Endgames from Mayrhofen

by Karsten Müller
10/13/2022 – The European Club Cup was played last week, with no fewer than 70 teams in the open section and 17 women’s squads making their way to Mayrhofen, Austria. Our in-house expert Karsten Müller once again compiled a series of instructive endgames for us to learn from and enjoy! | Pictured: Anna Muzychuk (photo by Fiona Steil-Antoni)
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The value of technique

Philidor’s win

Superbet’s Marsel Efroimski took home an individual gold medal after showing a truly strong performance on the fourth board. In the first round, she proved that rook and bishop against rook is very difficult to defend even when the defender has a pawn left on the board.

 
Efroimski, Marsel24621–0Gajcin, Marina2228
26th Womens ECCC 2022
Mayrhofen03.10.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.b3 Nc6 4.Bb2 d6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Bxe5 Bc5 11.Be2 Ne8 12.Nd2 f6 13.Bb2 Kc7 14.0-0 Nd6 15.a3 a5 16.c4 Nf5 17.Nf3 e5 18.Rfd1 Re8 19.Kf1 Nd6 20.Bc3 Ne4 21.Be1 Be6 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Be7 24.c5 Bb3 25.Rdc1 Bd5 26.h4 f5 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Nxe5 Bxh4 29.Nc4 Ra2 30.Nb6 Nd2+ 31.Bxd2 Rxd2 32.Nxd5+ Rxd5 33.Ra1 Rd4 34.Ra7+ Kb8 35.Rxg7 Rxb4 36.g3 Bf6 37.Rf7 Rb1+ 38.Kg2 Bd4 39.Rxf5 h6 40.f4 Rc1 41.Rf8+ Kc7 42.Rf7+ Kd8 43.Rh7 Rg1+ 44.Kf3 Rh1 45.g4 Rh3+ 46.Ke4 Bxc5 47.Bf3 Bd6 48.g5 Rh4 49.g6 Rxf4+ 50.Ke3 Rf8 51.Bxc6 Be5 52.Ke4 Bc3 53.Rd7+ Kc8 54.Rd3 Bb2 55.Rb3 Ba1 56.Ra3 Rf1 57.Kd5 Kd8 58.Ra8+ Kc7 59.Ra7+ Kd8 60.g7 Bxg7 61.Rxg7 Rd1+ 62.Ke6
Philidor's win. Rook and bishop against rook is very difficult to defend over the board even when the defender has a pawn: 62...Ra1? Now Black's defense cannot be coordinated anymore. The only drawing move is 62...Rf1‼ and one sample line runs 63.Bd5 Kc8 64.Kd6 Rf6+ 65.Be6+ Kb8 66.Re7 Rf1 67.Bd5 67.Kc6 Rc1+= 67...Rf6+ 68.Kc5 h5 69.Bc6 Kc8 70.Kb6 Rd6 71.Rh7 h4 72.Rxh4 Rd1 73.Kc5 Kc7 74.Rh7+ Kd8 75.Bd5 Ke8 76.Kd6 Rf1= and Black has reached Szen's draw. 63.Kd6 Rd1+ 64.Bd5 Re1 65.Rg8+ Re8 66.Rg3 Kc8?! 66...Re2 is more tenacious. After 67.Rg8+ Re8 68.Rg7 Re2 69.Rh7 h5 70.Rxh5 Re7 White has reached the standard Philidor win: 71.Rh8+ Re8 72.Rh7 Re2 73.Rg7 zugzwang Re1 74.Rb7 Rc1 75.Bb3 Philidor's maneuver Rc3 75...Kc8 76.Rb4 Kd8 77.Rh4 Re1 78.Ba4 Kc8 79.Rb4+- 76.Be6 Rd3+ 77.Bd5 Rc3 78.Rd7+ Kc8 79.Rh7 Kb8 80.Rb7+ Kc8 81.Rb4 Kd8 82.Bc4 Kc8 83.Be6+ Kd8 84.Rb8+ Rc8 85.Rxc8# 67.Rc3+ Kb8 68.Ra3 Rd8+ 69.Kc6 h5 70.Rb3+ Ka7
71.Kc7 A beautiful final point. 71.Kc7 Rxd5 72.Ra3+ Ra5 73.Rxa5# 1–0

The wrong check — on move 140!

In the fifth round, Adi Federovski, who played on board 2 for Rishon Lezion, was defending fiercely against Gambit Asseco See’s Ljilja Drljevic. Only on move 140, in an ending with queen and knight versus queen and bishop, did Federovski falter. 

 
Federovski, Adi19670–1Drljevic, Ljilja2172
26th Womens ECCC 2022
Mayrhofen07.10.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 a6 4.h4 h6 5.Be3 e6 6.Qd2 b5 7.h5 g5 8.f4 gxf4 9.Bxf4 Bb7 10.a3 Nf6 11.Qe3 d6 12.0-0-0 Qe7 13.Nf3 Nbd7 14.Be2 0-0-0 15.Nh4 Nb6 16.g4 d5 17.Be5 Nbd7 18.exd5 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Nxd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Nf3 Rhe8 22.Bd3 Kb8 23.Rhe1 c5 24.Bf5 Qc7 25.g5 hxg5 26.Qxg5 Bh8 27.h6 d4 28.Be4 Bc8 29.Bf5 Bb7 30.Be4 Bc8 31.h7 Be6 32.Qd2 Bg4 33.Qg2 f5 34.Bd3 Qxh7 35.Kb1 Qb7 36.Be2 Bxe5 37.Qf2 Bc7 38.Ng1 Qd5 39.Bf3 Qd6 40.Rxe8 Rxe8 41.Re1 Rxe1+ 42.Qxe1 Qe5 43.Qh4 Qh2 44.Qe1 Ka7 45.Qd1 Qg3 46.Ka2 Qf4 47.Qe2 Bxf3 48.Nxf3 Qe4 49.Qg2 Kb6 50.Qg6+ Kb7 51.Ng5 Qe5 52.Qf7 f4 53.Nf3 Qd6 54.Qf5 Kc6 55.Kb1 Qd5 56.Qd3 Bd6 57.a4 Qe6 58.b4 Qe3 59.axb5+ axb5 60.Qd1 Qc3 61.bxc5 Qb4+ 62.Ka2 Bxc5 63.Ne5+ Kc7 64.Nd3 Qc4+ 65.Kb1 Bd6 66.Qf3 Qc6 67.Qf2 Qe4 68.Qh4 Qf5 69.Qf2 Qe4 70.Qh4 b4 71.Kb2 Kc6 72.Qg4 Kc7 73.Qg7+ Kd8 74.Qg4 Kc7 75.Qg7+ Kc8 76.Qg4+ Kb8 77.Qg8+ Ka7 78.Qg7+ Kb6 79.Qf6 Kc7 80.Qg7+ Kc6 81.Qa7 Qe3 82.Qa6+ Kd7 83.Qb5+ Kd8 84.Qg5+ Qe7 85.Qd5 Ke8 86.Qg8+ Kd7 87.Qd5 Ke8 88.Qg8+ Qf8 89.Qg6+ Kd7 90.Qg4+ Kc7 91.Qg1 Qf6 92.Qg8 f3 93.Qc4+ Kd8 94.Qg8+ Ke7 95.Qh7+ Kf8 96.Qd7 f2 97.Nxf2 d3+ 98.Ka2 d2 99.Qc8+ Kf7 100.Qd7+ Kg8 101.Qg4+ Kf8 102.Qc8+ Ke7 103.Qb7+ Ke6 104.Qe4+ Kf7 105.Qh7+ Kf8 106.Nd1 Be5 107.Qd3 Bc3 108.Ne3 Qe6+ 109.Nd5 Qe1 110.Qf5+ Ke8 111.Qc8+ Kf7 112.Qf5+ Kg7 113.Qg5+ Kf8 114.Qd8+ Qe8 115.Qd6+ Kf7 116.Qf4+ Kg7 117.Qg3+ Qg6 118.Qc7+ Qf7 119.Qg3+ Qg6 120.Qc7+ Kh6 121.Qh2+ Qh5 122.Qd6+ Kg7 123.Qe7+ Kh6 124.Qe3+ Qg5 125.Qh3+ Kg6 126.Qe6+ Kg7 127.Qd7+ Kh6 128.Qh3+ Kg6 129.Qe6+ Kh7 130.Qh3+ Qh6 131.Qf5+ Qg6 132.Qh3+ Kg7 133.Qd7+ Kh8 134.Qh3+ Kg7 135.Qd7+ Kh6 136.Qh3+ Qh5 137.Qe3+ Qg5 138.Qh3+ Kg6 139.Qe6+ Bf6
The right check. Queen and knight often form a strong attacking duo: 140.Ne7+? The wrong check. 140.Qe4+! holds, e. g. Qf5 140...Kg7 141.Qd3= 140...Kh6 141.Qd3= 141.Qg2+ Bg5 142.Ne7+= 140...Kg7 141.Nf5+
141.Qg8+ is met by Kh6 142.Qf8+ Bg7 143.Nf5+ Kh7 144.Nxg7 d1Q-+ 141...Qxf5 141...Qxf5 and White resigned as she will soon run out off checks after 142.Qxf5 d1Q 143.Qe4 Qd4 144.Qb7+ Kg6 145.Qg2+ Kf5 146.Qf3+ Qf4 147.Qd5+ Qe5 148.Qf3+ Ke6 149.Qc6+ Kf7 150.Qd7+ Qe7 151.Qd1 Qe6+ 152.Kb1 Qa6 153.Qd5+ Kg7 154.Qg2+ Kf8-+ 0–1

Extreme precision needed

Pure opposite-coloured bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency, and fortresses are the main defensive recourse. But even in these cases, precision in finding the correct king path is needed. As seen in the game between Anna Muzychuk and Alina Kashlinskaya. 

 
Muzychuk vs. Kashlinskaya

One might think it does not make much of a difference, but playing 36.Kg2 or 36.Kf1 can decide the fate of the game. Muzychuk chose the latter, and went on to draw the game, while placing her king on g2 would have given her a full point.

Find this game’s full analysis plus three more instructive endgames in the replayer below.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.h3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.c3 b6 9.Re1 Bb7 10.Bf1 Nbd7 11.d4 Re8 12.c4 c5 13.d5 b5 14.cxb5 Nxd5 15.Nbd2 N5f6 16.Nc4 d5 17.Ne3 Bf8 18.a4 d4 19.Nc4 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Qc7 21.Bg5 h6 22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Qd2 Nd5 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.Re1 Rxe1 26.Qxe1 Nb6 27.a5 Nxc4 28.Bxc4 Qd8 29.b6 d3 30.Qd2 axb6 31.a6 b5 32.Bxb5 c4 33.Bxc4 Bc5 34.Bxd3 Qg5+ 35.Qxg5 hxg5 The right king road. Pure opposite colored bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency and fortresses are the main topic. But sometimes they can be broken by a king invasion on the right road: 36.Kf1? The wrong king road. Now Black's fortress is impregnable. 36.Kg2 wins, e. g. Kf8 36...f6 37.b4 Bd4 38.f4 Kf7 39.fxg5 fxg5 40.Kg3 Kf6 41.b5 Ba7 42.f4+- 37.Kg3 Ke7 37...f6 38.b4 Bb6 39.f4 gxf4+ 40.Kxf4 Bxf2 41.Kf5 Kf7 42.Bc4+ Ke7 43.Kg6 Kf8 44.h4 Ba7 45.h5 Bf2 46.b5 Ba7 47.Bd3 Bb6 48.h6 gxh6 49.Kxf6 Ke8 50.Ke6+- 38.b4 Bd4 39.Kg4 f6 39...Kf6 40.f4 gxf4 41.Kxf4 Bxf2 42.Bf5 g6 43.Bg4 Ke7 44.Ke5 f5 45.Bxf5 gxf5 46.h4+- 40.Kf5 Bxf2 41.Kg6 Kf8 42.Be2 Bd4 43.Bd1 Ba7 44.f4 gxf4 45.h4 Bb6 46.h5 Ba7 47.b5 Bb6 48.h6 gxh6 49.Kxf6 Ke8 50.Ke6+- 36...Kf8 37.Ke2 Now 37.Kg2 can be met by Ke7 38.Kg3 Bd4 39.Kg4 f6 40.f4 gxf4 41.Kxf4 41.h4 Bxf2 42.Kf5 Bd4 43.Kg6 f5 44.Kxf5 Kd6 45.Kxf4= 41...Bxf2 42.Ke4 g5 43.Kd5 Kd7= 37...Ke7 38.Be4 Kd6 39.b4 Ba7 40.Bb7 Ke5 41.Bc6 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Muzychuk,A2534Kashlinskaya,A2482½–½2022C422.1
Djukic,S2138Osmak,Y24280–12022A141.11
Danielian,E2431Sukandar,I2401½–½2022D302.9
Thorsteinsdottir,H1959Hunt,H23590–12022B511.27

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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