Nº2 Michal Hlinka & Luboš Kekely (Slovakia)

Draw

Michal Hlinka & Luboš Kekely (Slovakia)

wKb4,Nc1,Rf4,Pa2/bKa8,Nb1,Ra3,Pb2

1.Nb3
1.Rf8+? Kb7 2.Rf7+ Kc6 3.Rf6+ Kd7 4.Nb3 Ra4+! 5.Kxa4 Nc3+ 6.Kb4 Nxa2+ 7.Ka3 b1Q–+

1…Ra4+! 2.Kxa4 Nc3+ 3.Kb4! Nxa2+
3…b1Q 4.Kxc3=

4.Ka3! b1Q 5.Rc4!
5.Rf8+? Kb7 6.Rf7+ Kb6 7.Rf6+ Kc7 8.Rf4 Qc2–+

5…Kb7
5…Kb8 6.Rc5!= see main line after 10th move
5…Qd1 (or Qe1/Qf1/Qd3/Qg6) 6.Ra4+! Kb7 7.Kxa2=
5…Ka7 6.Rc7+ Kb6 7.Rc5!= zz, see main line after 13th move

6.Nc5+!
6.Nc1? Qb5! 7.Nb3 Kb6! 8.Rc5 Qa6+ 9.Ra5 Qe2 10.Rc5 Qg2 11.Rc4 Qf3 12.Kb2 Qe3–+;
them. try 6.Rc5? Kb6–+ zz

6…Kb6
or Kb8 [6…Kc6 7.Nb3+ Kd6 8.Rc5!=

7.Nd7+!
7.Nb3? Qe1–+

7…Kb7
7…Kb5 8.Rc5+ Ka6 9.Rc6+ Ka7 10.Rc7+ Ka8 11.Rc8+ perpetual check

8.Nc5+ switchback 8…Ka7 9.Nb3 switchback 9…Kb8 or Ka8 10.Rc5! Kb7 11.Rb5+ Ka6 12.Ra5+ Kb6 13.Rc5 zz, Draw

switchback, draw. Meredith. Sacrifice. Reciprocal zugzwangs. Positional draw in ending rook+knight versus queen+knight.