A Study...with Diagrams!

The following position is quite simple to assess and solve, but it's a neat idea I thought up on my own. I've since discovered a couple of antecedents in ChessBase's Study Database, but as neither my skeleton nor its antecedents are particularly artistic or well-developed, there's plenty of room for the enterprising composer to create something worthwhile and original.

The really important thing, however, is that the diagram problem has been solved! (Many thanks to DG of the Boylston Chess Club and their fine blog- see his comment here for the how-to details.)

White to move and draw (but Black is the one needing to save the half-point)



White can draw this lots of ways, but the variation illustrating the neat point goes like this:

1.Rf1+ Re1 2.Rxe1+ Kxe1 3.a6 h3 4.a7





and now Black must play accurately: 4...h2! (4...hxg2? 5.a8Q g1Q 6.Qe4+ Kd1 [6...Kf2 7.Qe2#] 7.Qe2+ Kc1 8.Qc2#) 5.a8Q h1Q 6.Qa1+ (White has no other way to progress) Kf2 7.Qxh1 stalemate!