The cut-off

by Karsten Müller
6/6/2023 – The cut-off is an important technique in rook endings. In the diagram position Black could have used it to win the game. How?
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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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.d4 d5 4.Bg5 a6 5.e3 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 Ne4 8.Nfd2 Nxg3 9.hxg3 Bg7 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Be2 Ne7 12.Bf3 c6 13.Qb3 b5 14.cxd5 exd5 15.g4 Be6 16.Nf1 Qd7 17.Qd1 0-0 18.Ng3 f5 19.gxf5 Nxf5 20.Nxf5 Bxf5 21.Bh5 Qe7 22.0-0 Rad8 23.a4 Rd6 24.axb5 axb5 25.Bg4 Bxg4 26.Qxg4 h5 27.Qxh5 Rh6 28.Qg4 Rh4 29.Qg3 Qf6 30.Ra7 Qh6 31.f3 g4 32.f4 Bxd4 33.exd4 Rh1+ 34.Kf2 Qxf4+ 35.Qxf4 Rxf4+ 36.Kg3 Rhxf1 37.Rc7 b4 38.Na4 Rxd4 39.Rxc6 Re1 40.Nb6 Re3+ 41.Kh4 g3+ 42.Kh3 Rd1 43.Rd6 d4 44.Nd5 Rh1+ 45.Kg4 Kf7 46.Nxe3 dxe3 47.Kf3 Rb1 48.Rd3 e2 49.Kxe2 Rxb2+ 50.Kf3 Ra2 51.Rd7+ Ke6 52.Rb7 Ra3+ 53.Ke4 Rb3 54.Rb6+ Kd7 55.Kf4 Kc7 56.Rb5 Kc6 57.Rb8 Kc5 58.Rc8+ Kd4 59.Rb8 Kc4 60.Rc8+ Kd3 61.Kxg3 Rc3 62.Rb8 The cut-off The cut-off is an important technique in rook endings. In the diagram position Black could have used it to win the game. How?
Black to move and win
Show Solution
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Zhukova,N2322Chelushkina,I2207½–½2023D30European Women-ch 20239.6

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 #206

Order now at the ChessBase Shop ! Available as a download or on DVD.

ChessBase Magazine Extra #205

 Order now at the ChessBase Shop ! Available as download or on DVD.

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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