CBM Blog: The Flight and Knight Tactics

by ChessBase
7/25/2011 – The training we get on these pages from renowned endgame expert Dr. Karsten Müller is not just instructive – it is also topical. Today he explains the wins of two young talents, Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri, at the recent AAI GM tournament in Delhi and in round three of the Dortmund Super-GM last Saturday. GM Müller's column is indeed brand new and up-to-date.
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The Flight

In double rook endings mating attacks and perpetual check often play a role:

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38.h4! Caruana prepares an escape for his king. 38.h3? Ree2 39.Re5 39.Kh2?? backfires completely: Rxg2+ 40.Kh1 Rgc2 41.Rxc2 bxc2 42.Rc5 Ra1+ 43.Kg2 c1Q 44.Rxc1 Rxc1 45.a5 Rb1-+ 39...Rxg2+ 40.Kf1 Rgf2+ 41.Ke1 Rfc2 42.Rxc2 bxc2 43.Rc5 Rxa4 44.Rxc2 Rb4= 38...Ree2 38...Rc2 39.Rc7 39.Rd6 Ke7 40.Rd4+- 39...Ree2 40.Kh2 Rxg2+ 41.Kh3 Rh2+ 42.Kg3 Rhg2+ 43.Kf3 Rgf2+ 44.Kg4 Rg2+ 45.Kh5 g6+ 46.Kh6 Rh2 47.b7 Rxh4+ 48.Kg5 Rh5+ 49.Kf6+- 38...b2 39.Kh2 Rxa4 40.b7 Rb8 41.Rc8++- 39.Kh2! Rxg2+ 40.Kh3 Rh2+ 41.Kg3 The king starts its long journey. Rhg2+ After 41...Rag2+ 42.Kf4 Rxh4+ 42...Rf2+ 43.Ke5 Re2+ 44.Kd6 Rd2+ 45.Kc7+- 43.Kf3 Rgh2 44.b7 R2h3+ the king hides on a3: 45.Ke2 Rh2+ 46.Kd3 R2h3+ 47.Kd2 Rh2+ 48.Kc3 R2h3+ 49.Kb2 Rh2+ 50.Ka3+- 42.Kf4 Rgf2+ 42...Rxa4+ 43.Kf3 Rgg4 44.b7 Raf4+ 45.Ke3 Re4+ 46.Kd3 Rd4+ 47.Kc3+- 43.Ke5 g6 Open a new route for the king. After 43...Rfe2+ White hides on the queenside: 44.Kd6 Rad2+ 45.Kc7 Re7+ 46.Kb8+- 44.Kf6! Rac2 45.Rxc2 bxc2 46.b7 46.b7 c1Q 47.b8Q+ Qc8 48.Qxc8# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2714Hou Yifan26121–02011B80AAI GM8

Knight Tactics

In endings with rook and knight on both sides a slight initiative is usually worth a lot. Furthermore concrete calculation often plays a crucial role. Should Black take on b3 or play 70...Kd5 ?

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8.Qc2 b6 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Bf4 Bb7 11.Ne5 Nh5 12.Bd2 Nhf6 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Nc6 Bxc6 15.Qxc6 a6 16.e3 b5 17.Qc2 Qc8 18.Qd3 Qc4 19.Bf1 Ne4 20.Be1 Rfc8 21.b3 Qxd3 22.Bxd3 e5 23.a4 exd4 24.exd4 b4 25.a5 Ng5 26.Be2 Rc2 27.Kf1 Rb2 28.Rd2 Rxd2 29.Nxd2 g6 30.h4 Ne6 31.Nf3 Kf8 32.Rc1 Ke8 33.Bd2 Bd8 34.Ra1 Be7 35.Ra4 Nb8 36.Bxb4 Bxb4 37.Rxb4 Nc6 38.Ra4 Ke7 39.Ke1 f6 40.Kd2 Nc7 41.Ne1 Nb5 42.Nc2 Kd6 43.Kd3 Re8 44.Bf3 Rc8 45.Kd2 f5 46.h5 Rc7 47.Be2 Ra7 48.h6 Ra8 49.Bd3 Ra7 50.Bf1 Ra8 51.Be2 Ra7 52.Bd3 Ra8 53.f3 Ra7 54.Bf1 Ra8 55.Be2 Ra7 56.Bd3 Ra8 57.Ke3 Re8+ 58.Kd2 Ra8 59.Ke3 Re8+ 60.Kf2 Ra8 61.Kg2 Ke6 62.f4 Kd6 63.g4 fxg4 64.Kg3 Nc3 65.Ra1 Ne4+ 66.Bxe4 dxe4 67.Kxg4 Rb8 68.Rb1 Nxa5 69.Ra1 Nc6 70.Rxa6
70...Rxb3? 70...Kd5! is called for as the resulting rook ending after 71.Ne3+ 71.b4 Ne7 72.Ra7 Nf5 73.Kg5 Rc8 74.Ra5+ Kd6 75.Rc5 Rb8= 71...Kxd4 72.Rxc6 Kxe3 is drawn due to the counterplay with Black's e-pawn: 73.Rc7 Kf2 74.Rxh7 74.Rc2+ Ke3 75.Rc7 Kf2= 74...e3 75.Re7 e2 76.Kg5 Rxb3 77.h7 Rh3 78.Kxg6 Rg3+ 78...e1Q? 79.Rxe1 Kxe1 80.f5 Rg3+ 81.Kf6 Rh3 82.Kg7 Rg3+ 83.Kh8 Rf3 84.f6 Rxf6 85.Kg7+- 79.Kf6 Rh3 80.Kg7 Rg3+ 81.Kf8 Rh3 82.Kg8 Rg3+ 83.Rg7 e1Q 84.Rxg3 Qe8+= 71.d5‼ Kxd5 72.Rxc6 Kxc6 72...Rb2 73.Rc7+- 72...Rb1!? is relatively best, but White will win in the long run after 73.Rc8 Rg1+ 74.Kh4 Rh1+ 75.Kg5 Rh5+ 76.Kf6 Rxh6 76...Rf5+ 77.Kg7 Rxf4 78.Kxh7+- 77.Rd8+ Kc6 78.Ke5 Rh4 79.Rd1+- 79.Kxe4? g5= 73.Nd4+ Kd5 74.Nxb3 e3 74...Kc4 75.Nd2+ Kd3 76.Nf1 e3 77.Ng3 e2 78.Nxe2 Kxe2 79.f5+- 75.Nc1 75.Nc1 Ke4 76.Ne2 Kd3 77.Ng3 e2 78.Nxe2 Kxe2 79.f5 gxf5+ 80.Kxf5 Ke3 81.Kf6 Ke4 82.Kg7 Kf5 83.Kxh7 Kf6 84.Kg8+- 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
Giri,A2701Meier,G26561–02011E0839th GM3

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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