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Truncated study, once again
see this post for another truncated study presented by Andreas.
For the real McCoy, here’s the initial study:
Platov, V & Platov, M; Shakhmatnoye Obozrenye, 1910, third prize
FEN: 8/7b/1P5P/8/6B1/3r4/KP1k4/8 w – – 0 1
ASCII: wKa2,Bg4,Pb2,b6,h6/bKd2,Bh7,Rd3
Here, the pawns are on sixth row. How the Platov brothers managed to push them on seventh row to obtain the setting proposed by Andreas?
And what is the best result they can obtain with both sides playing optimally?
PS: (constructive criticism) btw, if the study is very very hard, presenting the apex of the manoeuvre is a good idea but if the introduction is (as in this study) not difficult and the main line natural (IE not buried in dozens of variations with very subtle differences), why not begin by the beginning? First things first?
I would play Be6 almost without thinking about it, though I couldn’t actually see the ending immediately. Black is threatening to capture a pawn, a new queen, or attacking a new queen while discovering a check, which means white can’t queen either pawn without losing. For example:
1. h8(Q)? Rh3
2. Ka1 Rh3 wins for black.
Also, white can’t move the king on the first move since black can mate:
1. Ka1? Kc1! and there is no way to prevent Ra3#.
If white moves the bishop to any square but e6, black can just capture at b7 with check and then play Rb8 to win. However, with 1.Be6, white can avoid losing. I would normally suspect not finding a win meant I was wrong, but one of the subvariations is a stalemate theme which I suspect was the composer’s finishing touch:
1. Be6 Rb7 (Be6 is below)
2. Bd5 Rh7 (Ra7 no better)
Which is a R vs B ending that is drawn. The composer probably had the following line in mind, however:
1. Be6 Be6
2. h8(Q) Rh3
3. Ka1! Rh8
4. b8(Q) Rb8 stalemates.
Bd7
Bf3
This one looks so simple yet it is so hard…drove me nuts for a while.
1. Be6 Bxe6
2. h8=Q Rh3+
3. Ka1 Rxh8
4. b8=Q
Snapping the Queen now will immediately lead to a stalemate. Black can choose to keep playing with Rh1 Kb2 etc; but that also will lead to a draw in another 20/25 moves.
I’d advance H7 to H8 and take Queen. I don’t think it is a difficult BT. I may be wrong like normally.
Difficult?
Looks easy to me.
1. Be6 Rxb7+ 2. Bxd5 Rxh7 and white gets bishop vs rook.