FIDE Surveys – Spyridon Skembris 1

Spyridon Skembris:
Defending Inferior Endgames

For most players this is not a very popular
topic: Defending a worse endgame is
psychologically a lot harder then playing a
better one, and after a long suffering defeat
most of us tend to go over the analysis
quickly, trying to forget it as soon as
possible…
Nevertheless I believe that it’s a very
important topic, and tackling it can save a
lot of half (and sometimes even full)
points. Moreover it helps to get a good
fighting spirit for the whole tournament
and develops the general chess strength. So
how is it possible to improve the necessary
skills?
Playing and analyzing (on the board) is
definitely the most important, solving
exercises can also help a lot. So here are
some guidelines how an inferior endgame
position (in a practical game or in analysis)
can be approached:
- Make a rough evaluation of the position,
and try to identify possible goals which
would help the defense (like exchanging a
certain piece or pawn, forcing a change in
the pawn structure, putting up a blockade
etc.)
- Try to obstruct the opponent’s plans as
much as possible.
- Be patient – if you can’t solve all the
problems at once just try to play the
toughest move every time.
- Believe in your chances, the opponent
might also make a mistake.
- Keep an open eye for possible saving
motives (like stalemate, perpetual,
fortresses, theoretical drawn endgames,
etc.)
- Have a look for radical switches in the
position (like sacrifices or going into a
different kind of endgame). The more
difficult it seems the more imagination is
needed.
- If still everything seems hopeless, watch
out for possible tricks or traps.
- If nothing of the above is possible –
resign.

Let’s have a look at some practical
endgames. When I work with my students,
I like to show some of my own games,
because it’s easier to explain the
circumstances, thoughts and emotions
during the game, so the same I’d like to do
here.

Suba M. : Skembris S.
Balkaniad (Men), Plovdiv 1982

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52...Bd8
This was my sealed move in the adjourned
game in our match against Romania.
53.e4
And, of course, this was the move we
expected. With our trainer Dr. Minev we
analysed the position, but as hard as we
looked, we couldn't find a salvation here.
White has quite an easy way to advance his
pawns, and even if the opposite coloured
bishops often secure some drawing
chances and Black has two passed pawns
himself, we couldn't find a way to use
them. All the variations seemed lost.
Finally Dr. Minev told me better to get
some sleep, to be fresh tomorrow, as there
was also another game waiting ... But as I
continued to look at the position alone, it
finally dawned on me: Why did I have to
wait passively with my king?
53...Kc5!!
A surprising and beautiful idea: The black
king goes for a walk into the white camp to
hinder their natural advance and to force a
blockade! I remember the surprise on Dr.

FIDE Surveys – Spyridon Skembris 2

Minev's face when he saw this move and
how his eyes lit up when he understood the
idea.
53...h4? 54.e5 Ke7 55.Kg4 Ke8 56.a4 Kf8
57.a5 Ba5 58.Kh4 Bb6 59.Kg4 Bd4! (or
59...Ke7 60.f5) 60.Kf3 Kg7 61.Ke4 Bf2
62.f5 Bh4 63.Kd5! Kf7 64.Kd6 Kg7
65.Ke6 Kf8 66.f6 Bf2 67.Kf5 Bb6 68.e6
Bd8 69.Kg6 is a sample line how Black
loses with the "normal" defence.
54.a4

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54.e5 Kd4! reaches the same position as
White has nothing better than 55.a4 here.
54...Kd4! 55.e5 Ke3!
So here is the king. Now that the pawn f4
is under attack Black threatens to play ...h4
and ...h3.
56.e6!?

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The best chance.

56...Kd4!
But that's it: The black king has done his
job and returns, as the white pawns can
now be blocked!
Now 56...h4 doesn't work, because of
57.Kg4 h3 58.Kh3 Kf4 59.a5 and White
wins.
57.Bc2
After 57.a5 Kc5 58.a6 Kb6 59.Kg6 h4
60.f5 h3 61.f6 Bf6 62.Kf6 h2 63.e7 (or
63.Bd5 c2 64.e7 c1Q 65.e8Q Qf4)
63...h1Q 64.e8Q Qf3 Black secures the
draw.
57...Kd5 58.Be4
After 58.a5!? Kc5 59.Ke5 h4 60.f5 h3
61.f6 Bf6 62.Kf6 h2 63.e7 h1Q 64.e8Q
Black can play 64...Qc6! 65.Qc6 Kc6
66.Bd3 and now 66...c2 67.Bc2 Kb5=.
58...Kd6
Here Suba looked at me and proposed a
draw which I accepted of course. Those
were the days ... of adjourned games and
thorough endgame analysis. I must say that
I learned a lot from analyzing adjourned
games, especially from ones like the
above. Nowadays we often have to play
the endgame in a hurry, which makes the
analysis after the game even more
important. ½.

Skembris S. : Friedrich N.
Bad Woerishofen 2013

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Here it's a knight against three pawns
marching down the board. It's clear that
Black is fighting for a draw, but what are

FIDE Surveys – Spyridon Skembris 3

his chances? The main idea again is a
blockade, so the pawns can't move forward
easily. Of course, still then a lot of breaks
have to be taken into account, but the
knight is a tricky piece. I must say that I
thought I was easily winning here and
forgot about the necessary caution.
49.g4?!
But as we will see Black catsed his
chances forsing the White pawns to be
block. Still he has to fight on but he is in
the correct way.
I guess that 49.Ke3!?, which doesn't allow
the idea in the game, is still winning - it
might be an interesting task for a chess
student to analyze this position.
49...Nd3!
Forcing the e-pawn forward which makes
it easier to block them.
50.e6
Now 50.Ke4 Nf2 51.Kf4 (or 51.Kf3 Nd3)
51...Nd3 leads nowhere.
50...Kf6!? 51.g5 Ke7
Entering this position I thought that White
has an easy win (like my computer
believes as well) but as we will see that's
not true. Of course not 51...Kg5 52.e7–+.
52.Ke4 Nb4!
The correct way to go.
53.h4

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53...Kd6!
Of course Black has to defend the enemy
king from entering the position - never
make concessions which are not forced.
54.h5 Nd5! 55.h6

The alternative 55.g6 gives Black the
chance to get a blockade on the dark
squares with 55...Nf6 56.Kd4 h6 57.g7
Ng8 58.Ke4 Nf6 59.Kd3 Ke7 60.Kd4 Ng8
61.Kc5 Nf6 and everything is under
control.
55...Nc3 56.Kd3
56.Kd4 Nd5 is just a repitition.
56...Nd5 57.Kd4 Ne7
Of course the knight has to stay close to
protect possible breaks.
58.Ke4 Nd5 59.g6
The only way to improve.
59.Kf3 Ke7 60.Kg4 Kd6! doesn't lead
anywhere (but not 60...Ne3? 61.Kf4 Nd5
62.Ke5+–).
59...Nf6
Black is still walking on a narrow path: not
59...hg6? 60.fg6 Ke6 61.h7+–.
60.Kd4

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60...Ke7!
Now after the black knight has reached f6
the black king returns where he belongs!
60...hg6 61.fg6+– is winning for White.
61.Kc5 Ne4 62.Kc6 Nf6 63.Kc7 Ne8
64.Kb6 Nf6 65.Kc6
It seems that White has put his opponent
into zugzwang, but Black still has a single
defense.
65...hg6!
Now this move is possible for tactical
reasons. 65...Kd8 66.Kd6+– is just lost.
66.fg6 Ng4!
This is the point! The tricky knight
controls everything in time.

FIDE Surveys – Spyridon Skembris 4

67.h7 Ne5 68.Kc5 Ng6 69.Kd5 Nf4
70.Ke5 Ng6 71.Kf5 Nh8 72.Ke5 Ng6
73.Kf5 Nh8 ½.

Skembris S. : Mueller Wer.
Augsburg 2012

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Here Black seems to be in trouble, as his
pawn on f4 is about to fall and the white
pawn d5 is quite dangerous. The defensive
ideas here are either to make the pawn c5
move forward quickly, or to exchange into
a pawn ending. Of course, this needs
careful calculation.
41...Qd4!
A move with many purposes: for the
moment the pawn f4 is defended, the white
d-pawn is stopped, and the black c-pawn
gets support.
42.Qe6
Of course not 42.Qd4?? cd4 43.Kf3 d3!
and Black is the one who wins. Also after
42.Kf3 Qc3 (but not 42...Qe4? 43.Ke4+–)
43.Kf4 c4 Black has serious counter game,
as his c-pawn is quite fast - a very
important defensive weapen in queens
endgames.
42...c4! 43.d6
Now this pawn is a real threat and Black
has to find something else.
43...Qg7 44.Kf3 Qb7!
Now Black can offer the exchange of
queens even at the cost of a pawn.
45.Qe4
After 45.Kf4 Qf7! 46.Qf7 Kf7 47.Ke4 Ke6
48.Kd4 Kd6 49.Kc4 Ke5 Black gets an

easily draw ending.
45...Qe4 46.Ke4 Kf7 47.Kd4
Or 47.Kf4 Ke6 48.Ke4 Kd6=.
47...Ke6 48.Kc4 Kd6 49.Kd4 f3!
The last finesse. Black makes it clear that
he knows how to draw this position.
50.Ke4 Ke6 51.Kf3 Kf5= ½.

Dervishi E. : Skembris S.
Ano Liosia 1996

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In the next game some general endgame
knowledge and understanding is very
helpful to find the right way. Erald
Dervishi, at that time a promising young
FM from Albania (nowadays a strong
GM), is fully up to this task. Here Rc4 is in
the air. If Black gets his rook to g4 and
plays b4, the position will be just lost, as
White will have no counter game. But is
there any way to stop this?
45.g4!!
A move which shows a very good
understanding of the position.
45...hg4
Now Blacks is threatening ...Rc4.
The point is that after 45...Rc4 46.Rc4 bc4
47.gh5 gh5 48.Ke4 c3 49.Kd3 Kf5 50.Kc3
Kg4 51.Kd2 Kh4 52.Ke1 Kg3 53.Kf1 the
white king reaches f1 just in time.
46.Re8
Of course not 46.Kg4 Rc4–+.
46...Rc4 47.Kg3 Kf5
Even though White is two pawns down
now the active rook offers a very realistic

FIDE Surveys – Spyridon Skembris 5

counter game.
48.Rf8 Ke5 49.Rg8 Kf6 50.Rf8 Kg7
51.Rb8 Rb4
The best try, as 51...b4 52.Rb6 Re4 53.Rb7
Kf6 54.Rb6 Kf5 55.Rb5 makes the white
task easier.
52.Rc8 Kh7
52...Rb1 53.Rc7! Kh6 (53...Kf6 54.Rc6
Kf5 55.Rc5 Ke6 56.Rc6) 54.Rb7 b4
55.Kg4 b3 56.Kf3 b2 57.Kg2 Kh5
58.Rb4= reaches a similar position like in
the game.
53.Rc5 Kg7 54.Rd5 Kf6 55.Rc5 Ke6
56.Rg5 Kf6 57.Rc5 Kg7 58.Rd5 Kh6
59.Rc5 Rb1
The only try.
60.Kg4
Now it's the correct time for this!
60...b4 61.Rb5 b3

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62.Kg3
The white king quickly moves backwards:
If the black pawn goes to b2 it will have to
be on g2 or h2.
62...Kg7 63.Rb6 Kf7 64.Kg2 Rb2
After 64...b2 65.Rb4 Kf6 66.Rb5= it's just
a draw.
65.Kg3 Kg7 66.Kh3 Rb1 67.Kg2 Kf7
68.Kh2 b2
The last try but of course White defends
easily.
69.Kg2 Ke7 70.Rb8 Ke6 71.Rb3 Kd6
72.Rb6 Kc5 73.Rb8 Kd4 74.Rd8 Ke3
75.Rb8 ½.

Mastrovasilis A. : Skembris S.
Eretria 2011

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This was my position in the Greek Teams
Cup Final, when my team was leading 2–1:
A draw was enough for us to win the Cup.
At the first sight it looks hopeless for
Black, but I can still transform to a queens
endgame. Even though I'll be three pawns
down the activity of the queen makes it
worthwhile to calculate a bit further.
80...Rd6!! 81.h8Q Rg6 82.Kh5
Or 82.Kg6 b1Q 83.Kh6 (83.e4 Qe4 84.Kg7
Qe5 85.Kh7 Qh2= doesn't change
anything) 83...Qh1 84.Kg7 Qa1 85.Kg8
Qa8 86.Kh7 Qh1= with perpetual.
82...b1Q 83.Qh7
White has to take the rook back.
83...Kf8!
In the coming queen ending the White
pieces will be awkwardly placed.
84.Qg6 Qh1 85.Kg4 Qg2 86.Kf5 Qf2
87.Ke5
Of course not 87.Ke4?? Qc2–+.
87...Qe3
With the second pawn the winning chances
are gone.
88.Kd5 Qb3 89.Kd4 Qd1 90.Ke3 Qe1
91.Kf3 Qf1 92.Ke3 Qe1 93.Kd4 Qb4
94.Ke3 Qe1 95.Kd4 Qb4 ½.