Nº21 Paavo Tikka

Win

Section A.1.

Paavo Tikka (Finland)

wKf3,Pa2,a4,g7,h6/bKg8,Na5,Pa7

1.Ke4! Nc6 2.Kd5
2.Kf5? Kf7=

2…Nb4+!
Knight must threat to capture a2-pawn to stop white attack on the Q-side
2…Ne7+ 3.Kd6 Nf5+ 4.Kc6 Nxh6 5.a5 Kxg7 6.Kb7+-

3.Ke6!
3.Kc5? Nxa2 4.Kc6 (4.Kb5 Nc3+!=) 4…Nc1! 5.Kb7 (5.a5 Nb3 6.a6 Nd4+! 7.Kb7 Nb5=) 5…a5 6.Kb6 Nb3=
3.Ke5? Kf7=

3…a5!
Prevents white gaining tempo for Q-side attack with a4-a5
3…Nxa2 4.Kf6 Nc3 5.Kg6+-
3…Nd3 4.a5! a6 5.a3 Nc5+ (5…Nb2 6.Kd5+-) 6.Ke7! Ne4 (6…Nb7 7.Kf6 Kh7 8.Kf7 Nd8+ 9.Ke7 Nc6+ 10.Kf8+-) 7.Kd7 Nf6+ 8.Kc6 Kh7 9.Kb6 Kxh6 10.Kxa6 Kxg7 11.Kb7+-

4.Ke7!
Try 4.Kf6? Nd3! (White is in Zugzwang and can’t gain tempo anymore) 5.Ke7 Nc5! 6.Kf6 Nd3 7.Ke6 Nc5+ 8.Ke7 Ne4! 9.Ke6 Nc5+ 10.Kf6 Nd3=
4.a3? (Now black knight can safely defend a5 from b3) Nd3! 5.Kd5 Kf7 6.Kc4 Nc1 7.Kb5 Nb3=

4…Nd5+ 5.Kd6
5.Kd7 (wins also because) 5…Nb6+ (5…Kf7 6.Kc6+-) 6.Ke6+- (leads to main line)

5…Nb6!
By threatening to capture a4 black can still stop whites Q-side attack. Capturing a2 is a tempo slower
Main 5…Nc3 6.Ke6 Ne4 (6…Ne2 7.Kf6 Nf4 8.h7+! Kxh7 9.Kf7+-) 7.Kf5! (7.Kd5? Nc3+ 8.Ke6+- (delays win.)) Nd6+ 8.Kg6 (and mate in 1)
5…Nb4 6.Kc5 Nxa2 7.Kb5 Nc3+ 8.Kxa5 Kh7 9.Kb4 Nd5+ 10.Kc5 Ne7 11.a5 Kxh6 12.a6 Kxg7 13.a7+-

6.Ke6
6.Kc5? Nxa4+ 7.Kc4 Nb6+ 8.Kb5 Nd5 9.Kxa5 Ne7 10.a4 Kh7 11.Kb6 Kxh6 12.Kb7 Kxg7 13.a5 Nf5 14.a6 Nd6+=

6…Nc4
6…Nxa4 7.Kf6+-

7.Kf6 Kh7 8.Kf7 Ne5+ 9.Kf8!
9.Ke6? Ng4 10.Kd6 Nxh6 11.Kc6 Kxg7= (draws because black is one tempo ahead of the main line)

9…Ng6+ 10.Ke8 Ne5 11.Kd8 Ng4 12.Kc7 Nxh6 13.Kb6 Kxg7 14.Kxa5 Kf6 15.Kb6 Ke6 16.a5 Nf5
16…Kd7 17.a6! Kc8 18.a7+-

17.a6 Nd6 18.a7 Nc8+ 19.Ka6/b7 Nxa7 20.Kxa7 Kd6 21.Kb6! Kd7 22.Kb7 Kd6 23.a4 Kc5 24.a5 Kb5 25.a6+-

Duel wK vs bN