CBM Blog: 'Rook endings are always drawn?'

by ChessBase
7/14/2011 – Well, in a certain sense yes, but usually the defender must play actively, as our our endgame specialist Dr Karsten Müller meticulously demonstrates. In his second example GM Müller shows us how in a "wrong rook pawn" ending the defender can often hope to construct a fortress, and how this can be overcome by the attacker. Valuable lessons for your next tournament.
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Rook Endings are Always Drawn

But usually the defender must play actively:

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1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 Nf6 6.g3 a5 7.Bg2 0-0 8.Nge2 Na6 9.0-0 c6 10.h3 cxd5 11.cxd5 Nc5 12.Be3 Bd7 13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 Nfxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Qe7 17.Qd3 Rae8 18.Ng3 f5 19.Bxf5 Rxf5 20.Rf3 Rff8 21.Kg2 Bxb2 22.Rb1 Bg7 23.Qd2 a4 24.Rb6 Qh4 25.Nf1 Bf5 26.Qf2 Qxf2+ 27.Rxf2 Be4+ 28.Kg3 Bxd5 29.Rxd6 Bc4 30.Bd4 Bxd4 31.Rxd4 b5 32.Rd7 Re1 33.Nd2 Re3+ 34.Nf3 g5 35.Rd4 gxf4+ 36.Kg2 Be2 37.Rd2 Bd3 38.Kh2 Rf6 39.Ne5 Rxe5 40.Rxd3 f3 41.a3 Re2 42.Kg3 Rxf2 43.Kxf2 Rf5 44.Rd7 h5 45.Rb7 Kf8 46.Rh7 Ke8 47.Rb7 Kd8 48.Rh7 Rc5 49.Kg3 Rf5 50.Kf2 Kc8 51.h4 Kb8 52.Re7 b4 53.axb4 Rf4 54.Re5 Rxh4 55.Kxf3 Kc7 56.Ra5 Rxb4 57.Rxh5 Kb6 58.Ke3 a3 59.Rh1 Kb5 60.Kd3 Ka4 61.Kc2 a2
62.Rg1? 62.Rh8! saves the day as the pawnless endgame Rook+Knight vs Rook is usually drawn: a1N+ 62...Ka3 63.Ra8+ Ra4 64.Rxa4+ Kxa4 65.Kb2= 63.Kc3 Rb3+ 64.Kc4= 62...Rb3! 62...Ka3? 63.Rg3+ Ka4 64.Rg8= 63.Rh1?! 63.Rd1 is much more tenacious as Black must win the endgame Queen vs Rook from an unfavorable starting position after Ka3 64.Rd5 Rc3+ 65.Kxc3 a1Q+ 66.Kc4 and now Black must break the 4th rank defense, the 3rd rank defense, the 2nd rank defense to finally reach Philidor's winning position. 63...Ka3 64.Rh8?! 64.Rh5 is more precise, but Black's job is easier than after 63.Rd1, e.g. Rc3+ 65.Kxc3 a1Q+ 66.Kc4 Qc1+ 67.Kb5 Qb1+ 68.Ka5 Qb4+ 69.Ka6 Ka4 70.Rh7 Qa5+ 71.Kb7 Qd5+ 72.Ka7 Kb5 73.Rc7 Qe4 74.Rb7+ Kc6 75.Kb8 Qd5 and Black has reached Philidor's winning position ans the rook is lost, e.g. 76.Ka8 Qg8+ 77.Ka7 Qd8 78.Rh7 Qa5+ 79.Kb8 Qe5+ 80.Ka7 Qa1+ 81.Kb8 Qb1+-+ 64...Rc3+! 65.Kd2 65.Kxc3 a1Q+-+ 65...Kb2 66.Rh1 Rb3! But not the hasty 66...a1Q?? 67.Rxa1 Rc2+ 68.Kd3 Kxa1 69.Kxc2= 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Porat,M2278Hausner,I24240–12011E72Teplice Open4

The Wrong Rook's Pawn

Against a bishop the defender can often hope to construct a fortress, especially if a wrong rook's pawn is still on the board:

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 b5 5.cxb5 a6 6.bxa6 Bg7 7.Bg2 d6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.0-0 Nb6 11.Ne1 Bxa6 12.Rb1 Nc4 13.Nc2 Nd7 14.Ne4 Bb7 15.b4 Ncb6 16.bxc5 dxc5 17.Ne3 Rxa2 18.Qb3 Qa8 19.Nc3 Ra6 20.Bb2 Nf6 21.Ra1 Qb8 22.Qb5 Nbd7 23.Nc4 Bc8 24.Qxb8 Nxb8 25.Na4 Nbd7 26.e4 Bb7 27.Ra3 Rfa8 28.Rfa1 Ng4 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Bf1 R6a7 31.Be2 Nge5 32.Nc3 Rxa3 33.Rxa3 Nxc4 34.Rxa8 Bxa8 35.Bxc4 f5 36.Bb5 Ne5 37.exf5 gxf5 38.f4 Nf3+ 39.Kf2 Nd4 40.Bc4 Nc2 41.Na4 Nb4 42.Nb6 Bb7 43.Ke3 Kg6 44.Kd2 Kh5 45.h3 Na6 46.Bd3 Nb4 47.Bxf5 Nxd5 48.Na4 c4 49.Nc5 c3+ 50.Ke2 Bc6 51.Bxh7 Nb4 52.Bf5 Be8 53.Ne6 Bd7 54.Ng7+ Kh6 55.Bxd7 Kxg7 56.Bf5 Kf6 57.Be4 e5 58.f5 Na6 59.h4 Nc5 60.Bc2 e4 61.g4 Ke5 62.Ke3 Nd7 63.Bxe4 Nf6 64.Bf3 Ng8 65.Kd3 Nh6 66.h5 Nxf5 67.g5 c2 68.Kd2
68...Ne7? 68...Nd6! 69.Kxc2 69.h6 Nf7 70.h7 Kf5 71.Be4+ Kxg5= 69...Kf4 70.g6 Nf5 71.Be2 71.g7 Nh6= 71...Nh6 72.Kd3 Ke5 73.Ke3 Kf6 74.Kf4 Ng8= is a draw by active defense. The passive 74...Kg7? is insufficient, e.g. 75.Ke5 Nf7+ 76.Ke6 Nh6 77.Bd1 Ng8 78.Bc2 Nh6 79.Bb3 Ng4 80.Kf5 Nh6+ 81.Kg5 Kh8 82.Bd5 Kg7 83.Be6 Domination! Kh8 84.Kf6 Ng8+ 85.Bxg8 Kxg8 86.g7 Kh7 87.Kf7 Kh6 88.g8Q Kxh5 89.Qg3 Kh6 90.Qh4# 75.Ke4 Nh6 76.Kd5 Ng8 77.Kd6 Nh6 78.Bc4 Ng4 79.Bb3 Ne3 79...Ne5? 80.Bc2 Nf3 81.Bf5 Nd4 82.Bg4 Nc2 83.Kc5 Ne3 84.Bh3 Nc2 85.Bf5 Ne3 86.Be4 Ng4 87.Kd6 Nh6 88.Kd7 Kg5 89.Bf3 Kf6 90.Ke8 Kg7 91.Be4 Ng8 92.Kd8 Kh6 93.Bf3 Kg7 94.Kd7 Kf6 95.Ke8 Kg7 96.Bd1 Nh6 97.Ke7 Nf5+ 98.Ke6 Nd4+ 99.Kd5 Nf5 100.Ke5 Ne7 101.Bc2 Ng8 102.Ke6+- 80.Kd7 Nf5 81.Bd1 Ng7 82.Be2 Ne6 83.Ke8 Nf4 84.Kf8 Nxg6+= 69.h6 69.g6? Ng8 70.Kxc2 Nh6= 69...Ng6 69...Kf5 70.Bh5 Kxg5 71.h7+- 69...Ke6 70.Bh5+- 70.Bh5 Nh8 70...Kf5 71.Bxg6+ Kxg6 72.Kxc2+- 71.g6 Nxg6 72.Bxg6 Kf6 73.Bh5 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
Inarkiev,E2679Kurnosov,I26331–02011A5864th ch-RUS HL8
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