A fragment from the book by Y. Kirillov ‘Искусство защиты’. Part 60

16.04.2026

Sometimes it seems that the position is already ‘impossible to save’, after a while you will have to give up, but there is the only plan that still leads to a cherished draw.

The art of defense in the draughts game is certainly one of the indicators of the player’s skill. We express our gratitude to Yuri Kirillov for the book of paradoxically drawish positions ‘Искусство защиты’. Perhaps in this book you will find the game that was ‘not saved’.


	Diagram No. 301 Black’s position was surrounded, but they managed to come up with an excellent defense! 1.GF2!! (the best move) DC7 2.FE3 CB6 3.ED4 BC5 4.DB6 АС7 5.АB4! СВ6 6.CВ2!! (the best move) BC5 7.BA3 CD4 8.BA5 DB2 9. AC1 ED4 10.AB6 (If 10.CB2, FE5! (the best move) 11.AB6 ЕF6! 12.ВА7! Draw.) 9… DC3 10.BA7 FE5 11.HG5!! ED4 (the only move) 12.GH4 DC5 13.AB8 CD2 14.CE3 DF2 15.FE5 HD6 16.BE1 CD4 17.ED2 EF6 18.DH6 DC3 19.HC1 FE5 20.HG5 ED4 21.GH6! CB2! (the only move). Draw.

	Diagram No. 302 Black have an excellent position and a strong piece on F4, but white have managed to come up with a defense! 1.GF2!! FG3 (the best move) 2.HG5 GE1 3.DE3 EB4 4.AC5 (without a piece, but with the centre!) 4… HG7 5.EF4!! AB4! 6.CA3 BC5 7.DB6 AC5 8.CB2!! BC7 9.BC3 CD6, draw.

	Diagram No. 303 (black to move) Black have the centre, but it could be surrounded. 1… DC7!! 2.HG5! FH4 3.DE3 FB4 4.AE7 CD6 5.EC5 HG5 6.GF2! (If 6.EF2, then ED4 7.CE3 GF4! Draw.) 6… GF4 7.ED2 AB6!! 8.CA7 ED4! Draw.

	Diagram No. 304 (black to move) White were certain of victory! But then came: 1… HG3 2.FH2 FG5 (great!!) 3.HG3 DE5!! 4.DD8 BB2 5.DH4 AE1 6.ED4 BA1 7.DC5 AE5 8.CB6! AC5 9.GF4 Draw.

	Diagram No. 305 (black to move) Despite finding themselves in a difficult position, black managed to come up with an excellent defense plan! 1… DE7 2.CD2! ED6 3.DC3 DE5! 4.FB4 GF6 5.CG7 AA1 6.GH8 BC5 7.HG5! (the only move) CD4 8.HC3 АН2! Draw.