Endgame Riddle: Is Smyslov right or is he wrong?

by Karsten Müller
10/22/2020 – Vassily Smyslov, the 7th World Champion, was an endgame specialist, and for generations of chess players Smyslov's book about "Rook Endings", which he wrote together with Grigory Levenfish, was the "Bible of Rook Endings". However, is everything in this "bible" really true? Karsten Müller and Zoran Petronijevic have doubts - and ask the readers to help analysing a fascinating endgame, which Smyslov presented in the third edition of his classic. | Photo: Dutch National Archive
Enjoy Capablanca's fine technique, Tal's magic, Lasker's fighting spirit, Petrosian's defensive skills, Smyslov's feeling for harmony, and Alekhine's and Spassky's flair for the attack.

Endgame riddle V. Smyslov - P. Benko

For a long time Vassily Smyslov (March 24, 1921 - March 27, 2010) was one of the best players in the world, and after beating Mikhail Botvinnik 12½-9½ in their World Championship match 1957 Smyslov became the 7th World Champion in the history of chess. However, one year later, Smyslov lost the revenge match in 1958 with 10½-12½ and was thus World Champion for only one year.

Smyslov's feeling for the harmony of the pieces is legendary and he is considered one of the greatest endgame players of all time. The book "Rook Endings" which he wrote together with Grigory Levenfish, was for generations of chess players the "Bible of rook endgames".

Endgame analyst Zoran Petronijevic has also studied this book thoroughly, and a position that first appeared in the third edition of the book has particularly fascinated him.

 
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42...Rc8 43.Re1 g6 44.Rh1 g5 45.Re1 g4 46.Ra1 Kc7 47.a5 Rb8 48.b5 axb5 49.cxb5 bxa5 50.Rxa5 Rb6 51.Ra7+ Kc8 52.Kc5 Rf6 53.Ra4 Rxf2 54.Rxg4 Kc7 55.b6+ Kb7 56.Rf4 Rc2+ 57.Kd6 Kxb6 58.Kxd7 Rh2 59.g4 Rh4 60.Rf6+ Kc5 61.Rxh6 Rxg4 62.Rf6 Re4 63.h6 Kd4 64.h7 Rh4 65.Rxf7 Ke5 66.Ke7 Rh1 67.Kf8 Ke6 68.Kg8 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Smyslov,V-Benko,P-1–01975A30Szolnok11

Petronijevic writes about the final of this game Smyslov - Benko:

Despite the progress of chess engines, the many good chess books and the large number of fantastic players, rook endings still remain a big mystery. One reason for this is the uncanny dynamics of these endgames. This position in the Smyslov - Benkö game has intrigued me for years and I have analyzed it again and again.

Smyslov won against Benko and as his comments and analyses show, Smyslov also considered the starting position of the endgame as won for White. But is that really so - or is Smyslov wrong?

This is where the help of the readers is needed: Is Smyslov right? Is this position really won for White? And if it is not won, then where have White and Black made mistakes - and what is Benko's last mistake?

Share your analyses in the comments. Endgame expert and endgame detective Karsten Müller looks forward to your insights!

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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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