Emil Melnichenko - Study
Original 2007
Moves are clickable
1.Nd7 (1.Nc8? Bg2 2.Bf8 Nb5 3.Nd7 (3.Nc4 Bd5 4.Kd3 Be6 5.N8d6 Nxd6 6.Bxd6 Bxc4+ ) (3.Bc5 Bh3 4.Ne7 Nc3+ 5.Kd3 Na4 6.Bf2 Nxb6 ) 3...Nd4+ 4.Kd3 Bh3 5.Nb8+ (5.Nc5+ Kb5 6.Nxb7 Bxc8 7.Nd6+ Kxb6 8.Nxc8+ Kc7 ) 5...Kb5 6.Nd6+ (6.Kxd4 Bxc8 7.Bc5 Be6 = Zugswang ) 6...Kxb6 7.Kxd4 Kc7 ) 1...Nc4 (1...Bg2 2.Bd4 Nc4 3.Kd3 Nxb6 4.Bxb6 Bh3 5.Kc4 leads to the main line ) 2.Bd4 (2.Nc8? Bg2 3.Bd4 (3.Nb8+ Kb5 4.Bd4 Bh3 5.Na7+ Ka5 6.Nbc6+ Ka6 7.Nb4+ Ka5 8.Nd5 (8.Nac6+ Kb5 ) 8...Be6 9.Nc6+ Kb5 10.Nce7 (10.Nc7+ Kxc6 11.Nxe6 Kd5 ) (10.Ncb4 Nxb6 11.Bxb6 Bxd5 12.Nxd5 Kc6 ) 10...Bxd5 11.Nxd5 Kc6 12.Ne7+ Kd7 13.Nd5 Kc6 14.Nb4+ Kb5 15.Nd5 Kc6 with a merry go round draw by repetition ) 3...Bh3 4.Nb8+ Kb5 5.Na7+ Ka5 6.Nbc6+ Ka6 7.Nb4+ Ka5 8.Nd5 Be6 9.Nc6+ Kb5 10.Nce7 (10.Nc7+ Kxc6 11.Nxe6 Kd5 12.Kd3 Kxe6 draws ) 10...Bxd5 11.Nxd5 Kc6 12.Ne7+ Kd7 13.Nd5 (13.Kd3 Kxe7 14.Kxc4 Kd7 = ) 13...Kc6 14.Nb4+ Kb5 15.Nd5 Kc6 with a positional draw ) 2...Nxb6 this sacrifice gives Black a fighting chance otherwise he will be overwhelmed or mated (2...Nd6 3.Kd3 Be4+ 4.Kc3 Ka5 (4...Bf5 5.Ne5 Ka5 (5...Be6 6.Kb4 Nf5 7.Bc5 ) 6.Nc4+ Nxc4 7.Kxc4 Be4 8.Kc5 ) 5.Ne5 Nb5+ 6.Nxb5 Kxb5 7.Kd2 Bd5 8.Ke3 aiming for Kc7 winning ) (2...Bg2 3.Kd3 Bf1+ (3...Bd5 4.Kc3 Ka5 (4...Nd6 5.Kb4 Ne4 6.Nb8# ) 5.Bc5 Bg8 (5...Be6 6.Bb4+ Ka6 (6...Ka4 7.Nc5# ) 7.Nc5+ Kxb6 8.Nxe6 ) (5...Ka4 6.Bb4 Nxb6 7.Nxb6# ) (5...Ka6 6.Kb4 Nxb6 7.Nb5 Nxd7 (7...Bc6 8.Nb8# ) 8.Nc7# ) 6.Nc6+ Ka4 7.Nd8 Kb5 8.Bf2 Nd6 9.Kd4 Nc8 10.Ke5 Ka6 11.Nf6 Bb3 12.Ne8 Nxb6 13.Nc7+ Ka7 14.Nde6 Bxe6 15.Kxe6 wins the knight ) 4.Kc3 Na3 (4...Nd6 5.Kb4 Ne4 6.Nb8# ) (4...Na5 5.Nb8# ) 5.Kb3 Nb5 (5...Nc4 6.Nc5+ Kxb6 7.Nd3+ Kc7 8.Kxc4 ) 6.Bc5 Bh3 7.Nb8+ Ka5 8.Nbc6+ Ka6 9.Nb4+ Ka5 10.Nac6+ bxc6 11.b7 queening ) (2...Bd5 3.Kd3 Nd6 4.Kc3 Ka5 5.Be5 Nb5+ 6.Nxb5 Kxb5 7.Bc7 Be6 8.Nf6 Kc5 (8...Kc6 9.Kd4 ) 9.Kd3 Bf5+ 10.Ke3 Bg6 11.Kf4 Kb5 12.Ke5 and White infiltrates ) 3.Bxb6 Bf3+
4.Kd3 Now the White king must do some fancy footwork. (4.Ke3? Bg4 5.Kd4 Be6 and White is in Zugswang ) (4.Kxf3? = stalemate ) 4...Bg4 has Black found a drawing resource despite his two piece deficit? 5.Kc4 (5.Kd4? Be6 = Zugswang ) 5...Be6+ ( after 5...Bxd7 obviously 6.Kc5 +- ) 6.Kd4 (6.Kc5? Bxd7 = ) 6...Bh3 7.Kd5 Bg4 8.Kd6 Bxd7 (8...Bh3 9.Nc8 +- ) 9.Kc5
9...Be8 (9...Bg4 10.Nb5 Bd7 11.Nc7# ) 10.Nc8 and the slower knight outmanoeuvres the fleeter bishop, for example 10...Bc6 11.Nd6 Bd7 12.Nc4 Bc6 13.Ne5 Bb5 14.Nf3 Bd7 15.Nd4 Bf5 16.Nb5 Bd3 17.Nc7# 1-0