Instructive endgames from the London Chess Classic

by Karsten Müller
1/10/2024 – The thirteenth edition of the London Chess Classic saw 52-year-old Michael Adams becoming the first Englishman to win the now traditional tournament. Shreyas Royal (pictured with his father), at 14, collected his second GM norm, and showed excellent endgame technique when required. GM Karsten Müller selected some of the most instructive endgame positions to share with us, including a couple by the youngster of Indian origin. | Photo: London Chess Classic
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Should I simplify into a rook endgame?

Rook endgames often end in draws, even when one of the sides has one (or even two) extra pawns. Thus, trading pieces to enter a pure rook ending is usually a difficult decision.

In round 3 of the London Chess Classic, Shreyas Royal correctly assessed that he could exchange queens with Amin Tabatabaei and convert his extra pawn into a win. 

Royal v. Tabatabaei

After 35.Qd6 Qxd6 36.cxd6 the resulting rook endgame is indeed winning. White went on to grab the opponent’s b-pawn while allowing Black to get a new queen of his own on the kingside. The resulting position with queen and rook against queen and rook was completely winning for White.

49...g1Q 50.Qd8+, and the white king’s activity is crucial to get the win. Royal found a couple more precise manoeuvres to prompt Tabataei’s resignation.

This is only one of the four instructive endgame positions which you can study and enjoy in our dynamic replayer below.

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Qb3 Qd6 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 0-0 11.e3 Bf5 12.Rc1 c6 13.Ne5 Nd7 14.Bd3 Bxd3 15.Nxd3 Rfe8 16.0-0 Nf6 17.b4 a6 18.a4 Ne4 19.Qb2 Qe7 20.b5 cxb5 21.axb5 a5 22.b6 Qd6 23.Rc7 Re7 24.Rfc1 Rae8 25.Nc5 Nxc5 26.dxc5 Qe6 27.Rxe7 Qxe7 28.Qb5 Rb8 29.Qxa5 Qd7 30.h3 Qc6 31.Qc3 Rc8 32.Qe5 g6 33.h4 h5 34.Kh2 Re8 Not all rook endings are drawn. When the attacker is active enough an extra pawn can often be converted into a win: 35.Qd6! The resulting rook endgames are indeed winning. Qxd6+ White's king also invades after 35...Re6 36.Qxc6 Rxc6 37.Kg3 f6 38.e4 dxe4 39.Kf4 Kf7 40.Kxe4 Ke6 41.Kd4 Kd7 42.Re1+- 36.cxd6 Rd8 37.Rc7 Rxd6 38.Rxb7 Kg7 39.Kg3 Kf6?! 39...d4 is more tenacious as Black's rook is more active, but does not defend due to 40.exd4 Rxd4 41.Rc7 Rb4 41...Rg4+ 42.Kf3 Rxh4 43.b7 Rb4 44.Ke3 Kf6 45.Kd3 Ke6 46.Kc3 Rb1 47.Kd4 Kd6 48.Rxf7 g5 49.Rh7 g4 50.Rxh5 Rb4+ 51.Ke3 Rxb7 52.Kf4+- 42.b7 Kf6 43.Kf3 Ke6 44.Ke3 f5 44...f6 45.Rg7+- 45.Kd3 Kd5 46.g3 Rb2 46...f4 47.gxf4 Kd6 48.Rg7 Kd5 49.f3 Rb3+ 50.Ke2 Ke6 51.Rxg6+ Kf7 52.Rh6 Kg7 53.Rxh5 Rxb7 54.Rg5++- 47.Rd7+ Kc6 48.Rg7 Kd5 49.Rxg6 Rxb7 50.Ke3 Ke5 51.Kf3 Rb3+ 52.Kg2 f4 53.Rg5+ Ke4 54.Rxh5 f3+ 55.Kh3 Rb2 56.Kg4 Rxf2 57.Rf5+- 40.Kf3 d4 40...Rc6 can be met by 41.Ke2 Rc2+ 42.Kd3 Rxf2 43.Kc3 Rf1 44.Kb4 Ke6 45.Rb8 Kd6 46.Kb5+- 41.Ke2 dxe3 42.Kxe3 Ke6 43.f3 Kf6 43...Kd5 44.Kf4 f6 45.Rb8 Kc6 46.Rg8 Rd4+ 47.Kg3+- 43...Rc6 44.Kd4 Rc2 45.Rc7 Rxg2 46.b7 Rb2 47.Kc5 Rc2+ 47...f6 48.Rc6+ Kd7 49.Rb6+- 48.Kb6 Rb2+ 49.Ka7 Ra2+ 50.Kb8 f6 51.Kc8 Rb2 52.b8Q Rxb8+ 53.Kxb8 Kf5 54.Rc5+ Kf4 55.Rc6 f5 56.Rxg6 Kxf3 57.Rg5+- 44.g3 g5 44...Ke6 45.Ke4 f5+ 46.Kf4 Kd5 47.Kg5 Kc5 48.Rb8 Rd3 49.Rg8 Kxb6 50.Rxg6+ Kc7 51.Kf4+- 45.Rb8 45.hxg5+ Kxg5 46.Rb8 wins as well. But not 46.Rxf7? Rxb6= 45...gxh4 46.Rh8! White's point. Re6+ 46...Kg7 is met by 47.b7 Re6+ 48.Kf4 Kxh8 49.b8Q+ Kg7 50.gxh4 Rf6+ 51.Kg5 Rxf3 52.Kxh5+- And 46...h3 runs into 47.b7 h2 48.b8Q Re6+ 49.Kf4 h1Q 50.Qd8+ Re7 51.Rh6+ Kg7 52.Qh8# 47.Kf4 hxg3 48.b7!? Good technique. The safe and greedy 48.Kxg3?! wins as well: Re7 48...Rxb6 49.Rh6++- 49.Rxh5 Rb7 50.Rb5+- 48...g2 49.b8Q g1Q 50.Qd8+ White wins the 4th phase easily due to the first check and Black's open king. Re7 51.Rh6+ Qg6 52.Qd4+!? Good technique! 52.Rxg6+?! fxg6 53.Qd4+ Kf7 54.Kg5+- wins as well. 52...Ke6 53.Qb6+ 53.Qb6+ Kd7 54.Rxg6 fxg6 55.Qxg6+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Royal,S2404Tabatabaei,M26941–02023D3813th London Chess Classic 20233.5
Vitiugov,N2712Royal,S2404½–½2023B6713th London Chess Classic 20236.3
Volokitin,A2660Niemann,H26591–02023C6713th London Chess Classic 20236.1
Bartel,M2651Tabatabaei,M26940–12023A1913th London Chess Classic 20236.2

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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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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