Most moves before any pieces moved?

[John Upham]

Today's game between Hanley and Surtees saw Black make his first piece move with 9..Ta7.

Is the largest number of moves by one / both sides without moving a piece a matter of record?

[James Coleman]

Not sure but wouldn't imagine the Surtees game even comes close. Eg.Tsaboshvili-Williams from Bunratty this year saw Black make his first twelve moves with pawns only, after which he had a won position.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi

It might be a record as the the first piece to move is a Rook - usually in
90% of the games it's Knight and The Rook is the last to move.

James any chance of you posting the game you mentioned?

[James Coleman]

Yes sure :

[Event "Bunratty Masters op"]
[Site "Bunratty"]
[Date "2009.02.22"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Tsaboshvili, Lasha"]
[Black "Williams, Simon Kim"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[WhiteElo "2014"]
[BlackElo "2507"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2009.02.20"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.02.26"]

1. d4 h6 2. Nf3 g5 3. e4 a6 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 h5 6. Bc4 e6 7. Nc3 b5 8. Bb3 d6 9.
Nd3 c5 10. dxc5 dxc5 11. a4 c4 12. axb5 cxb3 13. cxb3 Nd7 14. g3 Nc5 15. Nxc5
Qxd1+ 16. Kxd1 Bxc5 17. Ke2 Bb7 18. Rd1 Nf6 19. Ra4 axb5 20. Nxb5 O-O 21. Be3
Nxe4 22. Rxe4 Bxe4 23. Bxc5 Bf3+ 24. Ke1 Rfc8 25. Rc1 Ra5 26. b4 Rxb5 27. Kd2
Ra8 0-1

[Geoff Chandler]

Cheers - can use this game and Mike's ame together for a wee sketch
on The Corner.

By the way had my first bash at analysing a game on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlbhxWeAYfc

Don't think I'll be doing another.

[James Coleman]

Just watched it - good stuff, very entertaining

[Geoff Chandler]

Thanks but it's all nonsense - should of had another take.

Why did that bloke, the opening poster, use a 'T' instead of an 'R' for a Rook?

Are Rooks called Trooks in certain parts of England?

[James Coleman]

He uses German notation. I think rook is Teufel is German

[Geoff Chandler]

Hmmm..... How do we know it's German?

The French, The Spanish and the Italians also use a 'T' to signify a Rook.

See the confusion this has caused.

I'm not sleeping tonight until I found out what language the opening poster
was using and why did he feel the need to post in a foreign language.

Our chess books would soon be in a pretty mess if we wrote words in
one language and the move notation in another 'undisclosed' language.

[Rob Thompson]

Or it may simply have been a typo. T is next to R, after all

[Paul McKeown]

I've sent a query to Tim Krabbé, care of his website, Tim Krabbé's website. If anyone knows, he will.

btw. "Teufel" means devil. The German word for rook is "Tor", literally meaning tower.

[Geoff Chandler]

Or it may simply have been a typo. T is next to R, after all

Yes but is the 'T' next to the 'R' on a German keyboard?

I think we need to get Teddy Winter in on this one to sort it out.

[Richard James]

I've sent a query to Tim Krabbé, care of his website, Tim Krabbé's website. If anyone knows, he will.

btw. "Teufel" means devil. The German word for rook is "Tor", literally meaning tower.

The German word for rook is "Turm", meaning tower. Likewise, Tour in French, Torre in Spanish and Italian.

[Paul McKeown]

Sorry Richard - home from the curry house - in a hilarious condition. "Toren" is, of course, Dutch; as you say "Turm" is the German for rook. And of course "Teufel" is still devil, as in "zum Teufel", meaning "go to the devil". Meaning go to bed, Paul!

Ah the evils of CH3CH2OH....

[Geoff Chandler]

Quote: "CH3CH2OH"

Another one - now you are using a secret chess notation.

I'm alerting the forum moderator, this has gotten out of hand.