www.arves.org - Mat Plus 2008

Studies awarded for the Magazine tournament Mat Plus 2008.

[Event "1st Prize, MatPlus"] [Site ""] [Date "2008"] [Round ""] [White "Richard Becker (USA)"] [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6R1/8/1R5b/1b6/8/n3P3/4p1K1/3k4 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "22"] [EventDate "2008"] [SourceDate "2005.01.24"] 
 1. Rd6+ {Diagram #} (1. Rd8+ $2 Kc2 2. Rc8+ Bc4 {-+}) 1... Kc2 (1... Kc1 2. Rc8+ (2. Rxh6 $2 e1=Q 3. Rh1 Bc6+ {-+}) 2... Nc2 3. Rxh6 e1=Q 4. Rh1 {=}) 2. Kf2 (2. Rc8+ $2 Kb3 {-+}) 2... Bxe3+ 3. Ke1 Kb3 {Main B)} ({Main A)} 3... Kb1 4. Rc8 $1 (4. Rd2 $2 Bxd2+ 5. Kxd2 Nc2 6. Rg1+ Kb2 {zz, see Main B}) 4... Nc2+ (4... Bg5 5. Re6 Bh4+ 6. Kd2 {=, Nb1+ not possible}) 5. Rxc2 Kxc2 6. Rd5 Bc4 7. Rd4 Bxd4 {stalemate}) 4. Rd2 $1 (4. Rc8 $2 Bg5 5. Re6 Bh4+ 6. Kd2 Nb1+ 7. Kc1 Bg5+ {-+}) 4... Bxd2+ ({main} 4... Nc2+ 5. Rxc2 Kxc2 6. Rc8+ Kd3 7. Rc3+ Kxc3 { stalemate}) 5. Kxd2 Nc2 6. Rg3+ $1 (6. Rg1 $2 Kb2 {zz} 7. Rc1 (7. Rh1 Nd4 8. Rh3 Nb3+ 9. Ke1 Kc2 10. Rh5 Bd3 11. Rh8 Nd4 12. Rc8+ Kb3 {-+}) 7... Nd4 8. Rc2+ Ka3 9. Rc3+ Nb3+ 10. Ke1 Kb2 11. Re3 Nd4 12. Kd2 Bc4 13. Rh3 Nb3+ 14. Ke1 Kc2 { -+}) 6... Kb2 ({Main} 6... Ka2 7. Kxc2 $1 (7. Rg1 $2 Kb2 {etc.}) 7... e1=Q 8. Ra3+ Kxa3 {stalemate}) 7. Rg1 {zz} 7... Ba6 (7... Nd4 8. Rg2 Kb3 9. Rg3+ Kb2 10. Rg2 Bc4 11. Rf2 Kb3 12. Rf4 Nc2 13. Re4 {=}) 8. Rc1 (8. Rh1 $2 Nd4 9. Rh3 Bb5 10. Re3 Bc4 11. Rh3 Nb3+ {etc.}) 8... Nd4 9. Rc2+ Kb3 10. Rc3+ Kb2 11. Rc2+ (11. Rg3 $2 Nc2 12. Rg1 Bb5 13. Rc1 Nd4 14. Rc2+ Ka3 15. Rc3+ Nb3+ 16. Ke1 Kb2 17. Re3 Nd4 18. Kd2 Bc4 {etc.}) 11... Nxc2 {stalemate.} (11... Ka3 12. Rc3+ Nb3+ 13. Ke1 Kb2 14. Rc6 Bb5 15. Rb6 {=. The author is in his elements ,where he is most comfortable, continues to synthesize different ideas with his favorite one. This time we see mutual zugzvang together with multiple stalemates.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "4th Prize, MatPlus"] [Site ""] [Date "2008"] [Round ""] [White "Darko Hlebec (Serbia)"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4K1k1/3p1Rr1/q2P1P1P/6pB/8/p2P2PP/P4n2/6r1 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "35"] [EventDate "2008"] [SourceDate "2005.01.24"] 
 {Diagram #} 1. Rf8+ (1. Rxg7+ $2 Kh8 2. Bg6 Qa8+ $11) 1... Kh7 2. Rh8+ $1 (2. fxg7 $2 Qa8+ 3. Ke7 (3. Kf7 Qd5+ $11) 3... Re1+ $11) 2... Kxh8 3. hxg7+ Kh7 4. Kf7 Qa8 5. Bg6+ Kh6 6. g8=N+ $1 Qxg8+ 7. Kxg8 Kxg6 (7... Rf1 8. f7 Ng4 (8... Nd1 9. Be4 $18) 9. f8=Q+ $18) 8. f7 Ng4 $1 9. hxg4 Rh1 10. d4 $1 (10. f8=Q $2 Rh8+ $1 11. Kxh8 {stalemate}) 10... Rh3 11. d5 Rh2 12. f8=N+ $1 (12. f8=Q $2 Rh8+ 13. Kxh8 {stalemate}) 12... Kh6 13. Nxd7 Rxa2 14. Nb6 $1 Rf2 15. d7 a2 16. d8=Q a1=Q 17. Qe7 (17. Qd7 $2 Qh8+ 18. Kxh8 Rf8#) 17... Rf7 18. Kxf7 $18 (18. Qxf7 $2 Qh8+ 19. Kxh8 {stalemate. Active play of all pieces (except, rather, the Rg7) creates a bunch of ideas: two promotions, sacrifice/counter-sacrifice, stalemate traps. A study with a broad spectrum of combinative ideas.}) 1-0

[Event "5th Prize, MatPlus"] [Site ""] [Date "2008"] [Round ""] [White "Jean-Marc Loustau (France), Iuri Akobia(Georgia)"] [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "1k6/8/2K5/r3P3/5B2/1b1P1BP1/1P6/3r4 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "23"] [EventDate "2008"] [SourceDate "2005.01.24"] 
 {Diagram #} 1. e6+ (1. Bxd1 $2 Bxd1 2. Kd6 Bb3 3. Kc6 Kc8 4. d4 Ra6+ 5. Kc5 (5. Kb5) 5... Kd7 6. Kb4 Be6 7. Kb5 Rc6 8. Bd2 Bc4+ 9. Kb4 Ke6 $19) (1. Kb6 $2 Rda1 $1 2. Bg4 Ra6+ 3. Kc5 Kb7 4. Bf3+ Kc7 5. d4 R1a5+ 6. Kb4 Be6 $19) 1... Kc8 ( 1... Ka7 2. Bxd1 Bxd1 3. Bd6 Ba4+ (3... Ra6+ 4. Kd5 Bb3+ 5. Ke5 Kb7 6. e7 Ra8 7. d4 Kc6 8. Bc5 Kd7 9. g4 Ra1 10. Kf6 Rf1+ 11. Ke5 Rf2 12. Ba3 Bd1 13. d5 Bxg4 14. d6 $11) 4. Kc7 Ka6 (4... Ka8 5. d4 Ra7+ 6. Kb6 Rb7+ 7. Kc5 Rb5+ 8. Kc4 Rxb2 9. d5 Bb3+ 10. Kc3 Rb1 11. e7 Ba4 12. Bf4 Kb7 13. d6 $11) 5. d4 Kb5 6. Bc5 Ra8 7. e7 Kc4 (7... Rg8 8. b4 Kc4 9. Kd6 Rxg3 10. Kc7 $11) 8. b4 Kd5 (8... Rg8 9. Kd6 Rxg3 10. Kc7 $11) 9. Kb6 Rb8+ 10. Kc7 Rg8 11. Kb6 $11 {Black cannot destroy connection between the white Bishop and pawns. Also, they should have under the control a8. Thus, black have no opportunity to create a mate network. }) (1... Ka8 2. Kb6+ Bd5 3. Bxd1 $18) 2. Bg4 $1 { Preparation of the second battery. There is a threat of a move e7+} ({ Thematic try} 2. e7 $5 Ra6+ 3. Kb5 $1 Re6 4. Bg4 Kd7 5. Kb4 Rxd3 6. Bf5 Rf3 7. Bg4 Bd5 8. Kc5 Rd3 9. Bf5 Rd1 {positional draw, but black must play -} (9... Rb3 $1 10. e8=Q+ Kxe8 11. Bxe6 Bxe6 $19)) (2. Bxd1 $5 Bxd1 3. e7 Ba4+ 4. Kd6 Ra6+ 5. Kc5 Kd7 6. d4 (6. b4 Rc6+ 7. Kd5 Kxe7 $19) (6. Bg5 Ra5+ $19) 6... Kxe7 7. Be5 Rc6+ 8. Kb4 Bd1 $19) (2. Kb6 $5 Rda1 3. Bb7+ Kd8 4. d4 Bxe6 $19) (2. d4 $5 Ba4+ 3. Kd6 (3. Kb6 Rb5+ $19) 3... Rxd4+ $19) 2... Ra6+ 3. Kb5 $1 ({ Thematic try} 3. Kc5 $5 Re1 $1 (3... Rxe6 $5 {and play leads to main line -} 4. Kb4 Rxd3 5. Bf5 Rf3 6. Bg4 {etc with the positional draw}) 4. e7+ Kb7 5. Bf3+ Ka7 6. Be4 Bf7 7. Kd4 Re6 8. Bd2 R1xe4+ 9. dxe4 Rxe7 10. Bc3 Kb6 { and White has no chance for draw}) 3... Rxe6 4. Kb4 Rxd3 5. Bf5 (5. Bxe6+ $5 Bxe6 $19) 5... Rf3 6. Bg4 Bd5 7. Kc5 Rd3 8. Bf5 Rd1 9. Bg4 Bb3 10. Kb4 Rd3 ( 10... Kd8 11. Kxb3 Rb6+ 12. Kc2 Rd5 13. Be2 Rc5+ (13... Rc6+ 14. Kb3 Ke7 15. Ka3 $11) (13... Ke7 14. Kc3 Rc6+ 15. Bc4 Rdc5 16. b3 $11) 14. Kb1 Rc3 15. Bd2 Ra3 16. Bc4 $11 {White can keep the pawns without problems and it does not give chance Black on a win.}) 11. Bf5 Rf3 12. Bg4 {=. Positional draw by repetition of position. Difficult idea done by collective efforts.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "2 HM, MatPlus"] [Site ""] [Date "2008"] [Round ""] [White "Iuri Akobia (Georgia)"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2b5/1N6/8/8/8/R4p1P/3K2k1/8 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "25"] [EventDate "2008"] [SourceDate "2005.01.24"] 
 {Diagram #} 1. Nd6 $1 (1. Na5 $5 Be6 $1 (1... f2 $5 2. Nc4 Bxh3 3. Ne3+ { and will be the main line}) 2. Ke3 (2. Nc6 f2 $11) 2... f2 3. Ra1 f1=Q 4. Rxf1 Kxf1 $11) (1. Nc5 $5 f2 $11) 1... f2 2. Nc4 Bxh3 (2... f1=Q 3. Ne3+ $18) 3. Ne3+ Kg1 4. Rc3 $3 ({Thematic try} 4. Rb3 $5 f1=Q 5. Nxf1 Bxf1 6. Ke1 Kg2 7. Rb2+ Kg1 8. Rb6 $3 Bc4 $1 9. Rg6+ Kh2 10. Kf2 Kh3 11. Kf3 Kh4 $2 12. Rg4+ $18 { echo win of bB as in main line, but 11...Bd5+! draws.}) 4... f1=Q 5. Nxf1 Bxf1 6. Ke1 Kg2 7. Rc2+ Kg1 8. Rc6 $3 (8. Rc3 $5 Kg2 9. Rc2+ Kg1 {loss of time}) (8. Rc7 $5 Ba6 {(Bb5)} 9. Rg7+ Kh2 10. Kf2 Kh3 11. Kf3 Kh4 12. Kf4 Kh5 13. Kf5 Bd3+ $11) 8... Bb5 (8... Bd3 9. Rc3 $1 Bf5 10. Rg3+ Kh2 11. Kf2 $18) (8... Bg2 9. Rg6 Kh2 10. Kf2 $18) 9. Rg6+ Kh2 10. Kf2 Kh3 11. Kf3 { (and impossible Bc6+ because was 8.Rc6!!)} 11... Kh4 12. Kf4 Kh5 (12... Kh3 13. Rg3+ Kh2 (13... Kh4 14. Rb3 Bc4 15. Rb4 Bf1 16. Rb1 $18) 14. Kf3 Bc6+ 15. Kf2 Ba8 16. Rg8 $18) 13. Rg5+ {wins. Miniature with precise moves by the wR and echo-chameleon captures of the Bishop (thematic try-final position). What seemed to be a dullish endgame has turned into an interesting logical play.} 1-0