Joost de Heer, 17 Oct 1995
Found in 'Nieuwe Schaakcuriosa' (T.Krabbe)
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ TB. Gorgiev | | | | | | N| | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ 1958 | | P| | | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ White wins |*K| | P| | | P| | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | P| | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | N| | |*R| | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | | | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | | | |*P| | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | | K| | |*B| | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
Solution :
1. Ne3 f1=Q+ 2. Nxf1 Rxf1+ 3. Ke2 Rf2+ 4. Ke1 Rb2 5. Ne6 Bf2+ 6. Kd1 Bg3 7. f7 Rf2 8. Nf4 Rxf4 9. b8=Q Rf1+ 10. Ke2 Rf2+ 11. Ke3 Bxb8 12. Kxf2 Ba7 13. f8=B {13. f8=Q Bxc5+ 14. Qxc5 stalemate} Bb8 14. Bd6 wins.
But after some time someone, named Preuyt found out that black can reach a draw on the 13th move : Instead of playing Bb8?, he should play 13. .. Bb6!!. For instance : 14. cxb6 Kxb6 = 14. Bd6 Ba5 15. c7 Kb7 = 14. Ke3 Kb5 15. cxb6 Kxb6 =
So Gorgiev did what could be expected : He turned the position 180 degrees, and gave it the stipulation 'White plays an draws'.
W: Kh3, Rc5, Bb8, c6. B: Ke8, Nf7, Nc1, a7, c3, f4, f3, g2.
Solution:
1. c7 Nd6 2. c8=Q+ Nxc8 3. Rxc8+ Kd7 4. Rc7+ Kd8 5. Rg7 Nd3 6. Bxa7 c2 7. Bb6+ Ke8 8. Rc7 Nc5 9. Rxc5 g1=Q 10. Rc8+ Kd7 11. Rc7+ Kd6 12. Bxg1 Kxc7 13. Bh2 c1=B 14. Bg3 Kd6 15. Kg4 draw.
This problem won the first prize in the competition of 'Tijdschrift KNSB' in 1958. Published under the names 'TB Gorgiev & G Preuyt'.
Gorgiev also published it in his book 'Collected endgames' (? This is trans- lated from Dutch, I don't know if it's the exact title), but without the name 'G Preuyt'. But what Gorgiev didn't know was that Preuyt looked at the compo- sition once again and found yet another error in the draw study : Instead of being greedy and capturing the rook, thus allowing the draw finesse, black could win with 12. .. f2!. Normally an incorrect composition would be disqua- lified, but in this case there was something special : The original problem wasn't cooked at all!
But the jury decided to disqualify the composition after all.
but the story goes on : A year later 'tijdschrift KNSB' organized a new tournament, and which composition was sent in by Gorgiev? Indeed, the correc- ted correction! And the study still was beautiful. So Gorgiev won the 1st prize for the second time. Only again withot naming Preuyt.
