Study of the Year 2012
“The Study of the Year“award is organized by the WFCC and aims at introducing to the general public a single friendly endgame study that would hopefully appeal to chess players of various levels and encourage them to pay a deeper attention to the art of the endgame study on a more regular basis. Composers were invited to pick up just one study (either their own or by others), published (informal tourneys) or judged (formal tourneys) during the year 2012. All 24 candidates were sent by the world’s best composers and the jury’s scores may be seen here: http://akobiachess.gol.ge/study_2012.html
An international panel of world famous experts (David Gurgenidze, Oleg Pervakov, Gady Costeff, Ilham Aliev and Harold van der Heijden) examined the candidates and announced The Study of the Year 2012 at the end of 2013.
See the PGN file here. On the new page, you can click on the moves and watch the pieces moving.
1. Rb7+ [1.Rxc8+? Kxc8 2.Re8+ Kc7 3.Bd6+ Qxd6 4.f8Q Qxf8 (4…Rh2+ 5.Kb1 Qxf8 6.Rxf8 d2 7.Rf1 dxc1Q+ 8.Rxc1 Rh6=) 5.Rxf8 d2 6.Rf1 dxc1Q 7.Rxc1 Ra5+! 8. Kb2 Ra6=] 1…Ka8 2.Ra7+!! Nxa7 3.Re8+ Nc8 4.Rxc8+ Ka7 5.Bc5+! Rxc5 6.Ra8+!! [6.f8Q? Qg2+ 7.Ka3 Ra5+ 8.Kb4 Qd2+ 9.Kc4 Qxc1+= with perpetual check] 6…Kxa8 7.f8Q+ Qb8 8.Qxc5 d2 9.c7 [9.Qa5+?? Qa7–+] 9…dxc1N+! A new black Knight is born on the square where his white counterpart was captured… 10.Kb1! [10.Qxc1? Qxc7! 11.Qxc7=] 10…Qc8! [10…Qxb3+ 11.Kxc1+-] 11.Qc6+ Ka7 12.Kxc1 Qh3! 13.c8N+! and a new white Knight is born on the square where a black Knight was captured! [13.c8Q? (13. c8 R?) 13…Qf1+= and stalemate by the black desperado queen; 13.c8B–+ Qxb3 14.Qc7+ Ka8=] 13…Kb8 14.Nb6! Qxb3 15.Qc8+ Ka7 16.Qa8+ Kxb6 17.Qb8+ Mutual Phoenix theme: Both Black and White knights are captured and reborn on the very same squares! 1–0