Endgames from Chennai (4)

by Karsten Müller
8/13/2022 – Over 650 games were played daily at the record-breaking Chess Olympiad in Chennai. GM Karsten Müller attentively followed the games, looking for instructive endings. Naturally, all sorts of setups and typical patterns showed up with so many encounters running concurrently. Go over our in-house expert’s analyses, and you are sure to find something to learn or, at the very least, something to enjoy! | Pictured: Praggnanandhaa beats Javokhir Sindarov after converting a tough technical endgame. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Proper technique at critical moments

Harikrishna does not find the eternal blockade

On their way to getting silver medals, the Armenians won a number of matches by the smallest of margins. In round 8, for example, they beat India 1 by a 2½-1½ score thanks to Gabriel Sargissian’s win over Pentala Harikrishna — all three remaining games finished drawn.

As it turns out, the Indian grandmaster could have set up an ‘eternal blockade’ on the dark squares in the endgame. But finding the correct manoeuvre on move 96 is never easy!

 

Pragg’s theoretical knowledge

The crucial match between the youthful teams of Uzbekistan and India 2 saw the eventual champions saving a draw after Gukesh had an unfortunate lapse of judgment and blundered a piece against Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

India 2 was up in the scoreboard at that point, after Praggnanandhaa showed the proper technique to convert an endgame with rook and h-pawn against bishop. During the live commentary webcasts, experts repeatedly noted that this was by no means a trivial conversion.

If White puts a step wrong, Black can build an impenetrable fortress.

 

Kiolbasa’s ninth consecutive win

Poland’s Oliwia Kiolbasa took home the individual gold medal on board 3 after scoring 9½/11 points in the women’s tournament. Remarkably, the 22-year-old collected nine wins in a row in Chennai.

Precisely her ninth consecutive win gave her team match victory over the rating favourites from India. Kiolbasa made the most of her outside passed pawn in a rook endgame against rising star Vaishali.

The ending caught the attention of Wolfram Schön, who sent a thorough analysis of the position, first pointing out that:

  • Overall it was an interesting and highly instructive rook endgame
  • One big/decisive mistake: 57...Kg6
  • Some non-best/inaccurate moves: 56...Kf7, 57.h4 and 58...Kf7
  • Many good moves and ideas, especially by the white player!
 
Kiolbasa vs. Vaishali

This was the critical position, where Vaishali mistakenly responded to 57.h4 with 57...Kg6.

Go over Walter Schön’s full analysis plus two more instrucitve endgames annotated by GM Karsten Müller in the replayer below!

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Bc5 5.c3 Nge7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 d5 9.0-0 dxe4 10.Nxe4 0-0 11.a3 Bd6 12.h3 Bf5 13.Re1 Bg6 14.Bg5 f6 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Bh4 Bf7 17.Bg3 Qd7 18.Rc1 Rad8 19.b4 Nf5 20.Bf4 Kh8 21.Qd3 b5 22.Bc2 Bg6 23.Qc3 Ncxd4 24.Nxd4 Nxd4 25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.Qxc7 Rf7 27.Qxd7 Rfxd7 28.Be3 Nf5 29.Bb6 Rb8 30.Rc6 Rd3 31.Ra1 Ne7 32.Re6 Nd5 33.Bc5 Nc3 34.Rxa6 Na4 35.Rd6 Nxc5 36.bxc5 Rc3 37.c6 Rc8 38.Rb1 R3xc6 39.Rxc6 Rxc6 40.Rxb5 Rc1+ 41.Kh2 Ra1 42.Ra5 g5 43.Kg3 Ra2 44.Kf3 Kh7 45.Ke3 Kg6 46.Ra7 Kf5 47.g3 Ke5 48.Kf3 Kf5 49.a4 Ra3+ 50.Kg2 Kg6 51.a5 Kh6 52.a6 Kg6 53.Ra8 Kf5 54.Kf1 Ra2 55.a7
A rook ending with an extra outside passed pawn and the rook in front of its a7-pawn. So the mobility of both rooks is largely restricted and there is no shelter for the white king on the queenside. White can only succeed by winning a second pawn, while keeping the f-pawn. As Black has no weakness in the pawn structure, the position is a theoretical draw. However, in practise the black player has to be careful not to fall into a tactical trick based on the a7 and she has to decide where to park her king longterm. Because it is now on f5, White has one winning idea: Bring the white king into the back of Black's pawns to f7, via Kf1-b1-b4-e7. 55...Kg6! The right direction. At the moment Black has plenty of time to choose a safe set-up, so many moves don't lose. It is more about having the right ideas. For a demonstration let's see a line where the black king remains on f5 for too long. 55...Ra1+ 56.Ke2 Ra2+ 57.Kd3 Ra3+ 58.Kc4 Ra4+?! 58...Kg6 59.Kb5 Ra2 60.f3 Rb2+ 61.Kc6 Ra2 62.Kd7 Ra6 63.Ke7 Ra3? 63...g4‼ 64.hxg4+ Kg6!= Last chance for salvation, but this is already very artificial. White's doubled pawns are unconvertable. 64.Kf7! g6 65.Kg7 Ra6 66.Kh6 Ra3 67.Re8! Rxa7 68.Re4!+- Winning by mate. This is all very similar to Unzicker-Lundin. 56.Ke1 Kf7?! The wrong direction, as the black king is unstable on f7. Without the pawn on g7 White could use the skewer trick on the 7th rank by Ra8-h8-h7+. In fact, this motif will come to the fore much sooner than Black would like. The safest set-up is: 56...Kh7! 57.Kd1 g6! 58.Kc1 Kg7! No skewers on the 7th, no white king to f7 and all black pawns protected. In a word: a wonderful defence! 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 Ra5 61.Kb3 Ra1 62.Kb4 Rb1+= The white king has no prospects. White can try to exchange some pawns on the kingside, but it is just a harmless test for Black. 57.h4?! The clever idea is to push this pawn to h6, trying to deflect the black g7. However, objectively the game-move makes life easier for the defender, allowing an active use of the black king. On the other hand it forces Black to decide on her king's set-up quickly, so it might have been the best practical try. 57.Kd1 I think, I would prefer to improve the king first and only later try h3-h4. Kg6 58.Kc1 Kf7 Let's assume, Black just waits. 58...Kh7 Of course Black could use White's slowplay to go for the safe set-up. But usually players don't switch their system of defence when playing on increment, if no obvious reason is apparent. 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 g6= 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 Kg6 61.Kb3 Kf7 62.Kb4 Kg6 63.Kb5 Ra2 64.f3 So far everything is ok for Black, but this is a critical moment. Kf7? 64...Kh7! Not the only way, but the most easy again. 65.h4 gxh4 66.gxh4 g6! 67.Kb6 Rb2+ 68.Kc6 Ra2 69.Kd6 Kg7! 70.Ke7 Re2+= 65.h4! Now this is a winner. The difference to the game-move is the activity of White's king, important in the following critical line. gxh4 66.gxh4 Kg6 67.h5+! Kf5 68.Kb6 Rb2+ 69.Kc6 Ra2 70.Kd7 As the white king started from b5 (instead of e1), it can go for the black g7-pawn now and Black's couterplay comes too late. Kf4 71.Ke6 Kxf3 72.Kf7 f5 73.Kxg7 f4 74.h6+- 57...Kg6? A mistake, that will cost Black dearly. The evidence that Black is already theoretically lost after this is everything but obvious. However, from a practical point of view Black missed a better alternative, based just on general arguments. 57...g4?! This black pawn set-up is possible and has been from the start. But I think, Black should avoid it if possible. The g4-pawn is separated from the other black forces. The plus side is, the white f-pawn is now fixed on f2. 58.h5 Ra1+ 59.Kd2 Ra3 60.Kc2 60.h6 Kg6! Important counter-trick, please remember. 60...Ra2+ 61.Kd3 So the white king tries to approach the weak g4. Ra3+ 62.Kd4 Ra5 63.Ke4 Ra2! Black's basic defensive idea. If the white king moves to f4 or f5, the f2 can be taken with check. 63...Ra4+?! 64.Kf5 g6+! 65.hxg6+ Kg7 Black holds because of mutual zugzwang. 66.Rb8 Rxa7 67.Kxg4 Kxg6 68.Rb6= However, White could try two vs one for some time. 64.h6 At some point White has to try this. 64.Ke3 Ra4 64...Kg6! 65.Kd5 65.Rg8 Ra4+! 66.Kd5 Ra5+ 67.Kc6 Rxa7= 65...Kh7! Forcing the nasty white h-pawn off the board. 66.hxg7 Kxg7 67.Ke6 Re2+! Checking the white king away from good squares is the most easy. 68.Kd5 Rd2+ 69.Ke4 Re2+ 70.Kd3 Ra2 71.Ke3 Ra4= 57...gxh4! Following one of the endgame guidelines established by Reuben Fine many decades ago: "The defender should try to exchange pawns". In this case Black's king can massively profit from the reduced pawn mass. 58.gxh4 Kg6! 59.h5+ Kf5! The black king is back, where it started. However, after the disappearence of the pair of g-pawns, all the squares in front of its f6-pawn are save now. 59...Kg5?! Although not losing, this is way weaker. 60.h6 Kg6! Another nice version of trick and counter-trick, also very worth knowing. 61.Kd1 Kh7! 62.hxg7 Kxg7= White can't win against a black pawn on f6. However, Black's king has to stay passive on g7/h7 and it is mandatory to keep the white king away from e7, as we will see later in another line. 60.Kf1 Kf4 61.Kg2 f5= Black's king puts pressure onto the white f2-pawn. So the position is really balanced and White will have to liquidate to a draw quickly. 58.h5+! The point that makes this a winner is: Wherever the black king goes, it will be fixed there and White can improve her position to the extreme. Kf7 58...Kf5 59.f3! Because of the presence of the white g3-pawn, the black king is stuck now on the undesired square f5. Thus White can force a win with the plan shown in the beginning. The white king goes for a long march to f7. Ra1+ 60.Kd2 Ra3 61.Kc2 g4 At least Black can avoid the mating net. 62.f4 Ra1 63.Kb3 Ra6 64.Kb4 Ra1 65.Kb5 Ra3 66.Kc6 Ra1 67.Kd7 Ra3 68.Ke7 Ke4 Only after the white king covers the e-file, the black king can become active and go for the g3. However, Black will lose the race of the passed pawns. 69.Kf7 Kf3 70.Kxg7 Kxg3 71.h6+- 58...Kh7! In the CB article from 08.08. this has been correclty pointed out as the best defence. White can win, but it is a long run. The first steps are not so difficult, the critical moment comes later. First White pushes her f-pawn to f5 and then moves the king over towards f7. 59.f4! 59.Kd1? g4!= 59...gxf4 60.gxf4 Ra1+ 61.Kd2 Ra3 62.f5 Ra1 63.Kc3 Ra4 64.Kb3 Ra1 65.Kb4 Rb1+ 66.Kc5 Ra1 67.Kd6 Ra2 68.Ke7 The white king has come into contact with Black's f6, so now things are getting interesting again, as h5-h6 is in the air once more. Ra5 68...Ra6?! This runs into a zugzwang. 69.Kf7 Ra4 70.h6! gxh6 71.Kxf6 h5 72.Ke7 h4 73.f6+- White's passed pawn is faster. 69.h6! White would like to play this pawn thrust with the king on f7, but it is impossible. However, there is still a deep win. 69.Kf7 Ra6! Now White is in zugzwang and has to revert to the previous position. 70.Ke7 Ra5 69...Ra6! Because of the threat g7xh6 this gives White no time for the desired Ke7-f7. 69...Ra1?! 70.Kf7! gxh6 71.Kxf6+- 70.hxg7 Kxg7 A theoretical position, but not so well-known. Before tablebases, Sergey Dolmatov found the fine solution. 71.Kd8! Ra1 71...Rd6+ 72.Kc7 Ra6 73.Kb7+- The vertical checking distance of the black rook is too short. A drama for Black, but for the protection of the f6-pawn it had to be moved to the 6th rank before, as seen. 72.Rc8! The final trick: A transition to a winning pawn ending. Rxa7 73.Rc7+ Rxc7 74.Kxc7+- 59.f4! White is well aware of what she is doing. The skewer trick is the way to go, but it has to be prepared. Not 59.h6? Kg6! 60.f4 gxf4 61.gxf4 Ra4 62.f5+ Kh7! 63.hxg7 Kxg7= Also not 59.Kd1? g4!= Black can hold with this pawn structure as seen before. 59...gxf4 60.gxf4 f5 A sad necessity, but now this black f5-pawn is without the protection of the king or g-pawn. This new weakness will cause Black's downfall. Otherwise White will play f4-f5 herself, taking the crucial g6-square away from the black king. 60...Ra1+ 61.Kd2 Ra3?! 62.f5! Ra5 63.h6! Sufficiently prepared. gxh6 64.Rh8+- 61.Kd1 Ra1+ 62.Ke2 White steers her king towards g5 in preparation of h5-h6. A clear concept and a clean win, as there is nothing Black can do with her immobile Kf7. 62.Kc2 Alternatively the white king can also come from the left side. Ra3 63.Kb2 Ra6 64.Kb3 Ra1 65.Kb4 Ra2 66.Kb5 Ra1 67.Kb6 Rb1+ 68.Kc6 Ra1 69.h6! Just exchanging the pawns, but it enables the white king to approach the f5. Kg6 70.hxg7 Kxg7 Now this is a theoretical position, given in many books. White wins because of zugzwang. 71.Kd6 Ra2 72.Ke5! Ra5+ 73.Ke6 Kh7 74.Kf6+- 62...Ra2+ 63.Kf3 Ra3+ 64.Kg2 Ra2+ 65.Kg3 Ra4 66.Kh3! Ra3+ 67.Kh4 Ra4 68.Kg5 Ra5 69.h6! Good things take time. gxh6+ 70.Kxh6 Ra6+ 71.Kg5 Because of the skewer threat Ra8-h8, Black's f5-pawn is doomed now. The rest is a demonstration, why a second extra pawn on the f-file wins, while on the g- or h-file it would be useless. Kg7 72.Kxf5 Ra1 73.Ke5 Re1+ 74.Kd4 Rd1+ 75.Ke3 Re1+ 76.Kd2 Ra1 77.f5 Ra2+ 78.Kc3 Ra3+ 79.Kb2 Ra6 80.f6+! A very fine and instructive display by White. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kiolbasa,O2376Vaishali R24421–02022C7044th Chess Olympiad Women 20229.1
Vallejo Pons,F2702Amin,B26801–02022E7344th Chess Olympiad Open 20228.18
Mosurovic,M1452Ivekovic,T20820–12022A0844th Chess Olympiad Women 20229.24

Magical Chess Endgames Vol. 1 & 2 + The magic of chess tactics

In over 4 hours in front of the camera, Karsten Müller presents to you sensations from the world of endgames - partly reaching far beyond standard techniques and rules of thumb - and rounds off with some cases of with own examples.

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.
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