Avoiding the trap

Despite being only thirteen years old, Iranian M. Amin Tabatabaei showed
his knowledge and alertness as he avoided a final trap the more experienced
Aleksey Goganov had hoped would save him. Study the position and choose
your answer before replaying the analysis. Black to play and win.
45...Bb7‼ 45...g5?? 46.hxg5 Bxg5 47.Re4 Bxe4+?! 47...Bh6!? 48.Kxe4! Kd6 48...Kf6 49.d5 e5 50.f4 exf4 51.gxf4 49.f4 Bf6 50.f5 46.d5 46.Ke2 g5 47.hxg5 Bxg5 48.Re4 Bxe4 49.fxe4 Kf7 50.d5 e5! 46...Bxd5 47.g4 hxg4 48.Rxg4 Bxf3 49.Ra4 Kf7 50.Ke3 Bd5 51.Kf2 Kg6 52.Kg3 Kh5 53.Kh3 e5 54.Rb4 Be6+ 55.Kg3 Bf5 56.Ra4 g6 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.
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Goganov,A | 2615 | Tabatabaei,M | 2444 | 0–1 | 2015 | D20 | Moscow Open A 2015 | 4.13 |
Please, wait...
The mating net

It is sometimes easy to forget that direct attacks also occur in the endgame. Hungarian junior
Petra Papp (left), playing White, reminded her opponent of this in the following position.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
50.b4? 50.Kc6! g2 51.b4 Ra3 52.Kc7 g1Q 53.Rxg1 Rg3 54.Ra1+ Ra3 55.Rxa3# 50...g2? 50...Rh4! 51.b5+ Kb7 52.Kb4 g2 53.Rxg2 Rxh5 54.Rg7+ Kb8= 51.Kc6 Rxh5 51...Ra3 52.Kc7 g1Q 53.Rxg1 Rg3 54.Ra1+ Ra3 55.Rxa3# 52.Rxh5 52.Rxh5 g1Q 53.Ra5# 1–0
- 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.
Papp,P | 2285 | Rodionova,P | 2184 | 1–0 | 2015 | B19 | Moscow Open Students w | 3.5 |
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The hunt

Take a minute to absorb the position. Black has a pawn ready to queen, and two
other pawns as backup. You are white and have a rook and two passed pawns,
including one on h5. Black just played Ne5 check. What do you play as White?
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
50.Kf5! 50.Kg7? Ng4 51.h6 Nxh6 52.Kxh6 c5 53.g4 c4 54.g5 c3 55.g6 c2 56.g7 c1Q+-+ 50...Nf7 51.Kg6 Nh8+ 52.Kg7 c5 52...Kc2?? 53.Kxh8 b1Q 54.Rxb1 Kxb1 55.h6+- 53.Rb1! 53.Kxh8? c4 54.h6 c3 55.h7 c2 53...Kc2 54.Rxb2+ Kxb2 55.Kxh8 c4 56.h6 c3 57.h7 c2 58.Kg8 c1Q 59.h8Q+ 59.h8Q+ Qc3 60.Qxc3+ 60.Qh2+ Qc2 61.Qh8+ Qc3= 60...Kxc3 61.g4 e5 62.g5 e4 63.g6 e3 64.g7 e2 65.Kf7 e1Q 66.g8Q= 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.
Tabatabaei,M | 2444 | Petrosian,T | 2663 | ½–½ | 2015 | B08 | Moscow Open A 2015 | 3.6 |
Please, wait...
The rook belongs behind the passed pawn

Another day, another lesson. Black realised a non standard version of this guideline in the game.
46...Rh4+!? 46...h4 47.Ke3 h3 48.Kf2 Rh1 47.Ke3 Rg4‼ 47...Rg4‼ 48.Rxg4 hxg4 49.Kf2 gxf3-+ 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.
Rodionova,P | 2184 | Sukandar,I | 2392 | 0–1 | 2015 | C42 | Moscow Open Students w | 2.2 |
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.
