Endgames from Vrnjacka Banja (1)

by Karsten Müller
3/8/2023 – With close to 250 games being played daily, the European Championship is one of the strongest opens in the chess calendar. Moreover, the players are fighting for an entrance to the World Championship cycle via the World Cup, which makes for very competitive struggles. Karsten Müller is keeping an eye on the games, and has sent us many notable endgames with instructive analyses. Replay here his first seven finds! | Pictured: Marius Gramb | Photo: European Chess Union

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Winning or drawing?

Can you figure out whether the following positions are winning for the stronger side or if there is enough for the defender to save a draw?

 

Does Ivan Saric (Black) have enough of an advantage with his extra pawn? It turns out he does. In the game, imprecisions by both players led to the Croatian GM’s win, but only after Brandon Clarke missed a couple of chances to keep the balance.

 

Knight endgames require precise calculation. Tornike Sanikidze (White) demonstrated that he had enough time to save the draw here against Aleksandar Indjic’s extra pawn. A knight on the rim is not always dim!

 

Material is even, but it is looking more difficult for Black to create a passed pawn on the kingside, where he has the majority. An imprecise move in this position by Atarbek Eren (Black) cost him the game against Daniele Vocaturo.

These are only three of the seven instructive endgame positions which you can study and enjoy in our dynamic replayer below!

 
 

Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen

Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.


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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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Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 3/8/2023 10:54
Ah, yes, I wanted white to promote with check, but that isn't necessary.
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 3/8/2023 10:25
Frits Fritschy: No. In Vocaturo-Eren 54...h5? loses due to 55.gxh5 g4 56.b5 Kf3 57.Kd5 and White will reach a won 7 men tablebase queen ending.
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 3/8/2023 09:29
It seems 54... h5 also draws.
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