A theoretical draw, but...

by Karsten Müller
2/1/2022 – In the diagrammed position it is Black to move and draw. In fact, as endgame books and tablebases know this position is a theoretical draw. However, it occurred at the end of a rapid game and with only seconds on the clock Black failed to find the right move. Can you do better?
Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.
 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Nd3 f5 11.f3 Nf6 12.c5 c6 13.Qb3 Kh8 14.Be3 fxe4 15.fxe4 cxd5 16.cxd6 Nc6 17.exd5 Nd4 18.Bxd4 exd4 19.Nb5 Bg4 20.Bxg4 Nxg4 21.Rxf8+ Bxf8 22.Qb4 Qh4 23.h3 Ne3 24.Qe1 Qe4 25.Qe2 Rd8 26.Re1 Bxd6 27.Nxd4 Qxd4 28.Qxe3 Qxd5 29.Kh1 Rf8 30.a3 a6 31.Nf2 Bc5 32.Qh6 Qf5 33.Ng4 Bd6 34.Qc1 h5 35.Nh2 Bxh2 36.Qh6+ Kg8 37.Re7 Qf1+ 38.Kxh2 Qf4+ 39.Qxf4 Rxf4 40.Rxb7 a5 41.Kg3 Rd4 42.Ra7 Rd2 43.Rxa5 Rxb2 44.Ra7 Ra2 45.h4 Rc2 46.a4 Rc4 47.a5 Rg4+ 48.Kh3 g5 49.hxg5 Rxg5 50.a6 Ra5 51.Kg3 Ra4 52.Kf3 Kf8 53.Ke3 Ke8 54.g3 Kd8 55.Ra8+ Kc7 56.a7 Ra3+ 57.Kf4 Ra4+ 58.Kg5 Ra5+ 59.Kh4 Kb6 60.Rh8 Rxa7 61.Rxh5 Kc6 62.g4 Kd6 63.Rf5 Ke6 64.Kh5 Ra8 65.Rf1 Rh8+ 66.Kg5 Rg8+ 67.Kh4 Rh8+ 68.Kg3 Rg8 69.Rf5 Ra8 70.Kf4 Rb8 71.Kg3 Ra8 72.Rf4 Rg8 73.Kh4 Rh8+ 74.Kg5 Rg8+ 75.Kh5 Ke5 76.Rf5+ Ke6 77.Kh4 Rh8+ 78.Kg3 Ra8 79.Rf4 Rg8 80.Kh4
Black to move and draw
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Firouzja,A2770Shevchenko,K26471–02021E99FIDE Open World Rapid 20219.12

Karsten Mueller 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.

ChessBase Magazine #204

ChessBase Magazine Extra #204

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Mueller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

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KJBELLEVUE KJBELLEVUE 2/3/2022 05:53
This Rook and Pawn Ending position has an astounding history. The reader is invited to look at Fischer-Taimanov, Candidates Game 2 1971. In that game, had Taimanov not played 75…Ng6 but instead played 75…Nxg4, the game could have proceeded 76.hxg4 Ke6 (only move) 77.Kh4 Rg8 (only move) 78.Rf4 and we would have had the exact same position as the Firouzja-Shevchenko Game, with of course the exact same drawing continuation!
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