The Distant Opposition

by Efstratios Grivas
6/4/2024 – The position shown is taken from a game in the current Dubai Open. White has just captured on d7 with his king, and is playing to win. Black has seven move, all with his king. Only one allows him to hold a draw. Can you tell where the black king must go? Let international trainer Efstratios Grivas explain it all to you and help you understand exactly how this kind of endgame works. You can also register for the interactive training program of the Grivas Chess International Academy, starting June 2024.

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Distant Opposition

The great chess player and theoretician, P. A. Romanovsky, offered a simple definition: ‘Opposition is the placement of the kings opposite each other in such a way, so that a zugzwang is brought about’. German chess term ‘zugzwang’ itself implies the obligation of the weaker side to make a move, even though it doesn't support his interests.

Distant opposition occurs when the kings are separated by three or five squares. This distance is gradually reduced, resulting in a case of close opposition. Effectively, the distant opposition is a tool that allows us to force a favourable close opposition.

In the 6th round of the event I played the following game, which, is quite interesting on the opening theoretical part, but mostly important for its rook ending handling and the distant opposition concept, that occurred – unfortunately for me! The distant opposition lesson begins at move 53 in the game below.

Black to play and draw

Try to hold the draw by moving the black pieces on the diagram above. A full description of what is the correct solution and what transpired is given in the following deeply annotated game. Go to move 51 to find out.
 

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 (D)
A well-known position of the 'Catalan'; thousands of games have played here. 7...b6 7...a6 , is the main line, but Black decided to go for something not very well explored... 8.Qxc4 The simple way to play. Interesting is 8.Bg5 Nd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nbd2 b5 11.b3 cxb3 12.Nxb3 a5 13.Ne5 Grishhuk,A-Nakamuara,H Paris 2019, or 8.Ne5 Qxd4 9.Bxa8 Qxe5 10.Bf3 Ding,L-Caruana,F Berlin 2018. 8...Bb7 Black's intentions are clear; by exchanging the black c- for the white d-pawn and some pieces, he should be near to the draw. 8...Ba6 , is welcomed by White: 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Rd1 Arvind,C-Blanco Ronquill,H Internet 2021. 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Rd1 c5 11.Bg5 (D)
11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bg5 Qc8 13.Qh4 Samadov,R-Horvath,D Internet 2021, could have been tried. 11...Nd5 The accurate 11...Rc8 12.Qa4 Bc6 13.Qa6= Brandford,J-Poehlmann,R Reno 2006, seems to solve Black's opening problems. 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 (D)
Black is about to equalise, although some care is still in need. 13.Rac1 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.Rac1 Rac8 15.Nd4 Nxc3 16.Qxc3 Rfd8= , should be no trouble for Black. 13...Rfc8 13...Rac8 , could have been tried here: 14.Nxd5 14.e3 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 cxd4 16.Qxd4 Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Nc5= Luo,T-Sage,J Sturbridge 2018 14...Bxd5 14...exd5 15.Qa4 (D)
15...c4! 16.Qxa7 Rc7! 17.Qa3 Qxa3 18.bxa3 Ra8 19.Rc3 b5
15.Qa6 Rfd8= , is not bad for Black. Also, OK for Black is
13...Rfd8 14.Nxd5 14.Qd3?! Nxc3 15.bxc3 Rac8 16.Ng5 Nf6 17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Qf3 Qxf3 19.Nxf3 Ne4 Scheiblmaier,R-Henrichs,T Austria 2019 14...Bxd5 15.Qc2 Rac8= Rydl,J-Hurdzan,T Czech Republic 2018. Of course, Black cannot really hope for more than a draw, but he is probably satisfied with it... 14.Nxd5 (D)
14...Bxd5 14...exd5 , is another story: 15.Qc3 15.Qa4 c4 16.b3 Bc6 17.Qa6 Rc7! 18.Ne5! 18.bxc4? Nb8-+ 18...Nxe5 19.dxe5 Bb7 20.Qb5 Rc5 21.Qb4 a5 22.Qa3 Qc7 23.e4! dxe4 24.Rxc4 Rxc4 25.bxc4∞ 15...c4 16.Ne5 Rc7 17.h4∞ . 15.Qa4 h6 16.Qa3! (D)
Echoes of a ‘QGD - Tartakower Variation’ position… 16...a5?! A logical move, but weakens the queenside. Black should have opted for 16...Kf8 17.Qd3 Nf6 18.Ne5 Rd8 19.Qe3 cxd4 20.Rxd4 Rac8= . 17.Nd2! Time for some exchanges, aiming to activate the white queen on the h1-a8 diagonal. Bxg2 18.Kxg2 b5 (D)
18...Qd8 , looks a bit passive, but Black should try to defend after 19.Ne4 cxd4 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Rxd4 . 19.Ne4?! 19.Nf3! , is good here: b4 20.Qe3 cxd4 21.Rxd4 , as Black queenside pawn weaknesses cannot be ignored. 19...b4 20.Qd3 (D)
20...f5?! Black didn't like the ending after 20...cxd4 21.Qxd4 Nf6 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Qxf6 gxf6 24.Kf3 f5 25.Ke3 Kg7 , but the truth is that by some small accuracy, he would be able to draw. 21.Nxc5?! Returning the favour. After 21.Nd2! cxd4 22.Qxd4 Nf6 23.Nf3 , White should be happy. 21...Nxc5 22.dxc5 Rxc5 23.Rxc5 Qxc5 (D)
When I decided to enter this ending, I thought that Black's weak pawn structure (a5 and e6), should be given White good winning chances. But engines can make defence in everything nowadays... Still, is pleasant to play this with White. 24.Qd7 Qe5?! Missing the strong 24...Ra6! . After 25.Qe8+ Kh7 26.Rd8 Qc6+ 27.Qxc6 Rxc6 28.Ra8 Rc2 29.Kf3 Rxb2 30.Rxa5 , the draw is quite near. 25.e3 (D)
25...Kh8? After 25...Qxb2?! 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Rd4! Qc2! , is not easy for White to prove superiority, although Black would suffer: 28.Qd5 Re8 29.Qxa5 Rxe3 30.Rxb4 Qc6+ 31.Kh3 Rf3 32.Qa7 f4 33.Rxf4 Rxf4 34.Qb8+ Kh7 35.Qxf4 Qe6+ 36.Kg2 Qxa2 37.Qe4+ . But the accurate 25...Qe4+! 26.Kg1 Kh7 27.b3 a4 , should again provide the necessary counterplay for Black to survive. 26.Rd4 (D)
Now Black is in trouble, as White's ideas (h4, b3 and Rd6), are simple and effective. 26...Kh7 27.h4 At this position I thought that I am near to a win; engines are laughing on me... Rf8? Missing a genius defence! If somebody can find the manoeuvre 27...Ra6! 28.b3 Rb6 29.h5 Rb5! , with the idea ...Rd5, just let me know! 28.b3 Now Black is in grave trouble. h5?! (D)
Black had no real time left and he makes thongs easier for White. He should try to defend with 28...Rb8 29.Qf7 Rg8 30.h5 Rc8 31.Qg6+ Kh8 32.Kh2± . 29.Qe7! Qf6 29...Rf6 , seems to be losing after 30.Qe8? , but Black could complicate things by 30.Qd6! Qxd6 31.Rxd6+- , is of course the right way 30...f4! 31.gxf4 Qf5 32.Rd8 e5 33.Qxe5 Rg6+ 34.Kf1 Qh3+ 35.Ke2 Qg4+ 36.Kd2 Qxh4 . 30.Qxf6?! Giving Black some small chances to survive, Decisive was 30.Qc7 Ra8 31.Rd7 Qc3 32.Qd6 Qf6 33.Re7+- . 30...gxf6 No salvation either after 30...Rxf6 31.Rd6 Kg6 31...e5 32.Rxf6 gxf6 33.Kf3 e4+ 33...Kg6 34.e4 fxe4+ 35.Kxe4 Kf7 36.Kf5+- 34.Kf4 Kg6 35.g4!+- 32.Ra6 e5 33.Rxa5 e4 34.Ra4 Rb6 35.f3 exf3+ 36.Kxf3+- . 31.Rd6 Re8 32.Ra6 Kg6 33.Rxa5 (D)
White won a good pawn and in conjunction with the weak black kingside, things should be relatively easy. 33...Rc8 34.Rb5! Going for a position that I know by heart... Ra8 35.Rxb4 Rxa2 36.Rb8 Now White will push his b-pawn to b7 and his king will penetrate in Black's camp, either to collect another one pawn (f5), or transpose to a winning pawn ending. Rb2 37.b4 e5 38.b5 Kg7 38...f4 39.gxf4 exf4 40.e4!+- , doesn't give Black any chances either. 39.b6 Rb1 (D)
40.f4! Black was hoping for 40.b7? e4! , when a draw in on cards, as the white king cannot escape his cage! 40...Rb2+ 41.Kf1 e4 42.b7! Everything as planned. Now the white king will finish the job... Rb3 43.Ke2 Rb6 44.Kd2 Rb2+ 45.Kc3 Rb1 46.Kc4 Rb2 47.Kd5 Rb6 48.Kc5 Rb3 49.Kc6 Rc3+ 50.Kd6 Rb3 (D)
51.Ke6 Simplest was 51.Re8! Rxb7 51...Rb6+ 52.Kc7+- 52.Re7+ Rxe7 53.Kxe7 Kg6 54.Ke6+- . 51...Rb5 (D)
52.Rd8? I do not really understand what is happeing with my brain (do I have any healthy left?), as this is a position I know by heart and I have also presented in one (at least) of my books. I think I messed-up the rook exchange... 52.Kd6 Rb1 53.Re8!+- , as analysed above, was the right way. Not easy would be 52.Re8? Rb6+ 53.Kxf5 Rxb7 54.Kxe4 Rb4+ 55.Kd3± . 52...Rxb7 (D)
53.Rd7+? The final (?) mistake... I should have tried 53.Kxf5 Rb5+ 54.Kxe4 f5+ 55.Kd4± . My opponent informed me after the game that he wasn’t resigning, hoping for this trap… 53...Rxd7 54.Kxd7 (D)
54...Kh7! The study-like way to draw, known from various pawn endings examples. Black keeps the distant opposition, avoiding the naive 54...Kf7? 55.Kd6 Kg6 56.Ke6+- . Here I was frozen, realising that I have destroyed a good game and an easy win... 55.Kd8 Kh8! Continuing the concept of the distant opposition. 56.Ke7 Kg7 57.Kd6 Kh6! Again, the only move - everything else is losing, but not the distant opposition concept! 58.Kc6 (D)
I was about to offer a draw, but I decided to try a bit more, mainly because my opponent had little time left. 58...Kg7? And Black blundered! The concept of opposition is dealing with one, three or five squares in-between the kings (always odd number), so Black here should opt for 58...Kg6!= . 59.Kc7! Now the distant opposition works for White, as it is Black to move with three squares in-between the kings. Kg8 (D)
59...Kg6 60.Kd8 Kh7 61.Kd7!+- - zugzwang! 60.Kd8? I was so much disappointed by the previous way I handled the rook ending, that I wasn't really thinking anymore - I didn’t even noticed that my opponent blundered! - otherwise I could find the easy 60.Kd6! Kh7 61.Kd7! Kg7 62.Ke7 Kg6 63.Ke6+- . 60...Kh8! (D)
Back to normal - the game is a draw! 61.Ke8 Kg8 62.Ke7 Kg7 63.Kd7 Kh7! 64.Kc6 Kg6 65.Kc7 Kg7! 66.Kc8 Kg8! 67.Kd8 Kh8! (D)
And as Black didn't blundered twice(!) in this pawn ending, a draw was agreed here.
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grivas,E2396Hossain,E2365½–½2024E03Dubai Open6


The Grivas Chess International Academy is announcing an interactive training program with a monthly schedule, starting June 2024. Ten players of a rating strength of more of 1500 are invited to register monthly. The program is addressed to ambitious chess players, who are aiming to achieve high rating and international titles. All sessions will be conducted by the world-famous coach and author GM Efstratios Grivas.

Program Data

● Monthly, starting June 7th 2024.
● Twice per week, Friday and Sunday, 16 hours of top-training.
● Sessions at 13:00-15:00 (CET Time) - 15:00-17:00 (UAE Time).
● Meetings via Zoom, ten students maximum.
● English Language.
● All sessions will be recorded and access will be given to the students.
● Monthly Program Cost per Student: AED 1.000 or €250 or US $270.
● Payments by Bank Account Transfer or PayPal.

Program Subjects

● Opening Repertory.
● Middlegame Handling.
● Endgame Excellence.
● Planning.
● Tactical Education.

Contacts

● WhatsApp: 00306936888163.
● Mobile: 00971551880025.
● Email: grivasefs@yahoo.co.uk.


Efstratios (30.03.1966) is a highly experienced chess trainer and chess author. He has been awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) the titles of International Chess Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer, International Chess Arbiter and International Chess Organiser.

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