Nº18 Alain Pallier

Win

Section A.1.

Alain Pallier (France)

W: Kg5,Rg4,Bg3,c2,c3 -B: Kh7,Nc4,b2

1.Rh4+ Kg8!
1…Kg7 2.Rh1 Nd2 3.Kf4! (but not 3.Bd6? b1Q 4.Rxb1 Nxb1 5.c4
[5.Bb4 Nd2=] 5…Nd2! 6.c5 Nc4(Kf7)=

2.Rh1 Nd2 3.Bd6!
3.c4? b1Q 4.Rxb1 Nxb1 5.c5 Kf7(8)=

3…b1Q 4.Rxb1 Nxb1 5.Bb4!
5.Kf6? Na3=

5…Nd2 6.Kf6!
6.Kf4? Kg(f)7 7.Ke3 Nf1+! =

6…Kh7
6…Nc4 7.Bc5! Nd2 8.Ke6 (8.Bb4 loss of time) 8…Ne4 9.Bd4 (9.Bb4 loss of time) 9…Nd2 10.Kd5 as in main line.

7.Ke7!!
7.Kf7? Nf3! 8.Bd6 (8.c4 Ne5+ and 9…Nxc4) 8…Ne1 =
7.Ke6? Nf3! 8.Kd5 (8.c4 Nd4+ and 9…Nxc2) 8…Ne1 =
7.Ke5? Kg7! 8.Kd4 Nf3+ 9.Ke4 Ne1=

7…Kg8
7…Kg6 (now after 7…Nf3 8.c4 and no fork) 8.Ke6! Nc4 9.Bc5! Nd2 and 10.Kd5 Nf3 11.c4, winning as in main line.

8.Bd6!
8.Bc5? Nf3! (threat 9…Ne1) 9.Bf2 Nd2! 10.Ke6 Kf8! (10…Nc4 11.Bc5 +- as in main line) 11.Be3 Nc4 12.Bc5+ Ke8 13.Kd5 Nd2! 14.Be3 Nf3 15.Ke4 and, eg, 15…Ne1 and Black draws.
8.Ba3(?) Nb1 9.Bc5 loss of time ; 8.Kf6(?) Kh7 9.Ke7 loss of time.

8…Nc4 9.Bc5!
9.Bb4? Ne3 =

9…Kg7
9… Nd2 10.Ke6 Ne4 11.Bd4 Nd2 12.Kd5 Nf3 13.c4 Ne1 14.c3 +-

10.Ke6 Nd2 11.Kd5
11.Ba3(?), 11.Bd6(?),
11.Be7(?) Nc4 12.Bc5 losses of time
or 11.Ke7(?) Nc4 12.Ke6 loss of time
11.Be3(?) Nc4 12.Bc5 is another loss of time (as is 12.Bd4+ Kg8 13.Bc5 Nd2 14.Kd5 Nf3 15.c4 Kf7 etc.)

11…Nf3 12.c4!At last!
12.Bf2? Kf7(8) 13.c4 Ke7(8) 14.c5 Kd7(8) =

12…Kf7 13.Be3!
13.c3? Ke8! 14.Be3 Kd7 15.Ke4 Nh2(4)=
13.Kd6(?) Nd2 14.Kd5 loss of time.

13…Ke8! Carefully avoiding black square e7. 14.c5! Too early for playing
14.Ke4?: 14…Nh4! 15.Bg5 (without check, thanks to 13…Ke8!) 15…Ng2! 16.c3 (16.c5 Kd7=) 16…Kd7! 17.Kf3 Ne1+ 18.Ke2 Nc2 19.Bc1 Na1! and White cannot make any progress, but not 14…Ne1? 15.c3 Kd7 16.Bf2! Nc2 and, eg, 17.Kd3 Na3 18.Bc5 +- or 17…Na1 18.Bc5 Nb3 19.Bb4 +-

14…Ne1
14…Kd8 15.Ke4 Ne1 16.c3+-

15.c3! Kd7
15…Kd8 16.Ke4 +-

16.c6+!
Again it is too early for 16.Ke4?: 16…Nc2 17.Kd3 Ne1+! (17…Na1? 18.Kc4 +-) 18.Ke2 Nc2! (but not 18…Ng2? 19.Bg5 Kc6 20.Kf1/2 +-) 19.Kd3 Ne1+ positional draw.

16…Kc8! 17.Ke4!
At last. 17.Kd4? Kc7= and not 17…Nf3+?(Ng2?) 18.Ke4 +-

17…Kc7
17…Ng2 and, eg, 18.Bf2 Kc7 19.Kf3 +-

18.Bf2!
18.Bd2? Ng2! 19.Kf3 Nh4+ 20.Kg4 Ng6=

18… Nc2 19.Kd5 and White wins: eg 19…Na3 20.Bg3+ Kc8 21.Kd4 Nc2+ 22.Kd3 Na1 23.Bf2 Kc7 24.Kc4 Kxc6 25.Kb4 and Black knight is trapped.