A Weird Game

[John Moore]

Here is a game from today

https://lichess.org/broadcast/mulheimer ... K/QH3PCCCa

Hope this works - the last part of the game is weird to say the last. The bit that amazed me was 31 ... Ra1 drew.

[Alan Walton]

Nice perpetual in the main line, but even good players can miss that OTB (edit : even more so with 30 seconds left)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

If you click on the triangle-like symbol you get the tab where you can get the PGN:

[Event "Muelheimer 5 Tagesnorm 2026 - GM-Norm"] [Site "Muelheim an der Ruhr"] [Date "2026.09.06"] [Round "4.5"] [White "Beerdsen, Thomas"] [Black "Parvanyan, Ashot"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2504"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "1030108"] [BlackElo "2424"] [BlackTitle "IM"] [BlackFideId "13307550"] [TimeControl "90 min / 40 moves + 30 min + 30 sec / move"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C24"] [Opening "Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid"] [UTCDate "2026.09.06"] [UTCTime "15:01:40"] [BroadcastName "Mülheimer 5 Tagesnorm 2026 | GM-Norm"] [BroadcastURL "https://lichess.org/broadcast/mulheimer ... 4/OLTLsgaK"] [GameURL "https://lichess.org/broadcast/mulheimer ... K/QH3PCCCa"] 1. e4 { [%eval 0.18] [%clk 1:30:57] } 1... e5 { [%eval 0.22] [%clk 1:30:53] } 2. Bc4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:30:50] } 2... Nf6 { [%eval 0.11] [%clk 1:30:37] } 3. d3 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:31:15] } 3... Nc6 { [%eval 0.14] [%clk 1:22:16] } 4. Nc3 { [%eval 0.06] [%clk 1:31:32] } 4... Na5 { [%eval 0.09] [%clk 1:22:36] } 5. Nge2 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:31:48] } 5... c6 { [%eval 0.09] [%clk 1:22:52] } 6. O-O { [%eval 0.03] [%clk 1:29:02] } 6... Bc5 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:04:36] } 7. a3 { [%eval 0.08] [%clk 1:21:34] } 7... Nxc4 { [%eval 0.1] [%clk 1:04:07] } 8. dxc4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:21:50] } 8... d6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:03:41] } 9. Qd3 { [%eval 0.01] [%clk 1:20:49] } 9... a6 { [%eval 0.09] [%clk 0:54:10] } 10. b4 { [%eval -0.12] [%clk 1:12:49] } 10... Ba7 { [%eval -0.15] [%clk 0:53:32] } 11. Be3 { [%eval -0.23] [%clk 1:06:15] } 11... Bxe3 { [%eval -0.14] [%clk 0:47:52] } 12. Qxe3 { [%eval -0.13] [%clk 1:05:18] } 12... Be6 { [%eval -0.14] [%clk 0:48:18] } 13. c5 { [%eval -0.18] [%clk 1:05:05] } 13... dxc5 { [%eval -0.16] [%clk 0:47:35] } 14. Qxc5 { [%eval -0.15] [%clk 0:59:05] } 14... Nd7 { [%eval -0.11] [%clk 0:47:29] } 15. Qe3 { [%eval -0.13] [%clk 0:58:49] } 15... Qb6 { [%eval -0.11] [%clk 0:44:54] } 16. Qg3 { [%eval -0.14] [%clk 0:57:17] } 16... O-O { [%eval -0.16] [%clk 0:44:27] } 17. Rfd1 { [%eval -0.18] [%clk 0:56:42] } 17... a5 { [%eval -0.17] [%clk 0:43:11] } 18. Rab1 { [%eval -0.2] [%clk 0:56:29] } 18... axb4 { [%eval -0.12] [%clk 0:35:21] } 19. axb4 { [%eval -0.13] [%clk 0:56:55] } 19... Ra3 { [%eval 0.09] [%clk 0:35:42] } 20. Qg5 { [%eval -0.09] [%clk 0:48:05] } 20... Rfa8 { [%eval -0.04] [%clk 0:29:21] } 21. h3 { [%eval -0.02] [%clk 0:46:26] } 21... h6 { [%eval -0.05] [%clk 0:21:28] } 22. Qe7 { [%eval -0.09] [%clk 0:46:04] } 22... Nf6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:21:45] } 23. b5 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:45:54] } 23... Qa7 { [%eval 0.04] [%clk 0:13:16] } 24. Qd6 { [%eval -0.1] [%clk 0:43:38] } 24... Bc4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:09:23] } 25. bxc6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:42:20] } 25... Bxe2?! { [%eval 0.63] } { Inaccuracy. bxc6 was best. } { [%clk 0:00:33] } 26. cxb7 { [%eval 0.54] [%clk 0:41:14] } 26... Rb8 { [%eval 0.67] [%clk 0:00:32] } 27. Nxe2 { [%eval 0.69] [%clk 0:41:04] } 27... Nxe4 { [%eval 0.63] [%clk 0:00:39] } 28. Qd8+?! { [%eval 0.0] } { Inaccuracy. Qb6 was best. } { [%clk 0:29:51] } 28... Rxd8 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:00:32] } 29. Rxd8+ { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:30:16] } 29... Kh7 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:01:00] } 30. Nd4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:30:10] } 30... Nd2 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:00:31] } 31. b8=Q { [%eval 0.05] [%clk 0:30:05] } 31... Nxb1?? { [%eval #9] } { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Ra1 was best. } { [%clk 0:00:48] } 32. Rh8+?! { [%eval 12.22] } { Lost forced checkmate sequence. Qc8 was best. } { [%clk 0:30:27] } 32... Kg6 { [%eval 12.08] [%clk 0:01:14] } 33. Qxe5 { [%eval 11.67] [%clk 0:30:44] } 1-0

[Jonathan Rogers]

I should think that many players in the top 100 would fail to find ...Ra1 "in a real game", with 30 seconds on the clock, not being told that this is a critical moment and this being a completely unexpected opportunity after hours of play.

[Jonathan Rogers]

As for the sort of player outside the top 100 who might spot it - I would nominate Matthew Turner.

[LawrenceCooper]

I should think that many players in the top 100 would fail to find ...Ra1 "in a real game", with 30 seconds on the clock, not being told that this is a critical moment and this being a completely unexpected opportunity after hours of play.

Especially as there is a simpler option available to keep the balance.