Study 1

Árpád Rusz
Sakkélet, 1998-99
1st Commendation

White wins

1.c3! [1.h3? c3! 2.h4 c4 stalemate ] 1...h4! Starting a stalemate combination. 2.h3 mutual zugzwang - virtual stalemate 2...Rxg6! 3.Nxg6 Rxh7+!! 4.Kg8! [4.Kxh7? stalemate] 4...Rg7+ [4...Rh5 5.Nh8!+- (5.Kf8? Rf5+ 6.Kg7 Rg5 7.Kf6 Rf5+! 8.Kg7 Rg5 9.Kh6 Rh5+! 10.Kg7 Rg5 positional draw) ; 4...Rh6 5.e7+! Kxd7 6.Kf8+-] 5.Kf8! Rg8+ [5...Re7 6.Nf4 (6.Nxe7? stalemate) 6...Rh7 7.Kg8! (7.Nh5? 7th WCCT 7...Rh8+ 8.Kf7 Rf8+! 9.Kxf8 stalemate) 7...Re7 (7...Rh6 8.Kg7 Rf6! 7th WCCT 9.e7+! (9.Kxf6? stalemate) 9...Kxe7 10.d8Q+ Kxd8 11.Kxf6+-) 8.Kh8!+- zugzwang] 6.Kf7 Rg7+ [6...Rf8+ 7.Kg7 Rg8+ 8.Kh6!+- (8.Kh7? Rg7+ 9.Kh6 Rh7+ 10.Kg5 Rh5+ 11.Kf4! (11.Kf6 Rf5+ 12.Kg7 Rg5=) 11...Rh6! (11...Rf5+? 12.Ke4 Rf6 (12...Rf1 13.Ne5+-) 13.Nf4 Rh6 14.Kf5! mutual zugzwang 14...Rh8 15.Kg5! mutual zugzwang 15...Rf8 16.e7+ Kxe7 17.Ng6++-) 12.Kf5 Rh5+ 13.Kf6 Rf5+ 14.Kg7 Rg5=) ] 7.Kf6 Re7 [7...Rh7 8.e7+ Kxd7 9.Nf8++-] 8.Nf4! [8.Nxh4? Rxe6+! 9.Kxe6 stalemate; 8.Nxe7? stalemate; 8.Nf8? Rf7+! 9.exf7 stalemate] 8...Rh7 9.Kg6 [9.Kf5? Rh6! mutual zugzwang 10.Kg5 Rh8 mutual zugzwang (10...Rf6? 11.e7+! Kxe7 12.d8Q+ Kxd8 13.Kxf6+-) 11.Kf6 Rf8+ 12.Kg5 Rh8!= positional draw] 9...Re7 [9...Rh8 10.Kg7 +-] 10.Kh6! +-zugzwang

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!