                      |
[A.J. Goldsby I]
Instructive R+P endgames.
I will concentrate mainly on the end-game in this example.
This game was played in the FIDE Knock-Out World Championship
Match(s) in Russia in early December, 2001.
(I actually re-transmitted this game
for an on-line chess server.)
1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. Bb5 e6; 4. 0-0 Nge7!?; 5. c3 a6;
6. Ba4
d5; 7.
exd5
Qxd5!?; 8.
d4!, Center!
White has chosen the 3.Bb5 Sicilian, probably in an attempt to take advantage
of his opponent's relative inexperience.
This line could actually transpose into a Ruy Lopez or Spanish Game,
...
in some lines.
Both sides have done well up to this point but now Black begins to go astray.
[ 8.Re1!? ].
8...Ng6!?; 9.
Be3!?,
This may not be absolutely best,
but it is kind of tricky.
[
What looks best for White is: 9.dxc5!, "+/="
This seems to maintain a clear edge for White.
(The same cannot be said of Adam's actual move.) ]
9...Qh5?!; (Maybe - '?')
Terrible.
This is awful.
(The Queen is unprotected.
And Black's pieces are
completely un-coordinated.
All White has to is find a way to
exploit this.)
In Black's defense, maybe he
thought he could attack White's King.
(It's a pipe dream!)
[
Best is 9...c4;
"=" Black could also try: 9...cxd4!?;
10.Nxd4, "=" (Maybe - "+/=") White may have a very
small pull here. ].
10. dxc5!, "+/"
10...Bd7!?;
Hmmm.
Too late Black probably realizes
he has outfoxed himself.
[
Not
10...Bxc5?; (Maybe - '??')
11.Bxc6+
bxc6; 12.Qa4
Bd7;
( Not 12...Qd5??;
13.Rd1, "+/-" )
13.Qa5, "+/-" White has a winning pin
along
the 5th Rank.
(See the note after Black played
...Qh5.)
Or Black could play: 10...Be7; 11.Ng5! "+/-" ].
11. b4!?,
This is kind of clunky.
But White has won a clear Pawn,
and I guess he figures he may as
well
hang onto it.
White can play this idea, (Ng5) anytime over the next few moves.
[
Maybe better is: 11.Ng5!
Qxd1; 12.Rxd1,
"+/" I like this line as White,
as he keeps the
Pawn and virtually eliminates any counter-chances ...
because the Q's
have been swapped off. ].
11...f5; 12.
Na3!?
f4!?;
If Black does not play this, he has nothing.
13.
Bd4
Be7!?; (Maybe - '?!')
{An unsound gambit?}
Probably not the best.
(Risky.)
[
Black should play: 13...Nh4!;
or 13...h6!?
But he probably has an inferior game on either case. ]
14. Nc4
Rd8!?; 15.
Nb6!?;
White is probably playing it safe.
[
15.Bxg7!?, (Maybe - '!')
This might be the best.
(The computers give White a
HUGE edge here.)
15...Rg8; {"Comp"}
{Unclear?}
White may not have cared for half -
open g-file. (Facing his King!) ].
15...e5!;
Best - all things considered.
16. Nxd7, "+/="
16...Rxd7; 17.
Nxe5!?,
(Maybe - '!')
White goes for the big
material advantage. ("+/")
[ 17.Bxc6!?, "+/=" ].
17...Qxe5[];
This is definitely forced.
[ Not 17...Ngxe5??; 18.Qxh5+, ("+/-") ... with an easy win for White. ].
18. Bxc6! bxc6; 19. Bxe5 Rxd1; 20. Raxd1 Nxe5; 21. Rfe1 Bf6;
22. Rxe5+! Bxe5;
23. Re1
Kf7; Ugh.
This looks forced.
[
Not 23...Kd7?!; This denies Black's Rook use
of any decent files or
any
penetration into the White
position.
24.Rxe5
Rf8; 25.f3,
"+/"
(Maybe "+/-"). Virtually the same thing as
the game ... BUT ...
Black's Rook has NO activity at all. (In this line.) ].
24. Rxe5
Rd8; 25.
h4, I need to breathe!
White gives his King 'luft.'
One of those dog-gone R+P
end-games has arisen that
can be tough
for the average
player to win.
GM Adams technique makes it look all too easy.
[
Definitely 25.a4??
Rd1+; 26.Re1
Rxe1#.
Not 25.g3?
f3; and White has greatly increased
the difficulty of his task. ]
25...Rd1+; 26.
Kh2
Rd3;
Black is doing the best he can ... in the situation that he finds himself
in.
With his next move, White rids
him-self of the annoying and
possibly
disruptive nature of
Black's f-pawn.
27. Rf5+!
Ke7; 28.
Rxf4
Rxc3; 29.
Re4+!,
Decision time.
Making the Black King choose where he wants to go.
Right or left?
(K-side or Q-side for the BK.)
Driving the Black King to a worse square.
[ 29.a4!? ]
29...Kf7; 30.
Rd4!,
White targets the c-pawn for removal.
30...a5!?;
Basically, Black is trying to throw
White off balance with this move.
He probably figures 'normal' play
will bring him nothing but a goose
egg,
so he decides to ...
"go down swinging."
31. bxa5
Ra3; 32.
Rd7+
Kg8[];
(Box.)
This is forced.
[
Not 32...Ke6?; 33.Rd6+
Ke5; 34.Rxc6
Rxa2; 35.Kg3
Ra3+;
36.f3
Rxa5; 37.Rc7,
"+/-" with an easy win for White. ]
***
Now White plops the dreaded
"Rook on the 7th rank." (PIG.)
This is good here for 2 reasons:
# 1.) Pins down the Black King;
# 2.) Attacks any Pawns still on
the 2nd row.
***
33. Ra7!
Rc3; 34.
a6!
Ra3;
Black is almost dead.
With his next move, White robs Black of the g6-square for his King ... and
threatens h5-h6; further disrupting Black's Pawn-structure.
35. h5!
h6; 36.
f3
Rxa2;
Black could quit, if he were so minded.
Now all White has to do to win is ... activate his King!
37. Kg3!
Ra4; 38.
Ra8+
Kh7; 39.
a7!
Ra2; 40.
Kf4!
Ra5;
Black must keep his Rook
BEHIND the enemy pawn.
[ 40...Rxg2?; 41.Rh8+ Kxh8; 42.a8Q+ Kh7; 43.Qxc6, "+/-" ].
41. Ke4
g6!?; 42.hxg6+
Kg7;
Poor Black. He cannot even grab the g-pawn.
[ 42...Kxg6?; 43.Rg8+ Kf7; 44.a8Q "+/-" ]
43. g4!, Black Resigns, 1 - 0.
(White threatens f3-f4-f5-f6+.
[Among other things!]
Black is virtually powerless to
stop this.).
White made a possibly tough R+P endgame look deceptively easy.
GM
Mike Adam's technique,
(in the Rook-and-Pawn ending);
was virtually flawless! (And well worth studying.)
This is a game that you should study ...
OVER AND OVER AND OVER
AGAIN!!!
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby. © 2001, & © 2002.
1 - 0
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I; (c) 1999, (c) 2000, (c) 2001, & (c) 2002.
This
is the complete version of this game as it exists on my hard drive in my endgame
database,
I have NOT shortened it for publication! If you would like a copy of this
endgame
- in the ChessBase format -
to study on your own computer, please drop
me a line.
If
you enjoyed this position, and would like to study ANOTHER
Rook-and-Pawn endgame, ("The LUCENA Position");
click HERE.
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© A.J. Goldsby, 1994-2004. Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2004. All rights reserved.
