Endgames from Miami (2)

by Karsten Müller
8/21/2022 – 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: Anish Giri | Photo: Amruta Mokal

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Counterplay and coordination

Giri finds the draw

In a knight versus bishop (plus an extra pawn) endgame, Anish Giri found counterplay at every turn to save a draw against Alireza Firouzja. Very instructive!

 
Giri, Anish2760½–½Firouzja, Alireza2793
FTX Crypto Cup MCCT 2022
Miami11.08.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 c3 10.bxc3 0-0 11.c4 Rd8 12.Bb2 Bd7 13.Nb3 Be7 14.Nfd4 Rac8 15.Nb5 b6 16.Nd6 Rc7 17.Ba3 Ne5 18.Nb5 Bxb5 19.Rxd8+ Bxd8 20.cxb5 Nc4 21.Rd1 Rd7 22.Rxd7 Nxd7 23.Bb4 Bf6 24.e3 Bb2 25.Bf1 Nce5 26.f4 Ng4 27.e4 Ngf6 28.Bd3 e5 29.Kg2 h6 30.f5 g6 31.fxg6 fxg6 32.Kf3 Kf7 33.Bc4+ Ke8 34.a4 g5 35.h3 Kd8 36.Be6 Bd4 37.Bf5 Bc5 38.Bd2 Bf8 39.h4 gxh4 40.gxh4 Ne8 41.Bc3 Bg7 42.Bb4 Bf6 43.Kg4 Ng7 44.h5 Be7 45.Bxd7 Bxb4 46.Bf5 Ne8 47.Kf3 Ke7 48.Nc1 Nd6 49.Nd3 Bc3 50.Bg6 Kf6 51.Kg4 Nc4 52.Kf3 Kg5 53.Kg3 Ne3 54.Kf3 Ng4 55.Nf2 Nf6 56.Nh3+ Kh4 57.Nf2 Nxh5 58.Bxh5 Kxh5
Counterplay counts. The duel bishop against knight can be deep: 59.Ng4! The right knight road. On the other hand 59.Nd3? ends in a knightmare: Kh4 60.Nf2 h5 61.Nh1 Be1 62.Ke2 Bb4 63.Kf3 Kh3 64.Nf2+ Kh2 65.Nd3 Bc3 66.Nf2 Bd4 67.Nd3 h4 68.Ne1 h3 69.Kg4 Bf2 70.Nd3 Kg2 59...Kg5 60.Ne3 Bd4 61.Nc4 h5 62.Nd6! Counterplay counts again. The passive 62.Kg3? runs into h4+ 63.Kf3 h3 64.Kg3 h2 65.Kxh2 Kf4 66.Nd6 Bc5 67.Nc8 Kxe4 68.Nxa7 Kd3 69.Nc6 e4 70.a5 bxa5 71.Nxa5 e3 72.Nb3 Bb6 73.Kg2 Kc2 74.Na1+ Kd1-+ 62...h4 63.Nc8 h3 64.Nxa7 h2 65.Kg2 Kf4 66.Nc6 Kxe4 66...Bg1 67.a5 bxa5 68.Nxa5 Kxe4 69.Nc4 Kd5 70.Nxe5 Kxe5 71.Kh1= 67.a5 bxa5 68.Nxa5 Kd5 68...Kd3 69.Nc6 e4 70.Nxd4= 69.Nc6 Kc5 69...e4 70.Nxd4 Kxd4 71.b6 e3 72.b7 e2 73.b8Q= 70.Kxh2 Kxb5 71.Nxe5 Bxe5+ ½–½

Checks from all directions

In rook endgames, f and h-pawns can be problematic. Alireza Firouzja could have held a draw with black in the game shown below, but failed to find the correct manoeuvre and ended up losing against Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

 
Duda, Jan-Krzysztof27501–0Firouzja, Alireza2793
FTX Crypto Cup MCCT 2022
Miami11.08.2022[Mueller,Karsten]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5 8.e3 Nc6 9.Qd3 Be6 10.Be2 Bd6 11.0-0 0-0 12.b3 Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Bb2 Rc8 15.Rac1 Ne4 16.f4 Bxc3 17.Bxc3 Bf5 18.Qd4 Nxc3 19.Rxc3 Rxc3 20.Qxc3 Qb6 21.Rc1 h6 22.Qe5 Bd7 23.Rc3 Bc6 24.Kf2 Re8 25.Qd6 Rd8 26.Qc5 Qxc5 27.Rxc5 d4 28.Bf3 dxe3+ 29.Kxe3 Bxf3 30.gxf3 Kf8 31.Ra5 a6 32.Rc5 Ke7 33.a4 Rd6 34.Rc7+ Rd7 35.Rc4 Rd1 36.Rb4 Rd7 37.f5 Rc7 38.Kf4 Rd7 39.Ke5 f6+ 40.Kf4 Kf7 41.Kg4 Rc7 42.Kh5 Rd7 43.Rb6 Rc7 44.h3 Rd7 45.b4 Rc7 46.Rd6 Re7 47.f4 Rc7 48.Rd4 Re7 49.Rc4 b5 50.axb5 axb5 51.Rc5 Re3 52.h4 Kg8 53.Kg4 Rb3 54.Rxb5 Kf7 55.Rb7+ Kg8 56.Rb8+ Kf7 57.b5 Ke7 58.Kh5 Kf7 59.b6 Rb1 60.Rc8 Rxb6 61.Rc7+ Kf8 62.Kg6 Rb4 63.Rf7+ Ke8 64.h5 Rxf4 65.Rxg7 Kf8 66.Ra7 Rb4 67.Ra6 Rg4+ 68.Kxf6 Kg8 69.Ke7 Re4+ 70.Re6 Ra4 71.Rxh6 Ra7+ 72.Kf6
Checks from all directions. Surprisingly rook and h- and f-pawns usually only draw, if the defender is well placed: 72...Ra6+? Now Black has no check in the next move. 72...Ra1 73.Rg6+ Kh7!= draws. 73.Kg5 Ra1 73...Ra7 74.Re6 Rb7 75.Re5 Rb1 76.Kg6 Rg1+ 77.Kf6 Ra1 78.Re8+ Kh7 79.Kf7 Ra7+ 80.Re7 Ra8 81.f6 Kh6 82.Re6 Rb8 83.Ke7 Rb7+ 84.Kf8 Rb8+ 85.Re8 Rb7 86.Kg8 Kxh5 87.f7+- 74.Rb6 Rg1+ 75.Kf6 Rh1 76.Rb7 When the defender is cut off on the last rank, the attacker usually wins and this is no exception. Rh2 76...Rxh5?! 77.Kg6+- 77.Rg7+ Kh8 78.Rg5 Kh7 79.Rg7+ Kh6 80.Rg8 Kh7 81.Re8 Rxh5 81...Rf2 82.Re5 Ra2 83.Kf7 Ra7+ 84.Re7 Ra8 85.f6 Rb8 86.Ke6+ Kh6 87.f7 Kg7 88.h6+ Kxh6 89.Re8+- 82.Ke6 Rh1 83.f6 Re1+ 84.Kd7 Rd1+ 84...Rf1 85.Ke7 Kg6 86.Rg8+ Kh7 87.f7+- 85.Ke7 Re1+ 86.Kf8 Rf1 87.f7 Ra1 87...Kg6 88.Re6+ Kh7 89.Ke8 Kg7 90.Re7+- 88.Ke7 1–0

Magnus’ mighty pawns

The world champion showed excellent technique to coordinate his army and defeat Levon Aronian. Impressive stuff.

 
Aronian vs. Carlsen

After 52...g5, Black needed fifteen more moves to take down his opponent.

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

 
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1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Be7 4.h3 b5 5.e3 a6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.Bd3 c5 8.c3 Nc6 9.e4 d6 10.Be3 0-0 11.0-0 Rc8 12.dxc5 dxc5 13.Qe2 Qc7 14.a4 c4 15.Bc2 Rfd8 16.Rfd1 h6 17.axb5 axb5 18.b3 cxb3 19.Bxb3 b4 20.cxb4 Nxb4 21.Nd4 Qe5 22.f4 Qb8 23.Nxe6 fxe6 24.Bxe6+ Kh8 25.Bxc8 Rxc8 26.Ra7 Bc5 27.Bxc5 Rxc5 28.Rda1 Nc6 29.Qe3 Rc2 30.R7a4 Qd8 31.Nf3 Ne7 32.Qb3 Qc7 33.Nd4 Rc1+ 34.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 35.Kh2 Qxf4+ 36.Qg3 Qxe4 37.Rb4 Bd5 38.Qf2 Ng6 39.Nc2 Qe7 40.Rd4 Be4 41.Ne1 Qe5+ 42.Kg1 Nf4 43.Rb4 Kh7 44.Rb3 N6d5 45.Nf3 Qc7 46.Qb2 Qc5+ 47.Kh2 Ne3 48.Qd4 Nf1+ 49.Kh1 Qxd4 50.Nxd4 Bxg2+ 51.Kg1 Bxh3 52.Rf3 Magnus' mighty pawns. Connected passed pawns are usually very dangerous in an endgame: g5! 53.Ra3 Kg6 54.Nf3 Ng3 55.Kh2 Nf5 56.Ra6+ Kh5 57.Ne5 57.Ra5 Bg4 58.Ne5 Bd1 59.Ra1 Bb3 60.Ra5 g4-+ 57...g4 58.Ra3 Bf1!? Same care is required due to the reduced winning potential. Of course not 58...g3+? 59.Rxg3 Nxg3 60.Kxg3 Kg5 61.Nf7+ Kg6 62.Nxh6 Kxh6 63.Kxf4= 59.Ra4 g3+ 60.Kg1 Nd3! The only winning move. 61.Nd7 61.Nxd3 Bxd3 62.Ra3 Be4 63.Ra4 Bf3 64.Ra5 Kg4-+ and sooner or later the h-pawn will march down the board in full glory. 61...Bh3 62.Nf6+ Kg6 63.Ne4 Nf4 64.Ra6+ Kh5 65.Nf6+ Kh4 66.Ra4 Kg5! 67.Ne4+ Kg4 68.Nc3 Nh4 68...Nh4 69.Ra2 Nf3+ 70.Kh1 g2+ 71.Rxg2+ Bxg2# 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2775Carlsen,M28640–12022A463.1
Niemann,H2688Praggnanandhaa R26481–02022B303.1
Giri,A2760Niemann,H26880–12022E174.3

Magical Chess Endgames Vol. 1 & 2 + The magic of chess tactics

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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