Nº18 Daniele Gatti

Draw

Daniele Gatti (Italy)

wKg2,Nh1,Be2,Rd1,Pe3/bKb3,Pb2,c3,e4,e5,g5,g7,h6

1. Rd7!
Try: 1. Rb1? White can hold a draw if Black makes the fatal mistake 1. … c2? 2. Bd1! But 1. … Ka2! 2. Rxb2+ cxb2! And passed pawn is unstoppable [-+]
Try: 1. Rd8? Playing 1. … b1=Q would transpose into main line after 2. Rb8+! But 1. … c2! 2. Rb8+ Ka2 3. Bc4+ Kb1 4. Bd5 c1=Q 5. Bxe4+ Ka2! 6. Sf2 Ka3 7. Ra8+ Kb3 8. Rb8+ Kc3 9. Rc8+ Kd2 and Black’s positional advantage is clear [-+]

1. … b1=Q
If Black now plays 1. … c2 2. Rb7+ Ka2 3. Bc4+ Kb1 4. Bd5 c1=Q 5. Bxe4+ Ka2 6. Sf2 Ka3 7. Ra7+ Kb3 8. Rxg7! Black lost a pawn and this is enough for White to hold positional draw in both lines: 8. … Qxe3 9. Rb7+ Ka3 10. Rxb2! And Queen cannot take because of Knight’s fork. (=) 8. … Kc3 9. Rg6 b1=Q 10. Bxb1 Qxb1 11. Rxh6 Kd2 12. Sg4 Qf5 13. Kg3 Qf1 14. Rh2+ and White defended everything successfully. (=) Black’s counterplay has indeed to be different.

2. Rb7+ Kc2 3. Rxb1 Kxb1 4. Bd1 c2 5. Bxc2+ Kxc2 And now the second phase of the study. White successfully eliminated the two passed pawns, sacrificing a piece on each of them. An almost-lone Knight now must guard the mass of enemy pawns (Giant-Leap theme).

6. Sg3! Kd3 7. Sf5 Ke2 8. Kg1!
8. Kg3? seemed more natural, but 8. … h5! 9. Sxg7 h4+ 10. Kg2 Kxe3 11. Se6 g4! And at least one black pawn is going to promote.

8…Kf3 9. Kf1 g4 10. Sxg7 Kxe3 White lost his last pawn: a lone Knight against four pawns should lose, but the unfortunate structure of the black pawns makes a draw possibile.

11. Sf5+ Kd2 12. Sg3
12. Sd6? (with the same idea of checking in e4 if Black pushes the e-pawn) but 12. … Kd3! 13. Sf5 h5 14. Ke1 e3 15. Sg3 h4 16. Sf5 h3 17. Sh6 h2 18. Sxg5 h1=Q#.

12… e3 Route must be precise. 13. Se4+ Kd1 14. Sc3+ Kc2 15. Se4 Kd3 16. Sg3 e2+ 17. Ke1! Ke3 Seems that White has run out of waiting moves, but there’s still a redeeming check to deliver. 18. Sf5+ Kf3 19. Sxh6 g3 20. Sf5 g2 21. Sh4+ Kg3 22. Sxg2 Kxg2 23. Kxe2 Kg3 24. Ke3 (= theoretical draw)

Improvement and development of my own study published on 12th International Tournament UAPA (2020). FEN: 8/8/7N/4p3/6p1/5k2/4p3/4K