Nº18 Vladimir Kuzmichev (Russia)

Draw

Vladimir Kuzmichev (Russia)

wKh8,Ra5/bKd4,Qf7,g6,Pf6

Theme: «Rook suicide» causing the stalemate

1.Rd5+!
Try: 1.Ra4+ Qc4!–+ (no 1…Kc3? 2.Rc4+ Kd2 3.Rc2+ Ke3 4.Re2+ Kd4 5.Re4+ Kc5 6.Rc4+ Kd6 7.Rc6+ Ke5 8.Re6+ Kd4 9.Re4+ Kc3 10.Rc4+Kb2 11.Rc2 Ka3 12.Ra2 Kb4 13.Ra4 Kc3 14.Rc4! = White Rook and Black King are circling in the dance of «waltz» in unusual geometric figure! In addition, they can dance individually three different «8» (eight) horizontal, vertical and diagonal; or no 1…Ke3? 2.Re4+ Kd2 3.Re2+ Kc3 4.Rc2+ Kb4 5.Rc4+ Ka3 6.Ra4+ Kb2 7.Ra2+ Kc3 8.Rc2+ Kd4 9.Rc4+ Ke5 10.Re4+ Kd6 11.Re6+ Kc5 12.Rc6+ Kd4 13.Rc4 Ke3 14.Re4!+= And now the waltz for the same unusual geometric figure, but in the other direction!)

1…Kc3
1…Ke3 2.Rd3+ Kf4 3.Rf3+ Ke5 4.Rf5+ similar to solution

2.Rd3+ Kb2 3.Rb3+ Kc1 4.Rb1+!
4.Rc3+? Qc2 5.Rxc2+ Kb1! 6.Rb2+ Ka1 7.Rb1+ Ka2 8.Ra1+ Kb2 9.Rb1+ Ka3 10.Ra1+ Qa2 11.Rxa2+ Kxa2 12.Kg7 f5–+

4…Kd2 5.Rd1+ Kc3 6.Rd3+ Kb4 7.Rb3+ Kc5 8.Rb5+ Kd4 9.Rd5+ Ke3 10.Rd3+
10.Re5+? Qe4–+

10…Kf4 11.Rf3+ Ke5 12.Rf5+ Kd4
12…Kd6 13.Rd5+ Ke7 14.Rd7+ Kf8 15.Rxf7+ with
15.. Kxf7/Qf7 stalemate
or15…Ke8 16.Re7+ Kd8 17.Rd7+ Kc8 18.Rc7+ Kb8 19.Rb7+ Ka8 20.Ra7+ Kxa7 stalemate

13.Rd5+=

And now the waltz to another symmetrical figure. Echo!