CBM Blog: Race of passed pawns + a hiding place

by ChessBase
10/3/2011 – Oh bother – more chess training and study, further improvement of your tournament results. Wait, that's a good thing, isn't it? Free lessons from a world-renowned endgame expert, every few days. This time GM Karsten Müller, who has a PhD in mathematics, shows us two practical examples from games played in recent months. Take a break to hone your chess skills.
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Race of the Passed Pawns

In this case the usual drawish tendency of rook endings is reduced. But Hebden could still have saved himself. How to deal with White's wave of pawns: 41...Re7 or 41...d2?

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 d5 9.exd5 cxd5 10.Bg5 c6 11.Qf3 Rb8 12.Rab1 Re8 13.a3 Bd6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.b4 Be6 17.Na4 d4 18.Nc5 Bxc5 19.bxc5 Rbd8 20.Rb7 Rd5 21.Rxa7 Rxc5 22.Re1 Rd8 23.h3 Rc3 24.Bxh7+ Kf8 25.g4 c5 26.Kh2 Bd5 27.a4 Kg7 28.Be4 Re8 29.Bxd5 Rxe1 30.Rxf7+ Kg6 31.h4 Re2 32.Kg2 Rcxc2 33.Kg3 Rxf2 34.h5+ Kh6 35.Be4 f5 36.Bxc2 Rxc2 37.Rxf5 d3 38.Rd5 c4 39.Kf4 Re2 40.Rd6+ Kg7 41.g5 Re7? Too passive. White's rolling pawns are now always one move quicker. 41...d2 draws, if Black's king navigates carefully: 42.Rd7+ 42.h6+ Kh7! 43.Rd7+ Kg6! 44.h7 44.Rg7+ Kh5 45.h7 Rf2+ 46.Ke5 46.Kg3? Rf8 47.Rg8 Rf3+ 48.Kg2 d1Q 49.h8Q+ Kg4-+ 46...d1Q 47.h8Q+ Kg4 48.Qc8+ Kg3 49.Qc7= 44...Re8 45.Rxd2 Kxh7 46.a5 c3 47.Ra2 Rc8 48.Rc2 Ra8 49.Rxc3 Rxa5= 42...Kh8‼ The point. 42...Kg8? 43.g6 Rf2+ 44.Kg5 c3 45.h6 Rf8 46.h7+ Kh8 47.g7+ Kxh7 48.gxf8Q# 43.g6 43.Rd8+ Kg7! 44.h6+ Kh7 45.Rd7+ Kg6! 46.h7 Re8= 43...c3 44.Kg5 44.h6 Re8= 44...Re8 44...c2?? 45.Rd8+ Re8 46.Rxe8+ Kg7 47.h6# 45.h6 c2 46.Rh7+= 46.h7?? c1Q 47.Kh6 d1Q+-+ 42.h6+ Kh7 43.Kg4 Rc7 43...Re8 44.Kh5 Kh8 44...Re5 45.Rd7+ Kh8 46.h7 d2 47.Kh6+- 45.g6 45.Rd7? Rc8 46.h7? backfires due to c3 47.Kh6 c2 48.g6 c1Q+-+ 45...Re5+ 45...c3 46.Rxd3 Rc8 47.Rd1 c2 48.Rc1 Rc5+ 49.Kg4+- 46.Kg4 Re8 47.Kg5 c3 48.h7 c2 49.Rc6 d2 50.Kh6 c1Q Now the pawn d2 acts as an umbrella. 51.g7# 44.Kh5! But not 44.Kf5? as White's king has no safe shelter after c3 45.Rxd3 Rc5+ 46.Kf6 Rc6+= 44...Rc5 45.Rd7+ Kh8 46.h7 46.h7 d2 47.Kh6 Rc8 47...Rxg5 48.Rd8+ Rg8 49.hxg8Q# 48.g6 c3 49.g7# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lalic,S2277Hebden,M25331–02011C4798th ch-GBR2

The hiding place

The defending king needs shelter against a rook check, when a passed pawn has advanced to the 7th rank with the attacking rook in front of it:

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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 g6 4.h3 Bg7 5.Nf3 dxe4 6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.Nxf6+ exf6 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 Qd6 10.Be3 Be6 11.c3 Rd8 12.Nd2 Nd7 13.Bc4 Bxc4 14.Nxc4 Qd5 15.Qb3 Nf8 16.Nd2 Qd7 17.a4 Ne6 18.Nf3 f5 19.Rad1 a6 20.d5 cxd5 21.Bb6 Nc7 22.c4 Re8 23.cxd5 Re4 24.Nd2 Re5 25.Bxc7 Qxc7 26.d6 Qc6 27.Nc4 Rc5 28.Nb6 Rd8 29.d7 Qe6 30.Qb4 Bf8 31.a5 Re5 32.Qc3 Bc5 33.Rd2 Be7 34.Rfd1 Rc5 35.Qg3 Rxa5 36.Nc8 Re5 37.Nxe7+ Qxe7 38.Kh2 h5 39.Qc3 Rc5 40.Qb4 Kf8 41.Qxb7 a5 42.Qb6 Re5 43.Qd4 Qc5 44.Qf4 Kg7 45.Rc1 Qxc1 46.Qxe5+ Kh7 47.Qd6 Qc4 48.Rd4 Qe6 49.Qc7 Qe7 50.Rd1 h4 51.Rd5 Kg8 52.Qc1 Qe6 53.Qc5 f6 54.Qc7 Qe7 55.Qc4 Kg7 56.Qc8 Kf7 57.Rd1 Kg7 58.Kg1 g5 59.Kf1 Kg6 60.Qc7 Kh6 61.Rd2 Kg6 62.Rd1 Kh6 63.Rd6 Kg6 64.Rd5 Kf7 65.Qc4 Qe6 66.Qb5 Kg6 67.Qd3 Kf7 68.Qb5 Kg6 69.Qd3 Kf7 70.Rd4 Kg6 71.Qd2 Qe5 72.Kg1 Qe6 73.Rd3 Kf7 74.Rd6 Qe7 75.Qd5+ Kg6 76.Kh2 Kg7 77.Qd2 Kg6 78.Rd5 Qe6 79.Kg1 Kf7 80.Rd3 Kg6 81.Kf1 Kf7 82.Qd1 Kg6 83.Rd5 Kg7 84.Qd3 Kf7 85.b3 Kg6 86.Qd4 Kf7 87.Qc4 Kg6 88.Rd1 Kf7 89.Qb5 Kg6 90.Rd3 Kf7 91.Rd2 Kg6 92.Rd5 Kf7 93.Qc4 Kg6 94.Qd3 Kf7 95.Qxf5 Qxf5 96.Rxf5 Rxd7 97.Rxa5 Rd2 98.Rb5 Rb2 99.Rb8 Kg6 100.b4 Rb1+ 101.Ke2 Rb2+ 102.Ke3 Rb3+ 103.Kd4 Rb2 104.Ke3 Rb3+ 105.Ke4 Rb2 106.b5 Rxf2 107.b6 Rb2 108.b7 Rb4+ 109.Kd5 Kf5! 109...Kg7? is not sufficient here as the checking distance of Black's rook is too short: 110.Kc6 Rc4+ 111.Kb5 Rc2 112.Rc8 Rxg2 113.Rc4 Rb2+ 114.Rb4+- 109...Kf7? is refuted by the typical trick 110.Rh8 Rxb7 111.Rh7++- 109...f5? 110.Rg8+ Kh5 111.b8Q Rxb8 112.Rxb8 g4 113.Rg8+- 110.Kc6 Rc4+? This check just loses valuable time. 110...Kf4! 111.Ra8 111.Rf8 Rxb7 112.Kxb7 Kg3 113.Rxf6 Kxg2 114.Rg6 114.Kc6 Kxh3 115.Kd5 Kg2 116.Ke4 h3 117.Ke3 h2 118.Rf2+ Kg3= Bodycheck! 114...Kxh3 115.Rxg5 Kh2 116.Kc6 h3 117.Kd5 Kh1 118.Ke4 h2= 111...Kg3 The king still has to run for cover. As 111...Rxb7? runs into 112.Ra4+ Kg3 113.Rg4+ Kf2 114.Kxb7+- 112.Ra4 112.Ra2 f5 113.Ra5 Rxb7 114.Kxb7 Kxg2= 112...Rb2 112...Rxb7? 113.Rg4+ Kf2 114.Kxb7+- 112...Rxa4 113.b8Q+ Rf4 should be drawn as well. 113.Ra2 113.Ra5 Rxb7 114.Kxb7 Kxg2 115.Ra3 f5= 113.Rg4+ Kf2 114.Kc7 Rc2+ 115.Kb6 Rb2+ 116.Kc6 Rb1= 113...Rb1 114.Kc7 f5 115.b8Q Rxb8 116.Kxb8 g4 117.Kc7 gxh3 118.gxh3 Kxh3 119.Kd6 Kg3 120.Ke5 h3 121.Ra3+ Kg4= 111.Kb5 Rc2 112.Rc8 Rb2+ 113.Kc6 Kf4 114.b8Q+ Rxb8 115.Rxb8 Kg3 116.Rb2 f5 117.Kd5 g4 118.Ke5! 118.hxg4? fxg4 119.Ke4 h3 120.gxh3 gxh3 121.Rb3+ Kg2 122.Kf4 h2 123.Rb2+ Kh3!= Bodycheck! 118...gxh3 118...f4 119.hxg4 Kxg4 120.Rb3+- 119.gxh3 f4 119...Kxh3 120.Kxf5 Of course not 120.Kf4?? stalemate 120...Kg3 121.Rb3+ Kg2 122.Kg4+- 120.Rb3+ 120.Rb3+ f3 121.Ke4 Kxh3 122.Kxf3 Kh2 123.Kf2 h3 124.Ra3 Kh1 125.Rxh3# 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
Danin,A2538Neuman,P24541–02011B15Czech GM Open A4.13

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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