A Single Corner Singe

20151211-singe.jpg

The Single Corner opening with 11-15, 22-18 is very popular and full of interesting play, but sometimes a seemingly reasonable and natural looking move will singe a player's fingers, so to speak. We'll look at one such situation in today's original study.

To set the scene, here's the run-up, without commentary.


1. 11-15 22-18
2. 15x22 25x18
3. 9-14 18x9
4. 5x14 29-25
5. 8-11 25-22
6. 10-15 22-17
7. 4-8 17x10
8. 7x14 23-18
9. 15x22 26x10
10. 6x15 24-19
11. 15x24 28x19
12. 2-6 32-28
13. 11-15 19x10
14. 6x15 21-17
15. 12-16 28-24

Here's the position as it now stands.

WHITE
20151211-singe1.png
BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W31,30,27,24,17:B16,15,8,3,1.

White should have played 17-14 but didn't, and it's a win for Black, but how? Could you have drawn with White had you played 17-14? Black still would have an edge and the draw is not easy.

WHITE
20151211-singe2.png
BLACK
Black to Play, White to Draw

B:W31,30,28,27,14:B16,15,8,3,1.

So we've burned the candle at both ends, and left you with two problems. Show the Black win after White's 28-24, and show how White could have made a draw with 17-14.

Too much? Burned out? Set your mouse aflame on Read More to see the solution and explanatory notes.20050904-symbol.gif



Solution

First we'll look into Black's winning line after 28-24.

WHITE
20151211-singe1.png
BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W31,30,27,24,17:B16,15,8,3,1.


16. 16-19 24-20

Forced.


17. 19-24 27-23

Attempting to remove a target.


18. 24-28 30-26
19. 28-32 26-22
20. 8-11 23-18

17-14 may be better here, but this move looks natural enough.


21. 15-19 18-14
22. 3-7 17-13
23. 32-28

The king swings into action.


23. ... 13-9
24. 19-23 22-17

9-5 is the computer move but we show instead a less artificial conclusion.


25. 23-27 31x24
26. 28x19 9-5
27. 11-15 14-9
28. 15-18 17-14
29. 19-15 20-16
30. 18-22 16-12
31. 15-11

Black wins. White is out of safe moves.

And now, let's look at the situation had 17-14 been played instead of 28-24.

WHITE
20151211-singe2.png
BLACK
Black to Play, White to Draw

B:W31,30,28,27,14:B16,15,8,3,1.


16. 3-7 28-24

Now this move is okay. What a difference an interim move makes!


17. 16-19 24-20
18. 8-11

Best at this point, to hold the white man on 16.


18. ... 30-26
19. 19-24 26-23
20. 24-28 14-9
21. 28-32 27-24
22. 7-10 9-5
23. 10-14 23-19
24. 32-28

Best.


24. ... 19x10
25. 28x19 10-7
26. 14-17 7-3
27. 11-15 3-7
28. 15-18 7-10
29. 18-22 10-14
30. 17-21 14-17

Drawn. Black, with the narrowest of advantages, really can't win.

Computer analysis for this study was done with Ed Gilbert's KingsRow engine and the companion 10-piece end-game database.

02/20/16 - Category: Problems -Printer friendly version-
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