Nakamura's King
In pure opposite colored bishop endings positional considerations are often
more important than material:
[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.12"] [Round
"2.6"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Cori T., Deysi"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO
"D85"] [WhiteElo "2772"] [BlackElo "2434"] [Annotator "Müller"] [PlyCount "175"]
[EventDate "2013.08.11"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3
6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Qa4+ Nd7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Rc1 e5 10. Nf3 c6 11. Be2 exd4 12. cxd4
Nf6 13. Nd2 Re8 14. Bd3 Ng4 15. O-O Be6 16. Nf3 Nxe3 17. fxe3 a5 18. Qc2 Kh8
19. h4 f6 20. Qf2 Bg4 21. Qg3 Qd7 22. a4 f5 23. Ng5 h6 24. Nf7+ Qxf7 25. Qxg4
Qb3 26. Qe2 Qxa4 27. e5 Rad8 28. Bc4 Rf8 29. h5 g5 30. Bd3 Qa3 31. Rcd1 Qe7
32. Rxf5 Rxf5 33. Bxf5 c5 34. Bc2 a4 35. Qf3 cxd4 36. exd4 b5 37. Qe4 Bf8 38.
d5 b4 39. d6 Qa7+ 40. Kh1 b3 41. Bd3 a3 42. Qf5 Qg7 43. Bc4 a2 44. Bxb3 Bxd6
45. Bxa2 Rf8 46. Qe6 Bxe5 47. Bb1 Qf6 48. Qxf6+ Rxf6 49. g4 Rd6 50. Re1 Kg7
51. Kg2 Kf6 52. Rc1 Rb6 53. Bd3 Bf4 54. Rc5 Rd6 55. Bf5 Be3 56. Rc7 Bb6 57.
Rb7 Ke5 58. Kf3 Kd4 59. Re7 Rc6 60. Ke2 Bc5 61. Re4+ Kd5 62. Re8 Ra6 63. Rd8+
Ke5 64. Rc8 Kd4 65. Re8 Ra2+ 66. Kd1 Ra6 67. Bg6 Kc3 68. Ke2 Ra2+ 69. Kf3 Ra4
70. Be4 Ra3 71. Bf5 Kd4+ 72. Ke2 Ra6 73. Rh8 Ke5 74. Kd3 Kf4 75. Kc4 Ba3 76.
Re8 Kf3 77. Kd5 Bb2 78. Re6 Rxe6 79. Kxe6 Kf4 80. Kf7 Ke5 81. Kg7 {Nakamura's
King In pure opposite colored bishop endings positional considerations are often
more important than material:} Ba3 $2 {The bishop shall not leave the long diagonal.}
({Waiting with} 81... Bc3 { draws:} 82. Kxh6 Kf6 83. Bg6 Ke7 $1 {The pawn g5
is not needed for the defense. } 84. Kxg5 (84. Kh7 Kf8 $11) 84... Bd2+ 85. Kf5
Kf8 86. g5 Kg7 87. h6+ Kf8 88. Kg4 Bc1 89. Kh5 Bd2 90. Bf5 Bc1 91. g6 Bb2 92.
g7+ Bxg7 93. hxg7+ Kxg7 $11) ( 81... Kd6+ 82. Kxh6 Ke7 {is playable as well.})
82. Kxh6 Kf6 83. Bg6 Bb2 (83... Ke7 84. Kg7 {Invading with the king is more
important than the pawn.} (84. Kxg5 $2 Bc1+ 85. Kf5 Kf8 86. g5 Kg7 87. h6+ Kf8
88. Kg4 Bd2 89. Kh5 Bc1 90. Bf5 Bd2 91. g6 Bc3 $11) 84... Bb2+ 85. Kg8 $18)
84. Kh7 Ba3 (84... Ke7 85. Kg8 $18) 85. Kg8 Bb4 86. Bf5 Bc3 87. h6 Ke7 88. h7
1-0
Robson's Rook's Pawn
In pawn endings precise calculation is required:
[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.12"] [Round
"2.46"] [White "Volokitin, Andrei"] [Black "Robson, Ray"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO
"B48"] [WhiteElo "2688"] [BlackElo "2623"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"]
[Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.12"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. O-O-O Be7 9. f3 b5 10. g4 Nxd4
11. Bxd4 Bb7 12. Ne2 Rc8 13. c3 h6 14. Ng3 b4 15. c4 d5 16. exd5 Bxd5 17. Nf5
exf5 18. Bxf6 Bxc4 19. Bxc4 Bxf6 20. Rhe1+ Kf8 21. Kb1 Qxc4 22. Rc1 Bc3 23.
Qd7 Kg8 24. Re7 Rc5 25. gxf5 Rd5 26. Re8+ Kh7 27. Qxf7 Qd3+ 28. Rc2 Rxf5 29.
Rxh8+ Kxh8 30. Qe8+ Kh7 31. bxc3 bxc3 32. Qe2 Rxf3 33. Qxd3+ Rxd3 34. a4 Rd1+
35. Ka2 Rd2 36. Kb3 Rxc2 37. Kxc2 g5 38. Kxc3 Kg6 39. Kb4 g4 40. Ka5 h5 41.
Kxa6 h4 42. a5 {Robson's Rook's Pawn In pawn endings precise calculation is
required:} g3 (42... h3 43. Kb7 g3 {wins as well.}) 43. hxg3 h3 $1 ({The recapture}
43... hxg3 $2 {spoils it as Black's king is outside the winning zone after}
44. Kb7 g2 45. a6 g1=Q 46. a7 $11) ( 43... h3 44. Kb7 h2 45. a6 h1=Q+ $19) 0-1
Areshchenko's Arrow
Rook endings have a very large drawish tendency, but over the board they can
be very difficult to defend:
[Event "FIDE World Cup"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.11"] [Round "1.30"]
[White "Kaidanov, Gregory"] [Black "Areshchenko, Alexander"] [Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B22"] [WhiteElo "2574"] [BlackElo "2709"] [PlyCount "182"] [EventDate
"2013.08.11"] [EventType "k.o."] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "NOR"] [Source
"Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.11"] 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4
Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. h3 Bh5 8. O-O Nc6 9. Be3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Be7 11. Nc3
Qd6 12. Qb3 O-O 13. a3 a6 14. Rfd1 Rfd8 15. Rac1 h6 16. g4 Bg6 17. Ne5 Nxe5
18. dxe5 Qxe5 19. Qxb7 Re8 20. Qb6 Rab8 21. f4 Qxf4 22. Bxf4 Rxb6 23. b4 Nd5
24. Nxd5 exd5 25. Rxd5 Bxb4 26. Bxa6 Bxa3 27. Rc8 Rb1+ 28. Kf2 Rb2+ 29. Rd2
Rxc8 30. Bxc8 Bc5+ 31. Kg2 Be4+ 32. Kh2 Rb3 33. Re2 Bd3 34. Ra2 Kf8 35. Ba6
Be4 36. Re2 Rb4 37. Be5 f6 38. Bc3 Bd6+ 39. Kg1 Rb1+ 40. Re1 Bc5+ 41. Kh2 Rb6
42. Rxe4 Rxa6 43. Bb4 Bxb4 44. Rxb4 Ra2+ 45. Kg3 Ra3+ 46. Kg2 Kf7 47. Rb7+ Kg6
48. Rc7 Re3 49. Ra7 h5 50. gxh5+ Kh6 51. h4 Re5 52. Kg3 Rxh5 53. Ra8 Rb5 54.
Rc8 Kh5 55. Rh8+ Kg6 56. Ra8 Kf5 57. Ra3 Rb4 58. Ra5+ Kg6 59. Rc5 f5 60. Ra5
Rb3+ 61. Kg2 Rb6 62. Kg3 Kf6 63. Kf4 Rb4+ 64. Kg3 Rg4+ 65. Kh3 Re4 66. Kg3 g6
67. Ra7 Re3+ 68. Kg2 Re7 69. Ra5 Re5 70. Ra7 Rd5 71. Kg3 Rd3+ 72. Kg2 f4 73.
Ra5 Rg3+ 74. Kh2 Re3 75. Kg2 Re5 76. Ra8 Kf5 77. Rg8 Re2+ 78. Kf3 Re3+ 79. Kg2
Rg3+ 80. Kf2 Rh3 81. Rh8 Kg4 {Areshchenko's Arrow Rook endings have a very large
drawish tendency, but over the board they can be very difficult to defend:}
82. Rg8 $2 (82. Rh6 $1 {was the only move, e.g.} Kf5 83. Rh8 Rd3 84. Rg8 Rd6
85. Kf3 $11) 82... Rf3+ $1 {The winning zwischenschach.} ({However, not} 82...
Rh2+ $2 83. Kg1 Rxh4 84. Rxg6+ Kf3 85. Ra6 $11) 83. Ke2 (83. Kg2 {runs into}
Rg3+ 84. Kf2 Kxh4 $19) 83... Re3+ 84. Kf2 Re6 85. Rh8 Ra6 86. Rf8 (86. h5 Ra2+
87. Kf1 gxh5 $19) 86... Ra2+ 87. Ke1 Kf3 ({Even} 87... Kxh4 {wins due to} 88.
Rxf4+ Kg3 89. Rb4 g5 90. Rb3+ Kg2 91. Rb4 Ra1+ 92. Ke2 Ra5 93. Rg4+ Kh3 94.
Re4 g4 $19) 88. Rf6 Ra1+ 89. Kd2 Rg1 90. Kd3 Rg4 91. Kd2 Kf2 (91... Kf2 92.
Kd3 f3 93. Kd2 Rxh4 94. Rxg6 Rd4+ 95. Kc2 Kf1 96. Rg8 f2 97. Rg7 Ke2 98. Re7+
Kf3 99. Rf7+ Rf4 $19) 0-1
Jakovenko's last pawn
Pawns are very valueable winning potential, when the material is reduced:
[Event "FIDE World Cup"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.11"] [Round "1.28"]
[White "Paragua, Mark"] [Black "Jakovenko, Dmitry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B85"]
[WhiteElo "2565"] [BlackElo "2724"] [PlyCount "134"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"]
[EventType "k.o."] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "NOR"] [Source "Chess Today"]
[SourceDate "2013.08.11"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7
6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. Kh1 O-O 11. Qe1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5
13. a3 Bb7 14. Qg3 Rad8 15. Bd3 Rd7 16. Rae1 Re8 17. Qh3 e5 18. fxe5 dxe5 19.
Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Rxd5 21. Bc3 Bd8 22. Rf5 g6 23. Qg3 Re6 24. Bxe5 Qe7 25. Rxf6
Rexe5 26. Rxe5 Rxe5 27. Rf1 Bc7 28. Qf2 Kg7 29. Qd4 f6 30. g3 Qe6 31. Qf2 h5
32. Qf3 Qd6 33. Rd1 Qe7 34. Qc6 Re6 35. Qd5 h4 36. gxh4 Re1+ 37. Rxe1 Qxe1+
38. Kg2 Qd2+ 39. Kf1 Qf4+ 40. Ke2 Qxh2+ 41. Kf1 Bg3 42. Qd7+ Kh6 43. Qd4 Qh1+
44. Ke2 Qg2+ 45. Kd1 Qf3+ 46. Kd2 Bf4+ 47. Ke1 Qh1+ 48. Ke2 Qxh4 49. Qf2 Qxf2+
50. Kxf2 Bc1 51. c4 Bxb2 52. cxb5 {Jakovenko's last pawn Pawns are very valueable
winning potential, when the material is reduced:} a5 $3 {This pawn must be preserved.
It will win the game in the end.} (52... axb5 $2 53. Bxb5 Bxa3 {is only drawn,
e.g.} 54. Kf3 f5 55. Bd3 Kg5 56. Bc2 Kf6 57. Bd3 g5 58. Bc2 g4+ 59. Kg2 f4 60.
Bd1 Kg5 61. Be2 $11 {and play has reached a well known book draw.}) 53. a4 Kg5
54. Ke3 f5 55. Be2 Be5 56. b6 Kh4 (56... Kf6 {wins as well.}) 57. b7 ({Black
is also quicker after} 57. Bd3 Kg4 58. Bc4 g5 59. Be6 Bd6 60. Kd4 (60. b7 Bb8
61. Bd7 Ba7+ 62. Ke2 Kf4 63. Kf1 g4 64. Kg2 Kg5 $19) 60... Kf4 61. Kd5 Bb8 62.
Kc6 g4 63. Kb7 Be5 64. Ka6 g3 65. Bd5 Ke3 66. Kxa5 f4 67. Kb5 f3 68. a5 g2 69.
a6 g1=Q $19) 57... g5 58. Bd3 ({Passive defense with} 58. Kf2 g4 59. Kg2 f4
60. Bd1 {is broken by} Bb8 61. Be2 Kg5 62. Bd1 f3+ 63. Bxf3 gxf3+ 64. Kxf3 Kf5
65. Ke3 Ke5 66. Kd3 Kd5 67. Kc3 Kc5 68. Kb3 Kb6 (68... Kd4 $19) 69. Kc4 Kxb7
70. Kb5 Bc7 $19) 58... f4+ 59. Ke4 (59. Kf2 g4 $19) 59... Bb8 60. Be2 (60. Kf3
g4+ 61. Kg2 f3+ 62. Kf2 Ba7+ 63. Kf1 g3 $19) 60... g4 61. Bb5 Kg3 62. Kf5 (62.
Bd7 f3 63. Ke3 f2 64. Bb5 Kg2 $19) 62... f3 63. Bc4 f2 64. Be2 Ba7 65. Kg5 (65.
Bf1 Kf3 $19) 65... Kg2 66. Kxg4 f1=Q 67. Bxf1+ Kxf1 (67... Kxf1 68. Kf3 Ke1
69. Ke4 Kd2 70. Kd5 Kc3 71. Kc6 Kb4 72. Kc7 Kxa4 73. b8=Q Bxb8+ 74. Kxb8 Kb5
$19 {And finally Black's a-pawn will have the last say.}) 0-1
Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine
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