Beware of reciprocal Zugzwang

by Karsten Müller
5/16/2023 – Zugzwang is a typical endgame motif. Often it is a weapon of the attacker. But when both sides are in Zugzwang in a critical position, great care must be taken. The diagram position, in which it is White to move, shows a case of mutual Zugzwang. What should White do to save the draw?
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.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Nd5 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1 f5 12.Nxe5 Qf6 13.Nf3 g5 14.c4 Nf4 15.Bf1 g4 16.d4 gxf3 17.Qxf3 Ne6 18.c5 Bc7 19.b4 Qxd4 20.Qc3 Qxc3 21.Nxc3 Nb7 22.Bc4 Kf7 23.Ba3 Rd8 24.Re3 Rd4 25.Bb3 Bd7 26.Rae1 Re8 27.b5 Nbd8 28.Ne2 Re4 29.Rd1 Bc8 30.Rxe4 fxe4 31.Nc3 cxb5 32.Nxb5 Kg6 33.Nxa7 Ba6 34.Ba4 Rg8 35.Bc2 Ng5 36.h4 Nh3+ 37.gxh3 Kf6+ 38.Kh1 Be2 39.Bb2+ Ke7 40.Nc8+ Ke8 41.Nd6+ Bxd6 42.Ba4+ Kf8 43.Rxd6 Bf3+ 44.Kh2 Rg2+ 45.Kh1 Rg8+ 46.Kh2 Nf7 47.Rb6 Rg2+ 48.Kh1 Rg3+ 49.Kh2 Rg2+ 50.Kh1 e3 51.fxe3 Rxb2+ 52.Kg1 Rg2+ 53.Kf1 Rxa2 54.Bb3 Rb2 55.Bxf7 Rxb6 56.cxb6 Kxf7 57.Kf2 Bb7 58.Kg3 Ke6 59.Kg4 Kd6 60.Kg5 Be4 61.Kf4 Bd3 62.e4 Kc6 63.e5 Kxb6 64.Kg5 Kc7 65.Kf6 Kd7 66.h5 Ke8 67.h4 Kf8 68.h6 Bg6 69.Ke6 Ke8 70.Kf6 Kd7 71.e6+ Kd8 72.e7+ Ke8 73.Ke6 Bc2 74.Kf6 Bd3 75.Ke6 Bc4+ 76.Kf6 Bf7 77.Kg7 Bg6
White to move and draw
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Guliyev,N2528Kollars,D26180–12023C58EICC 202311.31

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 #206

Order now at the ChessBase Shop ! Available as a download or on DVD.

ChessBase Magazine Extra #205

 Order now at the ChessBase Shop ! Available as download or on DVD.

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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