Nº31 Alain Pallier

Draw

Section B.2.

Alain Pallier (France)

wKc6,Ng8,Rg6,Pa3,b5/bKh3,Ne2,Pa4,b4,d3,d6,e3

1.b6
1.Rxd6? Sg3! (1…b3? 2.Rxd3=) 2.b6 (2.Rxd3 e2 -+) 3.b7 e1Q(bxa3) 4.b8Q bxa3(e1Q) -+ eg 5.Qc8+ Kg2 6.Kd7 a2 7.Qc6+ Ne4 8.Rg6+ Kf1 9.Nf6 a1Q -+

1…Sd4+ 2.Kd7!
2.Kc7? d2 2.b7 d1Q 3.Rh6+ (b8Q Qc2+) 3…Kg2(3) -+

2…e2 3.b7 d2
3…e1Q 4.b8Q d2 5.Qa8 (b7) Qf1 and, eg, 6.Rh6+ Kg3 7.Rg6+ =

4.b8Q d1Q 5.Qa8!!
-Thematic try: 5.Rh6+? Kg2 6.Rg6+ (6.Qa8+? Sf3 -+) 6…Kf2! (6…Kf3? 7.Qf8+ Ke3 8.Rg4! Kd3 9.Qxd6 e1=Q 10.Rxd4+ Kc2 and, eg, 10.Sf6 Qf3 11.Rc4+ Kb3 12.Rxb4+ =) 10.Qf8+ Sf3 11.Sh6 e1Q 12.Sg4+ Ke2 and now 13.Re6+ is answered by 13…Se5+! 14.Sxe5+ dxe5+ with (double) countercheck and Black wins.
Other tries:
-5.Qf8? e1Q 6.Rh6+ Qh4! (but not 6…Kg2? 7.Rg6+ Qg3 8.Rxg3+ Kxg3 9.Qxd6+ and 10.Qxb4=) 7.Rxh4+ Kxh4 8.Qf2+ (8.Qh6+ Qh5! -+ ; 8.Sf6 Qd3 9.Sd5 Qh3+ 10.Kxd6 Qe6+ 11.Kc5 Sb3+ 12.Kc4 Qe4+ 13.Kb5 Qxd5+ 14.Kxb4 [14.Kxa4 Sc5+ 15.Kb4 Qb3+/Qd4+ winning white Queen] 14…Qd4+ 15.Kb5 Qe5+ -+) 9…Kh3 10.Sf6 and, eg, 10…bxa3 11.Qe3+ Kg2 12.Qxa3 Qb3 13.Qxd6 Qb7+ 14.Ke8 Qa8+ 15.Kd7 Qa7+ 16.Kc8 a3 and Black wins.
-5.Qb7? d5! 6.Rh6+ (6.Kd8 e1Q 7.Qd7 Qh4+/Se6+ -+) 6…Kg2! 7.Qb8 e1Q 8.Qh2+ Kf1(f3) and black King escapes.
-5.Sf6? e1Q 6.Qh8+ Qh4 7.Rh6 Qe1 8.axb4 a3 9.Rxh4+ Qxh4 -+

5…d5
Explaining why promoting d-pawn was stronger than promoting e-pawn. Now 6.Qxd5? Sf3 and White queen is pinned.

6.Rh6+!
And not, again, 6.Qf8? e1Q 7.Rh6+ Kg2! (with a different refutation now: not 7…Qh4? -as after 5.Qf8?- 7.Rxh4+ Kxh4 8.Qxb4, a move that was impossible with bpd6) 8.Rg6+ Qg3 9.Rxg3+ Kg3 10.Qd6+ Kh3 (Kg2) -+

6….Kg2 7.Rg6+
7.Qxd5+? Sf3! -+

7…Kf2 8.Qf8+ Sf3
8…Ke3 9.Rg3+! (not 9.Qe7+? Kd3! 10.Rg3+ Kc2! 11.Qc5+ Kb2(1) 12.Qxb4+ Sb3 -+) 9…Kd2 10.Qxb4+ Kc1 11.Rg2! (11.Qc5+? Sc2 12.Rg1 d4 -+) 11…Sb3 12.Qf4+! (12.Qc3+? Kb1 13.Qe5 Sc1 14.Se7 d4 15.Qb5+ Qb3 16.Qf5+ d3 -+ ; 12.Rxe2? Qxe2 and 13.Qxa4 is now punished by 13…Sc5+ -+) 12…Sd2 13.Rxe2 Qxe2 14.Qxa4=

9.Sh6!! e1Q 10.Sg4+ Kf1
10…Ke2 11.Re6+ Kd2 12.Qf4+ Kc2 13.Se3+ =

11.Sh2+ Kf2
11…Ke2 12.Sxf3 (12.Re6+) =

12.Sg4+!
12.Sxf3? Qxf3 13.Rf6 Qe4(e3,c3…) 14.Rxf3+ Qxf3 15.Qxb4 and Black wins, eg, with 15…Qe4.

12…Kf1 13.Sh2+= positional draw