The umbrella

by Karsten Müller
11/15/2022 – One important defensive method in rook endings is giving checks - pawns that stop this "rain of checks" are called "umbrellas". In the diagrammed position it is White to move. How can he draw the game and stop Black from opening a functioning umbrella?

Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen

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 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

Links

<< Meltwater Finals: Carlsen beats So in hard-fought match
Eline Roebers: 16 years old, International Master >>
Topics: ChessBase Magazine, Endgame, Karsten Mueller
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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Where to go?

11/8/2022 – Rook endings often have drawish tendencies but pawn races are often very sharp. In the diagram position, we have both: a rook ending and a pawn race and the position is very sharp. Black is two pawns up but the far advanced white pawns are dangerous. White just played 53.Rd7+ - how should Black react?
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A typical mistake

11/1/2022 – The diagram shows a position which can often occur in rook endings. Both sides have passed pawns and it all seems to come down to a race between the passed pawns. However, in the diagram position White has a winning maneuver that one should know. How should White proceed?
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Video

60m van Wely SicilianNajdorf

In 60 minutes you will get a crash course how to play such a complicated opening like the Sicilian Najdorf by the hands of GM van Wely who knows by experience how the dangers look like!The contents:Video 1, 2, 3: how to survive versus whites most aggressive approach: 6. Bc4, 6. Be3 and 6 Bg5. Video 4: how to deal with the latest fashion in the Najdorf 6. h3 and last but not leastVideo 5: how to play vs the more classical set ups 6. Be2 and 6. g3

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

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krishnakonan krishnakonan 11/18/2022 12:15
Thank you!
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 11/16/2022 09:15
krishnakonan: No. One example of a Philidor position is White: King f5, Rook h1, Pawn e5; Black: King e7, Rook a6. It is a draw as 1.Rh7+ Ke8 2.e6 can be met by 2...Ra1 as White's king has no shelter from the rain of rook checks as there is no umbrella.
krishnakonan krishnakonan 11/15/2022 07:18
This is Philidor position, right?
qiqiangzhu qiqiangzhu 11/15/2022 05:41
wow, indeed.
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