CBM training: Endgames from Tata Steel

by ChessBase
1/23/2012 – Once again GM Karsten Müller, turns his eye on the Wijk aan Zee tournament. Our endgame expert, famous for his very popular section in ChessBase Magazin, provides us with three instructive endings, all from the A-Group: van Wely-Giri, Radjabov-Karjakin and Aronian-Kamsky. Find out what happened in these high-calibre games, while you at the same time improve your endgame skills.

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Giri's amazing idea

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1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.d5 Qb6 5.Qc1 f5 6.g3 Bg7 7.c3 Qf6 8.e3 Na6 9.Ne2 Nc7 10.Nf4 Bh6 11.c4 d6 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Be2 a6 14.a4 b6 15.Nh5 Qg6 16.Bf3 Rb8 17.Ne2 Rf8 18.Qd2 a5 19.0-0 Kd8 20.Rfe1 Ne8 21.Nef4 Qg8 22.e4 Qh8 23.Qe2 Rb7 24.e5 Qxe5 25.Qxe5 dxe5 26.Rxe5 Nd6 27.b3 Rg8 28.Rae1 Bf8 29.R5e3 Rb8 30.h4 Kc7 31.Bd1 Re8 32.Bc2 Kd8 33.R3e2 Rg4 34.Kh2 Rg8 35.f3 Kc7 36.Nd3 Rg6 37.Ne5 Rh6 38.Nxd7 Kxd7 39.g4 e6 40.Re5 Be7 41.Kh3 Bd8 42.R1e2 Rf8 43.Bd3 fxg4+ 44.fxg4 exd5 45.Rxd5 Kc7 46.Bf5 Rg8 47.Re3 Rf8 48.Ree5 Rg8 49.Bc2 Rf8 50.Bd1 Re8 51.Rxe8 Nxe8 52.g5 Rd6 53.Rxd6 Kxd6 54.Bc2 f6 55.g6 hxg6 56.Bxg6 Nc7 57.Bf5 Ne6 58.Bxe6 Kxe6 59.Ng7+ Ke5 60.Kg4 Giri's amazing idea A knight usually is not good at protecting his own pawns: f5+‼ 60...Be7?! draws as well, but is much more complicated: 61.h5 Against 61.Nf5 Black defends with Bf8 62.Ne3 Ke4 63.Nd5 f5+ 64.Kg3 Bh6 65.Nxb6 Ke3= 61...Bf8 62.h6 f5+ 63.Kg5 63.Nxf5?! is met by Bxh6‼ 64.Nxh6 Kd4= with a draw like in the game. 63...f4 64.Kg6 f3 65.h7 Bxg7 66.Kxg7 f2 67.h8Q f1Q 68.Qb8+ (given in Chess Today 4092) Kd4 69.Qd6+ 69.Qxb6 Qf4 69...Kc3 70.Qxb6 Qf4 71.Qxc5 Kxb3 72.Qb5+ Kc3 73.c5 Kd4 74.c6 Qc7+ and Black can survive in both cases but it is much more difficult than Giri's amazing solution. 61.Nxf5 Bxh4‼ Black's brilliant point. White's knight will be too far away from the queenside. 62.Nxh4 62.Kxh4?? Kxf5-+ 62...Kd4 63.Kf3 Kc3 64.Ke3 Kxb3 65.Kd3 Kxa4 66.Kc3 b5! Giri liquidates the last white pawn just in time. Of course not 66...Ka3?? 67.Nf5 a4 68.Ne3 Ka2 69.Kc2 Ka3 70.Nd5 Ka2 71.Nxb6 a3 72.Nd7 Ka1 73.Nxc5 a2 74.Nb3# ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Van Wely,L2692Giri,A2714½–½2012A4574th Tata Steel GMA7

Radjabov's Rook

Connected passed pawns are very dangerous and often allow promotion combinations:

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Nbd2 d5 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 c5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Bb2 Nbd7 12.e3 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Nd7 14.Bb2 Bf6 15.Qc2 Qb6 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Rac1 Rac8 18.Rfd1 Rfd8 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Qf5 g6 21.Qf4 Kg7 22.h4 a5 23.e4 dxe4 24.Nc4 Qe6 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Qc7 Qd5 27.Ne3 Qd2 28.Rc2 Rd7 29.Qxc5 Qe1+ 30.Kh2 h5 31.Qe5 Qb4 32.Rc5 Qd2 33.Rc2 Qb4 34.Qg5 Nh7 35.Qf4 Qd4 36.Bh3 Re7 37.Rc7 Qf6 38.Rc5 Qb6 39.Rc2 Qa6 40.Rd2 Qf6 41.Qb8 Nf8 42.Qd8 Ne6 43.Bxe6 Rxe6 44.Qxa5 Ba6 45.Nd5 Qe5 46.Qc7 Bd3 47.Qxe5+ Rxe5 48.Nf4 Ba6 49.Nd5 Bd3 50.Nb4 Bf1 51.Nc2 Rb5 52.Ne3 Bd3 53.Rb2 Kf6 54.a4 Ra5 55.Ra2 Ke5 56.b4 Ra7 57.Ra3 Kd4 58.b5 Kc5 Radjabov's Rook Connected passed pawns are very dangerous and often allow promotion combinations: 59.Rc3+! Kd4?! The alternativs are more tenacious, but also insufficient in the long run: 59...Kb4!? 60.b6 Rb7 61.Rc7 Ba6 62.g4 Kxa4 62...hxg4 63.Rxb7 Bxb7 64.Kg3 Kxa4 65.Nxg4 Kb5 66.Ne5 Kxb6 67.Nxf7± 63.gxh5 gxh5 64.Nd5 Rb8 65.Rxf7 Kb5 66.Kg3± 59...Kd6 60.Nc4+ Kd5 60...Bxc4 61.Rxc4 Kd5 62.Rb4 Ra8 63.b6 Kc6 64.a5 Kb7 65.Rxe4 Rxa5 66.Re7+ Kxb6 67.Rxf7+- 61.Nb2 Kd4 62.Rc8 Rb7 63.Nd1 Bc4 64.Ne3 Bb3 65.Rc6 Ke5 66.Ra6± 60.b6! Rxa4 61.b7 Rb4 62.Rc4+‼ Radjabov's brilliant point. 62.Rc4+‼ Rxc4 62...Bxc4 63.Nc2+ Kc5 64.Nxb4 Kxb4 65.b8Q++- 63.b8Q+- 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Radjabov,T2773Karjakin,S27691–02012E1574th Tata Steel GMA6

A light initiative weighs heavily

In endgames with rook and knight against rook and knight having the initiative is often crucial:

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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Bg7 7.e4 0-0 8.Be3 Bg4 9.Rd1 e6 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Ng1 Bxe2 12.Ngxe2 Qe7 13.0-0 Rfd8 14.e5 h6 15.a3 Na5 16.Qc2 c5 17.dxc5 Nbc4 18.Bc1 Nxe5 19.b4 Nac6 20.Ne4 a6 21.h3 f5 22.Nd6 Nf7 23.Nc4 e5 24.Rde1 Kh7 25.Bb2 Re8 26.Nd4 Nxd4 27.Bxd4 Rad8 28.Bb2 e4 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.f3 Qf6 31.fxe4 Qd4+ 32.Kh2 Rxe4 33.Rxe4 Qxe4 34.Qxe4 fxe4 35.Kg3 Rd4 36.Na5 g5 37.Kf2 Rd3 38.Re1 Rxa3 39.Rxe4 Kf6 40.Nxb7 Ne5 41.Rd4 Ke7 42.Nd6 Rb3 43.Nc8+ Kf7 44.Nd6+ Ke6 45.Nc4 Nd3+ 46.Kg1 Nf4 47.Rd6+ Ke7 48.Ne5 A light initiative weighs heavily In endgames with rook and knight against rook and knight having the initiative is often crucial: Rb2? 48...h5! gives Black more counterplay, e.g. 49.Rxa6 g4 50.hxg4 hxg4 51.Kf1 51.Nxg4 Rxb4 52.Ne3 Rb5 53.c6 Kd6 51...Rb1+ 52.Kf2 Rb3 53.g3 Nd5 with practical drawing chances in both cases. 49.Rxa6 Rxg2+ 50.Kf1 Rb2 51.Rxh6 Nd5 The knight will not be able to pose real problems, so 51...Kd8!? was called for, e.g. 52.h4 g4 52...gxh4 53.Rxh4 Ne6 54.Ke1± 53.Rd6+ Ke8 54.Nxg4 Rxb4 55.Ne3± Of course not 51...Rxb4?? 52.Nc6++- 52.Rd6! Ne3+ 52...Nc3 53.Nc6+ Kf7 54.Rd3 Na2 54...Nb5 55.Rd8 Nc3 56.Ne5+ Ke7 57.Rb8+- 55.Rg3 Nxb4 56.Nxb4 Rxb4 57.Rxg5+- 52...Nxb4?! runs into the deadly pin 53.Rb6 Rb1+ 54.Ke2 Rb2+ 55.Kf3 Rb3+ 56.Ke4 Rxh3 57.Rxb4 Rh4+ 58.Kd5 Rxb4 59.Nc6++- 53.Ke1 Nc2+ 54.Kd1 Nxb4 54...Na3 55.Rd2 Rb1+ 55...Rxb4? 56.Nc6++- 56.Ke2 Nb5 is more tenacious but still insufficient of course. 55.Rb6! A deadly pin. Kf8 After 55...Rc2 56.Nc6+ Ke8 57.Nxb4 Rxc5 58.Ke2 Rc3 59.Nd3 White takes control and will win in the long run. 56.Rb8+ Kg7 57.Nc4 Rb3 58.c6 58.c6 and Kamsky resigned as the tactics work Aronian's way: Rd3+ 59.Ke2 Nxc6 60.Rb7++- 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
Aronian,L2805Kamsky,G27321–02012D9974th Tata Steel GMA4

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.

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