CBM Blog: Counterplay counts + Banusz' Breakthrough

by ChessBase
9/24/2011 – In rook endings a pawn up, the draw is often secured by counterplay. But how to initiate it? Our resident GM Karsten Müller gives us instruction, using a recent game Bacrot-Robson from the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk. And Dr Müller uses another game from two weeks ago to instruct us on the theme of counterplay. Take time to study his examples and improve your tournament results.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Counterplay counts

The large drawish tendency of rook endings is often due to active counterplay. But how to start it?

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
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 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1 a5 11.Qe2 Be6 12.Nd2 Nb4 13.Rd1 c6 14.a3 N4d5 15.Nce4 Qc8 16.Nc5 Bg4 17.Bf3 Bxf3 18.Nxf3 Nd7 19.Nxd7 Qxd7 20.e4 Nb6 21.Bf4 a4 22.Rac1 Ra5 23.Rc5 Rea8 24.Bd2 Rb5 25.Bb4 e6 26.h4 h5 27.Kg2 Bf8 28.Rxb5 cxb5 29.Bxf8 Kxf8 30.Ne5 Qe8 31.Qe3 Nc4 32.Nxc4 bxc4 33.Qc3 b5 34.d5 exd5 35.exd5 Kg8 36.d6 Rd8 37.Qf3 Qe5 38.Qc3 Qxc3 39.bxc3 Kg7 40.Rd5 Kf6 41.Rxb5 Rxd6 42.Rb4 Rd3 43.Rxc4 Ke5 44.Rc7 Ke6 45.Rc8 Ke5 46.Re8+ Kd5 47.Ra8 Rxc3 48.Rxa4 Ke6 49.Re4+ Kf6 50.Re3 Rc2 51.Kf3 Ra2 52.Rc3 Kf5 53.Rc5+ Ke6 54.Ra5 Kf6 55.Ke3 Ke6 56.Ra7 Kf6 57.a4 Ke6 58.a5 Kf6 59.a6 Ke6 60.Ra8 Kf6 61.Kf3 Ra4 62.Ke2 Ra3 63.Ra7 Ke6 64.Kd2 Ra2+ 65.Ke3 Kf6 66.Ra8 Ra3+ 67.Kd4
How to start counterplay in this position? 67...Ra2? This takes too much time and allows White's rook to activate itself powerfully. The king must come anyway, so it should advance immediately: 67...Kf5! 68.Kc5 68.f3 Rxf3 69.Rf8 Ra3 70.Rxf7+ Kg4 71.a7 Kxg3= 68.Ra7 Kg4 69.Rxf7 Rxa6 70.Ke5 g5 71.Rg7 71.hxg5 Ra5+ 72.Kf6 Ra6+ 73.Ke7 Kxg5= 71...Kf3 72.Rxg5 Kxf2 73.Kf4 Ra4+ 74.Kf5 Ra6 75.Rxh5 Kxg3= 68...Kg4 69.Kb5 Kf3 70.Rf8 Kxf2 71.Rxf7+ Kxg3 72.Rg7 Kxh4 73.Rxg6 Kh3 74.Rg5 h4 75.Kb6 Kh2 76.Ra5 Rxa5 77.Kxa5 h3 78.a7 Kg1 79.a8Q h2= White's king is out of the winning zone. Dautov's defense 67...g5? comes too late in this position, e.g. 68.hxg5+ Kxg5 69.Kc5 Kg4 70.Kb6 Rb3+ 71.Ka7 Kf3 72.Rb8 Ra3 73.Rb5 Kxf2 74.Rxh5 Kxg3 75.Rf5+- 68.Kc5 Rxf2 68...Kf5 is refuted by 69.f3 f6 69...Ra3 70.Kb4 Ra2 71.Kb5 Rb2+ 72.Kc6 Rc2+ 73.Kd6 Ra2 74.Ke7 f6 75.a7+- 70.a7 Normally this advance is not recommended as it destroys the shelter of White's king on the queenside, but here the king can invade successfully on the kingside: Ra6 71.Kb5 Ra1 72.Kc6 Rc1+ 73.Kd6 Rd1+ 73...Ra1?! allows the short cut 74.Rc8 Ra6+ 75.Rc6 Rxa7 76.Rc5# 74.Ke7 Ra1 75.Kf8 Ra6 76.Kf7 Ra1 77.Kg7 Ra3 78.Kh6 Ra6 79.Rb8 Rxa7 80.Rb5+ Ke6 81.Kxg6+- 69.Rd8 69.Rb8!? Rc2+ 69...Ra2 70.Kb6+- 70.Kb6 Rb2+ 71.Ka7 Re2 72.Rb5+- 69...Ra2 70.Kb6 Rb2+ 71.Kc6 The direct 71.Ka7!? leads to 73.Ka7! +- (see below). 71...Rc2+ 72.Kb7 Rb2+ 73.Ka8? Leaves the a-pawn unprotected for one decisive moment. 73.Ka7! wins, e.g. Rb3 73...Re2 74.Rd5 Rb2 75.Rd6+ Kf5 76.Rb6 Re2 77.Rb4+- 73...Kf5 74.Rb8 Re2 75.Rb4+- 74.Rb8 Rxg3 75.Rb5 Re3 76.Kb6 Re6+ 77.Ka5 Re7 78.Rc5! The rook prepares to shelter the king from both directions. Ke6 79.Kb6 Re8 80.a7 f5 81.Ra5 f4 82.a8Q Rxa8 83.Rxa8 Kf5 84.Kc5 Kg4 85.Kd4 Kxh4 86.Ke4 Kg3 87.Rg8+- 73...Kf5 74.a7 74.Rb8 is met by Ra2! 75.Rb5+ Kg4 76.Rg5+ Kh3 and Black survives, e.g. 77.Kb7 77.a7 Rb2= 77...Rb2+ 78.Kc6 Rc2+ 79.Kb6 Re2 80.a7 Re6+ 81.Kb5 81.Kc7 Re7+ 82.Kb8 Re8+= 81...Re8= 74...Kg4 75.Rb8 Ra2 76.Rb3 76.Kb7 Kxg3 77.a8Q Rxa8 78.Rxa8 Kxh4 79.Kc6 Kg3 80.Kd5 h4= 76...f6 77.Rb6 g5 78.Rxf6 gxh4 79.gxh4 Kxh4 80.Kb7 Rxa7+! Public enemy number 1 must be eliminated as after 80...Kg3?? 81.Ra6 the a-pawn will queen: Rb2+ 82.Kc7 Rc2+ 83.Kd7+- 81.Kxa7 Kg3 82.Rg6+!? The zwischenschach is good technique, but in this case insufficient to win. Kf3 83.Rh6 Kg4 84.Kb6 h4 85.Kc5 h3 86.Kd4 Kg3 87.Ke3 h2? Too hasty. Black must play for bodychecks with 87...Kg2! 88.Rg6+ Kf1! Bodycheck! 88...Kh1? 89.Kf3 h2 90.Re6 Kg1 91.Re1# 89.Rh6 Kg2 90.Ke2 h2 91.Rg6+ Kh1= 88.Rg6+ Kh3 89.Kf2! h1N+ 89...h1Q 90.Rh6+ Kg4 91.Rxh1+- 90.Kf3 Kh2 91.Rg7 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
Bacrot,E2710Robson,R25601–02011D76FIDE World Cup 20111.5

Banusz' Breakthrough

Despite his extra pawn and enormous activity White can not force a win. But Banusz tried a last trick:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Qb3 Qb6 5.Nc3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 Bf5 7.e3 e6 8.Nh4 Bc2 9.Qe2 Be4 10.Nf3 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Rd8 12.Nc4 Qc7 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.a3 Be7 15.g3 0-0 16.Bg2 Nd6 17.Nxd6 Bxd6 18.0-0 e5 19.dxe5 Bxe5 20.Qc2 Qb6 21.Rb1 Qc5 22.Qe2 Nb6 23.b4 Qc4 24.Qxc4 Nxc4 25.b5 cxb5 26.Bxb7 Bd6 27.Rxb5 Nxa3 28.Ra5 Nc4 29.Rxa7 Rd7 30.Rd1 Rb8 31.Ra4 Rdxb7 32.Rxc4 Be5 33.Rd5 Bf6 34.Kg2 g6 35.g4 Rb5 36.Rd7 R5b7 37.Rxb7 Rxb7 38.Rc5 Rb1 39.Kg3 h6 40.Bd2 Rg1+ 41.Kf3 Rd1 42.Ba5 Ra1 43.Bc7 Ra2 44.Bg3 Ra3 45.h4 Rb3 46.h5 g5 47.Rd5 Rb4 48.Bd6 Rc4 49.Bc5 Rc3 50.Ke4 Bg7 51.Kf5 Rc2 52.e4 Rc3 53.Be3 Rc6 54.e5 Rc4 55.Rd8+ Kh7 56.Rd7 Kg8 57.e6 fxe6+ 58.Kg6 Bf8 59.Bd4 e5 60.Bxe5 Rc6+ 61.Bf6 Ra6 62.Rd8 Rc6 63.f4!?
63...gxf4 64.g5 hxg5? Gikas crumbles under the pressure. He had to start the counterplay immediately: 64...f3! 65.gxh6 65.Rd3 f2 66.Rf3 hxg5 67.h6 Bxh6 68.Kxh6 g4 69.Rxf2 g3= 65...Rxf6+ 66.Kxf6 f2 67.Rd1 Kh7! The point of the defense. Now the pawn f2 gives Black the draw. The hasty 67...Bxh6? spoils it: 68.Kg6 Bd2 69.h6 Kf8 70.h7 Bc3 71.Rf1 Bd4 72.Rxf2++- 68.Rf1 Bc5 68...Kxh6 69.Rxf2 Kxh5= 69.Kg5 Be3+ 70.Kg4 Kxh6= 65.h6 Rxf6+ 65...Rc7 66.Bg7 Rc6+ 67.Kh5+- 66.Kxf6 Kh7 Now 66...f3 comes too late: 67.Kg6 f2 68.h7+ Kh8 69.Rxf8# 67.Rxf8 g4 68.Kg5 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
Banusz,T2552Gikas,A21921–02011D1513th Trieste Open8

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.

Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.