"The longest chess game theoretically possible is 5,949 moves."

Trying

I think I played in that game. I lost.

5-fold? 75? Did I just wake up in an alternate universe or something?

FIDE and USCF both say 3-fold repetition of a position and 50 moves without a pawn advance or a capture.

@phoenixshade
after 3 repetitions or 50 moves without a pawn move/capture, either player can claim a draw, but if neither player claims, the game continues. after 5 repetitions or 75 moves without a pawn move/capture, the game must be called a draw even if neither player wants to claim it.

edit - see article 9.6 in handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012018

Redacted. Old version of FIDE handbook.

@phoenixshade i am afraid you are wrong. see article 9.6 in handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012018, and how it is different to 9.2 and 9.3.

@phoenixshade also, the rule you quoted is from a version of the Laws of Chess which is outdated. the rule you quoted is now under article 5.2 in the most recent Laws of Chess handbook.

Edit - this was in response to #15 which you redacted

According to wismuth.com/chess/longest-game.html#:~:text=Abstract,34082%20according%20to%20a%20calculation, the longest possible chess game is 8848.5 moves (the .5 is because white makes the final move). This relies on the 75-move rule, which makes the game a draw after 75 non-captures/non-pawn-moves even if no player claims it.

According to the same page, under the 50-move rule, the longest possible game is 5898.5, under the assumption that a player will claim a draw when possible.