Endgames from Madrid (3)

by Karsten Müller
6/29/2022 – 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
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Open roads / blockades

Sometimes it is all about creating pathways for your pieces, or impenetrable blockades which will fully paralyse the opponent.

In round 7, Teimour Radjabov temporarily stabilized his position in the centre, but by doing so, he created an open road for Fabiano Caruana’s king to infiltrate later on.

 
Caruana vs. Radjabov - Round 7

Radjabov’s 29...f6 turned out to be a lasting weakening move. Caruana’s king marched on and decisively reached the g6-square eight moves later.

If the defensive side does not create a road for the opponent, the player with the advantage first needs to neutralize the defender’s counterchances. In the following position, Hikaru Nakamura fully blockaded Caruana’s play before making the final steps towards victory.

 
Nakamura vs. Caruana - Round 8

67.Ng2 creates an impenetrable blockade around Black’s chances to queen his e-pawn. White went on to win the game.

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

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,170,31954%2421---
1.d4949,86755%2434---
1.Nf3282,62856%2440---
1.c4182,73156%2442---
1.g319,74556%2427---
1.b314,34754%2427---
1.f45,91748%2377---
1.Nc33,81651%2384---
1.b41,75948%2379---
1.a31,22254%2404---
1.e31,07349%2409---
1.d395550%2378---
1.g466646%2361---
1.h444953%2374---
1.c343551%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411460%2465---
1.f39346%2435---
1.Nh39066%2505---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e5 6.Nf5 d5 7.cxd5 Bxf5 8.exf5 Nd4 9.Bd3 Qxd5 10.Nc3 Qd7 11.0-0 Nf6 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Re1 0-0-0 14.Rxe5 Nc6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Rd5 Qe7 17.Bc4 Kb8 18.Qd3 Qb4 19.Bb3 Nd4 20.Qc4 Qxc4 21.Bxc4 Rc8 22.Bd3 Nc6 23.Be4 Rhe8 24.f3 Re7 25.Rad1 h6 26.Kf2 Rcc7 27.R5d2 Bxc3 28.bxc3 Ne5 29.Rc1 Caruana's king road. The activity of the king is often very important in an endgame: f6? This opens a road for Caruana's king. 29...Ng4+ 30.Kg3 Nf6 should be defendable. 30.Kg3 Ka7 31.Rd4 Rc5 32.Kh4 Rec7 33.Kh5 Caruana's king just marches on. b5 34.f4 Nd7 35.Rcd1 35.Bd5!?+- 35...Nb6 36.R1d3 Na4 37.Kg6 Caruana gives both queenside pawns, as his play on the kingside is quicker. Nxc3 38.Bf3 Nxa2 39.Rd7 Nc3 40.Kxg7 b4 41.Kxf6 b3 42.Rd2! a5 43.Ke6 Rxd7 44.Rxd7+ Ka6 45.f6 b2 46.f7 b1Q 47.f8Q Now the fourth phase of the game has arisen. White's king is surprisingly safe. Qg6+ 48.Qf6 48.Ke7 Kb5 49.Qh8+- wins as well. 48...Qe8+ 48...Qxf6+ does not defend due to 49.Kxf6 a4 50.f5 a3 51.Rd2 a2 52.Rxa2+ Nxa2 53.Kg6 h5 54.f6 h4 55.f7 Rc8 56.Kg7 Rc7 57.Kg8 Rxf7 58.Kxf7+- 49.Kd6 Rc4 50.Rc7 50.Ra7+!? is a win in the fourth phase, e.g. Kxa7 50...Kb6 51.Rb7+ Ka6 52.Rb3+- 51.Qg7++- 50...Kb5 51.Qe5+ Qxe5+ 52.fxe5 Now White's e-pawn decides the day: Rxc7 52...Rd4+ 53.Ke7 Nd5+ 54.Bxd5 Rxd5 55.e6 a4 56.Kf6 Rd2 57.e7 Rf2+ 58.Ke6 Re2+ 59.Kd7 Rd2+ 60.Kc8 Re2 61.Kd8 Rd2+ 62.Rd7+- 53.Kxc7 White's bishop is much stronger than the knight in this race: Kc5 53...a4 54.e6 a3 55.e7 a2 56.e8Q++- 54.e6 Nb5+ 54...a4 55.e7 a3 56.e8Q a2 57.Qe1 Nb1 58.Qf2++- 55.Kd7 a4 56.e7 56.e7 Nd6 57.Bd1 a3 58.Bb3 h5 59.e8Q Nxe8 60.Kxe8 Kb4 61.Ba2 Kc3 62.Kf7+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2786Radjabov,T27531–02022B287.4
Nakamura,H2760Caruana,F27861–02022C828.3
Ding,L2806Duda,J27501–02022A139.4
Radjabov,T2753Nakamura,H27601–02022C659.2

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.
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