Study 180

Árpád Rusz & Pavel Arestov
Iriarte MT
2019
- section B1 -
1st/2nd Prize

White wins

1. d4! The start of the first systematic movement. (The "elevator" goes up.) 1. Kxa5? Kxd3 = The black rook will get behind the white pawn on the g-file because the white king cannot find shelter from horizontal checks. 1... Kd3 2. d5 2. Kxa5? Kxd4 3. Kb6 Rh6+ = 2... Kd4 2... Rh4+ 3. Kxa5 Rg4 4. Kb6 (4. d6? Rg6 5. Kb5 Kd4 =) 4... Kd4 5. d6 Kd5 6. Kc7 Ke6 7. Re8+ +- 3. d6 3. Kxa5? Kxd5 4. Kb5 Kd4! 5. Kb4 Kd5 6. Kb5 Kd4 = 3... Kd5 4. Kxa5 Kxd6 5. Kb6! Now the white king can hide from horizontal checks. 5... Kd5 6. Kc7

6... d6 The start of the second systematic movement. (The "elevator" goes down.) 6... Ke6 7. Re8+ +- 7. Kb6! 7. Kd7? Ke5 8. Re8+ Kf6 = The white pawn is pinned. 7... Kd4 The black king should always stay in the shadow of the d-pawn avoiding vertical checks. 8. Kc6 8. Kb5? Rh5+ 9. Kc6 Rg5 10. Kxd6 Rg6+ 11. Ke7 Ke5 12. Kf7 Rf6+ = 8... d5 9. Kb5! Kd3 10. Kc5 d4 11. Kb4! Kd2 12. Kc4 d3 13. Kb3! Kd1 14. Kc3 14. Kb2? d2! = mutual zugzwang (14... Rh2+? 15. Kc3 d2 16. Rd8 Rg2 17. Rxd2+! +-) 14... d2 15. Kb2! mutual zugzwang 15... Rh5 15... Ke2 16. Re8+ +- 16. Rb8! +- 16. Rd8? Rb5+ =

The first version of this study was a miniature: Study 173

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Study 173

Árpád Rusz
Iriarte MT
2019

White wins

1. g7 1. Rd8? Ra1! 2. Rxd6 Ra7+ = 1... Rh7 2. Rg8 Kxd5

systematic movement

3. Kb6! 3. Kd7? Ke5 4. Re8+ Kf6 = 3... Kd4 3... Ke6 4. Re8+ +- 4. Kc6 4. Kb5? Rh5+ 5. Kc6 Rg5 6. Kxd6 Rg6+ 7. Ke7 Ke5 8. Kf7 Rf6+ = 4... d5 5. Kb5 Kd3 6. Kc5 d4 7. Kb4 Kd2 8. Kc4 d3 9. Kb3 Kd1 10. Kc3! 10. Kb2? d2 = mutual zugzwang 10... d2 11. Kb2 mutual zugzwang 11... Rh6 11... Ke2 12. Re8+ +- 12. Rb8! +- Switchback 12. Rd8? Rb6+ =

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Pavel Arestov proposed a new version.

Study 172

Aleksandr Zhukov & Árpád Rusz
64
2019
Special Prize


White wins

1. Kd7!! Paradoxically, the king not only it doesn't capture the c-pawn, it also doesn't get closer to the f-pawn! 1. Kxc7? f5 2. Kd6 f4 =; 1. Ke7? c5 2. Kd6 c4 3. Rh4+ Kd3 4. Kd5 c3 5. Rh3+ Kd2 6. Kd4 c2 7. Rh2+ Kd1 8. Kd3 c1=N+! =

Main A:
1... c5 2. Kc6 f5 3. Rf8! 3. Kb5? f4 4. Rf8 Ke3 5. Kxc5 f3 =

chameleon echo

3... c4 4. Kb5 c3 5. Ka(b)4 c2 6. Rc8 f4! 6... Kd3 7. Kb3 f4 8. Rd8+ Ke2 9. Kxc2 f3 10. Re8+ +- 7. Kb3! f3 8. Kxc2 f2 9. Rf8 Ke3 10. Kd1 +-

chameleon echo

Main B:
1... f5 2. Ke6 Ke4 2... f4 3. Kf5 +- 3. Kf6 c5 4. Rc8!

chameleon echo

4... f4 5. Kg5 f3 6. Kg(h)4 f2 7. Rf8 c4! 7... Ke3 8. Kg3 c4 9. Re8+ Kd2 10. Kxf2 c3 11. Rd8+ +- 8. Kg3! c3 9. Kxf2 c2 10. Rc8 Kd3 11. Ke1 +-

chameleon echo

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Study 132

Árpád Rusz
Moscow Ty
2017
1st Prize

White wins

1. Ke4! Kc1! 1... Rh1 2. Rxg2 Rxh3 3. Kxf4 Rh1 4. Rf2 +- 2. Kf3 Rh1 3. Kxg2! f3+! 4. Kxf3

In this position, black has to natural continuations:

a. 4... Rxh3+

dual avoidance

5. Kg4! 5. Ke4? Rg3! 6. Kf4 Rd3! 7. Rf2 (7. Re7 Rd1! 8. Rxf7 Rf1+ =) 7... Rd2! 8. Rf3 (8. Rxd2 Kxd2 9. Kf5 Ke3 10. Kf6 Kf4 =; 8. Rf1+ Kc2 9. Ke5 Rg2 10. Kf6 Kd3 11. Rf5 Ke4 =) 8... Rd7 9. Ke5 Kd2! 10. Kf6 Rd5! (10... Ke2? 11. Rf5 Ke3 12. Kg7 Ke4 13. Rxf7 Rxf7+ 14. Kxf7 Kf5 15. g6 +-) 11. Rf5 Rxf5+ 12. Kxf5 Ke3 13. Kf6 Kf4 = 5... Kd1! counter-attack 5... Rh7 6. Kf5 Kd1 7. Re5! +- The white rook has managed to defend the pawn from the fifth rank.

6. Re6!! Thematic try: 6. Re7? Rh7 7. Kf5 Rg7 8. Kf6 Rg6+ 9. Kf5 Rg7 = Positional draw. Attacking the black pawn with Re7 fails because black has the Rg7 defence. In the main line white will try to attack the black pawn from the opposite direction by bringing its rook to h7. To conquer the h-file, white has to bring its rook to h6 on the shortest way. That is the reason for the surprising sacrifice on e6!; 6. Rf2? Rh7 7. Kf5 Ke1 8. Ra2 Rh3! 9. Kg4 (9. Ra7 Rf3+ 10. Kg4 Rf2! =) 9... Rh7 10. Kf5 Rh3 positional draw; 6. Kxh3? Kxe2 = 6... Rh7! 6... fxe6 7. Kxh3 +-; 6... Rh1 7. Rf6 Rg1+ 8. Kf5 Rf1+ 9. Ke5 Rg1 10. Rf5 Ke2 11. Kf6 +- 7. Rh6! Rg7 7... Rxh6 8. gxh6 +- 8. Kf5 Ke2 9. Kf6 Rg8 10. Rh7! 10. Rh5? Kf3 11. Kxf7 Kg4! = counter-attack 10... Rg6+ 10... Kf3 11. Rxf7 Kg4 12. g6 Kh5 13. Rh7+ +- 11. Kf5 +- In contrast with the thematic try, black has no more the move Rg7 to defend.

But what if, before it captures the h3 pawn, black inserts a king move?

b. 4... Kd1!? 5. Rf2! We already know from the thematic try that 5. Re7? doesn't win: 5... Rxh3+ 6. Kg4 Rh7 7. Kf5 Rg7 8. Kf6 Rg6+ 9. Kf5 Rg7 positional draw 5... Rxh3+ 5... Ke1 6. Kg2! +-

dual avoidance

6. Ke4! Now 6. Kg4? will fail: 6... Rh7 7. Kf5 Ke1 8. Rf4 The white rook couldn't move to the fifth rank to defend the pawn. 8... Rg7! 9. Kf6 Rg6+! 10. Kf5 Rg7 positional draw 6... Rg3! 6... Rh7 7. Ke5! The white king avoids blocking the f5 square. 7... Ke1 8. Rf5! +- The white rook has managed to defend the pawn on the fifth rank. 7. Kf4 Rg1 8. Ra2! Rf1+ 9. Ke4! 9. Ke3? Rf5 = 9... Re1+ 10. Kd3! Re5 11. Ra1# Surprisingly, 4... Kd1!? also had a negative effect: the black king became exposed to a checkmate attack!

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Study 27

Árpád Rusz
NONA
2007
4/5th Honourable Mention
- miniature section -

White wins

1.g7 Kf3! This move clears the 4th line for the rook. [1...Rxb6+ fails because the 4th line is blocked. 2.Kf7 Rb7+ 3.Kg6 Rb6+ 4.Kh7 Rb7 5.Kh8 (5.b5? Kf4! 6.b6 (6.Kh8 Rxb5 7.g8Q Rh5+ 8.Kg7 Rg5+=) 6...Kf5! 7.Kh8 Rxb6 8.g8Q Rh6+ 9.Kg7 Rg6+=) 5...Rxb4 6.g8Q+-] 2.b5!! [2.b7? Kxf2 3.Kd6 Rg8! 4.Ke6 (4.b5 Ke3 5.Kc7 Rxg7+ 6.Kb6 Rg8 7.Ka7 Kd4 8.b6 Kc5=) 4...Rb8! 5.Kd6 Rg8! positional draw] 2...Rxb6+ 3.Kf7 Rb7+ 4.Kg6 Rb6+ 5.Kh7 Rb7 6.b6! Now the black king is too far. [6.Kh8? Rxb5 7.g8Q Rh5+ 8.Kg7 Rg5+=] 6...Kf4 7.Kh8 Rxb6 8.g8Q Rh6+ 9.Kg7 +-

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Related study: Study 27a

Study 2

Árpád Rusz
Sakkélet
1998-1999

White wins

1.Kg8! [1.a7? Ra1 2.c7 Rxa7–+; 1.c7? Rc1 2.a7 Rxc7+–+] 1...Re1! [1...Ra1 2.c7 Rc1 3.a7+-; 1...Rc1 2.a7 Ra1 3.c7+-] 2.Kf8! [2.c7? Re8+ 3.Kf7 Rc8–+] 2...Rh1 3.c7! [3.Ke7? Rh7+ 4.Kd8 Ke5 5.c7 Kd6 6.c8N+=] 3...Rh7! [3...Rh8+ 4.Ke7 Kxg4 5.Kd7! (5.a7? Ra8 6.Kd6 Kf5 7.Kc6 Ke6 8.Kb7 Kd7! 9.Kxa8 Kxc7 stalemate) 5...Kh3 6.c8Q Rxc8 7.Kxc8 g4 8.a7 g3 9.a8Q+-] 4.a7 Rh8+ 5.Ke7 Ra8 6.Kd6 Ke4!? 7.Kc6 Ke5 8.Kb7 Kd6 9.c8Q+- [9.Kxa8? Kxc7 stalemate]

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Related studies: Study 2a Study 2b