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Let us review this composition by Moravec from 1924.
This composition is a very pratical.
It's themes and maneuvers has help me save games.
The set up does not have to be exactly the same.
Let us take a look at this composition by Moravec.
Even if it is white's turn to move,
Black can still hold for the draw!
If white plays a7, how should black play?
Ra2 and black can continue playing for the draw.
It's common for a rook to hold 2 pawns in this way.
If you knew this, then this move would be obvious.
Kd1 avoids checkmate.
Did you notice that black was threating mate?
In this position, how should black play?
Can black play Ra6 to hold for the draw?
Ra2 is incorrect because white can now promote by
pushing the b-pawn and black loses because
one of the pawns will promote.
Now we know that Ra6 does not work.
So how should black play?
How can black maintian the mating threat?
Kd3 keeps the treat of mate alive.
Because black is treatening Ra1 mate. Right?
Now, how should white play?
Kb1 to attack black's rook
and prevent checkmate.
Now in this position, how should black play?
Kb3 is incorrect because
this allows the b-pawn to push and black can not
stop white from promoting one of the pawns.
I ask again, how should black play in this position?
Ra6 holds the position allowing black to draw.
That is if black continues playing correctly.
Now if white play b7, black has Rb6+.
White plays Kc1 because with Ka1 black has Ra6+.
How should black play after Kc1?
Rh6 threating mate from the other side.
We will discuss why Ra6 does not work, later.
White moves Kd1 to avoid checkmate.
Ke3 keeps the threat of mate alive. Right?
White continues with Kf1 to keep from getting mated.
Finally, the king makes to the g-file so
black can no longer mate the king. Right?
Without the threat of mate, how should black play?
Rg6 checks the king to set up another mating threat.
If Kh1, black has Rh6 threatening to draw by repetition.
Now, how should black play?
Rh6 keeping the threat of mate alive.
As you can see, white can not aviod the threats of mate.
Now let us return to the original position.
Here white is treatening to win by promoting a pawn.
Black meets white's treat by threaten to mate white.
It is a simple concept; however,
black must be careful in executing the plan.
For example, if white plays b7, how should black play?
Rb2 looks logical but the move is incorrect.
Because white can simply attack the rook with Kc1.
Now if black plays Kc3, white has a7.
And black can not stop white from promoting.
If Ra2, white promotes one of the pawns
preventing checkmate.
And Rh2 threatening mate also does not work.
If black tries Rh2, how should white play?
It would be too soon for white to promote.
White must first attack the rook with his king.
After Kg1, if black plays Rg2+ white has Kh1. Right?
And now black has no more threats
and loses the game because now white can promote.
So let us return back to where white plays b7.
Again I ask: how should black play in this position?
Ra2 is also incorrect.
It is true that white promotes the b-pawn,
black has checkmate with Ra1 followed by Rxb1 mate.
However, instead of promoting the b-pawn immediately,
white first maneuvers his king to c1
and now the pawn can successfully promote
and after Ra1+, white now has Qb1 to block the mate.
White sacrifices the queen and promotes the a-pawn.
The correct response to b7 is Rh2.
Black must play Rh2 to continue playing for the draw.
OK, let us see how black saves the game after Ra2.
If white plays Kd1 to avoid mate, black continues
threatening mate with Kd3 and so on.
However, after Kb1, how should black continue?
If black plays Kb3 threatening to mate with Rh1,
white promotes the b-pawn with check.
What are the 2 ways for black to hold for the draw?
One way is with Rh1 forcing the king to a2. Right?
Followed by Rh2+ threatening to draw by repetition.
After Ka3, how should black continue playing?
Rh1 threatening mate with Ra1.
And for the continuation, after Ka4, black has Kc4
After Ka5 black has Kc5, maintaining the mating threat.
And white can not stop the mating threats.
So let's return back to when white played Kb1.
What is the other move for black in this position?
Rb2+ checking the king.
After Ka1, how should black continue playing?
The correct answer is Rb6. Right?
If a7, black has Ra6+
threatening to draw by the tree-fold repition rule.
So white has no other choice but to play Kc1.
After Kc1, how should black play?
This is the same position as in the first line.
It is important to move the rook to h6 because
if black plays Ra6, then white's b-pawn promotes.
And black would not be able to checkmate
because white would have the queen to sacrifice
on b1 to block the checkmate.
This is the reason black must play Rh6.
We know how to hold this position from our first line.
So let us return back to when black play Rh2 to
defend against white's b2 push. We analyzed Kd1 so
if white plays Kf1 to attack black's rook.
How should black play?
Kf3 maintains the mating threat.
Now white continues with Kg1 to attack the rook.
In this position, how should black continue playing?
Notice that white is also threatening to promote.
Rb2 is incorrect because
white has a2 and black has no remedy to
stop the pawns from promoting.
And checking the king hoping for a draw
by a three-fold repition dosn't work
because white has Kh3. Now black
could continue with Rb1, but this mating threat
does not work. How should white play this position?
By promoting his b-pawn to a queen.
So that after Rh1, white blooks the mate with Qh2.
So let's return back to this position.
Again I ask: how should black play fot the draw?
The correct answer is Rg2+.
If Kf1 black has Rh2, maintaining the mating threat.
If white plays Kh1, how should black continue?
Rg8 is the correct answer. Right?
This prevents the b-pawn from promoting
and is in position to check the king so that
if white plays a7 black has Rh8+, followed by Rg8+
forcing Kf1 to avoid drawing by repition.
After Kf1 black has Rh8 to maintian the mating threat.
Now watch what happens.
Black maintains the mating threat.
Now after Kb1, how should black play?
If black play Kb3, white promotes with check.
After black takes the queen white take back with check
The correct answer is Rh1+. Right?
followed by Rh2+ threatening to draw by repetion.
White avoids the threat of repition with Ka3.
Black maintians the mating threat with Rh1.
Now watch what happens.
Now how should black play?
White could have held for the draw but I hope miss
Ra1 mate; whereas with Kc6, black loses.
Thanks for tuning into BK Academy of Chess.