Letter #25 -  2002

Sub:    Three castlings?
Date:   10/19/2002 4:11:59 PM MDT
From:  Oskar E.
To:      service@chess-poster.com

Can you please explain this:

Heidenfeld - Kerins, Dublin 1973

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Qb6 8.Qd2 c4 9.Be2 Na5 10.O-O f5 11.Ng5 Be7 12.g4 Bxg5 13.fxg5 Nf8 14.gxf5 exf5 15.Bf3 Be6 16.Qg2 O-O-O 17.Na3 Ng6 18.Qd2 f4 19.Bf2 Bh3 20.Rfb1 Bf5 21.Nc2 h6 22.gxh6 Rxh6 23.Nb4 Qe6 24.Qe2 Ne7 25.b3 Qg6+ 26.Kf1 Bxb1 27.bxc4 dxc4 28.Qb2 Bd3+ 29.Ke1 Be4 30.Qe2 Bxf3 31.Qxf3 Rxh2 32.d5 Qf5 33.O-O-O Rh3 34.Qe2 Rxc3+ 35.Kb2 Rh3 36.d6 Nec6 37.Nxc6 Nxc6 38.e6 Qe5+ 39.Qxe5 Nxe5 40.d7+ Nxd7 0-1

Yes, three castlings! How can this be allowed? I thought I knew the rules of Chess, but no?

This is where I found it: http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/records/records.htm

Best regards,
Oskar E.
 

Dear viewer,

Or there is an error of annotation on that game or white player cheated. Three castlings or more in a game are illegal.

By looking at the game, black player shouldn't have let white player to perform move 33. 0-0-0 since it is illegal.

You can review the game below:

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