[Event "Lev Lepkyi 130"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "(1) Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen"] [Black "?"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "1st Prize"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "q5b1/8/3p4/2QP4/pN2P3/2p5/B3p3/1K3k2 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "26"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] {White is on the defensive, his biggest worry being the pawn on e2. It is not yet time for active counterplay.} 1. Qb5 $1 (1. Qc4 $2 {loses because the c4 square is needed for the bishop.} Bh7 2. Qd3 Bxe4 $1 3. Qxe4 e1=Q+ 4. Qxe1+ Kxe1 $19) 1... Qe8 $1 {White is not given time for 2. Bc4} 2. Qd3 {Necessary retreat, the first of many.} (2. Qxe8 $2 e1=Q+ 3. Kc2 Qd2+ $19) (2. Bc4 $2 Qxe4+ 3. Bd3 Kf2 $1 4. Bxe4 e1=Q+ 5. Ka2 Qxe4 6. Qxa4 Bxd5+ $19) 2... Qxe4 $1 { There is no rest for White.} (2... Kf2 3. Qd4+ $11) 3. Qxe4 Bh7 $1 {The point. White must retreat, keeping an eye on the pawn.} 4. Qd3 $1 Kf2 {Unpinning the pawn. White must take one further step into his cave.} (4... Bxd3+ $4 5. Nxd3 $18) (4... Kg1 5. Kc1 e1=Q+ 6. Qd1 $11) 5. Qc2 $1 Ke3 {Now the promotion cannot be stopped. Time to go on the offensive for White?} 6. Ka1 $1 {Well, not exactly.} e1=Q+ 7. Bb1 {Luckily for White c2 is still immune.} Qd2 $1 8. Qa2 $1 {Perhaps not the active counterplay White had been hoping for. But the only way to cover b2.} (8. Qxd2+ $2 cxd2 {leaves no hope}) (8. Qxh7 $2 Qb2#) 8... Qc1 {fighting for the c2 square.} 9. Nc2+ $1 {A check! White gets to give a check! Simultaneously burying Bb1 and Qa2 even further.} Kd2 $1 {When White now saves his knight, Black will play c3-c2 and have a win after the general exchange. And it is not like White has any counterplay, is it?} 10. Nd4+ {Time to break out!} (10. Qa3 $2 Bxc2 $19) 10... c2 11. Nb3+ $1 {Not too late to go wrong.} (11. Qxc2+ $2 Bxc2 12. Nb3+ $1 Kd1 $1 (12... axb3 $2 {stalemate}) ( 12... Bxb3 $2 {stalemate}) 13. Nxc1 Kxc1 14. Ba2 Kd2 15. Bc4 (15. Kb2 Kd3 {zz} 16. Ka3 Kc3 $19 {zz}) 15... Bd3 16. Ba2 Kc3 17. Bb3 $1 Bc2 $1 $19 (17... axb3 $2 {stalemate}) (17... Kxb3 $2 {stalemate})) (11. Nxc2 $2 Bxc2 12. Qxc2+ Qxc2 13. Bxc2 Kxc2 $19) 11... axb3 12. Qa5+ Kd1 13. Qe1+ $1 Kxe1 {stalemate} 1/2-1/2