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Some years ago I was invited to a general chess meeting in the city of Apeldoorn to promote the endgame study. The meeting was attended by many young chess talents, strong players, and even some grandmasters. Besides some promotional material (magazines and books on endgame studies) I hoped to attract the audience with a chess board which had the following position:
Harold van der Heijden
White to play and win
This composition, authored by myself, had previously appeared in a Dutch newspaper (Algemeen Dagblad, 18.1.2003). It is very suited for such an occasion, as it can be solved by everybody by the trial-and-error method, while it is still fun (i.e. difficult) for the more gifted o.t.b. players.
Surely, everybody appreciates that White’s win should come from a pawn breakthrough combination. However, 1.g5? fxg5 is a draw – after 2.e5 Black even wins, as the black g-pawn advances with check and promotes with a mate-in-one threat. And 1.e5? fxe5 2.g5 e4 3.g6 e3 4.g7 e2 5.g8Q e1Q is a draw. Perhaps 1.Kh3? In that case, after 1...Kf3! White has nothing better than 2.e5 fxe5 3.g5 e4 4.g6 e3 5.g7 e2 6.g8Q e1Q with a draw we recognize from the 1.e5? line.
The only legal move that remains is the surprising 1.Kh1!, which is “of course” the solution. Obviously, if Black plays to the e-file (1...Ke3) then White plays 2.e5 fxe5 3.g5 e4 4.g6 and the black king obstructs his e-pawn. Playing to the g-file (1...Kg3) allows White to promote with check: 2.e5 fxe5 3.g5 e4 4.g6 e3 5.g7 e2 6.g8Q+ and win.
More difficult is 1...Kf3. White then plays 2.e5! (not 2.g5? fxg5 3.e5? – still attempting to win – 3...Kf2 and White is mated) 2...fxe5 3.g5 e4 and now 4.Kg1! e3 5.Kf1 and wins.
But, almost everybody asked, what about 1...Kf1, which seems to change nothing in the initial position? But it does: 2.e5! fxe5 3.g5 e4 4.g6 e3 5.g7 e2 6.g8Q e1Q with a position that we have seen with the kings shifted one or two files up. Here’s the difference: 7.Qg2 mate!
I estimate that perhaps some fifty people tried to solve the position, and almost all of them tried all other keys before considering 1.Kh1 (i.e the trial-and-error method). Some smart guys said: “1.Kh1 is the solution, because it is the most unlikely move in this position”. But they also failed to see the point from the initial position. Then GM Artur Yusupov walked along my table.
Earlier that day I had talked to this very nice person, and he told me then than he often used my endgame study database for training purposes, i.e. improving his endgame tactics. I challenged him: “Mr. Yusupov, can you solve this study?”. He glanced over the position for about ten seconds and said: “Kh1 and Qg2 mate” and shook my hand.
My “revenge” was a challenge that even proved to be too difficult for him to solve (see picture). Here he almost discovered the main line, but found himself lost in the myriad of sub-variations. Endgame study solving is for fun for everybody!
Van der Heijden,H, Beasley,J, 2000
White to play and win
Study king Harold van der Heijden
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