Nº26 Amatzia Avni

Draw

Amatzia Avni (Israel)

wKe2,Re6/bKh7,Rb4,Pb6,c2,e4

1.Rc6 Three pawns down, white succeeds to save a draw.1.Kd2? Rc4.

1…Rb2 If black gives a pawn to activate his king, by 1…c1Q 2.Rxc1 Kg6, then 3.Rf1! cuts off the BK on the f-file. 3…Rb3 4.Rf4=; 3…Kg5 4.Ke3=.

2.Kd2 b5 2…Rb5!? 3.Rxc2 Kg6 4.Ke3 Kf5 5.Rf2+! Ke5 6.Rb2! Rxb2= stalemate.

3.Re6!
Switch-back. The c-pawn is temporarily taken care off, so white switches his rook to attack the e-pawn.

3…b4 3…Rb4 4.Kxc2 Kg7 5.Kc3 Rc4+ (5…Kf7 6.Rc6 Ra4 7.Rc5) 6.Kd2! (6.Kb3? Kf7 7.Re5 Kf6!–+ 8.Rxb5 Rc8 and white loses, as his own king is cut-off.) 6…Kf7 (6…b4) 7.Re5 b4 8.Ke3=.

4.Kc1 Ra2 5.Rb6! yet another change – the rook now pursues the b-pawn.

5…b3 The natural 5…e3 puts WK in a stalemate position, so 6.Rh6+ or 6.Rb7+ with perpetual check or stalemate=.

6.Rxb3 Kg6 7.Rb5!= cuts off the BK, this time on the fifth rank; an echo of the move 3.Rf1! in the variation 1…c1Q.1/2

Themes: Change of targets (various black pawns); Change of cutting-off (file vs. rank); Stalemate; Switch-back.