Nº27 David Blundell

Win

David Blundell (Gales)

Dedicated to John Beasley

wKe4,Ng2,g5,Ph7/bKh8,Nb7

1.Sh4/i Sd6 2.Kf4 Sf7 3.Sg6+ Kg7 4.Kf5z Sh6+ 5.Ke6/ii Sf7 6.Ke7 Kxg6/iii 7.Kf8z Sh8 8.Kg8 wins.

(i) 1.Sf4? Sd6+ 2.Kd5 (2.Ke5 Sf7+) Sf7 3.Sg6+ Kg7 and the White king cannot support the g6 knight.
1.Kd5? Sd8 2.Sf4 Sf7 transposing to the line above.
1.Ke5? Sd8 2.Kf6 Sf7 3.Kxf7 stalemate.
1.Kf5? Kg7/i.i 2.Sf4 Sd6+/i.ii 3.K~ Sf7 draws.
1.Kf4? Sd8(c5)/i.iii 2.Sh4 Se6+ draws.
(i.i) And not 1…Sd6+? 2.Kg6 S~ 3.Sf7 mate.
(i.ii) And not 2…Sd8? 3.Sh5+/i.ii.i Kh8 4.Kg6 (also 4.Sf6) S~5.Sf7 mate.
(i.ii.i)Avoiding 3.Sg6? Sf7z reaching the main line after White’s fourth move but here it is WTM and we have 4.K~ Kxg6 or 4.S6~ Sxg5 or 4.S5~ Kxh7.
(i.iii) 1…Sd6? transposes to the main line after 2.Sh4.
(ii) Other moves repeat, e.g. 5.Ke5 Sf7+ 6.Kf5.
(iii) After 6…Sh8 Black is squeezed, e.g. 7.Se5 Kh6 8.Kf6 etc.