Endgame Study - P. Arestov, 1986

@lodrac91: Here some notes on extra pawn positions:

This is the position which exists after white's move 5 of the author solution. At this point we already skipped over 5 dual solutions. All we can hope for is to add a pawn which allows us to construct a new beginning of the composition. It's doubtful that the original introduction moves then would still work.

At this point the author proceeds to construct a staircase mate with the rooks but as the move sequence with the diagram shows there is a very quick alternative win for white:

So let's add a provocative black pawn to the diagram and look at the solution. Very interesting and white's move 6 and 7 are unambiguous as well. Only - it's not the author solution or anything like it. With the black pawn starting on h3, black actually draws with h3-h2 which is nor desirable either.

So let's try another interesting position for a pawn on the h-file: h7. What happens next?

That more or less covers the h-file. I also tried placing pawns in other places for instance one that salvaged the staircase solution:

Only - white has loads of alternatives, one given in the analysis column.

I tried other pawn positions as well most less successfull than these but more important is that most pawn placements destroy the staircase solution by "being in the way"

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