www.arves.org - Variantim 2023

Studies awarded for the Israeli Ring tournament, with comments of judge Jan Sprenger.

[Event "Variantim 2023 1st/2nd prize"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Avni=Amatzia Minski=Martin"] [Black "(+3101.22f5h7)"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023"] [FEN "R1N3q1/2p3pk/8/5KP1/8/8/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "19"] [Annotator "judge"] 
 {Variantim 2023 study award 
 Judge: Jan Sprenger 
 For this tournament, I received 25 studies from the editor. I would like to thank Gady Costeff for inviting me to judge this tourney and for his help with searching predecessors to the submitted studies. The general level was quite high and so I awarded 11 studies in total, corresponding to a percentage of 44%. The studies in the award are, in my opinion, quite diverse. Especially the ranking of the three prize studies was not easy since they are quite different in style and content. As usual, I tried to reward clear and original ideas, thematic unity of the content, economic and fluent implementation, absence of analytic lines, and the general dramaturgy of the play.} 1.g6+ Kh8 {Let us pause a moment to consider this position. The black queen must stay on g8 because of Nb6 [with or without check], unless she can check the white king. With the bQg8, Nb6 does not work due to cxb6. So the white plan is clear: to hide the king from the checks, ideally on g1, and to put Black in zugzwang. Paradoxically, White needs to take an indirect route to achieve this goal.} ( 1...Kh6 2.Nb6 $18 )  2.Ke5 $1 {Moving the king into the wrong direction first. Otherwise the Black queen can force a perpetual.} ( 2.Kf4 $2 Qc4+ 3.Kg3 Qc3+ $10 ) 2...Qe8+ 3.Kf4  Qf8+ {White wants to hide the king on g1, but he cannot take the direct route.}  ( 3...Qg8 4.Kg3 {makes things easier for White.} ) 4.Kg4 $1 {This small foreplan passes the move to Black before implementing the main plan.} ( {The logical try consists in the direct attempt} 4.Kg3 $2 {but after} 4...Qg8 $1 {White and not Black is in zugzwang since the king needs to choose a square while the black queen is placed ideally.} 5.Kh2 ( 5.Kf2 Qf8+ 6.Kg1 Qc5+ $10 ) 5...c5 $1 {This defense is the main obstacle which White needs to remove.} 6.Nb6 Qxa8 7.Nxa8 c4  $19 {and the pawn cannot be stopped} ) 4...Qg8 ( 4...Qb4+ 5.Kh3 Qb3+ 6.Kh2  {transposes} ) 5.Kg3 {Now it is Black to move, and since the white king is too close for c7-c5, the queen has to give a check.} 5...Qb3+ ( 5...c5 6.Nb6 Qxa8  7.Nxa8 c4 8.Kf2 {and the king stops the pawn.} ) 6.Kh2 {Now, the Black queen needs to return to g8 and so White has reached g1 without having to fear c7-c5.}  ( 6.Kh4 $2 Qc4+ 7.g4 Qg8 8.Kg3 Qb3+ $10 {and the king can hide nowhere.} )  6...Qg8 7.Kg1 $1 c5 {The thematic defense, but compared to the try 4. Kg3?, the king is closer.} ( {The authors continue with} 7...Qf8 8.Nb6 {but this is a rather nonsensical defense since after} 8...Qxa8 9.Nxa8 c5 10.Nb6 {even the knight stops the pawn.} ) 8.Nb6 ( 8.Kf2 c4 9.Nb6 {transposes} ) 8...Qxa8 9.Nxa8  c4 10.Kf2 {/Kf1 and the white king can stop the pawn.} 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 1st/2nd prize"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Nielsen=Steffen"] [Black "(+4440.25f8a8)"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023"] [FEN "k4K2/1p6/4p3/1R1p3P/1p1B2qb/2rP1p2/8/1Q6 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "33"] [Annotator "author"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.03.01"] 
 1.Qa2+ ( 1.Qa1+ $2 Ra3 2.Ra5+ Kb8 $11 ) ( 1.Ra5+ $2 Kb8 2.Be5+ Rc7 $11 (  2...Kc8 $11 ) ) 1...Ra3 ( 1...Kb8 2.Qa7+ $18 ) 2.Ra5+ Kb8 ( 2...Rxa5 3.Qxa5+  $18 ) 3.Qh2+ $1 ( {Logical try} 3.Be5+ $2 Kc8 4.Qc2+ Rc3 5.Rc5+ Kd8 {and f6 is covered} 6.Bc7+ Kc8 7.Bg3+ Kd8 8.Bc7+ $11 ) 3...Bg3 ( 3...Qg3 4.Be5+ $18 )  4.Be5+ Kc8 ( 4...Bxe5 5.Qxe5+ Kc8 6.Rc5+ $18 ) 5.Qc2+ ( 5.Rc5+ $2 Kd8 $1 (  5...Kd7 6.Rc7+ Kd8 7.Bxg3 $18 ) 6.Bxg3 Qf5+ $11 ) 5...Rc3 6.Rc5+ ( 6.Bxc3 )  6...Kd8 ( 6...Kd7 7.Qa4+ $18 ) 7.Bf6+ {Compared to 3. Qc2+, f6 is now available to the bishop.} 7...Kd7 8.Qa4+ Kd6 9.Rxc3 {White won the rook has} 9...Qf4  {with a double threat on f6 and c3!} 10.Qxb4+ ( 10.Ke8 $2 Qxf6 11.Qxb4+ Ke5 $11  ) 10...Qxb4 11.Be7+ Ke5 ( 11...Kd7 12.Bxb4 Be1 13.Rc7+ $18 ( 13.Rc1 $18 ) )  12.Bxb4 Be1 13.d4+ $1 {To open the way for the rook to f3} ( 13.h6 $2 f2 14.d4+  Ke4 $1 ) 13...Kxd4 ( 13...Ke4 $18 14.Re3+ $1 $18 ) 14.h6 ( 14.Rxf3 $2 Bxb4+ $11  ) ( 14.Rd3+ $2 Kxd3 15.Bxe1 Ke2 16.Bh4 d4 17.h6 d3 $11 ( 17...f2 $11 ) )  14...Bxc3 ( 14...f2 15.Rf3 ) 15.Bxc3+ Kxc3 16.h7 f2 17.h8=Q+ $18 {Systematic maneuver of check, interference, check on the same line. The second instance of the maneuver ( 3. Qh2+! Bg3 4. Be5+ ) is a foreplan for the third instance.} 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 3rd prize"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Nielsen=Steffen"] [Black "(+4440.02h1h4)"] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "1Q6/4r3/8/R6B/7k/1pp3b1/4q3/7K w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "21"] [Annotator "author"] 
 1.Qb4+ ( 1.Bxe2 $4 Bxb8 $19 ) 1...Qe4+ 2.Bf3 Bd6 $1 {Unblocking g3. A fight for that square will ensue.} ( 2...Qxb4 3.Rh5# ) 3.Kg2 ( 3.Qxe4+ $2 Rxe4  4.Bxe4 {eg} 4...c2 $11 ) 3...Rg7+ 4.Kf2 Qg4 $1 ( 4...Bg3+ $2 5.Kf1 ) 5.Qe4 $1  {Umnov} ( 5.Bxg4 $4 Bxb4 $19 ) ( 5.Qxd6 $2 Qg1+ 6.Ke2 Rg2+ {and a perpetual} )  ( 5.Rh5+ $2 Kxh5 6.Bxg4+ Rxg4 7.Qxd6 c2 $11 ( 7...b2 $11 ) ) ( 5.Qc4 $2 Bg3+ (  5...Bb4 ) 6.Kf1 Qxc4+ ( 6...b2 7.Bxg4 Rxg4 ) ) ( 5.Qa4 $2 Bg3+ 6.Kf1 c2 $11 (  6...Bc7 $11 7.Bxg4 Rxg4 ) ) ( 5.Qd4 ) 5...Bg3+ {Forcing the king to the back rank to promote with check. But blocking g3 once again.} 6.Kf1 c2 ( 6...b2  7.Bxg4 b1=Q+ 8.Qxb1 ( 8.Bd1+ ) ) ( 6...Qxe4 7.Rh5# ) 7.Bxg4 c1=Q+ 8.Bd1+ Qf4+  9.Bf3 Bh2 {The last attempt to make an escape square of g3.} ( 9...Qxe4 10.Rh5#  ) ( 9...Rg4 10.Qh7+ ) 10.Qe1+ $1 Rg3 ( 10...Bg3 11.Rh5# ) ( 10...Qg3 {eg}  11.Rh5# ) ( 10...Kh3 11.Rh5+ ) 11.Rh5# 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 honorable mention"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Rusz=Arpad"] [Black "(=0031.12e4a8)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [FEN "k7/3p4/P3b3/8/1N2K2p/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "31"] [Annotator "author and judge"] 
 1.Kf3 Ka7 2.Kg2 Kb6 3.Kh1 $3 ( 3.Kh2 $2 Bf5 $1 {zz} 4.Kg2 ( 4.Kg1 d6 $1  {transposes into 3. Kg1?} ) 4...Kb5 $1 5.a7 Be4+ 6.Kh3 Kxb4 $19 ) ( 3.Kg1 $2  Bh3 $1 {zz} 4.Kh1 d6 $1 {zz} 5.Kg1 Bf5 $1 {zz and Black wins as shown in the annotations for White's eighth move} ) ( 3.Kf3 $2 Bh3 4.Kf4 Bg2 5.Kg4 h3 6.Kg3  d6 $1 ( 6...Kb5 $2 7.Nd3 Kxa6 8.Nc5+ $19 ) 7.Kh2 Kb5 $19 ) 3...Bh3 4.Kg1 $3 Bg4  ( 4...Bf5 5.Kg2 Kb5 6.Kf3 h3 7.a7 ) 5.Kg2 $1 {zz} ( 5.Kh1 $2 Kb5 6.a7 Bf3+  7.Kh2 Kxb4 $19 ) 5...Bf5 6.Kh2 $1 {zz} 6...Be6 7.Kh1 ( 7.Kg2 $2 d6 $1 8.Kh1 Bh3  $1 9.Kg1 Bf5 10.Kh2 Bc8 $19 {zz as in White's tries in move 8} ) 7...d6 {Black has not managed to lead White astray and now executes his main plan, increasing the number of squares on the diagonal.} 8.Kg2 $1 {zz} ( 8.Kh2 $2 Bc8 9.Kg2  {after Kg1 or Kh1, Black takes con a6} 9...Kb5 10.a7 Bb7+ $1 11.Kh3 Kxb4 ) (  8.Kg1 Bf5 9.Kh2 Bc8 $1 {with transition into the above line} ) 8...Bf5 9.Kg1 $1  {zz} 9...Bh3 10.Kh1 $1 {zz} 10...Bc8 11.Kh2 $1 {zz} 11...Be6 ( 11...Bxa6 12.Kh3  $11 ) 12.Kg2 {So far the white king managed to counter all bishop positions but we didn't use two of them yet: one new ( d7 ) and one old ( g4 ) .} 12...Bd7 $5  {After this waiting move, all king moves should lose... The salvation comes from the knight. When black moved the pawn to d6, that had a surprising side effect: the pawn became more vulnerable to knight attacks! Although the knight needs 3 moves to attack it, we will see that it can gain the necessary tempos.} 13.Nd5+  $1 {One.} ( 13.Kh2 $2 Bc8 $1 $19 {zz} ) ( 13.Kg1 $2 Bf5 $1 $19 {zz} ) ( 13.Kh1  $2 Bh3 $1 $19 {zz} ) 13...Kxa6 14.Nf6 $1 {Two!} 14...Bc8 15.Ne8 $1 {Here we are!} 15...d5 16.Nc7+ $11 {So the d7 square was actually forbidden for the bishop. From f6, the knight attacks the g4 square too, so a similar gain of tempo would have been possible if the bishop had moved there.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Variantim 2023 special honorable mention"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Pasman=Michael"] [Black "(+0140.03a7g5)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [FEN "7R/K7/B7/6k1/8/2p2p1p/7b/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "22"] [Annotator "author"] 
 1.Ka8 $3 ( {Logical try:} 1.Kb7 c2 2.Rg8+ Kf6 3.Rf8+ Ke6 4.Re8+ Kd5 $1  {Position X1} 5.Re1 f2 6.Rc1 Bf4 ) ( 1.Rxh3 c2 $19 ) 1...c2 ( 1...Bf4 2.Rxh3 c2  3.Rh1 ) 2.Rg8+ Kf6 ( 2...Kf4 3.Rc8 $1 ) ( 2...Kh4 3.Rh8+ Kg4 4.Rg8+ $1 ) 3.Rf8+  ( 3.Rc8 Bc7 $3 4.Rxc7 h2 $19 ) 3...Ke6 4.Re8+ Kd7 ( 4...Kd5 {Position X2, White can defend with Bb7, f.e.} 5.Re1 f2 6.Rc1 Bf4 7.Rxc2 h2 8.Rxf2 h1=Q 9.Bb7+ )  5.Re1 ( 5.Bb5+ Kc7 6.Re1 Bf4 $1 ( 6...f2 7.Rc1 ) ) 5...f2 ( 5...Bf4 6.Bd3 $1  c1=Q 7.Bf5+ ) 6.Rf1 $1 ( 6.Rc1 Bf4 $1 7.Rxc2 h2 $19 ) ( 6.Ra1 Bg1 $1 7.Rc1  {f.e.} 7...h2 8.Bb7 Kd6 $19 ) 6...Bg1 7.Bc8+ $3 ( 7.Rc1 h2 8.Bb7 Kd6 {and the king goes to d2} ) 7...Kxc8 8.Rxf2 $1 c1=Q ( 8...c1=R 9.Rc2+ ) 9.Rc2+ $1 Kd7 $1  10.Rxc1 h2 11.Rc7+ $1 Kxc7 {model stalemate} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Variantim 2023 commendation"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Didukh=Serhiy"] [Black "(+0404.22f7d8)"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023"] [FEN "2rk4/2n2K2/8/RN6/1p5p/1P6/2P5/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "17"] [Annotator "author"] 
 1.Na7 Ra8 2.Ra1 h3 ( {main} 2...Kd7 3.Rd1+ Nd5 4.Rxd5+ Kc7 5.Nb5+ Kc6 6.Rh5 Rd8  7.Na7+ $1 {Decoys the king away from the b-pawn.} ( 7.Nc3 $2 bxc3 8.Rxh4 Rd7+  $1 9.Ke6 ( 9.Ke8 Rd5 10.Rc4+ Rc5 $11 ) 9...Rd6+ 10.Ke5 Rd5+ 11.Ke4 Rd2 $11 ) (  7.Ke6 $6 Re8+ 8.Kf6 Rd8 ) ( 7.Ke7 $2 Rd2 8.Na7+ Kb7 $11 ) 7...Kb7 8.Rxh4 Kxa7  9.Rxb4 $18 ) 3.Rd1+ Nd5 4.Nb5 $1 ( 4.Rxd5+ $2 Kc7 5.Nb5+ Kb6 $1 6.Rh5 ( 6.Nd4  Rh8 ) ( 6.Nd6 Kc6 $1 ) 6...Ra5 7.Rxh3 Rxb5 $11 ) 4...Kd7 ( 4...Kc8 5.Rxd5 h2  6.Rh5 $1 ( 6.Rd1 $2 Ra5 7.Nd6+ Kc7 $11 ) 6...Ra5 7.Rh8+ Kd7 8.Nd4 Rd5 9.Ne2  Rf5+ ( 9...Rd2 10.Rxh2 Rxc2 11.Kf6 Kd6 12.Kf5 Rb2 13.Rh6+ Kc5 14.Nc1 $18 )  10.Kg6 Rf2 11.Nd4 Kd6 12.Rh5 $1 Rd2 13.Nf3 Rf2 ( 13...Rxc2 14.Rxh2 ) 14.Nxh2  $18 {The chased knight crossed the board and liquidated the passer.} ) 5.Rxd5+  Kc6 6.Rh5 Rd8 7.Nc3 $1 {Decoys the b-pawn away from the king and in the rook's path.} 7...bxc3 8.Rxh3 Rd2 9.Rxc3+ {The bowling theme.} 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 commendation"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Krug=Peter Arestov=Pavel"] [Black "(+0013.20c1d3)"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023"] [FEN "8/8/n7/7B/8/3k2PP/8/2K5 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "19"] [Annotator "author and judge"] 
 1.Kd1 Nc5 2.Ke1 Kd4 $1 {The point of this move is to provoke Bf3, in order to play Ke3 with tempo, regaining the tempo lost by Kd4 and forcing White to place the bishop on a worse square. Specifially, Black wants to counter an attack on the knight later on with a counterattack on the bishop, which was not possible in the 2... Ke3 line.} ( 2...Ke3 3.Kf1 Ne4 4.Kg2 Kd4 ( 4...Nxg3 5.Kxg3 Ke4  6.Kg4 $18 ) 5.g4 $1 Ke3 6.Bg6 $1 {Now the knight cannot move and attack the bishop and so the blockade is broken, e.g.} 6...Nc3 7.Kg3 Ne2+ 8.Kh4 $18 )  3.Bf3 $1 ( 3.Kf2 $2 Ne4+ 4.Kf3 Nxg3 5.Kxg3 Ke5 6.Kg4 Kf6 $11 ) 3...Ke3 (  3...Ke5 4.h4 $18 ) 4.Ba8 $3 ( 4.Bd5 $2 Nd3+ $1 5.Kf1 Nf4 $1 6.Bg2 Nh5  {positional draw} ) ( {thematic try} 4.Bc6 $2 Ne6 {Nb3} 5.Kf1 Nd4 6.Bb7 ( {It is too early to give up control over the diagonal:} 6.Bd7 $6 Kf3 $10 ) 6...Nf5  7.Kg2 Kd4 $1 8.g4 {Otherwise Black plays Nxg3 and Kd4-e5-f6 with draw.} 8...Ke5  9.Bc8 ( 9.Kf3 Nh4+ {/Nd4+} 10.Kg3 Nf5+ $1 {with positional draw} ) 9...Ne7  {/Nd6. Compare the line 2... Kd4. Now White must move the bishop and Black plays Kf4 with positional draw.} ) 4...Ne6 {/Nb3 with transposition after 5... Nd4.}  5.Kf1 Nd4 6.Kg2 Nf5 7.Bc6 $1 ( 7.Bb7 $2 Kd4 $1 8.g4 Ke5 $1 9.Bc8 Ne7 {/Nd6 and again, the bishop is attack and Black manages to set up the blockade.} 10.Bd7  Kf4 $11 ) 7...Kd4 ( 7...Nxg3 8.Kxg3 $18 ) 8.g4 Ke5 9.Bd7 $1 {Compare the line 2... Kd4?! and the thematic tries: the bishop is now in the right distance and Black cannot win a tempo by attacking it.} ( 9.gxf5 $2 Kxf5 $11 ) 9...Nh4+  10.Kg3 {White breaks the blockade and the two pawns will win.} 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 commendation"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Tarasiuk=Vladislav "] [Black "(+3012.24a8e4)"] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "K7/Pp4N1/3P4/5p1B/p3k3/6p1/2N2q2/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "19"] [Annotator "author"] 
 1.Kb8 $3 ( {Logical try:} 1.Kxb7 $2 Qxa7+ $1 ( 1...g2 $2 2.a8=Q g1=Q 3.Qxa4+  Ke5 4.Qe8+ Kf4 5.Ne6+ Kg3 6.Ned4 $1 Qb1+ 7.Kc8 $18 ) 2.Kxa7 g2 3.Bf3+ Kxf3  4.Ne1+ Kf2 5.Nxg2 a3 6.Ne3 Kxe3 7.Nxf5+ {Position A without pawn b7} 7...Kd2 $1  8.d7 a2 9.d8=Q+ Kc1 $1 {draw.} ) 1...Qxa7+ $1 ( 1...g2 2.a8=Q g1=Q 3.Qxa4+ Ke5  4.Qe8+ $18 ) ( 1...Qb6 2.a8=Q Qxd6+ 3.Kc8 Qc6+ 4.Kd8 g2 5.Bf3+ Kxf3 6.Nd4+ Kg4  7.Nxc6 g1=Q 8.Qxb7 ) 2.Kxa7 g2 3.Bf3+ $1 ( 3.d7 $2 g1=Q+ 4.Ka8 Qb6 $1 5.Ne6  Qa6+ 6.Kb8 Qd6+ 7.Ka8 Qa6+ {positional draw.} ) 3...Kxf3 4.Ne1+ Kf2 $1 5.Nxg2  a3 6.Ne3 $1 ( {Try:} 6.Ne1 $2 Kxe1 7.d7 a2 8.d8=Q a1=Q+ $11 ) 6...Kxe3 7.Nxf5+  {Position A with pawn b7} 7...Ke4 $1 8.Nd4 $1 ( {Try:} 8.Ne3 $2 Kxe3 9.d7 a2  10.d8=Q a1=Q+ $19 ) 8...Kxd4 9.d7 a2 10.d8=Q+ 1-0

[Event "Variantim 2023 special commendation"] [Site ""] [Date "2023"] [Round ""] [White "Hoch=Yehuda"] [Black "(=0003.11e1h5)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2023"] [FEN "8/8/7p/7k/7n/8/P7/4K3 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "27"] [Annotator "author and judge"] 
 1.a4 Nf3+ 2.Kd1 $1 ( 2.Kf2 $2 Nd2 3.a5 Ne4+ 4.Ke3 Nc5 $19 ) 2...Nd4 3.a5 Kg4  4.a6 {main A} 4...Nc6 ( {main B} 4...Nb5 5.Ke2 $1 ( 5.Ke1 $2 Kf3 6.Kf1 Ke4 $1 (  6...h5 $2 7.Kg1 Kg3 8.Kh1 h4 9.Kg1 h3 10.Kh1 $10 ) 7.Kg2 Kd5 8.Kh3 Kc6 9.Kh4  Nd6 10.Kh5 Nf7 $19 {shows the idea of Nb5} ) 5...Kg3 ( 5...Kf4 6.Kf2 {and White can avoid zugzwang later on} ) 6.Kd3 $1 ( 6.Kf1 $2 h5 $19 {as in main A because White has not lost a tempo with Ke1} ) ( 6.Ke1 $2 Kf3 $19 {wins as was seen before} ) 6...h5 7.Kc4 Na7 8.Kc5 h4 9.Kb6 Nc8+ 10.Kc7 $1 ( 10.Kb7 Nd6+ 11.Kc6  h3 12.Kxd6 h2 $19 ) 10...Na7 11.Kb6 $1 ( 11.Kb7 $2 Nb5 12.Kb6 h3 $19 )  11...Nc8+ 12.Kc7 $10 {positional draw} ) 5.Ke1 $3 ( {logical try} 5.Ke2 $2 Kg3  6.Kf1 h5 7.Kg1 h4 8.Kh1 h3 9.Kg1 h2+ {check!} 10.Kh1 Ne5 11.a7 Nd3 12.a8=Q Nf2#  ) 5...Kg3 {From this point onwards, the scheme is known.} ( 5...Kf3 6.Kf1 Ke4  {for h6-h5, see the line 6. Ke2 h5} 7.Kg2 Kd5 8.Kh3 Kc5 9.Kh4 Kb6 10.Kh5 $10  {and the black knight is too far away to protect the pawn, compare the try 5. Ke1 in main B} ) 6.Ke2 $1 ( 6.Kf1 $2 h5 7.Kg1 h4 $19 {as in the try 5. Ke2?} )  6...h5 ( 6...Kg2 7.Kd3 $1 Nb4+ ( 7...h5 8.Kc4 h4 9.Kc5 $10 {and the Kg2 blocks the diagonal} ) 8.Ke4 Nxa6 9.Kf5 $10 ) 7.Kf1 h4 8.Kg1 h3 9.Kh1 {Now, 9... h2 is no check and so 10. a7 leads to stalemate while} 9...Ne5 10.a7 Nd3 11.a8=Q Nf2+  12.Kg1 h2+ 13.Kf1 h1=Q+ {allows for} 14.Qxh1 $10 {[comments edited by judge]} 1/2-1/2