A fragment from the book by Y. Kirillov ‘Искусство защиты’. Part 62

11.06.2026

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. 311 White’s right flank is tied up, but with a precise play they managed to find a defence. 1.CB4 АB6 2.DC3! BC7 3.BA5 BC5 4.CB4 CD4 5.BC5! DB6. 6.AB4 CD6 7.AC7 DB8 8.BC5 BA7 9.CD6 EC7 10.GE5 GF4! (the best move). 11.EG3 AB6. 12.GF4 CD6 13.FG3 HF2 14.GE3 BC5 15.HG3, a draw.

	Diagram No. 312 White in a bad position found a good defence. 1.CD4! FE5!! 2.DB6 AC7 3.EF4! EF6 4.GH4 EG3 5.HF2 CB6 6.DC3 BC5 7.FE3 DC7 8.HG3 FE5 9.EF4, a draw.

	Diagram No. 313 Black with a great position can get an advantage! 1.EF2!! DE5!! /the best move/ (Bad is to play 1… BA5 because of 2. EF2!! DE5!! 3.DC5 with advantage.) 2.FD6 CE5 3.FG3 HG7 4.DE3 BA5!! 5.GF4 (the only move) EG3 6.GH2 BC7 7.HF4 CB6 8.CD2 GH6 9.FG5!! FH4 10.EF4 BC5 11.DB6 AC7 12.DE3 CB6 13.ED4, a draw.

	Diagram No. 314 White found a great defence. 1.CD6!! FE5 2.DF6 GC5 3.GF4 DC7 4.FE3 CB6 5.CD4 AB4 6.DE5 BC3 7.EF6 CB4, a draw.

	Diagram No. 315 (black to move) Black evaluated the position right. 1… BC7!! 2.GF4 CD6 3.HG3 FG5 4.DE5 AB4!! 5.CE7 DB8 6.AB4!! (the only move) ED6 7.AB2 DE7 8.BC1 ED8 9.CD2 EC1 10.GG1 DA5 11.HF2 AE1, a draw.