Amusing RHP Momwnt No.173

[FEN "6k1/ppp3p1/7p/6rP/7r/5R2/6KN/8 w - - 0 37"]

37. Kh1 {White waits for Black's reply. If 1...Rgxh5 then resigns, if Rhxh5 then....} 37... Rhxh5 38. Rf8+ {Black cannot take the pesky Rook, if he does it's stalemate.} 38... Kh7 39. Rh8+ Kg6 {The Rook follows the King around as if joined to it by a piece of elastic.}40. Rxh6+ Kf7 41. Rf6+ Ke8 42. Re6+ Kd7 43. Rd6+ Ke7 44. Re6+ Kf7 45. Rf6+ Kg8 46. Rf8+ Kh7 47. Rh8+ Kg6 48. Rh6+ Kf5 49. Rf6+ Ke4 50. Rf4+ Kd5 51. Rd4+ {Black can see no way to avoid his King being harassed by this Rook so...} 51... Kxd4 {Stalemate.}

[FEN "8/ppp3p1/8/3k2rr/5R2/8/7N/7K w - - 0 1"]

1. Rd4+ Ke6 2. Rd6+ Ke5 3. Rd5+ Kf4 4. Rd4+ Kg3 5. Rd3+ Kh4 {The Knight is now unpinned and the stalemates are off.} 6. Rd4+ Kh3 7. Rd3+ Rg3

[FEN "k7/1pP5/1P6/8/8/K4rPR/1PPPPP2/8 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "29"]
1. e3 Rxe3+ 2. c3 Rxc3+ 3. Ka2 Ra3+ 4. Kb1 Ra1+ 5. Kc2 Rc1+ 6. Kd3 Rc3+ 7. Ke2 Re3+ 8. Kf1 Re1+ {this is the intended solution, but it's not black's best move. for the best move, see the next viewer.} 9. Kg2 Rg1+ 10. Kf3 Rxg3+ 11. Ke2 Re3+ 12. Kd1 Re1+ 13. Kc2 Rc1+ 14. Kb3 Rc3+ 15. Ka2 {and black is out of checks}

[FEN "k7/1pP5/1P6/8/8/4r1PR/1P1P1P2/5K2 b - - 0 7"]
7... Re8 {now white must actually push the g-pawn rather than having it removed for him.} 8. g4 Re1+ {now that we've got that spite-delay out of the way, it's back to the chase.} 9. Kg2 Rg1+ 10. Kf3 Rg3+ 11. Ke2 Re3+ 12. Kd1 Re1+ 13. Kc2 Rc1+ 14. Kb3 Rc3+ 15. Ka2 Rxc7 {sometimes you don't get to play the move you worked so hard to prepare! is it feasible to 'fix' it by adding a block on the c-file?} 16. Rh8+ Rc8 17. Rxc8# *