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As with opening play, there are excellent in-depth books on endgame
techniques so, once again this book will not go deeply into that thicket.
What we will look at is a few of the major scenarios and how they were dealt
with, warts and all, in several illustrative games.
Using the king.
The endgame is the time to consider fetching the monarch
off his cobwebbed throne and making him plod across the board towards the
action. In many games he will
have become relatively safe from attack in this phase of the game because all
those annoying, threatening minor pieces have already bitten the dust.
I said 'consider' but this is an understatement: the king must
be used as an additional piece if this is at all possible.
And, where he comes into his own more often than not is in the
struggle to force a passed pawn through – or the converse of that, to stop
a passed pawn.
The use of the remaining pieces is equally critical but
an important factor in their participation is, are they 'good' or 'bad'.
What do we mean by that? A
game can be won and lost where opposing forces have, say, a good knight
versus a bad bishop. This would
probably mean, the knight is active, can move around and will eventually
threaten key squares whilst the bishop may be stuck behind pawns and not
capable of attacking the key squares. Many
variations on this theme will arise in games.
Some we have already seen.
The first game to illustrate this section has the king
joining in the action, action revolving around a passed pawn.
Both sides have a surviving bishop but, as the reader will see, one is
a bad bishop, the other is a good
bishop …. But it is the use of the king which swings the result.
top
Game 61.
Leicestershire
County
Championship, 1974.
Author v
E Cameron. Opening:
Sicilian Defence.
|
1
|
e4
|
c5
|
|
|
2
|
f4
|
Nc6
|
|
|
3
|
Nf3
|
e6
|
|
|
4
|
c3
|
Nf6
|
|
|
5
|
e5
|
Nd4
|
|
|
6
|
d4
|
cxd4
|
|
|
7
|
Nxd4
|
Bc5
|
|
|
8
|
Nxc6
|
dxc6
|
|
|
9
|
c4
|
Nb4
|
|
|
10
|
Qxd8+
|
Kxd8
|
|
|
11
|
Na3
|
Ke7
|
|
|
12
|
h4
|
Rd8
|
|
|
13
|
Rh3
|
|
With the bishop on c5 preventing castling, White has
chosen an unorthodox way of getting the K-side rook into action.
He has prevented Black from castling at the cost of a very untidy
placement of his own pieces. Can
he untangle them?
|
|
|
…..
|
a6
|
|
|
14
|
Be3
|
Bd4
|
|
|
15
|
Rd1
|
c5
|
Black has committed himself to having a rather lonely
passed,
isolated pawn
– if White so wishes. He
does so wish!
|
|
16
|
Bxd4
|
cxd4
|
|
|
17
|
Bd3
|
|
But, before tackling the lone foot soldier, White
must get rid of its supporting and nuisance-value advanced knight
|
|
|
…..
|
g6
|
|
|
18
|
Nc2
|
Nxc2+
|
|
|
19
|
Bxc2
|
b5
|
|
|
20
|
Be4
|
|
More to prevent Black's bishop gaining control of
this diagonal than to attack the rook
|
|
|
…..
|
Ra7
|
|
|
21
|
c5
|
|
Even at this early phase of the endgame, Black's
bishop is looking 'sickly'. As
a result, although both sides have a passed pawn on the fifth rank, it is
Black's which looks the more precarious
|
|
|
…..
|
Rc7
|
|
|
22
|
c6
|
|
Further cramping Black's bishop (and rooks).
How will he get the bishop into the action?
|
|
|
…..
|
a5
|
|
|
23
|
Rhd3
|
ba6
|
|
|
24
|
Rxd4
|
Rxd4
|
|
|
25
|
Rxd4
|
b4
|
|
|
26
|
Kd2
|
|
It seems he has a little way to go but the king heads
for the action
|
|
|
…..
|
Bb5
|
|
|
27
|
Rd6
|
Rc8
|
|
|
28
|
Ke3
|
Rd8
|
|
|
29
|
Rd4
|
Ke8
|
|
|
30
|
Rd6
|
Ke7
|
|
|
31
|
Rxd8
|
|
White's sealed
move, which, of course, he could have played before.
Black resigned before a resumption of play.
Black's cause is utterly lost due to the imminent entry of the
white king into play and the fact of Black's bad bishop.
Consider the following moves …..
31.. Kxd8 32. Kd4, Kc7 33. Kc5, Ba6 (forced) 34. Bc2! (not 34. b3, as White wants to force a swap-off of bishops or
a freeing of the b5 square for
his king), Bf1 (as good as any other?) 35. Ba4! (vitally letting the pawn
on g2 go to gain a tempo as this will not affect play), Bxg2 36. Kb5.
Black now has a choice of ..Bxc6+ when he will lose the a and
b-pawns, leaving White with winning united passed pawns on the a and b
files or, ..Bd5 with a futile attack on the a and b pawns
|
top
The embryo queen.
I made the point earlier about the power of the passed
pawn. Many games revolve around
the struggle to force the passed
pawn down the board, past whatever obstacles lie in its path, and onto that
eighth rank where it will suddenly blossom into a queen.
On rare occasions, another piece may be selected rather than a queen.
This may be, for example, where a new queen would give the opponent a
stalemate. But, usually, it is a
queen one dreams about when the 'Grunt', as the Americans might call him,
nears his goal.
There are techniques for preventing a promotion to queen
and you will need to know them …. To use them when it is you who will
suffer: to prevent them when you would benefit.
To summarise the main ones:
1.
Block an opponent's passed pawn as soon as
possible. The closer it gets to
square
eight, the stronger is its threat, especially when it arrives at the
seventh rank.
Conversely,
get your passed pawn down the board
quickly but, make sure it is fully
protected (or, uncatchable) every step of the way.
2.
When you are blocking, get your king across
into the path of a passed pawn if the
position permits this. If
it is your passed pawn, hustle your own king along with the
pawn. If only kings
remain, the position of the opposing kings is vital…. The
previous section shows how to get 'the opposition'.
You must keep this when
stopping a pawn; side-step and run alongside the pawn if you are
guiding it through.
3.
Always calculate
whether or not a pawn can be caught. It
is a well-known rule of thumb that if a king can, on its next move, get into
the square (of squares) which encompasses the pawn it can reach the queening
square.
4.
Whether you precede the pawn or cover it with
pieces from behind depends on the position but one of the most frequently met
ways of forcing a pawn onto the
last square is where a rook is moved onto the eighth rank, supported by the pawn and,
perhaps calling check. This
covers the queening square but, if taken off, the recapturing piece is the
pawn itself.
Let us look at a couple of games featuring embryo queens
and the power exerted by them…..
top
Game 62.
Leicestershire League game, 1977.
I Dallison v
Author.
Opening: Sokolsky Opening*
|
1
|
b4
|
|
Although this opening, alternatively nicknamed the
Polish or Orang-Utan Opening, develops the Q-side bishop for White and,
perhaps, has 'rarity' value, it offers Black an immediate target.
If White sets out to strongpoint the pawn, he will get caught up in
a self-induced early defensive battle
|
|
|
…..
|
e6
|
|
|
2
|
Bb2
|
Nf6
|
|
|
3
|
b5!?
|
|
An even more adventurous line
|
|
|
…..
|
c6
|
|
|
4
|
a4
|
a6
|
|
|
5
|
e3
|
d5
|
|
|
6
|
Nf3
|
Bd7
|
|
|
7
|
Na3
|
Bxa3!?
|
Black sacrifices his chance of castling to win a pawn
|
|
8
|
Bxa3
|
cxb5
|
|
|
9
|
axb5
|
axb5
|
|
|
10
|
Qb1
|
Qb6
|
|
|
11
|
c3
|
|
At first glance, c4 looked a possibility because of
the pinned black pawn on b5 but, after ..dxc4
12. Bxc4, Black has the tactical riposte of ..Rxa3 followed by
..Qd6, although White still has threats
|
|
|
…..
|
Na6
|
|
|
12
|
Be2
|
Nc7
|
|
|
13
|
0-0
|
Ne4
|
Really with the idea of coming to d6 to block the
bishop threat, allowing Black the much needed 0-0.
However …..
|
|
14
|
Ne5!?
|
|
White's attacking nature takes over, perhaps.
He launches into a flawed combination
|
|
|
…..
|
Nxd2
|
|
|
15
|
Qb4
|
|
White had planned on this mating threat getting his
forked pieces off the hook
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxa3!
|
|
|
16
|
Rxa3
|
Nxf1
|
|
|
17
|
Qf4
|
f6
|
|
|
18
|
Bh5+
|
|
Perhaps an intuitive rather than a calculated attack
but it certainly looks to have possibilities
|
|
|
…..
|
Ke7
|
|
|
19
|
Qg4
|
fxe5
|
Black gives up the rook to take the teeth out of the
attack and knowing he will still be comfortably ahead on material
|
|
20
|
Qxg7+
|
Kd6
|
|
|
21
|
Qxh8
|
Nd2
|
|
|
22
|
Qxh7
|
Qc5
|
|
|
23
|
Qg8
|
|
Craftily hoping Black will go ahead with ..Qxa3???
where 24. Qf8+ would win the black queen
|
|
|
…..
|
Kc6
|
|
|
24
|
Ra1
|
Qxc3
|
Now, Black has his passed pawn.
With extra material, Black should have no trouble steering it
through. Notice that it
doesn't hang about …. a 'queenship' is beckoning!
|
|
25
|
Rd1
|
b4
|
|
|
26
|
Qg4
|
|
The queen hurries back.
The attempt to 'swindle' a win was, perhaps, worth a try but, it
left the white queen a little out of things
|
|
|
…..
|
b3
|
|
|
27
|
Qe2
|
b2
|
Black ignores the threat to his knight …. his pawn
is trembling with anticipation at the crowning ceremony soon to take place
|
|
28
|
Qe1
|
b1=Q
|
|
|
29
|
Rxb1
|
Nxb1
|
|
|
30
|
Qxb1
|
|
One new queen disposed of, admittedly for a further
loss of material, but, wait a minute … here comes another candidate!
|
|
|
…..
|
b5
|
With even less material, there is no hope that White
can prevail but, perhaps shell-shocked, he blunders fatally to save the
pawn a journey
|
|
31
|
Bd1
???
|
Qe1
Mate
|
|
top
Game 63.
Leicestershire League Cup game, 1977.
Author v
N Richardson
.
Opening: French Defence.
|
1
|
e4
|
e6
|
|
|
2
|
d4
|
d5
|
|
|
3
|
Nc3
|
Bb4
|
|
|
4
|
e5
|
c5
|
|
|
5
|
a3
|
Bxc3+
|
In the earlier game against P.N.Wallis, here Black
played ..cxd4 and obtained a better disruption of White's pawns
|
|
6
|
bxc3
|
cxd4?
|
If Black plays the advancing c4 move here, White can
have a struggle sorting out the bind on his Q-side pawns.
Instead, Black has kindly solved the problem of the doubled c-file
pawns
|
|
7
|
cxd4
|
Nc4
|
|
|
8
|
c4
|
|
Now, White counter-attacks vigorously.
If Black captures on c4, White can delay the re-capture and simply
develop e.g. Nf3 or Be3. Should
Black then try to hold the pawn on c4 he will come under severe pressure
from White's more mobile pieces
|
|
|
…..
|
Nge7
|
|
|
9
|
Nf3
|
Nf5
|
|
|
10
|
c5
|
0-0
|
|
|
11
|
be2
|
Qa5+?
|
Another move that one can put down to inexperience.
What does it hope to achieve? White
needs to develop his black-squared bishop and will now gain tempi in the
process
|
|
12
|
Bd2
|
Qc7
|
|
|
13
|
Bc3
|
b6
|
Without his previous two moves this would have been a
reasonable plan of campaign for Black.
Now, White can make some telling responses …..
|
|
14
|
Rc1
|
Qd7?
|
Black wisely takes his queen off the c-file but,
unfortunately, chooses the wrong way.
Part of Black's plan behind the move b6 was to place his bishop on
b7 but he really needs to be flexible here
|
|
15
|
Bb5
|
|
A nasty pin
|
|
|
…..
|
bxc5
|
This position looks as though it is calling out for a
combination by White. 16. Bb4
is certainly a tempting possibility when White should win material.
However, if the c-pawn is pushed on,
White may face the same problems handling the threats of the passed pawn -
as Black is shortly to encounter. So,
White plays it simple!
|
|
16
|
Bxc6
|
Qxc6
|
|
|
17
|
dxc5
|
Ba6
|
This is a good try by Black.
It makes it difficult for White to bring his h-rook into the fray
– as well as keeping the king exposed in the centre of the board
|
|
18
|
Bb4
|
|
White has secured his passed pawn.
Previously described as a match-winner, we will see how White goes
about securing its advance
|
|
|
…..
|
f6
|
Black looks to follow up his last move by opening up
the f-file
|
|
19
|
g4!
|
|
White needs that d4 square free for his knight
|
|
|
…..
|
Ne7
|
|
|
20
|
Nd4
|
Qc8
|
|
|
21
|
c6
|
|
The pawn begins to roll
|
|
|
…..
|
Rf7
|
|
|
22
|
Bd6
|
fxe5
|
|
|
23
|
Bxe5
|
Bc4
|
|
|
24
|
Qa4
|
a5
|
|
|
25
|
Rb1
|
Bd3
|
A move perhaps born out of frustration.
Certainly, White's position – because of the threat by the
advanced pawn backed up by well-placed pieces – is extremely strong.
Maybe the sacrificial ultimate 'stopper' of ..Nxc6 is as good as
anything
|
|
26
|
Rb6
|
Ba6?
|
|
|
27
|
c7
|
Ng6
|
|
|
28
|
Rb8
|
|
And Black
resigned
|
top
Saving
a 'lost' game.
At any stage in a game, either through an error of
judgement, an out-and-out blunder, or, maybe, simply by being out-thought,
you may find yourself staring 'down the barrel' of defeat.
But, there are techniques for saving the day; for snatching at least a
draw from that inevitable-looking defeat.
In the end game, though, these techniques are very limited.
It may well be that you have no time or scope for thinking just how
to do this, you may simply have to react to the circumstances.
Never-the-less there are techniques or principles to follow if you are
to succeed in making your opponent 'sick as a parrot' at his lost chance.
The following games illustrate various methods of achieving this.
Method
1. Getting a draw by perpetual
check. I have put this first because it occurs
in quite a number of games, although it is usually only
available to you where your queen has survived into the end game.
The rook is the only other main contender as a checking piece - there
are a few other means of obtaining a perpetual but it is unlikely you will
meet them. Consider the following
game …..
top
Game
64. Melton
Mowbray Club Championship Tournament, 1978.
Author v
K Kidd
Opening: Stonewall Attack.
|
1
|
f4
|
d5
|
|
|
2
|
e3
|
Nf6
|
|
|
3
|
d4
|
c5
|
|
|
4
|
c3
|
Nc6
|
|
|
5
|
Bd3
|
cxd4
|
|
|
6
|
exd4
|
Bg4
|
|
|
7
|
Nf3
|
Qd7
|
At first glance a rather odd square for the queen (c7
is usual). The early section
about concealing intentions is certainly working well here for Black ….
Does he plan to castle Q-side – certainly he does not seem too bothered
about his K-side development – or, as his next move shows, is this queen
move merely to strongpoint the bishop?
|
|
8
|
0-0
|
Bf5?
|
Wasting tempi
|
|
9
|
Ne5
|
Nxe5
|
|
|
10
|
Bxf5
|
|
Now, if Black plays 10. ..Qxf5 then 11. fxe5 wins a
piece but, fortunately for Black he has a saving resource ….
|
|
|
…..
|
Nf3+
|
|
|
11
|
Qxf3
|
Qxf5
|
|
|
12
|
Na3?
|
|
A poorly judged move by White …. The route up that
flank to c7 looked superficially tempting but the knight has jumped onto a
bad square
|
|
|
…..
|
Qd7
|
|
|
13
|
f5
|
|
To give the bishop more scope
|
|
|
…..
|
g6
|
|
|
14
|
fxg6
|
|
The attacking 14. g4 may have been stronger
|
|
|
…..
|
hxg6
|
|
|
15
|
Bf4
|
|
15. Bg5 would have forestalled Black's next move
|
|
|
…..
|
Ne4
|
|
|
16
|
c4
|
Rc8
|
|
|
17
|
Rac1
|
|
Again White is not finding the strongest moves ….
17. Rae1 looks better
|
|
|
…..
|
Bg7
|
|
|
18
|
Be5
|
f6
|
|
|
19
|
cxd5??
|
|
Too engrossed in his own attack, White carelessly
blunders ….
|
|
|
…..
|
Nd2
|
What should have been a winning position for White is
suddenly turned into a potential defeat.
White's first plan now must be to maximise his attack – which he
does fairly well
|
|
20
|
Qd3
|
Nxf1
|
|
|
21
|
Qxg6+
|
Kf8
|
|
|
22
|
Rxf1
|
Qxd5
|
|
|
23
|
Nc2
|
Qxa2
|
|
|
24
|
Ne3
|
Qf7
|
The principle covered earlier of trying to simplify
down to a won ending
|
|
25
|
Qg4
|
Qe8
|
|
|
26
|
Nf5
|
|
White still has a useful attack, now his knight has
joined the fray
|
|
|
…..
|
Rh7
|
|
|
27
|
Nxe7!
|
|
A clever try by White ….. will it save the game?
|
|
|
…..
|
Kxe7
|
|
|
28
|
Bxf6+
|
Bxf6
|
|
|
29
|
Re1+
|
|
The point of the combination!
|
|
|
…..
|
Kf7
|
|
|
30
|
Rxe8
|
Rxe8
|
|
top
Now, let us consider the endgame that will ensue ……
Looking firstly at the balance of material:
the white pawns are a bit of an irrelevance really so, piece-wise, the
reader will be aware that two rooks alone more than stack up against a queen.
Black has the added luxury of a bishop also!
White's only hope of saving
the game is to use the superb manoeuvrability of his queen to, frankly, in
the first instance, just make itself a nuisance.
He must then hope that Black will fail to co-ordinate
his pieces properly. (The reader
must also remember this lesson should he ever play a similar game with black
pieces).
|
31
|
Qf5
|
|
Achieving a pin to the bishop and a threat to the
h7-rook
|
|
|
…..
|
Rh4
|
|
|
32
|
g4
|
Rg8
|
Black's moves look quite tempting, almost obvious.
The big minus against this text move, however, is that it concedes
the centre squares to the white queen.
Also, the black pieces are not yet
co-ordinated (although it does look as though it is inevitable that they
will be!)
|
|
33
|
Qd5+
|
Kf8
|
|
|
34
|
Qd6+
|
Kf7
|
|
|
35
|
Qc7+
|
Be7
|
|
|
36
|
Qc4+
|
|
The text move was White's sealed move as the game was
adjourned at this point
|
|
|
…..
|
Kf8
|
|
|
37
|
Qc8+
|
Kf7
|
|
|
38
|
Qf5+
|
Kg7
|
|
|
39
|
Qe6
|
|
A good move but Black finds an ingenious counter
…..
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxg4+!
|
Now, if White captures the rook he will lose the
queen for the second rook leaving White with three pawns against Black's
bishop and two pawns. Black
should win that endgame. If
White doesn't take the rook, is he lost?
|
|
40
|
Kh1
|
Kf8
|
Black looks all set for victory!
|
|
41
|
Qc8+
|
Kf7
|
|
|
42
|
Qf5+
|
Bf6
|
|
|
43
|
Qd7+
|
Kf8
|
|
|
44
|
Qc8+
|
Ke7
|
Black could not put his king in between the rooks or
one would be captured so he tries to bring his king away from his pieces.
Good tactics but he will need at some stage to shield the king from
the never-ending checks
|
|
45
|
Qxb7+
|
|
The capture of the pawn by White is immaterial really
|
|
|
…..
|
Ke6
|
|
|
46
|
Qc6+
|
Kf5
|
|
|
47
|
Qf3+
|
|
And a draw was
agreed
|
A frustrating game for Black!
Coincidentally it is the same pairing of players that provides the
second example though with colours reversed.
This time it is the rook which saves the day but for the other player!
top
Game 65.
Melton Mowbray Club Championship, 1977.
K Kidd v
Author.
Opening: Dutch Defence.
|
1
|
d4
|
f5
|
|
|
2
|
Nf3
|
Nf6
|
|
|
3
|
c4
|
e6
|
|
|
4
|
e3
|
c6
|
|
|
5
|
Nc3
|
Bb4
|
The first time Black had tried this variation. (Later
he is to miss the services of the black-squared bishop)
|
|
6
|
a3
|
Bxc3
|
|
|
7
|
bxc3
|
d5
|
|
|
8
|
Bd3
|
0-0
|
|
|
9
|
0-0
|
Ne4
|
|
|
10
|
Qc2
|
Nd7
|
|
|
11
|
cxd5
|
|
White's text move is to the advantage of both players
…. It frees White of his doubled pawns making him more mobile: it gets
rid of Black's only weakness, the backward pawn on e6 and ,also, it gives
his remaining bishop more freedom
|
|
|
…..
|
exd5
|
|
|
12
|
Nd2
|
|
The annoying invasive black knight should not be
removed with a piece swap-off, of course.
White intended here to knock it away with the move f3.
Black's next is to prevent just that although his queen looks
vulnerable on its new square
|
|
|
…..
|
Qg5
|
|
|
13
|
Re1
|
Ndf6
|
|
|
14
|
Nf3
|
|
White has not abandoned the 'kicking away' move; he
has simply altered his plan for effecting it
|
|
|
…..
|
Qh5
|
|
|
15
|
Ne5
|
g5
|
All-out aggression now by Black
|
|
16
|
f3
|
Nd6
|
|
|
17
|
a4
|
Nfe8
|
Realising White's move is to free the a3 square for
his bishop, Black takes appropriate defensive action
|
|
18
|
Ba3
|
Rf6
|
(Do not leave a pin on)
|
|
19
|
c4
|
Be6
|
|
|
20
|
Rab1
|
|
White steadily builds up his attack; Black's has
stalled
|
|
|
…..
|
dxc4
|
A double-edged move!
Black wishes to take some of the weight from White's steamrollering
attack by an exchange of pieces. The
price to be paid is his crumbling grip on the centre
|
|
21
|
Bxc4
|
Nxc4
|
|
|
22
|
Nxc4
|
Qf7
|
|
|
23
|
Ne5
|
|
Of course, the knight returns to its former
stronghold
|
|
|
…..
|
Qc7
|
|
|
24
|
Rb2
|
|
White returns to his logical build up on the queen's
wing. Black needs to be very
careful at this stage. He
needs to work out very carefully where the brunt of White's threats will
be and place his pieces accordingly
|
|
|
…..
|
Rc8
|
|
|
25
|
Reb1
|
b6
|
|
|
26
|
a5
|
b5
|
|
|
27
|
a6!?
|
|
Although this does prevent Black's a-pawn further
strong-pointing his b-pawn, it leaves the white pawn very vulnerable
|
|
|
…..
|
Nd6
|
|
|
28
|
Bxd6
|
Qxd6
|
|
|
29
|
Rc1
|
c5!?
|
A timely relieving move but bringing other problems
for Black to solve
|
|
30
|
Qd2
|
c4
|
Black had little choice.
But will the loss of his b-pawn be outweighed by having a passed
pawn and a counter-initiative?
|
|
31
|
Rxb5
|
Qxa6
|
|
|
32
|
Ra5
|
Qb6
|
|
|
33
|
Qc3
|
|
White blocks the c-pawn while preparing to pile
pressure on the now weak a7-pawn
|
|
|
…..
|
Rc7
|
|
|
34
|
Rca1
|
Bf7
|
Ideally Black would like to transfer this bishop to
the b5 square and push the a-pawn on to a6.
This looks to be a dream away!
|
|
35
|
d5
|
|
In considerable time-trouble, Black, concentrating on
his defensive manoeuvres, missed this
|
|
|
…..
|
Rd6
|
This rook was vulnerable on f6 but, where to put it?
The time control has now been reached: however, before Black can
relax (yes, I know one should not relax) he faces a vicious fork of his queen and rook – and,
the loss of his valuable c-pawn
|
|
36
|
Nxc4
|
Qb8
|
|
|
37
|
Rxa7?
|
|
White initiates a combination ….but, it is flawed
allowing a subtle (and fortunate) riposte from Black!
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxa7
|
|
|
38
|
Rxa7
|
Rxd5!
|
|
|
39
|
Qa1
|
Qb3
|
Although this move looked to contain very strong
counter-threats for Black, in fact it should lose.
The loss is another subtlety however and both players can be
forgiven for not spotting it ….
|
|
40
|
Ra8+
|
Be8
|
|
|
41
|
Rxe8+
|
Kf7
|
|
|
42
|
Rc8
|
|
Both missing, as stronger players may have seen, the
clever winning move 42. Rf8+!!! (This,
of course, followed – after the forced ..Kxf8 – by 43. Qa8+ winning
back the rook). As it is, the
game swings towards a Black win ….
|
|
|
…..
|
Rd1+
|
|
|
43
|
Qxd1
|
Qxd1+
|
|
|
44
|
Kf2
|
Qc2+
|
The position is not easy and one can quickly go
wrong. Perhaps here, Black
should have left the white king on a 'checkable' square and aimed his king
for the safety (?) of the h5 square. It
is an interesting test for the reader to try differing approaches from
this position. The author
obviously got it wrong!
|
|
45
|
Kg3
|
Kg7
|
|
|
46
|
h3
|
Qe2
|
|
|
47
|
Rc6
|
|
This was a clever move by White, cutting the Black
king off from his safe (or even counter-play) squares.
Black now has two main plans to consider ….he can use the
super-manoeuvrability of the queen to harass and perhaps win the two white
pieces or, he can destroy the white king's pawn shield.
He goes for the latter option
|
|
|
…..
|
f4+
|
|
|
48
|
exf4
|
gxf4+
|
Here, Black could have won the pawn on f4 outright by
..Qe1+ but the g2 pawn will then be an irremovable shield …. It is this
pawn Black wants rid
|
|
49
|
Kxf4
|
Qxg2
|
|
|
50
|
Rc7+
|
Kg8
|
If the black king moves up the board he may run into
some trouble after 51. Ne5. If
he heads for the rook, which is
the usual modus operandi, the rook can take the last remaining pawn,
simultaneously protecting the h3 pawn, and White's two pawns and two
pieces should be able to shield the king and protect each other from the
attentions of the queen
|
|
51
|
Rc8+
|
|
Draw agreed by
threat of the perpetual check
|
top
Method 2.
The 'swindle'.
Strictly this is not a method.
Occasionally in a 'lost' game the chance presents itself (or is contrived)
for the losing player to come up with a little bit of ingenuity in the end
game which deprives the player heading for his win of achieving that end.
The 'method' is in being constantly on the look out for such a chance.
Often your opponent will spot what is coming and take steps to prevent
the swindle – as you should also if you are heading for a win.
But it is easy in those heady
seconds leading up to the mate or resignation to get careless!
The following game is a perfect example …. White
almost gets a second bite at the cherry, though.
top
Game 66.
Leicestershire
County
Championship, 1961.
J K Robinson v
Author.
Opening: Semi-Slav
Defence.
Here a future county champion, still little more than a
boy but already a tough adversary, shows how to get into a winning endgame
position … but then?
|
1
|
d4
|
d5
|
|
|
2
|
c4
|
c6
|
|
|
3
|
Nf3
|
g6
|
|
|
4
|
Nc3
|
Nf6
|
|
|
5
|
Bg5
|
Nbd7
|
|
|
6
|
e3
|
Nb6?
|
A very poor move.
One can see that Black would very much like to release his
white-squared bishop but, a) the knight goes to a poor square and, worse,
b) he gives White the chance to double his pawns on the f-file which the
up-and-coming Leicestershire star seizes with alacrity
|
|
7
|
Bxf6
|
exf6
|
|
|
8
|
c5
|
Nd7
|
|
|
9
|
Bd3
|
Bh6
|
The intended home, g7, doesn't look too promising
|
|
10
|
Qa4
|
0-0
|
|
|
11
|
h4
|
|
A possible criticism of White's methodology here is
in him sending the queen to the a-file.
Was he slightly undecided as to which side to attack?
|
|
|
…..
|
Re8
|
|
|
12
|
h5
|
Bg7
|
|
|
13
|
0-0-0
|
Nf8
|
|
|
14
|
Rh2
|
Bg4
|
|
|
15
|
hxg6
|
|
White wasn't forced to take here, he could have tried
15. Rg1 then, if ..Bxh5, 16. g4
|
|
|
…..
|
fxg4
|
|
|
16
|
Rdh1
|
Bxf3
|
The 'down side' of opening up the file to his king is
compensated here for Black by his having removed a near attacker and, in
doubling the pawns on the f-file, making White's advance awkward
|
|
17
|
gxf3
|
f5
|
|
|
18
|
Kb1
|
Qf6
|
|
|
19
|
Ne2
|
Re7
|
Another poor move by Black.
He should have kept his rooks united to allow ..b6
|
|
20
|
Rc1
|
|
White is short of time and has not formulated his
modus operandi yet
|
|
|
…..
|
Ne6
|
|
|
21
|
f4
|
Ree8
|
|
|
22
|
Rch1
|
Nf8?
|
Missing ..Nxc5! (the d-pawn cannot retake because of
Black's mating threat)
|
|
23
|
Rc1
|
Rec8
|
|
|
24
|
Ng1
|
b6
|
(At last!)
|
|
25
|
Nf3
|
bxc5
|
|
|
26
|
Rxc5
|
|
Pressure has eased on the black king due to White's
forces being split
|
|
|
…..
|
Nd7
|
|
|
27
|
Rc3
|
Rc7
|
|
|
28
|
Ne5
|
|
A powerful move.
Whatever the later consequences of giving White a passed pawn,
Black cannot really leave this knight sitting on this outpost, the
pressure on his queen's wing would be too much
|
|
|
…..
|
Nxe5
|
|
|
29
|
dxe5
|
Qe6
|
|
|
30
|
Qc2
|
Rb8
|
|
|
31
|
Rb3
|
Rcb7
|
|
|
32
|
Rxb7
|
Rxb7
|
|
|
33
|
Rh1
|
Bf8
|
|
|
34
|
Rc1
|
c5
|
|
|
35
|
Rg1
|
Kh8
|
|
|
36
|
Ka1
|
c4
|
|
|
37
|
Be2
|
Qb6
|
Black's position is beginning to improve.
Has he weathered the storm?
|
|
38
|
Bf3
|
Qa5
|
|
|
39
|
Rd1
|
| |