August 17th

Михаил Моисеевич Ботвинник (17-08-1911 - 05-05-1995) Russian composer and o.t.b World Champion (Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik)

Mikhail Botvinnik
[Wikipedia]

You all know Mikhail Botvinnik already (if not, please immediately read the Wikipedia page), but were you aware that he also composed endgame studies while he was World Champion?

Ботвинник, Михаил Моисеевич
Шахматы в СССР 1939
4^th Prize

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3 + 3

Show Solution

1. d8=Q+
{1. Rf2 ? Rd4 2. d8=Q+ Rxd8+ 3. Kxd8 Kc5 4. Kc7 b4 5. Rb2 Kc4 6. Kb6 Kc3 =}
1... Rxd8+ 2. Kxd8 Kc5 3. Rb7 ! b4 4. Kc7 Kc4 5. Kb6
{Classical manoeuvre of the white King behind the black pawn}
5...b3 6. Ka5 Kc3 7. Ka4 b2 8. Ka3 +-