[Event "The Problemist"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "(1) Alain Villeneuve (FRA)"] [Black "?"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "4th Prize"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2r3k1/8/4KPP1/1p6/8/8/2p5/2R5 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "27"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] {14 forced moves with a funny ZZ and a swallow ("eine Schwalbe") c1-e1-a1-h1-a1.} 1. Kd7 $1 Rc4 $1 2. Re1 $1 Rd4+ {Imagine you have this position in a tournament game. I am sure that you would play -- just like me -- Ke7. Would you not ?} 3. Ke8 $3 (3. Ke7 $2 Rf4 $3 {(ZZ : the white rook is in a focal position, because it must observe at the same time e4 & c1)} 4. f7+ Kg7 $1 5. Rc1 Re4+ $1 $11) 3... Rf4 {The rook must control f8.} 4. Ke7 $3 {ZZ : this way, it is the black rook which is in a focal position, because it must observe at the same time a4 & f8.} b4 (4... Re4+ 5. Rxe4 $1 c1=Q 6. f7+ Kg7 7. f8=Q+ $18) 5. Ra1 $3 {No more ...Ra4.} Re4+ 6. Kd6 (6. Kd7) 6... Rd4+ 7. Ke6 $1 {Switchback.} Rd8 8. g7 $1 {Threatening Rh1.} Rc8 9. Rh1 $1 Re8+ (9... Rc6+ 10. Ke5 $1 Rc5+ 11. Kd6 $1 Rg5 12. Rh8+ $1 Kf7 13. Rf8+ $1 $18) (9... c1=Q 10. Rh8# ) 10. Kf5 $1 Kf7 11. Ra1 $3 {Switchback. The chessboard is just wide enough !} Rc8 12. Ra7+ $1 Kg8 13. Kg6 $1 c1=Q 14. f7# {Sorry that the white Rook did not disappear for a model mate ! "A non-standard rook endgame with an unexpected mutual zugzwang and very wide play of the white rook" (judge Oleg Pervakov).} 1-0