WCCI 2016-18: Yuri Bazlov (RUS)

(1)
Yuri Bazlov
FIDE Cup World
2017
1st Prize

White wins

The RBN/RN endgame is a general win, so white should capture one of the black knights, even at the cost of its own pawn. 1. Bf2! Ne8! 2. Rf3! Nc6+ 3. Kc8! Rc5! 4. b7+ Ka7 5. b8=Q+ Nxb8+ 6. Kd8

6... Rc8+! 6... Nd6 7. Nc4! +- 7. Kxc8 Nd6+! 8. Kc7! Thematic try: 8. Kd8? Nc6+ 9. Kc7 Nb5+ 10. Kxc6 (10. Kc8 Nd6+ perpetual check) 10... Nd4+ 11. Kd5 Nxf3 = 8... Nb5+ 9. Kd8! Nc6+ 10. Ke8! Nc7+

11. Kf8! Ne6+ 12. Kg8! Ne7+ 13. Kh8! Ng6+ 14. Kh7! Ng5+ 15. Kxg6 Nxf3 16. Nf1+! Kb7 17. Kf5! Kc6 18. Kf4! +-

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(2)
Yuri Bazlov
Yerevan-2800
2018
3rd Prize

White wins

1. a8=Q+! 1. Rxe5? Rc8+ 2. Kb4 Nxd5+ 3. Rxd5 Bxd5=; 1. Bxc4+? Kxa7 2. Nb5+ Kb8= 1... Bxa8! 2. Bxc4+ Ka7 3. Rxe5 Rc8+! 3... Nxd5 4. Rxe8 Rxe8 5. Bxd5 Bxd5 6. Kxd5 Kb7 7. Ne6 Rh8 8. d7 +- 4. Kb5! Rb8+! 5. Ka5! Nc8! 6. Re6! 6. d7? Nb6! 7. Ba6 Bxd5 8. Nb5+ Ka8 9. Nc7+ Ka7 10. Nxd5 Rg1! 11. Nxb6 Rxb6 12. Bb5 Ra1+ 13. Kb4 Rb1+ 14. Kc3 Rd6 15. Nf6 Rc1+ 16. Kb4 Rcd1 17. Ba4 R1d2 18. Re7 Kb6 and white can't make progress. 6... Rd8 7. d7! Rxd7 8. Ra6+! Kb7 9. Nf6! Rd6 10. Ne8! Rxa6+ 11. Bxa6+ Ka7

12. Bb7!! zz Kxb7 12... Rxb7 13. Nc6#; 12... Bxb7 13. Nb5+! Ka8 14. Nec7#; 12... Nd6 13. Nxd6 Bxb7 14. N4b5+/N6b5+ Ka8 15. Nc7+ Ka7 16. Ndb5# 13. Nb5 zz Nd6 14. Nexd6#

"Perfect mate with two active blocks. In the study to win for the first time presented a combination of Novotny in the form of mutual zugzwang. An attempt to destroy it leads to the immuring of the black rook and bishop, which took their places in the game but eventually became a hindrance to save the king. This allows white small forces to turn off from the fight all the opponent's pieces, again putting them in the position of mutual zugzwang, and then strike the decisive blow." (Y. Bazlov)

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(2a)
J. Selman
Schackvärlden
1939
2nd Honourable Mention
- correction -

Draw

1. h4+ Kg6 2. gxh5+ Kg7 2... Kxh5?? 3. Nf4# 3. Bd4+ Kg8

4. Bg7!! 4. Ne7+? Rxe7+ -+ 4... Kxg7 4... Rxg7?? 5. Nf6#; 4... Bxg7 5. Ne7+ Kh8 6. Ng6+ Kg8 7. Ne7+ perpetual check 5. f4! Kg8 6. Nf6+ Kg7 6... Bxf6 stalemate 7. Nd5! Kg8 8. Nf6+ positional draw

(3)
Yuri Bazlov
Yerevan-2800
2018
1st-2nd Prize

White wins

1. Rf4+! Kg5! 1... Kh3 2. Qc8+! Qe6 3. Qxe6+ fxe6 4. Rh7+ +- 2. Rcxf7! 2. Rc5+? f5! (2... Kxf4? 3. Qxf7+ Ke3 4. Rc3+ Kd2 5. Rxg3 Ke1! 6. Rg5/g7! (6. Rg6? Qe4 = zz) 6... Qe4! 7. Rg6! zz (or 7. Qc7 +-) 7... Qa8+ 8. Kh7! Qe4 9. Qf6! Qc2 10. Kh6! Qd2+ 11. Rg5 +-) 3. Rfxf5+ Nxf5 = 2... g1=Q 3. Qd5+ Nf5! 4. Qxf5+! 4. Kf8? Qe8+! 5. Kxe8 Qe3+ 6. Re4 (6. Kd7 Qxf4 7. Rf8 Qa4+! 8. Kd8 Qc2! =) 6... Qxe4+! 7. Qxe4 Nd6+! =; 4. R4xf5+?? Kh6+! 5. Kf8 Qg8+! 6. Kxg8 Qe8+! 7. Rf8 Qg6+ 8. Kh8 Qg7/h7# 4... Kh6+! 5. Kf8! Qg8+! 6. Kxg8 Qg4+! 6... Qe8+ 7. Rf8 Qxf8+ (7... Qf7+ 8. Qxf7 +-) 8. Qxf8+ +- (8. Kxf8? stalemate)

7. Qg6+!! 7. Qxg4? stalemate; 7. Rxg4? stalemate; 7. Kf8? Qg8+! 8. Kxg8 stalemate 7... Qxg6+ 8. Kh8 Kg5! 8... Qd3 9. R4f5! Qd8+ (9... Kg6 10. R7f6#) 10. Rf8 Qd4+ 11. R8f6+ +-; 8... Qg3 9. R4f6+ (9. R4f5? Qg7+! 10. Rxg7 stalemate) 9... Kh5 10. Rh7+ Kg5 11. Rg7+ +- 9. Rf1! 9. Rf2? Qh6+! 10. Rh7 Qd6! 11. Rg7+ Kh4! 12. Rh2+ Qxh2 13. Rh7+ Kg3! = 9... Qh6+ 9... Qh5+ 10. Kg8 Qg6+ 11. Rg7 +- 10. Rh7 10. Kg8? Qe6! = 10... Qc6 11. Rg7+ Kh4

12. Rh1+! Qxh1 13. Rh7+ +-

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(4)
Yuri Bazlov
J.Stigter-64 JT
2018
3rd Prize

White wins

1. h6! Ne2+! 2. Kh4! 2. Kh2? Qb2! = 2... Ke6! 3. h7! Qa4+! 4. Kg5! Kf7! 5. d7! Bxd7 6. Bd4!! 6. h8=N+? Kg8! = (6... Kg7? 7. Qe7+ +-; 6... Ke6? 7. Qf5+ Kd6 8. Nf7+ Kc7 9. Qe5+ Kb7 10. Nd6+ Ka6 11. Ne4! Qa2 12. Nc5+ Ka5 13. Kh6! +-) 6... Nxd4 6... Qxd4 7. Qxd4 Nxd4 8. h8=Q +-

7. Qf8+!! Kxf8 8. Kf6!! Qc4 8... Be6 9. h8=Q+ Bg8 10. Qg7+ Ke8 11. Qe7# 9. h8=Q+ Phoenix 9... Qg8 10. Qh6+! Ke8 11. Qh5+ Kd8 11... Kf8 12. Qc5+ Ke8 13. Qe7# 12. Qa5+! Kc8 13. Qa8+ Kc7 14. Qxg8 c5 15. Qd5! +-

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(5)
Yuri Bazlov
20th Russian Team Champ
2018
2nd Place

White wins (BTM)

1... Nc3+ 2. Kf3 b1=Q 3. Qd3+! 3. Bf7+? Nd5 = 3... Kd5! 3... Kb4 4. Bf8+ Ka5 5. Qxc3+ Ka6 6. Qc6+ Ka7 7. Bc5+ +- 4. Qxc3! 4. Bf7+? Be6 = 4... Qb6! 5. Nf5! 5. Ne4? Qxg6 6. Nf6+ Qxf6+! 7. Bxf6 Qc4 = 5... Bxf5 6. Bxf5 Qaa7! 6... Qab1 7. Kg2! Qc1 (7... Qd1 8. Qe3 +-) 8. Qf3+! +- 7. Be5! Qf7! 8. Qc8 Qc6! An unusual series of quiet moves queens, running to the aid of their king. 8... Qh5+ 9. Bg4 Qh1+ 10. Kf2! Qh4+ 11. Kg2! +- 9. c4+! Qxc4 10. Qe6+! Qxe6 11. Be4#

"The white bishop completes the fight on the very spot where the king was in the initial position. Original picture mate in the middle of a chessboard with two queens. Protecting their king from numerous mate threats, they suddenly took away his last squares for retreat, becoming the unwitting culprits of his death." (Y. Bazlov)

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(6)
Yuri Bazlov
4th UAPA
2016
1st Prize

White wins

1. Rh8+! 1. Nd7+? Rxd7! 2. Kxd7 dxe5 = 1... Ke7 1... Rg8 2. Nd7+ Kg7+ 3. Rxg8+ Kxg8 4. e6 Kg7 5. e7 Re4 6. Ne5! Rxf4 7. Kd7! +- 2. Rh7! 2. f5? dxe5 3. Nd5+ Kd6 4. Nxb4 Bxb4 5. Rh7 Rg8+ =; 2. Nd5+? Ke6 3. Nxb4 Bxb4 4. Re8+ Kf5 5. Rf8+ Kxg6 6. Rf6+ Kh5 = 2... Kf8 3. e6! Rxg6 3... Rxf4 4. Rh8+ Rg8 5. Nd7+ Ke7+ 6. Rxg8 +- 4. f5! 4. e7+? Ke8 5. f5 Rgg4 6. f6 Rh4! 7. Rg7 Rhg4! (7... Rbg4? 8. f7+ Kxe7 9. Nd7! Rxg7 10. f8=Q+ +-) 8. Rh7 Rh4 positional draw 4... Rxe6! 4... Rg7 5. Rh8+ Rg8 (5... Ke7 6. Nd5#) 6. Rxg8+ Kxg8 7. Kd7 +-; 4... Bxb6 5. e7+ Ke8 6. Nxb6 Rg1 7. f6 +- 5. Nd7+! 5. fxe6? Bxb6 6. Nxb6 Rxb6 7. Kd8 Rb8+ = 5... Ke8 5... Kg8 6. fxe6 Rc4+ 7. Nac5! +- 6. fxe6 Bd8 7. Nab6 Rxb6! 8. e7! 8. Nxb6? Bxb6 = 8... Rc6+ 9. Kb7 Rc7+ 10. Kb8 Rxd7 10... Kxd7 11. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 12. Rxc7 +- 11. exd8=Q+ with two echo-variations:

a) 11... Rxd8+ 12. Kc7! Ra8 13. Rh8+ +-

b) 11... Kxd8 12. Rh8+ Ke7 13. Kc8! Ra7 13... Ke6 14. Rh6+ Ke7 15. Rh7+ +- 14. Rh7+ +-

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