The power of the triple pawns – more endgames from Plovdiv

by ChessBase
4/12/2012 – Our ChessBase Magazin expert Dr Karsten Müller continues to select interesting and instructive endings, again taken from the high-quality games of the European Individual Championship, with 350 participants, fifteen rated over 2700. Subjects: opposite colored bishops, duel rook vs bishop, deadly tripled pawns and Areshchenko's Attack. Good for training on some additional Elo points.

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Opposite colored bishops favor the attacker

Pure opposite colored bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency. However, when more pieces are on the board matters are completely different:

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1.e41,161,23254%2421---
1.d4943,61155%2434---
1.Nf3280,29556%2441---
1.c4181,39556%2442---
1.g319,64956%2427---
1.b314,14254%2427---
1.f45,86848%2376---
1.Nc33,74951%2385---
1.b41,73548%2378---
1.a31,18753%2403---
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1.d394050%2378---
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1.c341951%2423---
1.h327756%2416---
1.a410659%2469---
1.Nh38866%2510---
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1.Na34063%2477---
1.c4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 d6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.d3 0-0 7.e4 Nc6 8.0-0 e5 9.exf5 Bxf5 10.Ng5 Qd7 11.Be3 Ng4 12.Bc1 Nf6 13.Be3 Ng4 14.Nd5 Nxe3 15.fxe3 Bh6 16.Ne4 Kg7 17.Qe2 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Rae8 19.Rxf8 Rxf8 20.Rf1 Rxf1+ 21.Qxf1 Bg5 22.h4 Bd8 23.Qf3 Nb8 24.h5 Qh3 25.hxg6 hxg6 26.Nc3 c6 27.b4 a6 28.a4 Qh5 29.Qxh5 gxh5 30.Bf5 b5 31.cxb5 cxb5 32.axb5 axb5 33.Nxb5 Nc6 34.Nxd6 Nxb4 35.Nc4 Nd5 36.Be6 Nb4 37.Bf5 Nd5 38.Kf2 Bc7 39.Be4 Nf6 40.Bf5 Kh6 41.Nd2 Bb6 42.Be6 Ba5 43.Nc4 Bc7 44.Kg2 Kg5 45.Nd2 Bb6 46.Nf3+ Kh6 47.e4 Bc7 48.Kf2 Nh7 49.Nh4 Bb6+ 50.Ke2 Bc5 51.Bd7 Nf6 52.Bf5 Ng8 53.Nf3 Bd6 54.Kd2 Ne7 55.Bd7 Ng6 56.Be8 Nf8 57.Kc3 Ne6 58.Kc4 Bb8 59.Bd7 Ng5 60.Nh4 Nh7 61.Bf5 Nf6 62.Nf3 Kg7 63.Kb5 Kf7 64.Kb6 Ke7 Opposite Colored bishop favor the attacker Pure opposite colored bishop endings have a very large drawish tendency. However, when more pieces are on the board matters are completely different: 65.Nd2! White's strategical initiative is very difficult to deal with. Even in the analysis with the help of a computer it is not easy to say, if Black can defend or not. Bd6 66.Nc4 Bb4? This goes too far. Now White's connected passed pawns in the centre should decide the issue. 66...Bb8! is forced, when I have not managed to come to a clear conclusion, e.g. 67.Kc6 Ng8 68.Kb7 Bd6 69.Bg6 Nf6 70.Nxd6 Kxd6 71.Kc8 Ke6 72.Kd8 Ng4 73.Bxh5 Ne3 But not 73...Nf2? 74.Be2 Kd6 75.Bf1 Ke6 76.Kc7 Ke7 77.Kc6 Ke6 78.Be2 Nh1 79.g4 Nf2 80.g5+- 74.Be2 Nc2 75.Bg4+ Kf6 76.Kd7 Nd4 and Black might be able to hold despite White's two extra pawns. But I am not completely sure about this whole line. 67.Nxe5 Be1 68.Ng6+? The knight is a bit clumsily placed now. 68.Nc6+ followed by an advance of the central pawns should do the job, e.g. Kf7 69.Kc5 Bxg3 70.e5 Ng8 71.Kd6 Nh6 72.Be6+ Ke8 73.d4 h4 74.Bd7+ Kf7 75.Bh3± 68...Kf7 69.e5 Nd5+? This is surprisingly wrong as the resulting pure opposite colored bishop's ending is lost. 69...Ng8! was forced, when Black seems to be able to weather the storms: 70.g4 70.Kc6 Bxg3 71.d4 h4 72.Kd7 h3= 70.d4 Bxg3 71.d5 Ne7 72.d6 Nxg6 73.d7 Bh4 74.e6+ Kf8 75.Bxg6 Bd8+ 76.Kc6 Ke7= 70.Be4 Bxg3 71.Kc6 h4 72.Kd7 h3 73.e6+ Kg7 74.e7 Nf6+ 75.Ke6 Ne8 76.d4 Bf2 77.d5 Bg3 78.Nf8 h2= 70...hxg4 71.d4 Ne7 72.Nxe7 g3 72...Kxe7? 73.Bxg4+- 73.Nc6 73.Be4 Kxe7 74.d5 g2 75.Bxg2 Bg3= 73...g2 74.e6+ Kf6 75.e7 g1Q 76.e8Q Kxf5 77.Qe5+ Kg6= 69...Bxg3? 70.exf6 Kxf6 71.Be4± 69...Ne8? 70.Kc6 Bxg3 71.Be4 h4 72.d4 h3 73.Kd7 h2 74.e6+ Kf6 75.Nf8± 70.Kc5 Ne7 The alternativs do not help either: 70...Nf6 71.exf6 71.d4 Bxg3 72.d5 h4 73.e6+ Kg7 74.Ne7 Kf8 75.Nc8 Ne8 76.Kc6 Bb8 77.d6+- 71...Kxf6 72.g4 hxg4 73.Be4 g3 74.Nf4+- After 70...Ne3?! the passed e-pawn decides the day directly: 71.e6+ Ke8 72.Be4+- 71.Nxe7 Kxe7 72.d4 Bxg3 72...Bc3 73.Kd5 Ba5 74.Ke4 Bc7 75.d5 Bb8 76.d6+ Bxd6 77.exd6+ Kxd6 78.Bh3 h4 79.g4+- 73.Kc4!? White keeps the d-pawn mobile. However, not 73.Kd5 Be1 74.Ke4? 74.Kc6 Bc3 75.Kc5 h4 76.Bh3+- 74...Ba5 75.Kd5 75.d5 Bc7= 75...Bb6 76.Kc4 Ba7 77.d5 Bb8 78.Kd4 Bc7= and Black has reached a typical fortress. 73...h4 73...Be1 74.d5 Ba5 75.d6++- 75.Kd4? Bc7= 74.Kd3 Bf4 75.Ke4 Bc1 76.d5 Ba3 77.Kd3 Bc5 78.Kc4 Ba3 79.Bh3 And Black resigned as White will win by marching around with his king: 79.Bh3 Bc1 80.d6+ Ke8 81.e6 Bg5 82.Kd5 Bf6 83.Bf1 83.Kc6 Kd8 84.Bf1 Bg5 85.Kd5+- 83...Bg5 84.Ke5 Bd8 85.Kf5 Kf8 86.Kg6 h3 87.Bxh3 Bh4 88.Bg4 Bd8 89.Bh5 Bh4 90.Kf5 Bd8 91.Ke5 Bh4 92.Kd5 Bg5 93.Kc6 Bh4 94.Kd7+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kryvoruchko,Y2666Ernst,S25781–02012A2113th EICC7

The duel rook against bishop

Usually a rook is much stronger than a bishop in a technical endgame, but if the bishop has targets to attack matters may be different:

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1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nd4 4.e3 Nxf3+ 5.Qxf3 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 d6 8.g3 e6 9.Bg2 Ne7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rad1 Nc6 12.Qe2 e5 13.a3 Re8 14.Nd5 a5 15.Rb1 Be6 16.Bc3 Ne7 17.b4 cxb4 18.axb4 a4 19.Qd3 f5 20.e4 Nxd5 21.exd5 Bf7 22.Ra1 b5 23.cxb5 Qb6 24.Rfc1 e4 25.Qe3 Qxe3 26.fxe3 Bxd5 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.Bf1 Kf6 29.Ra3 Reb8 30.Be2 Bb3 31.Rc6 Ke6 32.Kf2 Kd7 33.d4 Rc8 34.Ra6 Rxa6 35.bxa6 Kc6 36.Ra1 Kb6 37.Ke1 Rc2 38.h4 h6 39.b5 d5 40.Rb1 Rc3 41.Kd2 Rc2+ 42.Ke1 a3 43.Rxb3 a2 44.Ra3 Rc1+ 45.Kf2 a1Q 46.Rxa1 Rxa1 47.Bf1 g5 48.hxg5 hxg5 49.Be2 Rh1 50.Kg2 Rh8 51.Kg1 Rf8 52.Kf2 Rf7 53.Bf1 Rc7 54.Be2 Rc1 55.Kg2 Rc8 56.Kf1 Rf8 57.Kf2 Rf6 58.Bf1 f4 59.gxf4 gxf4 60.exf4 Rxf4+ 61.Ke1 Rf3 The duel rook against bishop Usually a rook is much stronger than a bishop in a technical endgame, but if the bishop has targets to attack matters may be different: 62.Be2! The only move. White's castle can not be stormed, if he defends carefully. Rb3 63.Kf2 Rh3 64.Bf1 e3+ 65.Ke1 Rh1 66.Ke2 Kxb5 Caruana takes the queenside pawns to continue pressing against the resulting fortress. Taking White's d-pawn with 66...Ka7 67.Ke1 Rh2 67...Rh4 68.Ke2 Rxd4 69.Kxe3= 68.Be2 Kb6 69.Kf1 Rf2+ 70.Ke1 Rf4 71.Bd3 Rxd4 also leads to a draw, e.g. 72.Ke2 Ra4 73.Kxe3 Kc5 74.Kd2 Ra3 75.Kc2= and Black can not make progress as Kd4?? even backfires due to 76.b6+- 67.a7 Rh8 68.Kxe3+ However, not 68.Bg2? Kc4 69.Kxe3 Re8+ 70.Kf4 Kxd4 71.Kf5 Ra8 72.Ke6 Rxa7 73.Bxd5 Ra6+-+ 68...Kc6!? The active 68...Kb4 leads directly to a draw: 69.Bg2 Kc4 70.Bf1+ Kc3 71.Ba6 Re8+ 72.Kf2 Kxd4 73.Bb7= 69.Kf4 Ra8 70.Ke5 Rxa7 71.Bg2! This constellation is drawn, if the defender can reach a reasonably active set up. White profits from the fact that his bishop can attack the black pawn. White would be lost in almost all cases with a dark squared bishop instead of his light squared one. Re7+ 72.Kf4 Kd6 73.Bf3 Re1 74.Bg2 Ra1 75.Bf3 Ra3 76.Be2 However, not 76.Bg2? Rd3-+ 76...Kc6 77.Bf1 Ra2 78.Ke5? After such a long tenacious defense Rodshtein commits an error as this is too active. 78.Ke3 Ra3+ 78...Kd6 79.Be2 Ke6 80.Bf3= 79.Kf4 Kb6 79...Ra1 80.Bg2 Rg1 81.Bf3 Rf1 82.Ke3= 80.Be2 keeps the doors of White's fortress closed as Ka5 can be met by 81.Bf3= 78...Rd2!? A crushing move! Caruana just dominates the bishop, which can not achieve anything now. White had probably calculated 78...Ra1? 79.Bg2 Re1+ 80.Kf4= 79.Ba6 Rd1 79...Rd1 80.Bc8 Re1+ 81.Kf5 Re4-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Rodshtein,M2652Caruana,F27670–12012A3513th EICC9

Deadly Tripled Pawn

Usually it is of course better to have a healthy pawn structure, but in chess there is no rule without exception:

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e3 b5 5.a4 b4 6.Ne4 Qd5 7.Ng3 Nf6 8.Be2 e6 9.e4 Qa5 10.Bxc4 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Qxa6 12.Bg5 Nbd7 13.Qe2 Qxe2+ 14.Kxe2 c5 15.Nf3 h5 16.h4 cxd4 17.Nxd4 a6 18.f3 Bd6 19.Nf1 0-0 20.Nd2 Rfc8 21.Rhc1 Ne5 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.g3 Kf8 24.f4 Nd7 25.N4b3 Ke7 26.Kf3 Bc5 27.Rc4 Rc7 28.Rac1 Rac8 29.R1c2 Ke8 30.g4 hxg4+ 31.Kxg4 Kf8 32.a5 Kg7 33.Nc1 Bd6 34.Nd3 Rxc4 35.Rxc4 Rxc4 36.Nxc4 Be7 37.f5 Kh6 38.Nf4 Nc5 39.Kf3 Bd8 40.Ne2 Nb3 41.Nf4 Nc5 42.Ke3 Bc7 43.Nd3 Nxd3 44.Kxd3 Kh5 45.Kd4 Kxh4 46.Kc5 Kg4 47.Kc6 Bxa5 48.Nxa5 Kf4 49.Kc5 Kxe4 Deadly Tripled Pawn Usually it is of course better to have a healthy pawn structure, but in chess there is no rule without exception: 50.Kxb4? Ernst tripled f-pawn will now decide the day. 50.fxe6! fxe6 51.Kxb4 and the connected passed pawns can be blockaded, e. g. f5 52.Kc3 f4 53.Kd2 Kf3 54.Nc4 Kg2 55.Ne5 f3 56.Ng4 f2 57.Ne3+ Kg1 58.Ke2 and it is drawn as Black's advancing e-pawn does no harm to White's blockade in sharp contrast to the game, where the f-pawns roll all over White. 50.Nc4 works as well as now exf5 can be met by 51.Nd6+ Ke5 52.Nxf7+= 50...exf5‼ And amazing as it may seem White can not stop the rolling tripled pawns. After 50...Kxf5? White can save himself, e.g. 51.Nb7 Ke4 52.Kc3 Ke3 53.Nd6 f5 54.Nxf7 f4 55.Ne5 f3 56.Kc4 f2 56...Ke2 57.Ng4 Kd2 58.Kd4 Kc2 59.b4 Kb3 60.Ke3 Kxb4 61.Kxf3 a5 62.Ne3 Kb3 63.Nf1 a4 64.Nd2+ Kc2 65.Nc4= 57.Ng4+ Kf3 58.Nxf2 Kxf2 59.Kd4 Ke2 60.Ke5 Kd2 61.Kxe6 Kc2 62.Kd5 Kxb2 63.Kc4 a5 63...Ka3 64.Kc3= 64.Kb5= 51.Kc3 51.Nb3 Ke3 Black's king dominates White's whole army almost alone. 52.Ka5 f4 53.Kxa6 f3-+ 51...Ke3! This bodycheck clears the path of the tripled pawn. 52.Kc2 52.Nc4+ Ke2 53.Kd4 f4 54.Ke4 f3 55.Ne3 f2 56.Kf4 f1Q+ 57.Nxf1 Kxf1-+ 52...f4 53.Kd1 Kf2! 54.Nc4 f3 54...f3 55.b4 Kg1 55...f5 wins as well and might be even easier, e.g. 56.Kd2 f4 57.Ne5 Kg2 58.Nd3 58.Nxf7 f2-+ 58...f2 59.Nxf4+ Kf3-+ 56.Nd2 f2 57.Ke2 White has managed to get the first pawn under control. But the second one will overload his defense sooner or later: Kg2! However, not the direct 57...f5? 58.Nf3+ Kg2 59.Nh4+= 58.Nf1 f5 59.Ne3+ Kg1 60.Nf1 f4 61.Nd2 Kg2 62.Nf1 f3+-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lysyj,I2656Ernst,S25780–12012D1013th EICC10.37

Areshchenko's Attack

Queen endings sometimes look confusing for humans due to the many possible queen moves and checks:

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Rb8 11.h3 Be6 12.Nc4 Nd7 13.Be3 d5 14.exd5 Bxd5 15.Ncd2 Nc5 16.Bc4 Ra8 17.d4 exd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Ne6 20.Be5 c6 21.Qg4 Bd6 22.Bxd5 cxd5 23.Nf3 Bxe5 24.Nxe5 Qd6 25.Rad1 Rac8 26.Rd2 d4 27.b3 Rc5 28.Rde2 Qc7 29.Qe4 Rc3 30.h4 Qe7 31.Nd3 Rfc8 32.Qxd4 a5 33.Qe5 Qd8 34.Nf4 R3c6 35.Nxe6 Rxe6 36.Qb5 Rxc2 37.Rxe6 fxe6 38.g3 Qf8 39.Qb6 Qf7 40.Rxe6 Rc8 41.Qe3 h6 42.Re5 Qc7 43.Kh2 Rf8 44.Re8 Rxe8 45.Qxe8+ Kh7 46.Qe4+ Kh8 47.Qd5 Qc2 48.Kg2 Qc3 49.h5 Qc7 50.Kh3 Qc8+ 51.Kh4 Qc2 52.f3 Qc7 53.Kg4 Qc8+ 54.Kh4 Qc7 55.Kh3 Qc8+ 56.g4 Qc3 57.Kg3 Qc7+ 58.Kf2 Qc3 59.Ke2 Qc2+ 60.Ke3 Qc3+ 61.Ke4 Qc7 62.Kf5 Qe7 63.Qe6 Areshchenko's Attack Queen endings sometimes look confusing for humans due to the many possible queen moves and checks: Qc5+? Allows Areshchenko's king to invade. The last chance to fight was 63...Qg5+ 64.Ke4 Qc5± to keep the king out for the time being. White still has good practical winning chances here as well of course. 64.Kg6 Qc2+? This makes it easy for White. However, 64...Qg5+ should lose as well in the long run, e.g. 65.Kf7 Qf4+ 66.Ke7 Qc7+ 67.Ke8 Qb8+ 68.Kd7 and White's king will march to the queenside pawns. This strategy is sometimes called head for the hills in the endgame literature, e.g. Qb7+ 69.Kd6 Qa6+ 69...Qxf3?! 70.Qc8+ Kh7 71.Qf5++- 69...Qb6+ 70.Kd5 Qc7 71.f4 Qxf4 72.Qc8+ Kh7 73.Qf5++- 70.Kd5 Qd3+ 71.Kc5 Qd8 72.Kb5 Qg5+ 73.Ka6 Qd8 74.f4 Qa8+ 75.Kb5 Qd8 76.Qf7 Qa8 77.g5 hxg5 78.fxg5 Qd8 79.Qf5 Qa8 80.Qe5 Qd8 81.h6+- 65.Kf7 Qc7+ The stalemate joke 65...Qg6+ is met by 66.hxg6 h5 67.Qc8# 66.Qe7 Black's queen will soon run out of checks and so it is over: Qf4+ 66...Qb8 67.Qf8+ Qxf8+ 68.Kxf8 Kh7 69.Kf7 Kh8 70.f4 Kh7 71.g5 hxg5 72.fxg5 Kh8 73.Ke6+- 67.Kg6 White's king is completely safe, which can not be said about his black counterpart. 67.Kg6 and Black resigned as he has no good check and Qf7+ is met by 68.Kxf7+- and not by 68.Qxf7?? stalemate 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Areshchenko,A2688Vajda,L25971–02012C8813th EICC10.33

Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine

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