Endgames from Madrid (5)

by Karsten Müller
7/8/2022 – Eight of the strongest players in the world fought in Madrid to get a shot in the next match for the world crown — Ian Nepomniachtchi (pictured) was the winner. Deep opening preparation and maximum focus often led 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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Counterattacks

A forgettable second half of the Candidates for Fabiano Caruana saw him losing four out of seven games in the final rounds of the event. On the last day of action, he lost to Alireza Firouzja. In the following position, Caruana is a pawn down and played 54.Nd2, when a more active, counterattacking alternative would have given him better prospects going forward.

 
Caruana vs. Firouzja - Round 14

Better was 54.Rg4, when after 54...a4, White has 55.c4+ Kc6 56.Rg6+ Kb7 57.Rxg7+ Ka6 58.Nc1, and Black’s initiative has been neutralized.

Also in the final round, the winner of the event, Ian Nepomniachtchi, did find the most precise way to hold a draw against Jan-Krzysztof Duda by choosing to counterattack instead of defending passively.

 
Duda vs. Nepomniachtchi - Round 14

Defending the pawn with 33.f4 is not a mistake, but Nepo’s 33.Nd6 is more effective and forced. White should not fear 33...c3 since the king is in time to help in defence via 34.Ke2. Duda went for 33...Bxe5 and the game was drawn not long after.

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

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Nd7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc4 f6 9.Kh1 Rf7 10.Nh4 Bf8 11.Nf5 Nc5 12.Qh5 Be6 13.b3 Qd7 14.Be3 Kh8 15.Nh4 Kg8 16.Qe2 Re8 17.a4 b6 18.Rg1 a5 19.Nd2 f5 20.exf5 Bxf5 21.Nxf5 Qxf5 22.Bxc5 Bxc5 23.Ne4 Bb4 24.Rgf1 Qg6 25.Rad1 h5 26.g3 Ref8 27.d4 exd4 28.Rxd4 h4 29.gxh4 Rf4 30.Qc4+ Kh8 31.Ng5 b5 32.Qd3 Qxd3 33.Rxd3 bxa4 34.bxa4 Bd6 35.Rc3 Rxa4 36.Rxc6 Rxh4 37.f4 Rhxf4 38.Rxf4 Bxf4 39.Ne4 Ra8 40.Rc4 Be5 41.Ra4 Kg8 42.Kg2 Kf7 43.Nd2 Bc3 44.Ne4 Bb4 45.Kf3 Ke6 46.c3 Be7 47.Ke3 c6 48.h3 Bd8 49.Nc5+ Kf5 50.Nb3 Bb6+ 51.Kf3 Ke5 52.h4 Kd5 53.h5 c5 Firouzja's king and Caruana's counterattack. The duel knight against bishop can be very deep: 54.Nd2?! This retreat is a bit passive. The counterattack 54.Rg4! is more precise, e.g. a4 55.c4+ Kc6 56.Rg6+ Kb7 57.Rxg7+ Ka6 58.Nc1= 54...Bc7?! White should also be able to defend after 54...Rh8!? 55.Kg4 but matters are not completely clear and more analysis is needed. 55.Ke2 Rh8 56.Rg4 Rxh5 57.Rxg7 Kc6 Against 57...Be5 White defends with 58.Rd7+ Kc6 59.Rd3 Kb5 60.Rf3 c4 61.Kd1 a4 62.Rf8 62.Nb1? Bd6-+ 62...a3 63.Ra8 Rh1+ 64.Kc2 Rh2 65.Kd1 Bd6 66.Nf3 Rh1+ 67.Kc2 Bc5 68.Nd4+= 58.Kd3 58.Nc4!?= 58...Be5 58...Rh3+ 59.Kc2 Rxc3+ is met by 60.Kxc3 Be5+ 61.Kc4 Bxg7 62.Nb3= 59.Rf7 a4 60.Ne4? This pseudo-active move runs into a mighty blow. The passive 60.Nb1 defends, e.g. Rh3+ 61.Kc2 c4 61...a3 62.Kb3= 62.Ra7 Rh2+ 63.Kd1 Ra2 64.Ra8= 60...Rh3+! and sooner or later ...Kd5 will follow and White will lose defensive coordination. 61.Kd2 61.Kc4 is met by Rh4 62.Kd3 c4+ 63.Ke3 Rh3+ 64.Kd2 a3 65.Ra7 Kd5 66.Nf2 Bf4+ 67.Ke2 Re3+ 68.Kf1 Rxc3-+ 61...Kd5 62.Nf2 Rxc3 63.Rf5 Rg3 63...Rg3 64.Rf7 Rg2 65.Kc1 Bd4 66.Nd1 a3 67.Ra7 a2-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2786Firouzja,A28040–12022C65FIDE Candidates Tournament 202214.2
Duda,J2750Nepomniachtchi,I2773½–½2022C43FIDE Candidates Tournament 202214.4
Ding,L2806Nakamura,H27601–02022D40FIDE Candidates Tournament 202214.3
Nakamura,H2760Duda,J27501–02022B9013.2

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.

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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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