 60. 7-11, 3-8, 61. 11-16, 8-3, 62. 23-26 3-7, 63. 26-31, 7-3, 64. 16-11, 3-8, 65. 11-7, 8-3, 66. 7-11, 3-8, 67. 11-16 8-3, 68. 31-26, 3-7, 69. 26-22, 7-3, 70. 16-11, 3-8, 71. 11-7, 8-3 72. 7-11, 3-8, 73. 11-16, 8-3, 74. 22-25, 3-7, 75. 25-30, 7-3, 76. 16-11 3-8, 77. 11-16, 8-3, 78. 16-11, 3-8, 79. 11-7, 8-3, 80. 7-11, 3-8, 81. 11-16 8-3, 82. 30-25, 3-7, 83. 25-29, 7-3, 84. 16-11, 3-8, 85. 11-7, 8-3 86. 7-11, 3-8, 87. 11-16, 8-3, 88. 16-11, 3-8, 89. 11-7, 8-3, 90. 7-10 4-8, 91. 29-25, 8-4, 92. 25-21, 4-8, 93. 21-17, 8-4, 94. 10-15, 3-7 95. 17-14, 7-3, 96. 15-11, 3-8, 97. 11-16, 8-3, 98. 16-11, 3-8, 99. 11-7 8-3, 100. 7-11, 3-8, 101. 11-16, 8-3, 102. 16-11, 3-8, 103. 11-16, 8-3 104. 14-9, 3-7, 105. 9-13, 7-3, 106. 16-11, 3-8, 107. 11-7, 8-3, 108. 7-11 3-8, 109. 11-16, 8-3, 110. 13-9, 3-7, 111. 9-6, 7-3, 112. 16-11, 3-8 113. 11-16, 8-3, 114. 16-11, 3-8, 115. 11-7, 8-3, 116. 7-11, 3-8, 117. 11-16 8-3, 118. 6-10, 4-8, 119. 16-19, 8-4, 120. 19-16, 4-8, 121. 16-19, 8-4 122. 10-6, 3-7, 123. 6-1, 7-3, 124. 19-15, 3-7, 125. 15-19, 7-3, 126. 1-5 3-7, 127. 19-15, 7-3, 128. 15-11, 3-8, 129. 11-7, 8-3, 130. 7-10, 4-8 131. 10-6, 8-4, 132. 6-2, 4-8, 133. 2-6, 8-4, 134. 6-2, 4-8, 135. 2-6 8-4, 136. 6-9, 3-7, 137. 9-6, 7-3, 138. 6-9, 3-7, 139. 9-14, 7-3, 140. 14-18 3-7, 141. 18-14, 7-3, 142. 14-17, 3-7, 143. 17-13, 7-3, 144. 13-17 3-7, 145. 17-21, 7-3, 146. 21-17, 3-7, 147. 17-21, 7-3, 148. 21-25 3-7, 149. 25-29, 7-3, 150. 29-25, 3-7, 151. 25-30, 7-3, 152. 30-25 3-7, 153. 25-22, 7-3, 154. 22-26, 3-7, 155. 26-23, 7-3, 156. 23-26 3-7, 157. 26-31, 7-3, 158. 31-27, 3-7, 159. 27-31, 7-3, 160. 31-27 3-7, 161. 27-23, 7-3, 162. 23-19, 3-7, 163. 19-24, 7-3, 164. 24-20 3-7, 165. 20-24, 7-3, 166. 24-28, 3-7, 167. 28-32, 7-3, 168. 32-28 3-7, 169. 28-32, 7-3, 170. 5-1, 3-7, 171. 32-28, 7-3, 172. 28-32, 3-7 173. 32-28, 7-3, 174. 28-32, 3-7, 175. 32-27, 7-3, 176. 27-24, 3-7, 177. 24-27 7-3, 178. 27-24, 3-7, 179. 24-27, 7-3, 180. 27-23, 3-7, 181. 23-18 7-3, 182. 18-15, 3-7, 183. 15-18, 7-3, 184. 18-15, 3-7, 185. 15-18 7-3, 186. 18-15, 3-7, 187. 15-18, 7-3, 188. 18-14, 3-7, 189. 14-9, 7-3 190. 9-6, 3-7, 191. 6-9, 7-3, 192. 9-6, 3-7, 193. 6-9, 7-3, 194. 9-13 3-7, 195. 13-17, 7-3, 196. 17-21, 3-7, 197. 21-17, 7-3, 198. 17-21 3-7, 199. 21-17, 7-3, 200. 17-21, 3-7, 201. 21-25, 7-3, 202. 25-22 3-7, 203. 22-25, 7-3, 204. 25-30, 3-7, 205. 30-26, 7-3, 206. 26-30 3-7, 207. 30-26, 7-3, 208. 26-31, 3-7, 209. 1-6, 7-3, 210. 31-27, 3-7 211. 27-32, 7-3, 212. 32-28, 3-7, 213. 28-32, 7-3, 214. 32-28, 3-7, 215. 28-32 7-3, 216. 32-28, 3-7, 217. 28-24, 7-3, 218. 24-27, 3-7, 219. 27-24 7-3, 220. 24-27, 3-7, 221. 27-24, 7-3, 222. 24-27, 3-7, 223. 27-23 7-3, 224. 23-19, 3-7, 225. 19-23, 7-3, 226. 23-19, 3-7, 227. 19-23 7-3, 228. 23-18, 3-7, 229. 18-14, 7-3, 230. 14-10, 4-8, 231. 10-14 8-4, 232. 14-10, 4-8, 233. 10-14, 8-4, 234. 14-9, 3-7, 235. 9-5, 7-3(D) drawn

Notes

(a) In the second game Wyllie varied with the red pieces thus: 3. 10-15, 28-24, 4. 15x22, 26x10 5. 6x15, 23-19, 6. 15-18, 21-17, 7. 9-13, 17-14, 8. 13-17, 19-15, 9. 12-16 15-10, 10. 11-15, 20x11, 11. 18-23, 27x18, 12. 15x22, 25x18, 13. 8x22 30-26, 14. 4-8, 24-19, 15. 2-7, 32-27, 16. 8-11, 27-24, 17. 11-15, 19-16 18. 5-9, 14x5, 19. 7x14, 26-23, 20. 15-18, 23-19, 21. 18-23, 24-20, 22. 17-21 19-15, 23. 21-25, 15-10, 24. 25-30, 16-11, 25. 22-26, 31x22, 26. 23-27 10-6, 27. 1x10, 5-1, 28. 27-31, 20-16, 29. 31-27, 16-12, 30. 30-26 1-6, 31. 26x17, 6x15, 32. 17-21, 11-8, 33. 27-24, 8-4, 34. 24-20, 4-8 35. 20-16, 8-4, 36. 14-17, 15-10, 37. 16-11, 10-14, 38. 17-22, 14-18 39. 22-26, 18-22, 40. 26-31, 22-18, 41. 31-26 Red wins.

(b) In the first game Wyllie varied with 5....28-24, 6. 8-11, 24-19, 7. 9-13, 18x9, 8. 5x14, 29-25, 9. 3-7, 25-22 10. 1-5, 22-18, 11. 11-16, 18x9, 12. 5x14, 27-24, 13. 16-20, 23-18, 14. 14x23 31-27, 15. 7-11, 27x18, 16. 20x27, 32x23, 17. 11-16, 26-22, 18. 16-20 21-17, 19. 20-24, 18-14, 20. 24-27, 14x7, 21. 2x11, 17-14, 22. 27-32 23-18, 23. 32-27, 19-15, 24. 11-16, 30-26, 25. 16-19, 14-9, 26. 27-23 9x2, 27. 23x30, 18-14, 28. 30-26, 22-18, 29. 19-24, 15-11, 30. 13-17 14-9, 31. 12-16, 9-6, 32. 16-20, 11-8, 33. 26-23, 18-15, 34. 17-21 15-11, 35. 24-28, 8-4, 36. 21-25, 11-8 draw

(c) I offered a draw here, but it was refused. As Wyllie is into a database draw it was able to move instantly, and the time control was adding 5 seconds for every move made, so there was no danger of either of us losing on time. Does Red think he can win?

(d) Here the VOG server recognises the repetition of position and declared the game drawn - a useful feature at VOG, as without it this game might still be going on today!!