By all rights White's king on c6 should mean a win, but Black has a way to force a pawn breakthrough. Can you find it?
Solution to the last puzzle as given?!
J. Metger – L.Paulsen
Nuremberg, 1883
Subsequently analysis, however, revealed a very deep manoeuvre leading to a win.
1.Kd4!
After 1.Kc5 a draw would result by 1...b6+. After 1.Kc4 Black would draw by 1...b5+.
1...Kc6
If 1...b6 then 2.a6 and White wins. If 1...Kd7 then 2.Kc5 Kc7 3.Kb5 Kd7 (if, instead Kc8 then Kb6 etc.) 4.Bg1 followed by Bh2 and White wins.
2.Bb6! Kd6
If 2...Kb5 then 3.Kd5 and Black loses his pawn.
3.Kc4 Kc6 4.Kb4 Kd6 5.Kb5 Kd7! 5.Kc5 Kc8
After other moves of the King 7.Bc7 followed by Kb6 would be the continuation.
7.Ba7 Kc7 8.Kb5 Kd7! 9.Bb8 Kc8 10.Bh2 K moves 11.Kb6 and White wins.
Further research shows there is more to this position than meets the eye.
Cleared Up. This note by A.J. Roycroft in E.G., No. 11, January 1968, is translated from Deutsche Schachzeitung, viii/ix, 1967.
From, for example, p. 169 of A Manual of Chess, by Emanuel Lasker, 1932
Metger – L. Paulsen
“White, Metger, to play and win.”
1.Kd4. The black pawn must not be allowed to advance checking, since the reply to that advance is to be a6. 1...Kc6 2.Bb6 Kd6 Of course, if 2...Kb5 3.Kd5 and conquers b7; 3. Kc4 Kc6 4.Kb4 Kd6 5.Kb5 Kd7 6.Bg1 Kc7 7.Bh2+ K- 8.Kb6 wins.
(Moves, notes and stipulation as in Em. Lasker’s book.)
“An investigation by Egbert Meissenburg reveals the truth about the very well-known accompanying diagram. Most end-game treatises give the diagram as here with White to move, and the winning procedure. But what happened in the actual game? None of the authorities give a clear answer. Herr Meissenburg has consulted the original sources for the period, and comes to the following conclusion. The game was between J. Metger and L. Paulsen (that is, Metger was White) in the double-round tournament at Nurnberg in 1888, won by von Gottschall ahead of Harmonist. The actual position that arose was as in the second diagram, and the play proceeded: 1...Kc4 2.b3+ ab 3.Kb2 and the draw was agreed.
Position from the game
J. Metger – L. Paulsen,
Nurnberg, 1888
Paulsen play 1...Kc4? 2.b3+ ab 3.Kb2 and a draw was agreed.
“The sources consulted were Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1888, p. 285, and Bruderschaft for 1888, p. 283. It appears that only Euwe (1959) gives the correct game continuation, though reversing the colours. Herr Meissenburg informs that the first person to point out the actual continuation was Dr. Ernst Bachl in his column (no date given) in the Worms Allgemeiner Zeitung. It is, to us, quite astonishing how frequently the famous classical positions are subject to distortion, mis-quotation, and confused history.
“(It is rather extraordinary that the first diagram also appeared without particular comment in T.R. Dawson’s endings column in the British Chess Magazine in February, 1946, as an original composition by the well-known player, later twice British Champion, R.J. Broadbent.)”
“(It is rather extraordinary that the first diagram also appeared without particular comment in T.R. Dawson’s endings column in the British Chess Magazine in February, 1946, as an original composition by the well-known player, later twice British Champion, R.J. Broadbent.)”
(BCM, April, 1968)
All I can say is it is a very instructional position!
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