Nº10 Marc Gelly

Win

Section B.1.

Marc Gelly (France)

wKa1,Nd5,Bg1,Pc4,f2/bKa4,Pa5,b4,c5,d4,e4,f4,g4

1.Kb2!! With mate threat 2.Nb6#
1.Ka2? b3+ 2.Kb2 g3 3.N×f4 Kb4 4.f×g3 a4! 5.Nd5+ K×ç4 =

1…b3 2.Bh2!
2.N×f4? Kb4 3.Nd5+ K×ç4 4.Nf6 a4 =
2.Nf6? e3 3.f×e3 f×e3 4.N×g4 Kb4 =

2…g3
2…d3 3.B×f4 #3 or 2…f3 3.Bd6 #2

3.f×g3 f3! 4.g4
4.Bg1? e3 5.B×e3 d×e3 6.N×e3 Kb4 =

4…f2!
4…e3 5.Bd6 #2

5.Bf4!! Again with mate threat #2 on d2.

5…f1N!
5…e3 6.B×e3 d×e3 7.N×e3 +-

6.g5!!
Logical TRY – 6.Bd6? Nd2 7.B×ç5 (7.Nb6+ Kb4 =) N×ç4+ 8.Ka1 Ne5!! 9.g5 Kb5! 10.B×d4 Kç4 11.B×e5 K×d5 12.g6 Ke6! Positional DRAW. «À la SARICHEV».

6…e3 7.Bd6!
7.Nb6+? Kb4 8.Nd5+ K×ç4 9.N×e3 N×e3 10.B×e3 Kd5 Positional DRAW.

7…Nd2!
7…e2 8.B×ç5 #1

8.Nb6+! Kb4 9.g6!
Thematic TRY – 9.Nd5+? K×ç4 10.g6 K×d5 11.g7 K×d6 12.g8Q Positional DRAW.

9…a4! 10.Nd5+! Feedback.
10.B×ç5+? K×ç5 11.g7 e2 12.g8Q e1Q DRAW.
10.Nd7? a3+ #3

10…K×ç4 11.N×e3+!! No precipitation!
Logical TRY -Prematurely 11.g7? K×d5 12.Be7 Ke6 13.g8Q+K×e7 14.Qd5 a3+!! 15.K×a3 ç4! 16.Q×d4 ç3! 17.Q×e3+ Kf7 Positional DRAW.

11…d×e3 12.g7 Kb4 13.B×ç5+!! No precipitation again!
Prematurely 13.g8Q? a3+ 14.Kç1 b2+ black wins!

13…K×ç5 14.g8Q Nç4+ 15.Kç3! And white wins.
15.Kb1,a1ç1? Positional DRAW.

THEME: EXCELSIOR. PAWN’S TOUR DE FORCE.
Phase 1 – Mate threats by two minor pieces: cross b-pawn’s army.
Phase 2 – Strong b-counterplay with underpromotion (Knight) but sacrifice of the two pieces for EXCELSIOR’S conclusion.