The Clutch Chess Champions Showdown: Endgame Highlights

by Karsten Müller
6/18/2020 – The many games that are played in the online top tournaments lead to a wealth of exciting endgames. However, as these games are played with short time-controls even the best in the world do not always find the best way to play these endgames. Karsten Müller selected instructive and interesting endgames from the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown to show where and how the best could have done better.
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Clutch Chess Champions Showdown 2020: Endgame Highlights

This new online format seems to lead to a lot of fascinating endgames. There were so many exciting and instructive endgames in the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown that I was spoilt for choice. I selected some gems and sorted them by material.

A) Rook endings

A1) The Vancura Defense

"Vancura Defense" is the name of the most important maneuver to draw against an a- or h-pawn.

 
M. Vachier Lagrave - W. So

White to play and draw!

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nf3 c5 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nd7 10.Bf4 Qh4 11.g3 Qh5 12.0-0 g5 13.cxd5 Bxc3 14.bxc3 exd5 15.Be3 Nxe5 16.f3 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 Nd6 18.g4 Qg6 19.Qxg6+ hxg6 20.Bxg5 f6 21.Bf4 Nc4 22.Nb5 Bd7 23.Nc7 Rac8 24.Nxd5 Rc5 25.Rad1 Be6 26.Nb4 g5 27.Rfe1 Bxg4 28.fxg4 gxf4 29.Nd3 Ra5 30.Nxf4 Rxa2 31.Ng6 Rf7 32.h4 Kg7 33.h5 Kh6 34.Rd4 b5 35.Re8 f5 36.Rh8+ Kg5 37.Rg8 Kh6 38.Rh8+ Kg5 39.Rg8 Kh6 40.g5+ Kxh5 41.Nf4+ Kg4 42.g6 Rb7 43.Rf8 Ne5 44.Nh5+ Kxh5 45.Rxf5+ Kxg6 46.Rxe5 a5 47.Rd6+ Kg7 48.Rg5+ Kf8 49.Rf6+ Ke7 50.Ra6 Kf7 51.Rag6 Ke8 52.Rg8+ Kd7 53.R8g7+ Kc8 54.Rxb7 Kxb7 55.Rxb5+ Ka6 56.Rb8 a4 57.c4 a3 58.c5 Ka5 59.Ra8+ Kb4 60.Rb8+ Ka4 61.Ra8+ Kb4 62.Rb8+ Kxc5 Rook endgames The Vancura defence It is the most important defence against a rook's pawn: 63.Rb3! The black rook is tied to the defence of the rook's pawn. 63.Ra8? Ra1+ 64.Kf2 Kb4 64...a2? 65.Kg2!= 65.Ke2? Rh1 66.Rxa2 Rh2+-+ 65.Rb8+ Kc3 66.Rc8+ Kb2 67.Rb8+ Ka2 68.Ke2 Rb1 69.Rc8 Kb2 70.Rb8+ Ka1 71.Rc8 a2 72.Kd3 Kb2 73.Rb8+ Kc1 74.Rc8+ Kd1 75.Rh8 Rb3+ 76.Kc4 Rc3+ 77.Kb4 Rc1 78.Rh1+ Kc2 79.Rh2+ Kb1 80.Kb3 a1Q-+ 63.Rc8+? Kb4 64.Rb8+ Kc3 65.Rc8+ Kb2 66.Rb8+ Kc1 67.Ra8 Kb1 68.Kf1 Ra1 69.Ke2 Kb2 70.Rb8+ Kc3 71.Rc8+ Kd4 72.Rd8+ Kc5 73.Rc8+ Kb6 74.Rb8+ Kc7 75.Ra8 a2 76.Kd2 Rh1 77.Rxa2 Rh2+-+ 63...Ra1+ 63...Kc4 64.Rf3= 64.Kh2 Kc4 65.Rg3 Ra2+ 66.Kh1 Ra1+ 66...Kb4 67.Rg4+= 67.Kh2! The rook must have free sight for the checks. Black's rook can't break free and the king finds no shelter from the rain of rook checks. 67.Kg2? Kb4 68.Rg4+ Kb3 69.Rg3+ Kb2-+ 67...Kd4 68.Rg4+ Ke3 69.Rg3+ Kf4 70.Rb3 Ke4 71.Rg3 Kd4 72.Rg4+ Kc3 73.Rg3+ Kc4 ½–½
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Vachier-Lagrave,M2860So,W2741½–½2020E32Clutch Chess International1.2

A2) Activity is important

The defender should try to keep king and rook active.

 
M. Vachier Lagrave - W. So

Black to play and draw!

 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.b3 e6 4.Bb2 Be7 5.c4 0-0 6.Nc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.h4 Nc6 9.Qb1 f5 10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.h5 h6 13.0-0 Qe8 14.d4 Nxd4 15.exd4 Bxb5 16.Re1 Qf7 17.a4 Ba6 18.Qd1 Bf6 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.Rxe5 c4 21.Qf3 cxb3 22.Ba3 Bc4 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Rae1 Qf6 25.a5 b6 26.axb6 axb6 27.Rxd5 Bxd5 28.Qxd5+ Qf7 29.Qb5 Qxh5 30.Qxb3+ Qf7 31.Qxb6 Qf6 32.Qb3+ Kh7 33.d5 Ra8 34.Qd3 Rd8 35.g3 Qg6 36.Re5 f4 37.Qxg6+ Kxg6 38.gxf4 Kf6 39.Kg2 Ra8 40.Kf3 Ra1 41.Re6+ Kf5 42.Re7 Rd1 43.Re5+ Kf6 44.Ke4 Rd2 45.f3 Kf7 46.Rh5 Ke7 47.Rh1 Kd6 48.Rg1 Re2+ 49.Kd4 Rd2+ 50.Kc4 Rc2+ 51.Kd3 Ra2 52.Ke4 Re2+ 53.Kf5 Rook endings are always draw. But over the board it is often not that easy: Re7? This rook retreat is too passive. The active 53...Kxd5 draws, e.g. 54.Rxg7 54.Kg6 Rf2 55.Rg3 55.Kxg7 Rxf3 56.Rg4 Ke4= 55...h5 56.Kxh5 Ke6 57.Kg6 Rf1 58.f5+ Ke5 59.Rg5 Kf4 60.Rg4+ Kxf3 61.Ra4 Rg1+ 62.Kf7 Rg5= 54...Kd6 55.Kf6 Re6+ 56.Kf7 Re7+ 57.Kf8 Re6! 58.Rf7 Re3 59.f5 Rxf3 60.f6 Ke6 61.Re7+ Kxf6 62.Rf7+ Kg5 63.Rxf3 h5= 54.Kg6! 54.Rd1? Rf7+= 54...Kxd5 54...Ra7 55.f5 Kxd5 56.Re1 Kd6 57.f4 57.f6? gxf6 58.Kxf6 h5 59.Kg5 Re7= 57...h5 58.Kxh5 Ra2 59.Kg6 Rg2+ 60.Kf7 Rg4 61.f6 gxf6 62.f5+- 55.Rd1+ Kc4 55...Ke6 56.f5+ Ke5 57.Re1+ Kd6 58.Rxe7 Kxe7 59.Kxg7 h5 60.f6++- 56.f5 Ra7 57.f4 Kc5 58.Rd8 h5 So gives the pawn directly, but he is lost in any case, e.g. 58...Kc6 59.f6 gxf6 60.Kxf6 60.Kxh6? Ra4 61.f5 Rg4 62.Rf8 Kd7 63.Rxf6 Ke7= 60...h5 61.Kg5 Rh7 62.Kg6 Rd7 63.Rxd7 Kxd7 64.Kxh5 Ke6 65.Kg6+- 59.Kxh5 Rf7 60.Kg6 Rf6+ 61.Kg5 61.Kxg7?? Rxf5 62.Rf8 Rxf8 63.Kxf8 Kd5 64.Kf7 Ke4= 61...Rf7 61...Kc6 62.Rg8+- 62.f6 62.f6 Rxf6 62...gxf6+ 63.Kg6 Ra7 64.Kxf6+- 63.Rd7 Rf8 64.Rxg7 Kd6 65.f5 Ke5 66.Re7++- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier-Lagrave,M2860So,W27411–02020A13Clutch Chess International1.9

 

 
L. Aronian - A. Grischuk

White to play and draw!

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.Rd1 a6 11.Bd3 Qc7 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.e4 b6 14.Bc4 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Be3 Bb7 18.f3 Rac8 19.Rac1 b5 20.Bb3 Qe7 21.Nd5 exd5 22.Bxc5 Bd6 23.Bxd6 Qxd6 24.Qd2 Qb6+ 25.Qf2 Qxf2+ 26.Kxf2 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 dxe4 28.Rc7 Ba8 29.Ra7 g6 30.Bxf7+ Rxf7 31.Rxa8+ Kg7 32.Rxa6 exf3 33.g4 Rd7 34.b4 h5 35.gxh5 gxh5 36.Ra5 Kg6 37.Kxf3 Rd2 38.h4 Rh2 39.Kg3 Rd2 40.Rxb5 Rxa2 41.Rg5+ Kh6 42.Rf5 Ra8 43.Rf6+ Kg7 44.Rf3 Rb8 45.Rb3 Rb5 46.Kf4 Kf6 47.Ke4 Ke6 48.Kd4 Kd6 49.Kc4 Rf5 50.Rd3+ Kc6 51.Rd4 Kb6 52.Rd6+ Kc7 53.Rd5 Rf4+ 54.Rd4 Rf5 55.b5 Kb6 56.Rd6+ Kb7 57.Rh6 Rf4+ 58.Kc5 Rxh4 59.Rh7+ Kc8 60.Kb6 Rh3 61.Rc7+ Kb8 62.Rh7 Kc8 63.Rc7+ Kb8 64.Rf7 Kc8 65.Rf8+ Kd7 66.Kb7 h4 67.b6 Rb3 68.Ka7 Ra3+ 69.Kb8 h3 70.b7 h2 71.Rf7+ Ke6 72.Rh7 Ra2 73.Rh5 Rc2 74.Rh3 Ke7 Black's unlucky king In the endgame activity is often of vital importance. In the next case Black's king is not only not active but his unfortunate position is even for the reason for his undoing: 75.Re3+? 75.Ka7! White's king has to start the march to the centre. Ra2+ 76.Kb6 Rb2+ 77.Kc6 Rc2+ 78.Kd5 Rd2+ 78...Rb2 79.Rxh2 Rxb7 79...Rxh2 80.b8Q+- 79...Rb1 80.Rh8 Rxb7 81.Rh7++- 80.Rh7++- 79.Kc4 Rb2 80.Rxh2 Rb6 80...Rxb7 81.Rh7++- 81.Rh8 Rxb7 82.Rh7++- This rook skewer exploits the unfortunate position of Black's king in typical fashion. 75.Rh6? Kd8 76.Rh8+ Kd7 77.Ka7 Ra2+ 78.Kb6 Rb2+= 75...Kf6 76.Re1 Kg5 77.Rb1 Kg4 78.Ka7 Rc7! 79.Rh1 Kg3 80.Ka8 Rxb7 81.Kxb7 Kg2 82.Rxh2+ Kxh2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2778Grischuk,A2784½–½2020D46Clutch Chess International1.5

A3) Be careful when liquidating into a pawn endgame

 
J. Xiong - M. Carlsen

White to play and draw!

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bd3 g6 7.f3 Bg7 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Nxc6 Rxc6 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 Rxc3 14.bxc3 Qa5 15.Kd2 Bc6 16.h4 Qxa2 17.Rb1 Qa3 18.Qe3 Qa5 19.g4 Nd7 20.Ra1 Qc5 21.f4 e5 22.Qxc5 dxc5 23.Rhf1 Ke7 24.Ra5 h6 25.fxe5 Nxe5 26.Rxc5 Nxg4 27.e5 Rd8 28.Rf4 h5 29.Rd4 Re8 30.Bxa6 Kf8 31.Bb5 Nxe5 32.Bxc6 bxc6 33.Re4 f6 34.Ke3 Kf7 35.Kf4 Ra8 36.Rexe5 fxe5+ 37.Kxe5 Re8+ 38.Kf4 Re6 39.c4 Rf6+ 40.Ke4 Kg7 41.Re5 Rf1 42.Kd4 Rf4+ Great care is always requitred when simplifications into a pawn endgame are possible: 43.Re4? 43.Kc5? Rxh4 44.Re6 Rf4 45.Rxc6 h4-+ 43.Kc3? Rxh4 44.Rc5 Rf4 45.Rxc6 h4 46.c5 h3 47.Rd6 g5 48.c6 Rf8 49.c7 Rc8 50.Rd7+ Kg6 51.Kd2 h2 52.Rd6+ Kh5 53.Rd7 Kg4 54.Rh7 Kg3-+ The rook endgame is still drawn: 43.Kd3! Rxh4 44.Rc5 Rh3+ 45.Ke2 Rc3 46.Rxc6 Rxc2+ 47.Kd3!= 43...Rxe4+ However, not 43...c5+? 44.Kd5 Rxe4 45.Kxe4 Kf6 46.Kf4 g5+ 47.hxg5+ Kg6 48.c3= 44.Kxe4 Kf6 45.Kf4 c5! The point. White is in zugzwang. 45...g5+? 46.hxg5+ Kg6 47.c5 h4 48.Kg4 h3 49.Kxh3 Kxg5 50.Kg3= 46.c3 46.Ke3 g5 47.hxg5+ Kxg5 48.Kf3 Kf5 49.Kg3 Ke4 50.Kh4 Kd4 51.Kxh5 Kxc4 52.Kg4 Kc3 53.Kf3 Kxc2-+ 46...g5+ 47.hxg5+ Kg6 47...Kg6 48.Kg3 Kxg5 49.Kf3 Kf5 50.Ke3 h4 51.Kf3 h3 52.Kg3 Ke4 53.Kxh3 Kd3 54.Kg3 Kxc4 55.Kf2 Kxc3-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Xiong,J2730Carlsen,M28810–12020B72Clutch Chess International1.9

B) Rook against pawns

In these endings the side with the rook usually tries to win – unless the pawns are far advanced.

 
A. Grischuk - L. Aronian

White to play and draw!

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Bf4 Nh4 11.Rad1+ Ke8 12.Nxh4 Bxh4 13.Ne2 Be7 14.Nd4 a6 15.e6 Bxe6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Rfe1 Bf6 18.b3 Ke7 19.Bxc7 Rhc8 20.Bd6+ Kf7 21.Bc5 Rd8 22.Bb6 Rd5 23.c4 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Ke8 25.Rd6 Ke7 26.Rd3 Rc8 27.b4 e5 28.Bc5+ Ke6 29.Rd6+ Kf5 30.Bb6 Re8 31.Kf1 h5 32.Ke2 Re6 33.Rd1 Re8 34.a4 Ke6 35.h3 Be7 36.Rb1 Rf8 37.b5 Rf4 38.bxa6 bxa6 39.Rc1 c5 40.Ba5 Re4+ 41.Kd3 Rd4+ 42.Ke2 e4 43.Rc2 Bf6 44.Bb6 Kd6 45.Ba5 Kc6 46.Bd2 Rd3 47.a5 Rb3 48.Be3 Bc3 49.Bd2 Bb4 50.Ra2 g6 51.Kd1 Rd3 52.Ke2 Rd4 53.Rc2 Bxd2 54.Rxd2 Rxc4 55.Ke3 Ra4 56.Rd8 Rxa5 57.Kxe4 Ra4+ 58.Ke5 Ra2 59.Rd6+ Kb5 60.Rxg6 Re2+ 61.Kd5 Rxf2 62.g4 hxg4 63.hxg4 a5 64.g5 a4 65.Rg8 Rd2+ 66.Ke5 a3 67.g6 Rg2 68.Kf6 Kc4 69.Ra8 Kb3 70.Rb8+ Kc3 71.Ra8 Rf2+ 72.Ke7 Re2+ 73.Kf7 Rf2+ 74.Ke7 Re2+ 75.Kf7 a2 76.g7 Rf2+ 77.Ke7 Rg2 78.Kf7 Kb2 79.Rb8+ Ka1 80.g8Q Rxg8 81.Kxg8 c4 82.Rc8 c3 83.Kf7 Kb2 84.Rb8+ Kc2 85.Ra8 Kb3 86.Rb8+ Kc4 87.Rc8+ Kd3 88.Rd8+ Ke3 89.Re8+ Kf3 90.Re1 c2 91.Ke6 Kf2 Is the left corner right? Usually a rook fights for the win against pawns. But when they are far advanced it can be different: 92.Rh1? 92.Ra1! The left is indeed the right corner Ke3 93.Ke5 93.Kd5? runs into a bodycheck: Kd3 94.Kc5 Kc3-+ 93...Kd3 93...Kd2 94.Rxa2= 94.Kf4! Outflanking Kc3 95.Ke3 Kb2 96.Kd2 Kxa1 97.Kc1= (Jonas Lampert) 92...Ke3 93.Kd5 Kd2 94.Ra1 c1Q 95.Rxa2+ Ke3 96.Ra6 Qd1+ 97.Ke6 Ke4 98.Ke7 Qb3 99.Rh6 Qb7+ 100.Ke8 Qg7 101.Ra6 Qe5+ 102.Kf7 Kf5 103.Rh6 Qc7+ 104.Ke8 Qg7 105.Ra6 Qb7 106.Rh6 Qc7 107.Rh3 Qc6+ 108.Ke7 Qc7+ 109.Ke8 Kg6 110.Rd3 Qe5+ 111.Kd8 Qa5+ 112.Ke7 Qc7+ 113.Ke8 Qe5+ 114.Kd8 Qe4 115.Rd6+ Kf7 116.Kc7 Qc4+ 117.Rc6 Qf4+ 118.Kb6 Ke7 119.Kb5 Kd7 120.Rc4 Qe3 121.Kb4 Kd6 122.Ka4 Kd5 123.Rc2 Qb6 124.Rc3 Kd4 125.Rc2 Kd3 126.Rc1 Qd4+ 127.Kb3 Qd5+ 128.Kb4 Qb7+ 129.Ka3 Qb5 130.Rf1 Qa6+ 131.Kb3 Qb6+ 132.Ka3 Kc2 133.Rf3 Qa5# 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grischuk,A2784Aronian,L27780–12020C67Clutch Chess International1.6

In the following example White wins because his g-pawns queens with check.

 

Black is to move but he is still lost.

 
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C) Queen endings

In queen endings it is often important to find a safe place for the king of the attacker:

 
M. Carlsen - F. Caruana

Black to play and draw!

 
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D) Knight against bishop

Sometimes bad bishops are not as bad as it seems on first sight. But in the following example Black manages to break through.

 
F. Caruana - L. Dominguez

Black to play and win!

 
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J. Xiong - M. Carlsen

White to play and draw!

 
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E) Endgames with bishops of opposite colour

Endgames with bishops of opposite colour are extremely drawish and positional factors are oft more important than material considerations.

 
M. Vachier-Lagrave - W. So

White to play and draw!

 
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F) Rook against knight

Knights are sometimes called "octopus" because a knight can control a maximum of eight squares and an octopus has eight arms.

 
L. Aronian - A. Grischuk

Black to play and draw!

 
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If you like such endgames and if you want to improve your endgame skills you should take a look at the ChessBase Magazine which in each issue contains similar endgames.

FIDE Candidates 2020 with analyses by Giri, Gelfand etc. Firouzja, Vidit, Vitiugov, Duda and Navara comment on their games from Prague. 11 articles with new repertoire ideas. Videos by Werle, King and Marin. Training in tactics, strategy and endgame!

You might also like Karsten Müller's instructive and entertaining endgame DVDs. 

 

Rules of thumb are the key to everything when you are having to set the correct course in a complex endgame. In this final DVD of his series on the endgame, our endgame specialist introduces you to the most important of these rules of thumb.

Links

 

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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