The Pearl in the Endings
Zdenko Krnic
Many of us have probably forgotten that there once was a time when chess games were adjourned; moves were sealed in envelopes, and then the positions were subjected to hours and hours of analysis with the help of seconds, which was especially precious in endings. Nowadays, chess players must play the game till the end and display all their knowledge on the spot, without the help of seconds or a powerful computer.
Well, in order to preserve all these wonderful endings, Chess Informant is preparing a new CD dedicated to all the endgames published in Informants 5 - 99, a total of 2,494 examples. This month we are pleased to present ten pearls from this treasury for your enjoyment.
1. B. Rogulj – M. Andres
Jugoslavija 1968
Chess Informant 5/ending 23
As long ago as 1917 Grigoriev showed how White can achieve a draw in such positions. This was also displayed in Wijk aan Zee this year in the game Radjabov – Karjakin, where Black sacrificed a bishop to obtain the Grigoriev position and hold draw without difficulty. 1. Rf3? [1. Ra3! Qf6 2. Ka2 Qh6 3. Kb2! Qh1 4. Rd3 Qa8 5. Ra3! equal] a3! 2. Ka2 Qc4 3. Rb3 Ka4 4. Ka1 a2 0 : 1 [R. Maric]
2. R. Calvo Minguez – D. Byrne
Palma de Mallorca 1968
Although Black is a pawn up in an opposite-color bishop ending, he is the one fighting to prevent a white pawn from promoting. However, zugzwang prevents him from succeeding and the final position shows the beauty of our ancient game. 1... Kd6 [1... Bd4 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. a5! e5 4. Kb7 Kc5 5. Be2!! g4 6. a6 g3 7. a7 g2 8. a8Q with the idea Qf8 mate] 2. Ka6 Kc5 3. a5 d4 4. Be6 d3 5. b6 Kb4 6. Bf5! d2 7. Bg4 Bf4 8. b7 Bc7 9. Bd1! Kc5 10. Ka7 Kb5 11. a6 Ka5 12. b8Q!! (and White is winning) Bb8 13. Kb7! Kb5 14. Bg4 [14... Ka5 15. Be2! and White is winning] 1 : 0 [R. Maric]
3. Y. Sakharov – E. Vasiukov
USSR (ch) 1968
White missed a very nice win with an effective chackmate. 1. Ne3? [1. Ke3! g5 2. Kf3 Ke6 3. Kg4 Kf6 4. Nd2 Kg6 5. Ne4 Kh6 6. Kf5 Kh5 7. Nf6 Kh6 8. Ng4 Kh5 9. Kf6!! d2 10. Kg7 d1Q 11. Nf6 mate] Ke5 2. Kg4 Kd4 3. Nd1 Ke4! 4. Nb2 d2 5. Nd1 Ke5 6. Nf2 Ke6 7. Kh4 Kf5 8. Kg3 g5 9. Kf3 Kg6! 10. Ke2 Kh5 11. Kd2 Kh4 12. Ke1 Kg3 13. Kf1 Kh2 1/2 : 1/2 [Y. Averbakh]
4. I. Zaitsev – N. Karaklajic
Smederevska Palanka 1971
White can win this position only by advancing his h-pawn; however, it is important that the bishop is situated on f2, not on g3. 1. h4? [1. Be1 Be7 2. Bf2! Bd8 3. h4 a) 3... Be7 4. f5! ef5 (4... Kf7 5. h5 Bg5 6. Bg3 Bd8 7. Bf4 with the idea h6! and White is winning) 5. Kf4 with the idea h5! and White is winning; b) 3... Kh5 4. f5 Kg4 5. fe6 g5 6. hg5 Kg5 7. b4!! ab4 8. Bc5!! bc5 9. a5 Kg6 10. e7! and White is winning] Kh5! 2. f5 Kg4!! 3. f6 g5!! equal [3... gf6?? 4. ef6 Kg3 5. Ke5 Kh4 6. Ke6 Bf6 7. Kf6 and White is winning] 4. hg5 Kg5 1/2 : 1/2 [R. Maric]
5. Lj. Ljubojevic – W. Browne
Amsterdam 1972
This example shows that even top grandmasters can err in simple winning endings. 1... f5?? [1... Kd5!! 2. b4 (2. Kb4 Kd4 and Black is winning) f5 3. b5 f4 4. b6 Kc6! 5. Ka6 f3 6. b7 f2 7. b8Q f1Q 8. Ka5 Qa1 and Black is winning] 2. Kb4! equal [2... f4 3. Kc3 equal] 1/2 : 1/2 [R. Maric]
6. A. Rosmuller – R. Maric
Strasbourg 1973
Although White is two pawns up, he can win only by playing 1.Rc7. However, to realize this advantage it is necessary that he play several only moves. 1. c7? [1. Rc7! Ke6 2. Rc8 Kf7 3. c7 Kg7 4. g4 hg4 (4... Kh7 5. gf5 gf5 6. Rf8 Rc7 7. Rf5 Kh6 8. Re5 and White is winning; 4... Rc3 5. gf5 gf5 6. Kg2 Rc2 7. Kf1 Rc1 8. Ke2 Rc5 9. Ke3 Rc1 10. Kd4 Rc2 11. Ke5 Rc5 12. Ke6 and White is winning) 5. fg4 Rc3 a) 6. Kg2? fg4 7. h5!? gh5 8. f5 h4 9. f6 Kf7 10. Rh8 h3! 11. Kh2 Rc2 12. Kg3 (12. Kg1 Rc1 13. Kf2 h2! 14. Kg2 h1Q 15. Rh1 Rc2 16. Kg3 Kf6 equal) h2! 13. Rh2 Rc3 14. Kg4 Kf6 equal; b) 6. Kh2!! fg4 7. h5!! gh5 8. f5 h4 9. f6 Kf7 10. Rh8 Rc2 11. Kg1 Rc1 12. Kf2 g3 13. Kg2 Rc2 14. Kh3 Rh2 15. Kg4 g2 16. Kf5!! g1Q 17. Rf8 Kf8 18. c8Q Kf7 19. Qe6! Kf8 20. Qe7 Kg8 21. f7 and White is winning] Ke6 2. g4 [2. Rb6 Kf7 equal] fg4 1/2 : 1/2 [R. Maric, B. Milic]
7. Pape – Roth
BRD 1972
We can see from this example that salvation can be found in tournament practice in a studious way as well. 1. d6!! ed6 2. Kd3! Bg3 3. a5 d5 4. a6 Bb8 5. a7 Ba7 1/2 : 1/2 [R. Maric]
8. S. Makarychev – Y. Averbakh
USSR 1973
In the endings of opposite-color bishops many brilliant moves leading to victory can be hidden. This example is an immeasurable contribution to the theory of such endings. 1... Bg1! 2. Ke2 [2. Kg1 Ke3 with the idea Kd2, c2 and Black is winning] Kg3 3. Kf1 Bf2 4. Bc2 f5! 5. Bb1 [5. Bf5 Kf4 6. Be4 Ke3 and Black is winning] f4 6. Bg6 Be3 7. Bc2 h5 8. Bf5 c5 9. Bg6 h4! 10. Bf5 g4!! (and Black is winning) 11. hg4 [11. fg4 f3 12. gf3 Kh3 13. g5 Kg3 14. g6 Bd4 and Black is winning] h3 12. gh3 Kf3 13. g5 Kg3 14. g6 Bd4 15. h4 f3 16. h5 Bg7 17. Ke1 f2 [18. Kf1 Kf3 19. Bb1 Ke3 20. Bf5 c4 21. Bb1 Kd2 and Black is winning] 0 : 1 [N. Minev]
9. D. Levy - G. Bonner
Edinburgh 1972
Black showed that it is very important to give check at the right moment. The brilliant key move of Black's defense is 3 …a6!!. 1... Rh5! 2. Kd6 [2. Kf6 Kf4 3. g7 Rh6! equal] Kd4 [2... Ke4? 3. g7! Rh6 4. Kc5 and White is winning] 3. Kc6 a6!! [3... Kc4 4. Kb7 Rh6 5. Ka8 and White is winning] 4. Kb6 [4. Kb7 Ke5 equal] Rh6! 5. Ka5 [5. Kb7 Ke5! equal] Kc4! [6. g7 Rh5 7. Ka6 Rh6 equal] 1/2 : 1/2 [N. Minev]
10. V. Lukov - S. Duriga
Polska 1975
The black king and knight fight feverishly to prevent the promotion of the white pawn, but they ultimately fail because of White's final stroke 11.Bf5!!. 1. Ke5! [1. Kd6? Kf6 equal] h5 [1... Kh4 2. Kd6 and White is winning] 2. Ba4 h4 3. Bd7! h3 4. Bh3 Ne8 5. Be6! Kh6 [5... Nf6 6. Bf7 Ng4 7. Kd6! Nf6 8. Ke6 Nh5 9. Bg6! and White is winning] 6. Bd7 Ng7 7. Kf6 g5 8. Kf7 Kh7 9. Kf8 Kg6 10. Bg4 Kf6 11. Bf5!! g4 12. Bg4 Kg6 13. Bd7 Kh7 [13... Kf6 14. Bf5 and White is winning] 14. Kf7 Kh6 15. Bg4! Kh7 16. Be2 [16... Kh6 17. Bd3 and White is winning; 16... Kh8 17. Bd3 and White is winning] 1 : 0 [R. Maric]