Endgames from Kazakhstan

by Karsten Müller
4/24/2023 – The Satty Zhuldyz rapid and blitz tournament is taking place in Astana as a side event of the World Championship match. A number of international chess stars are participating. Karsten Müller has been following the games, looking for endgame highlights. Find here four instructive positions, with on-point analysis by our in-house endgame expert. | Pictured: Hou Yifan | Photo: Anna Shtourman
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The fourth stage of the game

Jakhongir Vakhidov missed a chance to defeat the strongest female player in the world, Hou Yifan. He miscalculated a potential position with two new queens appearing on the board.

Vakhidov, Jakhongir2607½–½Hou, Yifan2628
Satty Zhuldyz Rapid 2023
Astana21.04.2023[Mueller,Karsten]
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 0-0 11.Rd1 b6 12.Bd3 Ba6 13.Bb1 Nd7 14.h4 Rc8 15.Rh3 Qc7 16.e5 Qc4 17.Nh2 Rfd8 18.Bd3 Qa4 19.Ng4 Bxd3 20.Rxd3 h5 21.Ne3 Nb8 22.f4 Nc6 23.d5 exd5 24.Nxd5 Qe4+ 25.Kf1 Kf8 26.Qb2 Ne7 27.Qa3 Rc5 28.Rd4 Qc2 29.Nxe7 Rxd4 30.Rxd4 Qc1+ 31.Qxc1 Rxc1+ 32.Kf2 Kxe7 33.a4 Ke6 34.g3 Rc2+ 35.Kf3 Rc3+ 36.Ke4 Rxg3 37.Rd6+ Ke7 38.a5 Rb3 39.axb6 Rxb6 40.Rd5 Rb4+ 41.Kf5 g6+ 42.Kg5 Ra4 43.Rb5 Ra1 44.Kh6 Rf1 45.Rb4 Ke6 46.Kg7 a5 47.Rb6+ Kd5
The fourth phase of the game. After opening, middlegame and endgame, the fourth phase comes, when both sides have queened their pawns: 48.Rd6+? This misses the moment. 48.Rf6 wins due to a4 48...Ke4 49.Kxf7 Rxf4 50.e6+- 49.Kxf7 a3 50.e6 a2 50...Rb1 51.e7 Rb8 52.Ra6+- 51.e7 a1Q 52.e8Q Qa7+ 53.Kg8+- and White's king is safe while Black's cannot find shelter, e.g. Qc7 54.Qb5+ Kd4 55.Qxf1+- 48...Ke4! Now Black's counterplay is quick enough. 49.e6 49.Kxf7 is met by Rxf4+ 50.Ke6 Rxh4= 49...fxe6 50.Rxe6+
50...Kf5 Of course 50...Kxf4?? 51.Rf6++- 51.Rxg6 Rxf4 52.Rg5+ Ke6 52...Ke6 53.Rxh5 Rg4+ 54.Rg5 54.Kh7? loses due to the cut-off after a4 55.Ra5 Rxh4+ 56.Kg6 Rb4 57.Kg5 Kd6-+ 54...Rxh4 55.Rxa5= ½–½

The pawn wave

Arjun Erigaisi was the clear winner of the rapid tournament. In round 2, he showed great technique to take down Javokhir Sindarov with the black pieces. A very sharp pawn race was handled marvellously by the Indian prodigy.

Sindarov, Javokhir26610–1Erigaisi Arjun2701
Satty Zhuldyz Rapid 2023
Astana20.04.2023[Mueller,Karsten]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 d6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.f3 0-0 9.g4 Be6 10.0-0-0 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Qa5 12.a3 Rab8 13.Kb1 Rfc8 14.h4 b5 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Bxd5 17.exd5 a5 18.Bh3 Rc7 19.Re1 Ne8 20.g5 Kf8 21.Re4 Bxd4 22.Rexd4 b4 23.axb4 axb4 24.b3 Ra7 25.Kb2 Nc7 26.Rc4 Na6 27.Rdd4 Kg7 28.f4 h6 29.Rc8 Rb6 30.f5 gxf5 31.Bxf5 h5 32.Bd3 Nc5 33.Be2 e5 34.Rc4 Kg6 35.Rh8 Kg7 36.Rc8 Kg6 37.Rc6 Rxc6 38.dxc6 Rc7 39.Bf3 Kf5 40.Rxb4 e4 41.Bxh5 e3 42.Kc3 Ke5 43.Rb8 Rxc6 44.Re8+ Kf4 45.Kd4 Ne6+ 46.Kd3 Nc5+ 47.Kd4 Ne6+ 48.Kd3 Nc5+ 49.Ke2 Ne6 50.c4 Ra6 51.Re7 Ra2+ 52.Kd3 Nc5+ 53.Kc3 f6 54.g6 Ne4+ 55.Kb4 f5 56.g7 Rg2 57.Bd1 Nf6 58.h5 Ng8 59.Ra7 Rg1 60.Be2 Rg2 61.Bd3 Rg5 62.Kc3 Kf3 63.b4 f4 64.b5 e2 65.Kd2 Re5 66.Ke1 Kg2 67.Rf7 f3
The pawn wave. Races of passed pawns can be very sharp: 68.b6? This runs into an amazing refutation. The bishop needs air: 68.c5‼ Re3 68...d5 69.b6 Re3 70.Bb5+- 69.Bc4 d5 70.Bxd5+- 68...Re3‼ Now Black is always too quick. 69.Bxe2 Rxe2+ 69...Rxe2+ 70.Kd1 Rb2-+ 70.Kd1 Rb2 71.h6 Nxh6 72.Rf6 f2 73.Rg6+ Ng4?
The wrong way to deal with the checks. 73...Kf3 74.Rf6+ Ke3 75.Re6+ Kf4-+ 74.Kc1? The queen will win easily. Amazingly the desperado rook defends after 74.Rxg4+ Kf3 75.Rg3+! Kf4 75...Kxg3? 76.g8Q++- 76.Rg4+= 74...f1Q+ 75.Kxb2 Qe2+ 76.Kc3 Qe3+ 77.Kb4 Qxb6+ 78.Kc3 Qe3+ 79.Kb4 Qe1+ 79...Qe1+ 80.Ka3 Qa1+ 81.Kb4 Qb1+ 82.Ka4 Qxg6-+ 0–1

The rook belongs behind the passed pawn

Jakhongir Vakhidov demonstrated how to defend a double-edged position with passed pawns for both sides. He drew the ever-creative Levon Aronian with white in round 4.

Vakhidov, Jakhongir2607½–½Aronian, Levon2745
Satty Zhuldyz Rapid 2023
Astana20.04.2023[Mueller,Karsten]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bxc3 6.bxc3 0-0 7.e4 d6 8.Be2 Kh8 9.0-0 Ng8 10.d4 b6 11.c5 Qf6 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Qa4 Bb7 14.Ba3 Rfd8 15.d5 Nb8 16.Nd2 Qe7 17.Nc4 Ba6 18.Qb4 Nf6 19.Bd3 Nbd7 20.Qb3 Nc5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Qa4 Bxc4 23.Qxc4 Ne8 24.a4 Nd6 25.Qb3 c4 26.Bxc4 Nxe4 27.Qc2 Nf6 28.Rfd1 Rac8 29.Qa2 Ne4 30.Rac1 Rc5 31.Qe2 Nd6 32.Bb3 e4 33.Re1 Re8 34.Qe3 f5 35.f3 Qf6 36.Qd4 Rec8 37.Qxf6 gxf6 38.c4 Nxc4 39.fxe4 fxe4 40.Rxe4 Ne5 41.Rf1 Rc1 42.Ree1 Rxe1 43.Rxe1 Rc3 44.Rb1 Kg7 45.a5 b5 46.d6 a6 47.Be6 Rd3 48.Rc1 Rxd6 49.Rc7+ Kg6 50.Bg8 Rd7 51.Rc8 h5 52.h3 Rd6 53.Rb8 Kf5 54.Kh2 Kf4 55.Rb7 Rd2 56.Kg1 Ng6 57.Rg7 Ne5 58.Ra7 Rd6 59.Rh7 Rd1+ 60.Kf2 Rd2+ 61.Kg1 b4 62.Rb7 Nd3 63.Kh2 Ke5 64.Bc4 Nf4 65.Bf1 Nd5 66.Bxa6 Ne3 67.Re7+ Kf4 68.Bb7 Nf1+ 69.Kg1 Ng3
The rook belongs behind the passed pawn. This is usually a good endgame guideline: 70.Re1! First the rook must defend the back rank. Of course not 70.a6?? Rd1+ 71.Kf2 71.Kh2 Rh1# 71...Rf1# And 70.Ba6? is refuted by b3 71.Rb7 b2 72.Kh2 h4 73.Rb4+ Ke3 74.Rb3+ Kd4 75.Bb5 Rd1-+ 70...Ne2+ 71.Kh2 Nc3 72.a6 Ra2
The rook belongs behind the passed pawn. 73.Re6 b3 74.Rxf6+ Kg5 75.Rb6 The rook belongs behind the passed pawn. b2 76.a7 b1Q 77.Rxb1 Nxb1 78.a8Q Rxa8 79.Bxa8 h4 ½–½

The blockade

Sometimes two connected passed pawns are not enough to win a knight endgame. Javokhir Sindarov failed to notice he could set up a blockade in his round-3 game against Haik Martirosyan.

Martirosyan, Haik M.26861–0Sindarov, Javokhir2661
Satty Zhuldyz Rapid 2023
Astana20.04.2023[Mueller,Karsten]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.0-0 a5 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.Re1 Be6 9.h3 Bxc4 10.Nxc4 a4 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 b5 13.Ne3 Bxe3 14.Rxe3 Qe7 15.Nh2 g5 16.Bg3 Qe6 17.d4 Ne7 18.f3 Nh5 19.Bf2 Nf4 20.Nf1 c5 21.Qd2 Neg6 22.Ree1 c4 23.Ne3 Kh7 24.Red1 Nd3 25.d5 Qd7 26.b3 axb3 27.axb3 Nxf2 28.Qxf2 cxb3 29.Rab1 Ra3 30.c4 Rc8 31.cxb5 Qxb5 32.Rd2 Nf4 33.Nf5 Qa6 34.Kh2 Ra1 35.Rxa1 Qxa1 36.Qb6 Rc1 37.Qxd6 Rh1+ 38.Kg3 Rxh3+ 39.Kg4 Qe1 40.gxh3 h5+ 41.Kxg5 Nxh3+ 42.Kf6 Qxd2 43.Kxf7 Qg5 44.Qc7 Nf4 45.Kf8+ Kh8 46.Qxe5+ Kh7 47.Qc7+ Kh8 48.Qc3+ Kh7 49.Qc7+ Kh8 50.Qc3+ Kh7 51.Ke8 Qg6+ 52.Kd7 Nxd5 53.Qxb3 Qf7+ 54.Kd6 Qc7+ 55.Ke6 Qc8+ 56.Ke5 Qh8+ 57.Kd6 Qf8+ 58.Kc6 Qc8+ 59.Kb5 Nc7+ 60.Kb4 Ne6 61.Qd5 Qe8 62.Kc3 Kg6 63.Kd2 Kf6 64.Nd6 Qa4 65.Nc4 h4 66.Qf5+ Ke7 67.Qh7+ Kf8 68.Qh8+ Kf7 69.Ne5+ Ke7 70.Qxh4+ Kd6 71.Nf7+ Kd7 72.Qf6 Qb4+
The blockade. With only a few attacking pawns remaining, often great care is required: 73.Qc3? This allows the exchange of attacking and winning potential. 73.Ke2+- wins in the long run. 73...Qa4? Black also misses the deep defense. Amazingly 73...Qxc3+ draws due to 74.Kxc3 Ke7 75.Ne5 Kf6 76.Nd3 Ng5 77.Ne1 Ke5 78.Kd3 Kf4 79.Kd4 Ne6+ 80.Kd5 Ng5 81.e5 Kf5= and White cannot break the blockade. 74.Ne5+ Kd6 75.Nd3 Now 75.Qa3+ Qxa3 76.Nc4++-
wins by the way. 75...Qa2+ 76.Qb2 Qa6 77.Qe5+ Ke7 78.Nf4 Qa2+ 79.Ke3 Qa7+ 80.Ke2 Qa2+ 81.Kf1 Qc4+ 82.Kg2 82.Kg2 Qc2+ 83.Kg3 Qa2 84.Qxe6+ Qxe6 85.Nxe6 Kxe6 86.f4+- 1–0

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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