Fortresses and Shadows

by Karsten Müller

Theoretical rook endings are often difficult to defend.

162.01 Heinemann,Thies (2467) - Zelbel,Patrick (2419)

BL 1415 Hamburger SK - Hansa Dortmund (6.8), 07.12.2014

[FEN "6k1/5pp1/R6p/8/7P/P5P1/r4P2/5K2 b - - 0 39"]

The position is drawn, but Black must act actively.

39...g6?!

39...h5! 40.Kg2 Kh7 41.Kf3 f6 42.Ke3 g5= is much easier.

40.g4!

White marks the f- and h-pawn as weaknesses in typical style.

40...Kg7 41.Kg2 Ra1 42.a4 Ra3 43.g5 h5 44.Ra7 Kg8 45.a5 Ra4 46.Kg3 Rg4+ 47.Kh3 Ra4 48.a6 Kg7 49.f4 Ra3+
50.Kg2

[FEN "8/R4pk1/P5p1/6Pp/5P1P/r7/6K1/8 b - - 0 50"]
Now only a miracle can save Black.

50...Ra2+?

Black will end up on the wrong side of the reciprocal zugzwang due to this check. [After 50...Ra4 51.Kf3 Kf8 I could
not find a win, e.g. 52.Ra8+ (52.Ke3 Kg7 53.Kd3 Rxf4 54.Re7 Rxh4=) 52...Kg7 53.Ke3 Kh7 54.Kd3 Rxf4 55.Rf8 Kg7
56.a7 Kxf8 57.a8Q+ Kg7 58.Qa1+ Kg8 59.Qe1 Rg4=

[FEN "6k1/5p2/6p1/6Pp/6rP/3K4/8/4Q3 w - - 0 60"]

Black's fortress cannot be broken.

51.Kf3 Ra4 52.Ke3

[FEN "8/R4pk1/P5p1/6Pp/r4P1P/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 52"]

Black is in deadly zugzwang.

52...Kg8 53.Kd3 Kg7

53...Rxf4 54.Rb7 Ra4 55.a7+-.

 54.Kc3 Rxf4 55.Rb7 Rxh4 56.Rb4 Rh3+

56...Rxb4 57.Kxb4 h4 58.a7 h3 59.a8Q+-.

 57.Kb2 Rh2+ 58.Kb3 Rh1 59.Ka2

59.Ka4? h4 60.Kb5 h3 61.a7 Ra1 62.Ra4 Rb1+=.

 59...Rh2+ 60.Ka3 Rh1 61.Ra4 Ra1+ 62.Kb4 Rb1+

[FEN "8/5pk1/P5p1/6Pp/RK6/8/8/1r6 w - - 0 63"]

63.Kc5?

Now the defending rook has a check at the decisive moment.

The king had to move into the shadow with 63.Ka5! Rb8 64.Rc4 Rh8!? (64...f5 65.Rc7+ Kg8 66.a7 Ra8 67.Rb7+-;
64...f6 65.a7 Ra8 66.Rc7+ Kg8 67.gxf6 h4 68.Rb7+-; 64...h4 65.Rxh4 f6 66.Rb4+-) 65.a7 h4 66.Rxh4 (66.Rb4? Ra8
67.Ka6 h3 68.Rb2 Rc8 69.Rb8 h2 70.Rxc8 h1Q 71.a8Q Qa1+=) 66...Rxh4 67.a8Q

[FEN "Q7/5pk1/6p1/K5P1/7r/8/8/8 b - - 0 67"]

This time the fortress does not hold, e.g. 67...Rf4 68.Qd8 Rf5+ 69.Kb6 Rf1 70.Qd4+ Kg8 71.Kc6 Rf5 72.Qe3 Kg7
73.Kd6 Rf1 74.Qc3+ Kg8 75.Ke7 Rf5 76.Qc8+ Kg7 77.Qf8+ Kh7 78.Qxf7++-.

63...Rb8 64.Rf4

[FEN "1r6/5pk1/P5p1/2K3Pp/5R2/8/8/8 b - - 0 64"]

64.a7 Ra8 65.Kb6 f6=; 64.Rd4 h4 65.Rxh4 f6 66.Rb4 Rc8+=.

64...Rb1?

This gives White another chance. [64...h4! 65.Rxh4 f6 66.Rb4 Rc8+ 67.Kb6 fxg5= draws.

65.Ra4?

The rook does not belong behind the pawn yet. This guideline leads to many mistakes in practical play. The passed
pawn must be pushed with 65.a7! Ra1 66.Kb6 and Black is lost:

[FEN "8/P4pk1/1K4p1/6Pp/5R2/8/8/r7 b - - 0 66"]

66...h4 (66...Ra2 67.Rc4 Ra1 68.Rc5 Rxa7 69.Kxa7 h4 70.Kb6 h3 71.Rc3 f6 72.gxf6+ Kxf6 73.Rxh3 Ke5 74.Kc5 g5
75.Re3+ Kf4 76.Kd4 g4 77.Re8+-) 67.Rxh4 f6 68.gxf6+ Kxf6 69.Rh8+-.

65...Rb8 66.a7

66.Rd4 h4 67.a7 (67.Rxh4 f6 68.Rb4 Rc8+=) 67...Ra8 68.Kb6 h3 69.Kb7 Re8 70.a8Q Rxa8 71.Kxa8 h2 72.Rh4 f6
73.Rxh2 fxg5 74.Kb7 Kf6 75.Kc6 Ke5!=.

66...Ra8 67.Ra6 h4 68.Kb6


[FEN "r7/P4pk1/RK4p1/6P1/7p/8/8/8 b - - 0 68"]

68...f6 69.gxf6+ Kf7 70.Kb7 Rxa7+ 71.Rxa7

71.Kxa7 does not help due to 71...h3 72.Ra3 Kxf6 73.Rxh3 g5 74.Kb6 Ke5 75.Kc5 g4 76.Rh8 g3=.

71...Kxf6 72.Kc6 Ke5!?

[FEN "8/R7/2K3p1/4k3/7p/8/8/8 w - - 0 73"]

Bodycheck.

73.Rg7 Kf4 74.Rxg6 h3 75.Kd5 h2 76.Rh6 Kg3 77.Ke4 Kg2 78.Rxh2+ Kxh2 1/2-1/2

Solutions to last month exercises

E161.01 Tarrasch,Siegbert - Lasker,Emanuel

World Championship 08th Germany (14), 24.09.1908


[FEN "8/8/8/1r2BK2/7k/8/6R1/8 b - - 0 119"]

Lasker found the only way to draw. Can you do the same?

Lasker played 119...Rb3! and as Black has reached Szen's draw (see Fundamental Chess Endings 8.13), the point was
split, e.g. 120.Rg8 [120.Rg4+ Kh3! 121.Rg8 Ra3=] 120...Rf3+ 121.Bf4 Kh3 122.Ke4 Ra3 123.Be3 Kh4 124.Kf3
Ra5!= 1/2-1/2

E161.02 Winawer,Szymon - Tarrasch,Siegbert

Budapest (1), 05.10.1896

[FEN "4k3/1R6/5K2/1p2P3/8/8/8/6r1 b - - 0 73"]

Was the game continuation 73...Rh1 a good choice? What would you play with black?

73...Rh1?

Was not a good choice due to 73...Re1 74.Ke6 Kf8 75.Rb8+ Kg7 76.Rxb5 Kf8 77.Rb8+ Kg7 78.Re8 Ra1 79.Rd8 Re1
80.Kd6 Kf7=; 73...Rf1+ 74.Ke6 Kf8 75.Rb8+ Kg7 76.Ke7 Ra1=; Even 73...b4?! is playable due to 74.Rb8+ (74.Rxb4
Re1 75.Ke6 Kf8 76.Rb8+ Kg7 77.Re8 Ra1=) 74...Kd7 75.e6+ Kd6 76.Rd8+ Kc5 77.e7 Rf1+ 78.Kg5 Re1 79.e8Q Rxe8

80.Rxe8 b3 81.Kf4 Kd4 82.Rb8 Kc3 83.Ke3 b2=.

74.Rb8+! Kd7 75.e6+ Kd6

75...Kc7 76.e7+- (76.Rxb5+-).

76.Rd8+ Kc5 77.e7 Re1 78.e8Q Rxe8 79.Rxe8 b4 80.Ke5 Kc4 81.Ke4 Kc3 82.Ke3 b3 83.Rc8+ Kb2 84.Kd2 Ka1
85.Kc3 b2 86.Ra8+ Kb1 87.Rb8 Ka1 88.Kc2 b1Q+ 89.Rxb1+ 1-0

E161.03 Tarrasch,Siegbert - Janowski,Dawid Markelowicz

Ostend (4), 1907

[FEN "8/8/8/5P2/r5P1/4K3/1k6/8 w - - 0 80"]

White to move and win.

Only the direct 80.f6! does the job.

80.g5? can be met by 80...Rg4 81.g6 Kc3 82.Kf3 Rg1 83.Kf4 Kd4 84.f6 Rxg6 85.Kf5 Rg1 86.f7 Kd5 87.Kf6= and
80.Kf3?? even loeses due to 80...Kc3 81.f6 Kd4 82.Kf4 Kd5+ 83.Kf5 Kd6 84.g5 Kd7 85.Kg6 Ke6 86.Kg7 Ra7+-+.

80...Ra1

80...Rxg4 81.f7 Rg3+ 82.Kf2+-.

81.g5 Rf1 82.Kd4 Kb3

82...Rf5 83.Ke4 Rxg5 84.f7 Rg4+ 85.Ke3 Rg3+ 86.Kf2+-.

83.Ke5 Kc4 84.g6 Re1+ 85.Kd6 Rd1+ 86.Ke6 Re1+ 87.Kf7 1-0

E161.04 Von Bardeleben,Curt - Tarrasch,Siegbert

Leipzig (7), 07.12.1888


[FEN "8/2kP4/8/8/1P2K3/8/8/8 w - - 0 81"]

White to move and win.

White wins the fight for the key squares of the b4-pawn with 81.Ke5

81.Kd4+- wins as well.; 81.Kd5? Kxd7 82.Kc5 Kc7 83.Kb5 Kb7=; 81.d8Q+? Kxd8 82.Kd4 Kc8 83.Kc4 Kb8!=.

81...Kxd7 82.Kd5 1-0

Black resigned due to 82...Kc7 83.Kc5 Kb7 84.Kb5

[FEN "8/1k6/8/1K6/1P6/8/8/8 b - - 0 84"]

84...Kc7 85.Ka6 Kb8 86.Kb6 Ka8 87.b5 Kb8 88.Ka6 [88.Kc6?! Ka7 89.Kc7! Ka8 90.Kb6 Kb8 91.Ka6+-] 88...Ka8
89.b6 Kb8 90.b7 Kc7 91.Ka7+-.

E161.05 Lasker,Emanuel - Tarrasch,Siegbert

St Petersburg preliminary (9), 03.05.1914

[FEN "8/6K1/8/ppp2k2/8/1P6/1P5P/8 w - - 0 40"]

White to move and draw.

Amazingly White's king is in time on the queenside: 40.h4 Kg4 41.Kg6!! Kxh4 42.Kf5 Kg3

42...c4 43.bxc4 bxc4 44.Ke4 c3 45.bxc3 Kg5 46.Kd3 Kf5 47.Kc4 Ke4 48.Kb5 Kd3=.
43.Ke4 Kf2 44.Kd5 Ke3 45.Kxc5 Kd3 46.Kxb5 Kc2 47.Kxa5 Kxb3 1/2-1/2

E161.06 Tarrasch,Siegbert - Johner,Paul F

Teplitz Schoenau (2), 03.10.1922

[FEN "R7/7r/P7/8/4k3/2K5/8/8 b - - 0 55"]

Black to move and draw.

Black's king hides with 55...Kd5 56.a7 Rc7+ 57.Kb4 Kc6 1/2-1/2

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