CBM training: Endgames from the Moscow Open

by ChessBase
2/12/2012 – The Moscow Open ended last weekend (ChessBase report to follow shortly), with at least 60 GMs participating. Naturally there was a lot of exciting play, and our resident endgame expert GM Karsten Müller, whom you know from his popular ChessBase Magazin section, has picked three instructive endings that will help you to improve your practical play.
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The Rook Rules

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Qe2 e6 8.0-0-0 Be7 9.f4 h6 10.Bh4 Qa5 11.Nf3 e5 12.Kb1 exf4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Qd8 15.Re1 g5 16.Bf2 Kf8 17.Qd2 Bf6 18.h4 g4 19.Qxf4 gxf3 20.Qxd6+ Be7 21.Qf4 Nf6 22.Bd4 f2 23.Qxf2 Ng4 24.Qf4 Rg8 25.Bd3 Qd6 26.Qf3 Bd7 27.Bh7 Rg7 28.Bxg7+ Kxg7 29.Bf5 h5 30.g3 Bf6 31.Bxd7 Qxd7 32.Rhf1 Re8 33.Rxe8 Qxe8 34.Rd1 Qe5 35.c3 Qd6 36.a3 b5 37.Qf4 Qxf4 38.gxf4 Kf8 39.d6 Ke8 40.Rd5 Bxh4 41.Rxh5 Bd8 42.a4 Nf6 43.Re5+ Kd7 44.axb5 axb5 45.Rxb5 Kxd6 46.Kc2 Nd5 47.f5 Bf6 48.Kd3 Be5 49.c4 Ne7 50.Ke4 f6 51.b4 Bc3 52.Rb6+ Kc7 53.c5 Nc8 54.Kd3 Be1 55.Rxf6 Bxb4 56.Kc4 Bd2 57.Re6 Kd7 58.c6+ Kc7 59.f6 The Rook Rules When a rook fights two minor pieces a lot depends on the position. The rook tries to get targets while the minor pieces want to get control: Bh6? Allows White to win the decisive tempo. After 59...Bc1 60.f7 Ba3 White can not break the blockade without exchanging both pawns, e. g. 61.Re8 61.Kd4 Nb6 61...Na7 62.Kd5 Nc8= 62.Rf6 Bf8 63.Rg6 Kd8 64.Re6 Kc7 65.Ke5 Nc4+ 66.Kd5 Nb6+ 67.Ke4 Nc4 68.Rg6 Nb6 69.Rg8 Ba3= 61...Nd6+ 62.Kd5 Nxf7 63.Rg8 Nd8 64.Rg7+ Kc8 65.c7 Bb4= 60.f7 Bf8 60...Bg7 61.Rg6 Bf8 62.Rg8+- 61.Re8 And Black resigned as his knight is just too clumsy: 61.Re8 Nd6+ 61...Bh6 62.f8Q Bxf8 63.Rxf8 Na7 64.Kc5 Nxc6 65.Rf7++- 61...Nb6+ 62.Kb5+- 62.Kd5 Nxf7 63.Rxf8 Nd6 64.Rh8+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kurnosov,I2648Vorobiov,E25891–02012B94Moscow Open A 20129

The Last Pawn

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Na6 9.Ba5 f6 10.Nf3 b6 11.Nd2 Qf4 12.Bh5+ g6 13.Bf3 Qe5+ 14.Kf1 Qc7 15.Bc3 Kf7 16.h4 h5 17.Ne4 e5 18.Qe2 Nc5 19.Ng5+ Kf8 20.b4 Na4 21.Bxe5 fxe5 22.Qc2 b5 23.cxb5 Nb6 24.Bxc6 Ne7 25.Rc1 Rb8 26.Qb3 Nf5 27.Rc5 Nd4 28.Qe3 Nf5 29.Qb3 Nd4 30.Qe3 Nf5 31.Qe1 Kg7 32.Rxe5 Rd8 33.Rh3 Qd6 34.a4 Qd1 35.a5 Nc4 36.Re2 Qxe1+ 37.Rxe1 Bd7 38.Rc3 Ncd6 39.Rd3 Rbc8 40.Rxd6 Nxd6 41.Re7+ Kf6 42.Rxd7 Rxd7 43.Bxd7 Rc4 44.b6 axb6 45.axb6 Rxh4 46.Ne6 Ke7 47.Bc8 Rxb4 48.b7 Nxb7 49.Bxb7 Kxe6 50.Bc8+ Ke5 51.g3 Ke4 52.Kg2 Rb6 53.Bd7 Kd3 54.Kh3 Ke2 55.g4 The last pawn In pawnless endings the attacker usually must have a very large material superiority. So the last pawn is often worth its weight in gold: Rb1? Allows White to exchange the pawns without making concessions. Black's king must play a more active role with 55...Kf3 which also stops the activation of White's king: 56.g5 56.Kh4 Kf4 57.gxh5 g5+ 58.Kh3 Kf3 59.Bg4+ Kxf2 60.Bd1 Rb4 61.Bg4 Rb3+ 62.Kh2 Rd3 63.h6 Rd6-+ 56...Kxf2 57.Be8 Kf3 58.Bf7 Kf4 59.Kh4 Rb1-+ 55...g5!? wins as well: 56.gxh5 Kf3 57.Be8 Rb4-+ 56.gxh5 But not 56.Kh4? Kxf2 57.gxh5 Rh1+ 58.Kg5 gxh5-+ 56...Rh1+ The pawn moves do not win as well: 56...g5 57.Kg4 Rg1+ 58.Kf5 Kxf2 59.h6 g4 60.h7 Rh1 61.Kg6 61.Kxg4= 61...g3 62.Bc6= 56...gxh5 57.Be8 Rh1+ 58.Kg2 Rh4 59.Kg3 Rg4+ 60.Kh3 Rg5 61.Kh4 Re5 62.Bxh5+ Kxf2 63.Kg4= 57.Kg2 Rxh5 57...gxh5 58.Kxh1 Kxf2= 58.Bg4+ Even 58.Kg3?! draws by the way. 58...Kd3 59.Bxh5 gxh5 60.Kg3 Ke4 60...Ke4 61.Kh4 Kf3 62.Kxh5 Kxf2= ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • 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.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kashlinskaya,A2389Goryachkina,A2333½–½2012D31Moscow Open E 20128

The Last Pawn revisited

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Rc1 Nxc3 10.Rxc3 c6 11.Bd3 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nd7 13.0-0 b6 14.Bd3 c5 15.Bb5 Nf6 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.Qc2 Rb8 18.Rxc5 a6 19.Be2 Rxb2 20.Qxb2 Qxc5 21.Ne5 Nd5 22.Rc1 Qe7 23.Nc6 Qd6 24.e4 Ne7 25.e5 Qc7 26.Nxe7+ Qxe7 27.Qb6 Qg5 28.Rd1 Qxe5 29.Rd8 Bd7 30.Bxa6 Qd5 31.Rxf8+ Kxf8 32.Qd8+ Be8 33.Qxd5 exd5 34.f4 Ke7 35.Kf2 Kd6 36.Ke3 Kc5 37.a3 Bc6 38.g3 Bd7 39.Bd3 Ba4 40.Be2 Bc6 41.Bd1 Kc4 42.Kd2 d4 43.Bc2 Bd7 44.Bd1 Bc6 45.Bh5 Be8 46.Be2+ Kb3 47.Ba6 Kxa3 48.Kd3 Kb4 49.Kxd4 Bd7 50.Bc4 f6 51.Kd5 Bf5 52.Ba6 Kc3 53.Kd6 Kd4 54.Ke7 Bc2 55.Bc8 Ke4 56.Kf7 g5 57.Kxf6 gxf4 58.Bf5+ Kf3 59.gxf4 The last pawn Usually the defender tries to exchange pawns to reduce the winning potential: Kxf4? The concept is good, but this price is too high. After 59...Ba4 60.Ke5 Kg2 White can not win due to the very reduced number of pawns, e.g. 61.h3 61.h4 Be8= 61...Kg3 62.Bg4 62.Be6 Be8 63.f5 Kxh3 64.f6+ Kh4 65.Bd7 Bf7= 62...Bb3 63.f5 63.Be6 Bxe6 64.Kxe6 Kxf4= 63...h5 64.Bxh5 Kxh3 65.f6 Kh4 66.Be8 Kg5 67.Bd7 Bf7 68.Be6 Bh5= 60.Bxc2 h5 61.Bf5 h4 62.h3 and as Black's king can not reach Rauser's drawing zone Black is lost. Kg3 62...Ke3 63.Kg5 Kd4 64.Kxh4 64.Kf4?? allows the king to reach the drawing zone: Kd5= 64...Ke5 65.Kg5+- 63.Kg5 Kf3 64.Kxh4 Kf4 65.Bb1 65.Bb1 Ke5 66.Kg5 Ke6 67.Kg6 Ke7 68.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.
  • 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
Atalik,E2481Ambartsumova,K23151–02012D56Moscow Open Women 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.

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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