CBM Endgame training: Mikhalevski's Majorities, breakthroughs, exchanges

by ChessBase
10/22/2011 – ChessBase Magazine excels with a world-class endgame section. Our resident expert GM Karsten Müller keeps a watchful eye for interesting examples from current tournament play. Here for your weekend study are three examples, all derived from games played this month. You can study Dr Müller's analysis or download the games for later review. Look, learn and enjoy.
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Mikhalevski's Majorities

In a pawn ending majorities on the wings are often very valuable:

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4 6.Bf4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.e3 0-0 9.cxd5 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qxd5 11.Be2 Nc6 12.0-0 Bf5 13.Qa4 Qa5 14.Qxa5 Nxa5 15.Ne5 Rac8 16.Rfc1 Rfd8 17.f3 Be6 18.Kf2 Bxe5 19.Bxe5 Bc4 20.Bf4 f6 21.Bxc4+ Nxc4 22.Rab1 b6 23.Rc3 Nb2 24.Bc7 Rd7 25.Rxb2 Rdxc7 26.Rxc7 Rxc7 27.Ke2 Rc3 28.e4 Kf7 29.d5 f5 30.Kd2 Ra3 31.Rc2 Ke8 32.Ke2 Kd7 33.e5 f4 34.Kd1 Ra5 35.Rd2 e6 36.g3 fxg3 37.dxe6+ Kxe6 38.hxg3 Rd5!? Good technique! The resulting rook ending after 38...Rxe5 39.Rh2 h5 is most probably won as well but not as easy as the pawn ending. 39.f4 b5 40.Ke2 Rxd2+ 41.Kxd2 a5 42.Ke3 Kd5! This bodycheck is Black's point. Now his pawn majorities on both wings will win. 42...g5? blows it: 43.Ke4 gxf4 44.gxf4 b4 45.f5+ Ke7 46.Kd5 a4 47.e6 47.Kc4? h5-+ 47...b3 48.axb3 axb3 49.f6+ Kxf6 50.Kd6 b2 51.e7 b1Q 52.e8Q Qg6 53.Qe5+ Kf7+ 54.Kd5= 43.Kd3 g5 44.Ke3 44.fxg5 Kxe5 45.Ke3 Kf5 46.Kd4 Kxg5 47.Kc5 Kg4 48.Kxb5 Kxg3 49.Kxa5 h5-+ 44...g4 45.Kd3 h5 45...h5 46.Ke3 b4 47.Kd3 a4 48.Kc2 48.e6 Kxe6 49.Kc4 h4 50.gxh4 g3-+ 48...h4 49.gxh4 g3-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Urkedal,F2447Mikhalevski,V25420–12011D80Oslo GM Open3

Two breakthroughs

In this blocked position the knight is obviously much better than the bishop. But how to make progress?

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1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 e5 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.Nc3 Be6 8.Bg5+ Kc8 9.0-0-0 Nd7 10.Bh3 Bxh3 11.Nxh3 h6 12.Be3 Ngf6 13.f3 b6 14.Nf2 Kb7 15.g4 Bf8 16.Nd3 a6 17.h4 Bd6 18.Ne2 Ne8 19.h5 g5 20.Ng3 Ng7 21.c4 a5 22.Kc2 f6 23.Nc1 Rhd8 24.Rd5 Nf8 25.Rhd1 Nfe6 26.Nce2 Nf4 27.Bxf4 gxf4 28.Nf5 Nxf5 29.exf5 Be7 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.Rxd8 Bxd8 32.Kd3 Kc6 33.Nc3 Be7 34.Nd5 Bd8 35.b3 Kd7 36.Nc3 c6 37.Ne4 Be7 38.a4 Kc7 39.Kc3 Bb4+ 40.Kc2 Be7 41.Kd3 Kc8 42.c5!? First he opens a road on the queenside. 42.g5 fxg5 43.Nf2 Kd7 44.Ng4 Bf8 45.c5+- 42.Nf2 Bc5 42...Bf8 43.g5 hxg5 44.Ng4 Bg7 45.h6 Bh8 46.c5 Kb7 47.Kc4 Kc7 48.cxb6+ Kxb6 49.h7 Bg7 50.Nf2 Bh8 51.Ne4 Bg7 52.b4+- 43.g5+- 42...bxc5 42...b5 43.g5 fxg5 44.Nf2 Bxc5 45.Ng4 Bf8 45...e4+ 46.Kxe4 Bf8 47.f6 Kd7 48.Kf5 Kd6 49.Ne5 bxa4 50.bxa4 Kd5 51.Nd7 Bd6 52.f7 c5 53.Nb6+ Kc6 54.Nc4 Bf8 55.Ke4+- 46.Nxe5 Kc7 47.f6 Bd6 48.Ng6 c5 49.axb5 Kb6 50.Kc4 g4 51.f7 gxf3 52.Kd5 f2 53.Kxd6 f1Q 54.Ne7 Qd3+ 55.Nd5+ Kxb5 56.f8Q+- 42...Kc7 43.g5 fxg5 44.f6 Bf8 45.cxb6+ Kxb6 46.Nd2 Kc5 47.Ke4 Kb4 48.Nc4 c5 49.Nxe5 Kxb3 50.Nd7 Bd6 51.Kd5 c4 52.Kxd6 c3 53.Nc5+ Kc4 54.f7 c2 55.f8Q c1Q 56.Qf7++- 43.g5‼ And in the next step he opens the other wing. Very beautiful! fxg5 44.Nf2 c4+ 44...Bf6 45.Ng4 Bg7 46.Ke4 Kc7 47.f6 Bf8 48.Nxe5 Kd6 49.Ng6+- 45.bxc4 Kd7 46.Ng4 Bf8 47.Nxe5+ Kd6 48.Ke4 Bg7 49.Ng4 Bf8 49...Ke7 50.f6+ Bxf6 51.Nxh6 Ke6 52.c5 Bh8 53.Ng4 Bg7 54.h6 Bh8 55.h7 Ba1 56.Nh6 Bb2 57.Nf5 Kf7 58.Kd3 Bf6 59.Nd6+ Kg6 60.Nc4 Kxh7 61.Nxa5 Be7 62.Nb3 Bd8 63.a5 Bc7 64.a6 Bb8 65.Na5 Ba7 66.Kd4 g4 67.fxg4 f3 68.Ke3 Bxc5+ 69.Kxf3 Kg6 70.Nxc6 Kg5 71.a7 Bxa7 72.Nxa7+- 50.f6 Ke6 50...Kc5 51.Ne5 Kb4 52.Nd7 Bd6 53.c5 Domination! Bxc5 54.Nxc5 Kxc5 55.f7+- 51.Ne5 Kxf6 51...c5 52.Ng4+- 52.Nxc6 Bb4 53.Ne5! White keeps full control. Of course not 53.Nxb4? axb4 54.a5 b3 55.Kd3 b2 56.Kc2 g4 57.a6 b1Q+ 58.Kxb1 gxf3 59.a7 f2 60.a8Q f1Q+-+ 53...Ke6 54.Ng4 Bf8 55.Kd4 Kd6 56.c5+ Kc6 57.Ne5+ Kc7 58.Kd5 Bg7 59.Ng4 Bf8 59...Kd7 60.c6+ Kc7 61.Kc5 Bf8+ 62.Kb5+- 60.Kc4 Kc6 61.Ne5+ Kc7 62.Kb5 Bg7 63.Ng4 Bf8 64.Kxa5 Kc6 65.Kb4 Bxc5+ 66.Kc4 Bf8 67.Kd4 Kb6 68.Kd5 Ka5 69.Ke6 Kxa4 70.Kf7 Bb4 71.Nxh6 Kb3 72.Ng4 Kc2 73.h6 73.h6 Bc3 74.Nf6 Bxf6 75.Kxf6 g4 76.h7 gxf3 77.h8Q f2 78.Qh2 Kd2 79.Qxf2++- 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Rozentalis,E2575Gronn,A23781–02011B06Oslo GM Open6.7

To exchange or not to exchange that is the question

This is often a crucial problem not only in the endgame:

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 e6 6.Bf4 a5 7.e3 Na6 8.Be2 Bd6 9.0-0 Bxf4 10.exf4 dxc4 11.Bxc4 0-0 12.Qe2 Nd5 13.g3 Nab4 14.Rfd1 b6 15.Ne5 Bb7 16.Ne4 Rc8 17.Rac1 Rc7 18.Ng5 h6 19.Ne4 Qe7 20.h4 Rd8 21.Rd2 Nf6 22.Nc3 Nbd5 23.Ba2 g6 24.Bb1 Kg7 25.Ne4 Nh5 26.Qg4 Nhf6 27.Qe2 c5 28.Nxf6 Nxf6 29.dxc5 Rxc5 30.Rxc5 Rxd2 31.Qxd2 Qxc5 32.Bc2 Bd5 33.Qc3 Qxc3 34.bxc3 Kf8 35.c4 Be4 36.Bxe4? White must keep all pieces on the board. Otherwise Black will be too quick. After 36.Nd7+? Ke7 37.Nxf6 37.Bxe4 Nxe4-+ transposes to the game. 37...Bxc2 the knight is no match for the bishop, e.g. 38.Ng8+ Kf8 39.Nxh6 f5 40.g4 Kg7 41.g5 Bxa4-+ 36.Bd1! Ke7 37.f3 and White's king is quick enough: Bb7 38.Kf2 Nd7 39.Ke3 Nc5 40.Kd4 Bc8 41.g4 Bd7 42.Nxd7 Nxd7 43.g5 h5 44.Bc2 Kd6 45.Be4 Nc5 46.Bc2= 36.Bb3 is playable as well. 36...Nxe4 37.Nd7+ 37.Nd3 Nc3 38.Nb2 Ke7 39.Kf1 Kd6 40.Ke1 Kc5 41.Kd2 Kd4 42.f3 f5 Zugzwang - the typical endgame weapon against a knight. 43.Kc2 Ne2-+ 37...Ke7 38.Nxb6 Nc5! Rustemov closes the net around White's knight. 38...Kd6 wins as well. But not 38...Kd8? 39.c5 and the knight escapes: Nxc5 40.Nc4= 39.h5 Kd8 40.hxg6 fxg6 40...fxg6 41.g4 Kc7 42.Na8+ Kb7-+ End of the domination game. 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
Henrichs,T2473Rustemov,A25370–12011D15Bundesliga 2011/121.5

Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

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