Fortresses

[Nordlandia]

This thread will be dedicated to all known fortresses

[d]2B5/2q1p3/6p1/6k1/4p3/4B1P1/4P1KP/8 b - - 0 5

[d]4K3/2k1Bp1N/6p1/5PP1/8/7p/b7/8 w - - 0 0

[d]4KBbn/5p2/6p1/3k1P2/3N2P1/7p/8/8 w - - 0 0

[d]4knQ1/7r/3p2p1/2bP1pP1/5P1N/6K1/8/8 b - - 0 1



[d]7k/3K1p2/5NpB/6P1/8/8/8/7q b - - 0 4

[Nordlandia]

Semi-Fortress

[d]6n1/8/5k2/4p1bR/4B1P1/6K1/8/8 b - - 0 5
[pgn][Event "3 Honorable Mention, mk09 ti13 @3 {m}"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kovalenko V"]
[Black "White wins"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6P1/B4n1k/4p1bp/5rP1/6K1/3N4/7R w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]

1. g8=N+ (1. g8=Q $2 h4+) 1... Nxg8 (1... Kg6 2. Nxf6 h4+ 3. Kg2 Bxf6 4. Be2) (
1... Kg7 $1 {cook MC} 2. Nxf6 Rxf6) 2. Rxh5+ Kg6 3. Bd3+ Kf6 (3... e4 4. Nxe4 (
4. Bxe4+ $2 Kf6 5. Bd5 Rxg4+ 6. Kxg4 Nh6+ 7. Kg3 Bxd2) 4... Rxg4+ (4... Bh6 5.
Rxh6+) 5. Kxg4 Nh6+ 6. Kh3 (6. Kg3 $2 Kxh5) 6... Kxh5 7. Ng3#) 4. Ne4+ Rxe4 (
4... Ke6 5. Rxg5) 5. Bxe4 *

[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "tv03#0525 {c} {m}"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aloni H"]
[Black "White wins"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Nrk5/1N6/n2n4/8/2B5/3KB3/1R5b/r2bQ3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]

1... Ra3+ $1 2. Kd4 $1 Be5+ $1 3. Kxe5 Rxe3+ $1 4. Kxd6 $1 Rxe1 5. Nb6+ $1 Kxb7
6. Nc8+ $1 Kxc8 7. Bxa6+ Rb7 {Nowotny} 8. Rxb7 $1 (8. Bxb7+ $2 Kb8 $1 (8... Kd8
$2 9. Bc6) 9. Bc6+ Ka7 10. Kc7 Re7+ 11. Bd7 Ba4) 8... Bf3 $1 9. Rb2+ (9. Rb1+
$2 Bb7 $1 10. Bxb7+ Kd8 $1 11. Rxe1) (9. Rb5+ $2 Bb7 10. Bxb7+ Kb8 11. Bc6+ Ka7
12. Kc7 Ka6) 9... Bb7 10. Bxb7+ Kd8 11. Bd5 $1 (11. Rg2 $2 Re2 $1 12. Rg8+ Re8
13. Rg7 Re7 $1 14. Rxe7) *

[/pgn]

Code: Select all

[Event "tv03#0525 {c} {m}"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aloni H"]
[Black "White wins"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Nrk5/1N6/n2n4/8/2B5/3KB3/1R5b/r2bQ3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]

1... Ra3+ $1 2. Kd4 $1 Be5+ $1 3. Kxe5 Rxe3+ $1 4. Kxd6 $1 Rxe1 5. Nb6+ $1 Kxb7
6. Nc8+ $1 Kxc8 7. Bxa6+ Rb7 {Nowotny} 8. Rxb7 $1 (8. Bxb7+ $2 Kb8 $1 (8... Kd8
$2 9. Bc6) 9. Bc6+ Ka7 10. Kc7 Re7+ 11. Bd7 Ba4) 8... Bf3 $1 9. Rb2+ (9. Rb1+
$2 Bb7 $1 10. Bxb7+ Kd8 $1 11. Rxe1) (9. Rb5+ $2 Bb7 10. Bxb7+ Kb8 11. Bc6+ Ka7
12. Kc7 Ka6) 9... Bb7 10. Bxb7+ Kd8 11. Bd5 $1 (11. Rg2 $2 Re2 $1 12. Rg8+ Re8
13. Rg7 Re7 $1 14. Rxe7) *

[Nordlandia]

[d]5B1k/3p3b/3PpNq1/4Pp2/5P2/6PK/8/8 b - - 0 6
[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "New game"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/3p1b2/4pN2/3PPpp1/6R1/6PK/1B1q1P2/8 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "13"]

1. Ba3+ Kg7 2. Rxg5+ Qxg5 3. Bf8+ Kh8 4. f4 Qg6 5. d6 Bg8 6. Kg2 Bh7 7. Kh3 *

[/pgn]

[Nordlandia]

[d]r7/kpPp4/N2P4/1P1p4/2p5/8/4b3/2K5

[Vinvin]

[d]r7/kpPp4/N2P4/1P1p4/2p5/8/4b3/2K5

I suppose it's white to play :
[d]r7/kpPp4/N2P4/1P1p4/2p5/8/4b3/2K5 w - - 0 1

[hgm]

[d]8/8/8/3QK3/3n4/8/1b6/k7 w

[Vinvin]

Some from my past test sets :

[pgn]
[Event "hard CCC 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pos"]
[Black "Endgame/fortress theme"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Vinvin"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "q7/8/5p1p/k1pBpPpP/1p1pP1P1/1P1P4/1KP5/8 b - - 0 1"]

1... Qxd5 $3 0-1

[Event "hard CCC 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pos"]
[Black "Fortress"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Vinvin"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/6k1/5R2/p3p3/Pp1pPp2/1PpP1Pp1/2P3P1/1K6 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rh6 $1 Kxh6 2. Kc1 Kg6 3. Kd1 Rh8 4. Ke2 Rh2 5. Kf1 Rh1+ 6. Ke2 {Draw}
1/2-1/2

[Event "hard CCC 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pos"]
[Black "Fortress"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Vinvin"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Kn6/8/8/3R2PB/8/2p2NP1/1q6/2k5 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rd1+ {Draw by a very deep combination based on the Karstedts fortress :
http://www.chessage.com/community/forum ... /site/last} Kxd1 2. Ne5+
Kc2 3. Bg6+ Kb3 4. Bf7+ Ka4 5. Be8+ Nc6 6. Bxc6+ Kb3 7. Bd5+ Kc2 8. Be4+ Kd1 9.
Bf3+ Ke1 10. Nd3+ Kd2 11. Nxb2 c2 12. Nc4+ Kc3 13. Nb6 c1=Q 14. Bb7 {draw}
1/2-1/2

[Event "hard CCC 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pos"]
[Black "Fortress"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b1r3/r2ppN2/8/1p1p1k2/pP1P4/2P3R1/PP3PP1/2K5 w - - 0 1"]

{Building a fortress} 1. Nd6+ $1 exd6 2. Rf3+ Kg5 3. Rg3+ Kf6 4. Rf3+ Ke7 5.
Re3+ Kd8 6. Rxe8+ Kxe8 7. a3 Ra8 8. Kd2 Bb7 9. Ke2 Kf7 10. Kf1 Rh8 11. Kg1 Kf6
12. f3 Kf5 13. g3 Re8 14. Kf2 Re7 15. Kf1 Rh7 16. Kg2 1/2-1/2

[Event "hard CCC 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pos"]
[Black "Fortress NN vs Q"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Rafal Furdzik"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7p/3KNN1k/2p4p/8/3P2p1/8 w - - 0 1"]

{Behting, 1906} 1. Kc6 $3 (1. Ng7+ Kg5 2. Nf3+ (2. Ke4 h3) 2... Kg4 3. Nf5 h3)
(1. Nf3 h3 2. Ke4 (2. N5h4) 2... h2 (2... g1=Q 3. Nxg1 h2 4. Nf3 h1=Q 5. Ng3+))
1... g1=Q (1... h3 2. Ng3+ Kg5 (2... Kh4 3. Ne2 $10) 3. Ne2 $10) (1... g1=Q 2.
Nxh4) 2. Nxh4 Qd4 (2... Qb1 3. Nhf3 $10) (2... Qa1 3. Nhf3) 3. Nhf3 $11 1/2-1/2

[Event "Study July 2010"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mihai Neghina"]
[Black "White wins"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5B1q/3N3p/p3p2p/7k/B7/5PP1/K6P/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ne5 {creates the fortress around the black king, even sacrificing a piece for it.
http://glareanverlag.wordpress.com/2010 ... n-magazin/}
Qxf8 (1... Qxe5 2. Be8+ Kg5 3. f4+ Qxf4 4. gxf4+ Kxf4 5. Bxh6+ $16 {
easily winning with 2 bishops}) (1... Qf6 2. Be8+ Kg5 3. Nf7+ Kf5 (3... Kh5 4.
Nxh6+ Kg5 5. h4#) 4. Nxh6+ Ke5 5. Ng4+ $16 {fork}) 2. f4 ({Not} 2. Bc6 $2 {
letting the king escape} Kg5 3. h4+ Kf5 4. Nd7 Qb4 5. Be4+ Qxe4 6. fxe4+ Kxe4
7. Nc5+ (7. Nf6+ Kf3 8. g4 e5 9. g5 hxg5 10. hxg5 Kf4 11. Nxh7 Kf5 12. Kb3 Kg6
13. Nf8+ Kxg5 $11) 7... Kf3 8. Nxe6 Kxg3 9. h5 Kg4 10. Ng7 Kg5 11. Kb3 Kf6 12.
Ne8+ Kg5 13. Ng7 Kf6 14. Ne8+ Kg5 15. Ng7 $11 {Repetition}) 2... Qd8 {
covering both mates} 3. Bc6 {Finally, with the bishop defended and the squares
d5 and g2 covered, all White has to do is find a safe square for the king...
such as h3!!} ({Not} 3. Bd7 $2 {,as the bishop does not cover the important d5
square, nor does it control g2 (=> h3 is no longer a safe square)} Qa5+ 4. Kb3
Qd5+ 5. Kc3 (5. Kb4 Qa5+ 6. Kc4 Qd5+ $11) 5... Qc5+ 6. Kd3 Qd5+ {
draw as long as the king does not move to the 5th row and above}) ({Not} 3. Bc2
$2 Qa5+ 4. Kb2 Qb5+ 5. Kc1 Qc5 6. Kd2 Qa5+ 7. Ke3 Qc5+ {draw by perpetual,
because the king can neither abandon the bishop, nor drive it to d1}) ({Not} 3.
Kb2 $2 {Also similar for 6.Ka3 and 6.Kb3} Qb6+ 4. Kc3 Qa5+ 5. Kb3 Qd5+ 6. Ka3
Qc5+ 7. Ka2 Qd5+ {draw by perpetual check, because the king can neither
abandon the bishop, nor drive it to d1}) 3... Qd2+ (3... Qa5+ {
allows the king to reach the safety of h3 sooner} 4. Kb3 Qb6+ 5. Kc4 Qc7 6. Kd3
Qd6+ 7. Ke4 Qb4+ 8. Kf3 Qc3+ 9. Kg2 Qc2+ 10. Kh3 Qf5+ 11. g4+ Qxg4+ 12. Nxg4
$16) 4. Kb3 {the long journey starts with a single step} Qe3+ 5. Kc4 Qc1+ 6.
Kb4 Qb2+ 7. Kc5 Qa3+ 8. Kb6 Qd6 {alternative checks are just minor duals} (8...
Qa5+ 9. Kb7 (9. Kxa5 $2 {Stalemate}) 9... Qb4+ 10. Kc8 Qf8+ {
and back to mainline}) (8... Qb4+ 9. Kc7 Qe7+ 10. Kc8 {and back to mainline})
9. Kb7 ({The black a-pawn is the crucial piece that prevents a rambling queen,
and therefore should not be taken in any variation.} 9. Kxa6 $2 Qa3+ 10. Kb7
Qa7+ 11. Kc8 Qc7+ 12. Kxc7 {Stalemate}) 9... Qe7+ (9... Qb4+ 10. Kc7 Qe7+ 11.
Kc8 {and back to mainline}) 10. Kc8 Qf8+ 11. Kd7 Qg7+ 12. Kxe6 ({Minor dual}
12. Kd6 Qf8+ 13. Kxe6 {and back to mainline}) 12... Qg8+ 13. Kd6 Qd8+ 14. Kc5
Qc7 15. Kd4 Qb6+ 16. Kd3 Qb3+ 17. Ke2 Qc2+ 18. Kf3 Qd1+ 19. Kg2 Qe2+ 20. Kh3 Qf1+
(20... Qxe5 21. fxe5 $16) 21. Bg2 Qe2 22. g4+ Qxg4+ 23. Nxg4 $16 {
easily winning for white}
1-0
[/pgn]

[Vinvin]

more :
[d]8/8/8/5Bp1/7k/8/4pPKP/8 w - - 0 1
1.Bg4!


[d]1k6/3p4/1B6/4Pp1p/1p5R/1p4p1/pP3n2/K6n w - - 0 1
After 1.Rxh1 Nxh1 2.e6 dxe6 3.Bc7+ Kb7 4.Bxg3 e5
White bishop stays on e1-h4 diagonal so Knight cannot move and it is draw.



I'm not sure about this one :

[d]3k4/2Rnn3/1p2pbp1/pP1p1pBp/P2P1P1P/4KPP1/4B3/8 w - - 0 2
2. Rxd7+ $4 {This move win a piece but black is in a fortress now : draw !} *


[d]8/1p2b3/6k1/5p2/p2NbP1p/P1B1P1p1/1P5P/6K1 w - - bm h3;
h3! "fortress From Smirin-HIARCS"


[d]5N2/6N1/q2k3p/8/6p1/4K1PP/B5P1/8 w - -
bm Nf5+!


[d]8/2B2k2/6p1/5P1p/6p1/p1p3PP/6P1/1n2K2R w K - 0 1

bm 1. fxg6+!

[pgn]
[Event "2.p ts70#1017 {v}"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van_den_Ende, J."]
[Black "=0113.45e1f7"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2B2k2/6p1/5P1p/6p1/p1p3PP/6P1/1n2K2R w K - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.10.30"]

1. fxg6+ (1. Be5 $2 a2 2. Bxc3 Nxc3 3. O-O Nb1 4. fxg6+ Kg8 $1) 1... Kxg6 (1...
Kg8 2. O-O a2 3. Bf4 $1 (3. Be5 $2 a1=Q 4. g7 Qa3) 3... a1=Q 4. Bh6 Qa3 (4...
Qa7+ 5. Kh2 Qb8 6. g7) 5. g7) 2. Be5 (2. Ba5 $2 c2 $1) 2... a2 3. Bxc3 $1 Nxc3
4. O-O Nb1 (4... gxh3 5. Ra1) 5. h4 $1 a1=Q 6. Kh2 Qa2 7. Rxb1 Qxb1 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

[d]q7/8/2p5/B2p2pp/5pp1/2N3k1/6P1/7K w - - 0 1
1. Ne4+ Kh4 2. Ng3 fxg3 3. Bb6 Qa1+ 4. Bg1 *

[Nordlandia]

Hint: Bishop Promotion

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "O. Pervakov 4th Price"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2K5/1N1pp3/3Pr3/2p3k1/2p2p2/4pPp1/2P1P1P1/5B2 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "21"]

1. Nd8 Rxd6 2. Nf7+ Kf5 3. Nxd6+ exd6 4. Kxd7 Ke5 5. c3 d5 6. Kc6 d4 7. Kxc5
dxc3 8. Kxc4 c2 9. Kd3 c1=B 10. Kc2 Ba3 11. Kd1 *

[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "New game"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5q2/2Nb1pbK/3kp3/1p1p2p1/pP1PPP2/P5B1/P7/5Q2 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "14"]

1. Ne8+ Bxe8 2. fxg5+ Ke7 3. Qf6+ Bxf6 4. gxf6+ Kd8 5. e5 Bc6 6. Bf4 Kc7 7. Bh6
Qd8 *

[/pgn]

[Nordlandia]

Fixed solution of the last position.

[pgn][Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "New game"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5q2/2Nb1pbK/3kp3/1p1p2p1/pP1PPP2/P5B1/P7/5Q2 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "19"]

1. Ne8+ Bxe8 2. fxg5+ Ke7 3. Qf6+ Bxf6 4. gxf6+ Kd8 5. e5 Bd7 6. Bf4 Kc7 7. Bh6
Qc8 8. Bf8 Kb7 9. Bc5 Ka6 10. Kg7 *

[/pgn]