Soyuz 9 Cosmonauts vs Ground Control (1970) An Advantage in Space

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing

Soyuz 9 Cosmonauts vs Ground Control
"An Advantage in Space" (game of the day Oct-02-2008)
Soyuz IX mission (1970), Outer Space, Jun-09
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation (D20) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

explore this opening	find similar games	more games of Soyuz 9 Cosmonauts
	PGN: download \| view \| print	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

TIP: If you missed a Game of the Day, you can review the last year of games at our Game of the Day Archive.

For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.

PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 3 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>
Oct-02-08		chessgames.com: We selected this for Game of the Day in observance of the interesting chess match between "the people of Earth" and International Space Station astronaut Greg Chamitoff. More info: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/mai...

Oct-02-08		newzild: Yes, 33.Bxf6 is a bad move. If white wants to exchange the bishop for knight, he should at least wait until he is forced to exchange - the knight can't go anywhere while it is pinned. Better would be 33.Rb1, intending 34.Rb7, 35.Bxf6+ and 36.Qxh7++ Black can defend against this threat, but the loss of time allows white to activate his rook and attack the Q-side pawns.

Oct-02-08		Stonehenge: Far out man!

Oct-02-08		OhioChessFan: <has anyone every been in outer space?> Benjamin Lau!: <Yes- Armstrong for example. > Yeah, when Lance broke up with Sheryl Crowe, he was either out of his mind or in outer space somewhere.

Oct-02-08		OhioChessFan: Major Tom- David Bowie Ground control to Major Tom Ground control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on Ground control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may gods love be with you Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, Four, three, two, one, liftoff This is ground control to Major Tom You've really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare This is Major Tom to ground control I'm stepping through the door And I'm floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet earth is blue And theres nothing I can do Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much she knows Ground control to Major Tom Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you.... Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the moon Planet earth is blue And there's nothing I can do.

Oct-02-08		whiteshark: The most eminent chess game was played in the Space using radio communication. The crew of the "Soyuz-9" spaceship <Andrian Nikolaev> and <Vitali Sevastianov> played white against "Terrestrials" in 1970, on June 9th. It was their day off - if one can apply the word 'off' to a totally sealed can high above in the sky - and they wanted to play one against another but the Central Control offered them to play together against the Control team on the Earth. That game has been since then known as <Space vs. Earth Match <>>. http://www.chesszone.org/lib/articl...

Oct-02-08		YifanFan: There is some interesting background in the bio at Soyuz 9 Cosmonauts

Oct-02-08		kevin86: The circumstances of the game were out of this world! The game,however,was run-of-the-mill.

Oct-02-08		Phony Benoni: I'm not surprised that White didn't win the game. After all, if I was in a "totally sealed can" thousands of miles from Earth and totally dependent on my opponent for my continued existence--no, I don't think I'd try too hard to win either.

Oct-02-08		Chessmensch: For the heck of it I put the final position on Deep Fritz 10--dual core machine for six minutes. It analyzed five paths forward and gave each one 0.00--an absolute draw. That's no surprise, but it's interesting that there was no advantage whatever--even a minute one--in any scenario.

Oct-02-08		zb2cr: I, personally, have never been in space. I have met U.S. space shuttle mission specialists Dr. Steven Hawley, Dr. Mary Cleave, and the late Dr. Ron Parise, though. This was back when I worked launch support for a company that did contract software for NASA. The U.S. astronaut corps these days has two tiers. Mission specialists are scientists who have been cross-trained to (if necessary) fly the shuttles, and the pilots who typically do it.

Oct-02-08		mworld: from the end position its hard to see how you could determine that the end would be a definite draw.

Oct-02-08		Once: The final position does look absolutely drawn - both sides have exposed kings and plenty of open lines for the queens to penetrate. There are no immediate pawn breaks. So if either side gets an advantage (and they are not about to do so quickly), the other side heads for perpetual check. Fritz 11 confirms. Within a few seconds, it grinds to a halt at =0.00 and totally refuses to budge.

Oct-02-08		Domdaniel: Interesting. If an astronaut brought a copy of Fritz or Rybka into orbit and used it to 'play' a game with ground control, nobody would pay much attention - because we know that the engine behaves in the same way wherever its 'platform' is located. But put a human up there, and it's different. Is that the metaphysics of presence at work? btw, flat evals of 0.00 almost always mean a forced draw, usually perpetual.

Oct-02-08		mworld: its easy to determine a draw when you set a computer to playing itself out, but being that both sides were human I find it hard to believe they didn't stick it out a few more moves...just takes a single inaccuracy and its a different ball game.

Oct-02-08		Phony Benoni: <mwrold> This was more of a stunt than a serious game. I'm sure that both sides needed to get back to doing more important things. Yes, there are more important things than chess.

Oct-02-08		Domdaniel: <Yes, there are more important things than chess.> Indeed. It's not rocket science...

Oct-03-08		klangenfarben: . do you remember a guy that's been in such an early song I've heard a rumour from Ground Control oh no, don't say its true they got a message from The Action Mann "I'm Happy, Hope You're Happy Too" I've loved all I've needed love sordid details following the shrieking of nothing is killing just pictures of Jap girls in synthesis and I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair but I'm hoping to kick but the planet its glowing ashes to ashes, fun to funky we know Major Tom's a junkie strung out in heaven's high hitting an all-time low time and again I tell myself I'll stay clean tonight but the little green wheels are following me oh no, not again I'm stuck with A Valuable Friend "I'm Happy, Hope You're Happy Too" one flash of light but no smoking pistol I never done good things I never done bad things I never did anything out of the blue want an axe to break the ice wanna come down right now ashes to ashes, fun to funky we know Major Tom's a junkie strung out in heaven's high hitting an all-time low my mother said, to get things done you better not mess with Major Tom

Oct-05-08		KlunkenFarben: Final position 1/2-1/2 click for larger view White has twenty-five legal moves. Fritz11 line analysis: : =12 : ten as 0.0, one as -0.03, one as -0.04 : 1 : -0.65 (36. ♕h4) : 1 : -3.11 (36. ♕e5, a rookie mistake) : #11 : eleven forced mates in 19 to 13 (36. ♕f7+) moves

Oct-11-08		just a kid: I don't like 29.Nxd5 it evens out Black's pawns.

Jan-02-09		WhiteRook48: it would be even funnier if white won. the pun would come to life. LOL

Jan-22-09		WhiteRook48: "Ground Control" is interesting for a player name.

Mar-02-09		WhiteRook48: White really does have a space advantage (NOT humor-wise)

Jun-25-10		WhiteRook48: 24 g5 the knight is not going anywhere

Jun-25-10		NARC: I like 26. d5 followed by Bd4

Jump to page # (enter # from 1 to 3)
search thread:
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 3 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
Nothing in violation of United States law.
No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
No trolling.
The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.

NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.