Answers.Body: <p>I interpret the following</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>White will play as long as possible, and not want to lose. Black will claim a draw as soon as possible, if not win</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>as meaning that <strong>Black does not help</strong> (i.e., Black tries to either win or draw as fast as possible, while White tries to make the game as long as possible and then draw or win). I suggest the following position with <strong>1865 moves</strong>.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;7k/8/4N3/6N1/8/8/PPPPPPPP/4K3 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>It seems to me that White can do 6 moves with each of the 4 left-side pawns (each one promotes to a bishop on its last move), then (3, 4, 2, 4) moves with the remaining four pawns. Before the first pawn move, White can play 13 waiting moves with the king while avoiding threefold repetition. Between each subsequent pawn move, White can play 49 waiting moves with their king. This gives 13 + 36 x 50 = 1813 moves. As moves 1814 and 1815, White does the following</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;BBBB2k1/8/4NP1P/4P1N1/6P1/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. f7+ Kh8 2. f8=N Kg8
  </code></pre>
  <p>and then White makes 50 more waiting moves before drawing at move <strong>1865</strong>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T13:52:05.607Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-10-12T13:52:05.607Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: wimi
Answers.Body: <p>The answer is trivially the starting position -</p>
  <pre><code>[fen &quot;&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>This exact question hasn't been asked before (I think) but it has been answered <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/8331/is-the-number-of-possible-chess-games-infinite/8334#8334">here</a>. Here is the relevant part of that answer -</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>The maximum number of moves in a chess game is not infinite, it's
  11797 plies = 5898 moves and a half. This is due to the fifty-move
  rule.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>As an interim possibility here is an obvious extension of the OP's original position (before he made dozens of edits):</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;5b1k/p1p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/8/8/8/P1P1P2P/RNBQKBNR w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>White makes the same starting pawn and king moves as in the OP's post minus allowing any captures and then brings a piece out to capture the a pawn, taking 49 moves to do that, then queens one of the a pawns taking 49 moves per pawn move, then takes 49 moves to sacrifice that queen next to the king, then same again with white's other a pawn, ditto taking the c pawn, etc., etc.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T13:08:58.070Z
Answers.Text: No, he is asking the maximum if only one side is trying to prolong the game. This answer is for when both sides are trying.
Answers.UserDisplayName: RemcoGerlich
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T21:45:19.063Z
Answers.Text: @RewanDemontay: Assuming perfect play by both sides, the answer is *probably* the starting position, because a perfectly played game of chess is *probably* drawn. If you want to allow helpmates as well, then you need to be a lot more specific: Which side is allowed to helpmate, if not both, and are they allowed to do a help-draw as well, or not?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kevin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T12:53:51.657Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-10-12T12:53:51.657Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Body: <p>Going by rules strictly about the board state, how long can a player theoretically hold off a draw by the 50-move rule? White will play as long as possible, and not want to lose. Black will claim a draw as soon as possible, if not win, so threefold repetition and dead position apply.</p>
  <p>Here is my starting offer of <strong>703 moves</strong></p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;5bkq/p1p1p1pR/P1P1P1P1/8/4K3/8/P1P1P2P/7n w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Rxh8+ Kxh8 2. Kf3 Nf2 3. Kxf2
  </code></pre>
  <p>After taking 1 move to capture the queen and 2 for the Black knight,
  White starts the 50-move reset counter. White shuffles around their
  king to avoid repetition while Black's king is entombed. Every 50 moves thereafter, White plays a pawn move, with 12 total (playing h6 loses). After the 12th one, it will be another 50 moves until Black may rest: 1+2+50+(12*50)+50=704. (White's h-pawn position prevents dead position.)</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T13:08:21.130Z
Comments.Text: Only 2 moves to capture the knight, otherwise it will escape.
Comments.UserDisplayName: RemcoGerlich
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-10-12T17:50:05.893Z
Comments.Text: What does "not able to win earlier" mean? In your example, White can win if Black cooperates: push up the h pawn, and let the following happen: 1. h6   gxh6 2. g7+   Kg8 3. gxf8=Q+   Kh7 and then easily mate with the newly acquired queen. So I assume "not able to win earlier" means "not able to win earlier if Black plays perfectly"?
Comments.UserDisplayName: wimi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-10-13T12:55:34.023Z
Comments.Text: What is the "50-move rule"? Never heard of it.
Comments.UserDisplayName: BЈовић
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-07-26T22:28:06.053Z
Comments.Text: The halfmove count increments by one for every move that is not a pawn move or capture. A pawn move or capture resets the halfmove count to 0. The halfmove count is 0 at the beginning of the game. When the halfmove count reaches 100, either player may claim draw.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Lucenaposition
Tags: <theory><problems><threefold-repetition><50-move-rule><dead-position>
Title: How long can a player hold off a draw by the 50-move rule?
ThreadText: # How long can a player hold off a draw by the 50-move rule?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-12)
  
  Going by rules strictly about the board state, how long can a player theoretically hold off a draw by the 50-move rule? White will play as long as possible, and not want to lose. Black will claim a draw as soon as possible, if not win, so threefold repetition and dead position apply.
  Here is my starting offer of 703 moves
  [FEN "5bkq/p1p1p1pR/P1P1P1P1/8/4K3/8/P1P1P2P/7n w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Rxh8+ Kxh8 2. Kf3 Nf2 3. Kxf2
  
  After taking 1 move to capture the queen and 2 for the Black knight,
  White starts the 50-move reset counter. White shuffles around their
  king to avoid repetition while Black's king is entombed. Every 50 moves thereafter, White plays a pawn move, with 12 total (playing h6 loses). After the 12th one, it will be another 50 moves until Black may rest: 1+2+50+(12*50)+50=704. (White's h-pawn position prevents dead position.)
  
  **Tags:** theory, problems, threefold-repetition, 50-move-rule, dead-position
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Only 2 moves to capture the knight, otherwise it will escape.  
  > **username_2**: What does "not able to win earlier" mean? In your example, White can win if Black cooperates: push up the h pawn, and let the following happen: 1. h6   gxh6 2. g7+   Kg8 3. gxf8=Q+   Kh7 and then easily mate with the newly acquired queen. So I assume "not able to win earlier" means "not able to win earlier if Black plays perfectly"?  
  > **username_3**: What is the "50-move rule"? Never heard of it.  
  > **username_4**: The halfmove count increments by one for every move that is not a pawn move or capture. A pawn move or capture resets the halfmove count to 0. The halfmove count is 0 at the beginning of the game. When the halfmove count reaches 100, either player may claim draw.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-12. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  I interpret the following
  
  White will play as long as possible, and not want to lose. Black will claim a draw as soon as possible, if not win
  
  as meaning that Black does not help (i.e., Black tries to either win or draw as fast as possible, while White tries to make the game as long as possible and then draw or win). I suggest the following position with 1865 moves.
  [FEN "7k/8/4N3/6N1/8/8/PPPPPPPP/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  It seems to me that White can do 6 moves with each of the 4 left-side pawns (each one promotes to a bishop on its last move), then (3, 4, 2, 4) moves with the remaining four pawns. Before the first pawn move, White can play 13 waiting moves with the king while avoiding threefold repetition. Between each subsequent pawn move, White can play 49 waiting moves with their king. This gives 13 + 36 x 50 = 1813 moves. As moves 1814 and 1815, White does the following
  [FEN "BBBB2k1/8/4NP1P/4P1N1/6P1/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. f7+ Kh8 2. f8=N Kg8
  
  and then White makes 50 more waiting moves before drawing at move 1865.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2020-10-12. Score: 7
  
  The answer is trivially the starting position -
  [fen ""]
  
  This exact question hasn't been asked before (I think) but it has been answered here. Here is the relevant part of that answer -
  
  The maximum number of moves in a chess game is not infinite, it's
  11797 plies = 5898 moves and a half. This is due to the fifty-move
  rule.
  
  As an interim possibility here is an obvious extension of the OP's original position (before he made dozens of edits):
  [FEN "5b1k/p1p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/8/8/8/P1P1P2P/RNBQKBNR w - - 0 1"]
  
  White makes the same starting pawn and king moves as in the OP's post minus allowing any captures and then brings a piece out to capture the a pawn, taking 49 moves to do that, then queens one of the a pawns taking 49 moves per pawn move, then takes 49 moves to sacrifice that queen next to the king, then same again with white's other a pawn, ditto taking the c pawn, etc., etc.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: No, he is asking the maximum if only one side is trying to prolong the game. This answer is for when both sides are trying.  
  > **username_6**: @RewanDemontay: Assuming perfect play by both sides, the answer is *probably* the starting position, because a perfectly played game of chess is *probably* drawn. If you want to allow helpmates as well, then you need to be a lot more specific: Which side is allowed to helpmate, if not both, and are they allowed to do a help-draw as well, or not?  
  
  ---
  
  