Longest "book opening"

Well, I count "book openings" from, at least, 2 available master games. Here 1 of longest sequences of 22 moves:

(Bacrot-Lautier, 2003,1-0 and Leko-Anand,2003,0-1) Can someone beat it? lol

No wonder, it's in Najdorf.

This is why I play the Bongcloud.. no theory to study!

I think the Caro-Kann classical variation wins this battle. Plop these moves into game explorer!

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3e6 11.Bf4 Qa5 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.O-O-O Ngf6 14.Ne4 O-O-O 15.g3 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Bd6 17.c4 c5 18.d5Nf6 19.Qc2 exd5 20.cxd5 Rhe8 21.Bc3 Qd7 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Nh4 Re5 24.f4 Rxh5 25.Qe2 Rxd526.Rxd5 Bxf4 27.gxf4 Qxd5 28.Rd1 Qxa2 29.Rxd8 Kxd8 30.Nf5 Qe6 31.Qd3 Kc7 32.Nxh6 Qe1 33.Kc2Qh4 34.Nxf7 Qxf4 35.Qd8 Kc6 

You will find that this book move sequence is 35 moves long.

http://www.chess.com/games/view.html?id=605229

http://www.chess.com/games/view.html?id=1267395

http://www.chess.com/games/view.html?id=1020188

To birdboy1 : cool! U've forgotten to add 25...Qd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7 (Svidler-van Wely and Smirnov-Sjugirov). So 26 moves, new record is accepted!

Hypocrism : let me check it!

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1111871

and

http://www.newinchess.com/NICBase/Default.aspx?GameID=717761

also 26 moves

wooow !.. actually, 43 moves  

(Turov-Zlochevskij and Yakovich-Danielsen) and the book opening is finishing in by queen's eternal checks in the total endgame! 

If you love the bongcloud as white so much do you play the fred as black? 

I think he plays the reversed bongcloud: e4 e5 (anything besides Qh5) Ke7!!

Ah good one. I bet he uses the fred a surprise though who dose not love 1.e4 f5 2.exf5 kf7!!

I'm sure this counts as cheating in at least two ways, but how about 155 moves?

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1497423

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1480850

That's not really an opening but rather a game. 

Some semi-slav Botvinnik variations are known to be very long -- in the 30s of moves.  I don't know which book opening holds the title of longest though.

We also have to remember the middle game technically starts after castling and development, we are just talking about longest thematic position or longest line offered in opening books. 

wooow, this is really nice! 2 games with Bacrot and Nakamura, 155 moves counted hahaha!

Deranged: thanx for your example!

so, Deranged, it means that the sac is sound after all? :)