Sometimes you come across a game that angers you; GMs bringing the game of chess into disrepute.

Play through this "effort" from the very recent Berlin GM Tournament.

I assure you this is not a joke; White is in STALEMATE after 12 moves!! Bloody disgrace.

If FIDE can default you if you are not sitting at the board then what should FIDE do about this pre-arranged rubbish??

The construction is wonderful though... did they think that up themselves or is it an existing puzzle "shortest path to stalemate without captures"?

I don't know what the FIDE can do about pre-arranged draws, but actually this one is pretty clever.

I am starting to wonder if the tournament had a "no short draws" rule and the players decided to <ahem> show their displeasure?

they would have to be quite honest with each other as well, black looks like they are in quite a good position to start an attack instead of that last pawn move

What other circumstances surround this?  At what stage of the tournament was it played?  Did it affect who they would play next?  There may be any number of reasons for arranging this...it may be a bit quick to jump to conclusions.

LOL that is straight funny - I'm with ozzie, let's see more about this one!

cool draw

It would have been funnier if one of them had decided to take advantage of the hanging pieces.

Funny, not funny, clever, not clever....I enjoyed it.  Very Lloyd-esqe.

Search for the word "stalemate" on this page and you'll see this as the cited shortest stalemate w/out captures via at least two move orders:

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter08.html

So, is it the shortest?  An example would certainly be proof.  :)

ZV

PS The shortest is 10 moves....but it involves captures....

http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-shortest-stalemate-possible

pre-arranged draws have been going on in chess for years, when the soviet union decided who was worthy of a title. they conspired against fischer in curacao '62, with petrosian the main culprit, petrosian, geller and keres formed a combine to draw easily with each other in order to preserve their strength against fischer, then keres was dropped from the combine because petrosian and geller needed to beat keres and fischer to win the tournament. petrosian denied this, although a game against keres was agreed drawn when (as fischer pointed out), should have been won by petrosian. so don't be surprised to see a pre-arranged draw in top level chess.  

 Good point, good research, Fischer was always distrustful of Soviets......rightly so!!!

thanks kissinger. it was because of this tournament fischer's resentment of the soviet union and his later proved opinion that the soviets fixed world chess that he refused to play. all fischer fans should thank pal benko for making way for him. as benko said "it is only bobby who can stop the russians". i think benko was paid $2500 to submit his place for the unstoppable bobby fischer.

Fischer lobbied for and was successful in having implemented a no-draw-in-less-than-30-moves rule for a tournament. Interestingly, Fischer was the first to break the rule by agreeing to a draw in less than 30. "That rule," he said, "is for Commie cheaters, not me."

I have to say in order to get a higher title, i dont think you should be allowed to have ANY prearranged games like this. I agree with the poster, it is a "bloody disgrace" It takes the excitement and joy out of chess, and that is not what draws people to chess