CBM Blog: Rook ending always drawn + pawn races

by ChessBase
9/17/2011 – Basically yes, but over the board matters are much more difficult than with the help of the computer of course, as our endgame expert GM Dr. Karsten Müller shows, using a game from the current World Cup tournament in Khanty Mansiysk. In a second very instructive example he takes us to the races, where White loses a drawn game with a greedy pawn capture.
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"Rook Endings are always drawn..."

But over the board matters are much more difficult than with the help of the computer of course:

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.0-0 Nf5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Bd3 Nfe7 10.Nbd2 Ng6 11.Nb3 Bb6 12.Re1 Qb8 13.Qe2 Bc7 14.Bxg6 hxg6 15.h4 Rh5 16.Bg5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.Qxe5 Qxe5 19.Rxe5 f6 20.Re3 fxg5 21.hxg5 Rxg5 22.Nc5 0-0-0 23.Nxe6 Bxe6 24.Rxe6 d4 25.cxd4 Rxd4 26.Rae1 Rd7 27.g3 a6 28.R1e2 Rf7 29.Rc2+ Kd7 30.Rb6 Kd8 31.Kg2 Ra5 32.a3 g5 33.Rd6+ Ke7 34.Rc7+ Kxd6 35.Rxf7 Rb5 36.b4 a5 37.bxa5 Ke6 38.Rxg7 Rxa5 39.Kh3 Kf6 40.Rxb7 Rxa3 41.Kg4 Ra4+ 42.Kh5 g4? Ivanchuk exposes his g-pawn. The active 42...Ra2! saves the day, e.g. 43.Rb6+ Kf7 43...Kg7!? is even easier, e.g. 44.f3 Ra3 45.Rb7+ 45.Kg4 Ra5= 45...Kf6 46.Rb8 Kg7 47.Kg4 Ra5 48.Rb6 Rc5 49.Kh5 Rc3= 44.f3 44.Kxg5 Rxf2 45.Rb7+ Kg8 46.Kg6 Rf8!= Against a g-pawn passive defence is sufficient. But not 46...Kf8? 47.g4 Ra2 48.Rb8+ Ke7 49.g5 Rg2 50.Rg8!+- 44...Ra3 45.Kg4 Ra5! 45...Rc3? 46.Rb5 Kf6 47.Rf5+ Kg6 48.Rxg5++- 46.Rh6 and now Black has two drawing options: Ra3 46...Re5 47.Rh5 Kf6 48.f4 gxf4 49.Rxe5 Kxe5 50.gxf4+ Kf6= 46...Kg7? 47.Rh5 Kg6 48.f4+- 47.Rh5 Kf6 48.Rxg5 Rxf3 49.Kxf3 Kxg5= 43.Rb6+! The sting of the scorpion. 43.Rb5? Ra2= 43...Kf5 43...Kf7 44.Kg5 Ra2 45.Rf6+ Kg7 46.Rf4+- 43...Kg7 44.Rg6++- 43...Ke7 44.Kg5 Ra2 45.Rf6+- 44.Rb8 44.Rb8 Kf6 44...Rc4 45.Rf8+ Ke5 46.Kg5 Ra4 47.Rf4+- 45.Rf8+ Ke5 45...Kg7 46.Rf4+- 46.Kg5 Rb4 47.Rf5+ Ke6 48.Rf4+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grischuk,A2746Ivanchuk,V27681–02011C02FIDE World Cup 20116.3

Pawn Races

Pawn endings are often more tricky than they look at first sight:

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1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.e3 dxe5 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.0-0 Bd6 7.b3 a6 8.Be2 Be6 9.Bb2 f6 10.d3 Qd7 11.Nbd2 Bc5 12.d4 exd4 13.exd4 Bb6 14.c3 0-0-0 15.Ne4 Nge7 16.Nc5 Bxc5 17.dxc5 Nd5 18.Re1 Ne3 19.Qxd7+ Rxd7 20.Rac1 Bg4 21.Bxa6 bxa6 22.Rxe3 Bxf3 23.Rxf3 Rhd8 24.h3 Rd1+ 25.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 26.Rf1 Rd2 27.Rf2 Rd1+ 28.Kh2 Ne5 29.Re2 Nd3 30.Ba3 Ne5 31.c4 a5 32.Bb2 Nd3 33.c6 Kd8 34.Bc3 Nb4 35.Rd2+ Rxd2 36.Bxd2 Nxa2 37.Bxa5 Nc1 38.b4 Nb3 39.Kg3 g6 40.Kf3 Nd2+ 41.Ke3 Nxc4+ 42.Kd3 Ne5+ 43.Kd4 Nxc6+ 44.Kc5 Kd7 45.Kb5 h5 46.Ka4 Ne5 47.b5 g5 48.Bc3 g4 49.hxg4 Nxg4 50.Bd4 f5 51.Ka5 Nh6 52.Ka6 Ng8 53.Be5 Ne7 54.Kb7 Nd5 55.g3 Kd8 56.Kc6 Ne7+ 57.Kc5 Kd7 58.Bf6 Ng6 59.Bg5 Ne5 60.Kd5 Nf7 61.Bf4 Nd6 62.Bxd6 cxd6 63.b6 f4? Only 63...Kc8! saves the day as both sides manage to queen: 64.Kxd6 64.Kc6? f4 65.gxf4 h4-+ 64...h4 65.gxh4 f4 66.h5 f3 67.h6 f2 68.h7 f1Q 69.h8Q+ Kb7 70.Qd4 Qf8+= 63...h4? 64.gxh4 f4 65.Ke4 Kc6 66.h5 Kxb6 67.h6+- 64.gxf4 h4 65.Ke4 d5+ 65...Kc6 66.f5+- 66.Kxd5? This greedy capture loses the race. 66.Kf3! keeps both black pawns under control just long enough: d4 66...Kc6 67.f5 Kxb6 68.f6+- 67.f5 h3 68.b7 Kc7 69.b8Q+ Kxb8 70.f6 h2 71.Kg2 d3 72.f7 h1Q+ 73.Kxh1 d2 74.f8Q++- 66...h3 67.b7 Kc7 68.Ke4 68.f5 h2 69.f6 h1Q+-+ 68...h2 0–1
  • 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
Garcia Sanchez Navarro,M1573Perez Ortego,A15810–12011A02XXVIII Collado Villalba Open6

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.

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