CBM Blog: Breakthrough, bodycheck and cut off

by ChessBase
9/28/2011 – When passed pawns are far advanced you must always watch out for breakthrough motifs and promotion combinations, our resident endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller tells us. He also shows us, once again with a recent example, the two themes that are most important when a rook fights against a pawn. Here's your chance to learn from the GM and improve your chess.
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The breakthrough

When passed pawns are far advanced you must always watch out for breakthrough motifs and promotion combinations:

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Nbd7 12.Ba5 Rc8 13.Nbd2 Ba8 14.a3 Bd6 15.Re1 Ne4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Qe3 Ba8 18.Ne5 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Bxe5 20.dxe5 Nb6 21.Red1 Nc4 22.Qc5 Qg5 23.Bc3 h5 24.b3 Nb6 25.e4 f5 26.Qc6 Qg6 27.Bb4 fxe4 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.Rd4 e3 30.f3 h4 31.Qe4 Qxe4 32.fxe4 Rf2+ 33.Kh3 c5 34.Rd6 c4 35.Rxb6 e2 36.Re1 cxb3 37.a4 b2! 37...bxa4? runs into 38.Kxh4 when in many lines White's kings helps his rooks to weave a mating net, e.g. Rf3 38...Rxh2+?! 39.Kg5 Rf2?! 40.Kg6+- 39.Rxe2 a3 40.Kg5 b2 41.Re1 Kh7 42.Rxa6 Rc3 43.Rd1 43.g4!? 43...Rc1 44.Rd8 b1Q 45.Raa8+- and the queen is powerless. 38.axb5 a5‼ and White's rook b6 can surprisingly not join the defence. The counterplay with the passed pawn b5 is also too slow. 38...Rf1? 39.bxa6 Rxe1 40.Rxb2 hxg3 41.a7 Ra1 42.Rxe2 gxh2 43.Kxh2 Rxa7= 38...axb5?? 39.Rxb5+- 39.Rb8+ 39.Ra6 Rf1-+ 39...Kh7 40.b6 Rf1 41.Rb1 41.b7 b1Q 42.Rxb1 Rxb1 43.Rc8 e1Q 44.b8Q Rxb8 45.Rxb8 Qxe4-+ 41...e1Q 41...e1Q 42.Rxb2 Qxe4 43.b7 Qf5+ 44.Kxh4 g5+ 45.Kh5 Qh3+ 46.Kxg5 Rf5# 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Sethuraman,S2529Panchanathan,M25560–12011E0586th ch-Paris IdF3.1

The bodycheck and the cut off

These two themes are most important when a rook fights against a pawn:

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qb3 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg4 6.Nbd2 e6 7.g3 Nbd7 8.Bg2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Ne5 Bh5 11.Nb3 a5 12.Bg5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.f4 Rfd8 16.Rfd1 a4 17.Nd4 Nb6 18.Qc3 Nd5 19.Bxd5 Rxd5 20.Rd2 Rad8 21.e4 R5d7 22.Rc1 Bg6 23.Qe3 Qb4 24.Rcd1 h6 25.a3 Qc4 26.g4 Bxe4 27.Qxe4 c5 28.Rc2 Qd5 29.Qe2 cxd4 30.Qd3 Qb3 31.Qxb3 axb3 32.Rc4 g5 33.Kf2 gxf4 34.Kf3 d3 35.Rxf4 d2 36.Ke2 Rd3 37.Rb4 Rh3 38.Rxb7 Rd5 39.a4 Rxh2+ 40.Ke3 Rh3+ 41.Ke2 Rh2+ 42.Ke3 Rxe5+ 43.Kd3 Rd5+ 44.Kc4 Rh4 45.Kxb3 Rxg4 46.Rb5 Rd6 47.a5 Rgd4 48.Kc3 Rd8 49.b4 R4d7 50.a6 Ra7 51.Ra5 Rc7+ 52.Kb2 Rb8 53.Kb3 Rd7 54.b5 e5 55.a7 Ra8 56.b6 e4 57.Kb4 Rb7 58.Kb5 e3 59.Ka6 Rxb6+ 60.Kxb6 e2 61.Raa1 exd1Q 62.Rxd1 Kg7 63.Kb7 Rxa7+ 64.Kxa7 Kg6 65.Rxd2 h5 66.Kb6 Kf5 67.Kc5 h4 68.Kd4 Kf4 69.Rf2+? The wrong cut off. 69.Rd3! is the right direction to cut Black's king off on the h-file: f5 69...Kg4 70.Ke3 Kg3 71.Ke2+ Kg2 72.Rd8 h3 73.Rg8+ Kh1 74.Kf2+- 70.Ra3 Kg4 71.Ke3 Kg3 71...h3 72.Kf2 h2 73.Kg2+- 71...f4+ 72.Kf2 h3 73.Ra8+- 72.Ke2+ Kg2 73.Ra8 h3 74.Rg8+ Kh1 75.Kf2+- 69...Kg3 70.Ke3 70.Rxf7 h3 71.Rg7+ Kf2= 70...h3 71.Rxf7 Kg2! After 71...h2? 72.Rg7+ Kh3 73.Kf2 h1N+ 74.Kf3 Black's knight is lost quickly due to zugzwang the typical endgame weapon against a knight: Kh2 75.Rg8+- 72.Rg7+ 72.Rf2+ Kg3!= Bodycheck! 72...Kg1? 73.Kf3 h2 74.Rg2+ Kh1 75.Re2 Kg1 76.Re1# 72...Kf1! 72...Kh1? 73.Kf3 h2 74.Re7 Kg1 75.Re1# 73.Rh7 Kg2 74.Ke2 h2 75.Rg7+ Kh1! 76.Kf2 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bologan,V2678Ragger,M2674½–½2011D2339th TCh-GRE4.3

Since 1988 grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller from Hamburg has been playing for the Hamburger Schachklub in the Bundesliga, and in 1996 and 1997 he finished third in the German Championship. As an internationally renowned endgame expert he is the author of the endgame column in the ChessBase Magazine and the author of the Endgame Corner column on ChessCafe.com.

You will find a whole series of his very popular endgame DVD in the ChessBase Shop here.

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