Endgames from Vrnjacka Banja (2)

by Karsten Müller
3/11/2023 – 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 seven of his finds! | Pictured: Sabino Brunello | Photo: European Chess Union
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Tough decisions

After a long game, the result of the struggle often comes down to a single decision in a difficult ending, the all-important third stage of the game.

 
Gokerkan vs. Paravyan - Round 4
Black to play

Here David Paravyan (Black) has a far-advanced passer on the f-file. Should he force a trade of queens with 39...Qe6+ or try to find a hiding spot for his king?

 
Gurel vs. Sanal - Round 3
Black to play

Does Vahap Sanal (Black) have enough of an advantage to score a win from this position? If so, where should he place his knight on the next move? Knights are often misplaced on the side of the board in the opening, but specific calculations — and not only general principles — are needed in technical positions.

 
Petrosyan vs. Sanikidze - Round 3
White to play

Manuel Petrosyan (White) has just given up a rook on h2. What did he have in mind when he sacrificed it? His next move drew the game by force.

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

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nbd2 Nd6 9.c3 Bf5 10.Bc2 Bxc2 11.Qxc2 Bf6 12.Re1+ Ne7 13.Nf1 0-0 14.Bf4 Ng6 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Ng3 Qd7 17.Nh5 Rae8 18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.Rxe8 Rxe8 20.Re1 Rxe1+ 21.Nxe1 Nf4 22.h4 Qg4 23.g3 f5 24.Qd2 Ne6 25.Ng2 f4 26.Kh2 fxg3+ 27.fxg3 Qe4 28.Qf2 f5 29.Ne3 f4 30.Ng4 Kg7 31.Ne5 Kf6 32.Nd7+ Ke7 33.Ne5 c5 34.Nf3 cxd4 35.Nxd4 Nxd4 36.Qxd4 Qe2+ 37.Kh3 f3 38.Qg7+ Kd6 39.Qf6+ The hiding place. In an endgame the king should be activated: Kc5? Now Black's king can find no hiding place. 39...Qe6+! wins, e.g. 40.Qxe6+ Kxe6 41.Kh2 41.g4 Ke5 42.Kg3 Ke4 43.g5 Ke3 44.h5 f2 45.g6 f1Q-+ 41...Kf5 42.Kg1 Kg4 43.Kf2 h5! and Black wins the fight for tempi on the queenside, e.g. 44.b3 b6! 45.a4 a5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 d4-+ 40.Qd4+ Kc6 41.Qa4+ Kd6 42.Qb4+ Ke6 43.Qg4+ Ke7 44.Qg5+ Kd6 45.Qf4+ Kd7 46.Qa4+ Kd8 47.Qa5+ Ke8 48.Qa4+! The right way to stop the invasion of Black's king. The greedy 48.Qxa7? runs into h5! 49.Qb8+ Kf7 50.Qxb7+ Kf6 51.Qc6+ Ke5 52.Qe8+ Kf5 53.Qxh5+ Ke4-+ 48...b5 48...Ke7 49.Qb4+ Ke6 50.Qg4+ Ke5 51.Qf4+= 49.Qxa7 h6 Now 49...h5 can be met by 50.Qb8+ Kf7 50...Ke7 51.Qc7+ Ke6 52.Qc8+ Ke5 53.Qh8+ Ke4 54.Qd4+= 51.Qf4+ Ke6 52.Qh6+ Ke5 53.Qf4+= 50.Qb8+ Kd7 51.Qb7+ Ke6 52.Qc8+ Ke7 52...Ke5 is met by 53.Qh8+ Ke4 54.Qd4+ Kf5 55.Qxd5+= 53.Qc7+ Ke6 54.Qc8+ Ke7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gokerkan,C2486Paravyan,D2584½–½2023C424.33
Gurel,E2454Sanal,V25900–12023C673.27
Petrosyan,M2634Sanikidze,T2459½–½2023D41EICC 20233.37
Indjic,A2636Ghimpu,S24591–02023D35EICC 20233.36
Predke,A2684Castellanos Rodriguez,R24841–02023B923.31
Samunenkov,I2488Chigaev,M26321–02023D123.38
Ter-Sahakyan,S2616Loiseau,Q24491–02023E113.41
 

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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