Best Study for 2006

As we have said, the Permanent Commission of Fide for Chess Composition (PCCC), each year selects a study and gives to it the title [Study of the Year xxxx]. We will see today the study which was selected as Best for 2006.

[Study of the Year 2006] is a study by Yuri Bazlov (Russian, born in 1947), who composes remarkable problems for many years now. He had received this distinction also for the previous year.

The position has several pieces and is aristocratic (that means there are no pawns). It is difficult for someone to suppose that such a position can appear in an actual chess game, but they have searched through the computer held databases and have found similar positions at a percentage one to a million.

So the solvers could lose interest on a study with 'improbable' position. But since the image of a centered mate being delivered by the last remaining piece – the Knight – is impressive, try to solve this study. All the pieces move to their final positions and only white pieces are captured.

There is no try, only the main solution. Admire what can a man create!

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Study of the year 2006.

	(Problem 379) Yuri Bazlov, First Prize, Composition Tourney in memory of the British C. M. Bent, 2006, White plays and wins. + (4 + 5)
[4S3/5r2/7K/3kb3/r1s5/3BQ3/8/8]

For the solution, start with
Key : 1.Be4+! Ke6

The solution follows...

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(not 1.Qe4+? Kc5 2.Bxc4 Bf4+ 3.Kg6 Rxc4 4.Qa8 Re7 and we cannot see a winning plan for white)

Key : 1.Be4+! Ke6

2.Qc5!
(not 2.Qb3? Rf4 3.Qxa4 Rxe4 and the white is not winning)

2...Bf4+
(not 2...Rfa7 3.Bd5+ Kf5 4.Qf8+ Kg4 5.Qf3+ Kh4 6.Be6 and the white will mate)

3.Kg6 Se5+
4.Kh5 Rxe4
(not 4...Rd7 5.Bd5+ Rxd5 6.Sc7+ Kd7 7.Sxd5 and white will win)
(not 4...Rfa7 5.Bd5+ Kd7 6.Sf6+ Kd8 7.Be6 R4a5 8.Qb6+ Ke7 9.Sg8+ Kf8 10.Qd8+ Kg7 11.Qf6+ Kh7 12.Se7 and white can win)

5.Qd6+ Kf5
6.Qf6+ Rxf6
7.Sg7# 1-0