tag: karsten mueller - Page 22

Running for shelter

7/7/2020 – In the endgame the king often gets active – after all, when only a few pieces remain on the board mate is less likely. However, the king often still needs protection from checks and attacks. But sometimes it can use enemy pawns as an "umbrella" to run for shelter.

No road to Rome

6/30/2020 – Pawn endgames are the foundation of endgame theory. Knowing the importance of "opposition" and "key squares" is the key to master pawn endgames - and it helps to save a lot of points.

Kingside killer pawns

6/23/2020 – Passed pawns can be powerful, especially in the ending, and pawn majorities allow you to create passed pawns. Therefore, having a far advanced pawn majority is often a big advantage.

Dancing with a knight

6/16/2020 – Mate ends the game but most games are won because one side is material up and the opponent prefers not to drag things out till the bitter end. However, being a whole knight up in the endgame is not always an automatic win.

Avoiding a bodycheck

6/9/2020 – Rook endings have drawish tendencies and that should be reason enough to be very careful when you have a rook ending on the board - even if you think you are clearly better.

Rook and knight and a perpetual

6/2/2020 – Rook and knight can be a powerful team. If well-placed this duo has saved countless bad or even lost positions with a typical perpetual that every chess player should know.

King blocks pawn

5/26/2020 – "All rook endings are drawn," is a well-known witticism that is obviously wrong but indicates that it is often difficult to win rook endings that seem to be winning. However, it is also difficult to defend rook endings - unless you know what you are doing.

A tricky knight

5/19/2020 – Knights can fork king and queen but in endgames they are often helpless against king and pawn. Knights often seem to be slow but then they suddenly catch pawns that are close to queening. No wonder knight endings are tricky - and often fun.

Passed pawns and missed chances

5/12/2020 – Endgames with bishops of opposite colours are often drawish but with passed pawns on both sides things are rarely easy. And as always: precision is required!

Kovalenko's cavalry

5/5/2020 – Usually in endgames rooks are much better than knights - a rook is as mobile as a bishop and unlike the bishop it can go to squares of both colours. But believe it or not, sometimes the defending side can build a fortress.

The desperado

4/28/2020 – "All rook endings are drawn" is a well-known witticism that highlights the fact that rook endings indeed have high drawish tendencies. In fact, even being one or two pawns up does not guarantee a win. However, the diagram position is definitely not a draw. How can Black win?

Powerful passed pawns

4/21/2020 – Pawn endgames might seem relatively simple – after all there are no pieces on the board – but they can be very tricky. And they require precise calculation.

A strong team: queen and knight

4/14/2020 – Usually, the endgame queen and knight vs queen is a draw. However, if the defending king is at the rim of the board things might get tricky.

Duel of the knight pawns

4/7/2020 – Bishop endings have drawish tendencies, even if the bishops move on squares of the same colour. Therefore, precision is required to win a better position.

A kingdom for my horse

3/31/2020 – With only a few pawns remaining it is often surprisingly difficult to win an endgame with a knight up.

Training with the ChessBase Magazine

3/29/2020 – Each issue of the ChessBase Magazine offers a wealth of training material: lines to sharpen and o enlarge your opening repertoire, games from current top tournaments, analysis by top players, and training courses to improve your positional and tactical skills. Filiz Osmanodja, one of Germany's best women players, explains why she enjoys the ChessBase Magazine and why it is helpful for her.

Running for cover

3/24/2020 – Rook endings have drawish tendencies. However, precision is required.

The Royal Path

3/17/2020 – Pawn endings require precise calculation. White to play and win.

Undermining the defenses

3/10/2020 – In the endgame the pair of bishops is often a powerful weapon, as you can see in the example below.

Unexpected

3/3/2020 – Mating attacks also occur in the endgame. Here's an example with king and queen cooperating well.

A powerful king

2/25/2020 – Usually, the rook endgame with f- and h-pawn is a draw but the side with the pawns has good chances to win when the defending king is cut off on its back rank.

The right step ahead

2/18/2020 – In chess a "candidate" is a pawn that is part of a majority and that is not obstructed by an enemy pawn on its file. When mobilising your pawn majority, Nimzowitsch's rule "candidate ahead" is usually good and right. But not always!

Strong, but not strong enough

2/11/2020 – Knights are tricky but sometimes that is not enough. In the diagram position, Black is able to win with the exchange and best play. Are you up to the task?

A really bad bishop

2/4/2020 – Endings with opposite-coloured bishops are often a draw. But in the diagram position Black has a really bad bishop and that allows White to win.
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