Chessical: A very difficult K+P ending for Wittek as Bird appears to be able to build a fortress. Both players seem to have played this ending extremely accurately. Bird uses his <d> pawn to generate counterplay. He must always be aware that if he loses his <a> pawn, he will not be able to generate counterthreats quickly enough to prevent Wittek's own <a> pawn from queening.
I first thought Wittek's winning chances lay on the Q-side so
<45.Kd3!?> was a better move, but I have been unable to find a forced win.
[a] <45...Kc7> 46.f5 d6 47.Kd4 Kd7 48.Kc4 ( [a1] 48.<c4?!> is premature 48...dxc5+ 49.Kxc5 Kc7 50.Kb4 Kd6 51.Kxa4 Kc5 52.Kb3 =) <48...Kc7> 49.Kb4 dxc5+ 50.Kxc5 Kd7 51.Kb4 Kd6 52.Kxa4 Kc7 53.Kb4;
[b] <45...g6> 46.f5 gxf5 47.exf5 Ka6 48.Kd4 Kb5 49.c4+ Ka6; and now either:
[b1] <50.Ke3> (appears only to be a draw) Kb7 51.Ke4 Kc7 52.Kd4 Kb7 53.Kc3 d6 (hoping for the pawn to be captured after which c5 will draw) 54.Kb4 (if 54.Kd4 Kc7=) 54...dxc5+ 55.Kxc5 Kc7 56.Kb4 Kb6 57.Kxa4 c5=
[b2] <50.Kc3> Ka5 51.Kd2 Ka6 52.Kc2 Kb7 53.Kc3
and now:
[b21] <53...d6> 54.Kb4 dxc5+ 55.Ka5 Kc8 56.Kb6 Kd7 57.Kxc5 Kc7 58.Kb4 Kd6 59.Kxa4 appears to lose for Black.
[b22] <53...Kc7> appears to hold a draw, <54.Kb4> Kb7 55.Kxa4 Ka7 56.Ka5 Kb7 57.Kb4 Ka6 58.Kc3 Ka5 59.Kb3 Ka6 60.Kb4 =
Can anyone find the way through for Wittek?
In the actual game continuation, Bird avoids the last trap of: <47...dxc5?> which loses to 48.Kh5 c4 49.Kg6
Kibitzing
(20.19): 45.f5 Ka6 46.Kd3 Kb5 47.Kd4 Ka6 48.c4 Kb7 49.Kc3 Kc7 50.Kb4 d6 51.cxd6+ Kxd6 52.Kxa4 Kc5 53.Kb3 Kd4 54.a4 c5 55.a5 Kxe4 56.a6 Kxf5 57.a7 g5 58.a8Q Kf4 59.Qd5 g4 60.Qxc5 f5 61.Qd4+ Kf3 62.c5 g3 63.c6 g2 64.c7 g1N 65.Qxg1 Ke4 66.c8Q