Fundamentals (part 11)

Keith Jones (143) - Spanton (147)
London League Division 5 1990

White has just captured on f2 and offered a draw - should Black accept?

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The position is dead-equal, according to the analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10, so accepting a draw or playing on is largely a matter of taste.
35...h4 36.Kf3 b5 37.e4 bxc4 38.bxc4 fxe4+ 39.Kxe4

Black to play and draw

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39...a6?
Three moves draw, but this is not one of them.
A 39...a5 40.a4 c5 (40...Kf6 also draws) 41.dxc5 (simpler than 41.d5+ Kf6 42.d6 cxd6 43.Kd5 Ke7 44.Kc6 Ke6 45.Kb5 Ke5 46.Kxa5 d5 47.cxd5 Kxd5 48.Kb5, when both players queen and the game is drawn)) c6.
B 39...c5 40.dxc5 (40.d5+ Kf6 41.a4 a5 transposes to 41.d5+ in line A) c6.
C 39...Kf6 40.c5 (40.a4 a5 transposes to previous lines) Ke6 41.a4 a5 42.Ke3 Kf5 (but not 42...Kd5? 43.Kd3 Ke6 44.Ke4 Kf6 45.d5 etc) 43.Kf3 Kf6 44.Ke4 Ke6.
40.a4 a5 ½–½
Both 41.c5 and 41.d5+ win for White.