Questions & Answers

Practical Endgame Play

International Grandmaster

Edmar

Mednis

1 987

Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

Chess Enterprises, Inc.

ISBN

()..931462-69-X

Editor: B. G. Dudley

Proofreading: Thomas Magar

Cover Design: E. F. Witalis, Jr.

Witalis·Burke Associates

Pittsburgh, PA

Typesetting: Bob Dudley

Diagrams: Thomas Magar

Preface

The idea for a chess book usually comes from the author. He thinks of

something that he feels is interesting or important and sets out to write a

book about it. Since most chess authors are highly qualified in their pro

fession, the eventual book most likely is a good one. Yet public response

- in terms of sales

••

may well be disappointing. The reason is clear enough:

no one asked the prospective reader/buyer whether the projected book

would be of interest to her/him.

The genesis of this book is quite different because all the material for it

comes from the chess public. For many years I have been writing "The

Practical Endgame", a syndicated column on practical endgame play. This

book is based on the endgames played by my readers, other endgames that

were of interest to them, their questions and comments. I may think that I

know what is good for my readers; the readers know what they are interest·

ed in. Since my readers are quite a representative section of the chess pub

lic, it is fair to assume that their interests and needs are symptomatic of the

public at large.

a small token of my appreciation for their interest, I

have compiled a list of contributors and this appears at the end of the book.

There are two ways the reader can use this book. She/he can work

through it from beginning to end and thus learn much about many impor·

tant aspects of practical endgame play.

a special feature for this reader/

student, I have summarized at the end of each chapter the major chess wis·

dom discussed in that chapter. I have called this part "Principles/Rules of

Thumb for Practical Endgame Play." It is the kind of general information

that is part of each master's endgame wisdom. This knowledge gives us a

better base from which to make specific decisions during play. It is not a

1 00% foolproof "cookbook" type list of items which are always true and

therefore can be employed blindly. Please do not make such use of them!

Because the book has a very detailed table of contents, the reader can

readily look up a specific type of endgame that he needs information on.

However, to make maximum use of the book, he should play over carefully

the example that he is interested in. This way the

understanding

of that

endgame will be increased. And

understanding

is the key to successful

endgame play.

I hope that by now any analytical errors are at an absolute minimum.

I would very much appreciate your calling them to my attention.

To free space for other i mportant topics, I have covered a bit less those

on which I have already published extensively. Thus for more on rook

endgames, please see "Practical Rook Endings", published by Chess Enter·

prises; for same color bishop endgames, see "Practical Endgame Lessons";

for Q

P vs. Q endgames, see my endgame cassette "Queen & Pawn End

games."

To ensure that the reader and the author are on the same wavelength

regarding the meaning of the question and exclamation marks as they are

used in the characterization of moves, these are the presently accepted

meanings:

a strong move

a very strong move; a fantastic move

=a bad move; a weak move

•

a horrible move; a blunder

•

an enterprising move; a move worthy of consideration

= a dubious move, for theoretical or practical reasons

am happy to again be associated with Chess Enterprises and B. G.

Dudley.

New York 1 986

Edmar Mednis

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 : King & Pawn Endgames

Section 1 : K & P Endgames

Subject # 1 : K + 2 P vs. K + P

Subject # 2: Multi-pawn endgames with a one pawn advantage

Subject

3: Tempo play with kings in positions where pawn

moves are not possible

1 1

Subject # 4: King vs. connected passed pawns

1 5

Section 2 : Simplifying I nto K & P Endgames

1 9

Subject # 5: K + ' 2 P vs. K + P

1 9

Subject # 6 : Significance of an active king i n zugzwang type

positions

Subject # 7: Distant opposition with blocked pawns

Subject # 8: Pawn majorities on opposite flanks

Principles/Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

Chapter 2: Minor Piece Endgames

Section 1

Same Color Bishop Endgames

Subject # 9: B + P vs. B

Section 2: Knight Endgames

Subject # 10: N + P vs. N

Subject # 1 1 : Pawns on the same side, one king is contained

Subject # 1 2: Pawns on both sides, material advantage, defender

has no counterplay

Subject # 13: Pawns on both sides, material advantage, defender

has counterplay

Section 3: Bishop vs. Knight Endgames

Subject # 14: Equal material, full play with pawns on both

sides, equal chances

Subject # 1 5: Equal material, pawns on both sides; bishop has

good scope, yet the knight is superior

Subject # 16: Equal material, pawns on both sides; early stage

of a characteristic "bad bishop" endgame

Subject # 1 7 : "Bad" bishop vs. "good" knight

Subject # 1 8: Both sides have passed pawns

Section 4: Endgames of Pawns vs. Piece

Subject # 19: Pawn (s) vs. bishop - the king having the pawns

is active

Subject # 20: Pawn(s) vs. bishop -- both kings are active

Subject # 21 : Two pawns for the piece, several minor pieces

on board

Section 5 : Multi-Minor Piece Endgames

Subject

22: 2 B vs. 2 B, equal material

Subject

23: 2 B vs. 2 B, pawn advantage

Subject

24: 2 B vs. B + 1'4 equal material

Subject

25: 2 B + N vs. 2 B + 1'4 equal material

Section 6: B + Wrong RP Endgames

Subject

26: The basic position in B + wrong RP endgames

Subject

27: Looking for the opportunity to discover the

drawing B + wrong RP endgame

Principles/Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

Chapter 3: Rook & Pawn Endgames

Section 1 : Material Advantage

Subject

28: R + 2 P vs. R + P, pawns on same side

Subject

29: One pawn advantage, pawns on both sides

Subject

30: R + h· and f·pawns vs. R

Section 2: Positional Considerations

Subject

31 : The importance of the active rook

Section 3: Double Rook Endgames

Subject

32: Exchanging one pair of rooks in going for the

�n

Subject

# 33:

Exchanging one pair of rooks in going for the

draw

Principles/Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

Chapter 4: Endgames With Opposite Color Bishops

Section 1 : Pure Bishop Endgames

Subject

34: Material advantage, both sides have passed pawns

Subject

35: Material advantage, pawns on both sides, no pawn

breakthrough possible

Subject

36: Material advantage, pawns on both sides, pawn

breakthrough is possible

Subject

37: Material advantage, pawns on both sides, stronger

side can create connected passed pawns

101

Section 2: R + B vs. R + B Endgames

1 03

Subject

38: Material advantage, the blockade can be broken

1 03

Subject

39: Material advantage, both rooks active

104

Principles/Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

1 06

Chapter 5: Endgames With Rooks & Minor Pieces

1 07

Section 1 : Rook vs. Minor Piece

1 07

Subject

40: Rook vs. bishop, pawns on both sides

107

Subject

41 : Rook vs. knight, pawns on one side only

109

Subject

42: Rook vs. bishop, pawns on one side only

1 10

Section 2: Rook(s) + Minor Piece vs. Rook(s) + Minor Piece

1 1 3

Subject # 43: R + B vs. R + N, material equality, pawns on

both sides

1 1 3

Subject #

44:

R + N vs. R + B, one pawn advantage

1 1 5

Subject # 45: R + N vs. R + B, one pawn advantage, pawns

on the same side

1 1 6

Subject # 46: 2 R + N vs. 2 R + N, pawns on both sides

1 1 7

Subject # 47: 2 R + B vs. 2 R + N, pawns on both sides

1 1 8

Section 3: Other Endgames With Rooks & Minor Pieces

1 20

Subject # 48: R + B vs. R + B + two connected passed pawns

1 20

Subject # 49: 2 R + N + B vs. 2 R + N + B, one pawn

advantage

1 23

Principles/ Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

1 25

Chapter 6: Endgames With Queens

1 26

Subject # 50: 0 + P vs. 0

1 26

Subject # 51 : Q + P

vs.

R + P

1 27

Subject # 52: Queen + pawns vs. 2 rooks + pawns

1 28

Subject # 53: Q + N vs. Q + B, one pawn advantage, pawns

on the same side

131

Principles/Rules of Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

134

List of Contributors

1 35

Chapter 1

King and Pawn Endgames

Section 1 : K

& P Endgames

Subject # 1 : K + 2 P vs K + P

Questions: Are not endgames with the pawn configuration shown in

Diagram 1 won for the stronger side?

Are there any exceptions?

Diagram 1

Answers:

To my mind, "chess logic" would say that Black should win this posi

tion. As a matter of fact, positions having such a pawn configuration and

king placement

when the defender has a BP or RP. From

Diagram 1, a 1924 stuay by Dedrle, White to play draws, because -- thanks

to having the bishop pawn

-�

he has a tactical trick. The solution is:

1 Kd3

Kd6

X'"

Black can try either to make progress in the center or to run to the king

side with 1 ... Ke7. White then draws as follows: 2 Kd41 Kf7 3 Ke31 Kg6

4 Kf21 Kf5

Kf3 Kg6 6 Kf2 Kh5 7 Kg3 Kg6 8 Kf2 Kg7 9 Kf31 Kf7

1 0 Ke3 Ke7 1 1 Kd4 Kd7 1 2 Kd31 and we're back at our starting position !

2 Kc41

The first key to the position is that White must be able to have the op

position

as soon

the pawn formation is fixed.

Therefore losing is 2 Kd47

f51, e.g., 3 Ke3 Kc51 4 Kd3 Kd5 5 Ke3 Kc4 6 Kf3 Kd3 or 3 Kc4 e51

etc.

2 .....

Kc6

The second key is that 2 ... e5 is met by 3 Kd3 1 1 with the points that

•.•

exf4 4 Ke4 is an elementary draw and after 3

•..

Kd5 (or 3 ... Ke6) 4

fxe51 Kxe5 5 Ke3 Kf5 6 Kf31 White draws thanks to having the opposi

tion.

3 Kd4

Kb5

After

••.

f5 quite wrong is 4 Ke577 since after 4

•..

Kd7 5 Kd4 Kd6

Black, having the opposition, wins: 6 Kc4 e51 7 fxe5t Kxe5 8 Kd3 Kf41

9 Ke2 Kg31. However, the thematic 4 Kc41 retains the opposition and the

draw.

f51 1

The third key: only this tactical possibility saves the draw. Black must

now advance his e-pawn since after 4 ... exf5 5 KeJ White will capture the

forward f-pawn for a simple book draw.

....•

eSt

Kd5

Kb6

Or 5

.•.

Kb4. Even though White's plan is now obvious, Black can do

nothing at this moment to help his e·pawn advance. Thus White, in effect,

gains a valuable tempo for the execution of his plan.

6 Ke6

7 Kxf6

Kg7

9 f6

e1=Q

By having a BP on the 7th with his king in support, while the oppon

ent's king is too far away, White has reached a well known book draw.

Play could go:

Oe7

1 1 Kg8

Qg5t

12 Kh7

Qf6

13 Kg8

Qg6t

14 KhBI

Qxf7

Stalemate

Note that it is this stalemate possibility which gives White the draw.

White would lose if he would have

b-, d-,

e- or g-pawns. However, RPs

would also draw (White: Kf2, h4; Black: Kf7, g6, h6). In this case how

ever, White must immediately establish the opposition with 1 KfJ I Kf6

2 Kf41.

Subject # 2: Multi-pawn endgames with a one pawn advantage

Questions: What is the general approach in winning such endgames?

How should White play from Diagram 27

If White makes a strategic error in his pawn placement, can he

still win7

Diagram 2

Answers:

The general winning plan is: ( 1 ) activate your king, (2) create a passed

Pawn from your pawn majority, (3) queen your pawn directly or if this is

not possible, use it as a decoy to capture significant material elsewhere.

Exactly this approach is the correct one from Diagram 2. Y. Seirawan ·

L. Shamkovich, Lone Pine 1 977, after Black's 39th move. Specifically:

White wants to place his king on f4 or h4, create a passed pawn by playing

e3; if Black's king is to stop the passed d·pawn, then White's king wi II de·

vour Black's kingside. However, such a plan does not a

low Black a trace

of counterplay. One suggested winning line is:

40 Kg2

Kg5

41 Kh3

42 e3

dxe3

43 fxe3

Kf6

44 Kh4

Kg6

45 d4

Kh6

46c5

and White wins easily.
Other reasonable starting moves are 40 Kh2 or the immediate 40 e3.

The game course, however, was quite different:

40 f47

Even though it does not throw away the theoretical win, the move is as

wrong as possible. It not only takes away access to f4 for White's king,

but, more importantly, it prevents an active posting of White's king since

now the e3 break is not possible without the assistance of White's king.

White with his last move has made his e-pawn a backward pawn and thus

Black's d-pawn by itself can hold back both White's d· and e-pawns. With

such practical problems facing him, it is not surprising that White never

finds the way from here on.

Ke6

41 Kf2

Kd6

42 e3

Simpler and more perceptive is 42 Kg21 with the plan of going after the

h·pawn. If Black heads for White's e-Pawn with 42 ... Kc5 he will wind up

one tempo short; if Black plays 42 ... Ke6, White breaks with 43 e31 and

wins easily after 43 ... dxe3

d41.

Diagram 3

42
43 Kf3
44 Kxe3

Kc5

dxe3

b61

This is both an interesting and important zugzwang position. If Black is

on move, the end is immediate: 45 ... Kd6 46 d4 etc.; 45 ... Kb4 46 Kd4

followed by 47 c5. But of course White is on move. White's plan should

be clear: triangulate with his king to give the move to Black. Yet White

never gets the hang of it.

The most straightforward method is 45 Kd21 Kd4 46 Ke21 (and not

46 Kc27 because of 46 ... Ke3 47 Kc3 Kf3 48 d4 Kxg3 45 d5 h4 50 d6

h3 51 d7 h2 52 d8=0 h 1 =0 53 Og5t Kf3 54 Oxf5 Oe 1 t l 55 Kb3

Qdlt 56 Kb4 Oelt 57 Ka4 Oalt l with a draw since 58 Kb577 loses to

58 ... 0a5t.) 46 ... Kc3 (46 ... Kc5 47 Ke31 ) 47 Ke3 Kb3 48 Kd21 Kb4 49

Kc2 Kc5 50 Kc3 Kc6 51 d4.

White can also start off with 45 Kf3 or 45 Kf2, so as to continue after

45 ... Kd4 with 46 Ke2, transposing into the above line. After 45 ... Kb4

White again plays 46 Ke2 Kb3 (46 ... Kc3 47 Ke3) 47 Kd21 etc.

45 Ke2

Also good enough to win as long as White knows what to do later on.

Black now is not about to fall for 45 ... Kd47 46 Kd2 Kc5 47 Kc3 (or

47 Ke3) and makes things harder with . . .

.....

Kb41

46 Kd27

This is nothing as is 46 Ke37 Kc51. ·More knowledgeable king maneuver

ing is required as follows: 46 Kf21 Kb3 47 Kf3 1 1 Kb4 (47 ... Kc3 48 Ke2)

48 Ke21 Kc3 (48 ... Kc5 49 Ke3) 49 Ke3 Kb3 50 Kd21 Kb4 51 Kc21 etc.

47 Ke2

Kb41

48 Kf2

Kb3!

Black is continuously forcing White to find

the difficult way.

The wins

would be elementary after 48 ... Kc57 or 48 ... Kc37 since in each case 49 Ke31

is obviously correct.

49 Ke177

White can still win with the correct triangulation 49 Kf31 Kb4 50 Ke21:

50 ... Kc5 51 Ke3; 50 ... Kb3 51 Kd2; 50 ... Kc3 51 Ke3 Kb3 52 Kd21.

...

Kc3

50 Ke2

Draw

Of course, the position is still won, if White can find the way. But

Black was not about to risk this and claimed the draw based on the three

fold repetition of the position that would result after 50 ... Kb4.

Subject # 3: Tempo play with kings in positions where pawn moves are

not possible

Questions: What are sister squares and coordinate squares?

Answers:

What is the correct approach in playing positions where no

pawn moves are possible?

How should White handle the position of Diagram 47 (on the

next page)

Diagram 4 is a 1 930 study by V. Halberstadt as published in the 1932

book "Opposition and Sister Squares" by Duchamp and Halberstadt, page

87. First, to get the nomenclature straight: sister squares as used by Du

champ & Halberstadt are the same as the "co-ordinate squares" discussed

by Averbakh & Maizelis in their "Pawn Endings". The use of these terms

1 1

Diagram

is a required broadening of the theory of opposition in K + P endings. On

a bare board the theory of opposition serves very well. But as pawns are

added and obstructions arise, the principles of opposition can no longer be

exclusively relied upon to give the correct answers regarding the indicated

king moves. For this something more general is required (i.e. theory of sis

ter squares); yet unfortunately the execution of this theory requires a more

specific and detailed approach than using, e.g. opposition as the guiding

principle. The theory of sister squares says that in a given position, for

each location of a White king, there is a corresponding correct location for

the Black king. If the Black king can always keep occupying the sister

squares to White's king position, then Black will be able to stand his ground.

Otherwise White will win.

can be recognized, in most open positions the

sister square will be the one establishing opposition; in cluttered positions

opposition by itself can not be relied upon to give the right answer. The

concept of sister squares will be clarified in the actual discussions from Dia

gram

From a very specific viewpoint we can say that Diagram 4 is of limited

practical value because White - being two pawns ahead in a position where

Black is without counterplay - should have been able to win easier earlier

on. Nevertheless, the king play to come is very instructive and can be ap

plied equally well to more "practical" positions. A general evaluation of

Diagram 4 shows that White has two invasion points: b5 on the queenside

and f4 on the kingside. It is absolutely necessary that

both

of them exist,

because Black can easily cover

either

one. The decisive winning king loca

tions with

Bisek

on move

are as follows: a) on the queenside: White's

king on c4, Black's on b6; b) on the kingside: White's king on g3, Black's

on f5. White's general winning technique consists of maneuvering with his

king in such a way that Black will have to allow penetration on one of the

two fronts. For instance, if White's king is on c4 and Black's is forced to

from

to a6, then White's king will quickly reverse gears and head for

the kingside. A simple move count shows that it takes White's king five

moves to get to g3, whereas from a6 Black's king in five moves can only

get to f6; then White on move plays Kf4 to win.

Let us now look at Halberstadt's solution with my comments:

1 Kb21

Forcing Black's king to

to the b-file, as otherwise White immediately

penetrates on the kingside. According to Halberstadt this is White's only

winning move, because the sister square of b2 is

and Black's king can't

get to it. White can't make any immediate progress by playing 1 Kb3

cause the sister square to this is b7 and Black simply plays 1... Kb7 and it is

clear that after 2 Kc4 Kb6 Black is holding his ground.

....

Kb6

Or 1... Kb7 2 Kb3 Kb6 3 Kc41 and White wins. Note that b7 is the

sister square of b3 only with

White on move

otherwise it is a meaningless

situation with Black simply being in zugzwang.

2 Kc21

Heading for the kingside and forcing Black to follow suit. The sister

square of c2 is c8 but Black can't get to it and thus loses easily.

Kc7

3 Kc31

Kb7

After 3 ... Kd7 or 3 ... Kc8 White infiltrates on the queenside. After the

text Black loses on the kingside.

White wins.

4 Kd2

Kc7

5 Ke2

Kd7

Kf2

Ke7

7 Kg3

Kf6

Kf4

Halberstadt specifically claimed that 1 Ka2 does not win because Black's

king then, in effect, can get to all the queenside sister squares. Yet a deep

er look at Diagram

should lead to the feeling that because Black is so

completely devoid of chances for counterplay that more than one first

move could do the job. Rolland E. George has made the valuable discovery

that with the pawn structure of Diagram

White wins with any location of

the kings and irrespective of who is on move.

White's most difficult task is

after the introductory moves 1 Ka2 Ka71. I am calling this new position

Diagram

and am designating it George 1 978 to

roperly credit the discov

erer. White to play and win from Diagram 5 as follows:

Diagram

•

BftB 81

1 Kb2

Kb8

Getting to its sister square. After 1 ... Kb771 or 1 ... Kb6?1 White wins as

from Diagram

2 Kc2

Kc81

Again keeping the position on hold. Through the next two moves, B lack

is O. K. - on the queenside his king can get to al l the sister squares.

1 3

3 Kd1

Kd2

Ke1 1 1

Kd8

Kd7

It is this move that forms the basis of Mr. George's discovery that the

pawn formations of Diagrams 4 & 5 always lead to a win for White. Black

simply has no square equivalent to e1 1 In other words, when White's king

gets to e1, Black can't protect

both

invasion routes.

5 .

...

Ke8

What to do? After 5 ... Ke7 6 Ke21 Black also only has the choice of

where to lose: 6 ... Kd7 7 Kf2 and White wins on the kingside; 6 ... Kf7

7 Kd2 and White wins on the queenside.

6 Kf2

Black's king is too far away from f5 and White wins on the kingside.

White wins.

Kf7

Kgl

Kf6

Kf4

Gunter Roth of West Germany has suggested adding a White pawn to

Diagram 4. This new position is shown in Diagram 6 which I am cal ling

Roth

1 981.

Diagram 4

Now White cannot tempo around the squares e1 and e2. Therefore the

position does become the excellent illustration of the theory of sister .

squares that Halberstadt envisioned. The only correct solution starts with

Halberstadt's 1 Kb21:

1 Kb21

Kb7

After

... Kb6, Halberstadt's original solution applies: 2 Kc21 Kc7 3 Kc31

Kb7 (after

.. Kd7 4 Kc4 White wins on the queenside) 4 Kd21 Kc7 5

Ke1 1 Kd7 6 Kf2 and White wins on the kingside.

2 Kb31

Only so. After 2 Kc27 there is no win: 2 ... Kc81 3 Kc3 (or 3 Kb3 Kb7 1

Kb2 KbSI) 3 ... Kc7 4 Kd2 Kd7 5 Ke 1 Ke7 and Black i s safe forever-

more.

Kc7

Or 2 ... Kb6 3 Kc4 Ka6 4 Kc31 and White will infiltrate on the kingside.

3 Kc31

and White wins.

Now Black is in zugzwang and must allow White in:

a) After

•.•

Kd7, White wins on the queenside with 4 Kc4.

b) After

...

Kb6 or

... Kb7, White wins on the kingside starting with 4

Kd21.

Subject

# 4:

King vs. connected passed pawns

Questions: What are the important principles in handling the endgame of

king vs. connected passed pawns7
What is the correct play and result from Diagram 77

Diagram 7

Answers:

The most famous position for the endgame of king vs. connected passed

pawns is shown in Diagram 7. It is known as Szen's position or Szen 1 840.

Endgame theory says that

whoever is on move wins.

Even though the spe·

cific position is

theoretically

both important and interesting, it is not of

much practical importance. I just cannot imagine that exactly this position

can ever result in any

actual game.

There is, however, one exceedingly imp9rtant position in the king vs. 3

connected passed pawns endgame and I am showing this in Diagram 7A.

Diagram 7A

Al l endgames where a single king has to cope with three connected

passed pawns can lead to this position. It is a zugzwang position :

whoever

is on move

loses.

Therefore the side with the king wants to maneuver its

king in such a way that its last move has been Kg1 and now it's Black's

turn. Conversely, the pawns want to advance in such manner that in the

1 5

diagram position it is again White's move. The play from Diagram 7A can

develop as follows. (Of course, we are assuming that the B lack king is in

volved in some zugzwang situation somewhere else and that the determining

factor in the game is what happens from the Diagram 7A configuration. )

(a)

Kg2

g31

2 Kg1

Or 2 Kh3 f3, etc.

3 Kf1

Kg1

f2t

5 Kf1

Kg2

h1=Qt

and Black wins.

From this variation that if all the pawns are on the

sixth

rank (the situa

tion after Black's 3rd move) that the pawns then win, no matter who is on

move.
(b)

Kf2

h31

Even though in this particular position Black can also win with 1

. • •

f3,

is always good practice to first advance the pawn farthest from the king.

Black wins.

2 Kg1

Kf1

(c)

Kh2

f31

Again the soundest plan, even though in this particular position 1 ... h3

also wins.

Also 2

••.

f2 wins.

Kh1

Kg1

f2t

In a sense a "safer" win than 3

••.

h3 since after

Kh 1 g2t77 5 Kg1

Black's pawns are stopped and wil l be lost. Of course

.. f2 wins

White

has a pawn move somewhere on the board that relieves stalemate.

Black wins.

(d)

4 Kg2

h3t

5 Kf1

1 Kf1

h31

The only move. Here 1

.•.

f317 loses since after 2 Kf21 h3 3 Kg3 the

pawns are stopped.

Black wins.

2 Kf2

Kf1

4 Kg2

g3t

f3t

(e)

1 Kh1

f31

Again the only move. 1 ... h377 is refuted by 2 Kh21.

2 Kg1

Also winning is 2

•..

h3: 3 Kh2 f2 or 3 Kf2 h2.

Kh1

4 Kg2

h3t

and Black wins.

But Black to play loses,

since the pawns are immediately stopped:

(a)

2 Kg21

(b)

2 Kf21

3 Kg3

(c)

2 Kh21

3 Kg3

From all of the above lines we have learned the following two most im·

portant principles:

1. The critical status of Diagram 7A as a zugzwang position

2. The king must blockade the farthest advanced pawn; conversely: ad·

vance the pawn which is farthest from the king.

Let us now utilize the above information to help understand the correct

solution to Diagram 7. I am mostly following the analysis by Maizelis from

"Pawn Endings" by Averbakh and Maizelis.

White to play wins:

Ke2

Kd7

2 Kf3

Kc6

First each king positions itself to be well placed to cope with any pawn

advance. Now it is time to start advancing the pawns, starting with the one

farthest from the enemy king.

4 c4

5 Kg3

Kb6

Each side had threatened to immediately advance its rook pawn (the

farthest pawn !). Since this has been temporarily prevented, the knight

pawns are activated.

6 b4

Diagram 8

In trying to ape White, Black will always be a move behind. But the

temporizing 6 ... g6 is no better: 7 a5t Ka6 8 c5 Kb5 (otherwise 9 c6 and

1 7

1 0 b5t) 9 Kg2 1 ( Reme m ber that White is aiming for Diagram 7A with

Black to move!.) Now Black has the following choices:
(a)

1 0 Kg3 g4 (If 1 0 ... h4t 1 1 Kh3 f4 1 2 Kg4 and Black being in zugzwang

wi ll lose) 1 1 Kf21 f4 1 2 Kg2 h4 (Or 1 2 ... f3t 1 3 Kg3! h4t 14 Kf2 1 h3

1 5 Kg3 and again Black is on move and loses. ) 13 Kg1 1 1 (Diagram 7AI )

1 3 ... Ka6 (Black's pawns are stopped) 14 c6 Ka7 1 5 b5 Kb8 1 6 b6 ( 1 6 a6

also wins) 1 6 ... Ka8 1 7 a6 Kb8 (Or 1 7 ... f3 1 8 c7 and there is no stale

mate since Black has pawn moves.) 1 8 a7t Ka8 1 9 c7 and White wins.

(b)

.....

10 Kh21 (This way of getting in front of the most advanced passed pawn

is, I believe, the clearest Also winning is 10 Kh3, as long as after 1 0 ... g5,

White plays 1 1 Kh2 1 : 1 1 ...g4 1 2 Kg2 h3t [ 1 2 ... f4 1 3 Kg1 1] 1 3 Kg3 f4t

14 Kh2 f3 1 5 Kg3) 10 ... f4 ( 1 0 ... g5 1 1 Kh3 f4 1 2 Kg4) 1 1 Kg1 1 1 g5 1 2

Kg21 g4 1 3 Kg1 1!. Again we have Diagram 7 A and White wins as above.

(Back to Diagram

7 a5t

Ka6

After 7 ... Ka7 or 7 ... Kb7, 8 c5 also wins and more simply, e.g. 7 ... Ka7

8 c5 Kb7 9 b5 Kb8 1 0 Kg2!.

h4t

If 8 ... Kb5, 9 Kg2! puts Black in zugzwang, e.g. 9 ... g4 10 Kg3 or 9 ... h4

1 0 Kh31 f4 1 1 Kg4.

9 Khll

Blockading the farthest advanced pawn. Now 9 ... Kb5 10 Kh21 g4 1 1

Kg21 f4 1 2 Kg1 1 (Diagram 7A!) loses as already shown earlier.

....

10 c61

But, for heaven's sake,

not

10 Kg47? because after 10 ... Kb5 it is

White

who is in zugzwang and loses !

1 1

b5t

Ka7

12 b6t

Also winning is 1 2 c7 Kb7

1 3 b6 followed by 14 a6t.

Kb8

g4t

14 Kh2

White can also afford both 14 Kxg4 and 14 Kxh4.

and White wins.

glt

15 Kg1

a7t

Ka8

17 c7

Because of being on move in Diagram 7, White queens one move earlier

than Black. I must admit that I have not given an exhaustive analysis of

Diagram 7, because that position is just not that important for the practical

player. But you should now have a good grasp of the major principles of

king vs. three connected passed pawns. And

always

remember Diagram 7 A

- that is

THE

position to know!

1 8

Section 2: Simplifying into K

P Endgames

Of course, K & P endgames do not resu lt out of the thin air. Either one

side of the other, or both

••

rightly or wrongly

••

decide to simplify down

to a K & P endgame. In this section

shall discuss some instructive "sim

plification moments" and the important endgames that result from them.

Subject

# 5: K + 2P vs. K + P

Question: Are the K & P endgames possible from Diagram 9 won for Black7

Diagram 9

Answer:

Because Black has a RP, the pawn structure of Diagram 9, M. Stean

Geller, Bath 1 973, after White's 66th move, is in many ways deficient for

winning purposes.

we follow the game continuation, I shall say more

about it.

..•••

Ne6

The N & P endgame is theoretically quite drawn and thus Black is willing

to try his luck in a K& P endgame.

67 Nd3

converted into regular vertical opposition. The reason why this position is

drawn is that after 71 ... h4 72 Ke3 g4 73 hxg4 Kxg4 Black's passed pawn

is the h-pawn and White's king is close enough to stop it.

But please note that the Diagram 9 type pawn formation is won for

Black for all the other pawns (White: g3 B lack: f5, g5; White f3, Black: e5,

f5; etc. ).

••..•

Nf2

Nf4

But now the knight exchange loses: 68 Nxf47 gxf4 69 Kf2 Ke4 70

Ke2 f3t 71 Kf2 Kf4 72 h4 Kg4 and Black also wins the h-pawn and the

game.

1 9

Ng6

69 Ke3

Ne7

Nh11

Ke5

71 Nf2

Again simpler is 71 Ng31 since after 71 ... Nf5t 72 Nxf51 Kxf5 73 Kf3

White draws as discussed in the note to White's 67th move.

Nf5t

72 Kf3

Nd4t

73 Ke3

Nc2t

74 Kf3

Kf5

Nh1 1

Ne1t

76 Ke2

Ng2

77 Kf3

Nh4t

78 Ke3

Kg6

79 Nf2

White will still have to labor mightily after the text move. All of us

know by now that best is 79 Ng31 Nf5t 80 Nxf5 Kxf5 81 Kf31 with a

simple draw.

Kf3

Ne1t

Ke2

Nc2

82 Kf3

Kf5

83 Nh1 1

Nd4t

84 Kel

Na6

Kf3

Nc5

Nf21

Nd7

87 Nd1 1

Ne5t

88 Ke3

Nc4t

Kf3

Ke5

Nf21

Kd4

Kg31

Ne5

White can hold the draw because after 91...Ke3 he has 92 Ng4t l l Ke2

93 Nf61.

92 Nd1

Kd3

93 Nf2t

Ke3

94 Nd11

Kd3

95 Nf2t

Kd4

Nd1

Nd3

97 Kf3

Ne1t

Kf2

Nd3t

99 Kf3

Ke5

100

Ke3

Nf4

101

Nf2

Nd5t

102 Kf3

Nf6

103 Ke3

Kf5

104

Kf3

Nd5

105 Nh1 1

Ke5

Draw

White finally got his deserved half point. But wouldn't it have been

much easier if he had known that the K & P endgame after 67 Nxe61 is

drawn7

Subject

# 6:

Significance of an active king in zugzwang type positions

Questions: Can White afford to recover the pawn in Diagram 1 0?

Can the active king be a strength even if caught in a zugzwang

situation?

Diagram 1 0

Answers:

The only way to know for sure whether White can play Nd5t followed

by Nxb4 from Diagram 1 0, K. Regan

•

M. Rohde, Goichberg/Marshall Inter·

national 1 977, analysis position after Black's 55th move, is to go through a

very careful analysis of the resulting K & P endgame:

56 Nd5t

Ke5

57 Nxb4

Nxb4

58 Kxb4

Kd4

Both safeguarding the g-pawn and preventing Black from an immediate

f4, as after 59 Kb3 f41 and an easy win for Black. After the text move

White hopes for 59 ... g57 60 h41 and White wi ll be O.K. because the h-pawn

queens with check.

Since pawn moves don't do the trick, Black must use his active king.

. • . • •

Ke31 1

Black has a pretty tactical possibility in mind, if White plays 60 Kxc3:

60 ... g5 61 h4 gxh4 62 gxh4 f4 63 h5 f3 64 h6 f2 65 h7 f1=0 66

hB=Q Oa1 t l followed by 67 ... 0xh8. Note how Black's king first sidestep

ped a potential check and set up a skewer of White's king and queen by

Black's queen.

60 Kb31

A nice perceptive try. If now 60 ... Kf2, White has 61 Kxc3; after 60 ...

Kd4 or

Kd2, White has 61 h4; also after 60 ... g5 61 h4 the resu lting

Q & P endgame is most likely drawn. Yet Black can improve on the latter

variation by an in turn perceptive king maneuver.

Ke21

Now after 61 Kxc3 g51 Black wins as in the variation given after Black's

59th move, while 61 h4 Kd2 puts White in zugzwang.

Kb41

Kd2

62 Kb3

63 h4

gxh4

65 h5

66 h&

67 h7

f1•Q

68 h8=Q

Qb5tl

69 Ka3

Qb2t

70 Ka4

Oxc2t

with a winning Q & P endgame for Black.

By capturing White's c-pawn with check whi le his own king is well

placed, Black has a won endgame, though of course care is still required.

Notice how Black was able to use his more active king even though he

was in zugzwang as far as protection of his c-pawn was concerned.

The above deep analysis shows that from Diagram 1 0 White should con

tinue to play the knight endgame with, e.g. 56 Na6 Ke5 57 Nc5, even

though Black does have realistic winning chances.

Is there a short cut to coming up with the conclusion on the K

& P

endgame without doing all of the above analysis? Well, not completely -

though our chess

intuition

should guide us in thinking that with Black's

king active on e3, good things could well be possible for him.

Subject # 7: Distant opposition with blocked pawns

How to handle king play so

to obtain/retain distant opposi

tion?
Can Black achieve a winning K & P endgame in Diagram 1 1 by

sacrificing his knight with a properly timed ... Nxg3?

-�· . .

Diagram 1 1

Answers:

• • • u

J� .{).

It is obvious from a quick glance at D iagram 1 1, LaRouche

S. Weil,

New York 1977, after Black's 52nd move, that Black has a substantial ad

vantage. White has two chronic weaknesses - c3 and g3 .. and the former

binds down White's king and the latter immobilizes the knight. But unfor

tunately for Black, the closed nature of the pawn formation does not allow

his king to penetrate. Therefore, Black fashions another plan: at a moment

when White's king is as far away as possible from the kingside, Black will

sacrifice his knight on g3 and thereby allow his king to penetrate the king

side. It is clear that Black wi ll not risk a loss thereby and will have substan

tial prospects for success. Even if the resulting K & P endgame is not a

theoretical win, Black wil l have good practical winning chances since it will

be the active one. The course of the game will bear this out:

53 Kc2

Nxg311

Since White's king is shuttling between c2 and d3, the moment to sacri-

fice is when he is on c2.

54 Nxg3

Kf4

55 Nh5t

Ke31

56 Kc1

The key to defending this position successfully is to be able to have the

opposition the moment that B lack has recaptured the knight in exchange

for the g-pawn.

White can also draw with

Ng3, if he follows up correctly:

. • •

Kf3

57 Nf51

Kd2 g2

Nh4t Kf2 60 Nxg2 Kxg2 61

Ke21 with White having horizontal opposition;
b)

Kf2

Nhil

(57 Nf57

loses, as will be seen from the game contin

uation)

.. g3

58 Kd21 1

(This move in conjunction with the next one

gains the tempo required to achieve the opposition.)

... g2

Nf4 g1=Q

60 Nh3t Kg2 61 Nxg1 Kxg1 62 Ke1 1 and White again has the horizontal

opposition and the draw.

56 .....

Kd3

57 Kb2

Kd2

•

• •

Bta

•

D iagram 1 2

• t

BltJ

• Fftl ••

• •

•

Notice how Black is actively using his king to make it more difficult for

White to find the correct move. Remember that White must be able to

achieve opposition -- regular or distant -- as soon as Black captures the

knight. With B lack's king heading for the queenside it is confusing for

White to keep the matter of opposition clear in his head.

58 Ng3

This is O. K., if -- and this is a big if -- White knows to proceed with the

method given in the analysis to White's 56th move.

I believe that in practical play it is easier to handle the position if White

plays

5!!..KbJI

and only after

Kc1,

Ng3. Then Black's king is one

square farther from the kingside and this makes it simple for White to

achieve opposition:

. Kd2 60 Nh5 Ke2 61 Kc2 Kf2 62 Kd2 g3 63

Nxg3 Kxg3

Ke31 Kg4

(64

.. Kg2 65 Ke2) 65 Ke21 (diagonal opposition)

65 ... Kf4 66 Kf2 Ke4

Ke2.

58 .....

59 Kc2

An interesting alternative draw is 59 Kb3 Kf2 60 Nf5 g3 61 Nxg3

Kxg3 62 Ka3 1 1. White has just enough mobility along the a-file to achieve

distant horizontal opposition and thereby draw. The proof:

a) 62 ... Kf2 63 Kb21 Ke 1

Ka 1 1 1 (Only so. He must stay off the c-file

because c3 is not available for the king.)

Kd 1 65 Kb1 1 Kd2 66 Kb2

Kd3 67 Kb3 Ke2 68 Ka21 etc.;
b) 62 ... Kf3

Kb31 (And not 63 Kb27 because of 63 ... Kf21; not 63 Ka27

because of 63 ... Ke21.) 63 ... Kf2

Kb2 Ke3 65 Ka31 etc., with White

keeping his distant opposition.

• • • • .

Kf2

60 Nf577

The losing move. Mandatory is 60 Nh51 g3 61 Kd2 1 1 g2 62 Nf4 with

a draw - as discussed earlier.

61 Nxg3

Kxg3

62 Kc1

White is lost because he can neither reach regular or distant opposition.

The attempt at the former with 62 Kd3 loses to 62 ... Kf3 63 Kd2 Kf21

Kd3 Ke1 ; the attempt at the latter with 62 Kb3 is foiled by 62 ... Kf31

63 Kb2 (Or 63 Ka3 Ke31

Kb2 Kd2;

Kb3 Kd3;

Ka2 Ke21.) 63 ...

Kf21.

63 Kb1
64 Ka2

Kf3
Ke3
Ke21

The thematic gaining of the distant opposition is the

only

way to win.

After

.. Kd27 65 Kb2 White has the opposition and Black is stymied

forever more, e.g. 65 ... Ke31 7 66 Ka31 1 and White has the security of dis

tant opposition.

Ka3

Kd1 1

Kb3

Kc1 1

White resigns

If Black so chooses, he can kill all of White's pawns.

Subject # 8: Pawn majorities on opposite flanks

Questions: What is the correct way of handling K & P endgame having

pawn majorities on opposite flanks?

Can White play Rxd2 in Diagram 1 3 and live?

/)-,

Diagram 1 3

• B • �-

Answers:

I n analyzing the A & P endgame that occurred in the game V. Korchnoi

•

Smith

Kolkey, California 1 977, I suggested that the best way of using

Black's extra pawn

• •

the passed d·pawn

••

is to advance it as fast and far as

possible so as to tie down White's pieces. The key position in the analysis

occurred after Black's 28th move (see Diagram 1 3) and I suggested that

Black probably has a winning A & P endgame "since if White plays 29

Axd2 he risks a lost K & P endgame". After 29 ... Axd2t 30 Kxd2 we

have a very thematical ly important endgame, where White has a kingside

pawn majority and Black has a pawn majority on the queenside. Thematic

play now wou ld be:

30 .....

Ke5

Black's dual advantages consist of the more active king and a sound

queenside pawn majority. With the logical text move Black tries to prevent

White from mobi lizing his kingside pawn majority. Yet it appears that also

sufficient to win is the direct 30 ... Kd61 31 g3 Kc51, e.g. 32 Kc3 b5 33 f4

a5, as after dissolution of the queenside, B lack will penetrate decisively into

White's kingside.

31 Ke3

Fruitless is 31 Kd3 h5 32 Kc4, since 32 ... a6! keeps White's king out.

31 .....

h5!

32 Kd3

White lacks one tempo to chase B lack's king away from its domineering

location. Thus 32 g3 allows the blockading 32 ... g4! with the following

thematic continuation : 33 f4t (The interpolation of 33 hxg4 hxg4

f4t

changes nothing.) 33 ... gxf3 e.p. 34 Kxf3 b5 35 Ke3 (35 g4 is met by

35 ... h4; after 35 h4 Black blockades the kingside by 35 ... f4. ) 35 ... a6! 36

Kd3 a51 37 Ke3 b4 38 Kd3 a4 39 Kc4 b3 40 axb3 axb3 41 Kxb3

Kxe4 and Black's king wins on the kingside. I nstead of 32 g3, White has

no time for 32 f3, because then 32 ... h41 fixes White's kingside pawns.

Therefore White's best policy is the do-nothing one associated with the next

move, since this way no vulnerable kingside entry points are caused.

33 Ke3

a6!

Kd3

Ke3

h4!

Since White's f.,

and h-pawns are close to their original locations (only

the h·pawn has moved a bit), they are able to keep out B lack's king in case

Black goes for an immediate dissolution of the queenside: 35 ... b4? ! 36

Kd3 a4 37 Kc4 b3 38 axb3 axb3 39 Kxb3 Kxe4 40 Kc2! followed by

Kd2 and Ke2 and a draw.

With the text move Black reins in White's four pawn vs. three pawn king

side majority, since a g3 by White (e.g. 36 g3) is met by 36 ... g4 ! ! and the

resulting advanced passed h-pawn in combination with the passed pawn

Black gets on the queenside from his pawn majority, is sure to win. Be

cause White is now unable to get a viable passed pawn on the kingside,

Black's king can head for the queenside to assist his pawns there.

36 Kd3

Ke61

37 Kd4

Or 37 Kc3 Kd7! 38 Kd3 Kc6

39 Kd4 Kd6.

39 Kd3

There also is no hope in 39 e5 dxe5t

39
40 Kc3
41 axb4t

42 Kc2

Or 42 Kd3 Kb5 etc.

and Black wins.

43 Kb2

44 Kb1

45 Kc1

46 Kb1
47 g3

Kd6

Kc6

40 Kxe5 Kc5!

Kc5

b4t
axb4t

Kc4
b3
Kc3
b2t
Kb3
g41

41 Ke4 Kc4! etc.

Of course, all this was not obvious to me when I made my "diplomatic'·

comment that after 29 Rxd2 White "risks" a lost K + P endgame. Still, an

experienced grandmaster develops a feel for what types of basic endgames

are won and this feel was the basis for my original evaluation.

Principles/Rules

Thumb for Practical Endgame Play

King

Pawn Endgames:

(1 ) I n open board situations use opposition to achieve penetration by your

king when attacking; use opposition also to prevent your opponent's king

from penetrating.

(2) Keep your pawn formation as flexible as possible. Avoid backward

pawns.

(3) In zugzwang positions, play your king so as to "lose" a move before

reaching the critical position. King triangulation is the method generally

used to achieve this.

(4) In blockaded positions use the principle of coordinate squares to de

termine the correct king moves/maneuvers.

(5) When the king fights against three connected passed pawns it should

always first blockade the farthest advanced ones. In case the _pawns are on

the same rank, the king should be in the center of the cluster with two fi les

in between. Then he can blockade whichever pawn is advanced first.

(6) For winning purposes the RP is the worst one to have. Be wary of

having a RP in endgames where you are up a pawn, if the chances are real

istic that you may have to depend on queening it for the win.
(7) In mutual queening races always be on the look-out for tactical tricks,

since often these bring about a totally unexpected change in the original

evaluation of the results from this race.

(8) In positions where simple opposition is not feasible look for the oppor

tunity to achieve distant opposition -- whether going for the win or trying

to defend.

(9) If you have a majority on one side and your opponent on the other

side, advance your pawns on the side of his majority in such a way as to

prevent him from mobilizing it in a healthy, flexible way.

( 1 0) It is always an advantage to have the more active king. If your king

can securely stay on the fourth rank while the opponenfs is relegated to

his third rank, this already is a substantial advantage for you.

Chapter 2

Minor Piece Endgames

Section 1: Same Color Bishop Endgames
Subject

# 9:

B + P vs. B

Questions: Under what conditions is the B

+ P

vs. B endgame won7

Is Diagram 14 won7

Diagram 14

Answers:

The defending side is sure of a draw if its king can get to any square in

front of the pawn from which it can not be chased away. Otherwise the

risk of a loss is great In particular Diagram 14 is lost, irrespective of who

is on move.

will be seen, B lack's problem is that the king can not get

to c7 and can be chased away from c8. Thematic play with

Black to move

is:

1 .....

Kc8

Black gets in front of the pawn, but can't remain there.

2 Bc61

Bc2

Of course, 2 ... Bxc6 3 Kxc6 is won for White

irrespective of who is on

move

• •

because White's king is on the sixth rank in front of his pawn.

3 Bb7t

Kd8

Black runs into mate after 3

..•

Kb87 4 c6 followed by 5 c7. After 3 .. .

Kd7 White's win is also easier: 4 c6t l<d6 5 Bc81 (Preventing 5 ... Bf5) 5 .. .

Be4 6 c7 Bd3 7 Bg4 Ba617 8 Bh31 (or any other reasonable place along

the diagonal) and White wins since Black's king or bishop must give ground.

Bf5

5 c7t

Ke7

Ka71

The king heads for b8 from where it can both protect the pawn and

cover the c8 queening square.

6 .....

Kd6

7 Kb8

Bg4

8 Bc81

Chasing the bishop off its primary defensive diagonal.

8 .....

Be2

Bf51

Or any other reasonable square along this diagonal.

Ba6

10 Bd31

White wins.
Note White's winning bishop maneuvers: Black's bishop is forced off its

tong

diagonal first; then the job is completed by forcing it off the

short

diagonal.

• • . • •

Be8

Black does not want White's bishop to arrive on b7 with check. But

even so, the bishop will be decisive there.

2 Bc61

Bf7

3 Bb5

Bd5

4 Ba61

The key move. Black's bishop wil l now be forced to give up control of

c6 and then White's pawn can start its advance.

White wins.

Kd7

5 Bb71

Be&

6 c6t

Kd6

7 c7

Bf5

8 Ba61

Bg4

Kb71

Bf5

10 Kb81

The win now is just as in the previous line: White plays BcB, then Bf5

(or anything reasonable on the h3-c8 diagonal) and finally Bd3 (or anything

reasonable on the f1·a6 diagonal).

With

White to move,

he plays

1 Bc6!,

then

2 Bb71,

advances his c·pawn

to c7 and finishes off as in the above line.

Section 2: Knight Endgames

Subject # 10: N

P vs. N

Questions: What are the important benchmarks in evaluating N + P vs. N

endgames?

Is Diagram 1 5 a win?

Diagram 1 5

Answers:

· . ..

�t>.

If the defending king can get in front of the pawn, then all normal

positions are drawn. Therefore, the theoretically important positions are

where the king cannot get back. For this situation the following principles

apply:

1. The rook pawn is by far the most difficult pawn for the knight to stop,

since the knight can only maneuver to one side of it. If, for instance, in

our position White's pawn would be on

rather than b4, White wi ns after

a5.

The knight pawn is the second most difficult pawn for the knight to

stop, because the knight's maneuvering room on the short side is limited.

Yet on a relative basis, it is much easier to stop the knight pawn than the

rook pawn.
2. The knight pawn, if it reaches the 7th rank in safety, is an assured win.

Therefore our main question is whether from Diagram 1 5, D. Rozier

Sutton, Correspondence 1 980-82, after Black's 59th move, the pawn can

get to b7. Further important questions will be discussed as responses to

specific queries by Mr. Rozier.
Specific Question # 1 : Is it necessary to bring the White king towards the

center or near the b- and a-files? Since it is necessary to prevent Black's

king and knight from interfering with the b-pawn's advance, White's king

should head towards the center and in particular the c-file. It is easy to

see that after something like 60 Ka6,

... Nd6 stops the pawn's advance.

Specific Question # 2: Should White first restrict the activity of Black's

K + N or push the pawn as far as possible immediately? Well, White would

really like to accomplish both, but it should be clear that, without restrict

ing Black's pieces, the pawn cannot be advanced very far. And remember

that it must get to the 7th rank before the win is assured.

My overall conclusion is that Diagram 1 5 is a draw because Black can

prevent the decisive advance of the pawn. Yet despite the apparent sim

plicity, this position is actually very complicated because very many differ

ent knight and king maneuvers are possible for both sides. Therefore it is

possible that some specific variation as given by me may not be the most

exact one.

60 Kc6

Specific Question #

.,:

Is this the best square for the king? It does not

really matter in the sense that the position is drawn. Also logical is 60

Kc5. Then to keep the draw Black must play 60 ... Kf6 61 Nd4 Ne7 62

Nc6 Nc8

b5 Ke6

Na7 1 Nd61 65 b6 Kd7.

.....

Kf7?1

In playing the N + P vs. N endgame, Black shows a dangerous disregard

for tempos (see also my comment at Black's 58th move in Subject # 1 3).

The accurate move is the active 60 ... Kf61. Then 61 Kd7 is no problem be

cause of 61... Ke51 62 b5 Nd6 63 b6 Kd5! and Black is safe. An impor·

tant principle for the defender to know is that the king is much better

placed behind the pawn (as here) than to the side of it.

61 Kc7

Mr. Rozier states that he didn't want to play an immediate 61 b5 so as

not to allow an eventual ... Nd4t or ... Na7t. I n connection with this move,

he has the following question:
Specific Question # 4: Is it very important to control the c8 square?

There is nothing magical about c8 or any other square. What White wants

is to prevent Black's pieces from interfering with the march of the b-pawn.

Viewed from this perspective, it is clear that White's strongest move is 61

Kd71. Then Black has extreme difficulties in getting his knight to stop the

pawn, e.g. 61 ... Ne7 62 Ne3! or 62 ... Ng7 62 Nd4!. The only promising

plan that I see is to again activate the king with 61 ... Kf61 62 b5 Ke51.

Then after

b6 Nd6 Black's position looks very precarious, but I think

that he can hold since

Kc6 can be met by

... Nc4 65 b7 Na5t.

61 .....

Ke6

Black's king now is sufficiently active. Still Black's task is very difficult

because of the ideal placement of White's knight on c2 from where it does

both defensive and offensive duties.

62 b5

Nd6

Black cannot play 62 ... Ne7? because of 63 Nell and White's pawn be

comes unstoppable.

63 b6

Nb5t

Usually the correct plan would be 63 ... Kd5?

Ne3t Kc5 but here

White has the very annoying 65 Ng5! ! and Black's knight will not be able

to get to its correct defensive square - c5 - because its king sits on itl

Therefore White's pawn will reach b7 for an assured win.

64 Kd8

White's response does not present much of a challenge to Black. After

Kc61 Nd6 Black must defend very accurately:

Ncl4t Ke5!

(64

. .

Ke7? 65 Nf5tl wins) 65 Nf5 Nc41

Ne3 Ke51 65 Kc7 ! Ne4! (65 ... Nb5t ? 66 Kd7 Nd6 loses to 66

Nc4t) 67 Kd7 1 Nc5t l (everyth ing else loses) 67 Kc6 Ne6! (only move! )

and I think that Black can hold.

Nd6

65 Ne3

There was still time to regroup with 65 Kc7.

65 ..

Nb7tl

66 Kc7

Na51

Black now can keep his knight both safe and active on the queenside.

ff1 Nc4

Nb31

68 Kb8

After 68 b7 Black has the saving 68 ... Nc5 69 b8=0 Na6t, while after

68 Kc6 Nd4t 69 Kc5 Nb3t 70 Kb4 Nd4 71 b7 Kd71 White's king has

been drawn too far away and Black succeeds by an eyelash after 72 Ka5

Kc7 73 Ka6 Nc6! and Black just has time for 74 ... Nd8 followed by 75 ...

Nxb7.

68 .....

Nc5

69 Kc8

Mr, Rozier gives this move a question mark and asks his last question.

Specific Question # S: Is there a win after 69 Ka7 or 69 Ka87 No, I

don't see any. After 69 Ka7 Kd7 70 NeSt Ke6 71 Nd3 Black has 71 ...

Nxd3 72 b7 NeS! and after 69 KaB Kd7 70 NeSt KcB 71 Nd3 Nb71

Black can again prevent the b-pawn's advance. Remember that to draw

Black must prevent the pawn from getting to b7 in safety.

69 .

. .

Ke7

Draw.

Black is indeed safe. But White could continue to play on in the hope

of an eventual Black error. As we have seen, such endgames are not at all

easy to defend.

Subject # 1 1: Pawns on the same side, one king is contained

Questions: Is the contained king always a loser?

What is the proper method of playing in such positions?

What is the correct evaluation of Diagrams 1 6 - 197

Diagram 1 6

Answers:

As an introduction to our theme, let us first consider Diagram 1 6, H.

Kahn - NN, USA 1 978, Black on move. White of course threatens 2 Nf4

mate. Therefore, Black's response -- 1 ... g3 -- is forced and White achieved

an instructive draw as follows: 2 Nxh41 gxh2 3 Nf31 Nxf3 Stalemate.

I n this type of position -- where White has his pawn on h2 and king on

h1 and Black has g- and h-pawns - is it possible to set up positions winning

for Black? The answer is three-pronged:

1 ) Theoretically, very much so. With Black's king on f1, various mating

motifs are possible, with the simplest being Black's knight on f2 (e.g. in

Diagram 16 put Black's king on f1 and White's knight on g6. Black wins

with 1 ... Ne41.)
2) From any reasonable starting position, White would have to play very

poorly for such possibilities to arise.

3) There is little logic in White's king voluntarily heading for containment

on h 1 . He should try to keep his ground on the second rank, operating on

the g2 and f2 squares.

The single most important principle is that once the enemy king is con

tained, do not allow him to escape. Otherwise, the chances are high that

you will never get him back in and your advantage will have disappeared.

I shall now discuss the kind of approach you should use in coming up

with the correct plan. Let us look at Diagram 17 on the next page, with

White to move. White has the dual advantages of the active king and
32

Diagram 1 7

knight, whereas Black's king is severely contained and his knight is a poten

tial problem also. But how to proceed? The idea is clear enough: 1 Kf7

Nh6t 2 Kf8 and Black is in zugzwang and must al low 3 Nf7 mate. But it

is equal ly easy to see that Black can simply play the king-freeing 1 ...h6. If

it would again

be Black's

move in this position, White would win easily

cause after "2

...

Kh7", 3 Ng6 puts Black in zugzwang. With Black's king on

h8, a White knight on f8 is equally effective for zugzwang. Unfortunately,

as we know, a knight can never gain a tempo and thus by knight moves

alone there is no way to put Black in zugzwang after 1 Kf7 h6. And king

moves also seem out of the question since both a Kf8 or Kg6 would free

Black's knight. Also the attempt to prevent 1 ...h6 by 1 h67 fails: 1 ...Nf6t

(not 1 ... Nxh677 2 Kf8 followed by 3 Nf7 mate) 2 Kf8 (2 Kf7 is met by

either 2

Nd7 or 2 ... Ng4) 2

. .

. Nd7t l l 3 Nxd7 stalemate. Thus we see that

in this last line Black's king is actually too contained.

What to do in real life? Of course, you can abandon winning attempts

and offer Black a draw. Yet this is hardly the way to achieve success in

tournament play ! Therefore the practical thing to do is to try a lot of

king and knight maneuvers from Diagram 1 7 in the hope that something

wi ll succeed. Not that anything is guaranteed, but it is certain that unless

you search for success, you will not find it.

If the game is adjourned and you have access to a good chess library,

then of course you can consult this. You wil l then find something very

similar in "Knight Endings" by Averhakh and Checkhover. On page 66

is the position shown in Diagram 1 8 and this is an endgame study by V.

Bron in 1 948. As can be seen, the only difference is that here the White

knight is on e3 rather than on e5.

. �� . .
. . � .

The solution to the study in Diagram 1 8, with my comments, is as

follows:

1 Kf7

Nh&t

1 ... h6 gets us into the main line more quickly.

2 Kf8

Ng8

3 Ng4

The fancy

... Nh671 is not met by 4 Nxh6?7 stalemate, but by 4 Ne51,

followed by 5 Nf7 mate.

4 Kf71

To contain Black's knight on g8.

Kh7

5 Ne5

KhB

6 Nc41

Kh7

7 Nd6

As discussed in connection with Diagram 1 7, White cannot put Black in

zugzwang just by his knight moves. The only way is by king tempo moves.

But to enable this, White must keep Black's knight stalemated. For this,

White's knight must get to e8 from where it takes away both f6 from

Black's knight and g7 from B lack's king.

KhB

8 NeBI

Kh7

9 Ke61

Kh8

10 Kd&l

White wants to achieve the same position as after Black's 8th move, but

with

Black

on move.

10 .....
1 1 Kd71

Kh7

so often, the principle/concept is more important than the exact

moves.

can be recognized, White's 1 0th and 1 1 th moves can also be

played in the reverse order.

1 1

KhS

12 Ke&l

Kh7

13 Kf7

Mission accomplished. Since the knight can neither gain nor lose a tem

po, it is a simple matter for White's knight now to stalemate Black's king,

after wh ich Black's knight will be forced to commit suicide.

....

KhS

14 Nc7

An equivalent winning knight route is 14 Nd6 Kh7 1 5 Nc4 Kh8 1 6

Ne5 Kh7 1 7 Ng6.

White wins.

14
15 Ne&

16 Nf8

17 Kxf&

Kh7
Kh8

Nf&

With this background, it is easy to recognize that Diagram 1 7 is actually

a simplified, "forward" version of Bron's 1 948 study. The solution in fact

is:

1 Kf71

Nc4

and White wins as per the Diagram 1 8 solution, where Nc4 was played

as White's 6th move.

The motif of Black's king in the corner, contained by his own h·pawn,

offers many opportunities for creative play.

Diagram 1 9

Diagram 1 9 shows the concluding part of a prize winning 1978 study by

V. Shkrl, with the solution being:

1 Ne811

Nf6t

Or 1 ... Nxe8 2 Kf8 fol lowed by 3 Bg7 mate.

2 Kf8

Nxh6

3 Nd6

Ng4

4 Nf7 mate.

Subject # 12: Pawns on both sides, material advantage, defender has no

counterplay

Questions: What is White's proper technique in going for the win in Dia·

gram 207

Should White simplify into a K & P endgame by playing 1 g57

Diagram 20

In Diagram 20, W. Maloney · N.N., New York 1 973, White on move,

White has two advantages: ( 1 ) He is up a solid pawn, and (2) Black is with·

out counterplay. Yet there also are a couple of roadblocks in the way to

the win: ( 1 ) The g5 break may not win, and (2) White's king is inactively

placed on the edge of the board.

The single most important point in going for the win is: avoid doing

anything irreparably wrong! Here the wrong thing is to

for the K & P

endgame, as happened in the game:

1 g57

Nxg5

2 Nxg5

hxg5t

3 Kxg5

Kg7

We already learned in Chapter 1 that it is risky for the superior side to

enter a K & P endgame where he is left with rook pawn (s). Here White is

left with two rook pawns and the position is a draw. Note that if instead

of the a-pawns,

would have equivalently placed b-pawns, then White

wins easily.

4 a4

a51

The only way to draw. The principle is: Black wants to have his pawn

up the board as far as possible, so that White's king when he captures it

will be as far away from b7 as possible. The rule of thumb to know to

correctly judge such positions is: White wins if his a-pawn is in Black's side

of the board.

5 Kf5

6 Ke5
7 Kd5

8 Kc5

Kb5

10 Kxa5

1 1 Kb6

12 Ka7

Draw

Kh6

Kxh5

Kg5
Kf6

Ke6

Kd71

Kc81

Kc71

Black shuttles his king between cB and c7 and White can't progress.

The correct technique in positions such as Diagram 20 is to make the

whole board your scene of interest. We call it "playing on both sides of

the board"; then when Black is busy protecting himself on the one side,

White scores decisive penetration on the other. Specifically, White's first

objective is to get his knight to f5, thereby tying down either Black's king

or knight to the defense of the h-pawn. This then would free the way to

the queenside for White's king, ensuring the decisive capture of the a-pawn.

The correct approach is:

1 Ne5tl

Kf6

2 Nc61

3 Nb4

If Black removes his knight from the kingside with

• . .

Nc5, White has a

tactical breakthrough there with 4 g5t l l hxg5t 5 Kg4 a5 6 Nd5t Ke5

7 h61.

4 Nd5t

Ke5

I n the long run too passive is 4 ... Kg7, since White's king will first get to

the center and then the queenside.

5 Ne31

With the dual threats of 6 Nc4t and 6 Nf5. Black again has nothing

better than activity.

6 Nf5t

Kd4

Kc3

7 Nxh6
8 Nf5

Kb3
Kxa3

White's two kingside pawns are winners against Black's single a-pawn.

. . . . .

NfB

10 g5

Kb4

After 1 0

.. Kb2, White first stops Black's pawn with 1 1 Nd6 a4 1 2 Nb5

and then promotes his with 13 Kh5 and 14 g6.

White wins.

1 1 Kh5

12 g6

Nxg6

13 Kxg6

14 h7

15 h8=Q

By going for counterplay Black final ly made it fairly close. But White

did not really have any difficult decisions to make. Playing directly on the

side of his strength -- the kingside - was good enough for the win.

Subject # 13: Pawns on both sides, material advantage, defender has coun

terplay

Questions: How should White play from Diagram 21, i.e. should he try to

advance his pawns or worry about Black's queenside counter•

play?

Can White win?

Diagram 21

Diagram 21 shows the position in D. Rozili - Sutton, Correspondence

1 980-82, after Black's 45th move. Unlike the previous example, here

Black's knight is at the throat of Wh ite's queenside pawns. Moreover,

White's knight is also under attack, so that something most likely will have

to give in White's position. The determining factor will then be the

dynam

ics

of the position and here White has two clear advantages: his extra

pawns on the kingside are already well mobi lized as connected passed

pawns and his king can both assist these pawns and go after Black's queen

side pawns.

Mr. Rozier has added some valuable questions and comments and I have

made use of them herewith.

Specific Question : Is it better to try to win on the kingside or the queen-

side? Well, you want to win wherever the opportunities arise. In such an

unbalanced position, generally the best policy is to play on both sides of

the board. By this I mean to try to get the most out of the possibilities

on each side. We'll see very soon what this means in actual play.

Mr. Rozier states that he felt that to win on the kingside would be too

difficult and feared Black's queenside majority. Thus he decided to ex

change his kingside pawns for Black's queenside pawns. However, for win

ning purposes the problem that resulted was that he was left with just the

single b-pawn.

My evaluation of Diagram 21 is that it is won for White if he plays very

accurately at the very beginning. But the really important point is to real-

ize that for maximum endgame success the key is to handle such positions in

the most logical way. Whether the starting point is a 1 00% theoretical win

can usually be determined only after very exhaustive further analysis.

The game continued:

46 Nh4t

This surely looks logical since it draws the king away from the pawns.

I nstead 46 Ne6t71 Ke6 47 Nc6 Nxa2 48 NbS aS is fine for Black.

Kg4

Risky, of course, since the king can be caught behind enemy lines.

Therefore a meaningful alternative is 46 ... Ke6 47 fSt KeSI (making it more

difficult for White's king to approach) 48 f6 Ke6. This position is very

complicated, but I think that White should win after 49 Ng61, for instance,

49 ... Nxa2 50 Nf4t Kf7 51 Kd4 ! Nc1 52 KfS! Nxb3 53 g6t KfB 54

NeSt. Notice how, for ultimate success, White's passed pawns need the

help of both the king and knight.

47 Ng27

Mr. Rozier passes over this move without comment, but I believe that

the critical moment for this endgame is right here. With Black's king on

the "wrong" side, the thematic plan for White is to advance his pawns. Un

fortunately, the immediate 47 g6? is not good because of 47 ... Kxh4 48 g7

NdSt 49 Ke4 Ne7

KeS NgB and White will have to be satisfied with

the draw after 51 Kd5 c4 52 bxc4 bxc4 53 Kxc4 Kh5 etc. The only

reason why Black was able to defend was the unfortunate location of

White's king on e3 which gave Black time for Nd5

with check.

The above considerations should lead in a rather straightforward way to

the conclusion that

47 Kd3!

must be the correct way to handle matters.

Black's defenses then can fall in these categories:
a)

Capturing White's knight: 47. .. Kxh4?

48 Kxc3 Kh5 49 Kd3 is an

elementary K & P endgame win.
b)

Capturing White's a-pawn: 47 ... Nxa2?

48 g6 Nb4t 49 Ke4 Nc6 50

NfS! followed by 51 g7 queens the g-pawn.

Retreating the knight: 47. .. Nd5

48 Ng2 and White will win since

Black's king can neither get back (48 ... Kf5 49 Ne3t) nor capture White's

knight [48 ... Kg3 49 Ke4! Nc3t (49 ... Ne7 50 Ne3 is a prosaic win) 50

Ke5 Kxg2 51 g6] .

Protecting the knight: 4l ... b4

g6 Nd5 49 Ke4 Ne7 (49 ... Nf6t

38.

50 Ke5 NeB 51 Nf5) 50 Nf31 wins since 50 ... Nxg6 loses to 51 Ne5t.

47 .....

Nxa2

Now Black has a two pawn queenside majority and this very much

changes the complexion of the so-called "normal endgames" i.e. those

where the g-pawn doesn't queen.

48 g6

Now Black's knight gets back, but after 48 Ke4 Kh5 Black's king can

stop the pawns just long enough for his queenside majority to create suffi

cient counterplay.

49 g7

50 Ke4

51 f5

52 Ne3t
53 Kd5

Nc3

Nd5t
Ne71
Ng8

Kg5

As anticipated, this will lead to a N + b-pawn vs. N endgame. There is

nothing better since after

Ke5 a51 Black again has sufficient counter

play.

53 .

...

54 b41

The only way to play for the win.

Kf6

Kc5

Kxg7

56 Kb6

57 Kxa6

Ne7

Kxb5

Good enough, but with 58 ... Kf71 followed by 59 ... Nxf5! Black wou ld

gain one to two tempos for getting his K + N closer to the queenside and

thus make the draw considerably more assured.

59 Nxc2

Nxf5

This endgame turns out to be barely drawn for Black. For the further

course of play turn back to Subject # 1 0.

Section 3: Bishop vs. Knight Endgames

Subject

14: Equal material, full play with pawns on both sides, equal

chances

Questions: When is the bishop the superior minor piece? When the knight?

Answers:

What is the proper approach in playing unbalanced, dynamically

equal endgames?

Should Black exchange rooks in Diagram 22? (on next page)

The basic principle of evaluating the bishop vis-a-vis the knight is simple:

because the bishop is a long range piece, in positions which are fairly open

and have pawns on both sides, the bishop is generally the superior minor

piece to have. Moreover, again because of its long range power, the bishop

even from far away is excel lent in coping with passed pawns. On the other

hand, the knight is superior in blockaded positions where its flexibility for

close range maneuvering comes to the fore. The knight -- being a natural

Diagram 22

blockader

••

is excellent for blockading a passed pawn if it can assume an

impregnable position in front of it.

In real life, the actual specifics of the position so often are the key ele

ments in evaluating the comparable worth of the minor piece.

We shall learn much from following the play from Diagram 22, H. Pills·

bury

Em. Lasker, St. Petersburg 1 895/96, after White's 22nd move.

judge the position as equal. Obviously there is material equality and there

is nothing inherently wrong with either side's pieces or pawns. However,

while it objectively offers equal chances, the position is unbalanced and

thus in an actual game both sides have winning and losing chances. Black

now has the option of either of two strategic approaches: he can keep

rooks on the board or aim for a minor piece endgame. Lasker decides on

the latter:

22 .....

Re8

Black hopes that with the rooks gone, his king can become active. Com·

bined with the general superiority of the bishop in open pos:t;ons, he ex

pects that this wi ll lead to good chances for him. The move is fine, though

it is not realistic to expect more than equality. Black's a-pawn is a chronic

weakness, there is nothing wrong with White's pawn formation

•·

and at this

moment the kingside is not really open.

An alternate sound plan is 22 ... Rb8 and after 23 Re3 Black can play

23 ... Rb4 or 23 ... f6 followed by 24 ... Kf7.

23 Rxe8t

KxeS
Kd8
Kc7
Kb&

Kc5

24 Ke2

25 Kd2
26 Kc3
27 f4

28 h3

Each side has certain strengths: Black the more active king, White the

more actively placed minor piece. Black's bishop does have potential be·

cause most of White's pawns are on light squares, but at the moment it is

well contained. With his next move White aims to further contain the

bishop

•

29 f5

• . .

whereas Black aims to free its diagonal. For drawing purposes main

taining the status quo with 29 ... Bc8 is sufficient. Then after 30 g4 hxg4

31 hxg4 Black can simplify further with 31 ... g6.

30 f6

White also is playing to win. He realizes that the f-pawn may well go

lost but plans to use the time that Black spends to capture it, to capture

Black's a-pawn and thereby establish an outside passed pawn. Instead, 30

fxg6 leads to static equality.

. . .

White was threatening to win with 31 Nf3 and 32 Ng5; thus Black must

free a route back for his king. The disadvantage of the text is that it weak

ens Black's queenside pawn formation.

31 cxd5

Kxd5

Also playable is 31 ... cxd5.

32 Nf3

Nd2

Ke6

We are now close to the exciting and decisive stage of this endgame.

Black will have an extra pawn on the kingside, whereas White will have a

passed a-pawn.

33 .....

Kxf6

James Schroeder in his edition of

Petersburgh 1895/96

criticizes this

move and suggests instead the immediate 33 ... c5 followed by 34 ... Bc6. Yet

as GM Reuben Fine has demonstrated, the text is O.K. The decisive error

occurs later.

Diagram

34 Nc4

h41

35 Nxe5

Ke5

36 Nc4t

Kf4

37 Nb6

Bf5

38 Kd4

Fine considers this position in

Basic Chess Endings

(No. 260a) and gives

this excellent practical principle: with two outside passed pawns (i.e., one

for each side) one must get going

fast as one can, sit tight and hope for

the best.

...

Be47

The decisive error. Black gets going much too slowly. Note that win

ning the g-pawn still doesn't do anything immediate for Black's kingside

pawn pushes. Fine gives this drawing line: 38 ... g51 39 a5 (39 Kc5 is also

met by 39 ... Bxh31) 39 ... Bxh3 1 1 40 gxh3 (After 40 a671 Bxg2 Black is well

ahead of the game continuation) 40 ... g4 41 hxg4! (Fine here continues

with the less accurate 41 a6) 41 ... h3 42 a6 h2 43 a7 h 1 =Q 44 aB-O Qg1 t

followed by 45 ... Cbi:b6 and complete equality.

39 a&

eSt

Required in any case after 39 ... Bxg2 40 a6.

Kxc6

Bxg2

41 a&

Nd5t

Black still doesn't have a passed pawn, whereas White has two connected

passed pawns. With some fine knight maneuvers Pillsbury puts the game on

ice.

Ke5

Ne3 1 1

Bf3

b41

Ke&

b51

Passed pawns must be pushed !

45 .

Be2

Nd51

Resigns.

After 46 ... Bf3 47 b61 Bxd5 48 b7 White gets a new queen.

Subject #

15:

Equal material, pawns on both sides; bishop has good scope,
yet the knight is superior

Questions: Who has the superior minor piece in Diagram 247

Who is better?

Diagram 24

Answers:

Diagram 24 shows the position from J. Blackburne · K. Schlechter,

Vienna 1898, after White's 25th move. The opening was a wild and wooly

King's Gambit (1

e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Bc4 d5 4 exd5 Qh4t etc.), but fairly

quickly White steered towards the endgame and our starting point is the be

ginning of a classic knight

vs.

bishop endgame. Black's bishop is rather free

since neither the White nor Black pawns decrease its scope and the position

on an over-all basis is fairly open. Such considerations usually mean that

Black stands well. But here White has a clear advantage because of the fol·

lowing specific factors:

1 . White's c4 - d5 pawn complex gives him a major space advantage.

2. Black's d-pawn is a chronic weakness, requiring constant attention from

his king.

It is much easier for White to create a viable passed pawn from his

queenside majority than for Black to do so from his kingside majority.
4. White's knight is more useful than Black's bishop because it has more

potential, since White's pawns can be safeguarded well and Black's king

must remain passive.

However, this does not mean that Black is without drawing resources.

The overridiny reason for Black's loss is that he thio1ks that he can draw by

not doing anything. Perhaps he underestimated Blackburne's endgame skill

or was too complacent about his problems. Let's follow the game course:

25 .....

Bd37!

On the face of it the move is harmless enough, but the dubious mark is

added because it is the start of a completely faulty approach. The first

question that Black should consider is how to place his queenside pawns

so that White's task in mobi lizing his majority there is made as difficult as

possible. One ratior1al possibility is 25 ... a6 (preventing Nb5t) followed by

26 ... b6. But even more appropriate seems 25 ... a5! followed by 26 ... b6.

The idea behind this set-up is to force White to exchange his a-, b- and

c-pawns for Black's queenside pawns so that White is left only with the

d-pawn. Even though this then is a passed pawn, the fact that Black re

mains with a sound kingside majority should allow Black a certain enough

draw.

26 b3
27 Kd2
28

29 a3

30 Ke3
31 Nf3

Kd771
Be471

Bb171
Be471
Bb1
Ke771

The king stood well enough on d7. Moreover, the important factor here

is that Black fails to take any steps to mobilize his kingside majority. As

will be later seen, White's two pawns on the kingside tie down Black's three

pawns there, while White creates a very powerful passed d-pawn. Correct is

the obvious

. .

h61 followed by

... g5. If White plays

h4, then Black

prepares with

f61 and again follows up with ... g5. This way each side

has a thematic strength, whereas in the game only White is the achiever.

32 b41

The first meaningful step on the queenside.

32 ..

Bf5?1

33 c51

The second meaningful step. White sure knows what to dol

33 ..

Bd7

34 Kd41

Posting the king on a powerful central square.

...

Be871

35 Nd21

Bd771

Black may well be lost by now, but even so there is no excuse for not

getting his kingside pawns into position for some activity with 35 ... h6 fol

lowed by ... g5.

36 Nc41

37 bxc5

dxc5t
f6

38 Nb21

White prepares to run his a-pawn to a5 so as to further immobilize Black

Black's queenside. At the very least Black should "risk" ... g5 soon ·· such

as now.

39 a41

40 a51

Bf571

Kd771

Otherwise with a6 (perhaps the immediate 41 a6) White would create

passed c· and d-pawns. But now White's a-pawn blockades both Black's

queenside pawns. With total success on the queenside and the center White

now turns his attention to the kingside.

41 Nc4

Kc7

42 Nd&

Bd7

43 Ke41

Ba471

44 g41

Bc2t71

Black absolutely refuses to lift a finger in his own behalf. For better or

worse

• . .

g6 had to be tried.

45 Kd4

Bg&

46 h31

Kb871

Though still losing, 46

..•

h5 47 Nf51 hxg4 48 hxg4 would at least ex·

change off a set of pawns.

Diagram 25

47 Nf&l

Bxf5

gxf5

...

. .

Kc771

Though this K + P endgame is lost, Black should at least try 48 ... g51,

since to win White must know to open the position with 49 fxg6 e.p. l.

49 Ke4

Kd7

50 Kf41

Ke7

51 Kg41

Kd7

Kc8

53 h51

Otherwise 54 h6 wins.

54 Kf4

Kc7

55 Ke4

Resigns.

With Black's kingside majority paralyzed, White breaks through in the

center, e.g. 56

••.

Kd7 56 d& Kd8 57 Kd6 Kd7 68 c6t! bxc6t 59 Kc5

KdB

Kxc6.

Subject #

16:

Equal material, pawns on both sides; early stage of a char

acteristic

"bad" bishop endgame

Question: Should Black fear having the position of Diagram 267

Diagram 26

Answer:

, ..,;� a t a

•

l a &t1 rs •

' ; ;.�

In Diagram 26, P. Oliver · NN, France 1 981, Black has an isolated d·pawn

on the same color as his bishop. Protection of this pawn will require the

help of the bishop and most likely the pawn will reduce the scope of the

bishop. This means that the bishop will be at least "somewhat bad". Still,

should Black have to worry if he lands in the Diagram 26 position?

In answering such a question it is very important to always keep in mind

the difference between a theoretical answer and a practical one. True,

Black's only permanent weakness is the d-pawn, yet he is caught in a char

acteristic superior knight/inferior bishop endgame -· as will be discussed in

detail in the next subject. It is easy for a theoretician to say "it should be

an easy draw". But

ahead and draw it in a

practical

game! I n actual

play White's winning chances are always considerable, because the knight is

a very nimble attacker and here can try to operate on both sides of the

board. Just one inaccuracy on Black's part (which in the game forced

Black to play the further weakening ... b5) and his position becomes critical.

In a practical game I would never

voluntarily

accept the type of position

that Black has here. I mean, I would only accept it if the alternatives were

very clearly worse.

Subject # 17:

Bad'

Bishop vs. "Good" Knight

�

Questions: What is the correct technique in playing positions such as Dia

gram 27 for the win?

Answers:

How should Black defend?

It is already won for White?

After some maneuvering on White's part, Diagram 26 led to Diagram 27,

P. Oliver - NN, France 1 981, Black on move. In it White has two clear ad

vantages: the superior king, placed on the unassailable d4 square and the

superior minor piece. Because Black's bishop will be tied up in defending

the isolated d-pawn, White's nimble knight will be much the more danger·

ous attacker. Other important aspects of the position wil l be brought out

as part of the game course:

Diagram 27

1 .....

Kd67

This looks like the losing move to me and, in any case, is absolutely

wrong. A careful look at Diagram 27 shows that even though his position

is inferior, Black actually has only one fundamental weakness

··

the d-pawn.

Therefore, if Black can prevent the creation of new weaknesses in his posi

tion, his chances for a draw are very bright. The correct plan, is, of course,

.. Bc6!, which prevents 2 Na4 and therefore keeps Black's queenside safe.

In connection with this quite correct suggestion, Mr. Olivier makes the fol

lowing two general comments:

( 1

)

"An eventual NfJ wi

be met by K f5" - Perhaps, but as a general

principle, Black's king shou ld keep an eye on the queenside and therefore

Black's safest response is the simple ... h6.

(2) "White's plan to play a5, preceded by b4 should be met by ... a5 and

... a4" - I would not touch any of Black's queenside pawns as this only

creates holes in Black's position.

Na41

Unfortunately this horrible weakening move is forced since 1

. Kc6 al

lows White's king to penetrate decisively by

Ke5.

3 Nc5

Bc8

4 b4

The result of Black's faulty 1 .

Kd6? is that both his king and bishop

cannot move. As soon as Black's pawn moves will be exhausted, something

will have to give. However, White has a problem also and that is that the

knight can neither gain nor lose a tempo and therefore White also must be

dependent on pawn moves to retain the zugzwang.

4 .

....

g47

Now Black is definitely lost. Black's queenside pawns and center squares

are already very vulnerable and to keep chances for a draw he must keep

his kingside as safe as possible. After the text White's pieces get access to

f4 and Black wil l not be able to prevent penetration of his kingside. Much

more attractive for Black is to immediately execute the plan recommended

by Mr. Olivier on move

1 6:

5 ... Bf51 6 Nxa6 Bd7 7 Nc5 Be8. I would

think that Black ultimately should lose, but since Black's kingside is sound,

penetration by White's pieces is very difficult and White would have to

maneuver perfectly to be able to progress.

6 Nd3

7 Nc5

8 Ke371

Bcl7

Bc8

However, with this sequence White leaves his knight insufficiently pro

tected, which Black can exploit with 8 ... a51 and after 9 Kf4, Black can

simply play 9

•••

a4. Then later if White gets too frisky on the kingside,

Black can infiltrate on the queenside starting with

•..

d41. It is difficult to

understand why Black does not take advantage of this opportunity.

The systematic way of making progress is 8 Nb31 Bf5 9 Ke3 Ke5 1 0

Nc5 Bc8 1 1 Nd3t Kd6 1 2 Kf4 and Black will not be able to safeguard his

kingside.

8 .....

Nd3t

Ke57!

Ke6

Here 9 ... Kd6 1 0 Kf4 transposes into the above note.

10 Kd4

Kd6

1 1 Nc5

Because of zugzwang Black has no choice, but here the pawn becomes

vulnerable to an attack from White's knight.

12 Nd3!

From now on White plays very exactly. Black's immediate problem is

that he cannot play 12 ... Bf5, 12 ... Bd7, nor 12 ... Bb7 because of 13 Nf4.

••••.

Be6

13 Ka3

Ke7?1

Such passivity is hopeless. Required is 13 ... Kc6 since then after 14 Nc5

Bc8 1 5 Kd3 Black again has 1 5 ... a5. Even so, Black's kingside is so com·

promised that White must win after 1 6 Kd41 axb4 ( 1 6 ... a4 17 Ke5!) 1 7

cxb4 Kd6 1 8 a4 bxa4 1 9 Nxa4. While Black wil l be busy stopping the

b-pawn, White wil l capture the d-pawn and thereafter the kingside.

Diagram 28

14 Nc5

Bc8

15 Kd3!1

Kd6

16 Kd4

Resigns.

•.t.•

•

• • • •

R t � t B . t

• • • •

He is in zugzwang again and must lose the a-pawn. Mr. Olivier raises the

question whether Black could not hold the position after the further moves:

1 6

Bf5

1 7 Nxa&

Bcl7

18 Nc5

Ba8

The answer is of course, No. Not only is he a full pawn down, but still

has weaknesses on b5, d5 and h5, no counterplay at all and very import

antly, White's king can get into Black's kingside via f4. A fairly direct

method for White is 1 9 Ke3 Ke5 20 Nd3t Kd6 21 Kf41 Bd7 22 Nc5

Be8 23 Kf51 Bc6 (23 ... d4 24 Ne4t Kd5 25 Nf6t Kc4 26 cxd4) 24 Nb31

Bd7t 25 Kf6 Be8 26 Nd4 Bd7 27 Nf5t Kc6 28 Ke51

Subject # 18: Both sides have passed pawns

Questions: In a position where both sides have passed pawns, which is the

better minor piece7

Who has the advantage in Diagram 297

Diagram 29

. . .

�

•

• •

.•

. . . '�

•

• • . ft

• • • •

Answers:

It is not possible to generalize which piece is better in positions where

both sides have passed pawns. The only safe principle is that the bishop is

the more effective minor piece in stqpping far advanced passed pawns be

cause he can do it from far away, whereas it takes the knight many moves

to get back. In other situations the key is always the specific position. We

see that in Diagram 29, C. Marvel - NN, USA correspondence 1973, after

White's 41st move, White's bishop has no particular power. In fact, Black's

knight has an excellent location on f5 and is somewhat more useful than

the bishop. Black's connected passed pawns are well advanced and can

move in unison, whereas White's pawns are separated too far and thus can

not be made to work together. The above factors mean that Black has the

advantage. However, White can draw since he can liquidate both of Black's

pawns at the cost of his bishop. The game was called a draw here with

White offering it. A logical continuation could be:

41 .....

Ke6

To help stop the g-pawn.

42 Ke2

43 Kd2

Ne7

Playing for the win. Obviously 43 ... c3t is fine for a safe draw.

44 a7

45 Bc31 1

It is very important for the White king to get access to the pawns by

making the bopawn move forward and this give up control of c3. Moreover,

such a pawn formation allows the bishop to blockade them with ease.

Unsatisfactory are 45 h471 Nd5 and 45 Ke371 c31 (46 Bxc377 Nd5t),

with White in each case having to work much harder for the potential draw.

••.•.

The draws after 45 ... bxc3t 46 Kxc3 and 45 ... Nd5 46 Bxb4l Nxb4 47

Kc3 are elementary since in each case Black is left without pawns.

46 Bb2

Nd5

47 h4

Drawn

There is no way either side can strengthen its position. For example:

47 ... Nb6 48 Kc31 Na4t 49 Kxc4 Nxb2 50 Kxb3.

Section 4: Endgames of Pawns vs. Piece

Subject * 19: Pawn(s) vs. Bishop · the king having the pawns is active

Questions: How many pawns equal a minor piece7

Is this always true in an endgame7

Who has the advantage in Diagram 307
What are the key positions for the endgame of bishop vs. 3

connected passed pawns7

Diagram

Answers:

For material balance purposes the correct equation is three pawns equal

a bishop or a knight.

However, to develop an appropriate feel for endgame play we have to

understand the shadings also. The general principle is that as the amount

of material on the board decreases, the power of the pawns increases. I n

the ultimate simple case

··

bishop

or.

knight vs. three pawns

··

i t i s obvious

that only the pawns' side has winning chances.

To correctly evaluate dynamic positions, it is necessary to first complete

the forcing play and only then sit back and do the evaluation. This applies

fully to the situation in Diagram 30, J. Frankie

M. Vul<ic, New York 1976,

Black on move. A mechanical count only gives Black one pawn for the

piece, but this is only the start of the action. Black has the active king and

with White's bishop tied to defending against the b-pawn, Black's king will

penetrate into White's kingside and capture at least two of White's pawns.

Therefore in Diagram 30 only Black has winning chances and these are

quite good. But only an extensive analysis will reveal whether he has a

forced win. Black has two reasonable first moves: he can immediately start

the invasion with 1 ...Kd5 or he can first force White's bishop to make a de·

cision by playing 1 ... Ke6. Both of these will be covered in turn.

••.•.

Kd5

The game continuation and played instantly by Black even though he

had 1 % hours on the clock. It does not present particular difficulties for

White since the bishop on f6 routinely protects the key h·pawn, the capture

of which would make Black's h·pawn a very menacing

outside

passed pawn.

2 Kb6

Ke4

3 Kc5

Kf3

4 Kc4

Kxg3

5 Kxb3

Kxf4

Black has only gained a passed inside f-pawn, which the combination of

White's K + B can stop easily enough.

6 Kc21

Kg3

7 Kd1

8 Ke1

Kg21

9 Bcl4

Draw

Black no longer has winning chances but can force the draw with 9 .

. Kh3

10 Bf2 ( 1 0 Bf6 Kg21) 10 ... Kg4 followed by 1 1 ...g5.

I I .

1 .....

Ke617

The bishop is forced to give up protection of the h·pawn since of course

it has to stay on the a1-h8 diagonal. Both here and later on White has to

make important decisions. Only with the benefit of hindisght can we tell

which are the right ones.

(A)

2 Bb2

Or 2 Be5; or 2 Bg7; or 2 BhB.
These are perfectly reasonable retreat squares for the bishop, yet all suf

fer from the same problem: the h·pawn cannot be protected. Even though

White can theoretically stil l draw, the result of these choices is less comfor·

table play and a less sure outcome.

Kd5

3 Kb6

Ke4

4 Kc5

Kf3

White now has a crucial choice to make: to go after the b-pawn or to

run to the kingside

fast as possible. It turns out that either one, handled

perfectly,

is correct. Note that choosing the b-pawn blockading 2 Bb2 gives

White this option. After the other three moves White must go after the

b-pawn. Even though thanks to hindsight we know that this is also correct,

in a practical game it is never smart to voluntarily limit one's options.
(1 )

5 Kd4

This approach looks perfectly reasonable to me. However, it turns out

to be much more complicated than it looks.

Kxg3

6 Ke3

Kxh4

7 Kf3

White seems to have made excellent defensive progress: Black's b-pawn

is stopped and his king contained. Yet the key elements are that Black

already has three pawns for the piece and can mobilize these with:

Diagram

...••

g51

• • • •

• • •

• • • •

White's only two choices are either to take or not to take. One draws,

the other loses.

(a)

8 fxg5?

Black now wins because one of his three isolated pawns is already on the

sixth

rank. Therefore, the bishop must watch this pawn so that it cannot

help his king stop the others.

8
9 Bc1t

10 Bb2t
1 1 Kf4

12 Kf3

13 Kf4

Kxg5
Kf&l

Ke&

h41

Kd5
Kc4

Black's king penetrates decisively, while his kingside pawns remain self·

protective.

Black wins.

(b)

14 Kf3

15 Kg2
16 Kh3

8 Bf&l

Kd3

f31

Black is now forced to give up his most valuable b-pawn and then is left

with only two pawns for the piece on the kingside. Even though White's

prospects soon look bleak, he can stil l draw with perfect play.

9 Bxb2

g4t

10 Kg2

(See the diagram at the top of next page)

Black's active king and two passed pawns are very menacing against

White's impotent looking bishop. White again is at an important crossroad:

(i)

1 1 Kf3?

Not allowsing Black's king to get to g4, thereby mobilizing the connected

passed pawns. But what it allows is worse: penetration along the h·file.

1 1

Kh3

12 Bd4

Kh21

13 Bg1t

Diagram 32

After 10 ... g3

Otherwise Black plays 1 3 ... h4 followed by 14 ... g2.

Kxg1

14 Kxg3

Kf1

15 Kh4

Kg2

16 Kxh5

White also loses by one tempo after 1 6 Kg5 Kg3 1 7 Kxf5 h4.

Black wins.

Kf3

17 Kg6

Ke4

(ii)

1 1 Bc1 7

Protecting the f·pawn and coming closer to the kingside. Yet the bishop

is too passively placed now to cope with Black's initiative.

1 1

•••••

Kg4

12 Bd2

13 Be1

White cannot keep protecting his pawns by 13 Be3 (or 13 Bc1 ) because

of 13 ... h3t 14 Kg1 Kf3 1 5 Bd2 h2t 1 6 Kh 1 Kf21 and there is nothing

to be done about the coming 1 7 ... g2t 18 Kxh2 g1 =Qt.

• • • • •

h3t

14 Kg1

Kxf4

We now have the very important endgame of bishop vs. three connected

passed pawns. For this the following two rules of thumb formulated by

Reuben Fine are useful to know:
(1 ) A win is possible only if all three pawns can succeed in crossing the

fourth rank.

(2) When the pawns are on the sixth or seventh ranks the battle is hope·

less.

Here already two of Black's pawns are on the sixth and the third is sure

to join them.

15 Bb4

Kg4

16 Bel&

17 Bc7

18 Bel&

f2t

19 Kf1

Kf3

Black wins.

(iii)

1 1 Be51

The f-pawn must be protected, of course, and from the active location

the bishop can also control the crucial g1-a7 diagonal.

1 1

Kg4

12 Bd&l

13 Be5

h3t

14 Kg1

Kf3

15 Bd&l

h2t

If 1 5 ... g2, 1 6 Kh21 sets up an unimpregnable blockade.

16 Kh1

Kf2

17 Bc5tl

Kf3

18 Bd6

Draw.

Neither side an progress.

(2)

5 Kc4

Immediately going for the b-pawn. Black now does capture all of White's

kingside, but his pawns are not sufficiently advanced for the win.

5 .....

Kxg3

6 Bf61

Only so. After 6 Kxb37 Kxh4 White's king is too far from the kingside

and Black's h-pawn becomes unstoppable.

7 Bxb2

Kxh4

8 Kd31

Kg3

9 Ke21

After the immediate 9

...

Kg2 White has 1 0 Bf6.

10 Kf1 1

Otherwise 10 ... Kg2 wins.

•••••

11 Kg21

Diagram 33

Kxf4
Kg4

With White's king in front of the pawns and two of Black's pawns not

yet beyond the fourth rank, the position is drawn. However, White must

know how to handle it. The general principle is: the pawns must be block·

aded. To ensure that this can be achieved, the bishop

must be activated to

attack the pawns from behind.

The problem with the bishop attacking the

pawns from the front is that as the pawns advance, the bishop's scope de-

creases.

12 Bf61

The above discussion clearly suggests that this is the correct plan. Losing

is the passive plan 1 2 Bc1 71 g5 1 3 Bd27 f4 14 Be1 . Now we have # 143

in Fine's

Basic Chess Endings

and Black wins as follows: 14 ... Kf51 1 5 Ba5

(or 1 5 Kh3 Ke41 1 6 Kg4 Ke3 1 7 Kxg5 h3) 1 5 ...

g4'

1 6 Bd8 h3t (note

that now all of Black's pawns are on the fifth rank or beyond.) 1 7 Kh2

Ke4 1 8 Bb6 Kf3 19 Bc7 Ke3 20 Bb8 f3 21 Kg1 Ke2 22 Bg3 f2t 23

Bxf2 h2t 24 Kxh2 Kxf2 25 Kh 1 Kg31 etc.

1 2 .....

After 1 2 ... h3t White stops the pawns after 1 3 Kh2 f4 14 Be7 1 g5 (or

14 ... f3 1 5 Bc5) 1 5 Bxg51 Kxg5 16 Kxh3 and reaches a drawn K & P end·

game.

13 Bd81

14 Be71

Now

have Fine's # 142. Notice how the active bishop prevents the

�pawn from advancing beyond its fourth rank.

14 .....

f3t

After 14 ... Kh5 1 5 Bd61 stops the �pawn's advance; after 1 4 ... Kf5 1 5

Bd81 keeps the status quo.

15 Kf2

The correct technique is for the king to stop the fartherst advanced

pawn.

Or 1 5 ... h3, 1 6 Bd6.

Kf4

1 6 Bxg5tl

Kxg5

17 Kxf3

Draw.

(B)

2 Bc31

The simplest and best defense. By making sure that he can retain the

h·pawn, White avoids all of the problem decisions discussed earlier.

Kd5

Kb&

Ke4

4 Kc5

Kf3

5 Kc4

Kxg3

6 Be1tl

The less accurate 6 Bf671 b21 would transpose to the previous variation.

Kxf4

7 Kxb3

Ke3

Black here is, in effect, a tempo ahead of the game continuation (i.e.

1 ... Kd5), but since White has chosen the most effective defense, he still

draws easily.

8 Kc2

9 Bd2t l

Kf3

10 Kd1

Draw.

Black can draw easily with 10 ... Kg4 and 1 1 ... g5, but has no way of

making progress.

I have spent a considerable amount of time on this endgame because it

contains all the important thematic strategies in the fight of bishop vs.

pawns. Always remember: the bishop must be activated and kept active!

Subject #

20:

Pawn(s)

bishop

both kings are active

Questions: How important is it that the bishop side has a viable pawn?

Can White win from Diagram 347

Diagram 34

Answers:

If the side with the bishop also has a pawn which can be turned into a

passed pawn, its winning prospects increase significantly. This is so because

the opponent can only stop the passed pawn with his king and this should

give your king + bishop time to vanquish the enemy pawns.

In Diagram 34, W. Radspinner

•

D. Vespo, Indianapolis, 1 977, after

White's 56th move, White has two advantages. Because Black only has two

pawns for the piece, White has a material advantage. Moreover, White's

active king is able to capture Black's g-pawn and this will turn White's

g-pawn into a passed one. Therefore White should have good winning

chances, but a definitive answer cannot be given until

calculate the re

sults of the mutual queening races to come. Best play now is:

•••••

Kb31

Black also needs passed pawns on the queenside, because the existing

ones can be stopped. If 56 ... Kd3, White wins routinely after 57 Kf5 Kd2

58 Kxg4 e1=Q 59 Bxe 1 t Kxe1

Kxf3. Black actually played 56 ... Kd3

in the game and was successful because White ("at the age of 79, tired after

5 hours of play") responded with 57 Be1 77 and was forced to resign after

••.

Ke3.

57 Kf5

Kxb2

58 Kxg4

Kxa3

59 Kxf3

60 Kxe2

Each king has been devouring the other's pawns and what we now get is

an old fashioned pawn race where White turns out to be one tampo ahead.

61 g4

62 Bd4

63 Bxb2t

Kxb2

64 g5

66 g7

67 g8=Q

68 Qg7t

Kb1

We have now a theoretically very important position in the endgame of

Q vs. RP. If White's king would be far away (i.e. h2), this endgame is

drawn. But if the king is close, winning chances become quite real. In our

case, the following rule applies, as cited by Averbakh and Maizelis on page

290 of their book

Pawn Endings:

"White wins if he can get his king to b3

in two moves or to d3, d2 or d1 in one move." The latter situation applies

here and White wins as follows:

69 Qg1t

Kb2

Od4tl

Kb1

71 Qb4t

Kc1

After 7 1 ...Ka1 White also plays 72 Qc3t. If 71 ...Kc2 White wins with

72 Oa3 Kb1 73 Qb3t Kc1 17 74 Kd31 a1=Q 75 Oc2 mate. The winning

technique consists of achieving mate through the cooperation of queen and

king.

72 Qc3t

Kb1

Kd21

a1=Q

74 Qc2 mate.

Subject

21 : Two pawns for the piece, several minor pieces on board

Questions: Who is better in Diagram 357 Why7

Diagram 35

Answers:

• • • g

....... .

••• t .

•

& t �l

•

The type of position shown in Diagram 35, Garner- Newsom, USA 1976,

is both common and important. Therefore you always want to evaluate it

correctly. White has two

good

pawns for the piece,

but this is never

enough.

Therefore Black has the advantage. However, White does have

drawing chances because of his sound pawn formation and the fact that

Black's bishop cannot attack White's pawns. It turns out that Black's job

is much easier if he is on move.

Black on move wins easily:

hxg31

hxg3

Na71

Ke1

Black is planning to

after the vulnerable a-pawn with ... Bc6, Ba4 and

Nb5. Therefore, White's king has to try to reach b2.

3 .

Bc6

4 Kd1

b51

Forcing White to misplace the knight on b1.

Black wins.

5 Nb1
6 Kc1
7 Kb2
8 Nd2

Ke71
Be8
Bh5 1 1
Be21

Notice how White's K + N + kingside pawns have been paralyzed and

Black wins by penetrating with his king on the kingside. If White plays

9 a4, that just makes the pawn more vulnerable. Even though Black's

bishop could not attack White's pawns directly in the play above, the fact

that it is an extra piece allowed it to control a lot of other key squares.

White on move has good drawing chances:

1 axb41

The side trying to draw welcomes routine pawn exchanges such as this

one. Moreover, we learned earlier that White cannot allow the isolation of

his a-pawn.

. . . . .

axb4

2 g41

Passed pawns must be pushed! Obviously White's hopes come from the

and f-pawns. White cannot yet be sure of drawing, but this clearly is the

way to go.

•.••.

3 bxc3

bxc3

Na71

Black must play aggressively if he hopes to succeed. The defensive 2 ...

Ne77 4 Nf3 Bc8 5 Kg31 Ng6 (Otherwise 6 Kh4 and 7 Kg5) 6 Nh4! !

Nxh4 7 Kxh4 allows White to draw since the Black bishop is truly impo

tent and White can shuttle back and forth with his king between g3 and h4.

Black's king never has time to go to the queenside, since then White's king

would penetrate into Black's kingside and actually win.

4 f5

Nb51

5 Nb1

Ka7

Now that White's knight is paralyzed, Black wants to use his bishop to

help the king penetrate on the kingside.

6 Ka3

Bc8

7 Kf4

Kf7

8 Kg5

Kg7

9 f6t

Unfortunately White is in zugzwang. Thus after 9 Kh4 Black wins with

9 ... Kh6! 10 g5t Kg7 etc.

• . • • .

Kh7

But not 9 ... Kf7?? 1 0 Kh6 and White's pawns wi ll win.

Black wins.

10 Kh5

Bd7

1 1 g5

BeSt

Black will follow with 1 2 .

. Bg6 and win. Thus we saw that with energet·

ic play Black can just -- by one tempo - mobilize his bishop effectively and

thereby win. This example shows how general ly insufficient two pawns are

for a minor piece if the extra piece can be effectively brought into play.

Section 6: Multi-Minor Piece Endgames

Subject # 22: 2 B vs. 2 8, equal material

Questions: What are the respective plans for White and Black in Diagram 367

Should Black accept a draw offer?

Diagram 36

Answers:

Diagram 36 is Leatherman

•

S. McDonald, USA Correspondence 1 977-78

where Black accepted a draw offer. I believe that the agreement to a draw

is reasonable. However, whatever advantage there exists does rest with

Black. There is material equality and White has a pawn majority on the

queenside, whereas Black's is on the kingside. At the moment it is easier

for Black to mobilize his majority than for White to do something with his.

A particular strategic deficiency in White's pawn formation is that his

h·pawn is on h3; this gives Black the opportunity to undermine its support

with a potential ... f4 and ... f3.

Black's immediate play in the position is clear: he'll mobilize his kingside

pawns by playing ... g5 and ... f4 (the latter prepared if required by ... Be5).

White's immediate best plan is not so clear and he can choose from a num

ber of reasonable possibilities: ( 1 ) immediate queenside play by Kc2, fol·

lowed by b3 (or b4); (2) kingside defensive set-up with Ke2, having in mind

f3; (3) kingside defensive set-up with Bf1 , having in mind queenside/central

follow-up with Kc2 and c4. In all cases correct play should lead to a draw.

On an immediate basis it is, however, easier for Black to make the correct

strategic decisions.

Subject # 23: 2 B vs. 2 B, pawn advantage

Questions: What are the main characteristics of the 2 B vs. 2 B endgame?

Shouldn't White be able to win Diagram 37 fairly easily?

Answers:

The endgame of 2 B vs. 2 B is the most symmetrical kind of endgame.

There can't be any talk of having the superior minor piece or the superior

bishop. Each side has the opportunity to control a segment of the board

completely and to get to any square. Each side can work to keep the

status quo withs bishop moves or to try to bring about zugzwang by "losing

a move". In open board positions the two bishops can develop tremendous

offensive power; paradoxically the two bishops also are excellent on defense

as they can protect all access squares as well as be able to achieve counter

play.

Diagram 37

I n Diagram 37, U; Andersson

•

R. Byrne, Biel Interzonal 1 976, after

White's 45th move, White is ahead a passed e-pawn. Yet Black is able to

achieve a draw because of a deep understanding of the defensive power of

the two bishops:

45 .....

Kg81

The first correct step is to bring the king closer to the e-pawn. Now 46

e5 is harmless becau.se of 46 ... Bd5 47 Bf5 Kf7.

46 b3

The pawn looks uncomfortable here, but there is no choice since Black

threatened 46 ... b3 fol lowed by ... Bd4 and/or Bc6.

•..••

Bd81

According to GM Byrne the only drawing method. The bishop must be

used to prevent White's e-pawn from getting to e7.

Kh2

Ba&l

The third key move in a row. Now that Black's king + KB are placed

well enough defensively to cope with the e-pawn, the QB starts looking for

counterplay. The objective is the b-pawn via 48 ... Bd3 and 49 ... Bc2.

48 g4

Bd3

Bf5

Kf71 1

Black utilizes the first chance t o ge t his king closer t o the e-pawn.

Faulty is 49

.•.

Bc2? because of 50 BeSt and 51 Bd5. White then has pro

tected everything and his bishops are very active.

Be21

51 Bc2

The point of Black's 45th, 46th and 49th moves is best shown off after

51 e6t7 1 Kf6, when the e-pawn has been stopped and Black is sure to cap

ture either the b- or e-pawn.

51 .....

Bf31

On to d5 from where it wil l attack the b-pawn and guard the e6 square.

52 Kg3

Bd5

g51

Bb&

Black has set up an optimum defensive position and is going to keep the

status quo.

Kh3

Bd81

56 Bg&t

Kg7!

Also playable is 56 ... Ke6 since there is nothing for White in 57 Bf5t Kf7

58 e6t Bxe6 59 Bxe6t Kxe6. But Black is not about to budge from his

"fortress".

57 Bc2

Kf7

68 Kh2

Bb6

Kgl

Kg71

Draw.

Black's bishops have a grip on the position and neither White's king nor

e-pawn can get anywhere, e.g. 60 Be7 Kf7 61 Bf6 Kf81 etc. Attempts at

complications just boomerang for White. GM Byrne gives the following as

one example:

Bf571 Bxb3 61 e6 Kf6 62 e7 Bxa4 63 Bg6 Ke61 and it

is Black who has a slight advantage after

Bxb4 axb4 65 e8=0 Bxe8

Bxe8 b3.

Subject # 24: 2 B vs. B

N, equal material

Questions: Why are two bishops superior to bishop + knight or two

knights?

Who is better in Diagram 387

How should White handle this position?

Diagram 38

Answers:

In the first place, two bishops are not

always superior

to B + N or 2 N.

The two bishops may be passively placed or be handicapped by a poor

pawn formation or the other side may have very active pieces or a spatial

advantage. Under such conditions it is even possible that the side with the

bishops stands worse. Nevertheless, in the majority of endgames, having

the two bishops is a tangible advantage. There are two main reasons for

this. Endgame positions tend to be fairly open ones and in such positions

the bishop is the superior minor piece. A pair of bishops can develop tre

mendous power and really rake the board. Moreover, two bishops on ad

joining diagonals have absolute control over the sector that they face.

Therefore, they can both do tremendous damage as well as set up an im

pregnable defense. When you have a

characteristic

two bishops endgame,

never exchange off one of your bishops unless this is sure to increase your

advantage.

Diagram 38 shows the position from B. Till - K. Mann, Pan-American

Intercollegiate Championship 1 983, after Black's 30th move. The character-

istic feature of it is that White has the two bishops versus bishop + knight.

Ever since the queens were exchanged on move 14, the position has been

an endgame. The key changes since then: ( 1 ) All rooks were exchanged,

which I think was a "neutral" development, and (2) White very stupidly

played his h-pawn to h4. This had no positive features at all and two very

negative ones: the g-pawn has been seriously weakened and Black has the

potential of getting a passed h-pawn after a ... g5, hxg5, .. .fxg5, followed by

... h4. I want to stress that pawns should never be moved in the endgame,

unless something positive is accomplished thereby.

In general terms, White has two characteristic advantages in Diagram 38:

the two bishops in a fairly open position and the queenside pawn majority.

This should mean that White has the advantage, though the weakness of the

g-pawn lessens its absolute value. Overall, White has a slight edge and

should run absolutely no risk of losing. Yet he very quickly gets a lost po

sition and loses with.out putting up any kind of a fight. How so? Well, I

have said before that "you wil l lose a won endgame if you do not under

stand what the principles of that particular endgame· are about".

will see, White loses this superior, "riskless" position, because he does not

have a clue what is important in the coming play:

31 Be4

Nd6

32 Bd3

This retreat is strategically justified if White is playing for a win. After

32 Bd5t Be61

Bb4 Bxd5 (33 ... Ke77 34 Bxb7 1 ) White must be satisfied

with the equal opposite color endgame resulting after 34 Bxd6 since 34

cxd57 Nf5 just leads to a new weak pawn on d5.

. .

Bf51

Bxf57?

This may not lose, but the two question marks are fully justified

cause it is as wrong as could be. White does not realize that he is in a

characteristic, slightly superior "two bishop" endgame and therefore quite

wrongly voluntarily enters an inferior minor piece endgame.

Of course the correct move is 33 Be2, followed by attempting to mo

bilize the queenside pawns. There is no need to worry about 33 ... Bb1 71 be

cause White has 34 a4, whereupon 34 ... Bc271 just loses more time and al

lows 35 c51 Nf5 36 Bc4t Ke7 37 Bd5 with a huge advantage for White.

Note how quickly the combination of the two bishops and queenside ma

jority exerts its strength.

.....

Nxf5

Notice how the dynamics of the position have changed: White's remain

ing bishop is impotent for attacking purposes whereas B lack's knight already

menaces White's chronically weak g-pawn. Black already has the advantage,

but with correct defense White should hold.

34 Ba5

There is nothing that White can do to Black and thus his hope must be

that he can prevent Black's plans. Keeping the bishop on the c1-h6 diagon·

al does prevent Black's ... g5, but allows Black's king to infiltrate via c5 and

then br or d4. Unfortunately White's king cannot help out since it is stuck

to protect the g-pawn. Therefore 34 Bel , with the idea of freeing the king

for central support, also is worth considering.

•••••

Ke&

36 Bb6

After 35

. . •

Kd6 White can probably hold with 36 a41 Kc6 37 a5.

36 hxg&

fxg5

37 Bd871

Now White is lost. Clearly he does not understand the pawn color situa

tion. It is imperative to keep Black's kinside pawns on the dark squares

that the bishop can attack them and thus create sufficient counterplay.

Therefore mandatory is 37 g41 hxg4 (forced since 37 ... Ng7 allows 38 Bd8! )

38 fxg4 and the vulnerability of Black's e· and g-pawns should give White

sufficient chances for the draw. However, White's king on f3 will have a

much better defensive location than in the game.

38 Bc7

Nd41

39 fxg47

Since this is patently hopeless, 39 f4 must be tried. Then after 39 ... exf4

40 Bxf4 White's g-pawn is easily protectable, while 39 ... e4 40 Bb61 Nf5

makes it much harder for Black to infiltrate than in the game, since e4 is

no more available for his pieces.

•••••

hxg4

From now on the play is easy to understand. White is stuck to protect·

ing the g-pawn and Black's pieces therefore have a free hand in the center

and the queenside. Black's play is thematic in exploiting the features of

the superior m inor piece .

..O b4

Bb6

42 Bc7

Kf5
Ke4

The K & P endgame after 42 Bxd4 Kxd4 43 c5 Kd3

Ke1 Kc3 45

a3 Kb3 is also quite lost.

43 b5

44 cxb6
45 b6

Nc2

axb5

Na31
Nc4

White's queenside pawns now are both paralyzed and vulnerable.

46 Ka2

Kd4

47 Bd8

Kc3

48 Bf6

Kd4

49 Bd8

Na&

Bg5

Nc6

Bf6

Nb4

52 a3

Nd5

53 Bd8

Nc3t

54 Kf2

Ne4t

55 Kg2

Nd2

Nc4

57 Kf2

Kd31

58 Ka1

Ke3

Black could of course immediately ram the e-pawn down White's throat

with

...

e4,

59 ... e3,

... e2 followed by a knight jump to e3/e5/d2 de·

pending on White's defense.

59 Bc7

60 Bb8

Kf3

61 Bc7

62 Kf1

e2t

63 Ke1

Nb2

Resigns

Do note that once White played 39 hxg47 he never had a chance. For

the practical player it is of utmost i mportance to avoid those positions

which are 100% hopeless.

Subject #

25: 2 B + N

2 B + N, equal material

Questions: In the endgames with many minor pieces, what elements are

most important?

What is the thematic play in Diagram 397

How lar�e is White's advantage?

Diagram 39

Answers:

With many minor pieces on the board, the relative "goodness" or "bad

ness" of one of these becomes less important. The key element in such

endgames becomes pawn structure. The important point in Diagram 39 -

a 1 976 Lemke position - is that White has a passed pawn deep in Black's

territory and this pawn is secure. Therefore White has the advantage.

Black's pieces are well placed in general, hold back the c-pawn well enough

and Black's pawn formation is satisfactory. With careful and good play

Black should be able to draw. A logical sequence now is:

1 Ke3

Centralizing the king and preparing 2 Nd4.

1 ....

h51

Getting the kingside pawns going to obtain some counterplay and at

least bring about the routine exchange of some pawns. Remember that the

side wanting to draw always welcomes routine pawn exchanges. Instead,

inferior is 1 ...Ne671 because it allows White's KB to enter the fray via 2

Bb31 Nd8 3 Bd51.

2 Nd4

3 Nf31

Here 3 gxh4 allows 3 ... g41 followed by 4 ... Bxh2. And 3 c771 hxg31

4 Nc6t J<e8 leads to less than .nothing since neither 5 Nxe57 nor 5 Bxc57

are playable because of 5 ... gxh2 .

. 3 .....

hxg3

4 hxg3

8xg31

Black is very happy to exchange pawns whenever he can do this for

"nothing'·. Risky is 4 ... fS?I 5 Nxe5 fxe5, since with pawns on both sides,

White's bishop pair can become very dangerous.

5 Nxg5

Be1

6 Nf3

8c3

7 Nd4

8xd4t

Undesirable, yet unavoidable since White was threatening 8 Nf5t. How·

ever, the reduced amount of material remaining should allow Black to draw.

8 Kxd4

Ne6t

9 Kc31

After 9 Kc4 Black can draw with the tactical 9

.. Nd81 1 0 Ba4 BeSt 1 1

Kb4 NxcStl 1 2 BxcS Bxa2 and Black will exchange off White's last pawn,

e.g. 13 Bd5 Bb1 followed by 14 ... f5 or 13 Kc3 BeS followed by 14 ... f5,

or 13 Bf2 KeSI

10 Kb4

1 1 8e3

Ng51
Nf31
Ne5

White has a continuing slight advantage, but Black's position is sufficient·

ly stable to hold.

Section 6:

+ Wrong RP Endgames

Subject * 26: The basic position in 8 + wrong RP endgames

Question: What positions in the

+ wrong RP endgame are drawn?

Diagram 40

Answer:

The basic position is shown in Diagram 40. When we speak of the

wrong B and RP combination we mean that the bishop cannot cover the

queening square of his RP .. here the h·pawn. For this situation the follow·

ing statement is 100% correct:

Endgames of the lone king against a rook

pawn and the wrong color bishop are always drawn if the king can reach

the queening square.

Here Black can get to h8 and the position is drawn.

For instance, 1 Kh4 Kg7 2 Kg5 Kh7 3 Bf5t l<g7 4 hSt Kh8 5 KgS Kg8

S BeSt Kh8 7 h7 stalemate. White can stalemate Black in many ways but

cannot win as long as Black always returns to the safety of the h8 corner.

It does not even matter whether White has one or two or more h-pawns.

But note that for Black the critical part is that he must be able to reach

hB. If i n Diagram 40 we put White's bishop on f7 and White's king on fB,

then White to move wins with 1 KgB! Kg5 2 Kg7. However, if it is Black's

move he draws with 1 ... Kh7 1 followed by 2 ... Kh8.

Because Diagram 40 is such a guaranteed draw, you always want to aim

for it if you have an inferior endgame. Also remember that Black does not

want to have any pawns on the board which could bring about a zugzwang

position. An h-pawn is never a problem, but a g-pawn or a combination of

g- and h-pawns could be dangerous in certain positions.

Subject

27: Looking for the opportunity to discover the drawing B

wrong RP endgame

Questions: Does White have drawing chances in Diagram 4 1 ?

If so, what i s the strategic theme involved?

Diagram 41

Answers:

Diagram 41 shows the position from Roche

•

B. Altschuler, World Open,

New York 1976, aft2r White's 40th move. We can quickly see that Black's

passed e-pawn will cost White his bishop. Yet it turns out that White can

draw, because of two factors: ( 1 ) Black only has one pawn left, and (2)

White can bring about a drawn B + wrong RP endgame. Of course, at the

moment Black has a g-pawn and not an h-pawn, but as we wil l see White

has the opportunity for a bit of magic.

Let us follow the game continuation:

40 .....
41 Bxe3

Bxe3!

The only way to create problems for White is to take the g5 square

away from his king. After 41 ... Kxe3?! White can draw by the simple

method of capturing Black's pawn: 42 Kg4 Be7 43 h4 Ke4 44 h5 g5 45

h6 Ke5 46 h7 Bf6 47 hB=Q BxhB 48 Kxg5.

42 h41

The correct move which should lead to the draw. White prevents Black's

potential ... g5 and prepares his drawing maneuver. This will consist of

forcing Black's g-pawn to become an h-pawn.

42 .....

Ke4

43 Kh31

The clearest way to achieve White's goal. Instead, in the game White

played the truly horrible 43 h57?, enabling Black's g-pawn to remain on the

board as a winning g-pawn : 43 ... g5

Kg4 Ke5! 45 h6 Kf6 46 Kh5 Kf5

(Black also wins after 46 ... Kf7 or a tempo move with the bishop on the c l ·

f4 diagonal. After the text Black's g-pawn i s safe for a l l time and Black's

extra piece will force White's king into zugzwang position leading to the

loss of both pawns. ) 47 h7 Bd4 48 Kh6 Bc3 49 Kh5 Bg7 1 50 g3 Bc3

51 Kh6 Bd4 52 Kh5 Bg7 1 53 g4t Kf4 54 Kg6 Bc3 55 Kh5 Bd41 White

resigns.

Kf5

44 g4t

Kf6

45 g5t l

Kf5

The K & P endgame after 45 ... Bxg5 46 hxg5t Kxg5 47 Kg3! is drawn

because White has the opposition.

46 h51 1

This i s the "magic" part of White's defense. Black's g·pawn is

forced

to become a non·winning h·pawn.

gxh5

47 Kg2

Draw

White has reached the Diagram 40 type position and is safe.

Principles/Rules of Thumb For Practical Endgame Play

Minor Piece Endgames

( 1 ) The bishop is the superior piece in open position, especially where

there are pawns on both sides of the board.

(2) The bishop is effective in coping with far advanced passed pawns be·

cause he can stop the pawn even from far away.

(3)

The bishop can "lose a move"; what this means is that a bishop can

maneuver on its important diagonal back and forth and can choose the mo

ment that it returns to

the

key square. This is a very important strategy in

zugzwang type positions.

(4) IN B + P vs. B positions, if the defensive king can get to any square in

front of the pawn from which it cannot be chased away, the position is a

sure draw. If the king cannot achieve this, the risk of a loss is great.

(5) In N + P vs. N endgames, if the defensive king can get in front of the

pawn, then all normal positions are drawn.

(6) In N + P vs. N endgames, if the NP reaches the 7th rank in safety and

the defensive king is not in front of it, the position is an assured win.

(7) The RP is the most difficult pawn for the knight to stop; the second

most difficult pawn for the knight to stop is the NP.

(8) The knight by itself can never gain or lose a move and thus can not

achieve zugzwang position. Every new knight move leads to an inherently

new position.

(9) The knight is the supreme blockader. I n cluttered or blockaded posi·

tions, it is the superior minor piece.

( 1 0) I n minor piece endings where each side has an outside passed pawn,

you want to get your pawn going as quickly as possible.

( 1 1 ) If the bishop's scope is hindered by a central pawn on the same color

as the bishop and the bishop's help is needed to protect it, then the bishop

is "a bad bishop". If more pawns on the same color as the bishop decrease

its scope further while requiring its defensive help, then the bishop becomes

"very bad". Such "very bad bishops" endgames are lost most of the time.
( 1 2) Where the bishop has to cope with connected passed pawns, the

bishop wants to get the pawns on squares opposite its color so that it can

blockade them. On the other hand, the pawns want to advance in unison

and keep on the same color as the bishop.

( 1 3) A bishop or a knight is worth three pawns.
( 1 4) As the amount of material on the board decreases, the power of the

pawns increases.

( 1 5) I n endgames of bishop vs. pawns, the bishop must be activated and

kept active.
( 1 6) If the only material on the board is bishop vs.

three isolated

pawns,

the pawns will win if one pawn has reached the sixth rank in security.

( 1 7) If the only material on the board is bishop vs.

three connected

pawns,

a win is possible

only

if all pawns can safely cross the fourth rank, i.e. be

on the fifth rank or further.

( 1 8) In the endgame of bishop vs. pawns, if the bishop side has a pawn

which has prospects of becoming passed, this factor significantly increases

that side's chances.

( 1 9) In normal positions, two pawns -· even if they are "good" ·· are never

sufficient compensation for a minor piece.
(20) Generally, in endgames the two bishops are superior to two knights or

B + N. There are two reasons for th is: ( 1 ) endgame positions tend to be

open ones, and (2) the two bishops on adjoining diagonals have total

control over the sector that they face. Never voluntarily exchange off one

of your bishops unless you increase your advantage thereby.

(21 ) Endgames of the lone king against a rook pawn and the wrong color

bishop (the bishop does not cover the pawn's queening square) are always

drawn if the king can reach the queening square.

(22) In the above endgame, the defending side does not want to have

knight pawn (s) or a combination of NP + RP since these canditions could

lead to zugzwang positions where the stronger side's RP is turned into a

winning NP.
(23) Where the opponent has a bishop + NP, but the bishop is the wrong

color for the adjoining RP, and you have a RP or a NP + RP combination,

look for the opportunity to turn your opponent's NP into a RP using the

method of Diagram

41.

Chapter

Rook and Pawn Endgames

Section 1 : Material Advantage

Subject #

28: R + 2 P vs.

+ P, pawns on same side

Questions: How easy is it for Black to draw Diagram 42?

What is thematic play for both sides?

Diagram 42

An;wers:

The general rule of thumb is that "normal" positions with a one

pawn advantage where all pawns are on one side are drawn. This should be

particularly true for endgames where the pawn reduction is down to R + 2

P vs. R + P. However, as such normal endgames go, White has a favorable

case in Diagram 42, L. Shamkovich

•

M. Grinsburg, Maryland 1 976, after

White's 72nd move. White's pawns are well mobilized, his king active and

the rook flexibly and actively placed. However, Black's K + R + pawn also

stand well and the position is a theoretical draw.

Black's objective must be to prevent any further progress by White's

king or pawns. Therefore, wrong is the "active" 72 ... Rb1 7 because of 73

Ra7t and Black has no satisfactory king move: (a) 73 ... KfB 74 f5l Rb6

75 RaBt Kg7 76 f6t Kh7 77 RfBI Rb7 7B ReB Rb6 7B Re7 KgB BO

Kh6l RbB B1 Ra7 ReB B2 Ra51 RbB (B2 ... ReB is also met by B3 e6! )

B3 e61 fxe6 84 Kg6 and White wins. (b) 73 ... Ke6 74 f5t ! Kxe5 75

Re7tl l<d6 76 Rxf7. White has reached the Lucena position and wins.

See Subject

29 for a demonstration of this.

For preventing the advance of the f·pawn Black's rook is already on the

proper rank and therefore he wants to keep the status quo with 72 ... Rc5!.

Then White cannot progress, e.g. 73 Ra7t KfB 74 Kf6 (74 Ra6 Ke7 ! ) 74 ...

Rc6t 75 Kf5 Rc5 76 Kg5 Rb5l. The attempt to infiltrate with the king

by sacrificing the f-pawn with 77 f517 Rxe5 7B Kf6 leads to a theoretically

drawn position after 7B ... Re1 ! 79 Rxf7t l<gB!. See Subject

29 for a

demonstration of this.

However, in the game Black committed the cardinal error of:

...

f6t71

Black is being fancy when the simple move wi ll do. He expects the

routine 73 Kf5? fxe5 74 fxe5, whereupon Black plays 74 ... Rb61 and

having reached Philidor's position, has a routine draw. But White has a non

routine, active king move.

73 Kg61

fxe5

74 f5

Rb6t

75 Kg7

Rb1

Black's only hope is to activate his rook and pray that the passed e-pawn

will give chances for a draw. The immediate 75 ... e4? loses the pawn after

76 Ra4! in a position where Black's king wil l be kept away from the

f-pawn's queening square. White therefore will reach the winning Lucena

position.

76 f6t

Ke6

77 Re8t7

Here White reciprocates Black's error. He places the rook so that it

watches the e-pawn, but the resultant disadvantage is that the rook gets in

the way of the king. Subsequently GM Shamkovich demonstrated the fol

lowing winning method : 77 Ra6t ! (keeping the rook active) 77 ... Kf5 (equi

valent is 77 ... Kd5) 78 f7 Rb7 79 Rf6t Kg5 (or 79 ... Ke4

Kg6 Rxf7

81 Rxf7 and White's king will get back in time to stop the pawn.)

Re6

Kf5 81 ReS e4 82 Kg8 Rxf7 83 Kxf7 Kf4 84 Ke6! and White wins as

later in the game.

. • • • •

78 f7

Kf5
Rb777

This passive retreat condems the rook and therefore Black to quick and

certain death. The rook has to be kept active with 78 ... Rg1 t! 79 Kf8

Rh 1 1 (Shamkovich ). If then 80 Ke7,

... Rh71 and while White untangles

his rook and king so that the f·pawn can advance, Black's king + pawn

move forward sufficiently to achieve the draw.

79 Kg8

Rxf7

80 Kxf7

81 Re711

For White to win, his king must get back quickly to assist in stopping

the pawn. This fine tempo move forces Black's king to give way so that

White's can rush back. It is like an echo of the famous 1 928 study by

Reti (White: Ke7, Rd4; Black: Ke5 d5). White to move and win: 1 Rd2!

d4 2 Rd1 1 1 Kd5 3 Kd71 Kc4 4 Ke6 and White wins.

Kf4

82 Ke61

83 Kd5

Kf3

Kd4

Resigns.

White catches and wins the e-pawn after 84 ..

e2 85 Kd3.

Subject

# 29:

One pawn advantage, pawns on

both sides

Questions: Is Diagram 43 won for White?

What is thematic play for both sides?

In general, how should White play such positions?

Answers:

To discuss the important subject of correct play ("technique") in A & P

endgames I will use as the starting point the position shown in Diagram 43

on the next page. This is E. Lomer

Sahlender, West German Team Cham-

Diagram 43

pionship 1984, after Black's 53rd move. The result of the game was most

important because White needed to win for his team to tie the match. Un

fortunately, it is never enough just to

want

to win. To actually achieve this

you must know how to try to get the most out of the particular position.

A quick look at Diagram 43 should be enough to determine that White's

prospects for a win must be bright. His pluses are clear: he is up a good

pawn, his rook both securely protects the kingside pawns while keeping

Black's g-pawn under attack and his king has a good chance of getting at

Black's b-pawn. Yet there also are factors which make the win difficult:

the lack of mobility of White's kingside pawns, Black's rook's active loca

tion and very importantly, the considerable reduction in the number of

pawns remaining. The latter factor means that Black only has to worry

about protecting three pawns and White only has four pawns to try to win

with. Moreover, there is the real risk that White wil l be left with a A + P

vs. A endgame whic is theoretical ly drawn.

Is our starting position a theoretical win for White? More than thirty

hours of analysis has led me to think "yes"

··

yet there is one possible sub

variation where matters are not absolutely clear. Someone who is writing a

definitive theoretical treatise on A & P endgames would need to be 100%

sure whether White has a forced win. Yet the situation is different for the

practical player. If you are White, you want to do everything that is logi

cal to do in order to win. If you are Black, you want to put up the best

defense possible

··

and whatever wil l be, will be.

The starting position will be approached from White's viewpoint. But,

of course, throughout I will give Black's best defenses and explain the

reasons thereof.

To win White will have to come up with a definitive, correct plan.

Nevertheless, the first and overriding requirement is never to do anything

which is obviously wrong.

My discussion will first cover the wrong approaches; the correct method

will be presented last and by then it will be much easier to appreciate its

logic.

The specific parts will be the actual game continuation, Mr. Lamer's

suggested winning plan and my suggested winning plan.

Part I : The Game Continuation

The Wrong Way

54 g477

A move that must be labeled "criminal": White not only quite unneces

sarily exchanges off a pawn (something which as a general principle the side

up material does not want to do), but, moreover, as a direct result, turns

his completely secure kingside into shambles. It is a move whose logic is

impossible to understand. Please, never ever play anything like itl After

the text move, White does not have the slightest winning chances.

. . . . ·

hxg4

Rxg4

Rc7

Good enough, but even stronger, as pointed out by Mr. Lamer is 55 ... b5!

with the threat of 56 ... Rc4. After 55 ... b51 White does not have the slightest

advantage and must aim for the draw with 56 Rg5 and 57 h5 or 56 f5

(56 ... gxf5 57 Rf4; 56 ... Kxf5 57 Rg5t followed by 58 Kd6).

Diagram

56 b5

Rc1

57 Kd&

Rc3

Rg5

Rh3

Rg4

Kf5

60 Rg5t

Kf&

Drew

The mutual queening race after 61 Kc7 Rxh4 62 Kxb7 Rxf4 63 Rg1

Rb4

b& g5 65 Kc7 g4 b7 Kg5 leads to an endgame of king vs. king.

Part I I : Mr. Lamer's Analysis

The Wong Way

54 f57

According to Mr. Lamer's analysis this move leads to a win for White,

but as we will see this is not so. I call it the "brute force" method. White

sacrifices a pawn on the kingside so that his rook can penetrate into Black's

queenside. As a general principle, it is the kind of move/variation which

should only be used if more normal methods are insufficient. The practical

dangers associated with such a plan are considerable: not on ly do two of

White's pawns disappear, but Black's f-pawn is turned into a passed pawn

and thus into potential counterplay. Therefore, be very careful about exe

cuting such a plan. Do it only if,

( 1 )

you have analyzed it to be a

1 00%

certain win, or (2) all the normal approaches are obviously without pros

pects.

Analyzing this continuation will, however, give us the opportunity to

learn much about the very important subject of mutual queening races.

. .

gxf5

55 Rxh5

Rxg3

56 Rh&t

After the direct 56 Rh7?1 Black can mobilize the passed f-pawn immed

iately by 56

• . .

f41. Black then has an easy draw, e.g. 57 Rxb7 f31 or 57 Ke4

Rb31 58 Rxb7 f3 etc.

Kg7

This unpleasant retreat is forced since 56 ... Rg67? 57 Rxg6t Kxg6 58

Ke51 allows a K & P endgame where White ·· having the outside passed

pawn •· wins easily.

57 Rb&

Diagram 45

Rh3!

The plan of winning White's h-pawn while retaining the f-pawn is both

logical and good, though Black must be careful about the method chosen.

Inferior is 57 ... Rg471 (suggested by Mr. Lomer) because then White has

58 h51.

Black also can play the immediate 57 ... f4. Mr. Lomer states that this

loses because of "58 Rxb7t followed by 59 Ke4". Yet if we continue the

analysis (after 58 Rxb7t Kf6 59 Ke4) we find that Black is O.K. : 59 .. .f31

Ke3 Rh3! 61 Rh7 f2t ! ! 62 Kxf2 Rb31 63 Rb7 Rh3!

b5 Rxh4

65 b6 Ke6. The key in such a variation is that White's king is cut off from

his only remaining pawn by Black's rook while Black's king can get close

enough to the b-pawn to help stop it.

58 Rxb7t

If instead White plays to eliminate Black's f-pawn by 58 Ke5 Rxh4 59

Kxf5, then Black's king gets back in time after 59 ... Kf71 60 Rxb7t Ke8

followed by 61 ... Kd8. Such variations show up one of the negatives in

Diagram 43: the risk that he will wind up with an unwinnable R + P vs. R

endgame.

58 .....

59 b5

Kg&
Rxh4

Black's f-pawn and king combination are placed well enough so that in

this mutual queening race Black has a comfortable theoretical draw. Yet,

as we shall see, it is quite possible to misplay this endgame.

60 Kc5

b6 Black has 60 ... Rb4. The idea of the text therefore is to prevent

Black from immediately placing his rook behind White's pawn.

.....

Rh1

Since Black's rook can prevent White's pawn from queening either from

the back (b1 ) or side (hB), there is no need yet to determine the rook's lo

cation. Therefore the thematic move is to immediately get the pawn going

with

. f41.

61 Rd7

Rb1

The accurate move here is 61 ... Rc1 t !, followed by 62 ... f4.

62 Rd4

Rc1 t?

Not only inconsistent but finally a critical loss of time. In order is 62 ...

Kg51. Then after 63 b6 f4

Rb4 Rxb4 65 Kxb4 f3 both sides queen.

Diagram 46

63 Kd5?

According to Mr. Lamer White now wins. But what on earth can be the

point of the text move? Isn't the idea behind 62 Rd4 rook interference

with

Rc4? White in fact wins after 63 Rc41 :

. Re1 (or 63 ... Rb1

Kg5 65 R b4)

b6 Kg5 65 b7 ReB 66 Kb6 RbB 67 ReB! Rxb7t

Kxb7 f4 69 Kc6! f3 70 Kd51 Kf4 71 Kd41 f2 72 RfBt Kg3 73 Ke3.

63 .

Kg5

Mr. Lomer completes his analysis here with 63 ... f4(??)

b6 f3 65 b7

f2 66 bB=Q f1=0 67 OgBt and White wins. But this is irrelevant since

White has

Rxf4 and, moreover, there is no reason for Black to allow

White's !>-pawn to queen.

64 b6

f41

Remember that passed pawns must be pushed!

65 Rb4

Or 65 b7 Rb1 66 Kc6 f3 67 RdB Kf4! 6B bB=Q RxbB 69 RxbB f2

70 Kd5 Ke3 with a draw.

66 .....

66 Kc6

67 Kd7

Rd1 t l

Rc1 t l

After 6 7 Kb5 f3 6B b7?? f 2 69 bB=Q f1 =0t i t i s Black who queens

with check and thereby starts the winning attack.

67 .....

Rd1 t

68 Ke7

Re1 t

69 Kd7

After 69 Kf7 f3 70 b7?? f2

71 bB=O f1 =Qt

Rd1 t

Rc1t

72 KgB Og21 1 Black wins.

70 Kc7
71 Kb8

Draw.

And so with a perfect defense Black is able to draw from the position

that Mr. Lamer abandons as a simple win for White. I have gone into con·

siderable detail to demonstrate how easy it is to misplay (and misanalyze)

a position which theoretically is quite drawn. Each side, throughout, must

try to mobilize its passed pawn as rapidly as possible. Moreover, the effort

to stop the enemy pawn must be as efficient

possible. In such positions

it is quite common that one tempo makes the difference between drawing

and losing.

Part I l l : The Correct Method

In most positions you have the choice of immediately embarking on

what I call a "grand plan" or on what I call a "simple plan". The grand

plan is the definitive and specific method or variation at the end of which

you have achieved your objective. Sounds quite straightforward, yet in a

real life situation it is not easy to come up with the correct plan. Both the

game continuation and Mr. Lamer's suggested variation are examples of

grand plans which were incorrect.

Yet very often there is a continuation which is easy to see and execute.

Therefore, I call it a "simple plan". You always want to first look whether

such an approach is not possible in your position. It should be fairly ob

vious that in Diagram 43 Black's rook is on its ideal square. By being on

the c·file it prevents White's king from crossing over to the queenside to get

at Black's b-pawn, and, specifically, from c3 the rook is attacking White's

g-pawn. If White can - for nothing •· chase Black's rook away from c3, is

this not the only logical starting move? Therefore White plays:

54 Kd41

At the very least Black now has to make a series of most unpleasant de·

cisions. Should he keep the rook active by keeping it trained on g3?

Should he prevent White's king from crossing the c·file? And if so, should

he position the rook offensively or defensively? The correct answer wil l

not appear without a tremendous amount of specific analysis. Most likely

Black is lost no matter what he plays. Yet some variations turn out to be

quite hopeless, whereas others present at least some hope. But even if in

theory there would be a defense, in over-the-board play it would be very

difficult to find this. Therefore the type of move exemplified by 54 Kd41

is always the right way to start, because it offers Black the chance to go

wrong in many ways. And note that White, if he wants, can always return

to the starting position by just playing the king back to d5.

Let us now look at Black's logical responses.

•.•••

Rb3

(See

Diagram 47 at the top of the next page)

Advantage of plan: rook keeps up the attack on the g-pawn

Disadvantage of plan: White's king is allowed to cross the c-file to get at

Black's b-pawn

55 Kc5

b&tl

The only move worth considering. Otherwise White wins easily with

56 b5 and 57 Kb6.

56 Kb6

Rb1

Diagram 47

After 54 ... Rb3

The only rational alternative is 56 ... Kf7, but then White wins easily by

exchanging pawns on the kingside as follows: 57 f51 gxf5 58 Rxf5t Kg6

59 Rg5t Kh6 60 g41 hxg4 61 Rxg4 Kh5 62 Rf4. White's rook protects

both his h· and b-pawns and White's king captures Black's pawn for an easy

win.

57 f51

We shall see in a moment why this breakthrough - ineffective in Part I I

••

is decisive here.

•••••

gxf5

58 Rxh5

Now we can compare the results of the same breakthrough as was played

in Part I I. We see that here: ( 1 ) White is not sacrificing anything, (2) White

has a sound passed h·pawn, and (3) White's king wi ll capture Black's b-pawn

the moment Black's rook leaves the b-file. Therefore the position

••

with

White up a sound pawn

••

rnust be an assured win.

White's specific plan is also clear: he will exchange his g-pawn for Black's

f-pawn, thereby positioning his rook for defense of both pawns. Then

White's king will capture Black's b-pawn for free.

••••.

Rb3

69 Rg51

Since White has the clear winning plan described above, it is foolish to

complicate matters by playing 59 Rh6t71. After the text move, 59 ... Ke6 is

easily met by

g4 f4 61 Rf5 f3 62 h5.

White wins.

60 g41

61 Rxg4

62 Rc4

Rb1

fxg4

Kf5

With both of White's pawns safe,

Kxb6 will give White a two pawn

advantage in a position which is both theoretically and in practice an easy

win.

Hindsight tells us that the defense with 54

. .

. Rb3 offers Black no real

hope for a successful defense.
B )

.•...

Rc1

(See Diagram 48 on the next page)

Diagram 48

Advantages of plan: ( 1 ) Black prevents White's king from reaching the

queens ide.

(2) Black's rook is kept generally active.

Disadvantage of plan : The immediate attack on White's g·pawn is relieved.

55 Rb6

Since White's king can not get to the queenside, the rook must do so.

This direct way is the correct way, since again 55 f571 increases Black's

drawing prospects: 55 ... gxf5 56 Rxh5 b51 57 Rh6t Kg7 58 Rb6 Rc4t

59 Ke5 f41

gxf4 Rxb4. The basic endgame of R + h- and f-pawns vs.

R is a theoretical draw with the defending king placed in front of the

pawns as here. Moreover, there is some chance that Black's b-pawn can be

of use.

56 .....

Rg1 1

This is the basic point behind keeping the rook active with 54 ... Rc1 . The

play after the defensive 55 ... Rc7 will be discussed in Part I l l

C, where

Black continues with 54

Rc7.

56 Ke4!

With pawns on both sides of the board, White must pay total attention

to both sides. The point of the text move is to prevent the activation of

Black's king by denying him access to the important f5 square.

Black again has a choice of defenses: to return his rook to defend the

b-pawn or to trade his b-pawn for White's g-pawn. I shall consider each of

these possibilities.

( 1 )

56 .....

Re1t71

Diagram 49

After 56 ... Re1

After chasing White's king back to the kingside, Black will defend his

b-pawn. Though there appears much logic behind such a plan it will fail

because White's king + rook will be left much more active than their Black

counterparts.

57 Kf3

Re7

58 g41

With this pawn break White activates his king for kingside play. Black

has nothing better than to capture.

• • • • •

hxg4t

69 Kxg4

Already the consequences of Black's 56th move are clear: White's rook

and king are active and the extra pawn on the kingside will be turned into

a passer.

Rd7

60 Rb6t

Kg7

61 h51

Most likely 61 f5 is also good enough, but since a passed RP is generally

the most difficult pawn to promote in a R + P endgame, it is so much safer

to create a passed f-pawn instead.

gxh5t

Rd5t
Rd7
Rd5t
Rd7

62 Kxh5
63 Kg4
64 Kg5

66 f5

66 Rb51

White does need a definitive plan of how to progress decisively from his

marvelous position. The text move aims to get the rook to the 7th rank.

Since Black has no counterplay, White is assured of achieving his plan.

Kf7

Rc51

Kf8

68 b5

Rg7t

If Black does nothing, White will play 69 b6 followed by 70 Rc7. If

Black's king heads for the queenside, then of course White's f-pawn queens.

69 Kf6

Rf7t

70 Ke6

Re7t

71 Kd6

Re1

71 ... Rf7 leads to a lost K & P endgame after 72 ReSt Kg7 73 Rc7.

72 ReSt

Kf7

73 Rc7t

Kf6

74 Rxb7

Rd1 t

Even more hopeless is 74 ... Kxf5 75 Rf7t Kg6 76 Rf2 with Black's

king horribly cut off.

White wins.

75 Kc5

76 Rd71
77 Kc6

Rf1
Rxf5t

Black's king is still cut off from the pawn and White wi ll achieve the

thematic Lucena position and therefore win. The continuation could be:

77 ... Ke6 78 Rd4 Rf1 79 b6 Rcl t 80 Kb7 Ke7 81 KbB Rb1 82 b7 Rcl

(If 82 ... Rc1,

Ra4 followed by 84 Ka7) 83 Ka7 Ra1 t 84 Kb6 Rb1 t

85 Kc6 Rc1 t 86 Kb51 Rb1 t 87 Rb4.

From the above we see that Black cannot survive a position with a pas·

sive rook if White's rook and king are active. The fact that the ultimate

win takes a lot of moves is irrelevant, because there is the absolute certain·

ty of White's win.

(2)

. • . . .

Rxg3

Diagram

Though Black is, of course, happy enough to snip off White's g-pawn,

this by itself is of no great shakes since Black's kingside pawns remain im·

mobile. The great value of the text move is that Black's rook is kept active.

Always remember that the

key

principle in playing R & P endgames is:

activate your rook and keep it active! This applies equally well whether

you are striving to win or laboring to draw.

67 Rb6t

Kf7

The attempt to come over to the queenside with 57 ... Ke7 58 Rxb7t

Kd6 leaves the kingside too vulnerable after 59 Rb6t �7

Rb5t with

the threat 61 Rg5.

Rxb7t

Ke6

Black's king should prefer e6 over f6 because from here the king safe·

guards d5 and thus prevents the White king incursion via that square.

Rb6t

Kf7

60 b6

Rb31

The only chance for defending is to activate the rook. Notice that by

advancing his pawn with the rook in the clumsy in·front·of·the·pawn loca

tion, White has given Black's rook more scope

behind

White's pawn -- spe

cifically the important b4 square.

Black has no chances at all if he goes for White's h-pawn because that

would deactivate the rook too long:

... Rh371 61 Rc61 Rxh4 (60 ... Rb3

is now too late because White has 62 b61.) 62 Ke51 Rh1 63 Rc7t l<e8

b6 Kd8 65 Rg71 Rb1 66 Rxg6 and by having two good passed pawns

White's win is simple enough. Note that 66 ... Rb5t 67 Kd4 Rb4t allows

Kc61 Rxf4 69 Rg8t 14:J7 70 b7.

After

Rb3 White must make a fundamental choice: advance the

b-pawn without help from the king or to rush the king over to the queen

side and abandon the kingside. There is no way to make the correct deci

sion based on "intuition". Instead, a tremendous amount of actual research

is required to come up with the truth. I shall take a detailed look at both

alternatives, starting with the "safer" one.

(a)

61 Rb8

Diagram 51

Since White's rook is in front of his pawn, the only way to clear the way

is to first advance the rook.

. . . . .

Ke6

62 b61

As is readi ly apparent, Black's king and rook stand very well and there

fore to make progress White must mobilize his passed pawn.

....

Rb4t

63 Ke3

Kd7

The king must help stop the pawn since a rook check with 63 ... Rb3t71

just liberates White's king. Moreover, Black cannot play the more active

looking

.. Kd671 because of

Rg81, e.g.

... Rb3t 65 Kd4 Rg4t 66

Kc3 Rxf4 67 b7.

64 b71

Obviously the pawn will not promote but will sacrifice itself so that

White can get at Black's kingside. Since any Black rook move along the

b-file allows White's king to penetrate into Black's position, his king must

come over. Yet that will have the obvious disadvantage of taking it far

away from the kingside.

64 .

. .

Kc7

65 Rg8

Kxb7

Forced since the "more desirable" 65 ... Rxb77 allows a lost K & P end

game after 66 Rg7tl.

66 Rxg6

The queenside has been liquidated so that the decision will be made on

the kingside. Black's drawing chances come from the fact that if his king

can quickly get back to the kingside, that even if White wins the h-pawn for

nothing, the position is a

theoretical

draw. A theoretical draw, yes, but in

real life to defend perfectly the rook vs. rook + h- and f-pawn endgame is a

most arduous and unpleasant task and even grandmasters lose it half the

time.

66 .....

Kc71

The king must head toward the f-pawn. Instead 66 ... Rb3t7 leads to an

inferior version of the main line continuation, because Black's king remains

too far away.

Re6

White on his part tries to prevent Black's king from crossing into the

kingisde. Instead, 67 Rg5 Kd7 68 Rxh5 gives White a two pawn advantage

and Black a theoretically drawn position. Yet to hold the draw B lack must

be prepared to defend perfectly wel l over

moves. Notice that every time

White moves a pawn, the

move rule count starts anew so that White can

press and press and press until he himself gets tired or Black cracks under

the pressure.

Dl .....

Rblt

Black must make a most difficult decision : does he want to defend the

endgame just discussed after 67 ... Kd7 68 ReS when White at his leisure

can choose to play Rxh5 (if he has nothing better), or does he want to go

after White's h-pawn7 The danger with this latter decision is that the result

ing position may in fact be theoretically lost. I n a real game, with the

clock ticking, which is the correct decision? There is no easy answer and

the basis for a decision most likely will be personal. If you have great con

fidence in your ability to hold a theoretically drawn position, choose the

67 ... Kd7 method. If your intuition tends to be excellent, go for the h-pawn

because if you are right, then the draw will be less laborious.

68 Ke4

Rh3

69 f5

Rxh4t

70 Ke5

Kd71

The king must be brought over to help out. It is not enough to just

activate the h-pawn, e.g. 70 ... R h 1 7 71 Kf6 h4 72 Ke71 h3 73 f6 h2 74

Re2 and White wins. This is not surprising because White has two major

advantages: his king can help his passed pawn and Black's rook has the in·

active-in-front-of-his-pawn position.

71 Kf6

Unfortunately the winning try 71 f6 fails to 72 ... Re4t and 71 Rh6

allows Black's king to come over with 71 ... Ke71.

71 .....

Rf41

By immediately attacking the f-pawn Black makes it so much harder for

White to advance it. Moreover, by defending his own pawn from the side

Black is able to keep his rook active.

72 Re7t

Diagram 52

Kd61

Black must keep his king active. Losing is 72 ... Kd87 because of 73 ReS I

Rf1 (or 73 ... Kd7 74 Kg5 Rf1 75 Kxh5 Kd6 76 ReSt and 77 Kg6; or

73 ... h4 74 Kg5 Ra4 75 f6) 74 Kg51 Rh1 75 f6 Kd7 76 f7 Rf1 77 Kg6

h4 78 ReS.

73 Rh7

Neither have I found a forced wi� after 73 Re3 Kd71 74 Kg6 (74 Kg5

Rf1 ! I 74 ... h4 75 f6 Rg4t 76 Kf7 Rg3!.

73 .....

74 Kg5

I nstead 74 Rh5 allows Black to activate his king with 74 ... Kd5! and

later bring it over to help his passed pawn.

74 .....

Rf1 1

75 Rxh4

After 75 f6 Black draws with 75 ... h31 76 Rxh3 Ke6.

75 .....

Ke7!

Everything else loses. The theme throughout is that the king must get

back to help stop the pawn.

76 Rh7t

Kf81

77 Kf6

Kg81

Obviously the mate threat must be attended to, but also Black must do

it so that the king can stay on the

short

side of the pawn when chased

away from the queening square. Black loses after 77 ... Ke8? 78 Rh8t Kd7

79 Rf81 followed by 80 Kg7, 81 f6, 82 Kf7 and having reached the Lucena

position, White wins.

78 Ra7
79 RaBt

80 Rf8

Drawn.

Rf21
Kh7
Ra21

Black's rook has plenty of checking room along the long side (because

his king is not in the way) and the position is a well known theoretical

draw.

And so we see that if Black plays perfectly throughout he can draw after

61 Rb8. Of course, White's practical winning chances are great, but there

is no

theoretical

win. Do note that the method used by Black is very in·

structive and thematic for rook endgames: activate and keep the rook active.

Moreover, in positions when only a single pawn is on the board, the king

must be able to help stop the passed pawn.

(b)

61 Ke51

Diagram 53

• • •••

. .

After 61 Ke5

The king gets activated immediately and White threatens the decisive

62 Rb7t. Again Black's only hope is active rook play.

...

Ra3t

62 Kd61

Necessarily impl ied in White's plan is to leave the kingside pawns to

their own fate. For this White's pawns turn out to be well placed since

they sufficiently contain Black's pawns so that Black is forced to capture

both of White's pawns to get viable passed pawn (s) himself. And this takes

valuable time in a position where time is the critical element.

....

Re4

The alternative is to first try to get White's king (and perhaps White's

rook) onto an inferior square and then to try to capture the kingside pawns

in a more favorable way either by the rook or the king. However, I have

not been able to come up with a plan that works for Black. One illustra

tive example is: 62 ... Rd3t

Kc7 Rb3

Rb8 Rb4 65 b6 1 Rc4t

(65 ... Rxf4 loses to

b7 Rc4t 67 Kd6 Rb4 68 Rh81) 66 Kd61 Rb4

67 Kc5 Rb1 68 Rd8 with an easy win for White who has retained his

kingside and wil l soon promote his b-pawn.

Nevertheless I do not claim that I have exhausted all the possibilities of

such an alternate approach. Perhaps Black does somehow have a hidden

magical draw.

63 Rc61

White improves the position of his rook

that it does not block his

pawn. Moreover, the rook helps to contain Black's king.

Rxf4

64 b6

Rxh4

65 b7

Rb4

66 Kc7

Rxb7t

Worse is 66 ... h471 67 Rb61 Rc4t 68 Kd6 Rd4t 69 Ke5 AdS 70

b8=Q Rxb8 71 Rxb8 since White's king is already safely back.

67 Kxb7

This position is won for White since Black's king is cut off from assisting

his pawns and White's king has sufficient time to get back. The conclusion

could be . . .

.....

68 Rd61

89 Kc61

The key to winning is to keep Black's king contained as long as possible

while allowing White's king to get back as quickly as possible.

White wins.

70 Kd51

71 Ka41

72 Kf3

73 Kf2

Black's pawns have been stopped and will now be picked off by White's

rook.

(c)

Diagram 54

Advantage of plan : Black protects the b-pawn and prevents White's king

· from entering the queens ide

Disadvantage of plan : The rook becomes passive

55 Rb51

Since Black is not able to menace White's g-pawn, White can immediately

activate his rook.

55 .....

Ke6

Black lacks a good move. Thus after 55 ... Rd7t 56 Kc4 or 55 ... Re7

56 Rc51 White's king can get into B lack's queenside and the winning

method is similar to that discussed after 54

Rb3.

56 f5tl l

White's rook stands well on b5, but White's king can not quite penetrate

anywhere. This temporary pawn sacrifice allows White to achieve this. Yet

note the preconditions for the pawn sacrifice: White's rook is actively

placed; Black's rook is passive.

56 .....

gxf5

Obviously 56 ... Kf6 57 fxg6 Kxg6 58 Ke5 cannot be any better for

Black than the text move.

57 Rb6t

Kf7

58 Ke51

This is the ultimate point of 56 f5t l l. Though material is temporarily

even, all three of Black's pawns are vulnerable to White's active K + R duo.

If Black now plays passively he risks losing his kingside for nothing. There

fore he tries activity.

58 .....

Rc3

59 Kf4

The pawns will not run away. White can choose the most comfortable

moment to capture them.

60 Kxf5
61 Rxb7t

62 Rh71

Rc4t

Rg4

Ke8

The theoretical ly surest win is where White is up

two

good pawns.

Rxg3

63 Rxh5

Rb3

64 Ke&l

The mate threat allows White not only to activate his king but also to

smoothly protect his b-pawn.

White wins.

Kd8

66 Kd&l

Kc8

66 Kc&l

Kb8

67 b5

With just the b-pawn this position is a theoretical draw, but the addition

al h-pawn makes it an easy and certain win.

The reader may now feel like asking: "Why did you spend so much time

on such a simple position?" I did it for two reasons. First, because the

variations that could arise cover all the most important theoretical and stra·

tegic benchmarks in R & P endgames. Secondly, because the position was

nowhere as simple as it appears to the chessically naked eye. As my final

comment, I want you to note that Black did best in those variations where

he maximized the activity of his rook.

Subject * 30: R + h· and f-pawns vs. R

Questions: Is the position shown in Diagram 55 a certain draw?

How should Black defend?

Diagram 55

Answers:

The endgame of

R +

h· and f-pawns (or a- and c-pawns) vs. rook is very

important theoretically and also of considerable practical importance. Just

in our last example one of the important variations simplified down to th is

endgame. When the defensive side has a proper defensive formation, the

endgame is unquestionably a theoretical draw. However, it is much easier

to say it is a draw than it is to draw it. The defense has to be accurate all

the way through, with one misstep often sufficient to lead to the loss. This

endgame is

always

played out by the stronger side and even in international

play is won more than half the time. The defending side should never light

ly accept such an endgame, because it has ahead of it a most arduous and

lengthy task with no guarantee of ultimate success. I mean, choose to de

fend such an endgame only if the alternatives are very clearly worse.

Diagram

shows the position from B. Gross - P. Whitehead, Berkeley

1 974, White on move. This is as favorable a position as possible for the

defender. White has yet to begin to achieve his goals, whereas Black's king

is on the ideal defensive square (g7) and Black's rook can readily reach its

ideal defensive spot - a 1 . The following are the guidelines for proper defen

sive play by Black's king (as given by David Hooper in "A Pocket Guide To

Chess Endgames"):

(a) The king should stay at g7 until forcibly driven away.

(b) The king answers a check from a pawn by blockading it.

either side.

(d) The king answers a rook check on the rank by moving forward.

The overriding assignment for Black's rook is to prevent White's king

from penetrating Black's position. Therefore Black's rook will need to as

sume an appropritate active location with the single most useful square

being a1.

Now we are ready for the game course:

1 Re3

Kg3

3 h3
4 f3
5 Re4
6

Kh4

Kg&

Ra1

Ra4
Ra1
Rg1t
Kf5?

It has already become clear that Black doesn't know the theory behind

this endgame. Otherwise, instead of going on king and rook sorties, he

would keep his king on g7 and shuttle with his rook between a1 and b1 .

7 Ra4?1

Nor is White's approach fruitful. The general winning method consists of

advancing both pawns and then sacrificing the h-pawn at the appropriate

moment to achieve a winning R

f-pawn position. The start of the correct

technique is 7 Rg41, followed If possible by Kg3, h4, h5, Rh4.

Rf1

Kg3

Rg1t

Kf2

Rb1

10 Rg41

Rb2t?

The correct plan is to head back with the king: 1 0 ... Kf61.

Kg3

Rb1

12 Rf4t?

Thereby undoing the fruits of his 1 0th move. Correct is 1 2 h41 Rh1

1 3 Kg21 followed by 14 h5.

...

Kg&

1 3

Kh4

Rb5

14 Rg4t

Kh&

Playable but simpler is 14 ... Kf7 or 14 ... Kf6.

16 f4

Rf5

Kg3

Ra5

17 Rg8

Ra1 1

18 Rg5

19 Kh4

Rf1

Considerably simpler is to shuttle the rook between al and b 1 .

Kg4

Rg1t17

In effect deactivating the rook while allowing White's king to penetrate.

Correct and required is the obvious 20 ... Ra1. Then 21 Kf5 is harmless be·

cause of 21

•..

Ra5t etc.

21 Kf5

Rh1

Rg&t

Kh7

Rg3

Kh671

Costs a tempo and puts the king on an inferior square. Correct is 23 ...

Ra1 though Black's position remains uncomfortable after 24 Re3!.

Kf&l

Ra1

Re3

Ra&t

26 Re&

Ra37

It is absolutely mandatory to prevent further penetration by White's

king by playing 26 ... Ra7!.

f671

The accurate move order is 27 Kf7tl Kh7 28 f5.

27 .....

Rxh37

Here was the last chance for 27 ... Ra7!. Because of the presence of

White's h-pawn it is not certain that Black can draw, but chances do exist.

The greedy text plays right into a well known book loss.

28 Kf7t

Kh7

Also 28 ... Kg5 loses to 29 f6.

Ra3

With White to move he has a book win (See for example, Hooper, page

1 31 , 8: 2h(i)). However, if Black now were on move he draws with ... Ra81

which prevents White's king from getting to the eighth rank.

30 Kf81

Ra8t

31 ReS

Ra1

Kf717

But what has this to do with the position? Passed pawns must be

pushed! With the obvious 32 f71 White wins, e.g. 32 ... Kg6 33 Re6t Kh7

34 Rf6 or 32 ... Ra7 33 Re1 Ra8t (33 ... Kg6 34 Kg8! Rxf7 35 Rg1 t Kf6

36 Rf1 t) 34 Ke7 Ra7t 35 Kf6 Ra6t 36 Re6 Ra8 37 ReB.

Kh617

Black allows his king to be driven away and thereby loses. The draw

was to be had with 32 ... Ra7t 33 Re7 Ra81 and White can't progress. As a

specific theoretical point I can add that with White's rook on e7 Black can

also have his rook on a1 (i.e. 33 ... Ra1 ) since after 34 Kf8t Kg6 35 f7

Black has the saving 35 ... Kf6.

Rh8t

Kg7

36 Kf8

37 Ke7

Ke&

Kg5

Ra&

Rg&t

Ra&

Ra7t

Resigns.

section 2: Positional Considerations

Subject

# 31 :

The importance

the active rook

Questions: Is Black better in Diagram 567 Why?

How can he exploit this?

Diagram 56

Answers:

• • • �;§!; t

• • • •

•

B ft B

In Diagram 56, N. Javert - D. Eisen, USA correspondence 1 972n3,

White on move, Black has two advantages: ( 1 ) the active rook which is in

position to attack the b-pawn, and (2) the queenside pawn majority. This

latter factor means that Black - at will

••

can create a passed pawn there

and White's king isn't there to help stop it. White obviously can't do any

thing about item (2) so that his correct approach must be to try to activate

his rook. Remember: in R & P endgames the single most important factor

is the active rook. After the indicated 1 Rc41 h5 2 Rc7 1 White's counter

play gives him good drawing chances. Yet in the game White played:

g47

Now White is clearly lost since his rook is forced to take up a defensive

location.

1 .....

Ra31

The key move because White now has no satisfactory way to protect

the h·pawn. If 2 Re3, then 2 ... a51 followed by 3 ... b5 and 4 ... a4 when

White can't exchange rooks because the outside passed pawn wil l give Black

a won K & P endgame. Similarly, after 2 b4 Ra41 Black wins since ... a5

can't be prevented. Therefore White's rook is forced to a most awkward

location.

g5t

3 Rb4

Kf5

The active 3 Re7 Rxb3 4 Rxh7 is hopeless here because with Black's

king still on the kingside White's pawns have no hope for a meaningful

advance while B lack's pawns start their win with 4 ... a5!

4 Kg2

White has to activate his king. After the defensive 4 Kf1 Ke5 5 Ke2

Black has a fairly routine win with 5 ... Kd5 6 Kd2 Kc5 7 Kc3 a5 followed

by 8 ... a4.

4
5 Kg3

Ke5
Kd5

6 Kg4
7 Rf4

Rf7

Kc5

Rxb3

Rb1

Even though Black has reached a theoretically won position, impeccable

play is required to win. With the text Black makes sure that his rook stays

active.

Rxh7

Rg1 t

10 Kh3

1 1 Kh2

Rg4

12 f3

Rd4

13 h51

The only chance. White also needs passed pawnsl

1 3 .....

a511

Time is of greater essence in queening races than stray pawns and here

1 3 ... gxh57 loses a tempo since White's g-pawn immediately gets to the sixth

rank. Another important principle is that

connected passed pawns should

be kept connected for maximum efficiency.

Therefore inaccurate is 1 3 ...

b371 14 hxg6 Rd8 because White's 15 Rb7 attacks the b-pawn.

14 hxg&

Rd8

The g-pawn must of course be stopped. If now 1 5 g7 Rg81, while after

1 5 Rb7 Black can chase White's rook away with 1 5 ... Kc61 since Black's

pawns are now self-supporting. White's only chance therefore is to also

mobilize the f-pawn.

16 f4
16 f5

Kc61

This is somewhat "cleaner" than the immediate queening race after 16 ...

a4 17 Rb7 Kc4 18 f6 a3 19 f7 a2 20 g7 a1=0 when, after White queens,

Black will be first with his mating attack. However, White could have

"forced" this continuation by playing 1 6 Rb7.

17 Ra7

a41

Keep the pawns connected!

18 g7

19 Re&tl

The best try since White forces Black to misplace the king. The wi n is

elementary after 19 Re1 a3 20 f6 a2 21 f7 b1=01 22 f8=0 (or 22 g8=0)

22 ... 0b8t l followed by 23 ... Rxf8.

After the text Black's king must go to the b-file since 19 ... Kd77 20 Re1

allows White to threaten 21 Rd1 t, while 19 ... Kc57 allows the f-pawn to

queen with check.

Ra1

21 f&

22 f7
23

ts-0

Kb5

Rd2tl

Only drawing is 23 ... 0xe1 7 24 Oxd8 a1=q because White can eventually

exchange off a pair of queens and then queen the g-pawn. I n general, in

positions such as after White's 23rd move, where both kings are exposed

and where major material is present (queen

rook(s) or two queens on

each side), the side which starts the checking can win. So also here.

24 Kh3
25 Kh4

Qd3t

Black also wins after the "bit better" 25 Kg4: 25 ... Rg2t 26 Kf4 Og3t

27 Kf5 Oxg5t etc.

26 Kg4
27 Kf4
28 Ke5

Or 28 Ke4 Oe6t etc.

Resigns.

Rh2t

Oh3t!

Rf2t

a1=0t!

He gets mated by force after 29 Rxal Oe3t 30 Kd6 Rd2t 31 Kc7

Ob6t 32 Kc8 Rc2t 33 Kd7 Rc7t

Kd8 Ob8.

Section 3: Double -Rook Endgames

Subject

32: Exchanging one pair of rooks in going for the win

Diagram 57

Answers:

Black has two significant advantages in Diagram 57, Kendall

J. J. Smith,

USA correspondence 1 973n4, after White's 21st move: ( 1 ) the superior

pawn formation,

(2)

the active rooks. Black's rooks not only control

the only open file, but can use this route to penetrate decisively into White's

position. Black can do this in two ways. He can attack and win one of

White's vulnerable pawns with the direct 21 ... Rd3. Or he can do as in the

game:

21 .....

Rd2!

I like this active plan. Black uses the active rooks to threaten a doubling

on White's second rank. Since White cannot allow this, Black wil l obtain a

single rook endgame where he has a pawn advantage plus the active rook.

As a general principle, White wil l have less potential counterplay having just

a single rook than if Black had played 21 ... Rd3.

22 Rfe1

Black's plan can't be prevented but White cou ld have saved a tempo

compared to the game by playing

22 Rf2! Rxf2 23 Kxf2 Rd2t 24 Kf3.

• . . . .

Rc21

23 Rec1

24 Rxc2

25 Kf1

26 a4

Rdd2
Rxc2

Kd7
Rxc3

Black has won a pawn for nothing, has this in the form of a passed

c-pawn and still has the active rook.

Theoretically,

of course, this is a won

position. Yet in real life . . .

27 Ke2

Rc2t

28 Kf3

"Passed pawns must be pushed" is a principle that I have been continual·

ly emphasizing. Here too this plan is fully playable and satisfactory. Yet

on a more sophisticated level we can see that the text move does loosen

Black's position a bit and before his king has been activated. Moreover,

White is now able to exchange off his vulnerable a-pawn. The strongest

move for Black is 28 ... Kc61 since then 29 aS? can be met by 29 ... KbS! 30

Rbl t Ka6 and White's a-pawn will soon be lost.

Kc6

30 a51

31 aS

bxa6

32 Rxa6t

Kb71

Rd6?1

White saves a move with the immediate 33 Ral, even though the posi·

tion remains lost.

33 .....

Rb21

34 Rd1

There is no time for pawn grabbing with 34 Rd7t Kc6 3S Rxg7 c3

36 Rg8 KcSI 37 Ke4 Kc4! since soon White's rook will have to sacrifice

itself for the c-pawn. However, the passive text should not offer much

hope iether.

34 .....

Rb5?1

Aiming for the principle "Rooks belong

behind

passed pawns". Unfor

tunately here Black does so to the exclusion of everything else: loss of two

tempos, removal of his rook from a very active location and allowing White

to activate his king. Much simpler is to get the king to assist the c-pawn's

advance by playing 34 ... Kc6! and if 3S Rc1, 3S ... KcS!. Then having an ex

tra passed pawn and the better position, Black's win is just a matter of

time.

35 Rc1 1
36 Ke41

37 Kd4

Rc5
Kc61
Kd67?

Black has some kind of a hallucination here. Consistent and winning is

37 ... RdSt ! 38 Kc3 (38 Kxc4? ReSt wins the rook) 38 ... KcSI. Black then

has safeguarded his passed pawn and after the coming 39 ... Rd3t has a cer-

tain win.

e41

Taking away the dS square from Black's rook means the death knell for

the c-pawn.

39 .....

c3!7

One last try. If now 39 Rxc3? Rxc3 40 Kxc3 Black's king penetrates

with 40 ... Ke5 41 Kd3 Kf4 and wins. However, White has no need to rush

with the taking of the pawn.

39 Rc21

Draw.

After 40 g31 g5 41 Rxc3! Rxc3 42 Kxc3 gxh4 43 gxh4 Ke5! 44 Kd3

Kf4 45 Kd4 Kg4 46 e51 fxe5t 47 Kxe5 Kxh4 48 Kf41 White's king gets

back just in time.

Subject # 33:

Exchanging one pair

rooks in going for the draw

Questions: What are the main characteristics of Diagram 587

Which side is better?

Who would benefit from the exchange of a pair of rooks?

Diagram 58

Answers:

Diagram 58 shows the position from Macaulay - E. Schiller, London

Team Matches 1 982, after Black's 38th move. The game had been adjourn

ed at this point, with Black having sealed 38 ... Rf5-f3. Black needed to

draw this game so that his team could advance to the finals.

The adjourned position is somewhat deceptive. Black's rooks look active,

but in fact have little to do since White's position is inherently very solid.

On the other hand, Black's e- and h-pawns are vulnerable to an attack and,

moreover, Black's king is too far away from the center. All of this means

that White has a significant advantage and Black must defend perceptively

and creatively to hold.

39 Rd21

Black's weaknesses will not run away so that there is no reason to jump

the gun with either 39 Rxe5 Rxe5 40 Rxe5 Rxf2t or 39 Kg2 Rxd3.

• • . . •

Rgf5

Kg2

The clumsy placement of the rooks makes the normal 40 ... Kd7? unplay

able, since 41 g4! wins the e-pawn for nothing.

41 Rh41

White has a number of reasonable ways to proceed and going for the

vulnerable h-pawn seems the best. The attempt at getting at Black's king

with 41 Re1 Kd71 42 Ra1 can be parried by 42 ... Ke6 43 Ra7 Rf7!. More

critical is the play after 41 Rxe5 Rxg3t (4 1 ... Rxf2t?! 42 Rxf2 Rxe5 43

Rf7t �8 44 Rf41 puts Black in a most unpleasant bind.) 42 Kxg3 Rxe5

43 Kf4 Re1 !

Kg5. But it appears that Black can defend with 44 ... Kd7 !

45 Kxh5 (or 45 f4 Rg1 t and if 46 Kf6, 46 ... Rg3!) 45 ... Rg1 ! since 46 f4 is

met by 46 ... Ke6, followed by 47 ... Kf5. And 46 Re2 Rd 1 1 47 Re4 Rxd3

48 f4 Rd1 1 also gives Black sufficient counterplay.

41 .....

Kd7

42 Rxh5

Rxh51 1

It is Black's defensive plan associated with this move that gives this

game its value: rather than being even in material, he chooses to be a pawn

downl The major principle in rook endgames is "Keep your rooks active"

and Black executes this perfectly. Judging Black's possible plans from the

above perspective, it is easy to see that bad must be 42 ... Rxf2t? 43 Rxf2

Rxh5 44 Rf61 and with Black's king stuck to protect the c-pawn and his

rook inactive, Black's prospects are extremely bleak. Little better is 42 ...

Rxg3t71 since after 43 Kxg31 Rxh5 44 Kg41 Rh1 45 Kf51 White's king +

rook develop devastating pressure: a) 45 ... Rh5t 46 Kf6! followed by 47

Ra2 or 47 Re2; b) 45 ... Re1 46 Ra21 and the incursion of White's rook

will be decisive.

43 Kxf3

Rh1 1

Now it is Black's rook which is active and this factor seems sufficient

to hold the position.

44 Kg4
45 Re2

Ke6

Allowing Black to demonstrate the opportunity for a marvelous stale

mate concept. However, 45 f4 exf4 46 gxf4 is met by 46 ... Rg1 t followed

by 47 ... Kf5; therefore 46 Kxf4 gives the best prospects for progress. Black

must go for counterplay and the critical position occurs after 46 ... Rb1 47

Re2t Kf6 48 g4 Rxb4 49 g5t Kf7 50 Kf5 Rb1 1. This position is no·

where close to clear, but I think that Black should hold.

Kd51

"Into the valley of death" is the literary way that Mr. Schiller describes

this move.

46 Kf5

Alas, the devastating appearing 46 f4 exf4 47 gxf4 (threatening 48 Re5

mate) is foiled by 47 ... Rh4t l l 48 Kf5 Rxf4t 49 Kxf4 stalemate! No bet·

ter is 47 Kf517 Rh6t 48 Kxf4 Rf5t l ("Stalemate races against checkmate"

- Schiller) 49 Kg4 Rg5t l 50 Kf3 Rxg3t l 51 Kxg3 stalemate.

Rh5t

47 Kf6

Rh&t

48 Kf5

Rh5t

49 Kg&

Rh1

50 Kg7

Rh2

51 Kf&

Rh&t

52 Kg5

Rh1 1

Short of time, White has been saving it by king moves. But now he

must try something else. But what? There are no reasonable rook moves.

As for pawn moves: a) 53 f4 leads to the thematic stalemate draw; b) 53

f37 risks 53 ... Rd 1 1 when the position after 54 Kf5 Rxd3 55 Rxe5t Kc4 is

more likely to be in Black's rather than White's favor; c) 53 g4? is the game

continuation. All of this leads to the logical conclusion that the position

after 52 ... Rh 1 1 is drawn.
92

53 g47

Under the psychological pressure of having to play for a win, White com

mits a time pressure error.

• • • • •

Rh31

Notice how Black's rook •• having been kept active - is able to execute

all kinds of threats.

54 Kf577

Obviously a hallucination, as White overlooks the following "zwischen

check". In order is the modest 54 Rd2 after which Black can satisfy him

self with the preventive 54 .

. .

Rf3 or go for more with the ambitious 54 ... e41 ?

But who then i s better i s absolutely unclear.

Rf3t

55 Kg&

Rxd3

56 g5

Rf31

57 Kh5

Ke&l

Black stil l has the active rook and the king now joins to stop the g-pawn.

Black's position is won.

60
61
62
63
64
65

g6
g7

Rxe5
Kg4

Re4
Rd4
Rxd3
Kg3

Kf&
Kxg7

Rxf2
Kf&

Ke51
Rf4t

Rd4!

Draw?!

Black here offered a draw since this was all his team needed. White re

fused( ! ), but acquiesced soon thereafter ·· after his queenside had become

defoliated. Of course, our final position is totally won for Black since he

wins White's queenside pawns while retaining his own, e.g. 66 Rb3 Kd5 67

Kf3 Kc4 68 Rb1 Kc3 69 Ke3 Rh41 70 Ke2 Rxb4 etc.

Principles/Rules of Thumb For Practical Endgame Play

Rook and Pawn Endgames

( 1 ) Activate and keep your rook active ·• whether going for the win or

trying to draw.

(2) Rooks belong behind passed pawns, both yours and your opponent's.
(3) With all pawns on the same side, in normal positions a one pawn advan

tage is insufficient to win. The defending side should strive to prevent the

mobilization of the enemy pawn majority and in particular the encroach·

ment of his pawns into your part of the board.

(4) The side playing to win wants to look for the opportunity to simplify

into the winning Lucena position.
(5) The side trying to draw wants to aim for Philidor's position.
(6) Passed pawns must be pushed!
(7) In positions where you have a passed pawn, the least active location

for your rook is to be in front of this pawn.

(8) Endgames of R + h· and f-pawns (or a· and c-pawns) vs. R are theoretic

ally drawn if the defensive king can straddle the pawns. However, in practic

al play the actual job is very difficult and more than half of such endgames

are lost.

(9) If you have connected passed pawns, advance them in unison

that

they remain connected and thereby self-supporting.

( 1 0) As a broad generalization, endgames with double rooks follow the

same principles as single rook endgames.

( 1 1 ) However, since double rooks impact a lot more attacking power than

a single rook, many characteristic endgames which are drawn with a single

rook can be won thanks to double rook power. A particularly important

case is a one pawn advantage where all the pawns are on the same side. I n

the majority of double rook endgames this i s a win.

( 1 2) Because the double rooks can generate a lot more counterplay than a

single rook, many characteristic endgames which are lost with a single rook

can be saved into a draw thanks to double rook power.

Chapter 4

Endgames With Opposite Color Bishops

section 1 : Pure Bishop Endgames

subject * 34: Material advantage, both sides have passed pawns

Questions: What is the most important factor in opposide color bishop

endgames?

How can White realize his material advantage from Diagram 59?

Diagram 59

Answers:

Endgames having opposite color bishops are unique because a very impor·

tant strategy of endgame play - exchanging pieces

··

is not possible. There

fore such endgames require even more attention to correct pawn play than

other types, The word that is the key to the majority of opposide color

bishop endgames is B LOCKADE. The side down material will try to set up

a blockade. Whether this can be achieved will determine whether the posi

tion can be held or goes lost.

As an introduction to our theme - as well as to demonstrate the need to

be ever careful ·• I have selected Diagram 59, NN · E. Chong, USA 1973

with Black on move. White has a two pawn advantage and has three passed

pawns. However, by putting them on the light squares he has increased

Black's .. chances for a successful blockade. To make progress White now

will have to demonstrate considerable care and tactical creativity. Black

on move has three possible plans:

( 1 )

Ke7

Trying to blockade. Perfectly logical, but White can break the blockade

by sacrificing his forward passed pawn.

2 d8=Qt

Kxd8

Obviously, 2

.. Bxd8 3 d6t can't be any better for Black.

3 d&

Bb8

4 c7t

Bxc7

dxc7t

Kxc7

Kb5

Because White's bishop covers the a-pawn's queening square, White has

an easy win.

(2)

1 .....

Bb8

Playing for a stalemate trap. This is the game continuation. Black hopes

for

d67 Bxd6t I 3 Kxd6 stalemate.

2 Bg2

Avoiding the above trap, but by itself insufficient to win. Correct is the

active

Be41, as will be seen in the next variation.

.•...

Bc771

Making it easy for White. Necessary is 2

. .

. Be51 when 3 d6? fails because

of 3

••.

h 1 =QI: (a) 4 Bxh1 Bxd6t ! 5 Kxd6 stalemate; (b) 4 c7t Kxd7 with a

draw since 5 Bh3t77 is not playable. Therefore White would have to dis·

cover the winning plan starting with 3 Be41

(3)

d61

Bxd6t

4 Kxd6

h1=0

c7 mate.

1 .....

Be51

Activating the bishop is Black's last defense. Of course, again 2 d6? is

refuted by

. Bxd6tl since 3 Kxd6 is stalemate and after 3 Kb6 Bc7t

White will not be able to break Black's blockade on c7.

2 Be41

To win, the bishop must be able to check along the hJ.c8 diagonal.

Therefore also good is

Bf31

.•••.

Bg31

This again makes things harder for White. After 2 ... Kc7 White has the

choice between the prosaic 3 Kb5 winning the a-pawn (3 ... Bc37 ! 4 d6t !

Kd8 5 Bf51 followed by 6 c7 mate) or the blockade breaking 3 d8=Qt !

Kxd8 4 d6 followed by c7.

3 d61

h1=0

Of course, 3 ... Bxd6t 4 Kxd6 h 1 =Q again allows 5 c7 mate.

4 c7tl

There is no win after 4 Bxh 1 ? Bxd6t l 5 Kb6 Bc7t and Black has an

impregnable blockade.

Kxd7

Bf5t

Ke8

6 cS=Qt

Kf7

7 Qe6t

Kf8

8 Of6t

Kg8

9 Be6tl

Care is required until the very end. The greedy 9 Qg6t?! Kh81 1 0

Oxg3? allows the shocking 1 0 .. . Qd5t l l with an unavoidable stalemate.

and White wins.

Kh7

10 Of7t l

Kh6

1 1 Qf8t l

Kg5

12 Og7t

Kf4

13 Qg4t

subject

# 35:

Material advantage, pawns on both sides, no pawn break

through possible

Question: How should Black go about trying to win from Diagram 607

• t B t rl t

Diagram 60

• •

m �- .ft 8A •

•

• • • •

Answer:

I n two important ways Black is wel l off in Diagram 60, NN · J. B. Skeels,

USA

1 973,

Black on move: he has a sound two pawn advantage and White

is without counterplay. Such a position with same color bishops would be

an easy win. However, with opposite color bishops this is not so because of

the following two factors: ( 1 ) White can readily and safely place all his

pawns on light squares, thus negating the Black bishop's attacking power,

and (2) Black's d·pawn is already on d4, thus making it very difficult to

achieve the thematic pawn advance on the queenside with ... c4. The ad·

vance of the d-pawn has also released the pressure against White's e·pawn.

All of this allows White to set up a blockade on d3.

The above means that Black's job is far from easy and the game in fact

was drawn. Our first conclusion should be that the chances for a win by

means of a brute force advance of the c·pawn are small. I nstead, the cor·

rect winning strategy should consist of using the passed d·pawn as a de·

flector to tie down White's pieces so that Black's king can infiltrate into

White's position (most likely the kingside). Black should be most wary of

a premature advance of his own pawns if this would in any way help White

set up a blockade.

The proper technique for Black is as follows:

....

Kd6

2 Kd3

Ke51

By centralizing the king on e5 Black achieves the following: attacks

White's e-pawn, protects his own central pawns and prepares for eventual

infi ltration via f4. Instead faulty is 2 .

e57 which both makes it harder for

Black's king to reach the kingside and opens the road to Black's queenside

for White's bishop.

3 b3

As good as any, with Wh ite removing the b-pawn from an eventual attack

by Black's bishop. Worse would be 3 b47 1 as the b-pawn can then easily

become fodder for the bishop.

3 .....

h51

Making White's bishop give ground since 4 Bh3 is unsatisfactory because

after 4

..•

Bh6 Black threatens to win the h-pavvn with

.. Be3 and 6 ...

E!_

g1 .

4 Bf3

Bh6

5 Ke2

Bf41

After 6 g3 Black continues with 6 ... Be3 and 7 ... Bg1 , loosening up White's

kingside, anyway. Already we can see that White's king can't help out on

the kingside since then Black's d-pawn becomes a power.

6 .....

Bg31

7 Kd3

Bh21

Black prepares to protect the d·pawn with ... Bg1 so that his king can go

to f4.

8 Ke2
9 Kd3

10 Ke2

1 1 Kd3

Kf4
Bg1
Be3

Without fault here and with the objective of wal ling in White's bishop

some more.

12 Ke2

Kg3

White now is in zugzwang: his bishop cannot move, and if the king goes

to d3, then Black's king penetrates further to f2. Therefore White starts

advancing his queenside. Notice that up to now Black's material superiority

has had only an indirect role: to tie up White's pieces.

13 b4

Bh61

Waiting for White to run out of pawn moves. Now after 14 a4 b51

White's b-pawn will be lost.

1 5

a3 Bel !.

14 Kd3

Kf21

15 Kc2

Ke31

16 a3

Bf8!

There is no hurry about ... dlt. Black first wants to put his bishop on

the most effective square: b6.

17 Kb3

Be7

18 Ko4

Kd21

Cutting White's king off from defense.

19 g4

20 Kb3

After 20 Bg2, 20 ... Ke2! is the finisher.

21 Kb2

Bd81

Bb6

23 b5

cxb5

24 axb5

g51

Completely hemming in White's bishop.

26 Kb1

Bd41

White is again in zugzwang and must give further ground.

26 Ka2

Kc2

27 Ka3

and Black wins

Subject

36: Material advantage, pawns on both sides, pawn breakthrough

is possible

Question : How should White go about trying to win from Diagram 617

Diagram 61

Answer:

Several important points wi ll be revealed in the play from Diagram 61,

Salpado - L. Raterman, California 1 977, after Black's 40th move. Counting

pawns we see that numerically White is only one pawn ahead, but because

Black's doubled lrpawns lack offensive value, in practical terms White is up

two pawns: the

and e-pawns. It is only the presence of opposite color

bishops that make the win difficult and -- as a matter of fact -- without the

presence of the queenside pawns this position is drawn. Even though at

first glance it appears that -- because White's bishop is of the wrong color

for the a-pawn -- White wil l not be able to win if the position simplifies

down to B + a-pawn vs. Black's lrpawns, this is in fact not so.

But first things first. White's first job is to mobilize his kingside pawns

and this is done easily enough by a straightforward advance:

41 h3

Kd7

42 g4

hxg4

Of course, both here and on move 44 Black welcomes the routine ex-

change since it leaves White with less material to try to win with.

43 hxg4

Bc4

44 f5

gxf5

45 gxf5

Bb3

46 Kg5

Bc4

47 Kf&

White has efficiently mobilized his kingside pawns and now activates his

king. It is quite apparent that White's pawn break must occur on e6 and it

is equally apparent that Black can muster three defenders on that square

while White can only have two supporters. Therefore the e6 advance will

have to involve the sacrifice of the e-pawn so that the f-pawn can be liber

ated.

47 .....

Bb3

48 Kg71

Ke81

The best defense. After 48 ... Bc4 49 e6t ! fxe6 50 f6 e5 51 f7 Bxf7

52 Kxf7 White can retain the d-pawn for a very simple win: 52 ... e4 53

Kf61 e3 54 Ke5 e2 55 Kd5 etc.

49 Kf6

White can play 49 Bc31 immediately to be followed by 50 e6!, but first

wants to save some thinking time on the clock.

Kd7

50 Kg5

Bc4

Bc3!

A good practical move, ensuring that after an eventual ... e5 White simply

captures.

51 .....

52 Kf&

Bd5
Bc4

Black has no defense to the coming breakthrough. The attempt to con·

tain White's king with 52 ... Be4 loses to 53 e6tl (but not 53 Kxf77? Bxf5

with a permanent blockade of e6 and a draw) 53 ... fxe6 54 fxe6t Kxd6

55 Bb4t Kc7 56 e7 Kd7 57 Kf7 Bd5t 58 KfB.

53 Kg7

Ke8

Or 53 ... Bb3 54 e6tl fxe6 55 f61 e5 56 Bxe5 leading to the game posi·

tion after 56

. .

. KeB.

54 e61

55 f61

fxe6

The sacrifice of the e-pawn has given White two passed pawns, which

wi ll cost Black his bishop.

56 Bxe5
57 f7t

58 d7t

59 Kxf7

Bd5
Bxf7

Kxd7

This is

not

the standard wrong B · RP combination which wou ld allow

Black to hide his king safely in the corner

••

see Chapter 2, Section 6. The

difference (and problem for Black!) is that Black has two very much un·

wanted b-pawns. Reuben Fine in Basic Chess Endings gives excellent rules

of thumb for the kind of position in which Black has pawn(s) : "In general

the extra material is only a handicap for the defender. When he has one

b-pawn the game is generally but not always a draw, whi le with doubled

b-pawns the game is usually lost." In our case the position is a certain

loss.

60 Ke7

Kc&

There are no prospects in retreating, but "attacking" is also insufficient

since then after White wins the b-pawns, Black's king can be prevented from

getting back:

... Kc5 61 Kd7 Kc4 62 Bd6 Kd5 63 Kc7 Kc4

Bb4

Kd5 65 Kxb7 Ke6 66 Kc61 Ke5 67 Kxb5 Ke6 68 Kc6 etc.

61 Bel&

Kb7

Though a most rare guest in practical play, such positions are well known

in endgame theory. For example, Cheron gives (No. 772 in the 1 957 Ger·

man edition) the following position of Horwitz 1 880: White: Kd6, Bf4, a3;

Black: Kb7, b6 b5. The caption reads "White wins". This is essentially

what we have here. In fact Horwitz and Salpedo demonstrate the same

winning plan.

62 Kd7

Ka8

100

63 Kc7

Ka7

64 Kc8!

Resigns.

After

. Ka8 65 Bb81 Black is in zugzwang and the forced 65 ... b4

allows 66 axb4 transforming White's a-pawn into an easily winning b-pawn.

. Ka6, White's king squeezes Black's away from the queenside to win

as follows: 65 Kb81 Ka5 66 Kb7 Ka4 67 Kxb6 Kb3 68 Kxb5.

Subject

37: Material advantage, pawns on both sides, stronger side can

create connected passed pawns

Questions: Can White win from Diagram 62?

What are some of the principles in evaluating B + 2 connected

passed pawns vs. B endgames?

Diagram 62

Answers:

R M . m

fJ JJ.IJI M

i . fi

• •

. .

There is little question that Black seems on the ropes in Diagram 62, J.

Peters - A. Beliavsky, World Student Championship, Venezuela 1 976, White

on move. White is up a passed h-pawn and, moreover, White's bishop can

attack three of the four remaining Black pawns. Yet it seems that the ex

istence of opposite color bishops is just enough to save Black. The instruc

tive game course was:

1 h6

2 Bb&

Kg8

White makes a major strategic decision: he immediately goes after Black's

pawns and voluntarily gives up his h-pawn. A very logical alternative is to

try to create a passed pawn on the queenside while retaining the h-pawn.

However, neither during the game nor subsequently has I M Peters been able

to find a way of accomplishing this without allowing the ki nd of massive

pawn exchanges that presage a draw. I have not been able to do so either.

In some positions White can wind up two pawns up -- as he does in the

game -- but the positions are drawn. For instance, White can start off with

2 f4 Kh7

Bg7. But after 3 ... e5 it's difficult to see how or why White

can achieve any more than he does in the game.

.....

Kh7

3 Bd8

e51

Stronger than the expected 3 ... e6 because it makes it easier for Black to

get White's f-pawn exchanged off.

4 Ba5

101

After 4 Bc7 Black draws with 4 ... d51 5 Bxe5 Kxh6, e.g. 6 Bd6 Kg51

Kxh6

and if 7 Bxb471, 7 ... Kf4.

4 . .....
5 Bxb4

6 Bxd6

Kg51

Kf471

At the moment Black stil l has not grasped the correct strategy. Correct

is the immediate 6 ... Kf51 followed by 7 ... Bc6. The text costs a tempo.

7 c4

Be&

Kc2

Kf5 1 1

Even though now a move behind, Black discovers the essence of the po

sition: his king and bishop must be mobilized to cope with White's coming

passed pawns on the queenside. At the moment the bishop is placed ideal

ly where it is and Black's king must get back to at least e6. I nferior there

fore is 8 ... Kxf37! 9 Bxe5 and Black's king will have difficulties in establish

ing a good defensive location. Even worse is 8 ... Bxf37 because after 9 b4

Bc6 1 0 Kb3 followed by 1 1 a4 and 1 2 b5 White's connected passed pawns

move forward very quickly.

often in opposite color bishop endgames the key element is not ma

terial but the ability to achieve a blockade.

9 Bb8

Ke61

10 f4

exf41

1 1 Bxf4

Kd71

12 Kc3

Kc81

13 Kb4

Here the game was called a draw. To understand the "inscrutable" de

cision, we should continue the thematic play. White's plan is to establish

connected passed pawns and he cannot be prevented from achieving this.

Kb7

14 Ka&

Bd7

15 b4

Be8

1 6 a4

An immediate draw occurs after 1 6 b5 axb5 1 7 cxb5 Bxb51 -- White

has the wrong B

RP combination.

1 6

Bd7

17 b5

axb5

18 axb5

There are no prospects in 1 8 cxb5 because Black plays 1 8 ... Bf5 followed

by 1 9 ... Bd3 and whenever White plays aS, Black draws with ... Bxb51

Be&

19 Kb4

Bf7

20 c5

If White now would be on move again, he would win by 21

eSt

Kb6

22 Be3t Kc7 23 Kc5.

Be81

21 Ka5

Bd7

Draw.

White cannot progress since his king is needed to protect the b-pawn and

without the king's protection the c-pawn can't get to c6. Black's bishop

just has enough room to shuttle between d7 and e8. From this discussion

102

and the one after move 1 8 we see that there are many positions in opposite

color bishop endgames where two connected passed pawns do not win. As

matter of fact to have an assured win, White needs to get both pawns to

the sixth ran k in safety. By comparison, same color bishop endgames hav

ing connected passed pawns are routine wins.

Section 2: R + B vs. R + B Endgames

Subject

# 38:

Material advantage, the blockade can

broken

Questions: What is the most important principle in R + opposite color

bishop endgames?
How can Black make progress from Diagram 637

Diagram

Answers:

Just as in pure opposite color bishop endgames, so also for endgames

where each side also has a rook, the single most important factor is the

blockade. The side down material will try to blockade the opponent's

passed pawn (s) and in order to win this blockade must be broken. A

thematic and instructive position is shown in Diagram

63,

H. Kmoch - A.

Nimzovich, Niendorf 1 927, after White's 50th move. Black here not only

is a pawn up but also has connected passed pawns on the queenside. But,

White's bishop quite effectively blockades the advance of the a-pawn, while

the rook keeps back the b-pawn. There is no "normal" way to make pro

gress. Yet there is a creative tactical way:

Rb41 1

To get his passed pawns going, Black is wil ling to sacrifice his rook!

Black's simple threat is 57 ... Ra4 followed by 52 ... Ra1 and the win of the

a-pawn. Therefore White must capture.

51 cxb4

Better to give a pawn than the bishopl After 57 Bxb47 axb4 52 cxb4

Kb5 and 53 ... Kxb4 Black's win is elementary.

.....

a41

At the price of a rook, Black has turned his c-pawn into a passed one

and now threatens 52 ... Kb51 followed by pushing the passed pawns. White

now correctly ensures that his bishop can participate in the defense.

52 b5tl

Kxb5

53 Ba3

54 Rb1

Kc41

1 03

Getting the king into the game since the pawns do need assistance.

55 f4

Hoping to eventually create a passed pawn by playing f5.

Kxd41

Black is in no rush. Not only does he now have four connected passed

pawns, but also the bishop can be activated more flexibly.

56 Kf2

Kc4

57 Ke1

58 Ke2

Kd5

Kf3

Bb71

The immediate 59 ... Ba6 (with the threat 60 ... Bd3) could have been tem

porarily thwarted by 60 Rd1. Now Black plans to get the bishop to d3 or

e4 with gain of time, e.g. 60 Ke2 Ba6t followed by 61 ...d3. White is de

fenseless.

60 Re1
61 Kf2
62 f5

Kc4t

A last desperate try. Otherwise Black plays 62 ... Kb3 with a routine win.

exf5

63 e6

Bc6

Resigns.

White's pawn gets stopped but Black's march inexorably forward:

b3 66

Bc5 c2 etc.

Subject

# 39:

Material advantage, both rooks active

Questions: Apart from the importance of the blockade, are there other

unique principles involved in playing R + opposite color bishop

endgames?

What would thematic play be from Diagram

647

Diagram

Answers:

The other important principle in R

opposite color bishop endgames

deals with rook activity -- whether in going for the win or in trying to draw.

Because of the inherent power of the rook, a R + B combination is very

menacing since it can attack a point which the enemy bishop - by definition

••

cannot help to defend. Therefore, many more attacking prospects are

offered by R

opposite color bishop endgames than by R

other minor

1 04

piece endgames. Please note that it is not the "attack" which is stronger,

but the defense which is considerably weaker.

The opportunities and importance of active rook play are well shown

from Diagram

64,

a club game in USA 1 976, White on move. Black is up

two pawns, connected and passed. White can capture one Black pawn but

that still leaves him one down and Black's passed pawns remain intact.

Overall, White has some practical chances for a draw, but with correct play

Black should win. The game course was:

1 Rb&

Bg3

Which pawn should Black give up? This way White gets a passed a-pawn.

I would have preferred 1 ... a5, a safer course in practical play.

2 Rxa&

Rb81

3 Ra377

Just horrible. White puts his rook on a useless square, does nothing posi

tive himself and does not even prevent the Black rook's invasion. Logical

are either the defensive 3 Bb5 or the active 3 Ra7, threatening 4 Be6.

• • • • •

Rb2

4 d47

Making matters worse. An absolute must was 4 Ra7!, keeping the Be6

threat in the air and allowing the a-pawn to advance.

• • • • •

Bf2

5 dxc571

•·

Ensuring" that his rook won't get to the active a7 square. For better

or worse White had to play 5 d5.

Bxc51

6 RaB

Rc21

7 Bb5

g51

8 a4

In general connected passed pawns should be advanced in unison. An

exception is allowed here because the advance of the g-pawn creates annoy

ing mating threats.

9 ReB

There is no defense to what is coming, e.g. 9 Bc6 g3 1 0 Bg2 Rc1 t etc.

. . . .

1 0 Be&

Ra27

Stronger is 1 0 ... Rh2 mate.

1 1 Bd5

Rxa477

Black's i rrelevant greed allows White to set up a defensive formation.

Again 1 1 ... Rh2 mates.

12 Re777

White "insists" on being mated. After the correct 1 2 Re2! White has

reasonable chances of defending because Black's pawns are now partly

blockaded. White will next play 13 Kg2 and make it very hard for Black

break the blockade at f3.

1 3 Rxf7t

14 Rf8

Better late than never!

Ra21

Kg&

Rh2 mate.

105

Principles/Rules of Thumb For Practical Endgame Play

Endgames With Opposite Color Bishops

( 1 ) The key principle for defending a material down pure opposite color

bishop endgame is to aim for a blockade. Therefore, the side up material

should avoid playing his passed pawn (s) so that the enemy bishop and king

can safely blockade them. I n particular, connected passed pawns should

not be placed on the color of your own bishop.

(2) The material up side should be most careful in how it advances its

pawns, lest the opponent's chances for a successful blockade increase. A

unique characteristic of pure opposite color bishop endgames is that you

can never break a blockade by offering to exchange pieces.

(3) I n positions where routine pawn breakthroughs are not possible, look

for sacrifices to achieve the goal of a winning passed pawn.

(4) To win B + 2 connected passed pawns vs. B endgames, both pawns

must be able to reach the sixth rank in safety.

(5) In R + B vs. R + B endgames the major strategic theme again is the

blockade. The side down material will try to blockade the enemy passed

pawn(s).

(6) Since the rook is a major piece, endgames of R + B vs. R + B offer

increased winning chances because of rook activity, as well as increased

drawing chances for the defender if his rook can be activated for counter

play. The increased winning chances come from the fact that if the R + B

attack a point, the defender's bishop cannot help out.

1 06

Chapter

Endgames With Rooks and Minor Pieces

Section 1 : Rook vs. Minor Pieces

Subject

# 40:

Rook vs. bishop, pawns on both sides

Questions: What is the correct material relationship between a rook and a

minor piece?

How should Diagram 65 be evaluated?

What is the thematic play from it?

• • a

Diagram 65

8 fff 8 R

• •

.§ ,�

Answers:

The correct material balance is rook = minor piece plus 1 Ya pawns. Of

course, such a situation can't occur since we cannot split a pawn. But it

gives us the following very clear evaluations. Strictly on a

material basis:

( 1 ) If you sacrifice a rook for a minor piece and get two pawns also, you

are ahead in material by about half a pawn.

(2) If you sacrifice a rook for a minor piece and only get one pawn addi·

tionally, you are behind in material by about half a pawn.

Diagram 65 is an analysis position from NN

K. DeSmet, Belgium 1 982,

Black on move. Black could have obtained this position. Should he have?

While playing an actual game it is always necessary to keep in mind both

the practical and theoretical considerations. I n our case, Black had a choice

between Diagram 65 and what he played. Whether he made the right de

cision depends on what the other choice(s) were. If Black's position was

just a bit worse, then it is clearly suicidal to go for Diagram 65. If on the

other hand, the other choice is clearly losing, then Diagram 65 is worth a

try.

I n the above discussion, I am already saying that Black's position is very

bad. The reasons for this are clear:

1. White has a definite material advantage of about Ya pawn

2. White's pawn formation is perfect
3. The position is sufficiently open so that White's rook has excellent op

portunities

4. White's king can be brought into play easily

1 07

5. There are a large number of pawns remaining and these are on both

sides of the board

6. Black has absolutely no compensation for his material disadvantage

The above factors mean that Black should never voluntarily accept Dia

gram 65 and only do so if the alternatives are very clearly worse.

the position a

theoretical

win, in other words, if White and Black

both play perfectly, does White win? I think so, though in chess it is very

hard to be 100% sure of almost anything. But in any case, unless Black de

fends perfectly, he will lose very easily. Thus positions of this sort are lost

almost always in practical play, even if at the start they may not be 100%

theoretically lost. A likely continuation could be:

1 .....

The only way to improve Black's king position. The immediate mobili

zation of the queenside with 1 ... b57 leaves Black's king a prisoner on f8,

since a subsequent ... f6 loses to Re6 and the rook penetrates into Black's

queenside. But after the text move, 2 Re67 is not playable since 2 ... Be51

traps the rook and necessitates 3 f4.

2 Kf1

The rook stands well on the e-file, therefore, the first priority is to

activate the king. White could play 2 b4, but after 2 ... Bd4 he either has to

exchange pawns (and get nothing tangible for that) or leave Black's c-pawn

as a passed pawn. Pawns should only be moved when there is a clear bene

fit from this. Otherwise you are only spoiling your future potential.

. • • • •

Kf7

3 Ke2

Be5

Blocking off the e-file. The alternative is 3 .. .f5, but after 4 Rh4 Black

has absorbed pawn weaknesses for uncertain benefit.

4 Kd3

To prevent 5 Kc4. Of course, White's h-pawn is poisoned and thus

4 ... Bxh277 will cost the bishop after 5 g3.

5 g3

6 a41

7 Re21

There is nothing to do on the 4th rank so the rook retreats to the 2nd

to be ready to infiltrate into Black's position via the a-file. Notice the ef

ficient and economical way that White is playing: king is centralized, just

two pawn moves (one to open the a-file, the other to safeguard the king

side), just one rook move, but this with a clear plan.

Black lacks a satisfactory plan/response since 7 ... Ke677 loses the bishop

after 8 f4. Also 7 ... Bd47 is poor because after 8 axb5 axb5 9 b41 followed

by 1 0 Rc2, White wins the c-pawn for nothing.

Bel&

axb5

9 Re21

Ke6

10 Ra51

To make Black's queenside majority immobile while also allowing White's

king access to

c4.

10 .....

1 08

1 1 Kc41

Simplest, since White obtains a won K & P endgame. The "thematic"

1 1 Ra7 (activating the rook! ) also is strong.

1 1

.••.•

Ke5

12 Rxc5t

Bxc5

Hopeless also is 1 2 ... Ke4 1 3 Rc6.

White wins.

13 Kxc5

Ke4

14 Kxb4

Kf3

15 Kc5

Kxf2

1 6 b4

1 7 b5

18 gxf41

gxf4

19 b6

Kg2

21 b8=Q

22 Qg3t

Kh1

23 Oxf2

Subject

41 : Rook vs knight, pawns on one side only

Questions: Is it significant that there are pawns only on one side of the

board7

Can White win from Diagram 667

• • • •

•

• • •

• & 1 fl 1 .

Diagram 66

Answers:

It is always in the interest of the side down material that the remaining

pawns be only on one side. This way there is both less to defend and

easier to do so because the area to be covered is smaller. Moreover, the

side going for the win has less opportunities because all of his chances lie

on one side only.

Therefore, in rook vs. minor piece endgames, with the pawn formations

"normal", one pawn for the exchange is sufficient to be able to draw. I n

Diagram 66, P. Berdion

NN, USA 1 973, White on move agreed to a draw

and I have no quarrel with that. Black's pawn formation is sound enough

to draw. Still there would have been nothing wrong with White playing on

for a few more moves to make sure that Black understands the correct

drawing technique. Thematic play would be:

1 Rd8

Nf1

1 09

2 Rf8

Ke7

Rg8

Kf61

I nadvisable is 3 ... e5t71 since it weakens Black's defensive formation and

achieves nothing positive. The defender should always refrain from creat

ing new weaknesses.

4 Ke4

Nd6t

5 Kf4

Both 5 Kd37 and 5 Kd47 are bad because of 5 ... Nf5(t). We see now

that in our starting position White also has a weakness: the g-pawn.

. . . . .

Nf71

Drawn.

With Black continuing to guard the e5 and g5 squares as well as prevent

ing annoying rook checks, White cannot expect to make progress.

Subject

42: Rook vs. bishop, pawns on one side only

Questions: Doesn't Black win easily from Diagram 677

Is there anything that could complicate Black's task?

Diagram 67

Answers:

Strictly on material considerations Black has a huge advantage: he has

R + P vs. bishop or a material superiority of approximately 2% pawns. Of

course, the great bulk of positions that simplify down to R + P vs. minor

piece are straightforward wins. However, there is one class of positions

which cannot be won. This is where the pawn has been advanced too far,

with the result that it is both vulnerable and takes away a key invasion

square from the king. Therefore, at the start of a R + P vs. minor piece

endgame, you always want to first activate and penetrate with your king

and only after this has been accomplished to start advancing the pawn.

This brings us to Diagram 67, Campos - Henao, World Student Cham

pionship, Venezuela 1976, after White's 51st move. It turns out to be a

most frustrating position for Black. The reason is that after the exchange

of Black's g-pawn for White's h-pawn a theoretically drawn position occurs.

R + RP on the 5th or 6th rank vs. bishop is drawn if White's pieces are

properly placed (as here) and he defends correctly (something which is not

at all easy to dol ). Therefore Black is never in a position to break with

... g4 and how else is he to progress? This turns out to be most difficult to

do and many analysts have therefore evaluated Diagram 67 as drawn.

1 1 0

Nevertheless, with a series of problem-like maneuvers Black can achieve the

win. First we will follow the game continuation :

Ke4

52 Bd6

Rc2t

53 Kh1

Kf3

54 Bb8

This position looks bleak for White but is in fact fully defensible. Black

still cannot play 54 ..

g4 because the position after 55 hxg4 is a theoretical

draw. Moreover, as long as White's bishop remains on the h2-b8 diagonal,

Black's king cannot get to g3. Therefore Black must try to chase White's

bishop away from the present diagonal, but this can only be done by the

combination of rook and king. Thus, to hope for an eventual decisive

march forward, B lack's king must first head backward

•

Rc1t

55 Kh2

Ke4

56 Kg2

Rc2t

57 Kh1

Kd51

58 Kg1

Rc81

59 Ba7

Forced because

Bh2? leads to a routinely lost K & P endgame after

..•

Rc1 t

Kg2 Rc2t 61 Kg1 Rxh21 62 Kxh2 Ke4.

Diagram

•••••

Ke4

•

• • • •

The key position. Black's king is ready to penetrate. How should White

resist? There are two possible ways:

( 1 )

60 Kg2?

the game continuation.

Since this allows Black's king to penetrate via f4, Black's win is rather

simple.

60 .....
61 Bb6

62 Kh1

Kf41
Rc2t

After 62 Kf1 the simplest is 62 ... Kg3 63 Be3 g41

hxg4 h3.

62 .....

Kg3

63 Be3

Kxh3?1

Considerably more thematic --

well as faster -- is 63 ... Rb21

Bd4

Rb1

65 Bg1 g41 66 hxg4 h3 67 g5 h2 (J. Kaplan).

64 Bxg5

Rh2t

1 1 1

66 Kg1

66 Kh1 1

Rg2t
Rb2

Unfortunately 66 ... Rxg5 is stalemate, something that Black overlooked

when playing

..•

Kxh371. Therefore Black must re-maneuver. He can do

this successfully because White's pieces can be pushed into a possible bind,

leading to a position known as a theoretical win for Black.

ff1 Be3

Rb1 t

68 Bg1

Kg4

69 Kh2

70 Bd4

Re1 1

71 Bb6

Re2t

72 Kh1

Because White's bishop is off the h2-b8 diagonal, this move is possible

and winning.

73 Bc7

Kh3

74 Bg3

Rd2

75 Be1

Rb21

Resigns.

(2)

60 Kf21

best defense

With the idea that 60

.•.

Kf4 is parried by 61 Belt. Therefore Black must

use a very sophisticated approach.

. .

Rc71

61 Bb8

Of course, 61 Bb67! would lose as in the game above: 61

..•

Rc2t 62

Kg1 Kf3 etc.

61 .....

62 Bel&

Rb71
Kd51

Black has now woven a net around the possible good squares for the

bishop and therefore the bishop must retreat to an off center location.

Note that b8, c7, d6, e5, f4, g3 and h2 (because of 63 ... Rh2t and

Rxh2) are not available and neither are fB, e7, c5, b4. Therefore White's

response is forced and it allows Black to execute his long prepared plan :

to get his rook to g3 when White's king is cut off from the h-pawn by

being on f2. As you recall White's king had to go to f2 to prevent Black's

king from first reaching f4 and thence g3.

63 Ba3

Rb31

Played with the crucial gain of a tempo.

64 Be7

Rg3!

Mission accomplished. White's king cannot get back to protect his h

pawn, whereas Black's king will be able to protect his g-pawn.

Black wins.

1 1 2

65 Kf1

66 Bd8

Kf5

Section 2: Rook(s) + Minor Piece vs. Rook(s)

Minor Piece

Subject

# 43:

R + B vs. R + N, material equality, pawns on both sides

Questions: In what positions is R + B the preferred combination?

I n what positions is R + N the superior one?

Who is better in Diagram 69?
What is the thematic play from it7

�ti

�;;\t�t':

�'::�""

�

Diagram 69

Answers:

ft ��

•

�'.;,;

"""'/·

The bishop is a long range piece and so is the rook. The combination is

most effective in open or relatively open positions where there are pawns

on both sides of the board. The knight is a short range piece and an excel

lent blockader. It is most effective in cluttered or blockaded positions and

in such positions is the preferred helper to the rook.

In Diagram 69, J. Frankie

M. Chen, Boston 1973, after White's 32nd

move, White has a slight advantage because of the more active rook, a cen·

trally placed bishop with potential on both sides (the superior minor piece

in such a relatively open position) and a queenside pawn majority. This

latter factor offers White the opportunity to create a viable passed pawn

there, with Black's king too far away to be an effective defender. However,

Black's position is fundamentally sound and White's advanced kingside

pawns are a bit weak. These factors allow Black, with careful defending,

to draw:

32 .....

Rd71

And not the active appearing 32 ... Ra5? which allows White to mobilize

his queenside with 33 b41 Rxa2 (or 33 ... Ra6 34 a4! followed by a5)

34 Bxb6.

33 a4

Aiming to get at Black's a-pawn by playing 34 a5. White has no time

for king centralization with 33 Kf2 because 33 ... Nf4l threatens both 34 ...

Nxh3t and 34 ... Nd3t. Also after the text move Black has to activate his

knight.

33 .....

Ne51

34 Kg2

34 a5 is met by 34

.. Nf3t followed by 35 ... Nxd4. No advantage can be

expected from 34 Bxe5 dxe5 since, because of the threat of 35 ... Rd1 t 36

Kf2 Rd2t, White must resort to the passive 35 Kf1 .

1 13

Be3

36 Kf3

37 Ke4

Bc1

Nc61
Ke61
Ne5t
Nc4
Rd1 1

Demonstrating the usefulness of his 35th move: since White can't play

29 Rxa7 with

check,

Black's rook can be activated.

Bf4

Nxb2

Rxa7

Rd7

Re6

Nc4

42 a51

Since there is no hope of winning the b-pawn for nothing, White plays a

nice "exchanging combination" which gives him a passed c-pawn.

•••••

Nxa5

Rxb6t

Kf7

44 Rd671

The exchanging off of White's active rook makes it

much easier for

Black to defend. The correct plan is to improve the activity of White's

rook while keeping the knight

inactive as possible:

Ra6! Nc4 45

Rc61 Na5 46 Rc81. The passed c-pawn is a real threat and Black will have

defend quite accurately.

44 .....
45 Bxd6

46 Bf4

Rxd&
Ke&
Nc&l

The knight is a born blockader and it is not in White's power to chase it

away from this post. This endgame is quite drawn.

Bg3

48 Bf2

Kd&

49 Bd4

f5t

Good enough to draw, though it requires accurate calculation. Of course,

Black could simply keep the status quo with 49

.••

Ke6.

50 gxf5

gxf5t

51 Kd3

51 Kxf5 Nxd4t 52 cxd4 Kd5 is a drawn K & P endgame because White

is left with the h-pawn: 53 Kg5 Kxd4 54 Kh6 Ke5 55 Kxh7 Kf6 56 h4

(56 Kg8 Kg5) 56 ... Kf7 57 h5 KfBI etc.

51 .....

Ne5t

Ke3

Of course, 52 Bxe5t Kxe5 leads to the same type of play

i n the pre

vious note. Therefore White refuses to exchange, but of course this also

leads to nothing.

53 Bf6

Kd5

54 Bg5

Kc4

55 Bf6

Kd5

56 Bd8

Kc4

57 Ba5

Kd5

58 Bc7

Kc4

Drew.

1 14

Subject

# 44: R + N vs. R +

one

pawn

advantages

Questions: What moves for Black are logical from Diagram 70?

What is the correct evaluation of this position?

Diagram 70

Answers:

Diagram 70 shows the position from Mocellin

Ginod, France 1982,

with Black on move and about to seal. What should he seal? Well, to de

termine that we should first correctly evaluate the position. White is ahead

a sound passed c-pawn, has a powerfully placed knight and his rook behind

the passed pawn. However, Black's rook and bishop are very actively placed.

Since Black has no weaknesses and there are few pawns remaining, Black

should feel confident of drawing. I think that Black has three logical moves:

( 1 )

1 ... Kg7

essentially keeping the status quo.

(2)

1 .

hxg4

bringing about a routine exchange of pawns and thus heading

closer to the draw. This is what I would have played.

(3)

Bd4

: trying to chase White's rook away from the c-file, so that

Black can play his rook to the active "behind the passed pawn" location on

c2.

However, Black had sealed something completely different:

...

h4tn

Analytically speaking, this is a rather dubious attempt at getting more

than a draw. Black wil l now be two pawns down and with so little attack

ing material left, the chances for a mate are very slight. Yet psychological

ly it works out very well. White was quite surprised by it and quickly lost

his way.

Kxh41

Why not? White can probably draw after 2 Kf3 f5! 3 gxf5 gxf5 4 Ne3

Ah2 5 Ad3, but why shouldn't he go for more?

Rg2

Continuing in his enterprising way: Black prevents White's king's return

to g3. I will now consider the following two moves:

(1 )

3 Kg51

The king as an attacker! White is quite safe after it. He threatens to

free himself with f5 and there is no way to prevent it.

Kg7

4 f51

f&t

1 1 5

5 Kf4

Of course not 5 Nxf677 because of 5 ... Be7.

g6t

6 Ke4

Re2t

7 Ne31

Kf7

Hopeless is 7 ... Rh27 because of 8 Kd5!.

8 Rd3

With excellent winning chances for White. White wil l now work to un·

tangle his pieces with 9 Kf3.

(2)

3 Nf67

The game continuation after which White went on to even lose. How·

ever, objectively speaking, White's position is still good enough to draw.

(a) 3

.•.

Bd4 4 Nd7t Ke7 (4

•.•

Kg7 5 Rd3) 5 Rd31 and White is safe.

(b) 3

.•.

Kg7 4 NeSt l<h8 (White is safe after 4 ... Kh6 5 g5t Kh7 6 Nf6t

Kg7 7 Ne4) 5 Rd3 Be7tl 6 g5 Bb4 7 Re3 Bc5 8 Rf3. Black can of

course win the exchange with 8 ... Bf2t 9 Rxf2 Rxf2. But even if White

would lose the c-pawn, his extra pawn on the kingside is sufficient for the

draw.

Subject # 45: R + N vs. R + B, one pawn advantage, pawns on the

same

side

Questions: With a material advantage and pawns on the same side, which

minor piece is the preferred one?

How should Black proceed from Diagram 7 1 7

• a • rl t

Diagram 71

• • •

f�

Answers:

8 M t 8 �i

,, -��

�- R D r.

• R<it>R

With pawns ori the same side only, the area to be covered is relatively

small. To win an endgame having a one pawn advantage, the knight is the

superior minor piece to have because its greater flexibility allows it to at·

tack more points. I n Diagram 7 1 , an analysis position from J. Fedorowicz

A. Bisguier, New York International 1 977, after White's 54th move, Black

has several advantages: an extra pawn, the active rook, the superior minor

piece. Moreover, White's king is in some danger of being mated. For maxi·

mum attacking power Black's king should join the fray:

Kg41

Black now threatens 55 ... Rh 1 t 56 Kg2 Rg1 mate, so that White's king

1 16

must flee.

55 Ke2

56 Kel
57 Bc4

Rh1
Rb1 1
Rc1 1

Forcing White's bishop to an inferior square, because 58 8e67 loses to

58 ... Re1 t 59 Re2 Rxe2t

Kxe2 Nd4t and 58 Bb57 loses to 58 ... Rc3t

59 Ke2 Nd4t.

58 Ba&

59 Ke2

60 Rb2

60 Kf1 7 leads to mate after 60 ... Rc1 t

..•..

61 Ra2

Rclt

Khll

61 Ke2 Re1 .

Kg21
Nd4t l

A regrouping with the purpose of getting at White's f-pawn.

62 Ke1

Rf3

63 Bf1t

Kg1

64 Ba6

Nc&l

65 Bc4

Ne51

66 Ba&

Ng4

Black wins; after winning the f-pawn, Black's further task is elementary.

Notice how important in the final play was the inherent flexibility of

Black's knight.

Subject # 46: 2

+ N

vs.

+ N, pawns on both sides

Questions: What is the most important principle in playing R

N vs. R

N (and 2 R + N vs. 2 R + N) endgames?

I n Diagram 72 how big a problem are White's tripled f-pawns?

Diagram 72

Answers:

Since in R

N vs. R + N endgames both sides have the same pieces, the

most important principle deals with the major piece on the board, the rook.

Therefore, activate and keep your rook active!

In Diagram 72, M. Robertson - M. Roza, I llinois 1 974, after White's 1 6th

move, we see a position which has gone directly from the opening into the

endgame. White is up a pawn, though in the form of a tripled f-pawn.

White's isolated tripled f-pawns are weak and ugly looking, yet a pawn is a

pawn and therefore I judge the situation on the kingside as approximately

1 1 7

equal. Elsewhere White has just established control of the open d-file. At

the moment chances seem to be in dynamic balance, but perceptive play is

required to retain this. The game continued:

16 .....

Ne671

Immediately attacking the forward f-pawn will not give results. Thematic

is to challenge White's control of the d-file with 1 6 ... Rfd8!.

17 Ne271

There was no need for this passive retreat. More logical is the active

1 7 f5! and if 1 7 ... Nf4, 1 8 Rd4.

17 .....
18 Rac1 !

Rac81
Rxc171

Why rush to exchange and give White control of the c-file? Because

White has two active rooks, Black should safeguard his king from back rank

mates by playing 1 B ... h6 or 18 ... g6.

19 Rxc1

Re871

The rook is not placed fruitfully here. In order is 19 ... g61 followed by

20 ... Rd8.

Playable but rather irrelevant to the position. More sensible is 20 Kf1

protecting the knight. And strongest is 20 f51 Ng5 21 Kg21 and because

of Black's back rank weakness White will be able to activate both his rook

and knight.

20 .....

h6
Nc57

An exchanging combination which makes White's rook the active one.

Correct is the defensive 21 ... Re71 protecting Black's second rank from in

cursion by White's rook. White's advantage after 21 ... Re71 is minimal.

22 Rxc5

Rxe2

23 Rc7

Possible of course is first 23 ReSt Kh7 and then 24 Rc7, yet it is not

clear where White would prefer Black's king to be.

23 .....

Ra2

The game score becomes completely i llegible after this move. However,

if White now plays:

24 a51

. . . he wins a queenside pawn and obtains excellent winning chances.

Subject # 47: 2 R + B vs. 2 R + 1\4 pawns on both sides

Questions: Why is White better in Diagram 73 (on the next page)?

Answers:

Is there a way that he can trade in these advantages for some

thing even better?

Diagram 73 (on the next page) shows the position from E. Mednis - J.

Fedorowicz, New York I nternational 1977, after Black's 29th move. One

obvious advantage for White is that Black's b-pawn is always vulnerable to

White's bishop. Moreover, both of White's rooks are actively placed. If

White could quickly double rooks on the h-file Black's h-pawn could be in

trouble. Therefore:

1 1 8

Diagram 73

30 f41

White combines play against the b-pawn with that against Black's h-pawn.

The threat is simply'31 Reh3 Nh5 32 Be2. Note that White's kingisde

play is only possible because both pairs of rooks remain on the board.

Since the above plan cannot be defended against, Black tries to create some

play by opening the a-file.

•.•..

axb4

cxb41

Rba7

My original plan was to simply protect the a-pawn by 32 Bc2 and then

to go ahead with play on the h-file. Further calculation seemed to indicate

that Black gets fair chances for counterplay along the c-file after 32 ... Rc8

Reh3 Nh5 34 Bd1 Rac7. Subsequent -- at home -- analysis showed that

in point of fact this was not to be feared.

Still, in a tournament game when you have a position of great strength

you do not want to allow any counterplay that may be dangerous. More

over, in a superior position there often are opportunities for trading the

existing advantages for a new, enhanced set. Using this approach I decided,

after some reflection, to continue with:

32 Bxb51

Rhh3

Rxe3

Nf5

Nxe3

After the sacrifice of the exchange, this is the starting position. On a

purely materialistic balance, White does not have quite enough compensa

tion. However, on positional considerations White has more than enough.

Two connected passed pawns which can be assisted by the bishop in their

advance -· this packs a tremendous punch. Of course, White's pre-sacrifice

advantages also were considerable. Still, the master always looks for a dy·

namic way to exchange one set of advantages for a new set consisting of

expanded advantages.

felt confident that this was being achieved with

32 Bxb51.

Theoretically this position must be rated as won for White. This does

not mean, however, that it plays itself. Accuracy is required to both pre

vent counterplay and the establishment by Black of a viable defensive for·

mation. Black's extra pawn is on the kingside so that his next move is a

logical attempt at creating some counterplay.

.•.•.

1 1 9

36 Bc4

exd5

This allows the bishop a strong stable location. However, the attempt

to pressure the bishop with 35 ... Rc7 36 KbJ Race is refuted by 37 dxe61

Rxc4 38 e7, leading to a won R + P endgame for White.

36 Bxd5

Rb8

37 Kb3

Kf8

a41

Passed pawns must be pushed! White's K + R + B stand well enough so

that White should immediately start to exploit the strength in his position:

the passed pawns. If Black does nothing the pawns wi ll move inexorably

forward: b5, Kb4, a5, b6 etc.

With his reply Black hopes to either activate the rook -- or i n case of the

exchange - to bring the king over to the queenside for defense. It does not

work out, but there is nothing satisfactory.

ReS

Rxe8tl

Kxe8

a51

Kd8

41 Ka4

Kc8

' Also 41 ... Kc7 is met by 42 Kb51 and Black's K

R are in zugzwang.

Neither is there time for rook activity, e.g. 41 ... Re7 42 a6 Re1 43 Kb5

Ra1

Kb6 followed by 45 a7.

42 Kb51

The king is a fighting piece in the endgame and therefore should be made

made active and

kept

active. The king is particu larly helpful when in front

of or to the side of passed pawns, as this way he can be of greatest assis

tance in their advance. Less clear is 42 b5 Rc7 1 43 b6 Rc5, with Black

getting counterplay.

After the text, if Black plays 42 ... Kc7, then 43 a6 puts him in zugzwang.

Kb8

Kb&l

Re7

44 a&

Rc7

There is no hope. If

.. Ra7 45 b5 and the rook must move, where

upon 46 Bb7 wins.

45 Bb71

The threat of 46 a7 mate requires the reply, which leads to an elemen-

tary K

P endgame win.

45
46 axb7

47 Kc5

Rxb7t

Resigns.

Section 3: Other Endgames With Rooks

And

Minor Pi

ces

Subject # 48: R + B + N vs. R + B + two connected passed pawns

Questions: Who has the advantage in Diagram 74 (on the next page)?

How should White handle the position?

Answers:

Diagram 74 (on the next page) shows the position in NN - P.

Michael,

USA 1 973, after Black's 28th move. Counting material we see that Black
1 20

Diagram 74

has two pawns for the piece and these are in the form of connected passed

pawns on the kingsicle. Very rarely in a normal type of position are two

passed pawns superior to a piece and it is also infrequent that two passed

pawns are sufficient compensation for a piece. Therefore, after a relatively

brief look at Diagram 74 I would conclude that White has some kind of an

advantage but whether this should be sufficient to win is unclear.

A more thorough evaluation of Diagram 74 will give the following addi·

tional conclusions:

( 1 ) Black's passed pawns can be so placed that it is easy to protect them.
(2) White can easily blockade the passed pawns because he already has the

rook + knight on the kingside and the bishop can readily move there via e 1 .

(3) From their blockading positions White's pieces will have little attack·

ing power.

(4) Black has no fundamental weaknesses that White can attack.
(5) There is no straightforward way that White can expect to establish a

passed pawn.

With the above as a background we can now better appreciate the game

continuation (the wrong way) and the follow-up correct way for White to

handle the position :

( 1 ) Game Continuation = The Wrong Way

c471

By itself this does no damage, but I've added the dubious mark to indi

cate that White is unaware of the correct plan.

• • • • •

a general principle Black would want to leave the pawns on the dark

squares so that White cannot set up a blockade on g3. In other words,

Black would like to be able to play ... g4 and ... g3. However, at the moment

this is not possible since 29

.. g4 30 Be1 g37? loses to 31 Bxg3. Black there

fore satisfies himself with advancing the h-pawn forward to h3 where it is

safe and bound to cramp White's defenses. This is a perfectly reasonable

approach.

30 c57

White puts the pawn en prise. Correct is 30 Be1 to blockade the g-pawn.

. . . . .

d57

1 2 1

Black fails to notice that after 30 ... g41 31 Ne2 dxc5 White cannot cap.

ture with 32 Bxc577 because of 32

.. ReS.

31 Nf377

Allowing Black's kingisde pawns to march. The correct 31 Be1 would

draw without difficulty.

g41

32 Nxe5t

Ke6

33 Bc37

Because of the presence of opposite color bishops, some drawing chances

are retained by 33 Nxg4!. The attempt to blockade the g-pawn tactically

by 33 Be1 ? is refuted by 33 ... Kxe5! I 34 Bc3t Ke4! 35 Bxh8 g3 and Black

will make a new queen.

.•...

Rc87

This also is rather irrevelant to the needs of the position which

demand

that Black get the kingside pawns going. The thematic 33 ... g31 wins easily.

34 b47

White still doesn't realize that the real enemy is Black's

connected

passed pawns. Drawing chances were retained by 34 Nxg41.

Re2

h21

36 Re1

37 c6

bxc6

Resigns.

(2) White's Correct Way

Be1 1

A piece up, it is i n order to first stop Black's potential play on the king

side.

_ 29

•...•

Might as well advance it to here where it is quite safe. Of course, there

is the disadvantage that White's bishop can now effectively blockade the g3

square. Yet there is no way to improve Black's position: 29 ... g477 is not

playable, 29

. • .

e47 limits Black's bishop and 29 ... Be4 is met by 30 Nh3 when

30 ... g4? is not playable because of 31 Ng5.

30 Bg3

By covering the h2 square this gives White's rook some freedom.

•••••

Protecting the h-pawn while also advancing one square closer to queen

ing.

31 Rf2

Activating the rook is now safe.

31 .....

Be4

Keeping the bishop as active as possible.

32 Bh2

The safest blockading position as the farthest advanced pawn is now

stopped.

•••••

Rg8

33 N

Bf3

Threatening 34 ... Bxe2 followed by 35 ... g3.

1 22

34 Ng3

With some advantage to White. It is clear that White's minor pieces

have completely stopped Black's kingside pawns. White's rook therefore is

now free for attacking purposes. Can White win from here? And how to

about it?

Even though White is clearly better, the job of establishing the exact,

hoped for winning method is extremely difficult. If the game would be

adjourned here it is very easy to spend 20 hours or so looking for the right

method. This method must consist of the "proper" advance of the queen·

side pawns to try to force some kind of vulnerable weakness in Black's po

sition. Most likely White's king should move to the kingside so as to free

the knight for attacking purposes.

Even after all of this I am not certain that White has a win. But what

is clear - and important ·· is that White has played correctly from Diagram

74 to snuff out any "threats that Black could have on the kingside.

Subject # 49: 2 R

B vs. 2 R

B, one pawn advantage

Questions: I n Diagram 75 what is Black's thematic play?

What is White's thematic play?

Diagram 75

Answers:

�ti.t �x��• �j .t

The play ensuing from Diagram 75, Legore · D. Eisen, USA correspon·

dence 1 977·78, after White's 31st move, is what practical play is about.

Though Black is up a pawn and has two connected passed pawns on the

queenside, the win is nowhere routine because White's pieces are actively

placed there and thus inhibit the ready advance of Black's queenside. The

strategic benchmarks of the position are: Black must try to get he queen·

side going; Wh ite must prevent this, whi le making something of his extra

pawn on the center/kingside. Success for each side wil l depend on how

wel l it is able to achieve the above objective(s). Black now played:

. . . .

To prevent 32 Na5. The weakening of the queenside is unwelcome, but

can't be avoided as e.g. 31 ... Rf6? ! is met by 32 Bg4 Nc5 33 f3! and Black

has no good way of protecting his e·pawn (33 ... Na6 34 Rb2 ReB 35 Na51

leads to problems on Black's queenside).

32 Bg41

It is clearly in White's interest to trade one of his doubled e-pawns for

1 23

Black's e-pawn. This both normalizes White's pawn formation and makes

the remaining e-pawn a passed pawn.

Nc5

33 Nxe5

Bxe4

34 fl

Bb7

e41

Thanks to his e-pawn White has good central influence and the active

piece placement also serves to keep Black at bay. Therefore Black correctly

first improves the position of his king.

36 Rb21

Kg7

37 Rba2

a&l

White tries to force Black's queenside pawns forward so that they be-

come more vulnerable and Black resists this as much as possible.

Nc4

39 Bhl

Rf&

Rb2

far White has played perfectly but starting here he fails to take the

best practical steps. Black's major hope is his

connected

passed pawns;

therefore eliminating one of them by 40 e5! Rxf3 41 Rxf3 Bxf3 42 Nxb6

makes great sense.

40 .....

41 Na5

Bc8

A passive square for the bishop but after 41 ... Rf7 42 Rc2! Na4 43

Be6 it is stil l the White bishop that is the superior one.

42 Bg21

Be&

Rc3

Playable, but not as logical as making use of the pawn majority in the

center with 43 e5l followed by

f4.

44 Rc7t
45 Rbc2

Na4

Rf7
Ra71

It is important to prevent White's rook(s) from controlling the 7th rank,

e.g. 45

. b471 46 Rxf7t Bxf7 47 Rc7 with excellent counterplay for

White as 47 ... b37 is not feasible and 47 ... Rb871 allows 48 Nc6.

46 R7c6

Rfe7

47 Rd67

Before thinking about further aggressiveness, White had to prevent the

mobilization of Black's b-pawn with 47 Bf1 1 as then 47 ... b47 is surprised

by 48 Bc41.

47 .....

b41

Passed pawns must be pushed!

48 Bf17

This offers now no prospects as the b-pawn just continues its run. As

Eisen points out, the only practical chance was the piece sacrifice after 48

Rcc6 b3 49 Nxb3! Bxb3

Rxg6t Kf7 51 Rcf6t l<e8 52 R xa6. Never

theless, since Black has lots of

pieces

remaining, his chances of mounting an

effective attack against White's king are excellent.

1 24

49 Rcc6

50 Bd3

Red7!

The remaining motifs deal with promoting the b-pawn, with White being

defenseless against it, e.g. 51 Rxe6 Rxd3 52. Rxg6t Kf7 53 Rcf6t KeB or

51 e5 Rxd6 52 exd6 Ba2 53 Rc7t Rxc7 54 dxc7 Nb6. White's game

move is irrelevant.

51 g4

52 fxg4
53 Rxd6
54 Nc6

hxg4
Rxd6

Rc7!

Or 54 Rxe6 Rc3! or 54 e5 Rc3 55 Be4 Re3 56 Bc2 Rxe5 etc.

Bc4!

55 Bc2

Bb5

Resigns.

Principles/Rules of Thumb For Practical Endgame Play

Endgames With Rooks and Minor Pieces

( 1 ) The value of a rook is a minor piece + 1

Y:z

pawns. This means that under

normal conditions one pawn for the exchange is insufficient compensation,

whereas two pawns for it is already a material advantage.

(2) In rook vs. minor piece endgames, with pawns on both sides of the

board, having only one pawn for the exchange usually leads to a loss.

(3) I n rook vs. minor piece endgames, with pawns on one side only,

usually one pawn for the exchange is sufficient to draw.

(4) If a rook vs. minor piece endgame has simplified down to R + P vs.

minor piece, the correct winning plan is to first activate and penetrate with

the king and only then advance the pawn. The reason for this is that there

is a relatively large class of positions which are drawn if the pawn has been

advanced too far.

(5) I n R + B vs. R + N endgames, the R + B combination is generally the

more effective one in open or relatively open positions where there are

pawns on both sides of the board. R + N is the preferred combination in

cluttered or blockaded positions. I n all cases - since the rook is a major

piece to be used

an attacker - activate your rookl

(6) With a material advantage (the usual case being one pawn) and pawns

on one side only,

+ N is usually superior to R + B because the flexibility

of the knight allows the R + N side to attack more points in the enemy

position.

(7) The most important principle in playing R + N vs. R + N (and 2 R + N

vs. 2

+ N) endgames is to activate and keep your rook(s) active !

(8) I n multipiece endgames where your opponent has sacrificed a piece to

obtain passed pawn (s), make sure to first stop the pawns. Only then work

to exploit your material advantage.

1 25

pter 6

Endgames With Queens

Subject #

50: a + P vs. a

Questions: Which pawn (s) are the best to have?

Which are the worst?

Answers:

When we speak of the 0 + P vs. 0 endgame we are referring to the situa

tion where the defender's king is sufficiently far away from the pawn so

that it cannot help in the defense. It should be clear that if the king is in

front of the pawn that the position is a certain draw.

The endgame of 0 + P vs. 0 is a very important one for endgame theory.

This is because it is the ultimate simplification in 0 & P endgames. Yet it

is not all that important in practical play. Firstly, pure 0 & P endgames

are not that common. Secondly, the simplification down to where only a

single pawn remains is very infrequent. I have been playing in tournaments

well over 35 years and have not had a single case of it.

Though much theoretical work has been done already, there still is a lot

to learn regarding exactly which positions are wins and which are drawn.

expect that the major computer chess programs, such as Hitech, will help us

establish the definitive conclusions. I n the meanwhile, for the type of sit·

uation shown in Diagram 76, this is the present knowledge for each pawn :

Diagram 76

• • • •

( 1 ) Center Pawns (d· and e-pawns)

Once the pawn reaches the 7th rank, it is a sure win. The problem is

getting it there. Because there is lots of room for checking on both sides

of the pawn, it is extremely difficult to advance it. Even after it reaches

the 6th rank, the position most likely is still a theoretical draw.

(2) Bishop Pawn (c- and f·pawns)

From a practical standpoint the best pawn to have is the bishop pawn.

It is considerably easier to advance than a center pawn because the check·

ing possibilities from the short side are considerably reduced. Once the

pawn reaches the 7th rank, the position is a theoretical win, even though

the road will be longer and more complicated than for a center pawn.

1 26

(3) Knight Pawn (b- and g-pawns)

This pawn is something of a mixed bag for winning purposes. It is rela·

tively easy to advance to the 7th rank, but once there it stil l may not be a

theoretical win.

(4) Rook Pawn (a- and h-pawns)

Theoretically this is by far the worst pawn to have and the Diagram 76

type of position is an assured theoretical draw. However, the correct de

fensive technique is both difficult and laborious and in practical play it is

very easy to lose this endgame. Many positions with the pawn on the 7th

rank cannot be won because the stronger side's king cannot find shelter.

Subject # 5 1 : Q + P

vs.

R + P

Questions: Isn't Diagram 77 an easy win for Black?

Is the endgame of R + g-pawn vs 0 a draw?

Diagram 77

Answers:

What happens from Diagram 77, Godin - McDonald, Connecticut 1 97B,

after White's 52nd move, is a perfect illustration of the adage that "a game

is not over unti l it is over" or in other words "always be careful !". White's

position must be called "hopeless": he is down a queen for a rook and his

king is an eyelash away from being mated. Black has a number of elemen

tary wins, including 52 ... 0e2, 52 ... 0f6, 52 ... 0a7 and 52 ... Kc2. I nstead he

played:

52 .....

Kxb37

An instance of human greed, because the b-pawn is obviously irrelevant

to the needs of the position. Even more importantly it gives White the op

portunity for a tactical surprise:

53 a71 !

Now things are much more difficult, since if B lack captures the a-pawn ,

White captures Black's g-pawn. Yet there still is a way to win by taking

advantage of the poor situation of White's king: 53 ... 0f5! 1 . Any checks by

White's rook are prevented; 54 a8=0 allows mate after 54 .

. 0h5t 55 Kg1

Oxd 1 ; 54 Ra1 loses to 54 .

. 0h5t 55 Kg1 Oh2t 56 Kf1 Oh 1 t ; the easiest

win after 54 Kg1 is 54 ... 0c5t ! 55 Kh1 Oh5t followed by 56 ... 0xd1 mate.

53 ..

Oxa77

Of course, this automatic move is

understandable;

it simply is not the

1 27

correct one.

54 Rd3t

Kc4

55 Rc3t

Here and on the following moves White tempts Black into allowing

stalemate. However, the simple 55 Rxg31 is better because for the 0 vs.

R + P endgame to come it is in White's interest not to allow Black's king

to get near White's pawn.

Kd5

56 Rd3t

Ke5

57 Re3t

Kf4

58 Rf3t

Kg4

59 Rxg3tl

Here Black acquiesced to the draw by playing 59 ... Kxg3 stalemate. But

what if he continued the game by playing 59 ... Kf4? Note of course that

the disappearance of Black's g-pawn has relieved the stalemate situation.

What of the general theory of 0 vs. R + Pawn(s) endgames?

0 vs. R endgames (involving various pawn counts), though well developed

in endgame theory, are both difficult and complicated. Queen v. Rook/

Minor Piece Endings by Averbakh et al devoted 1 35 analysis packed pages

to this subject, of which 53 pages are for the case of 0 vs. R + P. Clearly

it is impossible to do much generalizing here. Regarding the specific posi

tion: the g-pawn back home is a favorable case for the defender and based

on the analysis of Diagrams 74, 75, 78 (all with colors reversed) in the

Averbakh book, I would call our position a theoretical draw. However, it

is very easy for White to make a misstep with his king or rook and very

often just a single error is sufficient to cause a theoretically lost position.

In a practical game, the stronger side should always play out such positions.

The winning chances are good, the losing chances are zero -- is this not the

ideal practical situation?

Subject # 52: Queen

pawns vs. 2 rooks + pawns

Questions: Who has the advantage in Diagram 78?

What is the best way for White to use his queen?

How should Black employ his rooks?

• • •••
. . �- .

Diagram 78

Answers:

• • • •

Diagram 78 shows the position from R. Byrne - J. Tarjan, 1 984 U. S.

1 28

Championship, after Black's 38th move. The play from here on is both in

teresting and instructive. The endgame of queen vs. two rooks is a very im

portant one. From a strictly materialistic consideration the queen plus a

pawn balances the two rooks. Here the queen's side is up a pawn, but it is

a doubled one and in fact was lost. Therefore materially the position will

soon be equal. The next factor to be considered must be piece activity.

We have a rather open board here and all the major pieces (Wh ite's queen

and Black's rooks) have excellent scope, thus continuing the equivalence.

It is the pawn formation that makes the difference. Even after losing

the b2 pawn, White wil l have two connected passed pawns on the queen

side. In general, connected passed pawns are powerful and they also are

very dangerous against rook(s). Yet Black also has a favorable pawn situa

tion : the f-pawn is a passed pawn. Black's correct plan must

to try to

delay the successful advance of White's passed pawns long enough so that

his own passed pawn can become a threat.

So, does White have a win? Yes, it seems so. But the resulting positions

are exceedingly difficult to judge correctly during play. This very much en·

hances the chance (or risk) of an error, voiding the win.

39 Qc51

multi-purpose, generally centralizing move: Black's 39 ... Rf2t is pre

vented, the h-pawn is indirectly protected ( ... Rxh3 loses the rook after

Oc8t), the queen is in a position to help the pawns advance as well as

lend support to the king.

. . . .

Re1 !

Black must get at the b2 pawn, otherwise his rooks will be stymied in

their attempts to bother White's king and the forward b- and c-pawns.

White has no satisfactory way of protecting b2 (e.g. 40 Kd2 is met by

40 ... Rb1 41 Oa3 Rf2t) and thus he immediately mobilizes his pawns.

Remember that in endgames containing passed pawns, the single most im

portant principle is: passed pawns must be pushed!

b41

Re2t

41 Kb3

Rff2

42 c41

Rxb2t

Ka4

Rf1 1

Black must place his rooks so that they can be useful in defending a

gainst the passed pawns, in attacking White's king and in helping the f-pawn

advance. For this, they must have maximum flexibility. Therefore they

should not be on the same rank (as here on the 7th) and not be under

attack by the queen (as the f2 rook is). Thus, for instance, the desirable

plan of 43 ... Ra2t 44 Kb5 Ra8?? fails because the f2 rook hangs.

44 Qd4

White plays in accordance with the general principle that in queen end

games, the center (d4, d5, e4, e5) is the best location for the queen. Of

course, as is obvious, from d4 the queen controls a lot of important terri

tory.

However, here

··

and it happens often enough in chess to be most frus

trating (or exhi larating if one gains from it)

··

the general principle is over

shadowed by a specific problem. In other words, after the text move Black

can achieve a rook deployment which gives him surprisingly good counter-

1 29

chances.

Hindsight tells us that it would have been safer if Black's coming plan is

prevented. Therefore let us look at the winning prospects after 44 Oc8t!

Kh7 and now the sophisticated 45 Ka3! with the idea of forcing the rooks

to take up less flexible roles. Black can then either move the b2 rook or

protect it. As I see it, the two main lines are:

( 1 ) 45 ... Rfb1 : 46 b5 g6 (46 ... Rb3t 47 Ka4 Rb4t 48 Ka5 just chases the

king to a more active location) 47 Od7 Kg8 48 Qd8t ! Kh7 (48 ... Kg7? 49

Qd4t followed by 50 Oxb2 gives Wh ite a won K & P endgame) 49 Qf6!

Rb3t

Ka4 Kg8 (50 ... Rb4t 51 Ka5 Rxc4? loses the rook to 52 Oxf7t)

51 Oc61 Kg7 52 c51 f5 (52 ... Rxb5 is a tempo too late in the K & P end

game) 53 Qb7t! (If 53 b6?, 53 ... R3b2 ! leads to perpetual check) 53 ... Kf6

(Or 53 ... Kh6 54 c6 R3b2 55 Ka5 Ra1 t 56 Kb6 Rab1 57 Kc5 Rc2t

59 Kd6 Rd1 t 59 Ke6 Re2t 60 Kf7 and the king escapes to the kingside.)

54 c6! R3b2 55 Ka5 Ra1 t 56 Kb6 Rab1 57 Oa6! and the pawns win,

e.g. 57 ... Rc2 58 c7 Rbc1 59 Ka7t l<e7

b6 etc.

(2) 45 ... Rc2: 46 b5 f5 (46 ... Rf4 47 Kb4) 46 b6 Rf3t 47 Kb4 Rb2t 48

Kc5 Rfb3 49 Oxf5t g6

Qf6 and White will win.

Thus we see that if Black plays perfectly, as in variation ( 1 ), White's task

is long and slow. But eventually the win is there. Moreoever, it is comfor

table play since Black does not have anything that looks dangerous.

.....

Ra2t

45 Kb5

Ra81

GM Byrne tells it, this move came as something unexpected. Black

safeguards the back rank and is ready to use the rook as an attacker from

the front, threatening a ... Rb8t.

46 Qe5

Upset by Black's unexpected resources, White hurries to prevent a ... Rb8t.

Byrne felt that he had no choice.

I n fact, there is even an alternative win: the thematic ("passed pawns

must be pushed") and cold blooded 46 c51. The main line appears to be:

46 ... Rb8t 47 Ka41 Ra1 t 48 Kb3 (Not 48 Oxa 1 ?7 because of 48 ... Ra8t)

4a .. Rb1 t 49 Kc31 and Black lacks a satisfactory continuation:
a) 49 ... R 1 xb47 50 Oxb4 Rxb4 51 Kxb4 is a won endgame, e.g. 51...Kf8

52 Kb51 Ke7 53 Kb6! Kd8 54 Kb7! etc.
b) 49 ... Rf8

Kc2! Rf1 51 c61 not only makes White's pawns more mo

bile since the king is not in the way, but even 51 ...f57 is prevented because

White has 52 Oc4t.
c) 49 ... Rf1

b5! 1 Rf3t (50 ... Rxb57 allows 51 Qd8t l Kh7 52 Qd3t fol

lowed by 53 Oxb5) 51 Kc4 g5 52 c6! Rf4 53 Oxf4 gxf4 54 c7 ReS 55

b6 KfB 56 Kd41 followed by 57 b7.

Rf81

It is this third point that White had overlooked: the rook is not only

safe but supports from

behind

the f-pawn's advance.

47 c5

48 c6

Rc1 ?

A very poor

practical

move, after Black's previous excellent defensive

1 30

play. Surely the only practical hope is the counterplay with 48 ... f4 !. GM

Byrne admits that during the game he did not see a win after it. The ob

vious 49 c7? allows a draw after 49 ... Rc1 !, e.g. 50 Od5t Rf7! 51 Od8t

Rf8 52 Kb6 f3! and the power of the f-pawn forces White to take per

petual check.

Of course, GM Tarjan had considered 48 ... f4! in his deliberations. But

as he tells it he had discovered that 49 Oc3! wins by threatening both

Oc4t and the advance of the c-pawn. As it turns out, Black's rook on f1

is trapped out of play just long enough for the position to be lost. The

three key variations after 49 Oc3! are:

( 1 ) 49 ... Kh8

c7 ReS 51 Kb6 followed by 52 Kb7

(2) 49 ... Rb8t 50 Kc5
(3) 49 ... Rb1

c7 ReS 51 Oc4tl l<h8 52 Oxf4

Tarjan adds that ·he did not think that GM Byrne would miss 49 Oc3!.

Who knows7 It is possible that once the position after 48 ... f4 had appeared

on the board, that White would have taken a fresh look and discovered the

win. Still, the objective in lost positions is to always make things as diffi

cult as possible for your opponent. The choice of 48 ... f4! would have

made this so; the text presents no problems at all.

49 Qf41

GM Byrne says that he literally rushed this move - he was just so re

lieved to have such an opportunity. Not only is the dangerous f-pawn

stopped, but this is even accomplished with the gain of time by the attack

on the rook. Thus White can now get his own pawns rolling.

.••••

Rd1

50 c7

ReS

The threat was 51 Oc4t followed by 52 c8=Q

5 1 Kc61

Rf8

52 b5

Resigns.

Black's pawn is stopped and White's cannot be stopped.

Subject # 53: a + N vs. a + 8, one pawn advantage, pawns on the

same

side

Questions: Is the knight or the bishop the preferred companion for the

queen7

Is Diagram 79 a theoretical win 7

What is White's most thematic play7

Diagram 79

• 8�·

1 3 1

Answers:

The bishop is known as a long range piece, but, of course, the queen is

the

premier long range piece. Therefore, the bishop is limited in how it

can contribute to the queen's inherent power. However, the flexibil ity of

the knight is very useful for the queen to have. I n most normal positions,

therefore, the knight is the preferred minor piece companion.

Diagram 79 is J. R. Capablanca

A. Alekhine, World Championship

Match 1 927, Game

29, after Black's 39th move. White is up a pawn and

in the game won on move 70.

There are two valid ·- and partly interdependent

·-

questions here: ( 1 )

Does White have a theoretical win?, and (2) What is best play for White?

The nature of the position makes it almost impossible (i.e. without

spending perhaps 100 hours on analysis) to come up with a 100% certain

answer to the first question. The non-forcing nature of the position means

that a tactical solution does not exist and therefore positional maneuvering

is required. Yet the presence of queens means that there is an extremely

large number of reasonable move possibilities (for both sides!) available.

For such a position

·-

having pawns on only one side

· - ,

there are two

very favorable factors for White here:

( 1 ) The large number of pawns ( 5 P vs. 4 P formation) means that White

can mathematically force a passed d·pawn.

(2) The knight because of its flexible

-·

though short range

-·

nature is the

perfect minor piece to have in playing for a win in positions with pawns on

one side only. The lack of flexibility of Black's bishop reinforces this

aspect.

The above means that White's practical chances of wi nning are excellent.

I would estimate that in the hands of someone who truly understands chess,

is careful and patient, White would win 90% of the time. The immense

practical problem face by Black is demonstrated by the course and result of

the game. Alekhine, who was an excellent, creative and careful endgame

player, and who was in top sporting form during the match, couldn't hold

the draw, even though Capablanca demonstrably didn't play with maximum

accuracy.

I shall take a three fold look at the position, through : ( 1 ) Actual game

course, (2) Analysis by James

Schroeder, and (3) My suggestions.

( 1 ) Actual Game Course (with brief comments:

Qa8t l<h7 41 Nf3 Bf6 42 Qa6 Kg7 43 Qd3 Qb7 44 e4 Qc6 45 h3

Qc7 46 d5 exd5 47 exd5 Qc31

It may appear somewhat surprising that at this moment exchanging

queens is Black's best play. The key benefit of it is that this enables

Black's king to participate in stopping the d·pawn. White acquiesces to the

exchange since after e.g. 48 Qe4, Black's queen finds an attractive home on

c5. Nevertheless, keeping the queen's

was in White's interest.

48 Qxc3 Bxc3 49 Kf1 Kf6 50 Ke2 Bb4 51 Nd4 Bc5 52 Nc6 Kf5 53

Kf3 Kf6 54 g4 hxg4t 55 hxg4 Kg57

This attempt at immediate king activity boomerangs. Keeping the status

132

quo with 55 ... Bb6 or 55 ... Bd6 is correct. After the latter, Capablanca gives

the following line : 56 Ke4 Kg5 57 Ne5 f5t 58 Kd4 Bb8 59 d6 Bxd6!

Nf7t Kxg4 61 Nxd6 Kf3 with a draw.

56 Ne5! Bd4

Black must lose at least another pawn no matter how he plays.

Two other possibilities: a) 56 ... Ba3 57 d6! Kf6 58 d7 Ke7 59 Nxf7

Kxd7 60 Ne5t and 61 Nxg6; b) 56 ... f5 57 d6! fxg4 t 58 Kg2! Kf5 59

d7 Bb6

Nc6.

57 Nxf7t Kf& 58 Nd8 Bb& 59 Nc& Bc5 60 Kf4! Bxf2

Equally hopeless in the long run is 60 ... g5t 61 Kf3 etc. ; White will

protect his g-pawn with f3, move his king to e4 and then use h is knight

with decisive effect.

61 g5t Kf7 62 NeSt Ke7 63 Nxg&t Kd& 64 Ke4 Bg3 65 Nf4 Ke7 66

Ke5 Be1 67 d&t Kd7

68 g& Bb4 69 Kd5 Ke8 70 d7t Elack resigns.

(2) Analysis by James R. Schroeder

40 Nc6

The queen check is inherently pointless and a knight move is required.

White's idea after the text is to continue with Qc2, Qc4, e4 and d5. Black

on his part wants to delay/prevent this.

...

Qd6 41 Qc2 Qd5t ! 42 e4 Qb5 43 Qc3 Kh7

Black can also play 43 ... 0e2, forcing the queenless endgame after 44 Qf3

Oxf3t 45 Kxf3. It is uncertain that White's winning chances are greater

than in the actual game course above. After the text, Schroeder suggests

that White improve the position of his Q + N and then play d5. Unques

tionably this is the correct approach, but as he himself asks "Can this be

accomplished?" Perhaps, but the difficulties must be huge, because White's

pieces stand awkwardly and Black's Q + B have excellent defensive posts.

(3)

My Suggestions

White's general strategic approach and objective is clear enough : he wants

to place his Q + N on "attractive" squares and then achieve a passed d-pawn

by means of e4 and d5. Yet as so often in chess, the execution is so much

more difficult than the plan ! I think the first need that White has is to put

his knight on a comfortable, trouble free spot and therefore I suggest:

40 Nf3!

Bf&!

41 Qd3

Kg7

42 e4

Qc8

43 h3

Qc7

44 Nd2!

Unlike in the game, White will play d5 only after he has placed his

knight more usefully than on f3.

Qc8

Nc4!

Qd7

46 d5

xd5

47 exd5

Though far from theoretically guaranteed -- and the position still

must

133

be played out -- White's chances of making further progress from here are
bright.

Principles/Rules of Thumb For Practical Endgame Play

Endgames With Queens

( 1 ) For the endgame of Q + P vs. Q, where the defending king is away

from the pawn, for winning purposes this is the situation :

(a) The best pawn to have is the c- or f. pawn because it is relatively

easy to advance and once it reaches the 7th rank it is a certain win.

(b) Once the

or e-pawn reaches the 7th rank it is an assured win.

However, it is very difficult to get them to the 7th rank.

once there may not be theoretical wins.

(d) The

and h-pawns are

theoretical

draws. However, in practical

play it is very difficult to achieve the draw.

(2) Most endgames of K + Q vs. K + R + P are theoretical wins. Even

where they are theoretical draws, the side having the queen should play

them out because it is very difficult to draw them in actual play.

(3) The correct material balance is 2 rooks

queen + pawn. In such an

endgame with major pieces it is exceedingly important for each side to

activate its major pieces.

(4) Because of the queen's inherent power, its most effective location is in

the center: d4, e4, d5, e5.

(5) The knight is the preferred minor piece companion to the queen be

cause its flexibility greatly enhances the queen's power potential.

134

List Of Contributors

Bruce Altschuler

Pal Benko

Pedro Berdion

Robert Byrne

Matthew Chen

Edmund Chong

Mark Coleman

R. Coquard

Peter Danenhower

Karl DeSmet

Gianni Donati

Dave Eisen

Keith Fraser

Ronald

�-

George

Roy Henock

Phillip King

Harold W. Kahn

Jonathan Kolkey

Craig Kuntz

Jerry Lemke

Eric Lerner

Edmund Lamer

Paul M. Lowry

Harry Lyman

Thomas Magar

William Maloney

Ken Mann

Clifford P. Marvel

-. McDonald

Phillip L. Michael

Borislav Milic

Pierre Olivier

Sergio Pederzoli

Robert Potvin

William Radspinner

Raterman

Mary Robertson

Gunter Roth

Denis Rozier

Eric Schil ler

James R. Schroeder

Vasser Seirawan

Leonid Shamkovich

J. B. Skeels

James Jay Smith

Fred Sorensen

Robert J. Stachowski

James Tarjan

Mark Templer

G. N. Thompson

Simon Weil

Paul Whitehead

Robert L. Wil liamson

Manfred Zitzman

Bernard Zuckerman

135

Fine Books From Chess Enterprises, Inc.

Openings:

Donaldson : Meran Defense
Druash : Alapin's Opening
Eckert : Sicilian Scheveningen : Keres' Attack
Estrin: Gambits
Estrin : Three Double King Pawn Openings

Grefe: The Offbeat Sicilian

Filipowicz & Konikowski : 4 ... d5 in the Cordel Defense

Grefe & Silman: Center Counter
Janicki: Anglo-Benoni Two Knights Defense
Janicki: Anglo-Benoni Four Knights Defense
Janicki & Konikowski : Flohr-Mikenas System, English
Jansa & Pribyl: How To Play The Pirc

Kapitaniak: The Polish Defense
Kapitaniak : Sicilian Defense, Wing Gambits
Konikowski: Arkhangelsk System, Ruy Lopez
Konikowski: Modern Benoni Four Pawn Attack
Konikowski : Petrosian System, Queen's Indian
Konikowski : Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation
Konikowski: Tartakower System, Queen's Gambit
Kuligowski: Developments in the French Defense
Kuligowski: Developments in the King's Indian Defense
Kuligowski: Developments in the Reti System

Leverett : Sicilian Defense, Velimirovic Attack
Marfia: Queen's Gambit With Bf4
Marfia : Queen's Indian With 4 g3

Schiller: Blackmar Diemer Gambit

Schiller: Catalan, second edition
Schiller: French Winawer Poisoned Pawn
Schiller: How To Play The Reti

Schiller: How To Play The Queen's Indian
Schiller & Goldman : Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack
Schiller: Sicilian, Modern Richter Rauzer
Schiller: Sicilian, Richter Rauzer with a6
Schiller: Sicilian, Classical Richter Rauzer
Schiller : Orthodox Variation, Queen's Gambit
Shamkovich & Schiller: Caro-Kann 4 ... Nd7

Tejler & Marfia: Euwe Defense, Blackmar Diemer Gambit
Wall : Larsen's Opening
Wall: Owen's Defense
Wall : 500 French Miniatures
Wall: 500 Italian Miniatures
Wall: 500 King's Gambit Miniatures
Wall : 500 Ruy Lopez Miniatures

Wall : 500 Sicilian Miniatures
Wall: 500 Sicilian Miniatures Collection I I
Walton : Sicilian, Polygaevsky Variation
Watson: 4 Nc3 Gambit in the Queen's Gambit & Slav
Watson : Taimanov & Knights Tour Benoni
W:at.son: 6 ... Nc6 in the Sacmisch Variation, King' s Indian

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scan031_1L
scan031_2R
scan032_1L
scan032_2R
scan033_1L
scan033_2R
scan034_1L
scan034_2R
scan035_1L
scan035_2R
scan036_1L
scan036_2R
scan037_1L
scan037_2R
scan038_1L
scan038_2R
scan039_1L
scan039_2R
scan040_1L
scan040_2R
scan041_1L
scan041_2R
scan042_1L
scan042_2R
scan043_1L
scan043_2R
scan044_1L
scan044_2R
scan045_1L
scan045_2R
scan046_1L
scan046_2R
scan047_1L
scan047_2R
scan048_1L
scan048_2R
scan049_1L
scan049_2R
scan050_1L
scan050_2R
scan051_1L
scan051_2R
scan052_1L
scan052_2R
scan053_1L
scan053_2R
scan054_1L
scan054_2R
scan055_1L
scan055_2R
scan056_1L
scan056_2R
scan057_1L
scan057_2R
scan058_1L
scan058_2R
scan059_1L
scan059_2R
scan060_1L
scan060_2R
scan061_1L
scan061_2R
scan062_1L
scan062_2R
scan063_1L
scan063_2R
scan064_1L
scan064_2R
scan065_1L
scan065_2R
scan066_1L
scan066_2R
scan067_1L
scan067_2R
scan068_1L
scan068_2R
scan069_1L

final questions+and+answers+on+practical+endgame+play+ +mednis

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