Which pawn to take, which way to go?

by Karsten Müller
4/13/2021 – The diagram position is very sharp as both sides have dangerous passed pawns. It's White to move but should White take the pawn on g5 or should White play Rg3+ to win the pawn on h3?
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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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Bc5 7.N5c3 0-0 8.g3 Ng4 9.e3 f5 10.Be2 Nd7 11.Bxg4 fxg4 12.Ne4 b6 13.Nbc3 a5 14.a3 Nf6 15.Nxc5 bxc5 16.e4 Ba6 17.Be3 Qd6 18.Qc2 Rab8 19.0-0-0 Rb7 20.Qa4 Rfb8 21.Qc6 Qxc6 22.dxc6 Rc7 23.Nd5 Rf7 24.Bxc5 Nxe4 25.c7 Re8 26.Bb6 Nxf2 27.Bxf2 Rxf2 28.Rhe1 Rf7 29.Kb1 Bb7 30.Rc1 e4 31.Nb6 Rff8 32.Re3 Rf3 33.Rcc3 Kf7 34.c8Q Bxc8 35.Nxc8 Rxc8 36.Rxe4 Rcxc3 37.bxc3 Rxc3 38.Kb2 Rf3 39.Rxg4 Rf2+ 40.Kb3 Rxh2 41.Ka4 Rh5 42.Rf4+ Ke6 43.Re4+ Kd5 44.Rg4 g5 45.Kxa5 h6 46.Kb5 Rh2 47.Rb4 Rh3 48.Rb3 h5 49.Rc3 Kd4 50.Rc4+ Kd3 51.a4 Rxg3 52.a5 h4 53.a6 Rf3 54.Rg4 h3 55.a7 Rf8 Which pawn to take, which way to go? The diagram position is very sharp as both sides have dangerous passed pawns. It's White to move but should White take the pawn on g5 or should White play Rg3+ to win the pawn on h3?
White to move and win
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Avetisyan,M2092Gaboyan,S2211½–½2021A3176th ARM-ch Women 20212.2

Endgame theory constitutes the foundation of chess. You realize this in striking clarity once you obtain a won endgame but in the end have to be content with a draw in the end because of a lack of necessary know-how. Such accidents can only be prevented by building up a solid endgame technique. This is Karsten Müller‘s fi rst DVD and the grandmaster from Hamburg and endgame expert, here lays the foundation for acquiring such a technique. The fi rst part of his training series can be started without any endgame knowledge, only a knowledge of the rules of chess is assumed.

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 #200

 

ChessBase Magazine Extra #199

 

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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