[what is this?]

[what is this?]

1 3 games, 1936-2004 Brilliant combinations meet famous chess studies <♔<♕<♖<♘<♗<♙<UNDER CONSTRUCTION>♙>♗>♘>♖>♕>♔> <[Updated: November 18, 2023]> (...) The game Vitiugov vs J Santos Latasa, 2023 where GM Santos accomplished a Queen maneuver, (I made pun of it: "Stairway to heaven"), made me recall of a related combo. But, where? Later, I made memory of a chess study that appears in books worldwide: <♔S.R.Barrett, 1874> <White to play and win ♔> click for larger view ♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔♔> <Mitrofanov's deflection> It's a legend among chess studies. It appeared on the chess field in 1967, creation of Leopold Mitrofanov. click for larger view Tim Krabbe poetic precision: <<>7.Qg8-g5!! 'A move from another world,' as Charushin, the writer of that book, puts it. Only this utterly unlikely move wins. White lifts his mating threat, the pin of Bb8, lets his Queen be captured with check on an unguarded square, remains with a few pawns against Queen, Bishop and Knight—and wins.> <[Link to Krabbe's blog: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2...> The study was ranked first by all judges (with Tal's enthusiast participation) and became legend. A chess composition: a rockstar. Then the sky of legend became cloudy...some nice refutations on the study. It has a full book devoted to it! <Cover of the book: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2...> This move, though yet too magical for the imagination to make it possible over the board, has an interesting parallel on a practical game: E MacDonald vs Burn, 1910 click for larger view During a tumultuous game where no side could keep the ball, Burn delivers crash: 33 ...♕g4!! click for larger view (Adding a tragicomic sauce to this recipe: as spectacular as it seems, the jolt just lifted the bar so high - to barely equalize the game! Black was losing before <THIS>) <♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕> <[Endgames of different coloured bishops: to have the bishop or have it not]> Shirov's legendary fireworks were conducted until the end vs Topalov in 1998, when the ♗ sac, <47...♗h3!!>, revealed some tactics beyond simple sight, forcing an incredible ending. King maneuvers, in some style of Reti's studies, was required to win. click for larger view If watching this move for the first time gives an expression of "weird", well, another fact to make it weirder: there is a brilliant study with the same idea! <[Oleg Pervakov, 1987 White draws]> click for larger view The first moves are 1.♔f2! h3 2.♗h6!! click for larger view Same device for a different purpose this time: as the Black ♗ doesn't control the promoting square, this tactic gives White some tempo for the later strategy to save draw. <♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕> From D Wagner vs Kosteniuk, 2018, Black just played 116 …f1♖!! click for larger view Which would shock as a surprising resource - Black has to play with 3♖s vs ♕ for the win - a unique correlation of forces! As <underpromotion to avoid stalemate> is a common treat among composed studies, there is a special section where this correlation <Q vs 3 same pieces!> shows: <Searching for some studies as examples!><*YET TO BE UPDATED*> <KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK> Bogoljubov vs Duras, 1914 Oldrich Duras, as his countryman and contemporary, Richard Reti, was both a top player and composer, excelling in both fields. Against another top grandmaster, he had his creative moment of the composition over the board. click for larger view Unsure right now if Duras' «studiesque» move was the only way to win. As both White Rooks control the critical squares and counterattack is immediate, the creative was forced to be creative immediately: 46... ♘f2+!!<!!><I would add the pair of "!!" that would go attached to this if it was a study! Fully deserved for the aesthetic moment: the composer composing over the board vs such top opponent - unique moment for a composer.> click for larger view 9 games, 1910-2023