Study 146

Árpád Rusz
Zinchuk-80 MT
2018
1st-2nd Prize

White wins

1. Rh2+ (1. c6? Ng3 2. c7 Rc4+ 3. Rc2 Ne2+ 4. Kd2 Nc3 =) 1... Kg3 2. Rd2! (2. Rxh1? Rc4+ =) 2... Rc4+! (2... Rxd2 3. Kxd2 Nf2 4. Bd5! (4. Bh1? Nxh1 5. c6 Nf2 6. c7 Ne4+ 7. Kd3 Nd6 =) 4... Ng4 5. c6 Nf6 6. c7 +-) 3. Rc2 Rxc2+ 4. Kxc2 Nf2 The knight has managed to escape from the corner square. Unfortunately, the g3 square was blocked by the king so the knight had to choose the inferior f2 square.

5. Bh1!! Umnov Theme. The bishop moves to a square just left by the knight. (5. Bd5? Ng4 6. c6 Ne3+ 7. Kb3 Nxd5 =; 5. c6? Ne4 6. c7 Nd6 =) 5... b3+! (5... Nxh1 6. c6 Nf2 7. c7 Ne4 8. c8=Q +-) 6. Kxb3 (6. Kb2? Nd3+ =; 6. Kb1? Nd1! 7. c6 Nc3+ 8. Kb2 Nb5 =) 6... Nd3 7. c6 Nc5+ 8. Kc4 Ne6 9. Kd5 Nc7+ 10. Kc5! (10. Kd6? Na8! 11. Kd7 Nb6+ 12. Kd6 (12. Kc7 Nc4 =) 12... Na8 positional draw) 10... Na8! Compared to the initial position, the knight and the bishop have interchanged their places.

11. Kb5 Kf4 12. Ka6 Ke5 (12... Nc7+ 13. Kb6 Ne8 14. Bd5 Ke5 15. Bf7 Nd6 16. c7! +-) 13. Kb7 Kd6

14. Kxa8 +- Who would have thought that the knight will be captured not on h1 but on the opposite corner square?

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Related study: Study 122