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Again demonstrating the knife-edge, the only alternative that does not result in White being mated in a few moves, 6.Kb5, is refuted by 6...Nd3! and Black wins: (a) 7.Kxc6 Ne5+ and the Black Queen enters the fray with decisive effect, soon capturing the White pawns on b6 and a7, and with many lines
97:
was among the judges. Their report stated that
Mitrofanov's entry "doesn't look like any other, and is beyond the rest of the studies." Another judge, composer Alexander Herbstmann, said: "Immediately after the first preview, Mitrofanov's masterpiece created a tremendous impression by the intensity
729:
has an enormous material advantage, it cannot defend against the dual threats of 10.b7# and 10.c8(Q)+. Note that if the Black queen were instead on any other square of the board where it is not already giving check, Black would easily win. Only on g5, to which square White's queen sacrifice has
683:
Mitrofanov's amazing conception. Having previously sacrificed the rook in order to avoid horizontal checks by Black's queen, White now sacrifices its queen, with the opponent giving check upon the capture, for exactly one reason - to deflect Black's queen (hence, "Mitrofanov's
Deflection") and
631:
The most obvious alternative, 3...Nc4+, is objectively better as it pushes mate further away, but represents less of a knife-edge. It is refuted by 4.Kb5 h1(Q) 5.g8(Q)+ Bb8 6.a7 Qh2 (6...Nd6+ 7.Kc6 Qxd5+ 8.Qxd5 m/3) 7.axb8(Q)+ Qxb8 8.Qxb8+ Kxb8 9.Kxc4
696:, called it "a move from another world." KrabbĂ© observed: "White lifts his mating threat, the pin of , lets his Queen be captured with check on an unguarded square, remains with a few pawns against Queen, Bishop and Knight – and wins."
608:
White refutes, with 3.g7, each of 2...Ne3 (m/12), 2...Bb8 (m/11), 2...Nf4 (m/8), 2...Bc7 (m/8), 2...Nh4 (m/8), 2...Kb8 (m/7), 2...Nd7 (m/7), 2...Be7 (m/6) and both minor piece underpromotions (to a bishop (m/7) or knight
719:
If instead Black checks and sacrifices the queen, White captures it and the threat of 10.c7 wins in the same way as in the main line. Black's other alternatives are refuted by 9.b7+ or 9.b7#.
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All other moves lose, e.g. 5.Qe6? Nc4+ 6.Kb5 (6.Kb4 Nd3+ 7.Kxc4 Ne5+ m/19; 6.Ka4 Nd6 7.b7+ Ka6 8.Qe3+ Kxa6 9.Qe2+ Kxb7 m/13 as White soon runs out of checks) Nd6+ 7.Kc6 Nc2 m/15.
636:
All other 3rd Black moves result in mate in at most 6 moves, either by White capturing the checking piece (if 3...Nc6+ or 3...Bb4+) or, in all other cases, by 4.g8(Q)(+).
60:, 40 of which were awarded first prizes in competitions. Between 1955 and 1992, he participated in the finals of eight USSR Championships for chess composition. In
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eventually leading to a Bishop+Knight mate; (b) 7.axb8(Q)+ Nxb8 8.b7+ Ka7 (8...Kxb7? 9.Qh7+ and 10.Qxd3 draws) 9.Qe6 Qb1+ and eventually the White pawns fall.
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3...Bb8 is refuted by 4.a7 (m/7) and not by 4.g8(Q)?? which only draws after 4...Nc4+, where White has nothing better than to accept perpetual check.
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Since 5...Qxd5+ is met by 6.Qxd5+ Nc6+ 7.Qxc6#, to postpone being mated, Black must sacrifice the knight in order to enable his queen to give check.
38:
684:
thereby prevent it delivering checks along the diagonal. At first glance, the move looks like a misprint. Upon being shown this move, grandmaster
672:(see position at above right) The only somewhat plausible alternative, 6...Qh2 to defend the b8 square, falls to 7.axb8(Q)+ Qxb8 8.b7+ Ka7 9.Qg1#
82:
In 1967, Mitrofanov's most celebrated chess study was awarded first prize from 250 entries to a tournament commemorating the twelfth-century
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If 2...Nc4+ then 3.Kb5 (all other White moves lose) Nxe1 (all other moves give White mate in at most 20 moves) 4. g7 and the threat of
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Unfortunately, Mitrofanov's original study (as below, but with Black's knight on f3 rather than g2) was subsequently found to have a
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If instead White moves the king out of check, Black checks with the knight (if 7.Kb4?) or queen, and the game is drawn.
22:
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and novelty of the idea. The ranking of the other studies was designated by us beginning with the second place."
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reportedly said: "What?! The queen is given for nothing – and with check!" Victor
Charusin, an
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But now what can White play? If 7. Ka4 Qh4+ or 7.Kb4 Qh4+ or 7.Ka6 Qe2+, Black can draw by perpetual check.
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All remaining Black knight moves are refuted by 3.Re8+ (2...Nf7 3.Re8+ is m/3; for the others, it is m/2).
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9...Qd5 10.c8(Q)+ Bb8 11.b7+ Qxb7+ 12.Qxb7# and 9...Qg6 10.c8(Q)+ Bb8 11.Qb7# lose even quicker.
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All other moves lose. White has to stop Black from blockading the queenside pawns with 1...Bc7+.
41:(awarded 1971) and an International Master of Chess Composition (awarded 1980). He was born in
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If 1...Kb8, then 2.g7 Kc8 3.g8(Q)+ Kd7 4.Qe6+ Kd8 5.Qxd6+ Ke8 6.Rxe5+ Kf7 7.Qg6+ Kf8 8.Re8#.
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All other Black moves lead to a mate in at most 4 moves, e.g., 7...Qe8 8.b7+ Kxa7 9.Qc5#
725:(see diagram below) Though Black, with a queen, bishop, and knight against White's two
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nature of this problem is highlighted by the fact that Black is now losing
758:; without the bishop, Black draws with 10...Kb7 followed by Nd3-e5-d7xb6.
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5...Nd7 is refuted by 6.Qe6 Nc5 7.axb8(Q)+ Kxb8 8.Qd6+ Ka8 9.Qd8+ m/2.
764:
One of the pawns will queen; White mates in (at most) 11 more moves.
730:
deflected it, does Black have no checks that do not lose the queen.
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If 2.g7?, then 2...h1(Q) draws; all other 2nd moves lose for White.
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along the first rank from Black's soon-to-be-created queen on h1.
118:. Even after correction, the study remains notable. According to
61:
33:(July 2, 1932 – November 26, 1992) was a Russian
617:
All remaining Black bishop moves are refuted by 3.Rxe5 (m/3).
122:, "t would be my candidate for 'study of the millennium'".
754:. Without the knight, Black draws with 10...Bxb6+ 11.Kxb6
642:
All other moves allow Black to mate in at most 9 moves.
625:
All other moves allow Black to mate in at most 9 moves.
72:. Mitrofanov composed a number of studies jointly with
56:
Beginning in the 1950s, Mitrofanov published over 300
713:
Threatens 9.b7#. White's other moves lose to 8...Bd6.
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Allows Black's bishop to interpose on b8 after White
615:
2...Bb4+ is most efficiently refuted by 3.Kb5 (m/7).
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If Black promotes to Queen or Rook, 3. Rxh1 is m/11.
742:All other Black moves result in mate in two. The
958:White's king and two pawns defeat Black's army.
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692:International Master and author of the book
110:, a defense that enabled Black to reach a
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39:International Judge of Chess Composition
1029:, Faber and Faber, 1993, pp. 288, 298.
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613:2...Nc6+ is refuted by 3.dxc6 (m/8).
1091:Chess players from Saint Petersburg
1027:The Even More Complete Chess Addict
557:Position after Black's sixth move.
14:
562:From the position at above left:
1051:Tim Krabbé, "A Genius' Bad Luck"
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348:Mitrofanov, 1967 (corrected).
1025:Mike Fox and Richard James,
49:) and, by profession, was a
31:Leopold Adamovich Mitrofanov
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1106:20th-century chess players
18:
1101:Soviet chemical engineers
114:, in some variations by
25:to describe chess moves.
694:Mitrofanov's Deflection
350:White to play and win.
68:were jointly awarded 3
727:connected passed pawns
1096:Russian chess writers
1081:Russian chess players
956:Position after 9.c7!!
64:competitions, he and
1086:Soviet chess players
977:International judges
1008:gtryfon.demon.co.uk
77:Alexander Beliavsky
1013:2006-09-30 at the
997:A genius' bad luck
590:the rook to avoid
23:algebraic notation
21:This article uses
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51:chemical engineer
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58:endgame studies
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102:Famous study
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30:
29:
1071:1992 deaths
1066:1932 births
761:11.bxa7 1-0
750:of the two
744:paradoxical
739:10.Kxa5 Kb7
579:his g-pawn.
95:Mikhail Tal
74:grandmaster
70:gold medals
1060:Categories
964:References
588:Sacrifices
120:Tim Krabbé
756:stalemate
704:7...Qxg5+
669:6...Qxh5+
628:3...h1(Q)
90:. Former
43:Leningrad
1011:Archived
733:9...Qa5+
716:8...Bxa7
654:5...Nc6+
639:4.g8(Q)+
606:is m/21.
604:queening
599:2...Nxe1
84:Georgian
748:because
680:7.Qg5!!
645:4...Bb8
609:(m/6)).
572:1...Ka8
1033:
662:6.dxc6
592:checks
584:2.Re1!
577:queens
722:9.c7!
710:8.Ka6
632:m/15.
566:1.b6+
86:poet
45:(now
37:, an
1031:ISBN
690:ICCF
648:5.a7
622:3.g7
112:draw
108:cook
62:FIDE
1062::
983:^
79:.
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