English Chess Forum

Hi all, having recently concluded this year with 2 draws, 3 losses and then another 2 draws, I noticed that this was really in disguise 7 games without a win, which is a record non winning streak (previously 6) for me. I would like to ask members of their own streaks and if we could ascertain some type of Personal Bests or worsts records?

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President of Liverpool Chess Club

John Nunn went over 90 without losing. He said it was something of a relief when he did lose because it was becoming a strain.
He also won 10 tournaments in a row.
1984 Karpov Kasparov was a dreadful record.
I once had 1/5 in a Richmond Rapidplay and met GM Bogdan Lalic in the last round, thus scoring 1/6.
I won every hand for 15 minutes online playing poker, thus winning $15,000. that would have been 15 hands.
One evening in 1990 playing poker live I won £49,700. Whether I lost any hands I don't remember. I was house-hunting at the time and one estate agent said, 'Every time I meet you the amount you are prepared to spend goes up.'

Lost all five games in Thanet major some years ago. It all started with a loss in first round to one of the highest graded players (about160) when I played to win from a position that I could have forced a draw. Then it was downhill all the way.
Best tournament was winning Folkestone major many years ago, winning queen of junior England female. In final round, after being told by my male junior opponent, "I will not accept any draw offer" he offered me a draw when he began to lose, which I accepted.

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

A very talented Doctor Nunn, I watched his game against against Karpov on youtube, quite incisive.

Was that a streak of 5 defeats Stewart? if so that sets the record to date.

Wow Stewart back in 1990 you could of bought Everton football club! whilst that was a profitable poker streak for you Stewart, I would like to confine findings to Chess only please, as we might end up with consecutive Keepy-uppys.

Thanks

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President of Liverpool Chess Club

A feat I have yet to achieve John, painful! 5 straight defeats, that puts you in a tie with Stewart.

Was Folkestone a six rounder? if so 6 without loss is the "Mere mortal" record.

Your last round game at Folkestone reminds me of a last round game I had back in the late 80s with White I was on 4.5 out of 5 lying in sole 2nd
behind my opponent on 5/5. I was told by the arbiter I must play for a win he must have considered me a budding GM? I play every game to win I faced a Petroff, a draw offer if ever there was, I was on top out of the opening then fell for a clever defensive exchange sac, faced with a queen fork capitulated and lost finishing in a tie for 4th, leapfogged out the money, my opponent later confided that he should've offered me the draw as he didn't need 6/6 to win sole 1st, needless to say I declined his "should've" offer

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President of Liverpool Chess Club

I have no idea whether I lost 5 in a row. I might have drawn two. But others have scored 0/5 or 6 so it is quite common.
2 in a row is called castling kings. 3 in a row is castling queens. That was when we had cross-tables and progressive scores were shown.
An Irish player, I can't remember who, lost his first 5 games in the British. then he won his next 5. Alan Barton won his first 6 in the Major Open one year and didn't get a prize.
Schlechter played in a round robin and lost all his games on time. But this was deliberate, he had been invited because of the title norm system at the time. Later he beat me in a lightning game in Bognor.

My record winning streak is 17 games, and both the game before and the game after it were losses to Michael JR White.

My record unbeaten streak is 43 games; Chris Beaumont is the one who ended that.

I went 35 straight games in the British Championship without a draw (last game of '96, the entire tournaments of '97, '99 and '00, and the first game of '01) - is this a record?

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http://westcountrychess.blogspot.com

Schlechter?? Don't think that title norms (or indeed your good self, Stewart) were around back then........

Methinks you mean Samisch

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"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

'Half-famished Schlecter - what a contestant he was!' (Hans Kmoch)
Ian, Thanet was 5 rounds, thankfully, one round Fri. and then two each Sat. & Sun. Rate of play 48 in 2 hrs. then 15 mins. each QPF.

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

Impressive Jack! was Michael aware of your streak and was so thus inspired?

Straight in at no. 1 - Winning streak = 17, Unbeaten = 43, Without a draw in British = 35? not sure about this one Jack as it is a bit selective.

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President of Liverpool Chess Club

Matt McKenzie >Schlechter?? Don't think that title norms (or indeed your good self, Stewart) were around back then........
Methinks you mean Samisch

Me also thinks you are correct. Mind you, people have asked what my score was against As-Suli.

Did not Bobby manage 20 wins in a row? But I must be able to win at something. How about number of years without playing a good game? I start in 1950.

Ian, I believe that Folkestone major was, like Thanet, also 5 rounds. I won first four games and drew fifth as I could not be caught.
Matt is right Stuart must have played Fritz Saemisch as it was he, not Karl Schlecter, who lost all 13 games on time at Linkoping in 1969.
Steinitz won 25 'first class' games in a row from Aug 1873 to May 1882.

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

The top two records for unbeaten streaks are still held by Tal, I think.

From the Wikipedia article on Tal:

"From July 1972 to April 1973, Tal played a record 86 consecutive games without a loss (47 wins and 39 draws). Between October 23, 1973 and October 16, 1974, he played 95 consecutive games without a loss (46 wins and 49 draws), shattering his previous record. These are the two longest unbeaten streaks in modern chess history."

The source given is: Andrew Soltis, Chess Lists Second Edition, 2002, McFarland & Company, Jefferson, North Carolina and London, pp. 43-44.

Stewart, is Nunn's unbeaten streak that you mention documented anywhere?

Pah! Tal is nothing to Bogdan Lalic who recently went at least 140 FIDE-rated games without losing.

That's impressive, but how has it been documented? Verifying records is a fraught business at the best of times. How would you (or anyone) set standards (if those documenting such records asked) for such things?