Nº16 David Blundell

Win

David Blundell (Gales)

wKb2,Pa4,h5/bKa8,Pa7,h7

1.Kc3 Kb7 2.Kd4 Kc6/i 3.Ke5/ii Kd7/iii 4.Kf6/iv a5 5.Ke5/v Kc6/vi 6.Kd4 Kd6/vii 7.h6/viii Kc6 8.Kc4 Kb6 9.Kd5 Kb7 10.Kc5 Kc7 11.Kb5 Kd6 12.Kxa5 Kc5 13.Ka6 Kc6 14.a5 Kc7 15.Kb5 etc.

(i) Black loses the race after 2…Kb6 3.Ke5 Ka5 4.Kf6 Kxa4 5.Kg7 Kb3 6.Kxh7 a5 7.Kg6(g8) a4 8.h6 a3 9.h7 a2 10.h8Q Kc2 11.Qa1.
(ii) White must head directly for Black’s h pawn. Black gains the opposition if he does not, e.g. 3.Kc4? a6 4.h6 a5z 5.Kd4 Kd6z 6.Kc4 Kc6z =.

(iii) 3…a5 2.Kd4 is the main line after the 6th move.
3…Kc5, 3…h6 and 3…a6 all allow White to advance his a pawn thereby ensuring that the eventual capture of Black’s a pawn occurs at a6/7, e.g. 3…Kc5 4.a5 a6 5.Kf6 Kd6 6.Kg7 Ke7 7.Kxh7 Kf6 8.Kh6 Kf7 9.Kg5 Kg7 10.Kf5 Kh6 11.Ke5 Kxh5 12.Kd5 Kg5 13.Kc5 Kf6 14.Kb6 Ke7 15.Kxa6 Kd7 16.Kb7.

(iv) 4.Kd5? h6/iv.i draws, e.g. 5.Kc5 Kc7 6.Kb5 Kb7(d6) 7.a5 a6+ 8.Kb4 Kb8 and Black has the opposition.
(iv.i) But not 4…a6? when 5.h6 wins e.g. 5…Kc7 6.Ke6 Kc6 (6…a5 7.Kd5) 7.Kf6 Kd6 8.Kg7 Ke7 9.Kxh7 Kf7 10.a5 Kf8 11.Kg6 etc.

(v) And not now 5.Kg7? Ke7 7.Kxh7 Kf7 8.h6 Kf8 9.Kg6 Kg8 10.Kf6 Kh7 11.Ke6 Kxh6 12.Kd6 Kg6 13.Kc6 Kf6 14.Kb6 Ke6 15.Kxa5 Kd7 16.Kb6 Kc8 draw.

(vi) 5…Ke7 loses the race after 6.Kd~ Kf6 7.Kc~ Kg5 8.Kb5 Kxh5 9.Kxa5 Kg4 10.Kb~ h5 11.a5 etc.

(vii) And 6…h6 7.Kc4 Kb6 8.Kd5 etc.

(viii) Moves 7 and 8 may be inverted.