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A truly beautiful puzzle first posted here in 2012.
Bd7! a2
Bc6 Kg1
Bh1!! Kh1
Kf2 its a draw!
1. Ke2 guarding the f3 square from knight block/
Pretty sure I’d have NEVER saved this game. Just knowing that this can be saved got me to this:
1. Bd7 h2
2. Bc6! Kg1
3. Bh1 Kxh1
4. Kf2 …
and then, the white king just needs to jump back-and-forth between f1 and f2.
Just had a glimpse of the puzzle this early morning .Very difficult to beat black’s plan of getting N at g2 and promoting the P.It seems white B should occupy h1 to stop promotion.More of it in the evening.
1. Bc6+ Nf3+
2. Ke2
If:
2….Kg3
3. Bxf3 and Black cannot queen the pawn (if 3…Kh2, then 4. Kf2 stalemate. If 3…Kh4/f4, then 4. Kf2).
2…Kg1
3. Bxf3 Kh2
4. Kf2 stalemate.
In the morning when I saw the problem I had some hazy idea but not enough time for analysis.Now that I am free from work I can go further.
1.Bd7 h2
2.Bc6+ Kg1
3.Bh1!
Black was thretening to block B’s access to h1 by 3… Ng2.Now B being at h1 you can not block the path.
3…. Ng2+
4.Ke2 Nf4+
5.Ke1 Nd3+
6.Ke2
It is very important for white K to live next to f1
6…. Nf2
7.Bc6
B should avoid capture by N.
7…. Nh3
8.Ke1!
This move is equally important.Any move by B would provoke 8… Nf4+ followed by 9…. Ng2.To avoid the pitfall you can play 8.Bh1
8…. Nf4
9.Bh1 Kxh1
10.Kf2!
Another clever move by white.99% of us would play 10.Kf1 as this is the most common stalemate position in our mind even thogh Kf2 is also equally good.In this case 10.Kf1 gives black a gift.10….Nh3 and white K has to give way.
10… Nh3+
11.Kf1 Now there is nothing other than draw.
Bc6+, Ke2 and Bd7 are candidate moves. The first 2 candidates work well but not fully as they fail in one variation with best play by black! I wasted time on them and finally conclude that
1.Bd7! is the key move!
>A-1….any King move.2.Bxh3 draws!
>B-1….Ng6.2.Bxh3 draws!
>C-1….Nf5.2.Bxf5.h2.3.Be4+ and draws as B covers queening square h1!
>D-1…Nf3+.2.Ke2.
>>D1-2….K move.3.Bxh3 and draws!
>>D2-2….h2.3.Bc6!.h1=Q.4.Bxf3+.Kg1.5.Bxh1 and draws!
>>D3-2…Ng1+.3.Ke1!.h2.4.Bc6+.
>>>D31-4…Nf3+.5.Ke2.h1=Q.6.Bxf3+ and 7.Bxh1 and draws!
>>>D32-4…Kg3.5.Bh1!.Nf3+.6.Kf1.Nd2+.7.Ke1 and draws! Black King cannot reach
f2 as white King at Ke1/e2/f1 will not allow him. Black knight cannot keep the white King away from Ke1/e2/f1 which means that Black King cannot reach Kf2 and Kg1. WB will control the a8-h1 diagonal and if necessary give itself up.eg., 7…Nc4.8.Kf1.Ne3+.9.Ke1.Ng4.10.Kf1.Nf2.11.Bg2!. White will be careful not to remove the B away from h1/g2 unless essential!
>>>D33-4…Kh3.5.Kf2!.Kg4/h4.6.Kg2!.the h pawn goes and draws!
>>D4-2…Nd4+.3.Ke3. Kc2+.4.Kd2.
>>>D41-4…Nmove.5.Bxh3+ and draws!
>>>D42-4…h2.5.Kxc2!.h1=Q.6.Bc6+! and 7.Bxh1 and draws!
>E-1…h2.2.Bc6+!
>E1-2…Kh3.3.Kf2!.Nf5.4.Bg2+!.Kh4.5.Bh1!.Ng3.6.Kg2! and the h pawn is gone and draws!
>E2-2…Kg3.3.Bh1! and draws as in variation D32 above.
>E3-2…Kg1.3.Bh1!!
>>E31-3….Kxh1.4.Kf2!.(Note that 4.Kf1? loses to …Nf3!.5.Kf2.Nd2! and WK has to give way to 6….Kg1 and 7….h1=Q and black wins!).Nf3.5.Kf1.Nd2+.6.Kf2! and draws as black knight cannot lose a move and keep WK away from f1/f2 which means the BK is imprisoned at h1!
>>E32-3…Nf3.4.Bxf3.h1=Q.5.Bxh1. and draws!
>>E33-3…Nf5.4.Bc6!.Nd4.5.Bh1!.Nc2+.6.Ke2!.Kxh1.7.Kf1! (not 7.Kf2?.Ne3! and black wins!).Ne1/e3+.8.Kf2! and draws as the BK is imprisoned at h1!
>>E34-3…Ng6.Bc6! similar to E33 above and draws!
>>E35-3…Ng2+.4.Ke2.Kxh1.5.Kf1!.(not 5.Kf2?.Ne3! and black wins!).Ke3+.6.Kf2 and draws as BN cannot lose a move and keep WK away from f1/f2 and the BK is imprisoned at h1!
A really beautiful poser!
Harry
Yes, this is one of my favorites. I was shown this a long, long time ago.
1. Bd7 threatening to take the pawn
1…h2
2. Bc6+ Kg1
3. Bh1 K:h1
4. Kf2! White needs to put the K on the same color square as the black N. White is going to shuttle between f1 and f2. Black’s N must change colors that it rests on every turn, and can only attack squares of the color opposite the square it moves to. So as long as white moves to the same color square as the N currently rests on, the N cannot block him from shuttling to the other of f1 and f2.
With white B at h1,black K at g1 and black p at h2 black can think of 2 strategies.
(1) To bring N to g3 with a check and capture B.
(2) To bring N to f4 without check and force out K ( from e1) or B from h1 when Ng2 will block the B.
Both the strategies are at same tempo (f4 and g3 both being dark squares) and white should guard against playing sterio typed moves like Ke1 to Ke2 and back and get caught in one of these traps.Better would be to keep B away from h1 on the diagonal and bring it to h1 only when threatened with …. Ng2.