CBM Blog: Drawing zones, dominance duel and changing the leader

by ChessBase
10/15/2011 – Our endgame expert GM Karsten Müller keeps a watchful eye for interesting lessons that can be derived from recent games. Today he explains how in the fight bishop and wrong rook's pawn vs pawns there are two drawing zones for the defending king which must be interpreted with some care. For the weekend we bring you, instead of the usual two, this time three full training units.
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Drawing Zones

In the fight bishop and wrong rook's pawn vs pawns there are two drawing zones for the defending king which must be interpreted with some care:

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nf3 Qc7 12.g3 0-0 13.Bf4 Bd7 14.Rc1 Ne4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.Bxe5 Qb6 18.Nf4 e3 19.fxe3 Nxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe3+ 21.Rf2 Rad8 22.Qe1 Qb6 23.h4 Rf5 24.Rd1 Bc6 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Rd2 Qc7 27.Rd6 Qb6+ 28.Qf2 Qxf2+ 29.Kxf2 Kf7 30.Rd8 Rxe5 31.Rc8 Rf5 32.Ke2 Rb5 33.Nd3 Kf6 34.Rc7 Rd5 35.Ke3 h6 36.a3 g5 37.Rh7 Kg6 38.Re7 Kf5 39.Rh7 gxh4 40.gxh4 Kg6 41.Re7 Kf6 42.Rh7 Rh5 43.Nb4 Bh1 44.Kf4 Rxh4+ 45.Kg3 Be4 46.Rxb7 Bxb7 47.Kxh4 e5 48.Kh5 Kf5 49.Kxh6 e4 50.Nc2 Kf4 51.Kh5 e3 52.Kh4 Kf3 53.a4 e2 54.Kg5 Be4 55.Nd4+ Ke3 56.Nxe2 Kxe2 57.Kf4 Kd3 58.a5 Bc6 59.b4 a6 60.Kg3 Ke3 61.Kg4 Kf2 62.Kf4 Bf3 63.Kf5 Be2 64.Ke5 Bd3 65.Kd5 Ke2 66.Kc5 Kd2 67.Kd4 Kc2 68.Ke3 Kc3 69.Kf2 Kd4 70.Kf3 Bg6 71.Ke2 Kc3 72.Ke3 Bh5 73.Ke4 Kd2 74.Kf4 Kd3 75.Kg5 Bf7 76.Kf4 Bg6 77.Kf3 Be4+ 78.Kf2 Kd2 79.Kg3 Ke3 80.Kg4 Bg6 81.Kg5 Bd3 82.Kg4 Be4 83.Kg5 Kf3 84.Kf6 Bd3 85.Ke5 Ke3 86.Kd5 Bb5 87.Ke5 Bc4 88.Kf5 Bg8 89.Kg4 Bh7 90.Kg3 Bf5 91.Kh4 Kf4 92.Kh5 Bh3 93.Kg6 Bg4 94.Kf6 Bf5 95.Ke7? White's king can not retreat into the drawing zone safely. It had to run along the edge: 95.Kg7! Ke5 95...Kg5 96.Kf7! Bg4 97.Ke7 Kf5 98.Kd6 Ke4 99.b5 axb5 100.Kc5= 96.Kh6! After 96.Kh8? the king is imprisoned: Kf6 97.Kg8 Bg6 98.Kf8 98.Kh8 Kf7 99.b5 axb5 100.a6 Be4-+ 98...Bf7 99.b5 axb5 100.a6 Bd5-+ 96...Kf6 96...Kd4 97.Kg5 Kc4 98.Kxf5 Kxb4 99.Ke4 Kxa5 100.Kd3 Kb4 101.Kc2= 97.Kh5 The king has reached the drawing zone. Bd7 98.Kh4 98.Kh6? Be8-+ 98...Kf5 99.Kg3 Ke4 100.Kf2 Kd4 101.Ke2 Kc4 102.Kd2 Kxb4 103.Kc2= 95.Kf7? Ke5 96.Kg7 Kd5 97.Kf6 Bh7 98.Kg5 Kc4 99.Kf4 Kxb4 100.Ke3 Kxa5 101.Kd2 Kb4 102.Kc1 Kc3-+ 95...Ke5 96.Kf7 Bh7 97.Ke7 97.Kg7 Kd4 98.Kxh7 98.b5 axb5 99.Kxh7 Kc5-+ 98...Kc4 99.Kg6 Kxb4 100.Kf5 Kxa5 101.Ke4 Kb4 102.Kd3 Kb3 103.Kd2 Kb2 104.Kd3 a5-+ 97...Kd5 98.Kf6 Kc4 99.Ke5 Kxb4 100.Kd4 Bg6! Deadly zugzwang. After 100...Kxa5?? 101.Kc3 the king reaches the saving corner. And after 100...Bg8?? 101.Kd3 he reaches Rauser's drawing zone safely, e.g. Kb3 102.Kd2 Bh7 103.Kc1 Kc3 104.Kd1 Kb2 105.Kd2 Bc2 106.Ke3 Kc3 107.Kf4?! Kd4 108.Kg5?! Ke5 109.Kg4= 109.Kh6? Kf4 110.Kh5 Bd3 111.Kh4 Bf5 112.Kh5 Kg3 113.Kg5 Bg4 114.Kf6 Kf4 115.Kg6 Bf3 116.Kf6 Bc6 117.Ke6 Bb7 118.Kd6 Ke4 119.Kc5 Kd3 120.Kb4 Bd5! 121.Kc5 Bg8 122.Kb6 Bc4 123.Kc5 Kc3 124.Kd6 Kb4 125.Kc6 Kxa5 126.Kc5 Bg8-+ 100...Bg6! 101.Ke3 Kxa5 102.Kd2 Kb4 103.Kc1 Kc3-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Huschenbeth,N2521Grover,S24960–12011C0650th World Juniors11.11

Dominance Duel

In a fight against a knight the knowledge of geometrical motifs helps a lot:

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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.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 13.g4 h5 14.h3 Rf7 15.Kg2 Ng6 16.Rh1 Bf8 17.Nd3 Rh7 18.Qg1 b6 19.Kf1 Kf7 20.Ke1 a5 21.Kd2 Be7 22.b3 Nf6 23.a3 Qh8 24.Qf1 Bd7 25.Rg1 hxg4 26.hxg4 Rh2 27.b4 axb4 28.axb4 Rxa1 29.Qxa1 Qh3 30.Qf1 Nh4 31.Qxh3 Rxh3 32.Ne1 Rh2 33.Rf1 Bc8 34.Bg1 Rh3 35.Kc2 Ba6 36.Kb3 Ke8 37.Bd3 Bc8 38.Nb5 Kd8 39.Kc2 Bd7 40.Na7 Ke8 41.Nc6 Bf8 42.Nb8 Bc8 43.Nc6 Bd7 44.Be2 Bxg4 45.fxg4 Nxe4 46.Nf3 Bh6 47.Nxh4 gxh4 48.Bd3 Ng3 49.Bg6+ Kf8 50.Ra1 Rh1 51.Ra7 Rxg1 52.Rxc7 Bg5 53.c5 Rg2+ 54.Kb3 dxc5 55.d6 c4+ 56.Kxc4 Kg8 57.Rh7 Ra2 58.Ne7+ Bxe7 59.dxe7 Ra8 60.Rxh4 f3 61.Rh2 e4 62.Kd4 Kg7 63.e8Q Rxe8 64.Bxe8 e3 65.Kxe3 Nf1+ 66.Kxf3 Nxh2+ 67.Kf4!? A typical formation. The king restricts the knight forcefully. 67.Kg3?! is less precise: Nf1+ 68.Kf4 Nd2 69.Bb5 Nb1 70.Bd3 Nc3 71.Ke5 Na2 72.b5 Nc3 and now 73.Kd4 wins But not 73.Kd6? Kf6 74.Kc6 Kg5! 75.Bf5 Na4 76.Kd5 76.Bc2 Nc3 77.Kxb6 Nxb5 78.Kxb5 Kxg4= 76...Nc3+ 77.Kc4 Na4 78.Bc2 Nc5 79.Bd1 79.Kd5 Kxg4 80.Kc6 Ne6 81.Kxb6 Nd4= 79...Ne4! 80.Kd5 80.Be2 Nd6+ 81.Kd5 Nxb5= 80...Nc3+ 81.Kc6 Nxd1 82.Kxb6 Nc3= 73...Na4 74.Bc2 Nc5 75.Kd5 Kf6 76.Kc6 Kg5 77.Bd1+- Dominance! 67...Nf1 68.Bb5! Nd2 68...Nh2 69.Kg3+- 69.Bd3 Nb3 70.Ke3 Nc1 71.Bc4 The typical corralling. b5 72.Bd5 Of course not 72.Bxb5?? Na2 73.Kd4 Nxb4 and the steed escapes: 74.Kc4 Nc2 75.Kd3 Ne1+ 76.Ke2 Ng2 77.Kf3 Nh4+= 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Beliavsky,A2613Sebenik,M25251–02011E9919th Vidmar Mem8

Changing the Leader

Even in a pawn race the role of the kings is often of crucial importance:

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 b6 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Qc7 9.Bd2 d6 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.a4 Nc6 12.Ng5 Be7 13.Qh5 Bxg5 14.Qxg5 Kf8 15.exd6 Qxd6 16.0-0 f6 17.Qh4 Ne7 18.Bf4 Qd5 19.c4 Qb7 20.Bd6 Kf7 21.Bxe7 Kxe7 22.Rfe1 Kf7 23.Qh5+ g6 24.Qh3 Rad8 25.Ra3 Kg7 26.Bxd7 Qxd7 27.Rxe6 Rhe8 28.Rxe8 Qxe8 29.Re3 Rxd4 30.Qf3 Qd7 31.h3 Rxc4 32.Qe2 Rc1+ 33.Kh2 Qd6+ 34.g3 Qc6 35.Re7+ Kf8 36.Qe4 Qxe4 37.Rxe4 f5 38.Rh4 h5 39.Rd4 Ke7 40.g4 hxg4 41.hxg4 Ke6 42.Rb4 Kd6 43.gxf5 gxf5 44.Kg3 Rc5 45.Kf4 Kc6 46.Kg5 a6 47.Rh4 a5 48.Rh6+ Kb7 49.Rf6 Rc4 50.f4 Rxa4 51.Rxf5 Ra1 52.Rf7+ Ka6 53.f5 a4 54.f6 Rf1 55.Re7 b5 56.f7 Ka5 57.Kg6 a3 58.Re8 Rg1+? This check only improves White's king. Black's king must lead the forces: 58...Ka4! 59.f8Q Rxf8 60.Rxf8 b4 After 60...a2? 61.Ra8+ Kb3 62.Kf5 White's king is in time and a typical draw results: b4 63.Ke4 Kb2 64.Kd3 b3 64...a1Q 65.Rxa1 Kxa1 66.Kc4= 65.Kc4 Kc2 66.Ra7= 61.Ra8+ 61.Kf5 b3 62.Ke4 b2 63.Rb8 a2-+ 61...Kb3 62.Kf5 Ka2 63.Ke4 b3 64.Kd3 b2 65.Rb8 b1Q+ 66.Rxb1 Kxb1-+ 58...b4? 59.Re5+ Ka4 60.Rf5 Rg1+ 60...Rxf5? 61.Kxf5 a2 62.f8Q a1Q 63.Qa8++- 61.Rg5 After 61.Kf6? a2 62.f8Q a1Q+ Black wins in the resulting 4th phase of the game as he gives the first check and his b-pawn provides shelter, e.g. 63.Kf7 Qa2+ 64.Ke7 Re1+ 65.Kd8 Qe6-+ 61...Rf1 62.Rf5= 58...a2? 59.Ra8+ Kb4 60.Rxa2= 59.Kf5 Rf1+ 60.Ke6 Rxf7 61.Kxf7 b4 62.Ra8+ Kb5 63.Ke6 Kc4 64.Kd6 b3 65.Ra4+ 65.Rxa3 b2 66.Ra4+ Kb3 67.Ra8 b1Q 68.Rb8+= 65...Kc3 66.Rxa3 Kc2 67.Rxb3 ½–½
  • 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
Ulibin,M2538Shengelia,D2513½–½2011B22Vienna Open Ch8.1

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.

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