www.arves.org - ChessStar 2018

ChessStar 2018

Below are the awarded studies of the 2018 Chessstar.com tournament.

[Event "ChessStar, 1st prize"] 
 [Date "2018"] [White "Steffen Nielsen"] [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "1b1r4/2p5/4P2k/7p/4p3/4K1R1/Q7/2B2q2 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "31"] 
 {The white bishop is aiming at the black king but first must be defended by the queen. } 1. Qa1 $1 {Other moves lose:} (1. Qc2 $2 Qe1+ 2. Kf4 c6+ $1 3. Kf5+ Kh7 4. Rg7+ Kxg7 5. Qb2+ Kg8 6. Kg6 Qg3+ 7. Bg5 Be5 8. Qb7 Bc7 9. Qb2 Rd7 $1 10. exd7 Qd6+ 11. Kxh5 Qxd7 12. Qf6 Qf7+ { Black keeps both pawns and wins.}) (1. Qb2 $2 Qe1+ 2. Kf4 Rf8+ 3. Ke5+ e3 4. Bxe3+ Kh7 5. Qc2+ Kh8 6. Rh3 c6+ 7. Ke4 Rf4+ 8. Kd3 Qf1+ 9. Kd2 Qg2+ 10. Kd3 Qxh3 $19) (1. Qa3 $2 c5 $1 2. Kxe4+ Kh7 3. Qxc5 Qe1+ 4. Re3 Qh1+ 5. Rf3 Qh4+ 6. Rf4 Qe1+ 7. Qe3 Qb4+ 8. Kf3 Bxf4 $19) 1... Qe1+ 2. Kf4 Rf8+ 3. Ke5+ e3 $1 (3... Kh7 $2 4. Rg7+ Kxg7 5. Bh6+) 4. Bxe3+ Rf4 $3 {Ingenious defense! Black sacrifices his queen and rook but both captures are not good for White.} { The only chance consists in attacking the bishop by the queen. We have to take into consideration that by her next move the black queen will ask her opponent to leave the bishop alone (the thing she can't do because of mate!), that's why the white queen is already doomed and in fact now she is choosing a place to die.} 5. Qb2 $3 ({After} 5. Kxf4 $2 Qxa1 6. e7 Qa4+ { the queen stops the pawn}) ({and if} 5. Qxe1 $2 c6# {it's a mate in the center.}) (5. Qa8 $2 Qa5+ 6. Kxf4 Qxa8 7. e7 Qa4+ $19 { with check taking control over the promotion square.}) 5... Qc3+ 6. Kxf4 Qxb2 7. e7 Qh8 (7... Qb5 {now without check} 8. Rg8 $11) 8. Kf5+ $1 { King is clever too - he stays near the h5-pawn.} ({After} 8. Ke4+ $2 Kh7 9. Rg7+ $1 Kxg7 $1 (9... Qxg7 10. e8=Q Qg6+ 11. Qxg6+ Kxg6 12. Bf4 $11) 10. Bd4+ Kf7 11. Bxh8 c6 {the black pawns tear White apart.}) 8... Kh7 9. Rg7+ $1 Kxg7 10. Bd4+ Kf7 11. Bxh8 c5 ({Move} 11... c6 {is not dangerous any more because of} 12. Kg5 $11) 12. Bf6 $1 (12. Kg5 $2 Kxe7 13. Kxh5 Ke6 $19) 12... Bd6 13. Ke4 Bxe7 14. Bd4 $1 cxd4 (14... c4 15. Kd5 h4 16. Kxc4 h3 17. Bg1 Ke6 18. Kd3 $11) 15. Kxd4 h4 16. Ke3 $1 {draw. Breathtaking battle of two smart opponents in which every piece shows courage and can become your favourite character. I adore the black rook for the stunning sacrifice! And I adore more the white queen for her brave heart before her execution.  Fr-e-e-e-d-o-o-o-m!!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "ChessStar, 2nd prize"] 
 [Date "2018"] [White "O.Pervakov, K.Sumbatyan"] 
 [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/5pPp/p3p3/P2P3Q/4q1p1/4kpp1/6P1/4K2R w K - 0 1"] [PlyCount "20"] 
 {The outcome of this study depends on h7-pawn. And I am not lying!} 1. O-O $1 f2+ 2. Kh1 Ke2 $1 3. Qh6 $3 ({Logical try} 3. Qg5 $2 h6 $3 { Who is pulling the lion's tail?} 4. Qxh6 {Munch-munch.} ({the line} 4. Qc1 { is lost for White because of the added pair of pawns on the queen's side.} Qxd5 $1 5. Rxf2+ gxf2 6. Qc2+ Ke3 7. Qc3+ Qd3 8. Qe5+ Kd2 9. Qb2+ Ke1 10. Qb4+ Qd2 11. Qe4+ Qe2 12. Qb4+ Kd1 13. Qb1+ Kd2 14. Qb2+ Kd3 $19 { the king escapes the perpetual check.}) 4... Kxf1 5. Qc1+ Ke2 6. g8=Q f1=Q+ 7. Qxf1+ Kxf1 8. Qxf7+ Qf5 $1 9. dxe6 Qf3 $1 {zz} 10. e7 Qxf7 11. e8=Q Qh7+ $1 $19 { there is no h7!}) 3... Kxf1 4. Qc1+ Ke2 (4... Qe1 5. Qc4+ Qe2 6. Qc1+ $11) 5. g8=Q f1=Q+ 6. Qxf1+ Kxf1 7. Qxf7+ Qf5 $1 8. dxe6 (8. Qxf5+ $2 exf5 9. d6 f4 10. d7 f3 11. d8=Q fxg2#) 8... Qf3 $1 9. e7 $1 Qxf7 10. e8=Q Qxe8 {stalemate. White's precise third move prevents the sacrifice of h7-pawn to stop the queen's check in the finale. Though it's not easy to construct a logical idea with such a pawn the authors found the way to do it and the queens' show took place!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "ChessStar, Honourable mention"] [Date "2018"] [White "Sergei Osintsev"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6R1/6K1/8/2n5/2N5/4Pkp1/8/8 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "25"] 
 1. Ne5+ $1 ({Logical try} 1. Kh6 $2 g2 2. Ne5+ Kf2 3. Rf8+ Kxe3 4. Ng4+ Kd4 5. Rd8+ Ke4 6. Nf2+ Kf3 7. Nh3 Kg3 8. Ng1 Kh2 9. Rd1 Ne4 10. Ra1 $1 Nd2 11. Kh5 Nf1 12. Nf3+ Kg3 13. Ra3 Kf2 $11) (1. Kg6 $2 g2 2. Ne5+ Kxe3 $1 3. Kf5 Kf2 4. Ng4+ Kf3 5. Nh2+ Kf2 {positional draw.}) 1... Kf2 $1 2. Kg6 $3 (2. Ng4+ $2 Ke2 3. Kh6 g2 4. Nh2 Kf2 5. Rf8+ Kxe3 6. Ng4+ {leads back to logical try.}) 2... g2 3. Rf8+ Kxe3 4. Ng4+ Kd4 $1 5. Rd8+ Ke4 6. Nf2+ Kf3 7. Nh3 Kg3 (7... Ne6 8. Ng1+ Kf2 9. Rd1 Nf4+ 10. Kg5 $1 Ne2 11. Nh3+ Kg3 12. Rd3+ Kh2 13. Kg4 g1=Q+ 14. Nxg1 Kxg1 15. Kf3 $18) 8. Ng1 Kh2 9. Rd1 Ne4 10. Ra1 $1 {Not letting the black knight win a tempo by attacking wR.} ( 10. Rc1 $2 Nf2 11. Nf3+ Kg3 12. Rc3 Ne4 13. Ra3 Kf2 $11) (10. Rb1 $2 Nd2 $11) 10... Nd2 (10... Nf2 11. Nf3+ Kg3 12. Ra3 $18) 11. Kf5 Nf1 12. Nf3+ Kg3 13. Ke4 {King defended his knight. Knight and rook are a little clumsy in their fight against a passer supported by knight. Much depends on how close is the king. In this study the white king should make a surpising second move in order to help his knight in time. The arranged study but without spakling moves.} 1-0

[Event "ChessStar, 2nd commendation"] 
 [Date "2018"] [White "P.Arestov, A.Skripnik"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "1R6/1R1N4/8/1pK1nn2/8/N4p1p/3p4/k7 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "31"] 
 1. Nxb5 (1. Nc2+ $2 Ka2 2. Ra7+ Kb2 3. Rxb5+ Kxc2 4. Ra2+ Kc3 5. Ra3+ (5. Rxd2 f2) 5... Kc2 $11) 1... Nd3+ 2. Kc4 Nb2+ 3. Kb4 d1=Q 4. Ra7+ $1 (4. Ra8+ $2 Na4 5. Rxa4+ Qxa4+ 6. Kxa4 h2 $1 7. Kb3 {(no move 7.Rh7)} Nd4+ 8. Nxd4 h1=Q 9. Nc2+ Kb1 10. Kc3+ Kc1 11. Nc5 Qh8+ $1 {(no move 12.Rxh8)} 12. Nd4 Qc8 $11) 4... Na4 5. Rxa4+ Qxa4+ 6. Kxa4 f2 ({Now after} 6... h2 { White has two ways to victory} 7. Kb3 ({or} 7. Rh8 $1 f2 8. Nc5 f1=Q 9. Nb3+ Kb1 10. Nd2+) 7... Nd4+ 8. Nxd4 h1=Q 9. Ra8+ Kb1 10. Nc2 Qh8 11. Rxh8) { In fact, the study starts only here.} 7. Kb3 $1 Nd4+ $1 (7... f1=Q 8. Ra8+ Kb1 9. Nc3+ Kc1 10. Ra1+ Kd2 11. Rxf1) 8. Nxd4 f1=Q 9. Nc2+ Kb1 10. Kc3+ Kc1 11. Nc5 h2 (11... Qf6+ 12. Nd4 Qg7 13. Nd3+ Kd1 14. Rb1#) 12. Ra8 $1 Kd1 13. Ne3+ Ke2 14. Nxf1 Kxf1 15. Ne4 h1=Q 16. Ng3+ {Knights' dance. Logical idea failed but the study is better without it and without captures in the intro.} 1-0