White to move and draw.
Mattison
- About Us
- Chess Improvement
- Chess Puzzles
- Chess Research
- College Chess
- General News
- Home
- Major Tournaments
- News
- Polgar Events
- Privacy Policy
- Scholastic Chess
- SPICE / Webster
- Susan’s Personal Blog
- Track your order
- USA Chess
- Videos
- Women’s Chess
- Contact Us
- Daily News
- My Account
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
1.Rg1 exN=Q 2.Kh3+ Qxg1 stalemate, or if BK moves then 3.Rxe1
1.Rg1 exN=R
2.Kh5+ Rxg1 stalemate or if BK moves then 3.Rxe1 without the N fork
2…..Ng7+ 3.Kh6 Rxg1 stalemate or 3….Rd5 4.Rxg7+ Kf8 5.Kg6 Rg5+ 6.Kxg5 Kxg7 is a draw
2…..Ng3+ 3.Rxg3+ Kf7 4.Kg5 is hopefully a draw
1.Rg1 exN=B/N 2.Kxf5+ K moves or Bg4+ and RxB/N
sorry that should be if BK moves then 3.Rxd1 of course.
Tricky and funny.
The first line that comes to every chessplayer’s mind is
1. Re1 (or Rg1 or Rh1) exd1Q+ 2. Rxd1 Ne3+ 3. Kg5 Nxd1 4. Kf6
to get to the pawn but simple
4… Nc3 5. Ke6 Nb5 6. Kd5 Kf7 6. Kc6 Ke6 7. Kxb5 Ke5 and Black wins.
This line cannot also be a solution, since it is a chess composition so it
cannot start with 3 equally good moves (1. Re1, g1 or h1). A more refined
line is needed then.
And here comes the line that makes only one of these 3 moves the only one:
1. Rg1! exd1Q+ 2. Kh3!!+ it is a check, so Black has to react, but the only
sensible move 2. Qxg1 is stalemate. Simplicity is beauty here.
There is an additional spicy line. When B tries to avoid the stalemate
with Q and promote R, it falls into another stalemate traps:
1. Rg1 exd1R 2. Kh5+ Rxg1 stalemate again.
Black can try desperate 2…. Ng7+ but 3. Kh6! Rxg1 stalemate again.
Please note that there are not mere stalemate solutions because the
last line can end with a cute perpetual check:
1. Rg1 exd1R 2. Kh5+ Ng7+ 3. Kh6 Nf5+ 4. Kh5 Ng7+ perpetual check. haha
Sorry, disregard the previous note, after 1. Rg1 exd1R 2. Kh5+ Ng7+ 3. Kh6 there is no
perpetual check since Ng7 is pinned. ooops.
Re1 since I only need the rook and king to win. None of the other pieces matter, so I just need to clean them up with my rook, then box in the black king.
Sounds like a brilliant plan but, unfortunately, after 1. Re1 exd1Q+ 2. Rxd1 Ne3+ you lose R
and game. See above more details.
The first chessbook I ever purchased for myself that wasn’t a Chess Informant was a collection of endgame studies composed by Hermanis Mattison close to 30 years ago. I donated the book to a local high school chess team at some point in the 90s before relocating a residence, so I don’t really remember if this puzzle was included in that collection, but it likely was given the stalemate themes involved.
As James above notes, the true critical line is the block of the discovered check with 2. …Ng3 after black has underpromoted to rook with his first move. It is actually quite possible to go wrong after black has played 3. ….Kf7- white actually has only 3 drawing moves after that, and 4. Kg5 is one of them.