What is the '4-minute mile' of bullet chess?
The 4-minute mile is often referenced when one is talking about feats that seem impossible for humans to achieve.
You see, throughout the first half of the 20th century, it was thought to be physically impossible for a human to run a mile in 4 minutes.
However, it turns out that the limits of human potential are far broader than most believe!
I am sure most of you have heard of Roger Bannister.
Bannister was the first person to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, in 1954.
A big part of his success was not just his physical training, but as a neurologist, he was familiar with many visualization exercises. For instance, he constantly visualized himself running the mile in less than 4 minutes, imagining that he already achieved that which he set out to do.
Isn't that a great lesson to apply to our goals as well?
As it turns out, Bannister's record only lasted 46 days - now that Bannister had shown what was possible, top athletes realized that, if Bannister could do it, they could do it too! In the next years, numerous athletes ran a mile in less than four minutes.
Last year, we saw a similar version in the 2019 'Two hour marathon', where Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon distance in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
A common question in chess is - just how strong can humans become at chess?
In bullet chess, the current equivalent of the 'four minute mile' is to beat Hikaru-bot in bullet. This is because Hikaru-bot makes every move in 0.1 seconds, making it impossible to flag - the only way to win is by checkmating the computer!
For instance, I won my first ever game against the pure Stockfish engine on Chess.com, by punishing its slow speed and flagging it in a locked position:
Illingworth (2805) εναντίον stockfish (3000)
1-0 Live Chess Chess.com 10 Apr 2018 ECO: A00
1.
g3
e5
2.
g2
d5
3.
d3
f6
4.
a3
d6
5.
d2
O-O
6.
h3
c6
7.
e3
a5
8.
e2
b5
9.
b3
bd7
10.
f1
e8
11.
g1
h5
12.
b2
c7
13.
f1
a4
14.
b4
b6
15.
c3
f5
16.
d4
e4
17.
h4
g4
18.
e1
c8
19.
f4
e7
20.
g1
f5
21.
f1
d7
22.
d2
f3
23.
c1
e7
24.
e1
ae8
25.
d2
c7
26.
c1
c8
27.
b2
d6
28.
e1
g6
29.
c1
g7
30.
h2
g4
31.
h1
c7
32.
c2
b8
33.
c1
d6
34.
c2
xg2
35.
xg2
c7
36.
g1
d7
37.
c1
d8
38.
g2
b8
39.
g1
g8
40.
g2
cc8
41.
g1
e8
42.
g2
e7
43.
g1
b7
44.
g2
e7
45.
g1
c7
46.
g2
g7
47.
g1
c8
48.
g2
d6
49.
e2
e8
50.
g1
d8
51.
g2
e7
52.
g1
c7
53.
e1
ed8
54.
c1
bc8
55.
g2
a8
56.
g1
d7
57.
g2
h8
58.
g1
e8
59.
g2
dd8
60.
g1
d7
61.
g2
c8
62.
g1
a8
63.
g2
e7
64.
e1
f8
65.
g1
d6
66.
c2
h7
67.
c1
f5
68.
e2
fe8
69.
d1
c8
70.
g2
g8
71.
g1
d6
72.
g2
g7
73.
g1
c7
74.
g2
c8
75.
g1
b7
76.
g2
Illingworth won on time 1-0
However, such 'anti-computer' strategies of tying up the board and flagging are not going to lead to victory against Hikaru-bot, which is optimized specifically against human and anti-computer play. That said, one of my draws vs. Hikaru-bot occurred by tying up the board completely and then premoving from there.
It took me about 346 tries, but after several near-misses, I finally beat Hikaru-bot in a bullet game, and with the Black pieces at that!
Since the game history of Hikaru-bot appears to be deleted every few days, it's hard to determine exactly how many players have defeated Hikaru-bot. However, since this is a proud moment for me, here is my win against Hikaru-bot in 1+0 bullet:
Hikaru-bot (2516) εναντίον Illingworth (3064)
0-1 Live Chess Chess.com 28 Sep 2020 ECO: D02
1.
d4
d5
2.
f3
c5
3.
c4
dxc4
4.
e4
e6
5.
d5
exd5
6.
exd5
f6
7.
xc4
d6
8.
O-O
O-O
9.
c3
bd7
10.
d3
e5
11.
h3
xf3+
12.
xf3
h6
13.
e1
d7
14.
d2
e8
15.
xe8+
xe8
16.
e1
f8
17.
xh6
e8
18.
xe8
xe8
19.
f4
xf4
20.
xf4
e1+
21.
h2
b5
22.
e4
xe4
23.
xe4
g6
24.
b8+
g7
25.
f3
e3
26.
d6
f5
27.
xf5
gxf5
28.
f4
c4
29.
e5+
xe5
30.
fxe5
b4
31.
d6
f8
32.
g4
c3
33.
bxc3
bxc3
34.
g3
c2
35.
gxf5
c1=
36.
g4
d1+
37.
g5
d2+
38.
g4
e2+
39.
f4
f2+
40.
e4
g2+
41.
d4
xh3
42.
e6
fxe6
43.
fxe6
xe6
44.
d7
xd7+
45.
c3
e7
46.
c2
c6+
47.
b2
d6
48.
b3
c5
49.
c2
b5
50.
a3
a4+
51.
d3
xa3+
52.
e4
c3
53.
f5
a5
54.
g6
a4
55.
h6
a3
56.
h5
a2
57.
g4
a1=
58.
f5
d1
59.
g6
dd4
60.
f7
ce3
61.
g6
df4
62.
h7
eg3
63.
h8
fh4#
Illingworth won by checkmate 0-1
Obviously this is very far from the best game I've ever played (though playing 63 moves in 39 seconds against a machine that premoves every move is not so slow). However, the game demonstrates a major weakness of the engine playing at 0.1 seconds a move - it can only reach a certain depth in that time, and if one can also play relatively fast, then the engine may fall victim to a 'horizon effect', where it doesn't see the danger until it is too late.
Indeed, this is how one unrated player destroyed Hikaru-bot recently in bullet, by setting up a mate in 4 threat that fell beyond the engine's horizon:
Hikaru-bot (2286) εναντίον kelvishhh (1200)
0-1 Live Chess Chess.com 22 Dec 2019 ECO: A00
1.
e3
d5
2.
c4
c6
3.
f3
f6
4.
d4
f5
5.
c3
e6
6.
h4
g6
7.
xg6
hxg6
8.
b1
d6
9.
e2
bd7
10.
c5
c7
11.
b4
a6
12.
g3
e5
13.
O-O
e4
14.
a4
e7
15.
h4
e6
16.
g2
g5
17.
h5
g6
18.
b5
xh5
19.
bxc6
f4+
20.
g1
h1+
21.
xh1
h3+
22.
g1
g2#
kelvishhh won by checkmate 0-1
Now that it's proven that Hikaru-bot can be beaten by humans in bullet, I have a feeling many other players will soon do the same, refining the strategies that I've shown you in this post.
To enjoy more of my chess stories and insights, click here to subscribe to my free email list, where I share daily chess content on how to play better chess and win more of your games!
See you on the inside!
The 4-minute mile is often referenced when one is talking about feats that seem impossible for humans to achieve.
You see, throughout the first half of the 20th century, it was thought to be physically impossible for a human to run a mile in 4 minutes.
However, it turns out that the limits of human potential are far broader than most believe!
I am sure most of you have heard of Roger Bannister.
Bannister was the first person to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, in 1954.
A big part of his success was not just his physical training, but as a neurologist, he was familiar with many visualization exercises. For instance, he constantly visualized himself running the mile in less than 4 minutes, imagining that he already achieved that which he set out to do.
Isn't that a great lesson to apply to our goals as well?
As it turns out, Bannister's record only lasted 46 days - now that Bannister had shown what was possible, top athletes realized that, if Bannister could do it, they could do it too! In the next years, numerous athletes ran a mile in less than four minutes.
Last year, we saw a similar version in the 2019 'Two hour marathon', where Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon distance in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
A common question in chess is - just how strong can humans become at chess?
In bullet chess, the current equivalent of the 'four minute mile' is to beat Hikaru-bot in bullet. This is because Hikaru-bot makes every move in 0.1 seconds, making it impossible to flag - the only way to win is by checkmating the computer!
For instance, I won my first ever game against the pure Stockfish engine on Chess.com, by punishing its slow speed and flagging it in a locked position:
Illingworth (2805) εναντίον stockfish (3000)
1-0 Live Chess Chess.com 10 Apr 2018 ECO: A00
1.
g3
e5
2.
g2
d5
3.
d3
f6
4.
a3
d6
5.
d2
O-O
6.
h3
c6
7.
e3
a5
8.
e2
b5
9.
b3
bd7
10.
f1
e8
11.
g1
h5
12.
b2
c7
13.
f1
a4
14.
b4
b6
15.
c3
f5
16.
d4
e4
17.
h4
g4
18.
e1
c8
19.
f4
e7
20.
g1
f5
21.
f1
d7
22.
d2
f3
23.
c1
e7
24.
e1
ae8
25.
d2
c7
26.
c1
c8
27.
b2
d6
28.
e1
g6
29.
c1
g7
30.
h2
g4
31.
h1
c7
32.
c2
b8
33.
c1
d6
34.
c2
xg2
35.
xg2
c7
36.
g1
d7
37.
c1
d8
38.
g2
b8
39.
g1
g8
40.
g2
cc8
41.
g1
e8
42.
g2
e7
43.
g1
b7
44.
g2
e7
45.
g1
c7
46.
g2
g7
47.
g1
c8
48.
g2
d6
49.
e2
e8
50.
g1
d8
51.
g2
e7
52.
g1
c7
53.
e1
ed8
54.
c1
bc8
55.
g2
a8
56.
g1
d7
57.
g2
h8
58.
g1
e8
59.
g2
dd8
60.
g1
d7
61.
g2
c8
62.
g1
a8
63.
g2
e7
64.
e1
f8
65.
g1
d6
66.
c2
h7
67.
c1
f5
68.
e2
fe8
69.
d1
c8
70.
g2
g8
71.
g1
d6
72.
g2
g7
73.
g1
c7
74.
g2
c8
75.
g1
b7
76.
g2
Illingworth won on time 1-0
However, such 'anti-computer' strategies of tying up the board and flagging are not going to lead to victory against Hikaru-bot, which is optimized specifically against human and anti-computer play. That said, one of my draws vs. Hikaru-bot occurred by tying up the board completely and then premoving from there.
It took me about 346 tries, but after several near-misses, I finally beat Hikaru-bot in a bullet game, and with the Black pieces at that!
Since the game history of Hikaru-bot appears to be deleted every few days, it's hard to determine exactly how many players have defeated Hikaru-bot. However, since this is a proud moment for me, here is my win against Hikaru-bot in 1+0 bullet:
Hikaru-bot (2516) εναντίον Illingworth (3064)
0-1 Live Chess Chess.com 28 Sep 2020 ECO: D02
1.
d4
d5
2.
f3
c5
3.
c4
dxc4
4.
e4
e6
5.
d5
exd5
6.
exd5
f6
7.
xc4
d6
8.
O-O
O-O
9.
c3
bd7
10.
d3
e5
11.
h3
xf3+
12.
xf3
h6
13.
e1
d7
14.
d2
e8
15.
xe8+
xe8
16.
e1
f8
17.
xh6
e8
18.
xe8
xe8
19.
f4
xf4
20.
xf4
e1+
21.
h2
b5
22.
e4
xe4
23.
xe4
g6
24.
b8+
g7
25.
f3
e3
26.
d6
f5
27.
xf5
gxf5
28.
f4
c4
29.
e5+
xe5
30.
fxe5
b4
31.
d6
f8
32.
g4
c3
33.
bxc3
bxc3
34.
g3
c2
35.
gxf5
c1=
36.
g4
d1+
37.
g5
d2+
38.
g4
e2+
39.
f4
f2+
40.
e4
g2+
41.
d4
xh3
42.
e6
fxe6
43.
fxe6
xe6
44.
d7
xd7+
45.
c3
e7
46.
c2
c6+
47.
b2
d6
48.
b3
c5
49.
c2
b5
50.
a3
a4+
51.
d3
xa3+
52.
e4
c3
53.
f5
a5
54.
g6
a4
55.
h6
a3
56.
h5
a2
57.
g4
a1=
58.
f5
d1
59.
g6
dd4
60.
f7
ce3
61.
g6
df4
62.
h7
eg3
63.
h8
fh4#
Illingworth won by checkmate 0-1
Obviously this is very far from the best game I've ever played (though playing 63 moves in 39 seconds against a machine that premoves every move is not so slow). However, the game demonstrates a major weakness of the engine playing at 0.1 seconds a move - it can only reach a certain depth in that time, and if one can also play relatively fast, then the engine may fall victim to a 'horizon effect', where it doesn't see the danger until it is too late.
Indeed, this is how one unrated player destroyed Hikaru-bot recently in bullet, by setting up a mate in 4 threat that fell beyond the engine's horizon:
Hikaru-bot (2286) εναντίον kelvishhh (1200)
0-1 Live Chess Chess.com 22 Dec 2019 ECO: A00
1.
e3
d5
2.
c4
c6
3.
f3
f6
4.
d4
f5
5.
c3
e6
6.
h4
g6
7.
xg6
hxg6
8.
b1
d6
9.
e2
bd7
10.
c5
c7
11.
b4
a6
12.
g3
e5
13.
O-O
e4
14.
a4
e7
15.
h4
e6
16.
g2
g5
17.
h5
g6
18.
b5
xh5
19.
bxc6
f4+
20.
g1
h1+
21.
xh1
h3+
22.
g1
g2#
kelvishhh won by checkmate 0-1
Now that it's proven that Hikaru-bot can be beaten by humans in bullet, I have a feeling many other players will soon do the same, refining the strategies that I've shown you in this post.
To enjoy more of my chess stories and insights, click here to subscribe to my free email list, where I share daily chess content on how to play better chess and win more of your games!
See you on the inside!