Endgames from Miami (1)

by Karsten Müller
8/20/2022 – A field with well-established GMs and young stars is fighting it off in Miami at the FTX Crypto Cup. Our in-house expert Karsten Müller is following the games looking to find the most intriguing and instructive ending positions. Do not miss his on-point analyses! | Pictured: Praggnanandhaa in 2018 | Photo: Amruta Mokal
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The ever-relevant rook endgames

Pragg the technician

Despite being so young, Pragg is already a very strong endgame technician. In this ending against Anish Giri, he immediately chose a technical solution when he got a chance.

 
GiriGiri, Anish27600–1Praggnanandhaa R2648
GMFTX Crypto Cup MCCT 2022
Miami11.08.2022[Mueller,Karsten]		GM
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5 9.Nf3 Qc7 10.Be2 b6 11.Bb2 cxd4 12.cxd4 Ba6 13.0-0 Qb7 14.Re1 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Nbd7 16.e4 Rac8 17.h3 b5 18.Rad1 h6 19.Nh2 b4 20.axb4 Qxb4 21.Rd3 Rc2 22.Ba3 Rxe2 23.Bxb4 Rxe1+ 24.Bxe1 Nxe4 25.d5 Ndc5 26.Ra3 exd5 27.f3 Ng5 28.Rxa7 Rc8 29.Ra1 Nge6 30.Rd1 d4 31.Ng4 Rb8 32.Bg3 Rb3 33.Nf2 Na4 34.Kf1 Nc3 35.Ra1 Kh7 36.Bd6 Nd5 37.Kg1 Kg6 38.Re1 h5 39.Be5 Ne3 40.Ne4 h4 41.Nf2 Nc4 42.Bh2 d3 43.Ne4 d2 44.Rd1 Rd3 45.Kf1 f5 46.Nf2 Rd7 47.Ra1 Ne3+ 48.Ke2 Nd4+ 49.Kxd2 Nb3+ 50.Kxe3 Nxa1 51.Nd3 Nc2+ 52.Ke2 Nd4+ 53.Ke3 Nc2+ 54.Ke2 Kh5 55.Nf4+ Kh6 56.Nd3 Nd4+ 57.Ke3 Ne6 58.f4 Ra7 59.Bg1 Ra3 60.Ke2 Ra2+ 61.Kf3 Kh5 62.Be3 Ra3 63.Ke2 Rb3 64.Ne5 Rb4 65.Nd3 Ra4 66.Kf3 Nc7 67.Bd2 Nd5 68.Ke2 Ra2 69.Ke1 Nf6 70.Nf2 Ne4 71.Nxe4 fxe4 72.f5 Rb2 73.Ke2
Pragg's technique. Despite his youth Pragg is already a very strong endgame technician: 73...Rb5 The technical solution. 73...Rxd2+ wins as well, e.g. 74.Kxd2 Kg5 75.Ke3 Kxf5 and Black can use the technique of the semi-stalemate: 76.Kf2 Kf4 77.Ke2 e3 78.Kd3 g6 79.Ke2 Ke4 80.Ke1 Kd3 81.Kd1 e2+ 82.Ke1 Ke3 83.g3 hxg3 84.h4 g2 85.h5 g1Q# 74.Bc3 Rxf5 75.Bxg7 Rg5 76.Bd4 76.g4+ hxg3 77.Bd4 g2 78.Bg1 Kh4-+ 76...Rxg2+ 77.Ke3 Rg3+ 78.Kxe4 Rxh3 79.Kf4 Rb3 80.Bf2 80.Be5 h3 However not 80...Rb4+?! 81.Kf3 Rb3+? 81...Rg4-+ 82.Kg2 Kg4 83.Bd6 Rb2+ 84.Kg1= and White has a fortress. 81.Ke4 Kg4-+ 80...h3 81.Bg1 81.Bg3 Rb2 82.Kf3 h2-+ 81...Rb2! The final point. 81...Rb2! 82.Kg3 Rg2+ 83.Kxh3 Rxg1-+ 0–1

Aronian fails to find a win amid a pawn race

Rook endings have a large drawish tendency, but races are different, as demonstrated by this position seen in a game between Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Levon Aronian.

 
DudaDuda, Jan-Krzysztof2750½–½Aronian, Levon2775Aronian
GMFTX Crypto Cup MCCT 2022
Miami11.08.2022[Mueller,Karsten]		GM
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Nd7 7.0-0 Be7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxd4 Nb8 10.Qf3 c5 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.Qxf5 Qd7 13.Qh5 Nc6 14.c3 0-0 15.Nd2 f6 16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Nb3 c4 18.Nc5 Qf7 19.Qxf7+ Rxf7 20.Rd1 d4 21.Ne4 Be5 22.f4 Bxf4 23.cxd4 Re8 24.Re1 Rd8 25.Ng5 Bxg5 26.Bxg5 Rxd4 27.Rac1 h6 28.Be3 Re4 29.Bd2 Rfe7 30.Rxe4 Rxe4 31.Bc3 Nd4 32.Bxd4 Rxd4 33.b3 Kf7 34.Kf2 Ke6 35.Ke3 Rg4 36.Kf3 Rd4 37.Ke3 Kd5 38.Rf1 cxb3 39.axb3 Rb4 40.Rf7 Rxb3+ 41.Kf2 Rb2+ 42.Kf3 Kc6 43.Rxg7 a5 44.Rg6+
Race of the passed pawns. Rook endings have a large drawish tendency, but races are different: 44...Kb7? This retreat is too passive. The active 44...Kb5! wins, e.g. 45.Rxh6 a4 46.Rh7 Rc2 47.Rh8 a3 48.Ra8 a2 49.h4 Kb4 50.h5 Rc3+ 51.Kg4 Ra3-+ 45.Rxh6 a4 45...Rb6 46.Rxb6+ cxb6 47.Ke2= 46.Rh4 Rb3+ 47.Kf2 a3 48.Ra4 Rb2+ 49.Kf3 a2 50.h4 c5 51.h5 Rb3+ 52.Kf2 Rb2+ 53.Kf3 Rb3+ Aronian now forces a draw. 53...c4 54.h6 c3? 55.h7+- 54.Kf2 54.Kf4?? Rb4+-+ 54...Rb2+ 55.Kg3 55.Kg1?? Rb1+-+ 55...Rb3+ 56.Kf2 ½–½

Le’s missed chance

Le Quang Liem had two extra pawns in a rook endgame against Aronian, but in this particular setup, precision is needed until the very end. How would you continue with White here?

 
Le vs. Aronian

The winning idea was 73.Ra8, improving the rook. Le’s 73.Kc5 gave Black a key tempo, and Aronian found the one reply that held the draw: 73...Rc2+

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

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bf4 c6 7.Qc2 Nh5 8.Bd2 Nhf6 9.Bf4 Nh5 10.Bg5 Be7 11.h4 Nb6 12.0-0-0 h6 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Ne5 Nf6 15.e3 Ng4 16.Nf3 Be6 17.Bd3 0-0-0 18.Kb1 Kb8 19.h5 Rc8 20.Qe2 Nf6 21.Ne5 c5 22.Bc2 Rhe8 23.f4 Ne4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.d5 Bd7 26.d6 Qe6 27.Nxe4 Qf5 28.Qc2 Ba4 29.b3 Bc6 30.Ng3 Qxc2+ 31.Kxc2 c4 32.Kb2 c3+ 33.Kc2 Rxe5 34.fxe5 Nd7 35.Rh4 Nxe5 36.Nf5 Bxg2 37.d7 Rd8 38.Nxg7 Bc6 39.Nf5 Bxd7 40.Nxh6 Kc7 41.Rf4 f5 42.Nxf5 Rh8 43.h6 Bxf5+ 44.Rxf5 Ng4 45.Rd3 Rxh6 46.Rxc3+ Kb6 47.Rf4 Rh2+ 48.Kb1 Rh1+ 49.Kb2 Rh2+ 50.Ka3 Ne5 51.Rf6+ Nc6 52.b4 a5 53.bxa5+ Kxa5 54.Rf5+ Ka6 55.Rb3 Re2 56.Rf8 Ka7 57.Rf4 Ka6 58.Ra4+ Na5 59.Kb4 b6 60.Rba3 Kb7 61.Kb5 Rc2 62.Rxa5 bxa5 63.Kxa5 Kc6 64.Kb4 Kd5 65.Ra8 Re2 66.Ra3 Ke4 67.Ra7 Kd5 68.Ra3 Ke4 69.Kc4 Rc2+ 70.Kb3 Rh2 71.Kc4 Rc2+ 72.Kb4 Rh2 Aronian's activity. Rook endings should usually be defended actively: 73.Kc5? The king has no aim. Improving the rook with 73.Ra8 wins, e.g. Kxe3 74.a4 Kd4 75.Rd8+ Ke5 76.a5 Ra2 77.Kb5 Rb2+ 78.Kc6 Rc2+ 79.Kb6 Rb2+ 80.Ka7 Ke6 81.a6 Ke7 82.Rb8 Ra2 83.Kb7 Rb2+ 84.Ka8 Ra2 85.a7 Kd6 Now a typical win worth knowing follows: 86.Kb7 Rb2+ 87.Kc8 Rc2+ 88.Kd8 Rh2 89.Rb6+ Kc5 90.Rc6+ Kxc6 90...Kb5 91.Rc8+- 90...Kd5 91.Ra6 Rh8+ 92.Kc7+- 91.a8Q+ Kc5 92.Qc8+ Kd4 93.Qg4+ Kd5 94.Qf5+ Kc6 95.Qe6+ Kb7 96.Qc8+ Ka7 97.Qc7+ Ka8 98.Qxh2 73...Rc2+! The only move. 74.Kd6 74.Kb4 Kd5! Again the only move. 75.Rd3+ Ke4 76.Ra3 Kd5 77.Ra8 Re2! 78.a4 Rxe3 79.a5 Kc6= 74...Rd2+ 75.Ke6 Rh2 76.Kd7 Rd2+ 77.Kc6 Rc2+ 78.Kb7 Rb2+ 79.Ka8 Kf3 80.Ka7 Ke4 81.Ra6 Kxe3 82.a4 Kd4 83.Rh6 Kc5 84.a5 Rg2 85.Rb6 Rg7+ 86.Rb7 Rg5 87.Rb8 Kc6 88.a6 Rg7+ 89.Ka8 Rg1 90.Rh8 Kc7 91.Ka7 Rg7 92.Rh6 Re7 93.Rb6 Re1 94.Rb7+ Kc6 95.Rb2 Re7+ 96.Rb7 Re1 97.Rb6+ Kc7 98.Rb3 Rc1 99.Rb7+ Kc8 100.Ka8 Rc6 101.a7 Rc1 A standard book draw has arisen. 102.Rb8+ Kc7 103.Rh8 Rc2 104.Rh7+ Kc8 105.Rh4 Rc1 106.Rb4 Rc2 107.Rb8+ Kc7 108.Rb3 Rc1 109.Rc3+ Le's final joke. Rxc3 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Le,Q2722Aronian,L2775½–½2022D351.2
Firouzja,A2793Praggnanandhaa R26481–02022B31FTX Crypto Cup MCCT 20221.2
Praggnanandhaa R2648Giri,A2760½–½2022C772.3
Praggnanandhaa R2648Firouzja,A27931–02022C411.3

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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