CBM Blog: Activity matters + the Bodycheck

by ChessBase
7/9/2011 – Double rook endings are less drawish than single rook endings, especially if the attacker can take aim at the king's castle, as our endgame specialist Dr Karsten Müller vividly demonstrates. And when a rook fights against pawns, he explains, the bodycheck usually is the defender's best weapon. Give yourself an Elo boost with our regular installment of grandmaster instructions.
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Activity matters

Double rook endings are less drawish than single rook endings, especially if the attacker can take aim at the king's castle:

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Nxc6 Qg5 8.Qe2 Nf6 9.f4 Qxf4 10.d4 Qd6 11.Ne5+ c6 12.Bc4 Be6 13.c3 Bxc4 14.Qxc4 Qd5 15.Qb3 Bd6 16.Qxb7 0-0 17.Qxc6 Qxc6 18.Nxc6 Ng4 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.dxe5 e3 21.h3 Nxe5 22.Bxe3 Nc4 23.Bc5 Rae8+ 24.Kd1 Nxb2+ 25.Kd2 Rf5 26.Bxa7 Rf7 27.Bc5 Rd7+ 28.Kc2 Re2+ 29.Kb3 Rb7+ 30.Bb4 Nd3 31.a4 Nxb4 32.cxb4 Re3+ 33.Kc2 Rxb4 34.a5 Rc4+ 35.Kd2 Ree4 36.Ra3 Red4+ 37.Ke3 Re4+ 38.Kf3 Rf4+ 39.Kg3 Rf7 40.Rb1 Ra7 41.a6 Rcc7 42.Rb6 h6 43.Kf4 Re7 44.h4 Rac7 45.Ra4 Kh7 46.g4 Ra7 47.h5 Rac7 48.Rd6 Rc8 49.Ra3 Rf8+ 50.Kg3 Rb8 51.Rc3 Rb4 52.Rd8! After 52.Rc8? Rb3+ 53.Kh4? 53.Kf2 Rb2+= 53...Ree3 White is being mated himself 52...Rb6 53.Ra8? The rook is too passively placed here. Continuing the attack with 53.Rcc8! wins by force: g5 53...Rb3+ 54.Kh4 g5+ 55.hxg6+ Kxg6 56.Rb8 Ra3 57.Rd6+ Kg7 58.Rbb6+- 54.Rh8+ Kg7 55.Rcg8+ Kf7 56.Rb8 Rxb8 56...Rxa6 57.Rh7+ Ke6 58.Rxh6++- 57.Rxb8 Re3+ 58.Kf2 Ra3 59.Rb7+ Kf6 60.Rh7 Ke5 61.Rxh6 Kf4 62.Rf6+ Kxg4 63.h6 Ra2+ 64.Ke3+- 53...Rf7 54.Rcc8 54.Rf3 Rxf3+ 55.Kxf3 Re6 56.Kf4 56.a7 Ra6 is totally drawn as White's king has no shelter on the queenside. 56...g6 57.hxg6+ Rxg6 58.Ra7+ Kg8= analogous to the famous Vancura draw. 54...Rb3+ 55.Kh4 g5+ 56.hxg6+ Kxg6 57.Rc6+ 57.Rg8+ Rg7 58.Rad8 Ra3= 57...Kg7? Now the king takes away g7 from the rook. After 57...Kh7! I have surprisingly not managed to find a win for White, e.g. 58.Rac8 58.Re8 Rb1 59.Ree6 Rh1+ 60.Kg3 Rg1+ 61.Kh3 Rf3+ 62.Kh2 Rxg4 63.a7 Rf8 64.Ra6 Ra8= 58...Rg7 59.Rc3 59.R8c7 Rxc7 60.Rxc7+ Kg6 61.Rc6+ 61.a7 Ra3= 61...Kg7 62.Rd6 Ra3= and the large drawish tendency of single rook endings saves Black. 59...Rb6 60.R8c6 Rb2 60...Rb1? 61.Rc1 Rb4 61...Rb2 62.Ra1 Rb4 63.a7 Rbxg4+ 64.Kh3 Rg3+ 65.Kh2 R3g5 66.Rc3+- 62.R1c4 Rb1 63.Ra4 Ra7 64.Ra5 Rh1+ 65.Kg3 Rg1+ 66.Kh3 Rd1 67.Kg2 Rd2+ 68.Kg3 Rd3+ 69.Kh4 Rd1 70.Rh5+- 61.Rc2 Rb3 62.Ra2 Rb4 63.a7 Rgxg4+ 64.Kh3 Rh4+ 65.Kg2 Rbg4+ 66.Kf3 Rf4+ 67.Ke3 Ra4 68.a8Q Rh3+ 69.Kf2 Rxa2+ 70.Qxa2 Rh2+= 58.Rd8! Karjakin activates his rook again and everything works fine for him. Rb1 58...Rf1 59.Rd7+ Rf7 60.Rxf7+ Kxf7 61.Rxh6+- 59.Rdd6! Rh1+ 60.Kg3 Rg1+ 60...Kh7 61.Rb6 Rg7 62.Kf4 Rf1+ 63.Ke3 Rxg4 64.a7 Rf8 65.Rd7+ Kg8 66.Rb8+- 61.Kh3 Rf3+ 62.Kh2 Rgf1 62...Rxg4 63.a7 Rf8 63...Ra4 64.Ra6+- 64.Rd7+ Kh8 65.Rxh6+ Kg8 66.Ra6 Ra8 67.Rb6 Rf4 68.Rb8+ Rf8 69.Rdb7 Rxa7 70.Rxf8+ Kxf8 71.Rxa7+- 63.Rd7+ Rf7 64.Rxf7+ Rxf7 65.Rc2! Karjakin follows Dr. Tarrasch's famous old guideline: The rook belongs behind the passed pawn. h5 65...Ra7 66.Ra2 Kg6 67.Ra5! The rook controls everything. Kf6 68.Kg3 Kg6 69.Kf4 Kf6 70.Ke4 Kg6 70...Ke6 71.Rh5+- 71.Kd4 Kf6 72.Kc5+- 66.Ra2 66.Ra2 Ra7 67.gxh5 Kh6 68.Ra5+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2776Nisipeanu,L26591–02011C635th Kings Tournament6

The Bodycheck and the Domination Game

When a rook fights against pawns the bodycheck usually is the defender's best weapon:

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Be3 0-0-0 9.Nd2 Ne7 10.0-0-0 Ng6 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Ne7 13.g4 Nd5 14.Rhe1 Bd6 15.Ne4 Bxh2 16.Ng5 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Bg3 18.Nxf7 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Re8 20.Rh1 h6 21.Kd2 Re7 22.Rh3 Bd6 23.Nxd6+ cxd6 24.f6 gxf6 25.Rxh6 Rf7 26.Kd3 d5 27.Rg6 Kd7 28.c4 dxc4+ 29.Kxc4 f5 30.g5 f4 31.exf4 Rxf4+ 32.Kc5 Rf5+ 33.Kc4 Rf4+ 34.Kc5 Rf5+ 35.Kd4 Rf2 36.Rg7+ Kc8 37.g6 Rg2 38.Ke5 Kb8 39.a4 Rxb2 40.Rf7 Re2+ 41.Kf6 Rf2+ 42.Ke7 Rg2 43.g7 Kc7 44.Kf8+ Kb6 45.g8Q Rxg8+ 46.Kxg8 c5 47.Rf4 Ka5 48.Kf7 c4 49.Ke6 Kxa4 50.Rxc4+ Kb3 51.Rc7 b5 52.Kd5 a5 53.Rh7 a4 54.Rh3+ Kb2 55.Rh2+ Kb3 56.Rh3+ Kb2? allows White's king to join the attack. Black had to give a bodycheck with 56...Kb4! 57.Rh4+ 57.Rh1 a3 58.Kd4 Kb3 59.Rb1+ Kc2!= 57...Kb3 58.Kc5 a3 59.Rh3+ Ka4!= Bodycheck! 57.Kc5! a3 58.Kb4 a2 59.Rh2+ Kb1 60.Rh1+ Kb2 61.Rh2+ Kb1 62.Kb3! Forces the underpromotion to a knight, which is insufficient in this case due to Black's lack of breathing space. a1N+ 63.Kc3 b4+ 64.Kxb4 Nc2+ 65.Kc3 Ne3 66.Kd3 66.Rh4 wins quicker, e.g. Nd1+?! 67.Kd2 Nb2 This square is also bad for the knight. Already the Arabs knew 1000 years ago that long wins for the rook exist in this case. 68.Rb4 Domination! 68.Rf4?! mates in 28 moves. 68...Ka2 69.Kc2 Ka1 70.Rb8+- 66...Nd5 67.Rf2? Now the knight can join forces with its king. After 67.Rh4 White wins the domination game, e.g. Kb2 68.Rd4 Ne7 69.Kc4 Kc2 70.Rf4 Ng6 71.Re4 Kd2 72.Kd4 Nf8 73.Re8 Nh7 74.Rg8 Nf6 75.Rg7 Ke2 76.Ke5 Nh5 77.Rg5+- 67...Nb4+ 68.Kc4 Na2 69.Kb3 Nc1+ 70.Ka3 Nd3 71.Rd2 Nc1 72.Rb2+ Ka1 73.Rb8 Na2? Too passive. Black had to find the following sequence of only moves: 73...Ne2! 74.Re8 74.Kb3 Kb1= 74...Nc1 75.Rd8 Kb1 76.Rd2 Ka1 77.Rb2 Nd3 78.Rd2 Nc1= 74.Kb3 Kb1 75.Rb7 Nc1+ 76.Kc3+! Ka1 77.Kc2 Na2 78.Rb1# 1–0
  • 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
Musalov,R2399Shukh,N24381–02011C6864th ch-RUS HL5
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