Magic rook and magic square

White to move. Can you find the narrow path to draw?
(W:Kd6, Re5, Pa5; B:Kf4, Ra1, Pg4)
Solution
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Nf3 d6 6.d3 a6 7.0-0 0-0 8.a3 Nd4 9.b4 Nxf3+ 10.Bxf3 Bd4 11.Bb2 c6 12.e3 Ba7 13.Rc1 Bh3 14.Re1 Qd7 15.Ne4 Nxe4 16.dxe4 Rad8 17.Rc2 Qe6 18.Qd3 Bb8 19.Rd2 Bc7 20.Rc1 h6 21.Bc3 Qe7 22.Rb1 Be6 23.a4 f6 24.Rc2 Qf7 25.Be1 f5 26.exf5 Bxf5 27.Be4 Bxe4 28.Qxe4 d5 29.cxd5 cxd5 30.Qd3 e4 31.Qe2 Be5 32.b5 axb5 33.Rxb5 d4 34.exd4 Bxd4 35.Qc4 Bxf2+ 36.Bxf2 Rd1+ 37.Kg2 Qxc4 38.Rxc4 Rd2 39.Rxe4 Rfxf2+ 40.Kh3 Rxh2+ 41.Kg4 Rd3 42.Rbe5 Kh7 43.Re3 Rd6 44.Re6 Rdd2 45.R6e5 Ra2 46.R5e4 Rhb2 47.Rf3 Rb6 48.Kh3 Rb1 49.Kg4 Rba1 50.Rff4 Ra3 51.Re7 Rg1 52.Rxb7 Rgxg3+ 53.Kf5 Rg5+ 54.Ke6 h5 55.Ra7 Kg6 56.Ra6 Rg1 57.Ke7+ Kg5 58.Rf7 Kh4 59.Rf5 g6 60.Re5 Rf3 61.Rb6 Rf5 62.Rb4+ Kg5 63.Re6 h4 64.Rbb6 Kh5 65.Re3 Rg3 66.Re2 h3 67.Rb8 g5 68.Ke6 Kg4 69.Rh8 Rff3 70.Rb2 Rg2 71.Rb5 h2 72.a5 Re2+ 73.Kd6 Rf1 74.Rb4+ Kg3 75.Rb3+ Kg2 76.Rhh3 g4 77.Rbg3+ Kf2 78.Rxh2+ Kxg3 79.Rxe2 Ra1 80.Re5 Kf4 81.Ke6? 81.Rc5? g3 82.Kc7 82.Kc6 g2 83.Rc4+ Kf5 84.Rc5+ Kf6-+ 82...g2 83.Rc4+ Kf5 84.Rc5+ Kf6 85.Rc6+ Kf7-+ 81.Rd5‼ g3 81...Ke4 82.Re5+ Kf3 83.Rg5 g3 84.Kc6 g2 85.Rxg2 Kxg2 86.Kb6= 82.Kc6 g2 83.Rd4+ Kf5 84.Rd5+ Kf6 85.Rd6+ Kf7 86.Rd7+ Kg8 87.Rd8+ Kh7 88.Rd7+ Kh6 89.Rd6+ Kh5 90.Rd5+ Kh4 91.Rd4+ Kh3 92.Rd3+ Kh2 93.Rd5‼ Rc1+ 93...g1Q 94.Rh5+ Kg2 95.Rg5+ Kf3 96.Rxg1 Rxg1 97.a6= 94.Kb7 94.Kb6?? g1Q+-+ 94...Rb1+ 95.Kc6 g1Q 96.Rh5+ Kg2 97.Rg5+ Kf3 98.Rxg1 Rxg1 99.a6= 81.Rh5? g3 82.Rh4+ Kf3 83.Rh5 g2 84.Rg5 Ra4!? 84...Rxa5?! 85.Rxa5 g1Q-+ 84...g1Q?? 85.Rxg1 Rxg1 86.Kc6= 85.Kc6 Rg4 86.Rxg4 Kxg4 87.a6 g1Q-+ 81...g3 82.Rf5+ Kg4 83.Kf6 g2 84.Rg5+ Kf3 84...Kf3 85.Rf5+ Ke3 86.Rg5 g1Q 87.Rxg1 Rxg1 88.a6 Ra1-+ 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Dvirnyy,D | 2533 | Grandelius,N | 2609 | 0–1 |
Please, wait...

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

New: ChessBase Magazine #165 (April/May)

Introduction by Karsten Müller
|
Opening surveys
Sagar Shah: English Opening A20
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 h6

|
|
White does without Nc3, so as to avoid ...Bb4. According to Sagar Shah in 3...h6 Black has a sort of useful waiting move, ...Nc6 is delayed. After 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Nxd5 6.cxd5 we can see a difference – Black does not need to move his Nc6.
|
Souleidis: Double Fianchetto A50
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0-0 0-0

|
|
According to Georgios Souleidis this setup is becoming more and more popular for Black. Above all after 7.Nc3 – the usual move - 7...Ne4 one can safely count on equality. After the stronger 7.d5 Black even has two promising continuations with 7...Ne4 and 7...Na6.
|
Sumets: Old Indian Defence A54
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.Nf3 e5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3

|
|
A setup with e3 is not so aggressive, but in return it also offers fewer targets for the opponent to attack. For example, White does not have to protect a pawn on e4. As Andrey Sumets demonstrates, Black does not find it easy to equalise after 6...0-0 7.Be2.
|
Ris: Sicilian Defence B35
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 d5

|
|
This comes as a surprise. After all the d5-pawn is simply hanging. But as Robert Ris demonstrates in his article, 9.exd5 Na5 may be obvious, but after it the way to an advantage for White may be possible but, however, it is not easy to find over the board. |
Szabo: Sicilian Defence B90
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.Rg1

|
|
With 12.Rg1 White deviates from the main variation (12.g5). One of the ideas can be seen after 12...b4 13.Nd5 – now Black cannot take on d5 with the knight, because the Be6 does not have access to the f5-square. As Krisztian Szabo shows, however, that is not the only idea behind 12.Rg1.
|
Havasi: French Defence C06
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Bf4 Bxf4 13.Nxf4 Ne4

|
|
In this principled variation – there is little occasion to deviate – White may have a slight initiative after 14.Qc1, but according to Gergo Havasi Black can maintain the equilibrium with accurate play.
|
Marin: French Defence C08
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bb5+ Nc6 6.Qe2+ Be7 7.dxc5 Nf6 8.Nb3 0-0

|
|
With the two checks on moves 5 and 6, White is trying to impose on the play a forcing character. But as Mihail Marin’s analyses prove, Black can stand up to the pressure quite well.
|
Kuzmin: Slav D11
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.h3 Bh5 6.g4 Bg6 7.Ne5

|
|
The actual idea behind the clear opening plan presented by Alexey Kuzmin has not yet been executed in the diagram: White wants to play Nd2 and then, without having to worry about the c4-pawn, be able to develop his bishop to g2.
|
Postny: Queen's Gambit D38
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 0-0 8.Rc1 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.0-0 cxd4

|
|
The position in the diagram has been seen in several recent games and Evgeny Postny examines the latest trends. His conclusion: the white initiative is only temporary, Black can have high hopes of equalising.
|
Stohl: Semi-Slav/Catalan E04
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.g3

|
|
It starts with the Semi-Slav and transposes to the Catalan. For Igor Stohl it is clear that Black should take the c4-pawn, but after that there are still some open questions.
|
Krasenkow: Bogo Indian Defence E11
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 b6 5.a3 Bxd2+ 6.Bxd2 Bb7 7.Bg5 d6 8.e3 Nbd7

|
|
Michal Krasenkow presents his own repertoire against the Bogo-Indian. In the second part he deals with the main variation of this system. It is not easy for Black to achieve complete equality.
|
|