CBM training: Bodycheck, pawn breaktroughs, patience

by ChessBase
12/17/2011 – Chess endgame training – get your weekend Elo boost. Our endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller, who provides us with extensive instructions in his popular ChessBase Magazine section, gives us a taste of his teaching skills on our newspage, where he shows us examples of practical endings in recent international tournament games. Learn and improve.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

The Bodycheck

It is a very important weapon in the pawn endgame:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg4 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.e4 Bxf3 8.gxf3 e5 9.Be3 exd4 10.Bxd4 Bd6 11.0-0-0 Qc7 12.Ne2 0-0 13.Qc2 Rfe8 14.h4 Nh5 15.Bh3 Rad8 16.Kb1 Nf8 17.Be3 Be5 18.Rdg1 Nf4 19.Nxf4 Bxf4 20.h5 Qe5 21.Bf5 Rd6 22.Rg4 Bxe3 23.fxe3 Red8 24.f4 Qb5 25.Rhg1 g6 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.R4g2 Qa5 28.e5 Rd2 29.Bxg6 Nxg6 30.Rxg6+ Kf8 31.Rg8+ Ke7 32.Qb3 R8d7 33.e4 Qc5 34.e6 R7d3 35.Qxb7+ Rd7 36.Qb3 R7d3 37.exf7 Qxg1+ 38.Rxg1 Rxb3 39.axb3 Rd4 40.Rg6 Kxf7 41.Rxc6 Rxe4 42.Rc4 Re1+ 43.Kc2 Kf6 44.b4 Ke6 45.b5 Re3 46.b3 Rf3 47.Kb2 Kf5 48.Ka3 Rxf4 49.Rxf4+ Kxf4 The Bodycheck It is a very important weapon in the pawn endgame: 50.Kb4! The king must come immediately. 50.b6? axb6 51.Kb4 Ke5 52.Kb5 Kd4! 53.Kxb6 Kc3= 50.b4? Ke4 51.Ka4 Kd4 52.Ka5 Kc4 53.Ka4 Kc3 54.Ka5 Kb3 55.Ka6 Kxb4 56.Kxa7 Kxb5= 50...Ke4 50...Ke5 51.Kc5! Bodycheck! Ke6 52.Kc6+- 50...Ke3 51.Kc3 Ke2 52.b6 axb6 53.b4 b5 54.Kd4+- Bodycheck! 51.Kc4! Bodycheck! 51.Kc5? Kd3 52.Kc6 Kc3 53.Kb7 Kb4 54.Ka6 Kc5 55.Ka5 Kd4‼ Black must be ready for the counterattack 55...Kd6? 56.b4 Kc7 57.Ka6 Kb8 58.b6 Ka8 59.b7+ Kb8 60.b5+- 55...Kd5? 56.b6 axb6+ 57.Kxb6+- 56.Kb4 Kd3= 56...Kd5= 51.b6? axb6 52.Kb5 Kd4 53.Kxb6 Kc3= 51...Ke3 52.b4 Kd2 52...Ke4 53.b6 axb6 54.Kb5+- 53.b6! axb6 54.b5! 54.b5 Ke3 54...Kc2 55.Kd5 Kc3 56.Kc6 Kb4 57.Kxb6+- 55.Kd5 Bodycheck! Kd3 56.Kc6 Kc4 57.Kxb6+- 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
Mamedyarov,S2746Inarkiev,E26921–02011D2327th ECC6.2

Pawn breakthroughs

The formation with pawns e5, f4, g4, h5 against e6,f7,g7,h6 is also called Quartgriff in German. White's space advantage gives him a dangerous option to break through:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.c5 Nh5 8.Bd3 Nxf4 9.exf4 b6 10.b4 a5 11.a3 c6 12.0-0 Qc7 13.g3 Ba6 14.Re1 Bf6 15.Ne5 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Bxe5 17.fxe5 Qb7 18.cxb6 axb4 19.axb4 Nxb6 20.b5 Nc4 21.bxc6 Qxc6 22.Reb1 h6 23.Nd1 Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Ra8 25.Rxa8+ Qxa8 26.Ne3 Qa2 27.Nf1 Qb2 28.h3 Na3 29.Nh2 Nb5 30.Nf3 Nc3 31.Kg2 Ne4 32.Qe3 Kf8 33.Kf1 Ke8 34.Qe2 Qxe2+ 35.Kxe2 Kd7 36.Nh2 Kc6 37.Nf1 Kb5 38.f3 Nc3+ 39.Kd3 Kb4 40.Ne3 Kb3 41.h4 Na4 42.h5 Nb2+ 43.Kd2 Nc4+ 44.Kd3 Nxe3 45.Kxe3 Pawn breakthroughs The formation with pawns e5, f4, g4, h5 against e6,f7,g7,h6 is also called Quartgriff in German. White's space advantage gives him a dangerous option to break through: g6! Good prophylaxis against White's intensions to break through. Here the typical 45...Kc3? 46.g4 Kc4? wrong due to the coming typical pawn breakthrough. 46...f6 is the last chance to fight: 47.exf6 gxf6 48.f4 e5 49.fxe5 fxe5 50.dxe5 d4+ 51.Ke2 Kc2 52.e6 d3+ 53.Kf2 d2 54.e7 d1Q 55.e8Q Qd4+ 56.Kf3 Qc3+ with drawing chances. 47.f4 Kc3 48.f5 Kc4 48...exf5 49.gxf5 Kc4 50.e6+- 49.g5 Kc3 49...exf5 50.g6 fxg6 51.e6+- 49...hxg5 50.f6 gxf6 51.h6 fxe5 52.h7 exd4+ 53.Kd2+- 50.f6 50.g6+- 50...gxf6 51.gxh6 fxe5 52.h7 exd4+ 53.Kf2 d3 54.h8Q++- 46.hxg6 fxg6 47.g4! 47.f4? h5-+ 47...g5! White's breakthroughs can only be stopped this way. 47...h5? 48.gxh5 gxh5 49.f4 h4 50.f5 exf5 51.e6 h3 52.Kf2+- 47...Kc4? 48.f4 Kc3 49.f5 gxf5 50.gxf5 exf5 51.e6+- 48.f4 gxf4+ 49.Kxf4 Kc4 50.g5! White's counterattack is just in time. The passive 50.Ke3? is met by Kc3-+ 50...hxg5+ 51.Kxg5 Kxd4 52.Kf6 Kc5 53.Kxe6 d4 54.Kf7 54.Kf7 d3 55.e6 d2 56.e7 d1Q 57.e8Q= ½–½
  • 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
Getz,N2391Azarov,S2648½–½2011D3727th ECC4.6

Do not rush

The following motiv is very important in rook endings:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Ne2 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd7 10.Nbc3 0-0-0 11.Be3 Bd6 12.Nd5 Be6 13.a4 Ne7 14.Nef4 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 a5 16.Nc3 b6 17.f4 Rhe8 18.Re1 c4 19.Nb5 Bf7 20.e5 fxe5 21.f5 Bb4 22.c3 Be7 23.g4 h6 24.Re2 Rd3 25.Bf2 Bf6 26.Rf1 h5 27.gxh5 Bxh5 28.Re4 Bf7 29.Bg3 c6 30.Na3 Bd5 31.Re2 e4 32.Nc2 Kb7 33.Bf4 Rh3 34.Ne3 Be7 35.Kg2 Rhh8 36.Rd2 Bc5 37.Nxd5 cxd5 38.Rxd5 Kc6 39.Re5 Rxe5 40.Bxe5 Rh5 41.Bg3 e3 42.Rf4 Kd5 43.Kf3 Rh6 44.Re4 Rf6 45.Re5+ Kc6 46.Bh4 Rf7 47.Kg4 Rd7 48.Re6+ Kb7 49.Bg5 Rd2 50.Bxe3 Bxe3 51.Rxe3 Rxh2 52.Kf4 Rxb2 53.Re7+ Kc6 54.Rxg7 Rf2+ 55.Ke5 b5 56.axb5+ Kxb5 57.f6 Ka4 58.Rb7 Ka3 59.f7 a4 60.Ke6 Ka2 61.Rb8 a3 Do not rush The following motiv is very important in rook endings: 62.f8Q? White rushs. The typical 62.Rb5! wins as White saves a lot of time: Rxf7 62...Ka1 63.Rf5 Rxf5 64.Kxf5 a2 65.f8Q Kb2 66.Qb4+ Kc2 67.Qa3 Kb1 68.Ke4 a1Q 69.Qxa1+ Kxa1 70.Kd4+- 62...Re2+ 63.Re5 Rf2 64.Rf5+- 63.Kxf7 Ka1 64.Rb4 a2 65.Rxc4 Kb2 66.Ra4 Kxc3 67.Rxa2+- But not 62.Rb4? Ka1 63.Rxc4 a2 64.Ra4 Kb2 65.c4 a1Q 66.Rxa1 Kxa1 67.c5 Re2+ 68.Kd7 Rf2= 62...Rxf8 63.Rxf8 Kb3 64.Kd5 Kxc3 65.Rf3+ Kb2 65...Kb4 draws as well. 66.Kxc4 a2 67.Rf2+ Ka3! Bodycheck! 67...Kb1? 68.Kb3 a1N+ 68...a1Q 69.Rf1# 69.Kc3+- 68.Rf3+ Kb2 69.Rf2+ Ka3 70.Rf1 Kb2 ½–½
  • 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
Djokic,V2299Trifunovic,M2305½–½2011C69TCh-Central Serbia 20111

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.

Click to go to the ChessBase Magazine page

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Müller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.