CBM training: Zugzwang, Chernyshov's Counterblow, Milliet's missed chance

by ChessBase
11/12/2012 – Our ChessBase Magazine columnist GM Karsten Müller has selected topical games from different sources for his endgame instructions. In the first example he shows us how zugzwang can be used as a sharp weapon; in the second a great counterblow by Russian GM Konstantin Chernyshov; and finally a missed chance by the current French women's champion Sophie Milliet. Learn and enjoy.

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The sharp endgame weapon zugzwang

Even a piece as strong as a rook can fall into zugzwang:

[Event "Chigorin Memorial"] [Site "St Petersburg RUS"] [Date "2012.11.03"] [Round "8.3"] [White "Lenderman, Alex"] [Black "Shirov, Alexei"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A07"] [WhiteElo "2614"] [BlackElo "2718"] [Annotator "Müller,Karsten"] [PlyCount "115"] [EventDate "2012.10.27"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "RUS"] [Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2012.11.03"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 Nd7 4. O-O e5 5. d4 e4 6. Ne5 Be6 7. c4 c6 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Nc3 Bd6 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. f3 f5 12. fxe4 fxe4 13. Qb3 Ne7 14. Bg5 Nc6 15. Nb5 Bb8 16. Qa3 a6 17. Rf2 h6 18. Raf1 Ne7 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Qa5 Qd7 21. Nc3 Bc7 22. Qb4 Bd6 23. Qb3 Be7 24. e3 Rc8 25. Qd1 h5 26. Na4 Qb5 27. Rc2 Rxc2 28. Qxc2 h4 29. gxh4 Rxh4 30. b3 Qd7 31. Qf2 Qc7 32. Qg3 Qxg3 33. hxg3 Rh6 34. Nc5 Bc8 35. Rc1 Kd8 36. Na4 Bd6 37. Rxc8+ Kxc8 38. Nb6+ Kd8 39. Nxd5 Bxg3 40. Bxe4 Bd6 41. Bg2 Ba3 42. Nf4 g5 43. Nd3 Rh7 44. e4 a5 45. d5 Rc7 46. e5 Rc2 47. d6 b5 48. b4 Bxb4 49. Nxb4 axb4 50. e6 g4 51. Be4 Re2 52. Bf5 g3 53. e7+ Ke8 54. Bd3 Re1+ 55. Kg2 Re5 56. Bg6+ Kd7 {The sharp endgame weapon zugzwang Even a piece as strong as a rook can fall into zugzwang:} 57. Bf7 $1 ({Of course neither} 57. Kxg3 $4 Rg5+ $19) ({nor} 57. e8=Q+ $2 Rxe8 58. Bxe8+ Kxe8 59. Kxg3 Kd7 60. Kf4 Kxd6 61. Ke4 Kc5 62. Kd3 $11) 57... Re3 58. Kh3 $1 {Deadly zugzwang.} (58. Kh3 $1 Kxd6 (58... g2+ 59. Kxg2 Re1 60. Kg3 Re2 61. e8=Q+ Rxe8 62. Bxe8+ Kxe8 63. Kf4 Kd7 64. Ke5 Kc8 65. Kd5 Kd7 66. Kc5 $18) 59. e8=Q Rxe8 60. Bxe8 Kd5 61. Bf7+ Ke4 62. Kxg3 $18) 1-0

Chernyshov's Counterblow

Pawn endings often require very precise calculation:

[Event "16th OIBM 2012"] [Site "Bad Wiessee GER"] [Date "2012.11.04"] [Round "9.11"] [White "Singer, C."] [Black "Chernyshov, K."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B06"] [WhiteElo "2325"] [BlackElo "2532"] [Annotator "Müller,Karsten"] [PlyCount "133"] [EventDate "2012.10.27"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "GER"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2012.11.06"] 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 a6 4. a4 d6 5. g3 Nf6 6. Bg2 O-O 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. h3 Rb8 9. a5 b6 10. axb6 c5 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. e5 dxe5 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Be3 Ne6 15. O-O Kf8 16. Rfd1 Nd7 17. Na4 f5 18. Bd5 Nd4 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Rxd4 Nxb6 22. Rb4 Rxd5 23. Nxb6 Rb5 24. Rxb5 axb5 25. Nxc8 Rxc8 26. c3 Kf7 27. Ra7 g5 28. Rb7 Rc5 29. Kf1 Re5 30. Rb6 Kg7 31. Kg2 h5 32. Kf3 e6 33. Kg2 Kf6 34. Rb8 Rd5 35. Kf3 Ke5 36. Ke2 g4 37. hxg4 hxg4 38. Ke3 Kf6 39. Rf8+ Ke7 40. Rb8 Kd7 41. Rb6 Re5+ 42. Kd3 Kc7 43. Ra6 Re1 44. b4 Kb7 45. Ra5 Rd1+ 46. Ke2 Rd5 47. Ke3 Kb6 48. Ra8 Re5+ 49. Kd3 Rd5+ 50. Ke3 Kc7 51. Ra6 Kd7 52. Rb6 Ke7 53. Rb8 Kf7 54. Rb7+ Kg6 55. Rb8 Kg5 56. Rg8+ Kf6 57. Rb8 Ke7 58. Rb6 Kd7 59. Ra6 Rd6 60. Rxd6+ Kxd6 {Chernyshov's Counterblow Pawn endings often require very precise calculation:} 61. c4 $1 {White must act immediately to get rid off his backward c-pawn.} bxc4 62. Kd4 c3 $1 {Chernyshov's counterblow.} (62... e5+ $2 {runs into} 63. Kxc4 f4 64. Kd3 Kd5 65. b5 f3 66. b6 Kc6 67. Ke4 Kxb6 68. Kxe5 Kc5 69. Kf4 Kd4 70. Kxg4 Ke4 71. Kh3 Kd3 72. g4 Ke2 73. Kg3 $18) 63. Kxc3 Kd5 64. Kd3 e5 65. Kc3 $1 (65. b5 $2 Kc5 $19) 65... f4 $1 {The right advance.} ({However, not} 65... e4 $2 66. Kd2 Kc4 67. Ke3 Kxb4 68. Kf4 Kc4 69. Kxf5 Kd3 70. Kf4 $1 Ke2 71. Kxe4 Kxf2 72. Kf4 $18) 66. gxf4 ({Surprisingly} 66. Kd3 $2 {even loses due to} f3 67. b5 (67. Kc3 e4 68. Kd2 (68. b5 e3 69. fxe3 f2 $19) 68... Kc4 69. Ke3 Kxb4 70. Kxe4 Kc3 71. Ke3 Kc2 $19) 67... Kc5 68. Ke4 Kxb5 69. Kxe5 Kc4 70. Kf4 Kd3 71. Kxg4 Ke2 72. Kh5 Kxf2 73. g4 Ke3 74. g5 f2 75. g6 f1=Q 76. g7 Qf7+ $19) 66... exf4 67. Kd3 (67. Kd3 g3 68. fxg3 fxg3 69. Ke3 Kc4 70. Kf3 Kxb4 71. Kxg3 $11) 1/2-1/2

Milliet's missed chance

Usually passed pawns should be pushed, but the following case is an exception:

[Event "Trophee Karpov Preliminary 2012"] [Site "Cap d'Agde FRA"] [Date "2012.10.31"] [Round "11"] [White "Bauer, Ch"] [Black "Milliet, S."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D40"] [WhiteElo "2664"] [BlackElo "2421"] [Annotator "Müller,Karsten"] [PlyCount "125"] [EventDate "2012.10.26"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "14"] [EventCountry "FRA"] [EventCategory "13"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2012.11.06"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 d5 5. d4 Nc6 6. a3 cxd4 7. exd4 Be7 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 O-O 10. O-O b6 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bh4 Bb7 13. Ba2 Nd5 14. Bg3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Rc8 16. Qd3 Bf6 17. Bb1 g6 18. h4 h5 19. Qe3 Ne7 20. Be5 Nf5 21. Bxf5 exf5 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. Ne5 Qxh4 24. f3 Rfe8 25. Rfc1 Qg3 26. Qf2 Qxf2+ 27. Kxf2 Kg7 28. a4 f6 29. Nd3 Ba6 30. Nf4 g5 31. Nxh5+ Kg6 32. Ng3 f4 33. Ne4 f5 34. Nd6 Re2+ 35. Kg1 Rd8 36. Nb5 g4 37. Re1 Re3 38. fxg4 fxg4 39. Rxe3 fxe3 40. Re1 Bxb5 41. axb5 Re8 42. Kf1 Kf5 43. d5 Ke4 44. Rd1 Rd8 45. d6 Ke5 46. d7 Ke6 47. Ke2 Rxd7 48. Rxd7 Kxd7 49. Kxe3 Kd6 50. Kd4 g3 51. c4 Ke6 52. Ke4 Kd6 53. Kf4 Kc5 54. Kxg3 Kxc4 55. Kf4 Kxb5 56. g4 {Milliet's missed chance Usually passed pawns should be pushed, but the following case is an exception:} a5 $2 {Now the race is drawn as both sides will queen at the same time.} (56... Kc5 $3 { wins as Black's pawn will queen with check and then Black will always be able to exchange queens, e.g.} 57. Ke5 (57. g5 Kd6 58. Kf5 a5 59. Kf6 (59. g6 Ke7 60. Kg5 Kf8 61. Kh6 Kg8 $19) 59... a4 60. g6 a3 61. g7 a2 62. g8=Q a1=Q+ 63. Kf5 Qe5+ 64. Kg4 Qe6+ $19) 57... a5 58. g5 a4 59. g6 a3 60. g7 a2 61. g8=Q a1=Q+ 62. Kf5 Qf1+ 63. Ke5 (63. Ke4 Qc4+ $19) 63... Qe2+ 64. Kf6 Qf2+ 65. Ke7 Qh4+ 66. Kd7 Qa4+ 67. Ke7 Qe4+ 68. Kf6 Qf4+ 69. Ke7 Qd6+ 70. Kf7 Qd5+ $19) ( 56... Kc6 $2 {only draws due to the bodycheck} 57. Ke5 $1 a5 (57... Kd7 58. Kf6 $11) 58. g5 Kd7 (58... a4 59. g6 a3 60. g7 a2 61. g8=Q a1=Q+ 62. Ke4 $11) 59. Kf6 Ke8 60. Kg7 a4 61. g6 a3 62. Kh7 a2 63. g7 a1=Q 64. g8=Q+ Ke7 $11) ({ Finally} 56... Kc4 $4 {even loses due to} 57. g5 Kd5 (57... a5 58. g6 a4 59. g7 a3 60. g8=Q+ $18) 58. Kf5 Kd6 59. Kf6 Kd7 60. g6 Ke8 61. g7 $18) 57. g5 a4 58. g6 a3 59. g7 a2 60. g8=Q a1=Q 61. Qd5+ Kb4 62. Qd6+ Kb5 (62... Ka5 63. Qd5+ Kb4 64. Qd6+ $11) 63. Qd5+ 1/2-1/2

Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

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