Nº13 Daniele Gatti

Draw

Daniele Gatti (Italy)

wKd4,Be8,Rf8,Pa7,e4,h4,h5/bKh7,Qa6,Pa4,f2,f4,g4

1. a8=Q! Qxa8
Not useful 1. … Qd6+ 2. Qd5! Qb4+ 3. Ke5! Qe7+ 4. Kf5 Qxf8+ 5. Kxg4! Qxe8 6. Qf6+ Kg8 7. Qg5+ Kh7 8. Qf5+ Kg8 9. Qg5+ (= perpetual check).

2. Bg6+ Kh6
Black could have tried 2. … Kg7, but the result would have been the same: 3. Rxa8 f1=Q 4. Ra7+ Kf6 5. e5+! Ke6 6. Bf7+ Kf5 7. Bg6+ Ke6 8. Bf7+ Kf5 9. Bg6+ (= perpetual check).

3. Rxa8 f1=Q Black Queen has been successfully lured and captured, but now another one comes into play, with bad intentions.
4. Rh8+ Kg7 5. Rh7+ Kg8 6. h6! Qa1+ Drawish configuration has been set up in north-east corner. However, the great mobility of black Queen forces White to a minefield-walking.

7. Kd5 Qf6 8. h5 Qd8+ 9. Kc4 Qc8+ Black could stop checking and try a different strategy, but White holds still:
9. … Qf8 10. e5! F3 11. Rg7+ Kh8 12. Rh7+ Kg8 13. Rg7+ Qxg7 14. hxg7 g3 15. e6! Kg7 (= positional draw).

10. Kd5 Qa8+ 11. Kc4 Qc6+ 12. Kb4 Qb6+ 13. Kxa4 Qd4+ 14. Kb5 Qb2+ 15. Ka6 Qa2+ 16. Kb7 f3 Black successfully placed the Queen on a2-g8 diagonal, in order to capture the white Rook if it goes to f7. The H pawn would indeed become deadly, without this countermeasure. Now, it seems for Black to be possible to push his pawns to promotion.

But… 17. Rf7
White cannot change strategy: 17. Rg7+? Kf8! 18. Rf7+ Qxf7 19. Bxf7 g3! 20. h7 Kg7! [-+]

17…Qxf7 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. e5! f2 20. e6+! Kxe6 This deviation allows White to promote, too. But Black’s tricks are not over: 21. h7 f1=Q 22. h8=Q Qf6! Queens cannot be exchanged, otherwise Black will promote and win, whereas White pawn will be easily blocked. White Queen must be placed elsewhere, but only one square works: 23. Qc8+! Wins the g4 pawn and draws the game (=).

23. Qg8+? Qf7+! Counter-check and Queen exchange is forced.
23. Qe8+? Qe7+! Again counter-check and Queen exchange is forced.
23. Qa8? Qf3+ Skewer and Queen exchange is forced.
23. Qb8? Qb2+ Skewer and again Queen exchange is forced.