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

Study 105

Á. Rusz & P. Gyarmati
Die Schwalbe
2016

White wins

1. O-O-O! 1. Kd2? Be4 = 1... Be4 2. Re1! 2. Kb2? a3+ 3. Ka1 Kc4! mutual zugzwang (3... Kc3? 4. Rh1! Bxh1 5. h7 Be4 6. h8=Q+ +-) 4. Ka2 Kc3! 5. Kxa3 Kc2 6. Rf1 Kd3! (6... Kd2? 7. Rf2+ +-) 7. Re1 Kd2! = 2... Kc5! 2... Kb3 3. Re3+ +- 3. Kb2 Kb5 3... Kd4 4. Rh1! R sacrifice 4... Bxh1 5. h7 Be4 6. h8=Q+ +- 4. Rc1 Kb4 4... Kb6 5. Ka3 Kb5 6. Ra1/Rf1 Kc4 7. Rd1 Kc5 8. Re1 Kb5 9. Rc1 Ka5 10. Rc5+ Kb6 11. Rh5 +-

cyclic zugzwang - WTM

5. Ka2 Bd5+ 6. Ka1! This is the first king move to a corner square. 6... Be4 7. Kb2 Using a king triangulation, white managed to transfer the move to black.

cyclic zugzwang - BTM

7... a3+ 8. Ka1! With the second king move to a1, white is reaching a mutual zugzwang position. 8. Ka2? Bd5+ 9. Ka1 Be4 positional draw 8... Kb5 8... Kb3 9. Re1 Kc2 10. Re2+ +- 9. Ka2 Kb4 10. Re1 Bd5+ 11. Ka1! +- The third king move to a1! During the 11-moves-long play, white managed to interchange its king and rook on the a1 and e1 squares, while black looks like it has played only one move (a4-a3)!

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Knight switch 4

E. Dobrescu
L'Italia Scacchistica
1968
4th Prize
- correction -

White wins

1. c7+ Kb7! 2. cxd8=N+! Kxb6 3. Nb3 Nf3+ 4. Kd1 Nd4! 5. Na1! Nc2! 6. Nxe6! 6. Nf5? exf5 = 6... Nxa1 7. Nd4

7... Nc2! 8. Nb3 Nd4! 9. Na1

9... Nc2! 10. Nf5! Nxa1 11. Nd4

11... Nc2 12. Nb3 Nd4 13. Na1

13... Nc2 14. h6! Nxa1 15. h7 Nc2 16. h8=Q a1=Q+ 17. Qxa1 Nxa1 18. g5 +-

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Knight switch 3

G. Costeff
Stoffelen JT
2008
1st Honourable Mention

White wins

1. Rg7+! Kxg7 2. Ra1 f1=Q 3. Rxf1 Ng3+ 4. Kd3 Nxf1 5. Kxc2 Ne3+ 6. Kd3! Nd5

7. Nb6 Nc7 8. Nd5 Na8!

9. Nf4 h2 10. Nh5+! Kh6 11. Ng3 Kg5 12. Ke4! Kg4 13. Nh1! +-

The two knights have interchanged their places!

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Knight switch 2

E. Dobrescu & H. v. d. Heijden
1998
Israel-50 JT
1st Prize

White wins

1. Nec3+ 1. Ndc3+? Ka1 = 1... Ka1 2. Nxa4 Qa3+

position 1

3. Nab2 Qc5+ (3... Qa2 4. Rxa7 +-) 4. Nc3 Qg1+ 5. Nbd1 Qc5 6. Rxa7+! Qxa7 7. Na4!

position 2

7. Nb5? Qc5+ -+ 7... Qc7+ 8. Ndc3 Qh2! (8... Qd6 9. Nc5 +-; 8... Qe5 9. Nb2 +-) 9. Nb2 Qg1+ 10. Ncd1 Qc5+ 11. Nc4! Qxc4+ 12. Nc3 Qa6 13. Nb5! The rook has disappeared so white controls the c6 square! 13... Qf6 14. Qa8+ Ba2 15. Qxa2+ (15. Nc3? Qa6! 16. Qe4 (16. Qh8 Qa3+ 17. Kd1 Bb3+ 18. Ke1 Qxe7+ =; 16. Qxa6 stalemate) 16... Qa3+! 17. Kd1 Bb3+ 18. Ke1 Qc1+ 19. Kf2 Qxd2+ =) 15... Kxa2 16. Nc3+ Ka1! 17. e8=Q Qc6! 18. Qe4! (18. Qh8? Qh1+! 19. Qxh1 stalemate; 18. Qe3? Qh1+ 19. Nd1 Qc6+ 20. Nc3 Qh1+ perpetual check; 18. Qe5? Qc5! 19. Qe3 Qa3+ 20. Kd1 Qc1+! 21. Kxc1 stalemate; 18. Qxc6? stalemate)

During the transition from position 1 and 2, the two knights have interchanged their places!

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Knight switch 1

G. Kasparyan
Petrov MT
1975
1st Prize

Draw

1. Kb5+! (1. Kb4+? Kh7 2. Bb1+ Kh8 3. Bc5 Rf7 4. Bg6 Rb7+ -+) 1... Kh7! (1... Kh8 2. Bc5 Rxf6 3. Bd4 =) 2. Bb1+ (2. Bc5? Rxf6 3. Bb1+ Kh6 -+) 2... Kh8 3. Bc5 Rf7 4. Bg6 (4. Ba2? Rb7+ 5. Ka6 Rb2 6. f7 Nc7+ 7. Ka5 Rxa2+ 8. Kb6 Ne6 -+) 4... Nd6+! (4... Rb7+ 5. Ka6 =) 5. Ka4! (5. Bxd6? Rxf6 6. Bh5 Rf5+ -+) 5... Rd7 6. f7! Nxf7 7. Bd4+! (7. Bf5? Rc7 8. Bd4+ Nge5 -+) 7... Nfe5! (7... Kg8 8. Bf5 =) 8. Bf5 Rg7 9. Ka3! (9. Kb5? Kg8 10. Bxg4 Rxg4 11. Bxe5 Rg5 -+) 9... Ne3! 10. Ka4! (10. Bxe5? Nc4+ -+) 10... N3c4 11. Be6 Nb2+ 12. Ka3!

Position 1

12... Nbd3 13. Bf5 Nc4+ 14. Ka4! (14. Kb3? Nde5 -+) 14... Nde5 15. Be6 Nb2+ 16. Ka3 positional draw

Position 2

Positions 1 and 2 are not exactly the same: the two knights have interchanged places!

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