Retreat to advance

by Karsten Müller
3/29/2022 – Rook endings have a large drawish tendency and in this case I thought that White can hold with a study-like defense. But ChessBase reader Frits Fritschy proved me wrong.
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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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.c4 Nd7 11.Nh4 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Re8 13.Qd3 Nf8 14.Be3 g6 15.Nf3 Ne6 16.Rad1 Qa5 17.d5 Nc5 18.Bxc5 Bxc5 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.a3 Rad8 21.Qc2 Qc7 22.Rxd8 Qxd8 23.b4 Bf8 24.c5 a5 25.Rd1 Qc7 26.Qd2 axb4 27.axb4 Rb8 28.Qd4 Bg7 29.Ne1 Qb7 30.Nc2 f5 31.Qd7 Bc3 32.Qxb7 Rxb7 33.Rd6 Rc7 34.Kf1 Be5 35.Rd8+ Kg7 36.Ke2 Kf6 37.Kd3 Ke6 38.Kc4 Ke7 39.Ra8 Rd7 40.b5 cxb5+ 41.Kxb5 Rd2 42.Nb4 Rxf2 43.Nc6+ Kf6 44.Nxe5 Kxe5 45.Kb6 Rxg2 46.Ra5 Rb2+ 47.Kc7 f4 48.c6+ Kd4 49.Kd6 Rc2 50.Rd5+ Ke4 51.Re5+ Kd4 52.Rd5+ Ke3 53.Re5+ Kf2 54.Rc5 Ra2 55.c7 Ra8 Retreat to advance Rook endings have a large drawish tendency and in this case I thought that White can hold with study-like defense. But ChessBase reader Frits Fritschy proved me wrong: 56.Ke5!? Going with the king to the kingside is indeed most tenacious. In the game 56.Kd7?! was played: Ra7? The direct 56...f3-+ with transposition was called for. 57.Kd8? 57.Ke8 saves the day, e.g. Rxc7 57...Ra8+ 58.Kxf7 Rc8 59.Kg7 f3 60.Kxh7= 58.Rxc7 f5 59.Kf7 Kg2 60.Kg7 f3 61.h4 f2 62.Rc1 f1Q 63.Rxf1 Kxf1 64.Kxh7 f4 65.Kxg6 f3 66.h5 Ke2 67.h6 f2 68.h7 f1Q 69.h8Q= 57...Ra8+ 58.Kd7 f3 59.Rb5 59.Ra5 Rf8 60.Rb5 f6 61.Ke7 Rc8 62.Kd7 Rxc7+ 63.Kxc7 Kg2-+ 59...Ra7 60.Kd8 Rxc7 61.Kxc7 Kg2 62.h4 f2 63.Rb2 Kg1 64.Rb1+ f1Q 65.Rxf1+ Kxf1 66.Kd6 f5 67.Ke5 Kg2 68.Kf4 Kh3 69.h5 Kh4 70.h6 Kh5 0-1 and White resigned the game. The direct 56.c8Q?! also does not save, e.g. Rxc8 57.Rxc8 f3 58.Ke5 Kg2 59.Kf6 f2 60.Rc1 f1Q+ 61.Rxf1 Kxf1 62.Kxf7 Kg2 63.Kg7 Kxh3 64.Kxh7 g5-+ 56...f3 57.Kf4!? Again a retreat is most tenacious. Kg2 58.Rg5+ Kf1! 58...Kxh3? 59.Rg3+ Kh4 60.Rxf3 g5+ 60...Rc8 61.Rc3 g5+ 62.Kf5 g4 63.Kf4 g3 64.Rxg3 Rxc7 65.Rg1 Rc4+ 66.Kf3= 61.Ke5 g4 62.Rc3 g3 63.c8Q Rxc8 64.Rxc8 g2 65.Rg8 Kh3 66.Kf4 Kh2 67.Rh8 g1Q 68.Rxh7+ Kg2 69.Rg7+ Kh1 70.Rxg1+ Kxg1 71.Kf5= 59.Ra5 Rxa5 60.c8Q f2 61.Qc3 I add now 61.Kg3 Kg1 62.Qc1+ f1N+ 63.Kh4 f6 64.Qd1 Rh5+ 65.Kg4 Re5-+ 61...Rf5+! The point of ChessBase reader Frits Fritschy. This refutes my line, which continued with 61...Kg1? 62.Qg3+ Kh1 63.Qf3+= 62.Kg3 Kg1 63.Qe3 f6 64.h4 g5 65.hxg5 Rxg5+ 66.Kh3 h5 67.Kh4 Rg4+ 68.Kxh5 f5-+ and Black mates in 41 moves. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Cordsen,H1685Riering,B19710–12022B15Chessemy Open 20226.42

Karsten Mueller 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.

ChessBase Magazine #205

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ChessBase Magazine Exta #205

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

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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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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Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 3/30/2022 08:21
brian8891: I agree. 45.Kb6? was the losing mistake.
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 3/29/2022 05:48
I didn't have time to really analyse it earlier, but I thought it should be possible to get the king out of pins or checks by marching the f-pawn. It turns out now that the black rook can reach f3, and then after Kh1 it's over. Another way is 66... Rg2, play Rh2+, pawn to h4, rook back to g2 and the h-pawn promotes. There are some not too difficult side variations.
brian8871 brian8871 3/29/2022 02:03
Agreed, White is lost after 45. Kb6. Instead, 45 Re8+ should hold.
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 3/29/2022 02:02
brian8871: I agree.
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 3/29/2022 01:34
Frits Fritschy: Yes you are right and this refutes the whole exercise. White is lost from the beginning. My engine and I had overestimated White's queen. Very well done!
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 3/29/2022 01:09
In your variation with 58... Kf1 I have serious doubts white can draw after 61... Rf5+. More possibly tonight.
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