After an 8 years break, I am back to my blog! First I would like to present a new version of the most complex study I have composed. I order to win, white needs 57 precise moves along the main line!

Árpád Rusz
Marwitz-100 MT, 2016
Special Prize
- version -

White wins

1.Rxa3+! 1.Qxh7? Rg5 2.Rxa3+ Qxa3+ 3.Kb7 Rb5+=; 1.f8Q? Qa5+ 2.Kb7 Qb5+ 3.Ka7 Qa5+ perpetual check 1...Qxa3+ 1...Kxa3 2.Qxh7 Rg5 3.Qd3++– 2.Kb8! 2.Kb7? Rgxg7 3.Rxa3+ Kxa3–+ 2...Qxa8+ 3.Kxa8 Rgxg7! Capturing the Queen leads to two echo positions: 3...Rxh8+ 4.Bxh8 h2 5.f8Q h1Q 6.Qf7+ Kb1 7.Qb3+ Kc1 8.Qb2+ Kd2 9.Qc3+ Ke2 (9...Kd1 10.Qa1++– echo position 1)

10.Qd3+ Ke1 11.Bc3+ Kf2 12.Qd2+ Kg3 13.Be5+ Kg4 14.Qf4+ Kh5 15.Qf5+ Kh6 16.Qf6+ Kh5 17.Qh8++– echo position 2

So back to the main line after black’s third move we have the following critical position on the board:

This could be a more economical starting position of the study. The main line and the two tries all feature different systematic movements!
Try1: 4.f8Q? Ra7+ 5.Kb8 Rab7+! (5...Rhb7+? 6.Kc8 Rc7+ 7.Kd8 Rd7+ 8.Ke8 Re7+ 9.Qxe7+–) 6.Kc8 Rbc7+ 7.Kd8 Rcd7+ 8.Ke8 Rde7+ 9.Qxe7 Rxh8+ 10.Kd7 h2 11.Qf7+ Kb1 12.Qb3+ Kc1= (12...Ka1? 13.Qc3++–);
Try2: 4.Qxg7? Rxg7 5.f8Q h2! (5...Rg3? 6.Qh6! Kb2 (6...f2 7.Qe6+ Kb1 8.Qb6++–) 7.Qd2!+–) 6.Qxf3

6...Rg8+!! Paradoxically, black lets the white king to escape from the eight rank! (The immediate 6...Rg1? loses because of a Queen staircase on the a and b-files from b3 to b8! 7.Qb3+ Ka1 8.Qa3+ Kb1 9.Qb4+ Ka1 10.Qa5+ Kb1 11.Qb6+ Ka1 12.Qa7+ Kb1 13.Qb8++– ) 7.Kb7 Rg1! (7...Rg7+? 8.Kc8!! Back to the eight rank! (8.Kc6? Rg1 9.Qb3+ Ka1 10.Qa3+ Kb1 11.Qb4+ Ka1 12.Qa5+ Kb1 13.Qb6+ Kc1!=) 8...Rg8+ 9.Kd7!+–) 8.Qb3+ Ka1 9.Qa3+ Kb1 10.Qb4+ Ka1(2) 11.Qa5+ Kb1 12.Qb6+ Ka1(2) 13.Qa7+ Kb1(2)=
Main: 4.Qxh7! It is a paradox that white captures the rook only after black managed to protect it.4...Rxh7

This could be an even more economical starting position. My feeling is that a lot would be lost with this simplification. 5.f8Q f2! 5...h2 6.Qg8++– 6.Qxf2 6.Qg8+? Ka1! 7.Qxh7 f1Q=; 6.c4? Rh8! 7.Qxh8 f1Q= 6...h2 7.c4+ Kb3 8.Qf3+ Kb4! 8...Kxc4 9.Qe4++– 9.Qh1 Kc5!

The plan that looks logical now is starting to move with the white king towards the rook. But it doesn't work yet! While the black king is on c5 the rook can leave the seventh rank (e.g. by moving to h5). 10.Qd5+ Kb4 11.Qd2+ Kc5 12.Qf2+ Kb4 13.Qb2+ Kc5 14.Qb5+ Kd4 15.Qd5+ Kc3 16.Qh1 Kd4 The black king is not on c5 so the white king can make a move towards the rook! 17.Kb8! The first step. 17...Kc5 Back to c5... White needs to repeat the manoeuvre to gain a tempo for another king move.

18.Qd5+ Kb4 19.Qd2+ Kc5 20.Qf2+ Kb4 21.Qb2+ Kc5 22.Qb5+ Kd4 23.Qd5+ Kc3 24.Qh1 Kd4 25.Kc8! The second step. 25...Kc5

26.Qd5+ Kb4 27.Qd2+ Kc5 28.Qf2+ Kb4 29.Qb2+ Kc5 30.Qb5+ Kd4 31.Qd5+ Kc3 32.Qh1 Kd4 33.Kd8! The third step. 33...Kc5

34.Qd5+ Kb4 35.Qd2+ Kc5 36.Qf2+ Kb4 37.Qb2+ Kc5 38.Qb5+ Kd4 39.Qd5+ Kc3 40.Qh1 Kd4 41.Ke8! The fourth step. 41...Kc5

42.Qd5+ Kb4 43.Qd2+ Kc5 44.Qf2+ Kb4 45.Qb2+ Kc5 46.Qb5+ Kd4 47.Qd5+ Kc3 48.Qh1 Kd4 49.Kf8! The fifth step. 49...Kc5

50.Qd5+ Kb4 51.Qd2+ Kc5 52.Qf2+ Kb4 53.Qb2+ Kc5 54.Qb5+ Kd4 55.Qd5+ Kc3 56.Qh1 Kd4 57.Kg8! +- The last step along the eight file.

The white king will finally escape from the last rank. White has a winning position. Notice that this was the 50th move since the last capture or pawn move (7.c4+), so according to the FIDE rules, this position would be a draw! Fortunately, endgame study composition codex doesn't care about that artificial "draw by 50 moves" rule!