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(LC_simp-end_2)
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Another basic ending.
If you have not gone over the first
ending in this series, please do so
now.
Many of the ideas of that
example apply here as well.
(Position Check:
White King on h1, White Rook on a1.
Black King on the d5-square.
White to move in this position.)
The main difference between this
ending and the ending of "K+Q
vs. lone King," is that the player with
the King and Rook is required
to make a much better use of his
King than in the first example.
***********
1.Ra4!, {Diagram?}
This is probably the best move,
but it is certainly not the only
move.
Note how the Black King has been denied the use of nearly half the chess board.
[ The continuation of:
1.Ra5+!? Kd6; 2.Ra6+? Kd5;
3.Ra5+??, {Diagram?}
accomplishes nothing.
***
A good move is: 1.Kg2,
{Diagram?} planning on bringing the
White King
into the game. (This will become necessary
sooner or later.)
***
The move: 1.Re1, ('!')
{Diagram?}
accomplishes the same thing
as our main line - to wit, cutting
the board in half
for the Black
King. ]
1...Ke5; {Diagram?}
The defender in these endings ... as a matter of principle ... should always keep his King
as
near to the center as possible.
Of course Black could play any move possible here. And ...Kc5 was also acceptable as well.
[ The one thing Black should NOT
do is run for the edge of the board.
I.e.,
1...Kd6?; 2.Ra5 Ke7?; 3.Ra6 Kf8??;
4.Ra7, ("+/-") {Diagram?}
and Black has made the first player's
job a whole lot easier!! ]
2.Kg2!, {Diagram?}
The simplest, and most likely,
this is also the best.
This ending varies greatly from the
previous example ... there White
could easily trap the
opposing King
in the corner, with no help at all
from his own King.
Here White must ACTIVELY use
BOTH his King AND his Rook ... together. Without the
very close
and active interaction between his
forces, White will not be able to
triumph.
[ White loses time with a line like:
2.Rc4, ('?') 2...Kd5;
{Diagram?}
and the Rook must flee, to avoid
being captured. ]
2...Kd5; {Diagram?}
Following the principle of keeping
his King as near the center as
possible.
Black should not fall back, but simply
move back and forth and see if White
knows his stuff.
If this does not sound
like 'fun' to you, I have a BIG
news-flash for you: defense almost
always
requires patience, tenacity,
and a near-imperturbable calm.
In short, it is a lot like hard work!
[ 2...Kf5!? ]
3.Kf3, {Diagram?}
This is probably best ... I don't
see that a Rook move accomplishes
much in this position.
Remember what I said about the last
example ... compared to that ending,
this ending is much
more difficult!
It requires a much greater degree of
active cooperation between White's
King
and the Rook.
[ Maybe 3.Rh4!?,
***
The continuation of:
3.Ra1? Ke5; {Diagram?}
accomplishes nothing and simply
wastes precious time. ]
3...Ke5; {Diagram?}
Once more Black tries to keep
his King as near the center for
as long as he possibly can!
And remember to stay away from
the edges of the board when you
have to play the defense
in these
endings.
4.Ke3; {Diagram?}
Again this is probably best.
Note that White has:
"taken the opposition."
(This is said
anytime two Kings
face
off, and the enemy King is basically
forced to move ... sideways or even
backwards.)
[ 4.Rf4!? ]
4...Kd5; {Diagram?}
This is the correct way for
Black to play the defense
in this position.
Remember, if you are not going to
simply resign, then you are obligated
to put up as
much resistance as
you possibly can!
[ </=
4...Kf5?!; 5.Re4 Kg5; 6.Kf2! Kf5;
7.Kf3 Kf6;
8.Kf4 Kg6; 9.Re5, {Diagram?}
etc.
]
The next couple of moves are
best/forced.
(Note how White's
next Rook move takes away
nearly half of the remaining squares
away from Black's King.)
5.Re4 Kc5; 6.Rd4 Kb5;
{Diagram?}
You should now see that Black
is slowly being driven away from
the center.
The FIRST GOAL for White ... is to FORCE the enemy King to the edge of the board!
[ 6...Kc6!? ]
White continues as before. Please
note that the King and Rook used
together is slowly 'herding'
Black's
King ... precisely where he does not
want to go!
7.Kd3 Kc5; 8.Kc3 Kb5;
{Diagram?}
Black is forced back, no matter
which way he chooses to go.
[ Possibly 8...Kb6!?
***
Or 8...Kc6; and now 9.Kc4! ]
9.Rc4 Kb6; {Diagram?}
Black is still being forced back.
Note that Black avoids the edge of the board for as long as he can!
[ Worse is: 9...Ka5?!; 10.Rb4, ("+/-") ]
White now makes good use
of the 'opposition.'
10.Kb4! Kb7; 11.Kb5! Ka7;
12.Rc7+!, {Diagram?}
With this move, White's ... SECOND (main) GOAL has been
achieved.
(Black's King is now
forced into the corner.)
--->
Of course the THIRD GOAL should
be fairly obvious ...
White wants to
administer a checkmate!
[ 12.Rc6!? ]
12...Ka8!; 13.Kb6 Kb8;
{Diagram?}
Black now gains the opposition.
***
But if White knows a little trick, it is very easy to force mate.
Basically, White must 'lose' a move, (tempo); but keep the same threats in force.
***
14.Rc1!, {Diagram?}
This is probably best.
White has now placed Black
in a position known as ... "Zugzwang."
(Black is forced
to make a move that he does not
want to make, and one
that weakens
his position!)
[ Of course any move along
the c-file, - except c8! - would
do the trick:
14.Rc6 Ka8;
15.Rc8#.
***
Of course NOT: 14.Rc8+?? Kxc8; {Diagram?} and it is a draw.
***
A MUCH inferior line is: </=
14.Rh7? Kc8; 15.Kc6 Kd8; 16.Rd7+ Ke8;
17.Kd6 Kf8;
18.Re7 Kg8; 19.Ke5 Kf8; 20.Kf6, ("+/-")
{Diagram?}
and White still has to run his
opponent into a corner ... AND know the
"lose-a-move" trick, to force the check-mate.
]
14...Ka8; {Diagram?}
This allows a mate, but is the
ONLY legal move Black can
make in this position.
If Black wished to he could have
resigned. (But to do so now, would
be a little ...
un-sportsmanlike, in my
opinion.)
15.Rc8#. {Diagram?}
And the game is over.
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This ending reminds me of a story one of my students once told me.
He was a student of mine when he
lived in Pensacola and we often
studied chess together.
Later - being in the Navy - he moved to
another state.
One of my ideas is it is incorrect
to resign until it is obvious your
opponent cannot go wrong.
(One move before mate?)
He taught his son chess, and when
he was about 8, he took him to a
fairly large scholastic tournament.
His son needed at least a draw in
the last round to be eligible to win a
trophy. At one point, being down
a
lot of material, his son came to him
and asked his permission to resign.
He said, "no" and instructed his
son
to find some courage and play it out.
Eventually he got his opponent down
to a King and Rook
versus a lone King.
But he did not give up! He was
rewarded, his equally young and
inexperienced
opponent forced him
to the edge of the board, but apparently
could not administer the mate!
(He told me on the phone:
"He chased my son 'round and 'round the chessboard ...
visiting each corner
many times!") In the end, the TD
counted 50 moves, and then stepped
in and
declared the game a draw.
And my friend's son got the trophy for first in his age class!
***
THE MORAL OF THIS STORY?
A beginner should know this
particular ending!!!
**********
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I Copyright (c) A.J.G; 2003.
(All games - HTML code initially) Generated with ChessBase 8.0
Replay the basic moves of this ending just below.
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Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2005. All rights reserved.
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Page first posted in 2003. Last edit or save on: 01/06/2005 .
