Nº28 David Blundell

Win

David Blundell (Gales)

wKb1,Ng5,h3,Ph7/bKh8,Ne2

1.Ka1/i Kg7/ii 2.Kb2z Kh8 3.Ka3z Kg7 4.Kb4z Kh8/iii 5.Kc4/iv Kg7 6.Kd3/v Sg3 7.Sf4 and 8.Sg6 etc.

(i) 1.Kb2? Kg7z 2.Ka3 Kh8z 3.Kb4 Kg7z/i.i 4.Kc4 Sg3 5.Sf4 Se4 6.Sg6 Sd6+ 7.Kd5 Sf7 8.Sxf7 Kxh7 draw.
1.Kc2? Sd4+ 2.Kd3 Se6(f3) and the exchange of a pair of knights yields a well known theoretical draw.
(i.i) Black also has 3…Sd4 4.Sf4 Sc6+ 5.Kc5 Se5 and 6…Sf7.
(ii) 1…Sd4 2.Sf4 Se6 3.Sg6+.
(iii) 4…Sd4 5.Sf4 Sc6+ 6.Kb5/iii.i Sd8(e5) 7.Sh5+ Kh8 8.Sf6 and White wins by approaching the black knight with the king, e.g. 8…Kg7 9.Kc5 Kh8 10.Kd6 Kg7 11.Kc7 etc.
(iii.i) The king can play anywhere except 6.Kc5? Sd8 7.Sh5+ Kh8 8.Sf6 Se6+ 9.Sxe6 stalemate, or 6.Kc4? Se5+ and 6…Sf7 draws.
(iv) 5.Kc5? Sg3 6.Kd5/iv.i Sh5 and 7…Sf6 followed by 8…Sxh7 cannot be prevented.
5.Ka5? Sd4 6.Sf4 Sc6+ 7.Kb5 Se5 and 8…Sf7 draws.
(iv.i) Preventing the threatened 6…Se4+ with 6.Sf2 fails also, e.g. 6…Sh5 7.Se4 Sf4 8.Kd6 Sh3 etc.
(v) 6.Kd5 Kh8 7.Ke5/v.i Kg7 is a dead end and White must return to d5 and c4 as any attempt to make further progress will draw as follows:
8.Sf2? Sg1/v.ii 9.Ke4 Kh8 10.Ke3 Kg7 11.Kf4 Se2+ 12.Ke3 (12.Kf3 Sd4+) Sg1 positional draw.
8.Kf5? Sd4+ (also Sg3+) and 8…Se6(f3) draws.
8.Ke4? Sg3+ 9.Kf3(e5) Sh5 with 10…Sf6 and Sxh7 to follow.
(v.i) 7.Kd6? Sg3 8.Sf2 (8.Sf4 Se4+) Sf5+ 9.Ke5 and Black can draw with 9…Sh6 and 10…Sf7 or with 9…Se7(h4) and 10…Sg6.
(v.ii) And not 8…Sg3? when 9.Sg4 wins, e.g. 9…Sh5 10.Kf5 Sg3+ 11.Kf4 Sh5+ 12.Kf3 Kh8 13.Se5 Sf6 14.eSf7+and 15.h8Q+.