Endgames from Madrid (1)

by Karsten Müller
6/19/2022 – Eight of the strongest players in the world are fighting in Madrid to get a shot in the next match for the world crown. Deep opening preparation and maximum focus often lead to slightly better (or worse) endgames. GM Karsten Müller aims his attention at the last stage of the game, as he compiles the most salient and instructive endings from the Candidates Tournament. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally.
FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before. 

Small details

Jan-Krzysztof Duda had a better structure and more active pieces in his first-round game against Richard Rapport. But how to make progress here? Where should the light-squared bishop go to maximize the pressure?

 

The Polish grandmaster went for 22.Be2 instead of 22.Bb3, which would have given him better winning chances going forward.

In the only decisive game from round 2, Hikaru Nakamura beat Teimour Radjabov after making the most of his extra pawn in a double-edged endgame.

 

It turns out that Black’s counterplay here is just enough for a draw! But here Radjabov needed to play 61...Rb1 instead of 61...Rc1.

Find analyses for these two positions and two more endgames in the replayer below.

 

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.

Links

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.