Riddle: Is active defense always best?

by Karsten Müller
4/29/2024 – A week ago we showed you a famous game, played between Siegbert Tarrasch and Akiba Rubinstein in 1911. It ended in a draw, and is given as a model example for an active defence in rook endings. However, that was not the clear conclusion to draw from the game, and we asked you whether you could find the mistakes in the game play strategy? Wolfram Schön provided a very deep answer.
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Here's the original riddle we posted a week ago: Is active defense always best? It tells about the San Sebastián tournament of 1911 and how in round six Akiba Rubinstein got into trouble against Siegbert Tarrasch, in a double rook endgame, and lost a pawn on the queenside. This famous endgame is analysed by R. Fine in his classical book "Basic Chess Endings" from 1941. Later, Levenfish/Smyslov in "The theory of rook endings" (1957), Y. Averbakh in "Turmendspiele 2" (1984), Donaldson/Minev in "The life and games of Akiva Rubinstein 1" (2006), J. Pinter in "1000 Rook Endings" (2007) and A. Panchenko in "Theory and practice of chess endings 2" (2009) approved the original annotations.

Based on Rubinstein's successful play to save his critical position, it is cited in all sources as a prime example of an active defence. But Wolfram Schön has analysed the endgame in depth and reached amazing new conclusions. Click on the notation or the diagrams to get a special replay board with engine support.

Tarrasch, Siegbert½–½Rubinstein, Akiba
San Sebastian
28.02.1911[Wolfram Schön]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nxf6+ Nxf6 9.Ne5 c5 10.dxc5 Qc7 11.Qe2 Bxc5 12.Bg5 Nd7 13.Nxd7 Bxd7 14.Rad1 Bc6 15.Qh5 g6 16.Qh4 Rfe8 17.Rfe1 Be7 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Qxe7 Rxe7 20.Be4 Rc8 21.c3 e5 22.Rd6 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 f5 24.Ra4 b6 25.g4 e4 26.gxf5 gxf5 27.Kf1 Kf7 28.Rad4 Re6 29.Rd7+ Re7 30.R4d5 Rxd7 31.Rxd7+ Kg6 32.Rxa7 Rd8 33.Ra6
Based on Rubinstein's successful play to save his critical position, it is cited in all sources as a prime example of an active defence. However, firstly Tarrasch missed a win (see move 36), and even more surprisingly Rubinstein's universally acclaimed starting move proves to be incorrect. 33...Rd2? Rubinstein's basic idea is to create counterplay against the white king with his rook, king and the duo of e- and f-pawn. Fine calls the text move "va banque", as passive defence seems hopeless anyway. Not surprisingly, 33...Rd1+? turns out to be too slow. 34.Ke2 Rh1 35.Rxb6+ Kg5 36.Rb5! Preventing f5-f4. Kg4 37.Re5 Ra1 38.a3 White can convert his connected passed pawns over the time, e.g. Kf4 39.Rd5 Rb1 40.b4 Rb3 41.c4 Rxa3 42.b5 Rb3 43.Kd2 h5 44.Kc2 Rb4 45.Kc3 Rb1 46.h3 Taking g4 away from Black's king. h4 47.Rc5 Zugzwang. Kg5 48.Rc6 f4 49.Rc5+ Kg6 50.Rc8 To possibly control a black passed pawn from the backside. Kf5 51.Kd4 Rd1+ 52.Kc5+- Pushing the pawn first is another active attempt that narrowly fails. 33...f4? 34.Rxb6+ Kf5 35.Rb5+ Kg4 36.Ke2 f3+ 37.Ke3 Rd1 38.Kxe4 Re1+ 39.Kd4! Re2 40.Rb4‼ However, this trick to protect the f2-pawn with the idea of a discovered check is mandatory for White to win. One sample line is Kh3 41.a4 Kg2 42.a5 Rxf2 43.a6 Rd2+ 44.Kc5 f2 45.a7 f1Q 46.a8Q+ Kxh2 47.Qb8+ Kg1 48.Qg3+ Rg2 49.Qe3+ Qf2 50.Qxf2+ Rxf2 51.Rb8+- Back in a rook ending, the white win is now straightforward. As pointed out by L&S, the natural defence 33...Rd6? does not work, because the b6-pawn remains pinned against the black rook. E.g. 34.a4 f4 35.Ke1! Kf5 36.a5 Rd5 37.axb6 Rb5 38.c4 Rxb2 39.Ra5+ Ke6 40.Rb5+- The solution is the counterintuitive 33...Rb8!
It avoids the latter problem. Black will soon have to reactivate his rook, so this manoeuvre looks like a loss of tempo at first. However, the advance of the white pawns on the queenside is slowed down considerably. In the end, Black gains more time than he now loses. 34.a4 The basic approach: White sets his queenside majority in motion as quickly as possible. Relocating the rook by 34.Ra4 is pretty harmless. Black can, for example, react with Kg5 35.Rb4 Kf4 36.Ke2 h5 37.a4 Ra8! 38.b3 Rc8! 39.c4 Rc6 40.Rb5 h4= White has invested a lot of time and achieved almost nothing. The main alternative is to improve the king first, i.e. 34.Ke2 Kg5 35.Ke3 However, Black has at least two viable defensive options. Kg4 The black king goes for maximum activity. Here 35...h5 is a bit careless, but in the main line it produces a nice finish. 36.f3 exf3 37.Ra4 Re8+ 38.Kxf3 The black king is now somewhat held back and h2-h4 is the white threat. h4! 39.Rb4 Re1 40.Rxb6 Rf1+ 41.Kg2 Rd1 42.a4 Rd2+ 43.Kf3 Rxh2 44.Rb8 Rh3+ 45.Kg2 Rd3 46.a5 h3+ 47.Kh2 Kg4 48.Rg8+ Kh4 49.a6 Rd7! 50.b4 f4 51.b5 Rd2+ 52.Kh1 f3 53.a7 f2 54.a8Q f1Q+ 55.Rg1 Qf3+‼ 56.Qxf3 Rh2+= 36.a4 h5 37.b4 h4 38.a5 bxa5 39.Rxa5 Rd8! Released from the burden of protecting the b-pawn, the black rook becomes active again. 40.Rc5 Rd1 41.b5 Re1+ 42.Kd2 Rf1 43.b6 Rxf2+ 44.Ke3 Rxh2 45.Rb5 f4+! 46.Kxe4 Re2+ 47.Kd3 Re8 48.b7 Rb8 49.Ke2 h3 50.Kf2 h2 51.Kg2 f3+ 52.Kxh2 Kf4= The black king walks over to the white pawns. 34...Kg5 35.b4 f4 36.a5 bxa5 37.Rxa5+ Kg4 Switching plans with 37...Kf6 is possible as well. The black king will deal with White's passed pawns now. 38.b5 Ke6 39.Ke2 Kd6! 40.Ra6+ Kd7 41.Rf6 f3+ 42.Ke3 Rxb5 43.Kxe4 Rh5= 38.Ke2 Rc8! The only way to stop White from steamrolling with his passed pawns. 39.Ra3 Rb8! 40.Rb3 Ra8! 41.Rb2 Ra3 42.b5 Rxc3 43.f3+ exf3+ 44.Kf2 Rc1! And here the idea of Rc1-h1xh2 is absolutely necessary to save Black. 45.h3+ Kxh3 46.b6 Rc8 47.b7 Rb8 48.Kxf3 Kh4! Black needs some precise moves to avoid zugzwang with his king on the edge. 49.Kxf4 Kh5! 50.Kf5 Rf8+! 51.Ke6 Rb8= 34.Rxb6+ Kg5
35.Ke1! Tarrasch does well to have the black rook kicked in time. Fine and L&S give 35.a4 f4 36.a5? , which spoils the win. 36.Ke1! transposes to the note on White's 36th move of the game. 36...f3 37.Ke1 Re2+ The black rook can directly move from d2 to e2, the difference to the winning line, which is soon to be seen. 38.Kf1 Rc2= With a draw by repetition. 35...Rc2 36.Rb5? "To oppose f5-f4" - J. Mieses in the tournament book of 1911. However, here the doctor from Nuremberg is too cautious and misses out on the win. The natural 36.a4! is the right way to go. f4 Chasing after White's pawns with 36...Rc1+ is again not very impressive. 37.Kd2 Ra1 38.c4 One out of several winning continuations. E.g. Rxa4 39.c5 Rc4 40.Rb5 Kf6 41.b3 Rd4+ 42.Kc2 Ke5 43.Rb8 f4 44.c6 Rd5 45.Re8+ Kd6 46.Rxe4 Kxc6 47.Rxf4+- Another critical idea is 36...Kg4 to bring in the king first 37.a5 Kf3 38.a6 f4 , followed by his pawns now. However, White can escape the mating net. 39.Kd1! Rxf2 40.Rb3‼ A key move in support of the passed a-pawn on its way to promotion. Rf1+ 41.Kc2 Ra1 42.Ra3 Rg1 43.c4+! Which makes White's task easier. Ke2 44.a7 Rg8 45.a8Q Rxa8 46.Rxa8 f3 47.Rf8 f2 48.Kc3! e3 49.Kd4+- 37.a5 f3 38.a6 Re2+
Compared to the line with 35.a4, the black rook had to lose a tempo by Rd2-c2-e2. Therefore White's a-pawn is one step closer to destination, giving him a decisive advantage. 39.Kd1! e3 Or 39...Rxf2 40.a7 Rf1+ 41.Kd2 Ra1 42.Rb7 f2 43.Rf7 Rxa7 44.Rxf2 Re7 45.Ke3+- and White wins easily. 40.fxe3 Rxe3 On 40...Rxh2 41.Ke1+- the white king stops the black passed pawns. 41.h4+ White wants to control the black f3-pawn with his rook from the backside. The idea of this trick move is to clear the f6-square. In case of 41.a7 f2 White has to accept a queen ending with only a few pawns left. 42.h4+ Not mandatory, but still the best. Kf5 43.a8Q f1Q+ 44.Kc2 Qf2+ 45.Kb3 Rxc3+ 46.bxc3 Qxb6+ 47.Ka4+- Black has no check, so White can centralise his queen next. His outside passed c-pawn, supported by the king, secures him victory. 41...Kxh4 Now on 41...Kf5 42.Rb8+- White also gets what he wants with Rb8-f8+. 42.a7 Although White will need some tricky rook manoeuvres, this option offers a more comfortable win in the end. Alternatively, he may have to go a long way, i.e. 42.Kd2 Re2+ 43.Kd3 Re1 44.Rf6 Kg3 45.b4 f2 46.b5 Rd1+ 47.Ke2 Re1+ 48.Kd2 Ra1 49.c4 h5 All passed pawns have their say. 50.c5 h4 51.c6 Ra2+ 52.Ke3 Ra3+ 53.Kd4 Rf3 54.Rxf3+ Kxf3 Tablebases confirm the white win. One sample line with a nice finish is 55.c7 f1Q 56.c8Q Qg1+ 57.Kd5 Qg5+ 58.Kc6 Qh6+ 59.Kb7 h3 60.a7 h2 61.a8Q h1Q 62.Ka7+ Kg3 63.Qc3+ Kf2 64.Qc2+ Kf1 65.Qc1+!+- 42...Re8 43.b4 Kg5 44.Rb5+! Wherever the black king goes, the white rook will find a way to deal with the black f-pawn. Kf6 The main motiv is 44...Kg6 45.Re5! f2 46.Ke2 Rxe5+ 47.Kxf2 Re8 48.b5+- 45.Rh5 f2 46.Rh1 Ra8 47.Rf1 Rxa7 48.Rxf2++- An easy technical win for White with his connected passed pawns supported by the king. 36...Kg4! Now Rubinstein's concept works out perfectly. He wants to play f5-f4 and Kg4-f3, which would actually give Black a winning attack. 37.h3+ Steering the game to a draw before White gets into even more trouble. A good practical decision. Kxh3 38.Rxf5 Rxb2 Keeping the e-pawn is also a quick way to equalise: 38...Kg4 39.Re5 Kf4 40.Rh5 Rxb2= 39.Rf4 Rxa2 40.Rxe4 The white king in particular is too passive to pose a serious threat to Black. h5 41.c4 Kg2 42.Rf4 Rc2 43.Rh4 Kf3 44.Kd1 Rxf2 45.c5 Ke3 46.Rxh5 Kd4 ½–½

Wolfram Schön, born 5.6.1967, is an International Master 1987 and a grandmaster in correspondence chess since 2006. Greatest success: third place in the Correspondence Chess World Chamionship 2003-05.

Wolfram is a programmer and an asset manager by profession.

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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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