CBM training: Endgames from Gaziantep

by ChessBase
3/18/2012 – The Turkish city is amongst the oldest continually inhabited in the world, but the games in this report are more recent – actually from the European Women's Championship that is still ongoing. Our ChessBase Magazin expert Dr Karsten Müller has been scanning them for interesting and intructive endings, and come up with four examples for your weekend Elo boost.
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The principle of one diagonal

This is very important in bishop endings. If the bishop has all jobs on one diagonal it can not be diverted and not fall into zugzwang, if the diagonal is long enough:

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1.c4 g6 2.g3 f5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 d6 6.d5 0-0 7.Nh3 Na6 8.0-0 Nc5 9.Rb1 a5 10.b3 e5 11.dxe6 c6 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.Nf4 Bxe6 14.Nxe6 Qxe6 15.e3 Ng4 16.Qc2 Ne5 17.Rbd1 Rad8 18.Rfe1 Ng4 19.Re2 Qf7 20.Red2 Qe7 21.Re2 Qf7 22.h3 Nf6 23.Ba3 Qe6 24.Red2 Qe5 25.Rd4 Rd7 26.Bxc5 Qxc5 27.Na4 Qe5 28.Nc3 Rfd8 29.R4d3 Qe7 30.R3d2 Qe5 31.Rd3 Qe7 32.R3d2 Re8 33.Qc1 Qe5 34.Rd3 Bf8 35.Qc2 h5 36.Rd4 Rh7 37.Ne2 Rg7 38.Kf1 g5 39.h4 c5 40.Rd5 Nxd5 41.Rxd5 Qa1+ 42.Rd1 Qf6 43.hxg5 Qxg5 44.Nf4 Kh8 45.Rd5 Re5 46.Rxe5 dxe5 47.Ne6 Qf6 48.Nxg7 Kxg7 49.Bxb7 f4 50.Kg2 fxe3 51.fxe3 h4 52.gxh4 Qxh4 53.Qf5 Qf6 54.e4 Qxf5 55.exf5 Kf6 56.Be4 Bg7 57.Kf3 Ke7 58.Bc2 Bf6 59.Kg4 Kf7 60.Be4 Ke7 61.Bd5 Kf8 62.a3 Ke7 63.Be4 Kf7 64.Bc2 Ke7 65.Kh5 Kf7 66.Be4 Be7 67.Bd5+ Kf6 68.Kg4 Bf8 69.Be6 Bg7 70.Bc8 Ke7 71.a4 Bf6 72.Bb7 Kd6 73.Be4 Ke7 74.Bc2 Kf7 75.Kf3 Ke7 76.Kg4 Kf7 The principle of one diagonal This is very important in bishop endings. If the bishop has all jobs on one diagonal it can not be diverted and not fall into zugzwang, if the diagonal is long enough: 77.b4‼ A very inspired try. As usual material is not as important as positional considerations in opposite colored bishop endings. White runs no risk as her bishop has everything under control on the b1-h7 diagonal. cxb4 77...axb4? 78.a5 Bd8 79.a6 Bb6 80.Kf3 Ke7 81.Ke4 Kd6 82.f6 Ke6 83.f7 Kxf7 84.Kd5 and Black's bishop will run out of squares on the queenside sooner or later, e.g. b3 85.Bxb3 e4 86.Kc6 Ba7 87.Kb7 e3 88.Bd1+- 78.c5 Be7 79.c6 Bd6? Now Black's king is too slow. As given in ChessToday 4140 79...Bd8! is called for and Black can just survive: 80.Kf3 Ke7 81.Be4 Kd6 82.Ke2 Bc7 83.Kd3 Kc5 Black's king is now in time to stop the direct invasion. So White must advance the f-pawn to make progress, but then Black can force it to f7: 84.f6 Kb6 85.Kc4 Bd8! 86.f7 86.Kd5 Bxf6 87.Kd6 Bd8= 86...Be7 87.Kd5 Bf8 88.Kxe5 b3 89.Kf6 89.Ke6 Kc7= 89...b2 90.Kg6 b1Q 91.Bxb1 Kxc6 92.Kh7 Kd7 93.Kg8 Ke7= 80.Kf3! Kf6 If Black's king blocks the f-pawn as in the game then White will invade on the queenside. If Black's king blocks the c-pawn with 80...Ke7 81.Ke4 Kd8 82.f6 Kc7 then White wins by using the sharp endgame weapon zugzwang. She profits from the fact that her bishop has everything under control on one and the same diagonal. This principle of one diagonal is very important in bishop endings. 83.Kd5 b3 After 83...Bf8 White just waits on the b1-h7 diagonal until Black runs out of pawn moves: 84.Be4 Bd6 85.Bb1 b3 86.Bg6 b2 87.Be4+- 84.Bb1 b2 85.Be4 The decisive zugzwang. Bf8 86.Kxe5 b1Q 87.Bxb1 Kxc6 88.Ke6 and White wins as his pawn is still on f6, so that the invasion road via f7 is open, e.g. Bh6 88...Kc7 89.Kf7 Bb4 90.Ke8+- 89.Bd3 Kc7 90.Bb5 Kd8 91.Kf7 Bg5 92.Kg7+- 81.Ke4 Bc7 82.Kd5 b3 82...Ke7 83.Kc5+- 83.Bb1 Ke7 84.Kc5 Bd8 84...e4 85.Bxe4 b2 86.Bd3 Kf6 87.Kb5 Ke7 88.Ka6+- 85.f6+! Another pawn sacrifice opens the gates for White's king. Kxf6 86.Kd6 b2 86...Kg5 is met by 87.Kxe5+- 87.c7 Bxc7+ 88.Kxc7 Kg5 89.Kd6 White must stop the counterplay as the direct 89.Kb6?? runs into Kf4 90.Kxa5 e4-+ 89...Kf4 90.Kd5 Ke3 91.Kxe5 Kd2 92.Kd4 Kc1 93.Bh7 93.Bh7 b1Q 94.Bxb1 Kxb1 95.Kc4 Kc2 96.Kb5 Kc3 97.Kxa5 Kc4 98.Kb6+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Foisor,C2398Cmilyte,V24971–02012A86European Ind w 20127

Breaking the blockade

When fighting only on one wing a knight is often superior to a bishop:

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1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.0-0 Nbd7 6.Qa4 a6 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc6 Rb8 9.d4 Bb7 10.Qc2 c5 11.a4 Qb6 12.axb5 axb5 13.Bd2 cxd4 14.Ba5 Qc5 15.Qd2 e5 16.b4 Qd5 17.e3 Ne4 18.Qb2 dxe3 19.fxe3 Qe6 20.Nc3 Be7 21.Nxb5 0-0 22.Nc7 Qh6 23.Rfe1 Ng5 24.Nxg5 Bxg5 25.Qd2 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Nf6 27.Qe2 Qg6 28.Ra2 h5 29.Kh1 Ng4 30.Nd5 e4 31.b5 Qe6 32.Rd2 Ne5 33.Bc7 Nf3 34.Bxb8 Rxb8 35.Red1 Nxd2 36.Rxd2 Bd8 37.Qxh5 Ba5 38.Rd1 g6 39.Qe2 Rd8 40.Nf4 Rxd1+ 41.Qxd1 Qc4 42.Qe2 Qb3 43.h4 Bb6 44.h5 g5 45.Ng2 Qd3 46.Qg4 Qxb5 47.Qxe4 Kg7 48.Kg1 Qb2 49.Qf5 Qf6 50.Qxf6+ Kxf6 51.g4 Ke5 52.Kf2 f5 53.Kf3 Bd8 54.gxf5 Kxf5 55.e4+ Ke6 56.Ne3 Bf6 57.Nc4 Bg7 58.Kg4 Bh6 59.Kg3 Bg7 60.Kf3 Bf8 61.Kg4 Bh6 Breaking the blockade When fighting only on one wing a knight is often superior to a bishop: 62.e5!? Javakhisvili chooses a clear cut tactical solution. The slower blockading strategy 62.Ne3 Kf6 62...Ke5 63.Nf5 Bf8 64.Kxg5 Kxe4 65.Kg6 Ke5 66.Ng7+- 63.Kf3 Bg7 64.Ng4+ wins as well, e.g. Ke6 65.Ke3 Bf8 66.Kd3 Bg7 67.h6 Bf8 68.Kd4 Kd6 69.e5+ Ke6 70.Ke4+- 62...Kd5?! Plays into White's hand. 62...Kf7 is more tenacious: 63.Nd2! White must keep the blockade as 63.Kf5? g4 64.Kxg4 Ke6 is only drawn. 63...Ke6 63...Bf8 64.Kxg5 Be7+ 65.Kf5 Kg7 66.Ne4 Kh6 67.Nf6 Bb4 68.e6 Ba3 69.Kg4 Kg7 70.Kg5 Bc1+ 71.Kf5 Ba3 72.Ng4+- 64.Nf3 Kd5 65.Nxg5 Kxe5 66.Nf7++- 63.Kf5! g4 63...Kxc4 64.e6 Bf8 65.h6 Kd5 66.h7 Bg7 67.e7+- 64.e6! White's beautiful point. Both sides will queen at the same time, but Black's queen can be won by a skewer immediately. Amazingly 64.Nb6+?! Kd4 65.e6 g3 66.e7 g2 67.e8Q g1Q 68.Qe4+ wins as well. This is not directly visible to the human eye, but the computer is sure, e.g. Kc5 68...Kc3 69.Nd5+ Kd2 70.Qb4+ Ke2 71.Qc4+ Ke1 72.Qc3+ Kd1 73.Qb3+ Kc1 74.Qc4+ Kb2 75.Qb5+ Kc1 76.Qc6+ Kb2 77.Qxh6+- 69.Nd7+ Kd6 69...Kb5 70.Qb7+ Kc4 71.Qa6+ Kb3 72.Qxh6+- 70.Qe6+ Kc7 71.Qxh6 Kxd7 72.Qe6++- 64...g3 64...Bf8 is met by 65.Ne3+ Kd6 66.Nxg4 Ke7 67.h6 Ke8 68.Kg6 Ba3 69.h7 Bb2 70.Nf6++- 65.e7 g2 66.e8Q g1Q 67.Qe6+ 67.Qe6+ Kc5 67...Kd4 68.Qb6++- 68.Qb6++- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Javakhishvili,L2448Girya,O24061–02012E03European Ind w 201210

Melia's Marches

Opposite colored bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency, but the following case is so close that great care is required:

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 Bb7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Ne5 Be7 10.Qa4 c5 11.Ndf3 Ne4 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Nd3 Nd7 15.Bh3 Bc6 16.Qc2 Qb7 17.Nfe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Bb5 19.Bf4 Rad8 20.a4 Ba6 21.Bg2 Nf6 22.Rac1 Qb6 23.Be3 Qe6 24.Nd3 d4 25.Bg5 c4 26.Nf4 Qe5 27.Bxf6 Bxf6 28.b4 c3 29.b5 Bc8 30.Qe4 Rfe8 31.Qxe5 Bxe5 32.Nd5 Be6 33.e4 Bxd5 34.exd5 Bf6 35.Kf1 Rc8 36.d6 Red8 37.d7 Rc4 38.Re1 g6 39.Re8+ Kg7 40.Rxd8 Bxd8 41.Ke2 Rxa4 42.Kd3 Bb6 43.Rc2 Ra3 44.Bd5 Kf6 45.Ra2 Rxa2 46.Bxa2 Ke7 47.f4 f6 48.Bg8 h6 49.h4 Kxd7 50.Bh7 Kd6 51.Bxg6 Kc5 52.g4 Bc7 53.g5 Bxf4 54.gxf6 Be5 55.f7 Bg7 Melia's Marches Opposite colored bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency, but the following case is so close that great care is required: 56.Bf5? This wastes an important tempo. Now the marches of Black's king to the kingside will always prove decisive in the long run. After 56.h5 Kxb5 White can play 57.f8Q Bxf8 58.Kxd4 as now Black's pawn h6 is blocked on a dark square: Kb4 59.Bb1 Bg7+ 60.Kd3 Kb3 61.Bc2+ Kb2 62.Bd1 a5 63.Bc2 Ka3 64.Bd1 Kb4 65.Kc2 Bf8 66.Bf3 a4 67.Bg4 a3 68.Kb1 Kc4 69.Kc2 Be7 70.Be6+ Kd4 71.Bf7 Bb4 72.Ba2 Ke4 73.Kc1 Kf4 74.Kb1 Kg5 75.Bf7 Be7 76.Kc2 Bf6 77.Kd3 a2 78.Bxa2 Kxh5 79.Bb3 Kg4 80.Ke2 Kg3 81.Bf7 and White is saved by the wrong rook's pawn h6, e.g. Kg4 82.Bg6 Kg5 83.Bc2 h5 84.Kf3 h4 85.Kg2= Even the amazing 56.b6 seems to be playable: axb6 56...Kxb6 57.Kc4 57.f8Q Bxf8 58.Kxd4 Bg7+ 59.Kc4 is also drawn. 57...Kc6 After 57...Ka5 White stops Black's king with 58.Bc2= 58.h5 Kd6 59.f8Q+ Bxf8 60.Kxd4 Bg7+ 61.Kc4 Ke6 62.Bc2 Be5 63.Ba4 Kf5 64.Bc2+ Kg5 65.Bd1 a5 66.Kb5 Kf4 67.Kxa5 Ke3 68.Bc2 Kd2 69.Bg6 c2 70.Bxc2 Kxc2 71.Kb4= and White is just inside Rauser's drawing zone. 57.Kc2 Kb4 57...Kc4 58.h5 b5 59.Bf5 Kb4 60.Bd7 d3+ 61.Kxd3 Kb3 62.Bxb5 c2 63.Ba4+ Kxa4 64.Kxc2= 58.Bf5 Bf8 59.Be6 b5 60.Bd7 Bg7 61.Bc6 Kc4 62.Be4 Bf8 63.Bf5 Kd5 64.Bg6 Ke5 65.Kd3 Kf6 66.h5 Bc5 67.Kc2 b4 68.Kb3 d3 69.Bxd3 Kxf7 70.Bg6+= 56...Kxb5 57.f8Q After 57.h5 Kb4 58.Be6 a5 59.Bd5 a4 60.Bf3 a3 61.Bd5 Black's king just crosses over to the kingside: Kc5 62.Be6 Kd6 63.Bc4 Ke7 64.Bb3 Kf6 65.Bc4 Kg5 66.f8Q Bxf8 67.Bf7 Bg7 68.Kc2 a2 69.Bxa2 Kxh5-+ 57...Bxf8 58.Kxd4 58.h5 Kb4 59.Be6 a5 60.Kc2 a4 61.Bf7 Kc5 62.Be8 a3 63.Bf7 Kd6 64.Kd3 Ke5 65.Bb3 Kf6 66.Bc4 Kg5 67.Bf7 a2 68.Bxa2 Kxh5 69.Bb3 Bc5-+ 58...Kb4 59.Bc2 59.Bb1 Kb3 60.Kd3 Kb2 61.Bc2 h5-+ 59...a5 60.Kd3 Bg7 61.Bd1 61.h5 does not help as Black's king can invade on the queenside using the sharp endgame weapon zugzwang as White's pieces are too clumsily placed: a4 62.Bb1 62.Bd1 a3 63.Kc2 a2-+ 62...Bf6 63.Kc2 63.Ba2 Ka3 64.Be6 Kb2-+ 63...Ka3 64.Kc1 Bg5+ 65.Kc2 Bd2 66.Kd1 Kb2-+ 61...a4 62.Kc2 a3 63.Kb1 h5! 64.Bc2 64.Bxh5 is met by c2+ 65.Kxc2 a2-+ 64...Bf6 65.Bg6 Kc4 66.Kc2 Kd4 Of course not 66...a2?? 67.Bf7+ Kd4 68.Bxa2 Bxh4 69.Bf7= 67.Kb3 Ke3 68.Kxa3 Kd2 69.Kb3 Bxh4 70.Kc4 Bf6 71.Kd5 h4 72.Bf5 h3 72...h3 73.Bxh3 c2-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Arabidze,M2337Melia,S24000–12012E16European Ind w 20126

Homerun of the h-pawn

A dangeous passed pawn is very dangerous in the endgame:

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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.b4 Bg7 4.Bb2 0-0 5.e3 d6 6.d4 c5 7.a3 cxd4 8.exd4 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Bxe5 Re8 12.Be2 Rxe5 13.Nxe5 Nh5 14.Bxh5 Bxe5 15.Ra2 gxh5 16.Re2 Nd7 17.0-0 a5 18.Rd1 axb4 19.axb4 Ra1 20.f4 Bd4+ 21.Rxd4 Rxb1+ 22.Kf2 Kf8 23.c5 f5 24.Rd5 Kf7 25.Rd4 Kf8 26.Rd5 Kf7 27.Rd4 Nf6 28.Kg3 Bd7 29.Kh4 h6 30.Red2 Bc6 31.Rd1 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 Bxg2 33.b5 Ke7 34.Rc1 Be4 35.Rg1 Kf7 36.Ra1 Nd7 37.Rc1 Ke7 38.c6 bxc6 39.bxc6 Nb6 40.Kxh5 Kd8 41.c7+ Kc8 42.Kxh6 Nd5 43.Kg5 Nxc7 44.h4 Kd7 Homerun of the h-pawn A dangeous passed pawn is very dangerous in the endgame: 45.Rxc7+!? A nice clear cut win. 45.h5?! does the job as well, but is much more complicated: Ne6+ 46.Kf6 Nxf4 47.h6 Nd5+ 48.Ke5! Ne7 49.h7 Ng6+ 50.Kf6 f4 51.Rc4 Bb1 52.Rxf4 Nh8 53.Kg7 Bxh7 54.Kxh7+- 45.Kf6? on the other hand gives Black enough time to regroup and defend: Nd5+ 46.Ke5 Ke7 47.h5 Kf7 48.Rg1 Nf6= 45...Kxc7 46.h5 Bd5 47.h6 Bg8 48.Kg6!? A beautiful way to finish the game. Black's bishop is unable to deal with the h-pawn due to its very limited scope. Unfortunately the greedy 48.Kxf5 wins as well: Bh7+ 49.Kf6 Kd7 50.Kg7 Ke7 51.Kxh7 Kf7 52.f5 Kf8 53.Kg6+- 48...Kd7 49.Kg7 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.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Guramishvili,S2395Sandu,M22531–02012E60European Ind w 20126

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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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.

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