Sunday, March 21, 2010

Best Study for 1995

We will see today a study, chosen as Best for year 1995. This presentation is a contribution of the composer and solver Themis Argyrakopoulos.

[Study of the Year 1995] is a study by Gregori Slepian.




Study of the year 1995.

(Problem 435)
Gregori Slepian,
First Prize, Szachista Polski #64, 1995,
White plays and wins.
+ (4 + 5)
[8/3rP3/8/8/b1K5/1p6/5RBp/k7]


The solution follows...




Black is ready to advance the pawn b3 and put unsolvable problems to his opponent. White starts with the obvious promotion and forces Black to search for the initiative.

1.e8=Q! Rc7+ double threat, to king and to queen

2.Bc6 Rxc6+ white bishop en prise (the first!) keeps his queen in the game and the rook checks again, giving a tempo to White

3.Kb4

after the third White move
 


Black can not continue with 3...Rc4+ because after 4.Ka3 mate in three moves follows : 4...h1=Q 5.Qe5+ Rc3 6.Qxc3+ b2 7.Qxb2#, or : 4...b2 5.Qe5 Rc3+ 6.Qxc3 h1=Q 7.Qxb2#
Complications arise with the continuation : 3...b2
Of course, White will not answer 4.Qh8? annihilating the two black pawns because there follows : 4...Rb6+ 5.Ka3 Rb3+ 6.Kxa4 h1=Q 7.Qxh1+ b1=Q 8.Rf1 Rb4+ and it is a draw.
Another variation 4.Rf1+ b1=Q+ 5.Rxb1+ Kxb1 6.Qe4+ Kb2 7.Qe5+ Kc1 8.Kxa4! Now, if 8...h1=Q 9.Qa1+ and White wins, and also if 8...Ra6+ 9.Kb3! and when the checks of the black rook are ended, White wins.

3...Rb6+ as previously, White must answer to two threats

4.Ka3 h1=Q and decides to let en prise (the second!) his queen! If the bishop take the queen, a mate by the rook follows. Black promotes the pawn h2 and thus has superiority in pieces, controlling at the same time the threats on the first line

5.Qh8+ b2 and again the white queen is en prise (the third!) Of course, its capturing by the black queen is unthinkable, since the black king is doomed... So, a defense to checks is presented.

6.Qxh1+ Bd1! The pawn b2 can not be a strong defense by any promotion, since it would remain pinned to see the mate by the white rook on a2. Even if Black select ...underpromotion to Knight with check, a vain row of checks follows : 6...b1=S+ 7.Kxa4 Rb4+ 8.Ka5 Rb5+ 9.Ka6 Rb6+ 10.Ka7 Ra6+ 11.Kb8 Rb6+ 12.Kc7 Rb8 13.Qf3 Re8 14.Qf6+ Re5 15.Qxe5+ Sc3 16.Qxc3+ Kb1 17.Qb2#

after the sixth Black move
 


Now White must take care not to capture the bishop and destroy his tries with a stalemate! 7.Qxd1+? b1=S+ 8.Ka4 Rb4+ 9.Ka5 Rb5+ 10.Kxb5

7.Rxb2 Rb3+

8.Ka4 and surely not 8.Rxb3? which leaves Black in stalemate.

8...Rd3+ (Black is equally lost after 8...Kxb2 9.Qxd1 Rc3 10.Kb4 / Qd2+ / Qe2+ Rc2 11.Qe1 / Qd4+ / Qe5 Ka2 as the chess machines demonstrate)

9.Rb3

after the ninth White move
 


and White can reach victory :
9...Rxb3
10.Qxd1+ Rb1
11.Qd4+ Ka2
12.Qd5+ Rb3
13.Qxb3+ Ka1
14.Qd1+ Kb2
15.Kb4 Ka2
16.Kc3 Ka3
17.Qa1#

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