Is this a draw?

4 comments

• Reply

  

  Ilanchess says:

  November 27, 2005 at 1:49 am

  White wins after Qd3! Qc1 Qa3 Kc4 b3 and taking the queen. The same idea if black plays Qa1 Qc3 and b3.

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  Peter van der Hoog says:

  November 27, 2005 at 8:57 am

  It’s not.

  Why you’re asking?

• Reply

  

  Anonymous says:

  November 30, 2005 at 2:52 pm

  White win after Qd3

• Reply

  

  Cortex says:

  March 18, 2011 at 6:05 am

  It is the end of a study!

  wKd6,Pa5,b2/bKc4,Pb5,b6,e4
  8/8/1p1K4/Pp6/2k1p3/8/1P6/8 w – – 0 1
  White wins.

  The solution:

  1. a6! e3
  2. a7 e2
  3. a8Q e1Q
  4. Qd5+ Kb4

  And here we reach the puzzle!

  The key move here is

  5. Qd3!, a wondruous quiet move!

  The possibilities of Qa3+ Kc4 Qc3#
  or Qc3+ Ka4 Qa3# restrain the choice of black moves. They must continue to control c3 or control a3 but 5… Qa1 is meeted by
  6. Qc3+! Ka4
  7. b3+

  and 5… Qc1 by the echo variation
  6. Qa3+! Kc4
  7. b3+

  of course, 5… Ka4 is short-lived because of 6. Qa3#

  L. Kubbel, Leningradskaja Pravda, 1927.

  PS: I’ve put the initial L. because he had a brother, Arvid Kubbel, who was also a study and problem composer.

  PS2: The position after 5.Qd3! is a reciprocal zugzwang because if it is White to move again, they can’t win!