slightly modify the object of the game of chess to give incentives around the number of moves. if the outcome is decisive, the winner tries to win as quickly as possible; the loser tries to avoid checkmate for as long as possible. if the outcome is a draw, black tries to claim a draw (typically threefold repetition or 50-move rule) as quickly as possible; white tries to prolong the game -- prevent a claim of a draw -- as long as possible.
under these rules, what might a perfect game of chess look like? how many moves will it last?
if we suspend the fifty move rule, how long will a perfect game last? 3-fold repetition must eventually happen if nothing else because chess has only a finite number of states. even if the outcome of chess with perfect play is decisive, the losing side could force a very long endgame. is the perfect game astronomically long? it might not be, because one side is trying to keep it short.
computer chess engines tactically try to checkmate as quickly as possible (or postpone it: horizon effect), but do not strategically try to draw out a game as long as possible.
the "Play Magnus" challenge had humans against an app "Magnus age 10“. some humans (but I can't remember who tried this strategy) strategically chose openings to draw out the game as long as possible because the challenge offered rewards for long games.
example possible strategy to draw out the game: choose an opening that results in a closed pawn structure.
if there isn't incentive to prolong games, then there exists a perfect game of zero moves.
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