CBM Blog: Rook Endings + a Houdini-like escape

by ChessBase
6/21/2011 – In rook endings in case of h- and f-pawn even two solid extra pawns are often not enough to win, as our resident GM and endgame specialist Karsten Müller demonstrates. He also shows us a miracle escape by GM Vlad Tkachiev against GM Arkadij Naiditsch on the top board of the German Team Cup Final. Replay Dr Müller's didactic analysis: there are interesting things to learn.
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Rook Endings are always drawn

In case of h- and f-pawn even two solid extra pawns are often not enough to win:

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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Bb6 11.0-0 Nc6 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Qg5 14.Bc3 Bg4 15.Be2 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Rad8 17.Rad1 Rfe8 18.Bd4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Re4 20.Rfd1 Rxd4 21.Rxd4 Qf5 22.Qd1 Rc8 23.g3 Qc2 24.Rxd5 h6 25.Qxc2 Rxc2 26.Rd8+ Kh7 27.Rd7 Rxb2 28.Rxf7 a5 29.a4 Kg6 30.Rc7 Kf6 31.Kg2 g5 32.Rc5 b6 33.Rc6+ Kg7 34.g4 Rb4 35.Kg3 Kh7 36.h4 h5 37.gxh5 gxh4+ 38.Kh3 Rxa4 39.Rxb6 Rb4 40.Ra6 a4 41.f4 Re4 42.Kxh4 Rxe3 43.Rxa4 Re1? 43...Kg7! 44.Kg5 Rg3+ 45.Kf5 Rb3 46.Ra7+ Kh6= 44.Ra7+? 44.Kg5! Rg1+ 45.Kf6 Rb1 46.Ra8 Rb6+ 47.Kg5 Rb7 48.f5 Rg7+ 49.Kf6 Rb7 50.Re8 Rb5 51.Kg5 Rb7 52.f6 Rb5+ 53.Kf4+- 44...Kh6 45.Ra6+ Kg7 46.Kg5 Rg1+ 47.Kf5 Rh1 48.Rg6+ Kf7 49.Rg5 Rh2 50.Kg4 Rh1 51.Ra5 Kg7 52.Kg5 Rg1+ 53.Kf5 Rh1 54.Ra7+ Kh6 55.Ra6+ Rook Endings are always drawn In case of h- and f-pawn even two solid extra pawns are often not enough to win: Kg7! 55...Kxh5? loses to the tactical trick 56.Ra8 Kh6 57.Rh8+ Kg7 58.Rxh1+- After 55...Kh7? 56.Kg5 White threatens to cut Black's king off along the 7th rank, which usually wins: Rg1+ 57.Kf6! Rb1 57...Kh6 58.Ra8 Kh7 59.f5 Rb1 60.Re8 Rf1 61.Re5 Kh6 62.Kf7 Kxh5 63.f6+ Kh6 64.Re2 Kg5 65.Kg7 Rxf6 66.Rg2+ Kf5 67.Rf2++- 58.f5 Kh6 58...Kg8 59.Ra7+- 59.Ke7+ Kxh5 60.f6 Rb7+ 61.Kf8 Kg6 62.f7+ Kh7 63.Rf6 Ra7 64.Ke8+- 56.Rg6+ 56.h6+ should be met by Kh7 The black king should usually head for h7, when the h-pawn advances to h6. 56...Kf7 This defensive method is usually recommended by the books. 56...Kh7 is the alternative. 57.Rg5 57.Kg5 Rg1+ 58.Kh6 Rf1 59.Rg4 Kf6 60.Kh7 Kf5 61.Rh4 61.Rg5+ Kf6= 61...Kf6 62.h6 Ra1 63.Rg4 Ra7+ 64.Rg7 Ra4 65.Kh8 Rxf4 66.h7 Ra4= 57...Rh2 58.Ke4 Re2+ 59.Kf3 Rh2 60.Re5 Rh1 61.Kg4 Kf6 62.Rf5+ Kg7 63.Rd5 Rg1+ 64.Kf5 Rh1 65.Ke6 Kh6 66.Re5 Ra1 The defending rook is usually best placed in the south west corner to be able to give checks from both directions with a large checking distance. 67.Rg5 Ra6+ 68.Kf5 Ra1 69.Rg8 Kh7 69...Ra2!? 70.Rg6 Rh1 71.Kg5 Rg1+ 72.Kf6 Rh1 73.h6 Ra1 74.f5 Ra2 75.Ke5 Re2+ 76.Kf4 Rf2+ 77.Ke4 Re2+ 78.Kf3 Rh2 79.Kf4 Rf2+ 79...Rxh6? 80.Rxh6+ Kxh6 81.Ke5 Kg7 82.Ke6+- 80.Ke4 Re2+ 81.Kd5 Rd2+ 82.Ke5 Re2+ 83.Kd6 Rf2 84.Ke6 Ra2 85.Kf7 Ra7+ 86.Kf6 Ra2 87.Ke6 Ra6+ 88.Kf7 Ra7+ 89.Kf6 Ra2 90.Ke5 Re2+ 91.Kd6 Rf2 92.Rf6 Ra2 93.Ke6 Ra6+ 94.Ke7 Ra7+ 95.Kf8 Ra8+ 96.Kf7 Ra7+ 97.Kf8 Ra8+ 98.Kf7 Ra7+ 99.Ke6 Ra6+ 100.Ke5 Ra7 101.Re6 Ra5+ 102.Kf6 Ra1? Kaisar has defended well for a long time, but now he commits a mistake. 102...Kxh6 was called for: 103.Kf7+ Kh7 104.f6 Ra8! 105.Ke7 105.Re8 Ra7+ 106.Ke6 Ra6+ 107.Kf5 Ra5+ 108.Re5 Ra8 109.f7 Kg7 110.Re8 Ra5+ 111.Ke6 Ra6+= 105...Kg6 106.f7+ Kg7 107.Re1 Ra7+ 108.Ke8 Ra8+= 103.Re2? White misses the moment. 103.Kf7! Ra7+ 104.Kf8 Ra8+ 105.Re8 Ra6 105...Ra5 106.f6 Kxh6 107.f7 Kh7 108.Ke7+- 105...Ra7 106.Re7+ Kh8 107.f6 Ra8+ 108.Re8 Ra7 109.f7+- 106.Re7+ Kh8 107.Re6 Ra8+ 108.Re8 Ra6 109.f6 Rxf6+ 110.Ke7++- 103...Ra3 104.Rd2 Ra1 Black's rook just waits in the south west corner. 105.Rc2 Ra3 106.Rb2 Ra1 107.Re2 Ra3 108.Kg5 Rg3+ 109.Kf6 Ra3 110.Rh2 Ra1 111.Kg5 Rg1+ 112.Kf6 Ra1 113.Rh4 Ra2 114.Rh1 Ra3 115.Kg5 Ra2 116.f6 Ra5+ 117.Kf4 Ra4+ 118.Kf5 Ra5+ 119.Ke6 Ra6+ 120.Ke7 Ra7+ 121.Kd8 White's king finds no shelter from the checks so a draw was agreed. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy2464Kaisar,J2258½–½2011D37Zonal 3.31

Houdini-like escape

In the German team cup final the extremely strong teams of Baden-Baden and Porz played each other. Porz was leading 2:1 but if Naiditsch converts his advantage then Baden-Baden will win by Berliner Wertung as this was the first board:
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Houdini-like escape In the German team cup final the extremely strong teams of Baden-Baden and Porz played each other. Porz was leading 2:1 but if Naiditsch converts his advantage then Baden-Baden will win by Berliner Wertung as this was the first board: 68.Be8?! This does not spoil the win, but 68.c6 was much easier: Bxc6 69.Bxc6 g4 70.hxg4 hxg4 71.Bg2 71.Bh1 g3 72.f3+- 71...g3 72.f3 Ke3 73.Ke5 Kf2 74.Bh1 Kg1 75.Kf4 Kxh1 76.Kxg3+- 68...g4 69.h4? This goes too far. As Raj Tischbierek has shown in the German magazine Schach 6/2011 White wins the resulting races after 69.hxg4 Bxg4 69...h4 70.g5 h3 71.g6 h2 72.g7 h1Q 73.g8Q Qd1+ 74.Kc7+- 70.c6 h4 71.c7 h3 72.Bc6 h2 73.Ke7 Bf3 73...Ke5 74.Kd8 Kd6 75.Bh1 Ke5 76.c8Q Bxc8 77.Kxc8 Kf4 78.Kd7+- 74.c8Q h1Q 75.Qf8+ Kg4 75...Ke5 76.Qf6# 76.Bd7+ Kg5 77.Qf5+ Kh6 78.Qf4+ Kg6 79.Be8+ Kh7 80.Qf5+ Kh8 81.Qf6+ Kh7 82.Bg6+ Kh6 83.Bf7+ Kh7 84.Qg6+ Kh8 85.Qg8# 69...g3 70.fxg3+ Kxg3 71.Bf7 Kxh4 72.Bd5 Be2 72...Bxd5 draws as well: 73.Kxd5 Kg3 74.c6 h4 75.c7 h3 76.c8Q h2 White's king is badly placed. 77.Qg8+ Kf2 78.Qf7+ Kg2= as White's king is just outside the winning zone. 73.c6 Kg3 74.c7 Ba6 74...Bg4? 75.Be6+- 75.Bc4 Bb7 76.Bd5 Ba6! 76...Bc8? 77.Be6 Ba6 78.Kc6 h4 79.Kb6 h3 80.Bxh3+- 77.Be6 h4 78.Kc6 h3 79.Kb6 h2 80.Kxa6 h1Q 81.c8Q Qa1+ 82.Kb6 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
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  • 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.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Naiditsch,A2716Tkachiev,V2626½–½2011German Cup Final
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