Mating Attack out of the Blue

by ChessBase
7/20/2011 – "The best chess training you can receive on the Internet," wrote one appreciative reader; "I can hear the Elo points plonking in" another. The regular CBM chess blog columns written by our endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller is greatly appreciated by our readers. This time GM Müller shows us an attacking king and an exciting pawn race. Enjoy and learn.
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Mating Attack out of the Blue

Even an exchange of queens is no insurance against an attack:

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1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bd2 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 e5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Be2 Rc8 14.Qb3 Nc4 15.Rad1 Qa5 16.Bc1 Nb6 17.Bf3 Rfd8 18.g3 h5 19.Bg2 Qc5 20.Rd3 Nc4 21.Rfd1 Ne5 22.R3d2 Nc4 23.Rd4 Nb6 24.R4d3 Rd7 25.a3 Rcd8 26.Qa2 Nc4 27.Na4 Qa5 28.b3 Ne5 29.Bd2 Qb5 30.Rd4 Ne4 31.Be1 Qc6 32.f3 Ng5 33.Qe2 Ne6 34.R4d2 b5 35.Nb2 Qb6 36.f4 Nc6 37.Rxd5 Rxd5 38.Rxd5 Rxd5 39.Bxd5 Ncd4 40.Qf2 Qc5 41.Bxe6 fxe6 42.Nd1 Nxb3 43.Qa2 Qc4 44.Qb1 Nc5 45.Nf2 Qe2 46.Bb4 Qxe3 47.Bxc5 Qxc5 48.Qxg6 Kh8 49.Kf1 Qf5 50.Qe8+ Kh7 51.Qc6 h4 52.gxh4 Qxf4 53.Qxb5 Qc1+ 54.Kg2 Qxa3 55.Qh5+ Kg8 56.Qe8+ Qf8 57.Qxe6+ Qf7 58.Qc8+ Kh7 59.Ne4 Bh6 60.Qc5 Qa2+ 61.Nf2 Qf7 62.Qb5 Be3 63.Ng4 Bb6 64.Qd3+ Qg6 65.Qc4 Kh8 66.Qa4 Qg7 67.Qe8+ Kh7 68.Qe4+ Kh8 69.Qe8+ Kh7 70.Qh5+ Kg8 71.Qd5+ Kh8 72.h5 Qb2+ 73.Kg3 Qa3+ 74.Kf4 Qb4+ 75.Kf5
75...Qc5?! 75...Qf8+ 76.Ke4 Qb4+ draws easily. 76.Qxc5 Bxc5 77.Kg6 Contrary to the middlegame in the endgame the king often joins its attacking forces. Bd4 77...Bf8? 78.h6 a5 79.Ne5 Bxh6 80.Kxh6 a4 81.Nc4 Kg8 82.Kg6+- 78.h6 78.Nh6 a5 79.Nf7+ Kg8 80.h6 Kf8 Even 80...a4 is playable: 81.Ng5 Bh8 81...a3? 82.h7+ Kf8 83.Ne6+ Ke7 84.Nxd4 a2 85.h8Q a1Q 86.Nf5++- 82.Ne6 Bf6‼ The surprising point. 82...a3?? 83.h7# 83.Kxf6 Kh7 84.Kg5 a3 85.Nd4 85.Nf8+ Kh8 86.h7 Kg7 87.Ne6+ Kxh7 88.Nd4 a2 89.Nc2= 85...a2 86.Nc2 Kg8= 81.Nd8 Bc3 82.h7 Bh8 82...a4? 83.Ne6+ Ke7 84.Ng7+- 83.Ne6+ 83.Nf7 Bd4 84.h8Q+ Bxh8 85.Nd6 85.Nxh8? a4-+ backfires completely. 85...a4 86.Nb5= 83...Ke7 84.Nc5 Bc3= 78...a5 79.h7 Bg7! 80.Ne3 a4? Black rushs. The bishop has to fight the domination duel with 80...Be5! 81.Nc4 81.Ng4 Bg7= 81...Bc7 82.Nd2 a4 82...Be5 83.Ne4 Bf4= 83.Ne4 Bf4 84.Nc5 Be5 84...a3? 85.Ne6 a2 86.Nd8 a1Q 87.Nf7# 85.Nxa4 Bd4! Domination! 86.h4 Bf2 87.h5 Bd4 88.h6 Be3 89.Nc3 Bxh6 90.Nd5 90.Kxh6 stalemate 90...Bg5= 81.Nc4 81.Nc4 a3 82.Nd6 a2 83.Nf7# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Cordova,E2561Guimaraes,W22771–02011D94Zonal 2.4 - Open8

Race of the Passed Pawns

Such races can be very close and fascinating:

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bd6 Bf8 14.Bxf8 Rxf8 15.e5 Qb6 16.Ne4 0-0-0 17.Nd6+ Kb8 18.b3 c3 19.a4 f6 20.axb5 Nxe5 21.Nxb7 Kxb7 22.Qc2 Qxd4 23.bxc6+ Nxc6 24.Bf3 Qd3 25.Qa2 Rd5 26.b4 Qb5 27.Rfe1 g4 28.Bxg4 Rd2 29.Qxe6 Kb8 30.Be2 Qd5 31.Qe3 Qe5 32.Bf3 Nd4 33.Qxh6 Nxf3+ 34.gxf3 Qg5+ 35.Qxg5 fxg5 36.Kg2 g4 37.fxg4 Rdxf2+ 38.Kg1 c2 39.Re8+ Rxe8 40.Kxf2 Re4 41.Kg3 Rxb4 42.Rc1 Rc4 43.h4 Kc7 44.h5 Kd6 45.h6 Rc7 46.g5 Ke6 47.g6 Rc3+
48.Kh2? This gives Anish Giri the chance to defend. 48.Kg4 Rc4+ 49.Kf3 wins, e.g. Rh4 49...Rc3+ 50.Ke4 Rc8 50...Rc4+ 51.Kd3 Rh4 52.g7 Kf7 53.Rf1++- 51.Rxc2 Rxc2 52.h7 Rh2 53.g7+- 50.Re1+ 50.Rxc2 Rxh6 51.Rc6+ surprisingly works as well due to Ke7 52.g7 Rxc6 53.g8Q+- 50...Kf6 51.g7 Kf7 52.Re8 Rf4+ 53.Kg3 Kxe8 54.g8Q+ Ke7 55.Qg5+ Rf6 56.h7+- But not 48.Kf4? Kf6 49.g7 Kf7 50.Ke4 Kg8= 48...Rc8 48...Kf6? runs into 49.g7 Rc8 50.Rg1! Ra8 51.h7 c1Q and now comes White's point: 52.g8N+‼ Kf7 53.Rxc1 Kg7 54.Rc7+ Kh8 55.Kg3 a5 56.Kg4 a4 57.Kg5 a3 58.Ne7 Kxh7 59.Ng6+ Kg8 60.Kh6 a2 61.Rg7# 49.Rf1 Rh8! 49...c1Q?? 50.Rxc1 Rxc1 51.h7 Rc8 52.g7 Kf7 53.h8Q+- 50.h7 a5 51.Kg3 51.g7?? Rxh7+-+ 51...c1Q! The pawn must sacrifice itself to allow Anish's king to blockade the connected passed pawns. 52.Rxc1 Kf6 53.Rc6+ Kg7 54.Kf4 Rb8! Such an active rook usually can not be beaten. 55.Kf5 Rb5+ 56.Ke6 Rb8! 57.Kd7 a4 58.Ra6 a3 59.Ke7 a2 60.Rxa2 Kxg6 61.h8N+ 61.Rh2!? Kg7= 61...Rh8?! 62.Rg2+ Kf5! 62...Kxh7?? 63.Kf7+- 63.Rg7 Ra8= 61...Rxh8 ½–½
  • 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.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ernst,S2596Giri,A2687½–½2011D43ch-NED1
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