Hiding away

by Karsten Müller
6/3/2025 – In the diagram position White has dangerous passed pawns but has to find a way to overcome Black's resistance. What should she do?
Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Bd3 h6 9.Bh4 dxc4 10.Bxc4 b5 11.Be2 a6 12.Rd1 Qa5 13.0-0 b4 14.Na4 Bb7 15.Nd2 Nd5 16.Nc4 Qd8 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.Nc5 Nxc5 19.dxc5 Qc7 20.g3 a5 21.Nb6 Rad8 22.e4 Nc8 23.Na4 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rd8 25.Rd2 Kf8 26.Qd1 Ke7 27.Rxd8 Qxd8 28.Qxd8+ Kxd8 29.f4 f6 30.Kf2 e5 31.Ke3 Ne7 32.Nb6 Nc8 33.Nc4 exf4+ 34.gxf4 a4 35.Na5 Kc7 36.Bd1 a3 37.bxa3 bxa3 38.Nc4 f5 39.e5 Ne7 40.Bf3 g5 41.Nxa3 Bc8 42.Nc2 Ng6 43.fxg5 hxg5 44.Kd4 g4 45.Be2 f4 46.Ke4 g3 47.hxg3 fxg3 48.Ne3 Be6 49.a4 Nh4 50.Bf1 g2 51.Bxg2 Nxg2 52.Nxg2 Bd5+ 53.Kf5 Bxg2 54.Ke6 Bd5+ 55.Ke7 Bb3 56.e6 Kc8 57.Kd6 Kd8 58.a5 Bc4 Hiding away In the diagram position White has dangerous passed pawns but has to find a way to overcome Black's resistance. What should she do?
White to move and win
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Savina,A2331Gaboyan,S22001–02025D61European Womens-ch 20253.21

Karsten Mueller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

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Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Mueller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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Norway Chess Women: Ju grabs the sole lead >>
Topics: ChessBase Magazine, Endgame, Karsten Mueller
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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See also

Precision required

5/20/2025 – Pawn endings are often tricky and require precise calculation. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?
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See also

The power of passed pawns

5/13/2025 – In the diagram position it is Black to move - how should he parry White's check and how should he use his pawns to defeat White's bishop?
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Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.

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