1997 World Championship for Endgame Study Composers
First Place Sergei Osinchev

Draw

White: Kd7, Rc1, Rg3, Ne7, Nh2
Black: Kh8, Qa2, Rd1, Ba4, Ba5; pawns - c6, d2

1.Rc5/i Qd5+!/ii 2.Nxd5 cxd5+ 3.Ke7! Rel+/iii 4.Kf8!/iv Bd7/v
5.Rg8+/vi Kh7 6.Rg7+ Kh8 7.Rg8+!/vii Kh7 8. Rg7+ Kh6
9.Rxd7 d1Q/viii 10.Rdxd5!/ix Bb4!/x 11.Ng4+! Qxg4 12.Rd6+
and now:

A) 12...Kh7 13.Rh5+! Qxh5 stalemate #1.
B) 12...Qg6 13.Rh5+! Kxh5 stalemate #2.
C) 12...Qe6 13.Rxe6+ Rxe6 14.Kf7.
D) 12...Re6 13.Rxe6+ and now:
D1) 13...Qxe6 stalemate #3.
D2) 13...Kh7 14.Re7+ Kh6 15.Re6+ Kh7 16.Re7+ Kh8 17.Rh5+
Qxh5 stalemate #4.

i) 1.Rh3+? Kg7 2.Rg3+ Kf8! 3.Sg6+! Kf7 4.Ne5+ Kf6 5.Neg4t
Kf5 6.Rc5+ Qd5+.
ii) 1...Bc2 2.Rh5+ Bh7 3.Ng6+ Kg8 4.Ne5+ Kf8 5.Rf3+ Kg8
6.Rg3+.
iii) 3...Bb4 4.Kf7 Be8+ 5.Kxe8 Re1+/xi 6.Kf7 Re7+! 7.Kf6!
Bxc5! 8.Rd3 Re2 9.Ng4 Bb4 10.Rxd5 Rel 11.Rd8+ Kh7 12.Rd7+
Be7+ 13.Kf7! Bg5 14.Nf6+! Kh6 15.Rd8! Bxf6 16.Rxd2.
iv) 4.Kf7? Be8+ 5.Kf8 d1Q 6.Rg8+ Kh7 7.Rg7+ Kh6 8.Ng4+
Kh5 9.Rxd5+ Qxd5 10.Nf6+ Kh4 11.Nxd5 Bh5 12.Ra7 Bd8
13.Kg7 Rg1+ 14.Kf8 Rdl 15.Ne3 Rd3 16.Nf5+ Kg5.
v) 4...Re8+ 5.Kf7 Re7+ 6.Kxe7.
vi) 5.Rxd5? Bb4+ 6.Kf7 Bc6 7.Kf6 Bxd5; 5.Rg6? Bf5 6.Rh6+
Bh7 7.Rxd5 d1Q 8.Rxdl Rxdl 9.Ng4 Bb4+ 10.Kf7 Rd7+.
vii) 7.Rxd7? d1Q 8.Rdxd5 Bb4! 9.Rxdl Rxdl 10.Kf7 Bxc5.
viii) 9...Bb4 10.Ng4+ or 10.Rd6+
ix) 10.Rxa5? Re6! 11.Rdxd5 Qe2 12. Rh5+ Qxh5 13.Rxh5+ Kxh5
14.Kg7 Rg6+.
x) 10...Qe2?? 11.Rc6+ Kh7 12.Rd7+ Kh8 13.Rh6+; 10...Rf1+
11.Nxf1 Qxf1+ 12.Rf5; 10...Bd2 11.Rd6+! Kh7 12.Rd7+ Kh8
13.Rxd2! Re8+ 14.Kxe8 Qxd2 15. Ng4 Qe2+ 16.Ne5.
xi) 5...Bxc5? 6.Kf7!

'A long introduction adds to the particular charm of this eventful
trip. The climax is a stalemate orgy'