Now it is Black who must fight for the draw, but the game is not a sure win. Reuben Fine again: a BP can win here (whereas a NP would only draw). The key points are these: White must advance his passer as far as is consistent with its safety, and he must try to keep the opposing king from blockading the passer's file, or better still, keep at least one file free between the passer and the opposing king. No easy task, given that the threat of perpetual check is always present when a king faces a queen on the open board. The f2 and f3 pawns are sparce cover for the White king, but, oddly enough, probably better cover than f2 and g2 would have been (see note to Black's move 14.!).

Black must avoid a queen trade, otherwise the passer simply runs home.

Again, if Black trades, the passer runs home.

Here however, 48. c5 fails to ... Qf4; 49. c6, Qg5+ and Black escapes with perpetual check. White must therefore hold the squares f4 and g5 somehow. The text move prepares this.

White has achieved several interim goals: he has advanced the c-passer; he has prevented the Black king from blockading the c-file; he has forced Black to use the queen (rather than the king) to halt the further advance of the c-passer (the Black queen would have better pursued perpetual checks); White has avoided a see-saw perpetual check on g5; and immobilised the Black k-side pawns, leaving Black only king-shuttle moves or queen-shuttle moves. Progress is slow, but steady. The next stage is more perilous, however.

So, the next stage begins: White cannot advance the c-passer any farther with the queen alone. The king must come out of hiding and support the c-passer. This exposes him to checks and the threat of perpetual check is the potential game-decider.

A miscalculation. There are some drawing lines if Black continues 52. ... Qb1+. After the text move, however, White has a forced win in all variations.

Now it is White who has the outside passer and the Black king must yield a crucial square (e4) to stop it.

Black has three options: a) 57. ... gxf5+; 58. Kxf5 etc.; b) 57. ... g5; 58. f3 etc. or c) 57. ... Ke7; 58. fxg6 etc., all of which lose by force, mostly because White has a waiting move in reserve (the f2 pawn holds the key) to force Black to yield the king's opposition when necessary. Black resigned. Fought tooth and nail all the way. 1 - 0