Ris Robert Crucial Chess Skills For The Club Player Volume 2

Table of Contents
Titlepage
KeyToSymbols
Preface
Chapter1-Theroleofthekingintheendgame(Part1)
Chapter1-Theroleofthekingintheendgame(Part2)
Chapter2-Same-colouredbishopendings(Part1)
Chapter3-Opposite-colouredbishopendings(Part1)
Chapter3-Opposite-colouredbishopendings(Part2)
Chapter4-Initiativeinopposite-colouredbishopendings(Part1)
Chapter4-Initiativeinopposite-colouredbishopendings(Part2)
Chapter6-Thepowerofmajorpieces(Part1)
Chapter6-Thepowerofmajorpieces(Part2)
Chapter7-Queenvs.tworooks(Part1)
Chapter7-Queenvs.tworooks(Part2)
Chapter8-Twominorpiecesvs.rook(Part1)
Chapter8-Twominorpiecesvs.rook(Part2)
Chapter9-Worthofaqueen(Part1)
Chapter9-Worthofaqueen(Part2)
Chapter10-Exchangesacrifice(Part1)
Chapter10-Exchangesacrifice(Part2)
Chapter11-Piecevs.pawns(Part1)
Chapter11-Piecevs.pawns(Part2)
Exercises1-10
Exercises11-20
Exercises21-30
Exercises31-40
2
Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player
Volume 2
By
Robert Ris
Thinkers Publishing 2019
www.thinkerspublishing.com
First edition 2019 by Thinkers Publishing

Copyright © 2019 Robert Ris
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission from the publisher.
All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium.
Email: info@thinkerspublishing.com
Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com
Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele
Proofreading: Bernard Carpinter
Software: Hub van de Laar
Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard
Cover Design: Iwan Kerkhof
Production: BESTinGraphics
ISBN: 9789492510457
D/2018/13730/26
3
Key to Symbols
! a good move
? a weak move
!! an excellent move
?? a blunder
!? an interesting move
?! a dubious move
™ only move
N novelty
‰ Lead in developpment
ʘ Zugzwang
= equality
∞ unclear position
© with compensation for the sacrificed material
² White stands slightly better
³ Black stands slightly better
± White has a serious advantage
µ Black has a serious advantage
+– White has a decisive advantage
–+ Black has a decisive advantage
‚ with an attack
ƒ with an initiative
„ with counterplay
… with the idea of
¹ better is
≤ worse is
+ check
# mate
4
Preface
Dear chess fan!

Congratulations on making an excellent move by getting yourself a copy of Crucial Chess Skills for the
Club Player Volume 2. That’s a good first step, but now it’s up to you to take the information on board
and use it effectively in your own games.
I assume that most of you have read (and enjoyed!) the first volume of this series, but for those who
haven’t: don’t worry. The level of the content of the two books is identical and you can work through the
second volume without having studied the first one. However, it’s still not too late to get a copy of the
first volume!
In the first six chapters I will mainly look at positions with limited material left on the board. Endgames,
yes, but also positions where the initiative plays an important role. My aim is to illustrate the specific
features of all the pieces and this can best be done without too many other pieces on the board.
Chapter 1 is about the role of the king in the endgame. I have decided to look mainly at examples of the
well known endgame of rook vs. pawn, but of course the techniques discussed can be applied to other
type of endings, as you can see in the next chapters. The topic of chapter 2 is same-coloured bishop
endings, where the importance of mastering pawn structures is highlighted. Pure opposite-coloured
bishop endings (Chapter 3) are a different story altogether and among club players they have a very
drawish (and perhaps boring) reputation. With spectacular examples from games by the world’s best
players I hope to give you new inspiration to study such positions.
With major pieces on the board the side having the initiative usually benefits from the presence of
opposite-coloured bishops, as you will find out in chapter 4. The eternal question of whether the knight is
stronger than the bishop or vice versa is covered in chapter 5. No new answers or conclusions to be
expected there, but rather new examples further deepening your understanding of this complicated
subject. In Chapter 6 we discuss the power of major pieces, a favourite topic of mine. It still fascinates
me to see how much damage the powerful duo of queen plus rook can cause without any other pieces on
the board.
The remaining chapters, 7-11, focus on material imbalances, examining various distributions of material.
Of course these topics have been discussed in other works as well, but I can offer you a lot of fresh
examples from the highest level as well as quite a number of games from my own practice.
There is actually a personal story behind my decision to include this aspect of play in this series. For quite
some years I had felt something was lacking in my play and I decided to analyze my own weaknesses.
One of the main reasons (in my opinion) why I was not making any progress had to do with my style of
play. At the board I considered myself to be a control freak with a rather positional style, avoiding
complicated positions with material imbalances where precise calculation was required. I came to the
conclusion that I had to adapt my style, at least partially, and play more dynamically in order to put
pressure on my opponent’s position.
Of course, such a change in one’s style of play does not come by itself and it requires effort. I studied
various material distributions and attempted to get these types of positions more frequently in my own
5
games. At the moment of writing I have reached my highest rating ever of 2459 and I’m determined to
work my way up to the 2500 barrier and the GM title. For now I’m feeling rewarded from taking more
risks in my play and I hope you will experience a similar boost in your playing strength after working
through this book.
And last, I would like to thank the team at Thinkers Publishing for giving me the opportunity to share my
knowledge of the game with the reader. I hope this second Volume will be as inspiring as Volume 1!
Robert Ris
Amstelveen, The Netherlands
December 2018
robert_ris@hotmail.com
6
Chapter 1
The role of the king in the endgame
Unlike in the opening and the middlegame, the king should be used as actively as possible in the endgame.
Of course, there are also examples where the king actively participates at an earlier stage of the game (the
masterpiece Short – Timman, Tilburg 1991 springs to mind), but generally speaking it’s recommended to
let the king participate actively only when more pieces have been traded off. When there are only a few
other pieces remaining on the board the king, in fact, can become one of the strongest pieces and make all
the difference.
In this chapter a couple of examples will be presented where the difference in activity between the two
kings is striking, which hopefully teaches how to use your king effectively (and how not to!).
Furthermore, a great part of this first chapter will be dedicated to the study of both theoretical and
practical examples of rook and pawn endings. In my opinion the techniques of using the king are
illustrated best on the basis of this type of endgame. Every single tempo counts and choosing the right
path for the king plays a very important role in that sense.
A sprinting king
In Volume 1 of Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player a large amount of pages has been dedicated to
studying the main principles of rook endings. It had been my intention to avoid this type of ending for
this volume, but in vain. Anyway, in all sorts of endgames the participation of the king plays a key role.
The first example is a nice appetizer.
Kramnik, Vladimir (2792)
Duda, Jan Krysztof (2737)
Dortmund 2018
7
White to move
27.Kf2!
Much more effective than 27.Rxa7?! which can be met by 27...Rc3!. Still, White retains chances to play
for a win, but using your king should become the first thing which crosses your mind.
27.Kf2! Kf8
This may look a bit strange, as White is enabled to capture an extra pawn. However, the problem is that
after 27...a5 28.Ke3 Kf8 [28...Rc2 runs into 29.Re8+ Kh7 30.d5 and the d-pawn can’t be stopped]
29.Re4! the black king remains cut off along the e-file and is therefore unable to approach White’s passed
d-pawn.
28.Rxa7 Rc2+ 29.Ke3!
That’s the right spirit: play actively! I hope you didn’t seriously consider saving the pawn on h2 by
retreating the king with 29.Kg1. If you did, promise yourself from now on to look first at active
continuations! When I was watching the game live online immediately I drew some parallels with the
famous endgame in Capablanca – Tartakower, New York 1924, where the third World Champion
demonstrated what impact an active king can make.
29...Rxh2 30.d5 g5
Position after: 30...g5
31.f5!
8
Kramnik doesn’t give his young opponent any hopes of survival, as the text is much more accurate than
31.fxg5?! hxg5 when the black rook could try to stop the white king crossing the sixth rank by playing
...Rh6 at a suitable moment.
31...f6 32.d6 Ke8 33.Kd4 h5 34.Kd5
Position after: 34.Kd5
34...b5
White doesn’t have to fear 34...h4 35.gxh4 gxh4 since after 36.Rh7 the rook is well placed behind the
pawn. [However, not 36.d7+? Ke7! and Black is still hanging in there.] 36...h3 is met by 37.d7+! Kd8
38.Kd6 with mate to follow.
35.Ke6 Re2+ 36.Kxf6 h4 37.Re7+!
37.Re7+!
9
Position after: 37.Re7+!
and Black resigned, in view of 37...Rxe7 38.dxe7 hxg3 [38...Kd7 39.Kf7 and White queens first] 39.Ke6
g2 40.f6 g1=Q 41.f7#.
1-0
The king in the mating attack

In the first example the black king was stuck on the back rank, whereas the white king played an
important role supporting the passed pawn. The king is a powerful piece and should be considered as a
weapon to be used when launching a mating attack.
Li Chao (2681)
Gagunashvili, Merab (2584)
Jakarta 2012
10
White to move
62.f6+ Kf7?
The black king picks the wrong square. Instead, Black should have played 62...Ke6! with the idea of
answering 63.Rf3 with 63...Rb5! as 64.f7? [64.g6? drops the f-pawn as well] runs into 64...Rb4+ 65.Ke3
Rb3+ 66.Ke4 Rxf3 67.Kxf3 Kxf7 and Black even wins.
63.Rf3!
The rook is ideally placed here, threatening to play 64.g6. Possibly the Georgian GM had only counted
on 63.Kf5 which allows Black to save the game with 63...e4+!.
63...Ra8
63...Rb5 no longer works in view of 64.g6+ Kxg6 65.f7 and the f-pawn is unstoppable.
64.Kf5!
11
Position after: 64.Kf5!
The white king advances into action. White has calculated correctly that Black’s passed a-pawn can’t
cause any harm.
64...a3 65.g6+ Kg8 66.g7! Kf7
Temporarily taking away the g6 square from the white king. In the event of 66...a2, White has 67.Kg6!
Ra6 [67...a1=Q 68.f7#] 68.Rh3 Rxf6+ 69.Kxf6 a1=Q 70.Rh8#.
67.Rc3 a2
Covering the seventh rank with 67...Ra7 allows 68.Rc8 and nothing can be done against 69.g8=Q.
68.Rc7+ Kg8 69.Kg6
12
Position after: 69.Kg6
Black resigned, in view of 69...a1=Q 70.f7#.

1-0
In the next example White is a pawn up, but on the other hand it is quite difficult to make progress since
the black rook and knight are stopping the advance of the b-pawn. However, the black king has been cut
off on the seventh rank, while the bishop prevents the king from escaping to the queenside. White only
needs to activate his king.
Ris, Robert (2407)
Ingvason, Johann (2148)
Reykjavik 2013
13
White to move
57.Kf4! Nd3+
57...Nxc6 loses to 58.bxc6 Rc4 [58...Ke8 59.Ra8+! Ke7 60.c7 and the c-pawn queens] 59.c7 Ke8
60.Ra8+ Kd7 61.c8=Q+! Rxc8 62.Rxc8 Kxc8 63.Kxg4 and White easily wins the pawn ending, e.g.
63...Kd7 64.Kg5 Ke7 65.e5 Kf7 66.Kh6 Kg8 67.Kg6+–.
58.Kg5!
Position after: 58.Kg5!
14
Ignoring the g-pawn, although 58.Kxg4 would have been possible too.
58...Nxf2
I remember it was my intention to meet 58...Rb2 with 59.Kg6! Rxf2 60.Ra8+ Ke7 61.Re8+ Kd6 62.Rd8+
and on the next move the knight will be taken.
59.Kf6 Kg8
59...Nxe4+ fails to 60.Bxe4 Rxe4 61.Ra8#.
60.Kg6 Kf8
Position after: 60...Kf8
61.Ra8+! Ke7 62.e5!
And Black resigned, as nothing can be done against the mating threat on e8. Note the unfortunate pawn
on g4, which prevents the rook from giving check.
1-0
Rook vs. pawn

Let’s move on to some theoretical endgames of rook vs. pawn. The weaker side hopes to queen the pawn
with the aid of the king, after which the rook needs to be sacrificed with a draw as a result. In quite a
number of situations the stronger side is able to get his king in front of the pawn, which leads to an
easy win. This type of endgame gets interesting when a race takes place with the stronger side’s king
trying to reach the pawn, while the weaker side intends to push the pawn with the aid of his own king. As
15
you read earlier, the placement of the kings (and the chosen path!) plays a crucial role.
Instructive example 1
White to move
1.Kb5 g3
As we will see in other examples, the weaker side’s king sometimes crosses the path of its own pawn in
order to hinder the opponent’s king approaching the pawn. However, in this case that plan turns out to be
too slow, e.g. 1...Kg3 2.Kc4 Kf3 3.Kd3 g3 and now White pushes the black king in front of his own
pawn with 4.Rf8+! with an easy win: 4...Kg2 5.Ke2 Kh2 6.Rg8 g2 7.Kf2+–.
2.Kc4 Kh3 3.Kd3 g2 4.Ke2 Kh2 5.Kf2 Kh1 6.Rh8#
But not 6.Rxg2? with stalemate!

Conclusion: White wins as his rook is excellently placed behind Black’s passed pawn, guarding the
queening square, and his king is able to approach the pawn without being hindered by its counterpart.
16
White to move
The position is similar to the previous one, the only difference is that the black king has switched to the
other side of the pawn. White can no longer approach the pawn with his king and hence it’s a draw, for
example:
1.Kb5 g3 2.Kc4 Kf3 3.Kd3 g2 4.Rf8+
Not 4.Kd2 Kf2 5.Rf8+ Kg3 and White’s king can’t get any closer as Black is ready to promote his pawn.
4...Kg3 5.Rg8+ Kf2=
And a draw is inevitable.

17
White to move
In some situations the weaker side has already determined the placement for the king to support the
advance of the pawn. In the position above the black king is on the correct side of the pawn and hence
White’s winning plan is to approach the pawn from the other side. The black king is unable to keep the
white king away.
1.Kd6!
Inferior is 1.Ke6? d3! and the white king can’t approach the pawn, e.g. 2.Rd7 Ke3 3.Kd5 d2 4.Kc4 Ke2
5.Kc3 d1=Q 6.Rxd1 Kxd1 with a draw. Once again, it’s clear that there is no time to waste and every
single tempo matters.
1.Kd6! d3 2.Kc5 Ke3 3.Kc4 d2 4.Kc3+–
On the next move White takes the d-pawn.

18
Black to move
In contrast to many other types of races, in this type of ending it’s often not about going forwards as
quickly as possible. It’s more important to prevent the opponent’s king from approaching the pawn.
1...Kd3!
This move backwards is the only way to achieve a draw with Black. Other king moves lose instantly:
1...Kd1? 2.Ke3 c2 3.Rh1#;
1...Kc1? 2.Ke3 c2 3.Kd3 and the pawn will be taken on the next move.
1...Kd3! 2.Rh8 c2
This is good enough, but personally I do prefer 2...Kd2! 3.Rd8+ Ke1! highlighting the power of the king.
Black is ready to advance the c-pawn, while in case of 4.Rc8 Kd2 the white king still can’t get any closer.
3.Rd8+ Kc3 4.Rc8+ Kd2=
Cutting off the king
So far we have been focusing on choosing the right path for the king. The rook is a powerful piece, being
able to make life for the king very hard. By cutting off the king on the fifth rank the stronger side
separates the king from the pawn. A very important technique worth remembering!
19
White to move
1.Rg5!
After this move the black king can’t cross the fifth rank any longer. Black’s only chance is to push the
pawn, but then the distance between the king and pawn becomes too big.
1...a4 2.Kg7 a3
What else? After a waiting move like 2...Ka6 White could just bring his king closer to the pawn.
3.Rg3
The black king isn’t able to support the pawn any longer.
3...a2 4.Ra3+–
20
White to move
We move up the black pawn and king one rank. In this case White can no longer convert his material
plus.
1.Rg4
Other moves don’t work either, e.g. 1.Rb7+ Kc4 and White’s king is too far away: 2.Ra7 Kb3 3.Kg7 a3
4.Kf6 a2 5.Ke5 Kb2 with a draw.
1.Rg4 a3 2.Kg7 a2 3.Rg1
The main difference between cutting off the king on the fourth or fifth rank becomes clear now, as
attacking the pawn with 3.Rg2 can hardly be recommended since Black just promotes the pawn to a
queen.
3...Kb4 4.Kf6 Kb3 5.Ke5 Kb2
Black achieves a draw.

21
White to move
The position is similar to Example 5, only with the pawn moved one square to the right. White still wins
by cutting off the king along the fifth rank.
1.Rg5! Kb6
After 1...b4 White just brings his king closer and wins as in Example 5: 2.Kg7 b3 3.Rg3 b2 4.Rb3+–.
With the text Black aims to cross the fifth rank first with his king, so that it will not be separated from the
pawn. However, this takes a huge amount of time, which White uses to bring his own king closer.
2.Kg7 Ka5 3.Kf6 Kb4 4.Ke5 Kc3
Black has managed to get his king on the right side of the pawn. However, White’s king is standing too
close and the b-pawn isn’t far advanced yet. White wins easily:
5.Kd5 b4 6.Rg3+ Kc2 7.Kc4
and the b-pawn falls.

Lerner, Konstantin (2495)
Dorfman, Josif (2540)
Tashkent 1980
22
White to move
The white king is far away from the pawn and it looks as if Black will be very fast generating
counterplay. However, cutting off the king on a file (instead of a rank) is another very effective method to
enable your own king to approach the pawn without being hindered by the opponent’s king.
71.Rf2!!
An excellent idea. Inferior is 71.Kb7? in view of 71...Kf6 72.Kc6 Ke5! [72...g4? is met by 73.Rh5! and
the black king has been cut off along the fifth rank] 73.Re2+ Kf4 and the black king is very well placed
as it both supports the g-pawn and blocks the path for the white king.
71.Rf2!! Kh6
71...g4 is met by 72.Rg2.
72.Kb7 g4 73.Kc6
White could also have played 73.Rf5! with an easy win. This additional option would not have been
available had Black played 71...Kg6 instead.
73...Kg5
73...g3?! 74.Rg2 and Black drops the pawn immediately.
74.Kd5 g3
23
75.Rf8!
A) The rook is best placed behind the passed pawn and for the moment it also keeps the black king cut
off along the f-file. Worse is 75.Ra2? when Black can just play 75...Kf4! 76.Kd4 Kf3 77.Kd3 g2
78.Ra1 Kf2 with an easy draw. This line shows why the rook is not doing well, trying to control the
pawn from the side.
B) Just for the record, both moves 75.Rf7 and
C) 75.Rf1 apparently win as well, but it should come naturally to you to place the rook as far away as
possible from the black king.
75...Kg4
75...g2 fails to 76.Rg8+.
76.Ke4
Black resigned, in view of 76...g2 77.Rg8+ Kh3 78.Kf3 and the pawn will be taken next.
1-0
24
Minor promotion
White to move
1.Rh2+
The most challenging option, since after 1.Rc3+ Kd2 2.Rb3 Kc2 Black easily holds.
1.Rh2+ Kc1
Another option is 1...Kb1 2.Kb3 Ka1! 3.Rxb2 and Black survives thanks to the stalemate motif.
2.Kc3 b1=N+!
Thanks to this minor promotion Black is able to save the ending. 2...b1=Q? 3.Rh1#
3.Kd3 Na3!
The only move, as 3...Kd1 4.Rh1# is mate again.
4.Ra2
25
Position after: 4.Ra2
4...Nb1!
Once you reach the ending of rook vs knight the main advice is to keep the king and knight close to each
other. If you are not careful, the knight could be trapped, which is the case after 4...Nb5? 5.Ra6! and
Black is in zugzwang, as all moves lose directly: 5...Kb2 [5...Kd1 6.Ra1#; 5...Nc7 6.Rc6+ wins the
knight] 6.Rb6 and the knight is pinned.
5.Rc2+ Kd1 6.Rc8 Na3 7.Ra8 Nb1 8.Ra1 Kc1
White can’t make any progress, which explains why this endgame is considered to be theoretically
drawn.
26
White to move
The situation with a rook’s pawn is quite different, as the minor promotion doesn’t have the same effect
as in the previous example.
1.Kc4 a2 2.Kb3 a1=N+
2...a1=Q 3.Rh1#
3.Kc3
And the board is simply too small for the knight. The only move which doesn’t lose the knight leads to
mate after
3...Kc1 4.Rh1#
The white king is standing very close and hence the situation looks pretty grim for Black. Thanks to a
wonderful resource Black is able to save the game though.
27
Black to move
1...Kb2
Pushing the pawn with 1...a2? is premature, in view of 2.Rb8+ Ka3 3.Kc2! a1=N+ [3...a1=Q 4.Ra8+
drops the queen] 4.Kc3 Ka2 and we have the same position is in the previous example, but with White to
move. Fortunately a rook always has sufficient reserve tempi to bring the opponent into zugzwang: 5.Rb7
Ka3 6.Ra7#.
1...Kb2! 2.Rb8+
A) The alternative 2.Rh2+ Kb3! doesn’t lead anywhere. Retreating the king to the square it just came
from is justified as the rook is misplaced on the second rank. White can’t make progress as Black is just
intending to push his a-pawn [Note that 2...Kb1? is bad, in view of 3.Kc3 a2 4.Kb3 and White wins as
in the previous example].
B) 2.Kd2 doesn’t help either, because of 2...a2 3.Rb8+ Ka1!=, which is similar to the main line.
2...Kc1!
The point of Black’s play. It’s too early to play for the stalemate trick with 2...Ka1? which gives White
the opportunity to bring the king closer. After 3.Kc2 a2 4.Kb3!
28
Position after: 4.Kb3!
the king is crossing the b-file, as from a3 it keeps an eye on the a-pawn. White is winning: 4...Kb1
5.Ka3+ [also possible is 5.Rh8 a1=N+ 6.Kc3 Nc2 7.Rh1+ and White wins] 5...Ka1 6.Rh8 [Of course,
not 6.Rb2?] 6...Kb1 7.Rh1+ Kc2 8.Kxa2+–.
3.Ra8
Also after 3.Kc3 a2
Position after: 3...a2
29
Black is just in time, as he is threatening to queen with check. That means White has no chance to
improve the rook, let’s say to h8 renewing the mating threat. There is nothing better than repeating moves
with 4.Ra8 Kb1 5.Rb8+ Kc1=...
3...Kb2 4.Kd2 a2 5.Rb8+
Position after: 5.Rb8+
5...Ka1!=
Black clinches the draw, as White’s rook needs to leave the b-file in order to avoid stalemate. Note that
5...Ka3? makes no sense now, in view of 6.Kc2 a1=Q 7.Ra8+ and White wins the queen.
Anticipating rook vs. pawn endings

Rook endgames often lead to a rook vs. pawn battle where the result depends on a single tempo. Once
you’re familiar with the techniques discussed earlier, anticipating the ensuing rook and pawn endings
becomes simpler.
Alekhine, Alexander
Bogoljubow, Efim
The Hague 1929
30
Black to move
70...Kg4?
A grave error.
It is strange that Black refrained from playing 70...Ke4!, when his king is on the correct side of the pawn.
After 71.b7 [71.Kc7 doesn’t make sense, as the king needs to return to the f-pawn anyway after Black
has given up his rook for the b-pawn] 71...f5 72.b8=Q Rxb8 73.Rxb8 f4 74.Re8+ Kd3 75.Rf8 Ke3
76.Kd5 f3
31
Position after: 76...f3
you can see that White’s king is unable to get closer to the f-pawn. In this line the white king’s route to
the pawn is not blocked by its counterpart. 77.Re8+ Kd3 78.Rf8 Ke2 79.Ke4 f2 With a draw.
70...Kg4? 71.b7 f5
Also after 71...Rb8 Black is just losing by a tempo, e.g. 72.Kc7 Rh8 73.b8=Q Rxb8 74.Rxb8 f5 75.Kd6
f4 76.Ke5 f3 77.Ke4 f2 78.Rf8 Kg3 79.Ke3+–.
72.b8=Q Rxb8 73.Rxb8 f4 74.Kd5
74...f3
74...Kf3 75.Kd4 Ke2 doesn’t help either because of e.g. 76.Ke4 f3 77.Rb2+ and White wins.
75.Ke4 f2 76.Rf8 Kg3 77.Ke3
1-0
Miezis, Normunds (2577)
Goudriaan, Etienne (2321)
Hilversum 2012
32
Black to move
Since White’s king is close to the b-pawn a rook vs. pawn ending is soon about to appear on the board.
53...Kh4?
A terrible mistake, since now the black king ends up on the wrong side of the pawn. It may look a bit
odd, but the right way to proceed is 53...Kg4! which temporarily blocks the g-pawn, but brings the king
to the correct side of the pawn. For example, after 54.Kc7 Rxb7+ 55.Rxb7 Kf4 56.Kd6 g4 the game is
easily drawn as the white king can’t approach the g-pawn.
53...Kh4? 54.Kc7 Rxb7+
33
Position after: 54...Rxb7+
55.Rxb7
The correct recapture.

After 55.Kxb7 g4 the white king is too far away and the rook isn’t ideally placed dealing with the pawn
from the side.
55...g4 56.Kd6 g3
There’s no longer time for Black to get the king to the other side of the pawn with 56...Kg3 57.Ke5 Kf3
because of 58.Rb3+! [of course not 58.Rf7+? Ke3 59.Rg7 Kf3 and White can’t make any progress]
58...Kf2 59.Kf4 and White eliminates the f-pawn.
57.Rg7!
Standing behind the passed pawn and controlling the promotion square is the ideal place for the rook, as
we have noticed already in earlier examples.
It doesn’t make sense to gain time with 57.Rh7+? Kg4 58.Rg7+ since after 58...Kf3 the black king stands
on the correct side of the passed pawn.
57...Kh3 58.Ke5 g2 59.Kf4 Kh2
34
Position after: 59...Kh2
60.Rh7+!
60.Kf3? leads to a well-known draw after 60...g1=N+! [but not 60...g1=Q? 61.Rh7#].
60...Kg1 61.Kg3 Kf1 62.Rf7+
Position after: 62.Rf7+
62...Kg1 63.Rf6!
35
Zugzwang.
The immediate 63.Rf2? fails to 63...Kh1 64.Rxg2 with stalemate.
63...Kh1 64.Rh6+
Black resigned, in view of 64...Kg1 65.Rh2 and White picks up the remaining pawn.
1-0
Ding, Liren (2660)
Zhou, Jianchao (2625)
Beijing 2012
Black to move
This example is a bit trickier. White has got much further along in the process of queening his passed
pawn. However, that doesn’t mean Black doesn’t have any drawing chances, but he again needs to
anticipate the rook vs. pawn ending. You should always bear in mind that cutting off the king along the
fifth rank leads to immediate resignation.
49...h5?
Black carelessly advances his main trump. He should instead have first prevented White from cutting off
his king with 49...Kf6! after which there’s no win for White. A sample line goes 50.Kb6 Ra2 51.c6 Rb2+
52.Ka7 Rc2 53.Kb7 h5! 54.c7 h4 55.c8=Q Rxc8 56.Kxc8 Kf5 and a draw is inevitable.
49...h5? 50.Re5!
The only move exploiting Black’s mistake. In what followed Black was unable to support the passed
36
pawn with his king.
50...Kg6 51.Kb6 Ra8 52.c6 Rb8+ 53.Ka7 Rh8 54.c7 h4 55.Kb7 Kf6 56.Rc5
Position after: 56.Rc5
Black resigned in view of 56...h3 57.c8=Q Rxc8 58.Kxc8 [not 58.Rxc8? Kf5 and Black holds] 58...Kg6
59.Rc3 h2 60.Rh3 and the h-pawn falls.
1-0
Melkumyan, Hrant (2628)
Andreikin, Dmitry (2689)
Plovdiv 2012
37
White to move
66.Kf3?
This apparently logical move is a serious mistake, since the king is needed to shoulder the opponent’s
king away. White should therefore have played 66.g3! c2 67.Rc1 [forced, since 67.Kf5? loses to
67...Rd1! and White can no longer give up his rook for the pawn] 67...Kc3 68.Kf5!
and White’s active king supports the advance of his pawn and also prevents the opponent’s king from
38
getting closer: 68...Rd1 69.Rxc2+ Kxc2 70.g4 Rf1+ 71.Ke6 Rg1 72.Kf5 Kd3 73.g5 Kd4 74.g6 Kd5
75.Kf6 Kd6 [75...Rf1+ 76.Ke7!=] 76.g7 Kd7 77.Kf7 with a draw.
66.Kf3? c2 67.Rc1 Kd3?
Black doesn’t profit from White’s mistake on the 66th move. Instead he could have won by means of
67...Kc3! 68.g4 Rd4!
Position after: 68...Rd4!
An excellent move, forcing the white king to support its pawn from the other side. [Both 68...Rd1?
69.Rxc2+ Kxc2 70.Ke4!= and 68...Kb2 69.Rxc2+ Kxc2 70.Ke4!= allow White to draw in similar style
to the line in the game.] 69.Kg3 [69.g5 is hopeless as well, since after 69...Kb2 70.Rg1 c1=Q 71.Rxc1
Kxc1 White’s king has been cut off.] 69...Kd2 70.Ra1 c1=Q 71.Rxc1 Kxc1 72.Kh4 Kd2
39
Position after: 72...Kd2
73.Kh5 [White doesn’t have time to transfer his king to the other side of the pawn with 73.Kg5 because
of 73...Ke3 74.Kf5 Rf4+ 75.Kg5 Kf3 and the g-pawn falls.] 73...Ke3 74.g5 Kf4 75.g6 Kf5 76.g7
[76.Kh6 Rd6 picks up the pawn as well.] 76...Rg4 77.Kh6 Rh4# These variations illustrate the problems
White is facing when his king stands on the wrong side of the pawn.
68.g4 Rd1 69.Rxc2 Kxc2
Position after: 69...Kxc2
40
70.Ke4!
A) The only move which secures the draw for White. Immediately pushing the pawn with 70.g5? can be
met strongly with 70...Rd4! when the king has been cut off from the fourth rank and can no longer
support the advance of the pawn. After 71.g6 Rd6 72.g7 Rg6 Black eliminates the pawn.
B) White’s main alternative is 70.Kf4? though it has the drawback of allowing the black king to get
closer after 70...Kd3 71.g5 Kd4 72.Kf5 Kd5
73.Kf6 [73.g6 is met by 73...Rf1+! 74.Kg5 Ke6 and Black wins] 73...Kd6 74.g6 [74.Kf7 Rf1+ 75.Kg7
Ke6 also wins for Black] 74...Rf1+! 75.Kg7 [75.Kg5 doesn’t help either, as the king approaches the
pawn with 75...Ke7 76.g7 Kf7] 75...Ke7 76.Kg8 Rg1 77.g7 Kf6 78.Kh8 Kf7! And Black wins [of
course, not 78...Rxg7? stalemate].
70...Rg1
After 70...Kc3 White also easily secures a draw with 71.g5 Kc4 72.g6 Kc5
41
Position after: 72...Kc5
73.Ke5 [obviously not 73.g7? in view of 73...Rg1 and White’s king and pawn are too far away from each
other] 73...Rg1 74.Kf6 Kd6 75.g7 Kd7 76.Kf7 and nothing can be done to stop the g-pawn’s promotion.
71.Kf5 Kd3 72.g5 Kd4 73.g6 Kd5 74.Kf6
Position after: 74.Kf6
74...Kd6
42
Another option is 74...Rf1+ when White has to find 75.Ke7! preventing the black king from getting
closer. [Incorrect would have been 75.Kg7? Ke6 76.Kh7 Kf6 77.g7 Rh1+ 78.Kg8 Rg1 79.Kh8 Kf7 and
Black wins.] 75...Rg1 76.Kf7 And Black fails to make progress.
75.g7 Kd7 76.Kf7 Rxg7+ 77.Kxg7
½-½
Two connected passed pawns

The endgame of Li Chao – Gagunashvili has already shown the power of connected passed pawns. In
certain cases they are even too strong for a single rook. In the following example the participation of the
king proves to be decisive.
Mista, Aleksander (2543)
Naiditsch, Arkadij (2704)
Baden Baden 2013
Black to move
64...Kf4!
Black can’t start the pawns running immediately with 64...g3? 65.Rxh3 and now the rook vs. pawn
ending after 65...Kg4 should be drawn as the white king is too far away. [Inferior is 65...g2? 66.Rg3 and
White wins.]
64...Kf4! 65.Kb3 Kg3!
A) It seems rather illogical to place the king in front of one of the passers, but the plan soon becomes
43
clear. Again, 65...g3? is premature now because of the very important intermezzo check 66.Rh4+!,
intending to capture the pawn on the next move and then White is able to eliminate the remaining pawn
as well. [66.Rxh3? doesn’t suffice since after 66...g2 the g-pawn is out of reach.]
B) The natural continuation would have been 65...Kf3? but it wastes valuable time. For example,
66.Kc2 [66.Kc4 is possible too] 66...Kg2 67.Kd2 h2
Position after: 67...h2
68.Ke3! [68.Ke2? allows 68...h1=Q 69.Rxh1 Kxh1 70.Kf2 Kh2 and Black wins] 68...g3 [68...h1=Q
can now be answered with 69.Rxh1 Kxh1 70.Kf4=] 69.Kf4 Kf2 70.Rh3 g2 71.Rxh2 Kf1 72.Rxg2
Kxg2 with a draw.
66.Kc3 Kh2!
44
Position after: 66...Kh2!
A) After this move White resigned. Black can finally mobilise his g-pawn without giving White the
option of eliminating the h-pawn. A sample line is 66...Kh2! 67.Kd2 g3 68.Ke2 g2 69.Rg7 g1=Q
70.Rxg1 Kxg1 and Black wins. It’s quite amazing that this specific march of the black king is the only
way for Black to win, since in other rook vs. pawn endings we have been examining in this chapter the
job of the king is usually to keep its counterpart away from the action.
B) Alternatives such as 66...Kg2? and 66...h2? don’t work as they allow the white king to reach f4, from
where it attacks the g-pawn (see variation 65...Kf3).
0-1
Conclusions to Chapter 1
From the previous instructions and examples we can draw a number of rules of thumb which should
serve you as guidelines handling the ending of rook vs. pawn.
For the stronger side playing with the rook:
1) The king has to try to come as fast as possible to the opponent’s pawn. You have to be precise
picking the right path for the king and avoid scenarios where the opponent’s king is able to stop you
from achieving your goal.
2) The rook is optimally placed behind the passed pawn, as it slows down the march of the pawn and
also controls the queening square.
3) Cutting off the king along the fifth rank (from White’s perspective) wins in the majority of cases.
For the weaker side playing with the pawn:
1) The pawn needs to be pushed in order to generate counterplay.
45
2) However, in the majority of cases the top priority is to keep the opponent’s king at a distance. As
with the stronger side, chosing the right path for the king is absolutely essential.
46
Chapter 2
Same-coloured bishop endings
In positions with same-coloured bishops basically everything depends on the pawn structure. In this
chapter we will discuss the differences between good and bad bishops and how advantages can be
converted into full points. I have selected quite a number of technical endgames which are relatively easy
to understand as I have aimed to explain the main ideas and conversion process in detail. However,
applying those techniques in practice is much more difficult than you may think. Therefore I have not
included many similar positions in the test section, but I would recommend that you play out the
positions examined in this chapter with a friend, but perhaps even better against the computer. In my
opinion your practical skills will benefit more from that approach than solving puzzles.
Centurini position
In the 19th century the Italian player and composer Luigi Centurini was the first to discover and publish
theoretical positions with bishop and pawn vs. bishop. His contributions to this type of ending still stand
the test of time and are very instructive for tournament players. Before we move on to more practical
examples with more pawns on the board I would like to present you the following fragment where a very
strong grandmaster went wrong in a theoretical position.
Fressinet, Laurent (2696)
Smeets, Jan (2619)
Remagen 2012
Black to move
White is close to queening his f-pawn, but he still has to deal with the problem of Black’s bishop
covering the only remaining light square on the f-file (f7). White’s plan to advance the f-pawn is pretty
47
simple and consists of two steps:
1) Driving off the black bishop from the a2-g8 diagonal and 2) Blocking the bishop on g6 on the other
diagonal, e8-h5.
In concrete terms, if it was White’s turn right now he could win by 1.Bf7 Bf3 2.Bc4 Bh5 3.Bd3 followed
by 4.Bg6 when Black can no longer retain control over the f7-square. Does that mean Black is just lost
now?
104...Bc4?
A) Wasting a valuable tempo costs Smeets the game. Black has the important defensive mechanism of
104...Kf4! with the idea of transferring the king to g5, taking control over g6 and thus preventing White
from implementing the second step by blocking the bishop on the e8-h5 diagonal. When the king can’t
get in front of the pawn it should stand behind the enemy king. It turns out that White can’t win this
position. For example:
A1) One possibility is 105.Kf8 but then Black can just delay making the decision of where to put his
king. Only after 105...Bc4 106.Ke7 does Black play 106...Ke5!
Position after: 106...Ke5!
when his king is ideally placed behind its counterpart. Now the white king is on e7 Black changes
course and returns to e5 in order to take control over e6, preventing the white bishop from blocking on
the a2-g8 diagonal.
A2) 105.Bf7
A2.1) It doesn’t really matter where the black bishop goes on the e8-h5 diagonal. Now the white
bishop is on f7, Black has two moves to reach one of the two diagonals. It would be equally good to
play 105...Bc6 106.Be6 Be8 when White is unable to deflect the bishop from covering f7, since
48
107.Bd7 can be parried by 107...Bh5!
Position after: 107...Bh5!
It’s very important that Black has four squares available on both diagonals. If all the pieces were
moved one file to the right White would be winning. In that case one diagonal (f8-h6) would be only
three squares long, which means the stronger side would succeed in deflecting his opponent’s bishop.
A2.2) 105...Bf3 106.Bb3 Bh5 107.Bc2 [Again, White can’t deprive the black bishop of control of f7
with 107.Bd1 in view of 107...Be8 and Black holds on.] 107...Kg5!
Position after: 107...Kg5!
49
and Black secures a draw. Of course White can play on a little longer, but this defensive method
illustrates that White will fail to make further progress.
B) Note that 104...Kf5? doesn’t work, because of 105.Bf7 Bc6 when the bishop vacates the f7-square
for the pawn with gain of time by means of 106.Bg6+.
104...Bc4? 105.Bf7!
White of course sticks to the aforementioned plan. Soon it becomes clear that Black is no longer able to
prevent the interference of the bishop on g6. Worse is 105.Bb5? Bb3 and White can’t deflect the
opponent’s bishop from protecting f7. White has to bring his bishop to f7 with 106.Be8 but then Black
saves the game with 106...Kf4 as we saw in the notes to 104...Kf4!.
105...Be2
Also in case of 105...Bb5 106.Ba2 Be8 107.Bb1 followed by 108.Bg6 Black can’t keep his bishop on the
e8-h5 diagonal.
106.Bb3
A) Vacating the f7-square and preparing the transfer to g6. The immediate 106.Bg6?! makes no sense
because of 106...Bc4 although it doesn’t spoil anything as White can just repeat moves.
B) White therefore should not allow the bishop to return to c4. Any useful waiting move on the a2-g8
diagonal forces Black to go to the other diagonal, after which White proceeds with the second step.
Therefore 106.Bg8 Bh5 107.Bh7 would also have been correct.
106...Bh5 107.Bc2!
50
Position after: 107.Bc2!
107.Bc2! and Black resigned. After 107...Kf4 108.Bg6! the consequences of Black’s painful mistake on
the 104th move are perfectly visible, as the black king comes one tempo short of reaching the crucial g5-
square.
1-0
Pawn structures
In same-coloured bishop endings the pawn structure plays a very important role. When a pawn has been
fixed on a certain colour, one bishop will be able to attack the pawn, while the other side is practically
forced to stay passive and defend the weakness. A few considerations:
1) One weakness isn’t enough. In Volume 1 of Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player the principle of
creating a second target in rook endgames has been discussed in detail. The same technique can be
applied in same-coloured bishop endgames as well. While defending one weakness the bishop has been
restricted in its mobility, and often does not have enough squares to move to.
2) Next step: how to exploit a second weakness? The stronger side often tries to bring his opponent into
zugzwang. Hence, it makes sense not to fix all your pawns, if possible, and keep a reserve tempo with at
least one of your pawns. Sometimes a tempo move with one of your pawns isn’t needed at all and the
method of triangulation helps you to get your opponent in zugzwang.
3) Note that the side with the “good” bishop often has a space advantage, which is a great asset in the
process of triangulating your opponent into zugzwang.
4) Make sure that your king is able to penetrate as well, or at least threaten to do so. If not, the side with
the weaker bishop has an easier task of holding the position together.
5) A pawn fixed on the colour of your own bishop isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, as you can see in
the game Polgar – Guseinov. The following three masterpieces perfectly illustrate the elements described
above.
Short, Nigel (2698)
Rublevsky, Sergei (2693)
Poikovsky 2012
51
White to move
40.Be4 Kd7
A careless waiting move like 40...Ba2 immediately loses to 41.Bxc6! bxc6 42.a6 and the a-pawn can’t be
stopped. This tactical motif will play an important role in the rest of the game as well.
41.g4! Ba4 42.h4 Ke7 43.g5
Position after: 43.g5
52
Short sticks to the positional approach and fixes the black pawns on the same colour as his light-squared
bishop. The silicon monster points out that White has a tactical solution at his disposal as well. White
also wins by means of 43.f5 gxf5 [43...Kf7 44.fxg6+ hxg6 45.h5 and White creates an outside passed
pawn, while Black still has problems with his queenside weaknesses] 44.Bxf5 h6 45.Bc8 Kd8 [45...Bd1
probably transposes] 46.Bxb7 Kc7 47.a6 Bd1 48.Ba8! Bxg4 49.a7 (threatening 50.Bxc6).
Position after: 49. a7

A) After 49...Bf3 50.Ke3 Bd5 White should play accurately and put his pawn on the wrong colour with
51.h5! before he starts collecting the pawns on the kingside [not good is 51.Kf4? h5 52.Kf5 Kc8
53.Kxf6 Kc7 54.Kg5 Bf3 and White can’t make any further progress].
B) 49...Bd7 Quite an unusual position. White’s bishop is trapped in the corner, but at the same time it
prevents the black king from approaching the a-pawn. Black can only move his bishop between d7 and
e8, because when it goes to another square White will play Bxc6.
At the moment the white king is unable to break through on the kingside and hence the only plan is to
bring the king to the queenside. However, when White plays Ka6, intending Bb7 and queening the a-
pawn, Black will respond with Bc8. The problem, however, is that the black bishop needs to be on d7
and there are no other good waiting moves. After all, a pawn move on the kingside enables the white
king to return and enter from that side.
To make a long story short, let’s check the concrete variations! 50.Kc3 Be8 [50...f5 51.Kd4 h5 52.Ke5
Be8 53.Kxf5 Bd7+ 54.Kf6 Be8 55.Ke7 Bd7 56.Bb7+–] 51.Kb4 Bd7 52.Ka5 h5
53
(still no change on the kingside, but fortunately for White he can reach this position with Black to move
with the aid of triangulation) 53.Kb4 Be8 54.Ka4 Bd7 55.Ka5 Zugzwang! 55...f5 [55...Bc8 56.Bxc6+–;
55...Be8 56.Ka6+–] 56.Kb4 The point: the white king can now enter via the kingside, as in the variation
with 50...f5.
Well, as you can see, these variations are complicated and I think that Short’s approach is easier to
understand for humans. However, it also shows that bishop endings can be very tactical and that’s why I
thought it might be enjoyable for the reader to include these variations in the book.
43...Bb5
A) Rublevsky doesn’t want to fix the pawn structure on the kingside right away. Alternatives have their
own drawbacks too: 43...f5 44.Bf3 Ke6 45.h5 Ke7
54
Position after: 45...Ke7
46.h6! (creating a new weakness on h7, similar to the game Sokolov – Wang Yue, covered in Volume
1) 46...Ke6 47.Bh5! Forcing the black king to abandon control over the e5-square 47...Kf7 [47...gxh5
48.g6 and White breaks through] 48.Be2 Bb3 [48...Ke6 49.Bc4+ is hopeless too] 49.Bf3 Ba4 50.Ke5
Ke7 51.Bh5 Kf7 52.Be2 Ke7 [52...Bb3 53.Kd6+–] 53.Bc4 Bc2 54.Bg8 Bd3 55.Bxh7 Kf7 56.Kd6 Bb5
57.Kc7 Ba6 58.Kb6 and White wins. This variation perfectly illustrates that Black cannot deal with the
weaknesses on both the queenside and the kingside.
B) 43...fxg5 44.hxg5 Ke6 [44...Bb5 45.Ke5 Bc4 46.f5 and Black has problems with his pawn on h7]
45.Bg2 Kf5 46.Bh3+ Kxf4 47.Bc8 Bb5 48.Bxb7 Kxg5 49.a6 Bxa6 50.Bxa6 h5 51.Bb7 and White wins
easily.
44.Bg2 Kf7 45.Bh3!
55
Position after: 45.Bh3!
White’s strategy of placing his own pawns on the dark squares is bearing fruit. The weakness on b7 is
seriously hurting Black.
45...Kg7
45...f5 doesn’t change the evaluation of this ending. White will execute the same plan mentioned after
43...f5.
46.Bc8 Ba6 47.Ke4
When one side has too many weaknesses, often more winning lines can be spotted. Another possibility is
47.gxf6+ Kxf6 48.Ke4 h6 49.Kd4 Kf7 [49...g5 50.fxg5+ hxg5 51.hxg5+ Kxg5 52.Ke5 and Black’s
queenside falls apart] 50.Ke5 Ke7 51.Bg4 Bd3 52.h5 gxh5 53.Bxh5 Bc4 54.f5 Bb3 55.f6+ Kf8 56.Kd6
Bc4 57.Kc7 Ba6 58.Kb6 Kg8 59.Be8 Kf8 60.Bxc6 bxc6 61.Kxa6 h5 62.Kb6 and White queens with
check.
47...Kf7
56
48.f5! Kg7 49.Kf4 Kf7 50.fxg6+ hxg6
50...Kxg6 51.Bf5+ Kg7 52.gxf6+ Kxf6 53.Bxh7 and the black king needs to keep an eye on White’s h-
pawn, so cannot block the white king’s path into the queenside.
51.Ke4
Equally good is 51.gxf6 Kxf6 52.Ke4 when most likely play transposes to the game after 52...Kf7
53.Ke5 Ke7.
51...Kg7
In case of 51...f5+ White easily succeeds in disarming Black’s protected passed pawn with 52.Ke5 Kg7
53.h5 gxh5 54.Kxf5 Bd3+ 55.Kf4 Ba6 56.Kg3 Kh7 57.Bf5+ Kg7 58.Kh4 Be2 59.Bc8 and Black’s
bishop cannot defend both b7 and h5 at the same time.
52.gxf6+ Kxf6 53.Kf4 Kf7 54.Ke5 Ke7 55.Bg4
57
Position after: 55.Bg4
At first sight it looks like Black has been getting closer to reaching the desired drawing zone, but
appearances are deceptive. Although both sides have only three pawns left on the board, White has made
enormous progress. His king is excellently placed on e5, forcing its counterpart to stay permanently on e7
to cover both the entry squares d6 and f6. Meanwhile White has also succeeded in creating a third
weaknesses. So far we have seen that the black bishop needs to care about both b7 and c6, as otherwise
the a-pawn decides the game. By cleverly triangulating with his bishop, Short profits from the overloaded
black bishop which is unable to defend the weak pawn on g6 as well.
55...Bc4 56.Bf3 Bd3
56...Be6 doesn’t help either, in view of 57.Be4 [not 57.Bxc6? bxc6 58.a6 Bc8 59.a7 Bb7 and the pawn
can be stopped] 57...Bf7 58.Bxc6! and White wins.
57.Bg4 Bc4 58.Bd1 Be6
In case of 58...Bd3 there follows 59.Ba4! Be2 [59...Bb1 fails to 60.Bxc6!] 60.Bc2 Bh5 61.Be4 and Black
is in zugzwang.
59.Bc2 Bf7
58
Position after: 59...Bf7
60.Bd3!
Losing a tempo in order to pass over the move to Black.

Nothing can be gained from 60.Be4 Be8 and White still needs to come up with the plan of triangulation.
60...Be8 61.Be4!
Mission accomplished, as Black has been completely dominated by White’s forces.
61...Bf7 62.Bxc6!
The coronation of White’s exemplary endgame play: Black resigned.

1-0
Bacrot, Etienne (2705)
Tiviakov, Sergei (2659)
Schwetzingen 2013
59
White to move
All the black pawns have been fixed on the same colour as White’s bishop. The pawn on g6 is a
particular source of concern for Black, being permanently fixed. For the moment the base of the chain on
the queenside (b7) is more difficult to reach for the white bishop, so White plans to create a new target.
55.b5!
Without this move White would be unable to break through. For example after 55.Bf1? Black can still
hold by means of 55...Bf5! preventing White from playing Bh3-c8. White’s break based on b4-b5 no
longer works, as the black bishop helps in defence.
55.b5! axb5
The drawback of the other recapture 55...cxb5 is that the pawn on b7 becomes more vulnerable after
56.Bxb5 [56.Bd5? even loses to 56...b4!] 56...Bf5 [56...axb5 runs into 57.c6!] 57.Bc4
60
Position after: 57.Bc4
57...Bd7 [57...Be6 can’t be recommended in view of 58.Bxe6 Kxe6 59.Kg5 Kf7 60.f4 Kg7 61.f5 gxf5
62.Kxf5 when the white king picks up the h-pawn and then crosses to the queenside] and now White
should first play:
A) 58.f3! Preparing the exchange of bishops on e4. Black is lost after 58...Bc6 59.Bb3, e.g.
Position after: 59.Bb3
59...Bd7 [59...Kg7 60.Kg5 Bxf3 61.Bc2 and both the remaining pawns on the kingside will be taken.]
61
60.Bd5 Bc6 [60...Bc8 61.Be4! and Black is in zugzwang.] 61.Be4! Bxe4 62.fxe4 Ke6 [62...g5+ fails to
63.hxg5+ Kg6 64.e5 h4 65.e6 h3 66.Kg3 and Black can’t eliminate the white pawns.] 63.Kg5 Kf7
64.e5 and soon the g6-pawn will fall.
B) The immediate transition into the pawn ending with 58.Bd5 Bc6 59.Bxc6? bxc6 60.f3
Position after: 60.f3
leads only to a draw after 60...g5+! 61.hxg5+ Kg6 62.Ke5 Kxg5 63.f4+ Kg6 64.Ke6 Kg7 65.Ke7
[65.f5? Kf8! and Black wins] 65...Kg6 66.Ke6 Kg7 and neither side can avoid the repetition.
56.Bxb5
62
Position after: 56.Bxb5
56...Bf5
A) The only move to prevent a breakthrough. After both 56...cxb5 57.c6! bxc6 58.a6 c5 59.a7
B) and 56...Ke6 57.Bxc6! bxc6 58.a6 the a-pawn is unstoppable.
57.Bf1
57.Bxc6? doesn’t work now, due to 57...bxc6 58.a6 Bc8 59.a7 Bb7 and Black is just in time.
57...Bd7 58.a6 bxa6 59.Bxa6 Be6 60.Bf1
63
Position after: 60.Bf1
60...Bc8
Tiviakov opts for a passive setup defending the pawn on c6. However, in case of 60...Bd5 61.Bd3 Bg2
62.Bc2
A) 62...Bd5 63.Ba4 Ke6 [63...Bg2 64.f3 and c6 falls.] 64.Kg5 Be4 65.Bb3+ Ke7 [65...Ke5 66.Bf7 Kd4
67.Bxg6 Bd5 68.f4 is pretty hopeless too.] 66.Bd1 Ke6 67.f3 Bf5 68.Bb3+ Ke7 69.Ba4 Kd7 70.Kf6
64
and soon Black will collapse.
B) Black also succumbs to the pressure on both targets after 62...Bf1 63.Be4 Bb5 64.Bh1 Ba4 65.Ke4.
B1) 65...Bb5 66.f4!
Position after: 66.f4!
(Fixing the pawn on g6.) 66...Ba4 67.Ke3! [67.Kd4? Kf5 68.Be4+ Kxf4 69.Bxg6 Kg4 and Black
holds on.] 67...Kf5 [67...Bb5 68.Be4 followed by the transfer of the king to b6.] 68.Be4+ Kg4
69.Bxg6 Kxh4 70.Be8 Kg4 71.Bd7+ Kg3 72.f5 h4 73.f6 Bb3 74.Bxc6 h3 75.Be4 and the black
bishop can’t deal with both passed pawns.
B2) 65...g5 66.hxg5+ Kxg5 67.Ke5 Kg6 68.Be4+ Kg7 69.f4 Kf7 70.Kf5 h4 71.Kg4 and, after
eliminating the h-pawn, White should win easily.
61.Bg2
65
61...Bd7
61...Bb7 would have been more stubborn, even though with precise play White should be able to exploit
the passive placement of the bishop. For example, 62.Bh1 Ba8 63.Be4 Bb7 64.Kg3!
A) Black isn’t able to generate counterplay with a passed c-pawn, since after 64...Ke5 65.Bxg6 Kd5
66.Kf4! Kxc5 67.Ke5 the black king can’t stop the pawns on the kingside.
66
B) 64...Kf7 again allows White to fix the kingside with 65.f4! and Black can’t prevent the white king
from marching over to b6 without abandoning the defence of the g6-pawn.
C) 64...g5 65.hxg5+ Kxg5 66.f4+ Kf6 67.Kh4 Ba6 68.Kxh5 Be2+
Position after: 68...Be2+
69.Kh4 Bb5 70.Kg3 Ke7 71.Kf2 Kf6 72.Ke3 Ke7 73.Kd4 Kf6 74.Kc3 Ke7 75.Kb4 Kd7 76.f5 Ke7
77.Ka5 Kf7 78.Kb6 Kf6 79.Bxc6 Bd3 80.Bd7! White wins. After the text the black bishop is running
out of squares, enabling White to put his opponent in zugzwang by triangulating with the bishop.
62.Bf3 Be8 63.Be4 Bd7
67
Position after: 63...Bd7
64.Bg2
We’ve reached the same position as after 61...Bd7, only with Black to move now!
64...Be8 65.Bh3! Bf7
The diagonal for the bishop is too short, so it needs to move out onto a new one. Also, after 65...Ke7
66.Kg5 Kf7 67.f4 Kg7 68.Bg2 Kf7 69.Bf3 Kg7 [69...Bd7 70.Be4 and the g-pawn falls] 70.Be4! Black
ends up in zugzwang.
66.Bd7 Bd5 67.Be8!
68
Position after: 67.Be8!
A wonderful picture. Black is in zugzwang as he can’t move the bishop without losing control over c6,
while the same applies to the king as regards the pawn on g6.
67...Kg7
The problem for Black is that after 67...Bg2 the bishop will be cut off from defending the pawn on c6 by
68.f3! and White won’t have any problems converting his extra pawn: 68...Bh3 69.Bxc6 Bc8 70.Bd5 Bd7
71.c6 Bc8 72.c7 Ba6 73.Bc4 Bc8 74.Bf1
69
(a nice square for the white bishop, from which it reaches either a6 or h3 once the black bishop leaves c8)
74...Kf7 75.Ke5 Ke7 76.Bc4 Kd7 [76...Bb7 is met by 77.Be6!] 77.Be6+ Kxc7 78.Bxc8 Kxc8 79.Kf6
and the pawn ending is an easy win.
68.Kg5 Be4 69.f4 Kh7 70.Kf6 Kh6 71.Ke5 Bg2 72.Kd6
And Black resigned, since he is losing the pawn on c6 without being able to counter on the kingside.
1-0
70
Polgar, Judit (2686)
Guseinov, Gadir (2584)
Aix-les-Bains 2011
White to move
In spite of the limited material left on the board, Black has serious problems in this endgame. The pawn
on g6 requires constant protection. White’s pawn on d5, on the other hand, is a powerful asset, as it
prevents the black king from approaching the centre and also restricts the movement of the bishop on d7.
However, a second weakness needs to be created in order to make further progress.
36.a3 a5
Sooner or later this move has to be made, e.g. after 36...Kg7 37.Kc3 Black is forced to play 37...a5 to
prevent an invasion on the queenside by Kb4-a5.
37.Kd4
71
The immediate 37.b4?! axb4 38.axb4 seems to suit our plan well. However, the exchange of pawns
usually helps the weaker side and hence Polgar delays the advance of the b-pawn in order to execute it
under more favourable circumstances.
37...Kg7
A) Black is sadly doomed to passivity, as alternatives only decrease Black’s chances of survival:
37...b4? 38.axb4 axb4 39.Kc4 simply loses a pawn.
B) No better is 37...e5+? 38.dxe6+! [after 38.Kc3? Be8 Black is out of danger] 38...Bxe6 39.b4 axb4
40.axb4 Bc4 [40...Bd7 41.Kd5 and Black has to give up either d6 or g6] 41.Bd5+ Bxd5 42.Kxd5 Ke7
43.Kc6 and the pawn endgame is easily won.
38.Bd3!
An excellent spot for the bishop, from where it keeps an eye on both b5 and g6.
38...Kf7 39.f4 Kg7 40.Kc3 Kf7 41.b4!
72
Position after: 41.b4!
41...a4
The note about 37.b4 is illustrated by the fact that 41...axb4+ now drops a pawn, because of 42.Kxb4!
42.Kd4 Kg7
Black is unable to get rid of his backward e-pawn with 42...e6 because of the chronic weaknesses on b5
and g6. Since the white king has done its job on the queenside, it returns to the battle on the other part of
the board.
43.Ke3 Kf7 44.Kf3 Kg7 45.Kg3 Kf7 46.Be2 Kg7 47.Bg4!?
73
Position after: 47.Bg4!?
Checking whether Black will fall into the trap...
47...Bf5!
The only correct response. In case of 47...Bxg4 48.Kxg4 Black loses the pawn ending after 48...Kf7
49.f5 Kg7 50.fxg6 Kxg6 51.Kf4 Kg7 52.Kf5 Kf7 53.g6+ and the king will pick up the remaining
pawns.
48.Be2!
A) The transition into a pawn ending is now no longer advisable, since after 48.Bxf5? gxf5 49.Kh3 Kh7
50.Kh4 Kg6 White is unable to win.
B) Moreover, White doesn’t have time to prepare the exchange on f5 with 48.Kh4? because of
48...Bd3! and the bishop becomes active.
48...Bd7 49.Bf1 Kf7 50.Bd3 Kg7 51.Kh4 Be8
White’s plan couldn’t be prevented by means of 51...Kf7 52.Be2 e6 because of the following forced
sequence:
74
Position after: 52...e6
53.dxe6+ Kxe6 [53...Bxe6 54.Bxb5 wins easily] 54.Bg4+ Ke7 55.Bxd7 Kxd7 56.f5! gxf5 57.g6 Ke7
58.Kg5 f4 59.Kxf4 Kf6 60.Ke4 and again the outside passed pawn decides matters.
52.Be2 Kf8
After 52...Bd7 53.Bg4 Black can’t play 53...Bf5 in view of 54.Bxf5 gxf5 55.Kh5! and the king
penetrates.
53.Bg4 Bf7 54.Be6!
75
The cleanest solution. 54.Bd7 Bxd5 55.Bxb5 might have given Black some counterplay.
54...Be8
The pawn ending after 54...Bxe6 55.dxe6 is lost for Black. White’s king walks to c6 to pick up the pawns
on the queenside, and if Black prevents that by putting his king on c7, White can count on the
breakthrough with f4-f5!
55.Kg4 Kg7 56.Kf3
Polgar refrains from the tempting 56.f5!? and carries out another instructive plan.
56...Kf8 57.Ke4 Kg7 58.Bc8 Kf7 59.Kd4 Kf8 60.Bb7!
Position after: 60.Bb7!
For the entire endgame the pawn on d5 has been an annoying obstacle for Black, and now it eventually
serves as a springboard for the white bishop.
60...Bd7 61.Bc6 Ke8
61...Be8 62.Bxe8 Kxe8 63.Ke4 followed by 64.f5 wins (see 47...Bxg4).
62.f5!
76
Polgar finally touches her f-pawn, after which Black resigned, in view of 62...gxf5 63.g6 and wins.
1-0
Carlsen, Magnus (2843)
Caruana, Fabiano (2773)
Bilbao 2012
White to move
77
At first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything happening. Materially speaking the position is equal, but
there are still some positional factors which speak in Carlsen’s favour. Despite his fractured queenside
structure (a4/c3) White has excellent chances of picking up the b-pawn. Moreover, White’s king and
bishop are more actively placed than their black counterparts. We’ll see how White further increases the
pressure on Black’s position.
29.Re4!
Good strategy: often it’s better to force your opponent to exchange pieces rather than do it yourself. After
29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 White’s king has been cut off from the e-file, while 30.Bxb6? fails tactically to 30...Rb8!.
29.Re4! g6
The struggle for the open e-file could have been continued with 29...f5 though that has a tactical
drawback: 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.Rb5! and in case of 31...g6 White can play 32.Bxb6 when there’s no longer
any need to worry about the pin along the b-file (see the note to 29.Rxe8) as the rook on b5 is now
protected.
30.g4!
Position after: 30.g4!
White improves his position on the kingside structurally by seizing a space advantage on that wing. Later
on Black will collapse because of the weakened kingside structure.
30...Kf8
Again 30...f5 can hardly be recommended because of 31.gxf5 gxf5 32.Rxe8+ Rxe8 33.Rg1+ Kf8 34.Rg6
78
and Black has problems defending his weak pawns.
31.h4 Rxe4 32.Kxe4 Re8+
Position after: 32...Re8+
33.Kd3
Although there isn’t anything wrong with the text move, Carlsen could have played more actively with
33.Kd5 since the black rook can’t do any damage on the seventh rank with 33...Re2 34.Kc6 Bd8 35.h5
gxh5 36.gxh5 Ra2? 37.Kd7 Bh4 38.Rxb6 and White is winning.
33...Re6 34.Be3 Kg7
As you should know by now, it’s usually a good strategy to place pawns on the opposite colour to the
bishop. However, here 34...h5 can be met by 35.gxh5 gxh5 36.Rb5 and the h-pawn is too vulnerable.
35.Rb5 Bd8 36.h5 Rd6+ 37.Kc4 Rc6+ 38.Kd5
79
38...Re6
38...Rxc3? abruptly ends the game because of the double attack 39.Bd4+ which picks up the rook.
39.Bd4+ Kf8 40.f4 Bc7 41.f5 Rd6+
Caruana doesn’t want to make any further concessions on the kingside. In case of 41...gxf5 White takes
advantage of the opened g-file, e.g. 42.gxf5 Rd6+ 43.Ke4 Rc6 44.Rb1 Rd6 45.Rg1 Bb8 46.Be5 Rd8
47.Bg7+ Ke7 48.Bxh6 Rh8 49.Bg5+ f6 50.Be3 Rxh5 51.Rg7+ Kf8 52.Rb7 Be5 53.c4 and the black
pawns on the queenside are likely to drop.
42.Ke4
80
Position after: 42.Ke4
42...Rc6
Considering Black’s problems on the kingside, another idea might have been keeping the files closed
with 42...g5 though it becomes clear that after 43.c4 his defensive task remains very unpleasant. The
following variations perfectly illustrate his difficult situation:
A) 43...Rc6 44.c5 bxc5 45.Rxc5 Rxc5 46.Bxc5+ Ke8 47.Kd5 Kd7 48.Bf8 f6
81
A1) A tactical solution is 49.Bxh6 Ke7 50.Bg7 Kf7 51.h6 Be5 52.Kc6 Bd4 53.Kb5 Bc3 54.Kb6 Bd2
55.Bh8 Bc3 56.h7 (we have seen a similar construction in the game Short – Rublevsky) 56...Kf8
57.Bxf6! Bxf6 58.Kxa5 Bd4 59.Ka6 Kg7 60.a5 Kxh7 61.Kb7 Kg7 62.a6 Kf7 63.a7 Bxa7 64.Kxa7
and the pawn ending is easily winning for White.
A2) 49.Bc5 Bd8 50.Bd4 Be7 51.Bb2 Bd8 52.Bc3 and Black is in zugzwang.
B) 43...Ke8 44.Re5+
Position after: 44.Re5+
44...Kf8 [44...Kd7 45.Rd5 leaves Black with a hopeless bishop ending.] 45.c5 Rc6 46.cxb6 Bxb6
[46...Bxe5 47.Kxe5 Rc8 48.Kd6 Rd8+ 49.Kc5 and the b-pawn is unstoppable.] 47.Bxb6 Rxb6 48.Rxa5
Rb4+ 49.Ke5! (rule of thumb: activate the king!) 49...Rxg4 50.Kf6 Re4 51.Ra7 White is winning.
43.Rb1!
82
Position after: 43.Rb1!
The rook has done its job on the fifth rank, as White has gradually advanced his kingside pawns. By
retreating the rook to b1 Carlsen aims to switch to the kingside and penetrate into Black’s camp.
43...Ke8 44.hxg6 fxg6 45.Rh1 Kf7 46.Kd5
Obviously 46.Rxh6? fails to 46...gxf5+ winning the rook.
46...Rd6+ 47.Kc4
83
Position after: 47.Kc4
47...gxf5
47...g5 has been recommended as a more stubborn attempt to save the game. The following variation
convincingly shows that White wins anyway after 48.Re1 [48.f6? is premature, in view of 48...Kg6
49.Rf1 Kf7 and White can’t make further progress] 48...Rc6+ [White also wins after 48...Bd8 49.Re5 Bf6
50.Re6 Rxe6 51.fxe6+ Kxe6 52.Bxb6 as Black cannot get any counterplay] 49.Kb5 Rd6 50.Re5 Bd8
51.Kc4
51...Rc6+ [51...Bc7 allows 52.Rd5!; 51...h5 52.gxh5 Rh6 53.Rd5 Ke8 54.f6 Bxf6 55.Bxf6 Rxf6 56.Rxg5
and White should be able to convert his extra pawn] 52.Kd5 Rc8 53.Re6 and Black has been completely
dominated by White’s forces.
48.gxf5 Bd8 49.f6!
84
49...Bxf6
Unlike the line in the notes to 47...g5 48.f6? it makes no sense to play 49...Kg6 because of 50.Rg1+ Kf7
51.Rg7+ Ke6 52.Rh7 (the h-pawn falls).
50.Rxh6 Be7
There’s no chance of creating a fortress with 50...Bxd4 51.Rxd6 Bc5 52.Rc6 Ke7 as White can easily
steer the game into a winning pawn ending with 53.Rxc5!
51.Rxd6 Bxd6 52.Kb5 Ke6 53.Bxb6 Kd7 54.c4 Kc8
85
55.Bxa5
White doesn’t fall for the last trick. After 55.c5? Bxc5 56.Bxc5 Kb7 Black still secures a draw as the
bishop doesn’t control the corner square: 57.Kxa5 Ka8 58.Kb6 Kb8 59.a5 Ka8 60.a6 Kb8 61.Bd6+ Ka8
and stalemate can’t be avoided.
55...Kb7 56.Bb4 Bf4 57.c5 Ka7 58.c6 Kb8 59.a5 Ka7 60.a6 Ka8 61.Bc5 Bb8 62.Kc4 Bc7 63.Kd5
Bd8 64.Ke6 Bc7 65.Kd7 Ba5 66.Be7
86
Position after: 66.Be7
Black resigned, since nothing can be done against White’s next move 67.Bd8, driving the bishop away
from the a5-d8 diagonal after which the c-pawn queens.
1-0
The last example is a blitz game, which explains the technical mistake made by Giri.
Giri, Anish (2752)
Wijk aan Zee 2018
Black to move
White’s advantage is beyond doubt: more active pieces and the black pawns on the kingside have have
been fixed on the colour of White’s bishop. White’s last move 36.Rc1 poses Black some new problems
concerning the pin along the c-file, as White is threatening to win material by means of 37.Bd4. How
should Black deal with this problem?
36...Rc6?
A) After the text Black will be saddled with additional pawn weaknesses on the queenside. There is no
time to offer the bishop extra support with 36...b5? since after 37.Bd4 b4 38.h5 Kd6 39.Kd3 White
wins a pawn and Black lacks counterplay in the ensuing rook ending, while the pawn on a6 remains
weak as well.
B) 36...Rc7 is strongly met by 37.Bb6! [37.Bd4? Ba5! is the point] 37...Rc6 38.Bd4! Bb4 [38...Bxd4
39.Rxc6 bxc6 40.Kxd4 Kd6 41.b4 and the pawn ending is just lost thanks to a reserve tempo available
for White: 41...Kd7 42.Kc5 Kc7 43.h5+–] 39.Rxc6 bxc6 40.Kd3 with similar play as in the game.
87
C) The only way to secure a draw is by going into the bishop ending without creating any additional
weaknesses on the queenside. This could be achieved by playing 36...Kd7! and now after 37.Kd3
[37.Bd4 Re8+! Black should be able to hold comfortably] 37...Bb4 38.Rxc8 Kxc8 39.Kc4 Bd6 40.Kd5
Kd7
the ensuing ending is certainly better for White, but how to make further progress? Unlike the game
continuation, here the white king is unable to challenge the black pawns on the queenside, so offering
the exchange of bishops is White’s only attempt. 41.Bc5 [41.a4 Bc7 42.Bc5 Bg3 43.h5 Bf4 with similar
play as in the line with 41.Bc5.] 41...Bg3 42.h5 Bf4 43.Bf8 Bg5 and Black can just keep his bishop on
the c1-h6 diagonal, protecting the pawn on h6, and in case of 44.Bxg7 Black responds with 44...Ke7
when the bishop is trapped. Of course, White doesn’t have to take on g7, but since there are no other
targets Black should be able to hold without too many difficulties.
36...Rc6? 37.Kd3!
88
Position after: 37.Kd3!
37...Bb4
The bishop could have gone to some other squares as well, but that would not have changed White’s play
in the subsequent phase. White’s advantage is so great that his victory does not depend on one single
tempo; this degree of domination is often the case when the weaker side is suffering from too many
weaknesses in his camp.
38.Rxc6 bxc6 39.Kc4 Bd6 40.Bc5!
89
40...Kd7
After 40...Bxc5 41.Kxc5 Kd7 42.Kb6 the pawn ending is easily won.
41.h5!
You need to be careful, as once you liquidate into a pawn ending the outcome often depends on a single
tempo. Inferior in this case is 41.Bxd6? Kxd6 42.b4 [42.h5 c5!=] 42...h5! 43.gxh5 Ke5 and Black is in
time in the upcoming race.
41...Bf4
Now after 41...Kc7 42.Bxd6+ Kxd6 43.b4 Black’s counterplay on the kingside comes too late, e.g.
43...Ke5 44.Kc5 Kf4 45.Kxc6 Kxg4 46.a4 Kxf5 47.b5 axb5 48.axb5 and White is much faster.
42.Bf8 Ke8 43.Bc5
After 43.Bxg7? Kf7 44.Bh8 Bd6! White is unable to make progress [but not 44...Be5? 45.Kc5 Kg8
46.Kxc6 Kxh8 47.Kb6 and White’s connected passed pawns will seal the deal].
43...Kd7 44.Kb4
Position after: 44.Kb4
44...Bd2+
90
The weaknesses on both sides of the board are impossible to handle for Black. For instance, after
44...Bc7 45.Bf8! White actually threatens to take on g7, as the pawn on h6 is unprotected. Hence, Black
decides to stop the white king from infiltrating the queenside by placing the bishop on d2.
45.Ka4 Kc7 46.b4!
And now the black king needs to choose whether to stay on the queen or the kingside. Black is lost.
46...Bf4
46...Kb7 47.Bf8+–
47.Bf8 Kb6 48.Bxg7 Bg5 49.Bf8!
Position after: 49.Bf8!
Precision till the end, as 49.Kb3? allows Black to get rid of one of his weaknesses by means of 49...c5!
After Carlsen’s prophylactic move the white king is ready to return to the centre and offer the trade of
bishops, converting the smallest material advantage.
49...Bf4 50.Be7 Bg5 51.Kb3 Kc7 52.Kc4 Kd7 53.Bc5 Kc7 54.Kd3 Kd7 55.Be3
1-0
91
Chapter 3
Opposite-coloured bishop endings
For the weaker side, entering a pure opposite-coloured bishop ending is often a narrow escape that makes
it possible to survive a material deficit. A key theme is the double function, a technique which assumes a
prominent role in this type of ending. We will start with a couple of examples where the defensive bishop
benefits from stopping the opponent’s pawns on the same diagonal, but there are also quite a number of
situations where the stronger bishop benefits from having multiple tasks. Mastering opposite-coloured
bishop endings (and also positions about the initiative, see next chapter) will deepen your general
understanding of the game and certainly you’ll benefit from going through the examples from games of
the world’s leading players. The fact that this type of ending is often seen at the top level confirms that
many points can be won when you put some hours of study into it!
Double function
White to move
Black is two pawns up, but unable to break through White’s defensive line. The bishop on g1 can’t be
driven away by its counterpart and so can easily block the g-pawn. Moreover, it also prevents the c-pawn
from advancing, as the king on b4 perfectly controls that square as well. A waiting move like
1.Ba7
should be enough to hold a draw. On the other hand, White has to be extremely careful to select the right
square, as e.g. 1.Bf2? loses to 1...Ke4 2.Kc3 Kf3! attacking the bishop, and now after 3.Bg1 Ke2 the
92
black king has managed to get through.
1.Ba7 Ke4 2.Kc3!
The white king has to follow. Another waiting move like 2.Bb6 can hardly be recommended, because of
2...Kd3! and the black king walks to f1.
2...Kf3 3.Kd2 Kg3 4.Bg1!
And the black king is unable to invade. Incorrect would have been 4.Ke2? Kh2 and White’s king can’t
get any closer. This example shows that the bishop is perfectly able to stop both passed pawns. The
reason is that the bishop has a long range and so can easily deal with two (and sometimes even more!)
passed pawns when they can be blocked on the same diagonal. In such endgames the double function is a
handy tool for the weaker side.
White to move
On to the next example, a favourite of mine which I always like to share with beginners on this topic of
opposite-coloured bishops. Black is unable to make any further progress, despite being up five full
pawns. The inability of the bishops to challenge each other on the same colour explains why Black is
unable to push his pawns. White’s bishop is nicely controlling the b1-h7 diagonal, preventing a black
pawn from making its next step without being captured. Of course, this position is a bit extreme of its
kind, as the black king has been imprisoned in the corner of the board and will never be able to
participate again. Nevertheless, it’s a good reminder to use your king actively in the final stage of the
game, as has been discussed in Chapter 1!
Oms Pallisse, Josep (2493)
93
Salgado Lopez, Ivan (2614)
Barcelona 2011
Black to move
68...c5! 69.bxc5
After 69.b5 Kd7 Black can trade his d-pawn for White’s b-pawn, when a similar ending appears.
69...dxc5 70.Kd3 Kd7 71.Bg1 Kc6 72.Bf2 Kb5 73.Kc3 Bb7?
Although it doesn’t spoil anything, Black chooses the wrong plan. Instead he should have immediately
played 73...Be6 74.Bg1 c4! intending to penetrate with his king via the back rank. Fortunately in this
kind of ending such small mistakes can easily be corrected.
74.Bg1 Kc6 75.Bf2 Kd5 76.Bg1 Ba6 77.Bf2
94
77...Kc6
Probably Black finally realised that his intended 77...c4? throws the win away, since after 78.Bg1 Ke4
[Black doesn’t have time to enter via the queenside with 78...Kc6 because of 79.Kb4! and despite the
fact that the white bishop doesn’t stop both pawns, Black is not able to win as the board is too small]
79.Kd2 Kf3
95
A) And after 80.Ba7 Black is unable to make progress.
B) But not 80.Ke1? c3! 81.Kd1 Bd3! and Black wins, e.g. 82.Ba7 Ke4 83.Bb6 Kd5 84.Bg1 Kc4
85.Bf2 Bg6 86.Ke2 [86.Bg1 Kd3 87.Bc5 c2+ 88.Kc1 Ke2–+] 86...c2 87.Kd2 Kb3 88.Bd4 [88.Bg1
Kb2–+] 88...Bf5 89.Kc1 Kc4 90.Bg1 Kd3–+.
78.Bg1 Kb5 79.Bf2
79...Bc8
Now 79...c4 would have been equally as good as the text. The black king is already on b5 and thus
prevents White from playing Kb4, closing the invasion route. 80.Bg1 Ka4 81.Bc5 Bb5 82.Kc2 [82.Bg1
Ka3–+] 82...Bd7 Black wins in similar style to the game continuation.
80.Be3 Be6 81.Bf2 c4!
Following the recommendation mentioned above at move 73.
82.Be3 Ka4 83.Bc5
96
It seems that White has managed to prevent the king from entering via the queenside, as a3 is controlled
by the bishop. However, since a3 and the promotion square g1 are not located on the same diagonal,
White doesn’t have a waiting move with his bishop that retains control over both squares. Black, on the
other hand, has plenty of useful moves with his bishop, as its only task is protecting the c-pawn.
83...Bf7!
Zugzwang!
84.Bf2
In case of 84.Kc2 Kb5 85.Bf2 Kb4 Black threatens to advance his c-pawn and chase the king further
away with a check on g6, while 86.Be1+ doesn’t really help, on account of 86...c3! when the pawn can’t
be eliminated by 87.Bxc3+ Kc4 because g1 is no longer within reach.
84...Ka3 85.Be3 Ka2
97
Position after: 85...Ka2
86.Kc2
White tries to keep the black king out of play as long as possible.
Ignoring the march by something like 86.Bg1 would not have changed the outcome of the game either:
86...Kb1 87.Be3 Be6! Zugzwang again, as the bishop can’t simultaneously keep c1 and g1 under control.
88.Kd2 [88.Bf2 Kc1–+] 88...Kb2 89.Bd4+ Kb3 followed by 90...c3 and Black wins.
86...Bg6+!
Since the white king has temporarily given up control over c4, Black is able to improve the position of
his bishop.
87.Kc3
87.Kc1 Kb3 88.Bd4 c3 89.Be3 Kc4 90.Kd1 Kd3 91.Ba7 c2+ 92.Kc1 Ke2 and Black secures the
promotion of his g-pawn.
87...Bd3 88.Bf2 Kb1 89.Be3
98
89...Bf1! 90.Bg1
90.Kd2 Kb2 91.Bd4+ Kb3 and Black wins as in the notes to 86.Bg1.
90...Kc1 91.Bf2 Kd1 92.Kd4 Bd3!
White resigned, in view of the threat of 93...Ke2, while after 93.Ke3 Black wins by 93...c3! 94.Kxd3 c2
and either the c- or g-pawn decides the game.
0-1
Roiz, Michael (2660)
Socko, Bartosz (2654)
Lublin 2011
99
White to move
For quite some time White has been attempting to infiltrate with his king into the enemy camp. Initially,
the king tried to break through on the queenside, which was accurately prevented by Black. In that case
Black installs his bishop on b7 (covering the entry square a6) and when the white king threatens to invade
from the other side via c5 or d4, Black posts his king on d7 or e6 respectively. The thematic features of
opposite-coloured bishops immediately become clear.
In general, the weaker side has the advantage that the bishops are unable to challenge each other, which
means the chances of building a fortress increase. Another important factor is that the weaker side, in
contrast to same-coloured bishop endings, can place his pawns on the colour of his own bishop. This
makes sense, as its counterpart is unable to attack them.
In order to make progress, White decided to open a second route with f2-f3 and transferred his king to the
other wing with the aim of undermining the base (g6) of Black’s pawn chain. According to the defensive
setup mentioned above, Black’s king walks along in order to keep the white king out. Black needs to
meet White’s Kg5 by placing his king on f7, which also means that when the white king is on f4 Black
needs to have his own king at e6.
It’s noteworthy that the h6-square has no significance, as the board is too small to allow penetration via
the back rank. So far it seems Black has everything under control.
The question is whether White can pose Black some further problems, e.g. by creating another passed
pawn. The following move doesn’t seem to contribute though... or does it?
66.f4!
Releasing the tension and blocking the way back for the king, but White has an instructive concept in
mind.
100
66...Bb7
Black’s subsequent moves are easy to understand. The king is bound to the protection of g6, while the
bishop can’t stop covering the b7-square.
67.Be1 Bc8 68.Bf2 Kg7 69.Bg3 Kf7 70.Be1 Kg7
Position after: 70...Kg7
71.g3
Suddenly it becomes clear that White’s only chance of getting through the barricade depends on a well-
timed g4. At the moment such a radical measure is premature: 71.g4
A) Black must avoid 71...fxg4? allowing the thematic 72.f5! gxf5 73.Bg3! Kf7 74.Kxh5
101
Position after: 74.Kxh5
when White has reached his goal of creating a second passer. The winning procedure is exemplary:
74...Kf6 75.Kh6 Bb7 76.h5 Bc8 77.Bh4+ Kf7 78.Kg5 Kg7 79.Bg3 Kh7 80.Be5 and Black is in
zugzwang, since after 80...Kg8 81.Kg6 the h-pawn decides matters.
B) The saving move is 71...hxg4! 72.Bg3 [72.h5? makes no sense, because after 72...gxh5 the pawn on
f5 is still protected.] 72...Kf7 and White is getting nowhere.
71...Kf7 72.Bc3!
Zugzwang!
72...Bb7
102
Position after: 72...Bb7
73.g4!
Well timed: the bishop is no longer protecting the pawn on f5.
73...hxg4
73...fxg4 allows 74.f5 gxf5 75.Be5 when White wins in a similar fashion to that mentioned in the note to
71.g4 fxg4?.
74.h5 gxh5 75.Kxf5!
Now it’s obvious why White had to force the bishop to leave c8.
After 75.Kxh5? White has not achieved his goal of creating a second trump.
75...g3 76.Be1 g2 77.Bf2
103
77...Ke7
77...h4 doesn’t help, because of 78.Kg4 and White picks up the pawns as well. As you can see, in spite of
being far-advanced, Black’s passed pawns are unable to cause White any harm, as the bishop on f2 stops
them in time.
78.Kg6 Bd5 79.Kxh5 Kf6 80.Kg4
104
80...Ke6
Threatening a king march to support the b-pawn. In case Black decides to wait with e.g. 80...Bb7 he
arrives too late after 81.Kg3 Ke6 82.Kxg2 Kd5 83.Bh4! since 83...Kc6 can now be met by 84.Bd8!
81.Kg5!
Activity is the key to success. Inferior now is 81.Kg3? Kd6 82.Kxg2 Kc6 83.Kg3 Kxb6 84.f5 Kc6
85.Kf4 Kd6 86.Kg5 Ke7 87.Kg6 Ke8 and Black is in time to stop White’s passed pawn, since the king
can’t be driven away from e8.
81...Kf7
Socko decides to stay on the kingside with his king. The other possibility is picking up the b-pawn
immediately: 81...Kd7 82.f5 Kc6 83.f6 Kxb6 84.Kg6 Kc5 85.f7 Bxf7+ 86.Kxf7 Kc4 87.Kf6 Kd3
88.Kf5 Ke2 89.Bg1!
Position after: 89.Bg1!
It’s worth remembering the double function of the bishop. It not only blocks the g-pawn, but also protects
the one remaining pawn at the same time. 89...Kf1 [89...Kf3 90.Ke5 and e5 falls.] 90.Bh2! (had the
position been switched one file to the right, this important idea would have been impossible) 90...g1=Q
91.Bxg1 Kxg1 92.Kxe4 And White wins.
82.Kf5 Bb7
105
83.Bg1!
A useful move, demonstrating that the winning procedure doesn’t depend on a single tempo. 83.Ke5
would have won as well.
83...Ba8 84.Ke5 Ke7 85.f5!
106
This is what it was all about: the f-pawn distracts the black king, which opens the road for the white king
to get to the queenside.
85...Kf7
The following line is instructive: 85...Bb7 86.f6+ Kd7 [86...Kf7 87.Kd6+–] 87.f7 Ke7 88.f8=Q+! Kxf8
89.Kd6 and White wins.
86.Kd6!
The f-pawn has done its job, as the white king finally penetrates into the queenside and picks up the
bishop.
86...Kf6 87.Kc7 Kxf5 88.b7 Bxb7 89.Kxb7 Kg4 90.Kc6
And Black resigned, as White’s king is too close and will pick up the pawn on e4.
1-0
Nakamura, Hikaru (2758)
Moscow 2011
Black to move
Does White have any drawing chances? Carlsen convincingly exploits his extra pawn without giving his
opponent the opportunity to establish a fortress.
33...Be2!
107
An excellent idea to keep the white king locked up in his house. If White decides just to wait with moves
like Be1-d2, the black king will walk via g7-g6-f5-e4-d3 to c2 to support the advance of his passed pawn.
In order to prevent this scenario, White is forced to take some radical measures.
34.f4 gxf3 35.Bf2
Forcing Black to place his pawn on d3. In case of 35.Kf2 the king doesn’t have access to e3.
35...d3 36.Be1 Kg7 37.Kf2 Kf6 38.Ke3 Kf5
39.h3
A crucial moment in the game, as White has to decide where to place his pawns on the queenside. The
text prevents the black king from entering the kingside. Another approach would be placing the pawns on
the black squares and the king on f2. Carlsen pointed out an instructive winning plan: 39.h4 Kg4 40.Kf2
Bd1 41.Bd2 Bc2 42.Bf4 Bb1!
108
Position after: 42...Bb1!
Creating an entry square for the king. 43.a3 b5 44.Bd2 Bc2 45.Be3 a6 46.Bd2 Bb3 47.Be3 Bd5 48.Bd2
Be4 49.Be3 Kf5 And now the bishop protects the f-pawn, the king walks to b3 and Black wins.
39...h5 40.Bd2 Bf1
41.Be1
109
A) In case of 41.Kxf3 Bxh3 the winning plan is as follows: 42.Ke3 Bf1 43.Kf2 Be2 44.Ke3 Kg4
45.Kf2 f5!
Position after: 45...f5!
and White can’t prevent his opponent from creating a passed h-pawn. 46.Be3 Bf3 47.Bd2 f4! 48.Bxf4
[48.gxf4 h4 49.f5 h3! 50.Kg1 Kxf5 and Black’s pawns are too far away from each other to allow White
to establish a defensive setup.] 48...h4 49.Bd2 h3 50.Kg1 Kxg3 51.Be1+ Kf4 52.Bd2+ Kg4 53.Bc3
Bd5 And Black will win with 54...Kf3 and 55...Ke2.
B) Moreover, 41.h4 more or less transposes to the lines mentioned after 39.h4.
41...Bxh3 42.Kxd3
After 42.Kxf3 Black uses the same winning strategy as in the line mentioned after 41.Kxf3.
42...Bf1+ 43.Ke3 Kg4 44.Kf2 Bb5 45.Bc3 Bc6 46.Be5 b5 47.Bb8 a6 48.Bc7 f5
110
49.b3
Generally it’s not a good idea to place the pawns on the colour of your opponent’s bishop. Nakamura
tries to prevent the black king from entering the queenside by taking away the c4-square. However, after
49.a3 White would also be unable to save the position. The following line perfectly illustrates the usual
winning procedure of transferring the king to the other side: 49...f4 50.gxf4 h4 51.f5 Kxf5 52.Ke3 Ke6
53.Kf2 Be4 54.Ke3 Kd5 55.Bh2 Kc4!
Position after: 55...Kc4!
111
56.Bd6 [56.Kxe4 f2–+] 56...Kb3 57.Be5 h3 58.Kf2 a5 59.Ke3 b4 60.axb4 axb4 61.Kf2 h2! 62.Bxh2
Kxb2 followed by Kc2 and running with the b-pawn leaves White in a hopeless situation as he cannot
deal with the two separated passed pawns.
49...Bd5
Black certainly isn’t in a hurry, though the immediate breakthrough on the kingside initiated by 49...f4
would also have been good.
50.Bd6 f4! 51.gxf4
The other capture allows the h-pawn to pass through the barricade: 51.Bxf4 h4! 52.Bd6 h3!
Position after: 52...h3!
and the g-pawn just hinders the bishop from covering the h2-square. 53.Kg1 h2+! 54.Kxh2 f2 and the f-
pawn queens.
51...h4 52.f5 Kxf5 53.Ke3
The attempt to exchange pawns on the queenside with 53.a4 doesn’t really help, since after 53...Bxb3
54.axb5 axb5 55.Kxf3 Bd5+ Black’s pawns are too far apart.
53...Kg4 54.Kf2 h3 55.Ke3
112
If the pawns on the queenside were removed from the board Black would be unable to breach the
blockade on the dark squares. Carlsen finds an instructive plan to transfer his king to the queenside.
55...Be4 56.Kf2 Bb1 57.a3 Ba2 58.b4 Bf7!
Position after: 58...Bf7!
And Nakamura resigned. There’s nothing to do about the king picking up the a3-pawn. An illustrative
line goes 59.Bc7 Bh5 60.Bb8 Kf5 61.Kg3 [if 61.Ke3 Ke6 White’s king can’t prevent its opposite
113
number from entering via the light squares 62.Bc7 Kd5 63.Kf2 Kc4 64.Bf4 Kb3 65.Be5 Kxa3 66.Bd6
Ka4 67.Kg3 Bg4! Next comes 68...a5 when a third passed pawn is too much for White] 61...Bg4! 62.Ba7
Ke4! 63.Bg1 Kd3 and the bishop is still untouchable, in view of 64.Kxg4 f2 65.Bxf2 h2 and Black wins.
Conclusion: The ease with which Carlsen displays his fine technique does not have much to do with the
calculation of variations but is rather the result of a well executed process of schematic thinking. His plan
consists of the following steps: 1) preventing White becoming active (33...Be2!), 2) activating his king,
3) creating a second passed pawn on the kingside, 4) relocating the bishop, taking care about the passed
pawns, and 5) transferring the king to the queenside.
0-1
114
Saving the last pawn
Paragua, Mark (2565)

Jakovenko, Dmitry (2724)
Tromso 2013
Black is a pawn up, but has to take the important decision whether to keep queens on the board or not.
Jakovenko, a great technical player, correctly calculates that Black can steer the game into a pure
opposite-coloured bishop ending and win.
Black to move
49...Qxf2+! 50.Kxf2 Bc1 51.c4
White is simply unable to exchange off all the pawns on the queenside. Another line goes 51.b4 Bxa3
52.c4
115
Position after: 52.c4
52...Bxb4 [52...bxc4? 53.Bxc4 Bxb4 54.Bxa6 with an elementary draw, explained in the notes after
52...axb5] 53.cxb5 a5! and the extra a-pawn means that White can’t give up his bishop for the f- and g-
pawn.
51...Bxb2 52.cxb5
Position after: 52.cxb5
52...a5!
116
A key move!
Trading off pawns with 52...axb5 53.Bxb5 Bxa3 leads to a theoretical ending in which Black can’t take
advantage of his two extra pawns: 54.Kg2 f5 55.Be2 g5 56.Bf3 g4 57.Bd1 Kg5 58.Be2 f4 59.Bd1 Kf5
60.Be2 and, since the bishop can just shuffle between d1 and e2, Black can’t make any progress, while
60...f3+ can be answered with 61.Bxf3 gxf3+ 62.Kxf3=..
53.a4 Kg5 54.Ke3 f5
More precise than 54...Be5 55.Ke4 when the white king can generate some counterplay.
55.Be2 Be5 56.b6 Kh4
57.b7
Another instructive line is 57.Bd3 Kg4 58.Bc4 g5 59.Be6 Bd6! (threatening 60... Bc5) 60.Kd4 [The
point is that after 60.b7 Bb8 61.Bd7 Ba7+ the bishop not only stops the b-pawn but also drives the white
king back: 62.Ke2 Kf4 63.Kf1 g4 64.Kg2 Kg5 followed by f5-f4-f3 etc] 60...Kf4 61.Kd5 Bb8 62.Kc6
g4 63.Kb7 Be5 64.Ka6 g3 65.Bd5 Ke3 66.Kxa5 f4 67.Kb5 f3 68.a5 g2 and Black is faster.
57...g5 58.Bd3
117
Position after: 58.Bd3
Passive defence doesn’t work out well for White either, e.g. 58.Kf2 g4 59.Kg2 f4 60.Bd1 Bb8! [The
most accurate move, as the immediate 60...f3+? allows White to make a draw after 61.Bxf3 gxf3+
62.Kxf3 Kg5 63.Ke4 Kf6 64.Kd5 Bh2 65.Kc6 Ke7 66.Kb6=] 61.Be2 Kg5 62.Bd1 f3+ 63.Bxf3 gxf3+
64.Kxf3 Kf5 65.Ke3 Ke5 66.Kd3 Kd5 67.Kc3 Kc6 68.Kc4 Kxb7 69.Kb5 Bc7 and White wins as the
bishop controls the corner square.
58...f4+ 59.Ke4
59.Kf2 g4 wins for Black in a similar way, as examined in previous lines.
59...Bb8 60.Be2 g4 61.Bb5 Kg3
118
62.Kf5
62.Bd7 can be answered by 62...f3 63.Ke3 f2 64.Bb5 Kg2 and the f-pawn queens.
62...f3 63.Bc4 f2 64.Be2 Ba7 65.Kg5
65.Bf1 allows 65...Kf3 and soon the g-pawn will give clinch the game.
65...Kg2 66.Kxg4 f1=Q 67.Bxf1+ Kxf1
119
Position after: 67...Kxf1
White resigned as he is simply unable to eliminate Black’s remaining pawn, e.g. 68.Kf3 Ke1 69.Ke4
Kd2 70.Kd5 Kc3 71.Kc6 Kb4 72.Kc7 Kxa4 73.b8=Q Bxb8+ 74.Kxb8 Kb3 and it is the all-important
a-pawn that decides the matter.
0-1
Kamsky, Gata (2741)
Lou, Yiping (2484)
Tromso 2013
White to move
Both sides have only two pawns left, but the h-pawn appears to decide Black’s fate. At this moment
White first has to do something about his bishop on e6. It’s not yet obvious that only one square will
ensure a victory for White.
75.Bh3?
This natural move throws everything away. The correct plan is to take control of the a6 square straight
away with 75.Bc8! Bc5 76.h5 Bd4 77.h6 Kd6
120
78.Kf7! [78.h7 can be met by 78...Ke7!] 78...a5 [78...Kc5 79.Ba6! is key!] 79.bxa6 b5 80.h7 and White
wins, since after 80...Kc7 81.a7! the black king has been prevented from going to b7.
75.Bh3? Bc5!
Only this move saves the game. White wins after 75...Bb4? 76.h5 Bc3 77.h6 Kd6 78.Kf7 since now
78...a5 doesn’t make sense because of 79.bxa6 b5 [79...Kc7 80.Bf1!] 80.a7 and the a-pawn is
unstoppable.
76.h5 Bd4 77.h6 Kd6 78.Kf7
78.h7 allows 78...Ke7! and the white king can’t support the h-pawn any longer.
78...a5!
121
Position after: 78...a5!
A) This amazing resource saves Black by one tempo. White wins after both 78...Kc5 79.Bf1! and
B) 78...Kc7 79.Bf1! when Black can’t eliminate White’s b-pawn [but not 79.h7? a6! 80.bxa6 b5
81.Kg8 Kb6 82.Bc8 b4 and the bishop can’t keep up the protection of the a-pawn].
79.bxa6
Forced, since after 79.h7? a4! the tables are suddenly turned.
79...b5!
Now it becomes clear why the bishop had to go to c5 on the 75th move. Inferior is 79...Kc7? 80.Bf1! and
thanks to the double function of the bishop (protecting a6 and preventing ...b6-b5) White still wins.
80.h7
80.Bf1 doesn’t change the evaluation, e.g. 80...b4 81.Bc4
122
81...Kc6 [81...Kc5? 82.a7!+–] 82.h7 Kb6 83.Kg8 b3 84.h8=Q Bxh8 85.Kxh8 b2 86.Bd3 b1=Q 87.Bxb1
Kxa6=...
80...Kc7!
81.Bf1 b4 82.Ke6 b3 83.Kd5 b2 84.Bd3 Bh8 85.Kc5 Bg7 86.Be4 Kb8
123
Black also obtains a draw after 86...Bh8 87.a7 b1=Q 88.Bxb1 Kb7 and the a-pawn will be picked up next
move.
87.Kb6
87...Bd4+!
Precision until the end! 87...b1=Q+? can’t be recommended in view of 88.Bxb1 Bd4+ 89.Kc6 Ka7
90.Bd3 and, after White wins the black bishop for the h-pawn, the white bishop will control the corner
square of the a-pawn.
88.Kb5 Ka7
½-½
Blockading connected passed pawns
Hovhannisyan, Robert (2630)

Belous, Vladimir (2553)
Moscow 2013
124
White to move
Black is currently two pawns up, but in view of the opposite-coloured bishops White retains good
drawing chances.
Without the pawns on g3 and f7 White can quite easily achieve his goal by giving up his bishop for the
two pawns. In that case White can even simply sacrifice his bishop for the b-pawn, leaving Black with a
bishop which doesn’t control the corner square. In the current example this drawing mechanism doesn’t
play a role and White needs to find another way -- blockading the pawns on the dark squares -- to save
the game. White’s next move is not such an obvious mistake.
52.Kc3?
The young Armenian player picks the wrong square for the king.
Instead, correct would have been 52.Kb2! preventing the black king from supporting the advance of the
passed pawns. The bishop is excellently placed on g5, ready to answer the move ...a5 with Bd8! attacking
the pawns from behind. If Black decides to put the king on a4, the bishop retreats to e3, preventing the
mobilisation of the pawns on the queenside, while ...Ka5 can now simply be countered with a check on
d2. The following lines are quite instructive and show the elementary drawing techniques for this type of
ending. The last attempt is transferring the king to the pawn on g3, aiming to deflect the bishop.
However, White is able to defend without too many difficulties. For example:
125
Position after: 52.Kb2!
A) The main point of White’s strategy is that in case of 52...a5 the bishop will attack the pawns from
behind with 53.Bd8! when suddenly it’s difficult to mobilise the b-pawn. The only try is to retreat the
king with 53...Ka6 but then the white king can be activated with 54.Kc3! b5 55.Kd4! b4 [After 55...a4
56.Be7 Ka5 57.Kc3 Black can’t make further progress] 56.Kc5!
Position after: 56.Kc5!
The white king is excellently placed here, as its counterpart is no longer able to support the passed
pawns. 56...b3 57.Bf6 a4 58.Kb4 And White has succeeded in blockading the pawns on the dark
126
squares.
B) 52...Ka5 53.Bd2+ [Note that this check is not possible with the king on c3. Another option is 53.Ka3
b5 54.Bd8+ Ka6 55.Kb4 and White saves the game.] 53...Ka4 54.Be3! A very important resource,
preventing the pawns from marching forward. 54...Kb5 and now precision is required:
Position after: 54...Kb5
B1) A careless waiting move like 55.Bd2? doesn’t do the job, in view of 55...a5 56.Be3 Ka6 57.Kc3
b5 58.Kd4
127
58...Kb6! [Covering the c5 square, since after 58...b4? 59.Kc5! White controls the two pawns.]
59.Kc3+ Kc6–+
B2) 55.Bg5! Intending to meet 55...a5 with 56.Bd8! with a transposition to the line 52...a5 53.Bd8!.
Also sufficient is 55.Bf4! a5 56.Bc7! and White holds on.
C) 52...Ka4 can be answered with 53.Be3! and the queenside pawns can’t make progress without the
aid of the black king.
D) 52...Kc4 53.Be3! Again preventing the advance of the pawns on the queenside. 53...Kd3 54.Bg1
Ke2 55.Bd4 Kf3 56.Be5 b5 [56...Ke4 57.Bb8 a6 58.Bc7 b5 59.Kc3 and White blockades on the dark
squares.] 57.Bd6 a5 58.Bc7 f5
59.Bd6 [Of course, White shouldn’t play 59.Bxa5? Kxg3 as the bishop can’t defend both passed pawns
on the same diagonal.] 59...b4 60.Kb1 a4 [In the case of 60...Ke4 White has to play 61.Bc7! not
allowing the black king to support his pawns. After 61...a4 62.Bd6 b3 63.Kb2 a draw is inevitable.]
61.Bxb4 Kxg3 62.Bd6+ f4 63.Bxf4+! Kxf4 And, as the bishop doesn’t control the corner square, the
position is drawn.
52.Kc3?
Back to our main move, 52.Kc3?.
128
Position after: 52.Kc3?
52...Ka5!
A) Of course, Black should refrain from advancing his a-pawn immediately with 52...a5? in view of
53.Bd8! and White saves the game.
B) The alternative 52...Ka4 doesn’t spoil anything, but after 53.Be3 Black needs to play 53...Ka5
anyway to make progress.
53.Bd2
A) White is no longer able to stop the pawns. After 53.Bd8 Ka4 54.Be7 b5 55.Bd6 a5 56.Bc7 b4+
57.Kb2 Kb5 58.Be5 a4 59.Bf6 a3+ 60.Kb1 b3 61.Be5 b2 White is forced to give up the bishop,
because of the threat 62...Bf5.
B) Also, after 53.Be3 a6, nothing can be done against Black’s plan of ...b5, ...Ka4, ...a5, ...b4, ...Kb5,
etc.
53...a6
53...b5 54.Kd4+ Ka4 55.Kc5 a5 also suffices.
54.Bg5
Also hopeless is 54.Kb2+ Ka4 55.Be3 b5 56.Bd2 a5 57.Be3 b4 58.Bf4 Kb5, followed by the advance of
the a-pawn.
54...Ka4 55.Kd4 a5 56.Bf6 b5 57.Kc5 b4 58.Bg5 Kb3!
129
Position after: 58...Kb3!
And White resigned, as Black is about to promote the b-pawn after 59...Kc2.
0-1
Aronian, Levon (2809)
London 2013
Black to move
130
White is two pawns up and although Black is temporarily blockading them, his king is on the wrong side.
Aronian decides to transfer it to g3 where it attacks the pawns from behind.
63...Kd6! 64.Kg6 Ke5!
Absolutely the only move to save the game. During the press conference Radjabov said he thought Black
should also be able to hold on after 64...Ke7? but the following line was pointed out by the players:
65.Kh5 Bf6 66.g5 Bc3 67.Kh6 Bd2 68.h4 Be1 [68...Be3 wouldn’t have saved Black either: 69.Kh7 Bd4
70.g6 followed by 71.h5, 72.h6 and 73.g7]
Position after: 68...Be1
White easily brings home the full point with...

A) 69.g6! Bxh4 70.g7 and the remaining pawn promotes.
B) But not 69.h5? Bd2! 70.Kg6 Kf8 71.h6 [If 71.Kf5 Black can even force a draw with 71...Bxg5
72.Kxg5 Kg7 and the bishop doesn’t control the corner square] 71...Be3 72.Kh5 Bd2
131
and White is unable to make progress as 73.g6 can be answered with 73...Bc3! and the white king can’t
gain control over the g7-square to advance his g-pawn.
65.Kh5 Be7!
A very precise defensive resource, as the bishop needs to be able to switch diagonals. Inferior is
65...Bd8? in view of 66.g5 Kf4 67.g6 and now Black wishes he could have placed his bishop on f8, when
White can no longer win.
132
After 67...Bf6 68.Kh6 Kg3 69.Be6! White wins easily as the black king can’t reach the corner, e.g.
69...Kf4 70.g7 Bxg7+ 71.Kxg7 Kg5 72.Bg4 Kh4 73.Kg6 Kg3 74.Kg5+–.
66.g5
66...Kf4!
The king is heading for the h-pawn. 66...Kf5? fails to 67.h4! [67.g6? allows Black to blockade the pawns
with 67...Bf8!=] 67...Bf8 68.Bb1+ Kf4 69.Kg6! With a black king on g3 this move simply wouldn’t
work! 69...Be7 70.Bf5! [Depriving the black king of the g4-square, since after 70.Bc2? Kg4! Black holds
on] 70...Bd8 71.Bc8 Be7
133
72.Bd7 [White waits until the black bishop is on d8, since the immediate 72.Kh6? can be answered with
72...Kg3 73.h5 Kh4 74.g6 Bf8+! and Black is just in time] 72...Bd8 73.Kh6 Be7 74.g6 and Black cannot
prevent one of the two pawns from getting through.
67.h4
The point of Aronian’s play is that after 67.g6 he is able to imprison the white king on h5 with 67...Bf8!.
67...Kg3!
134
Position after: 67...Kg3!
The black king is ideally placed on g3, keeping an eye on the pawn on h4. After 67...Bf8? 68.Kg6! White
succeeds in mobilizing his pawns on the kingside: 68...Kg4 69.h5 Be7 70.h6 Bxg5 71.h7 and White
wins.
68.Bc4
Black is holding on by one tempo after 68.g6 Bf8! 69.Kg5 Be7+ 70.Kf5 [70.Kh6 doesn’t lead anywhere
after 70...Bf8+ 71.g7 Bxg7+ 72.Kxg7 Kxh4=] 70...Bf8 71.h5
Position after: 71.h5
71...Kh4 [Black still has to be very precise, as 71...Bh6? can be met by 72.Bb3 Kh4 73.Bd1 Bg7 74.Be2!
and Black is in zugzwang] 72.Bf7 Bg7! [72...Kxh5?? 73.g7+ and White wins.] and on the next move
Black annexes the h-pawn.
This whole variation illustrates the unfortunate placement of the white bishop on a2, as it needs to waste
an important tempo reaching the d1-h5 diagonal in order to protect the pawn. If it had been at b3, c4 or
d5 in the starting position, White could have won with 72.Bd1/e2/f3.
68...Bf8!
A) Another excellent defensive resource. Black doesn’t obtain a draw after 68...Bd8? 69.g6 Bf6 70.Bf1!
Bc3 [70...Kf2 is met by 71.Kh6 Kxf1 72.g7 Bxg7+ 73.Kxg7 and White wins] 71.Kg5 Bd2+ 72.Kf5
Bh6 [72...Kxh4 73.g7 and the g-pawn can’t be stopped] 73.h5 Kh4 74.Be2 Bg7 75.Bd1!
135
Position after: 75.Bd1!
[However, White shouldn’t rush to activate his king straight away with 75.Ke6? because after 75...Kg5
76.Kf7 Kh6 Black manages to blockade the pawns on the dark squares] 75...Bf8 [75...Bb2 76.h6+–;
75...Kg3 76.Kg5+– followed by 77.h6] 76.Kf6 and Black can’t keep control.
B) Also, after 68...Kh3? 69.g6 Bf8 70.Kg5 Be7+ 71.Kf5 Bf8 72.h5 Kh4 73.Be2 Bg7 74.Bd1, Black
ends up in zugzwang, as in the previous variation.
69.Be2 Bg7!
136
Position after: 69...Bg7!
69...Be7? 70.g6 Bf6 71.Bf1! and play transposes to the variation given after 68...Bd8?.
70.Bc4
White doesn’t have time to attack the bishop with 70.Kg6 in view of 70...Kxh4 71.Kxg7 Kxg5 and
Black has succeeded in eliminating White’s two remaining pawns.
70...Bf8 71.g6 Kf4!
The last precise move, after which White has to accept that a draw is simply inevitable. Not 71...Bg7?
72.Kg5 and the h-pawn decides matters.
72.Ba2 Bg7
And here the players agreed to share the point as the white king has been caught on h5.
½-½
137
Chapter 4
Initiative in opposite-coloured bishop endings
In the previous chapter we have seen that pure opposite-coloured bishop endings have serious drawing
tendencies, but when major pieces are still on the board the side having the initiative usually benefits.
Tactical opportunities abound and therefore quite a number of tactical exercises with opposite-coloured
bishops have been added to the test section. In this chapter the focus will be on more general themes such
as how to seize and convert the initiative, both with and without queens on the board!
Reinforcing your attacking potential

Whenever you are conducting an attack, it’s important to keep in mind that you should be playing with all
your pieces. Of course, when the attack has been initiated it’s very tempting to look for immediate strikes
(and you should consider them, as it might indeed lead to a decisive material gain or mating attack!), but
very often it helps when you ensure that your worst-placed piece is ready to join the attack as well. In
positions with opposite-coloured bishops this rule of thumb also counts. It could very well be the decisive
push breaking through the barricades.
Karpov has a tremendous record converting advantages thanks to the presence of opposite-coloured
bishops. In the following example he wonderfully demonstrates how to build up the attack, increase the
pressure on the opponent and finish the game off in style.
Karpov, Anatoly (2720)
Kasparov, Garry (2700)
Moscow 1985
White to move
138
41.Qe6+
Of course, other forcing moves should always be considered in such sharp positions.
However, in case of 41.Qh7+ Kf8 there is no good follow-up for White, as it’s impossible to create new
threats. The rook on f1 is out of play and is badly needed.
41.Qe6+ Kh8
The alternative 41...Kf8? quickly leads to mate after 42.Bg6 Qf4 43.Re1! and there is nothing Black can
do against the threat of Qe8.
42.Qg6 Kg8 43.Qe6+ Kh8
44.Bf5
After repeating once, Karpov finds a way to improve the position of his bishop.
I’m pretty sure Karpov would have preferred to activate his rook by means of 44.Re1?, threatening a
back-rank mate, but realized that after 44...Rf8! the threat has been parried and White suddenly suffers
from some coordination problems in solving the threat against the pawn on f2.
44...Qc3
Kasparov hopes to exchange off queens on f6.

The alternative 44...Bf6? is powerfully met by 45.Re1 Rf8 46.Qe8! Kg8 47.Bg6 and Black can only stop
White’s idea of Qxf8 and Re8 mate by giving up his bishop.
139
45.Qg6 Kg8 46.Be6+ Kh8
47.Bf5
Many players would be tempted here to win a pawn with the aid of a little tactical shot, though after
47.Bxd5?! when Black offers the exchange of queens with 47...Qf6! White loses his momentum and his
initiative fades away. Of course, White still retains an advantage, but playing for the initiative is worth
more than a pawn [47...Rxd5? runs into 48.Qe8+ Kh7 49.Qe4+ and White picks up the rook].
47...Kg8 48.g3!
140
An absolute class move by Karpov at his best! Since there is no immediate tactical shot White slowly
improves his position with a very useful waiting move. From a defensive point of view it’s usually a
good idea to place your king on a square the same colour as your own bishop: with the king on g2 there is
no good check for Black.
48...Kf8
It’s hard to point out a better option for Black. After 48...Qf6 White’s attack accelerates: 49.Qh7+ Kf8
50.h4 Bd2 51.Rd1 Bc3 52.Rd3 and things are starting to look more grim for Black.
49.Kg2! Qf6
Understandably, Black would like to exchange queens. After 49...Be7 50.Rc1! another point of White’s
last two moves has been revealed, since the rook will not be captured with check: 50...Qxc1? 51.Be6
leads to mate.
50.Qh7 Qf7
141
Position after: 50...Qf7
51.h4
With the black queen no longer controlling the e1-square one might consider 51.Re1? but then after
51...Qg8 52.Qg6 Qf7 the trade of queens can’t be avoided. Karpov has seen a better plan, letting the rook
join the attack.
51...Bd2 52.Rd1 Bc3 53.Rd3! Rd6?
The final mistake by Kasparov, but in any case defending that position with Black is practically mission
impossible. Perhaps more stubborn is the following line indicated by Kasparov himself: 53...Bf6 though
after 54.Rf3 Qg8 55.Qg6 Qf7 56.Qg4 d4 57.Bd3 Qd7 58.Rf5 Qc6+ 59.Kh2 the vulnerability of the light
squares is becoming too much to withstand for Black. After the text the back rank has been seriously
weakened and the white queen is ready to punish Black for that.
54.Rf3
142
Position after: 54.Rf3
54...Ke7
A) 54...Rf6 is strongly met by 55.Re3! with the point that after 55...Rxf5 56.Qh8+ Qg8 57.Re8+ a loss
of material is inevitable.
B) 54...Bf6 55.Re3 forces Black to give up at least a pawn, while after 55...g6 56.Qxh6+ Qg7 57.Qf4!
White retains a devastating attack, still keeping queens on the board.
55.Qh8 d4
Kasparov points out another nice line, which goes 55...Be5 56.Bh3 Rf6 57.Re3 Rxf2+ 58.Kg1 Qf6
59.Qb8 and despite having penetrated to f2, Black is completely lost.
56.Qc8 Rf6 57.Qc5+ Ke8 58.Rf4 Qb7+ 59.Re4+
143
Position after: 59.Re4+
59...Kf7
White shouldn’t fall off his chair if he is surprised by 59...Re6, which can be met with the cool 60.Qc4!
Rxe4 61.Qg8+ Ke7 62.Qxg7+ winning the queen and the game.
60.Qc4+ Kf8 61.Bh7 Rf7 62.Qe6 Qd7 63.Qe5
Position after: 63.Qe5
144
A great final touch, as mate is inevitable, e.g. 63...Re7 64.Rf4+ Rf7 [64...Ke8 65.Bg6+ Kd8 66.Qb8+
Qc8 67.Qd6+ Qd7 68.Rf8+ Re8 69.Rxe8#] 65.Qb8+ Qe8 66.Qd6+ Qe7 67.Rxf7+ Kxf7 68.Bg6+ Kf8
69.Qb8+ and mate on the next move. Once the white rook joined play via the third rank, White’s attack
became irresistible.
1-0
A pawn storm
In the previous example Karpov eventually found an instructive idea, including the remaining piece into
the attack by manoeuvring his rook via the third rank. In certain situations there are simply no open files,
and pawn breaks are needed in order to activate the forces.
So, Wesley (2778)
Stavanger 2018
White to move
White is a full pawn up and thanks to his wonderful bishop on d6 he is dominating the entire board, as the
black rooks are unable to use an open file. In subsequent play, So increases his advantage by pushing his
pawns on the kingside. His advantage on this side of the board is particularly visible because of his pawn
majority of 4 vs. 3.
32.g4!
A move I really do like a lot and one many people would have hesitated to make. Of course, advancing a
pawn two squares in front of your king isn’t something which is done frequently, but here it’s absolutely
justified. By placing all his kingside pawns on light squares, White restricts the movement of the enemy
145
bishop. Moreover, with his last move So prevents Black from playing ...f7-f5 any time soon. If Black
could play ...f5 he would either activate the bishop on g6 or, when White advanced with e4-e5, Black
would obtain reasonable chances of setting up a succesful blockade on the light-squares.
While grabbing space on the kingside White also facilitates the major pieces in their quest to reach the
kingside. White will have several ideas for opening up the kingside with the aid of his pawn majority, but
also the second rank could effectively be used by one of the rooks. In any case, there is definitely no
reason to be worried about the safety of White’s king, as the black pieces simply don’t have the power to
infiltrate White’s position.
32...f6 33.f4 Qc6?
Position after: 33...Qc6?
It seems as if Carlsen simply underestimated White’s aggressive intentions on the kingside. It would have
been better to anticipate White’s next move by retreating the bishop with 33...Bf7, but nevertheless White
would still continue in similar style as in the game.
34.f5 Bf7 35.h4!
Suddeny things are starting to look very serious for Black. With two possible break moves at hand for
White, either e4-e5 or g4-g5, Black’s position is already very difficult to defend.
35...Ra8 36.Rc2
A very human idea bringing the rook into play, as it’s not doing much on the c-file any longer. However,
the engines are calling for the immediate 36.g5! with a crushing attack likely to follow.
146
36...a5 37.g5
37...Bh5
The bishop escapes from the threat of a double attack by g5-g6. After 37...fxg5 38.hxg5 hxg5 White’s
most powerful continuation is 39.Rg2! and in view of the threats along the g-file Black’s position is
completely lost.
38.g6+
Rather than opening the g-file, So locks up the black king in the corner of the board and starts looking for
mating threats on g7 and the back rank. Probably it would still have been better to play 38.gxf6 but then
after 38...Rg8 Black still has some vague hopes of counterplay as the rooks are joining the play.
38...Kh8
147
39.b5
Very naturally played by So as he intensifies the pressure on the b-file.

An even more straightforward continuation is 39.e5 smashing Black’s kingside open. Probably So didn’t
like it, because the black queen might have invaded on f3 and at the moment White is not threatening to
take on f6 because the rook on e1 is unprotected. However, after let’s say 39...axb4 White has time for a
quiet move like 40.Rf1! when there is no defence against exf6, causing further damage on the kingside.
39...Qxb5 40.Rb2 Qc6?
Unusually for Carlsen, again he doesn’t find the most stubborn defence. In my opinion that also confirms
how incredibly difficult it is defending such a passive position with Black. Black should have opted for
40...Qd7 and only after 41.Qd5 respond with 41...Qc6! After the text the white rook has been invited to
join the party.
41.Rb6!
148
Position after: 41.Rb6!
41...Qc8
41...Qd7 will be answered with 42.Qd5! and now after 42...Ra7 the cold-blooded 43.Bg3! does the job
for White, e.g. 43...Qxd5 [43...Qe7 44.e5 and White breaks through] 44.exd5 Rxe1+ 45.Bxe1 a4 46.c6
and in view of the back-rank mating patterns, White’s play is just much faster.
42.Qd5 a4
Desperation, though 42...Ra7 isn’t much fun either, because of 43.Qf7! when Black’s position quickly
falls apart, as shown by the following lines: 43...a4 44.e5 [44.c6! is equally strong] 44...fxe5 45.Bxe5
Qxc5+ 46.Kf1 and since Black has run out of checks mate is simply inevitable, e.g. 46...Rxe5 47.Qe8+
Rxe8 48.Rxe8+ Qf8 49.Rxf8#.
43.Rxb7 Rg8
A) 43...a3 allows 44.Rxg7 Kxg7 45.Qf7+ Kh8 46.Qh7#.

B) In case of 43...Bxg6, with the idea of looking for counterplay with the queen, White has the nice
intermediate move 44.Rc7! [though also after 44.fxg6 Qg4+ 45.Kf2 Qxh4+ 46.Bg3 the checks are
over].
44.c6
And Black resigned as he can no longer withstand White’s overwhelmingly dominant position.
44.c6
149
After 44...a3 45.c7 a2 46.Rb8 [the safe 46.Ra1 also works] 46...a1=Q 47.Rxa1 Rxa1+ 48.Kf2 there isn’t
much Black can do against the mating threats: 48...Bg4 [48...Rc1 is met by 49.Rxc8 Rxc8 50.Bc5
followed by Qd8] 49.Qxg8+ Qxg8 50.Rxg8+ Kxg8 51.c8=Q#.
1-0
Turning points
The presence of opposite-coloured bishops ensures unequal opportunities. When player A is attacking
along the light-squares, player B is often only able to defend the dark squares. At the same time, when
player A’s attack is unsuccessful the initiative might fade away. As the result the roles could very well be
reversed and player B could seize the initiative and benefit from the presence of the opposite-coloured
bishops. The following three examples illustrate that one single mistake can turn a game right around.
Ponomariov, Ruslan (2712)
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw (2730)
Khanty-Mansiysk 2017
150
White to move
30.R5g3?
White is losing his momentum and pushes the black queen to where it can help the defence.
The only white piece which isn’t doing much yet is the bishop and hence 30.Bd2! would have been an
excellent idea. The bishop is heading for c3, from where it joins the attack by challenging the weakness
on g7 and also guards the white king by protecting the pawn on b2. It’s noteworthy that the double
function of a bishop, which has been discussed in the last chapter, is also an important tool in more
complex positions with castling on opposite sides. The side which can combine attack and defence is
likely to have a succesful result! With the addition of the remaining piece White’s attack becomes
irresistible. In the heat of the moment Ponomariov rejected this idea; perhaps he was afraid Black would
be able to take on a3 or seize the initiative with ...c4-c3. However, both continuations are impossible at
the moment as Black’s pieces are overloaded:
151
A) 30...Qxa3 gives White a choice between the materialistic 31.Rxg7+ winning the queen or the cold-
blooded [31.Bc3+– when Black is lost despite being two pawns up because he is totally uncoordinated].
B) Probably Black’s best option is closing the g-file with 30...Bg4 but then after 31.Bc3 the rook on g1
will soon be activated via one of the open central files. Black’s position remains highly suspicious and
his extra pawns on the kingside are not going to play a role in the near future so long as White keeps his
major pieces on the board.
C) 30...c3 can just be met by 31.Bxc3! and now 31...Qxc3 [31...Rxc3 32.Rxg7+!] 32.Qd8+ Kf7
[32...Kh7 33.Rxh5#] 33.Rf1+ should lead to mate soon.
30.R5g3? Qf5 31.Bh6 Qf8!
152
Position after: 31...Qf8!
At first sight it may seem White has made a lot of progress, but the black queen is actually doing very
well on f8 as it both protects the pawn on g7 and keeps an eye on the pawn on f3. Nevertheless with his
next move White maintains the pressure.
32.Rg6! c3!?
Black grabs his chance and starts challenging the white king. Had the white bishop been on c3 this move
would never have been possible! Black might still have considered closing the g-file by means of
32...Bg4 but then he would have needed to reckon with 33.Qd5+ Kh7 34.R6xg4 hxg4 35.Bc1 with
excellent prospects for White as the black king is too exposed.
33.b4
Definitely the best way of holding the queenside together.

A) Inferior is 33.b3? which runs into 33...Bf5! and White is losing control as Black has a double attack
on the rook and the pawn on b3.
B) Also note that 33.Rxe6 can’t be recommended, in view of 33...Rxb2+ 34.Kc1 Ra2! 35.Kd1 Qf3+
36.Re2 Ra1+ 37.Bc1 Rxc1+ 38.Kxc1 Qxe2 39.Qd8+ Kh7 40.Qxc7 Qe3+ and the queen ending is
winning for Black.
33...Bg4
153
Position after: 33...Bg4
34.Bf4?!
Ponomariov starts losing track here. Pinning is often a very effective way of thwarting your opponent’s
intentions. Hence 34.Qd5+! would have been an excellent move. After 34...Kh7 35.R6xg4 hxg4 36.Bc1
A) 36...Rxb4+ 37.axb4 Qxb4+ 38.Ka2 Qa4+ 39.Ba3 Qxc2+ [39...Qc4+ 40.Qxc4 Rxc4 41.Kb3 and
after picking up the c-pawn, it should be relatively easy for White to convert his material plus.] 40.Ka1
154
And after the checks are over, it’s time for White to start a mating attack.
B) 36...Rf7 37.Rh1+ Kg8 38.Qe4 White retains excellent compensation for the exchange. In fact, his
position looks very promising as the black king will never find a safe place.
34...Rf7 35.Bc1?
After this move it goes downhill pretty fast for White.

The only move to stay in the game is 35.Qc4! which is quite difficult to spot. Apart from pinning the
rook, the white queen also covers the f1-square against a possible check as White intends to place the
bishop on e5.
35...a5!
After a few indecisive moves White is now getting punished. He realizes that his king is in trouble.
36.Rd6 Rb8!
Simple and strong: Black deals with the threat of Rd8, which would win the queen. White can’t prevent
Black from opening the queenside with ...axb4.
37.Qd5 Kh7 38.Ka1
38.b5 Rf5 will go wrong for White as well.
38...axb4 39.a4 Ra7 40.Kb1 b3 41.cxb3 Rxb3+
155
Position after: 41...Rxb3+
42.Kc2
42.Qxb3 Qxd6 and Black has two healthy extra pawns, a safe king on h7 and still a devastating attack.
42...Rb8 43.Be3 Bf5+ 44.Kxc3 Rc7+ 45.Bc5 Rbc8
And White resigned as the loss of material cannot be avoided.

0-1
Giri, Anish (2752)
Wijk aan Zee 2018
156
White to move
This is the second tiebreak game of the Tata Steel tournament and after having lost the first game in an
endgame with same-coloured bishops (see Carlsen – Giri, Chapter 2) Giri ended up in a must-win
situation. So far he has been doing very well and has managed to win a pawn along the way. Now he
faces a difficult decision: keep the queens or exchange them?
29.Qf3?
I think that most players would also have kept queens on the board but, as we will see, the white queen
doesn’t have that many good squares at its disposal and it eventually ends up in the corner of the board. I
think it’s a common mistake to believe that once queens are traded off there are no more attacking
chances left for the side with the initiative. The next couple of examples will confirm that too.
A) Indeed, after 29.Qxg5+ hxg5 White is still a pawn up, but Black has significantly improved his pawn
stucture on the kingside. Even though White is controlling the d-file, there are no good entry points and
meanwhile Black has reasonable chances of obtaining a blockade on the dark squares.
B) I’m not claiming a brilliant discovery, but I think it would have made sense to maintain the tension
with the useful move 29.g3 hoping to trade off queens under favourable circumstances. If Black decides
to do that immediately I think White has a powerful majority of 3 vs. 1 on the e- and f-files, while
Black’s passed h-pawn doesn’t play a role here yet.
157
An interesting variation is 29...Bb8 [29...Rf6? forces White to release the tension under favourable
conditions: 30.Qxg5+ hxg5 31.Rd7! and compared with the line of 29.Qxg5 Black can’t answer White’s
invasion on the seventh rank with ...Re7] 30.Qe3 Qxe3 31.Rxe3 and thanks to a much better pawn
structure I think White’s advantage is serious. His plan will look like: Kg2, f4, e5 and gain control over
the d-file. I tend to think that the weaknesses on f7 and h6 will be difficult to defend in the long run
without making any further concessions. It remains to be seen whether 29.g3 would have given White
serious winning chances, but in any case it should be borne in mind that keeping queens on the board at
any cost is a wrong attitude. It’s quite remarkable to see that within a couple of moves the chances are
totally reversed.
29.Qf3? Rf6 30.Qh3
158
Position after: 30.Qh3
30...Qf4
Powerful play by Carlsen. Black would love to bring more pieces into the attack, but 30...Re5? can be
strongly countered with 31.g3! intending Kg2 and f2-f4 at the right moment. When all the white pieces
are placed on light squares there isn’t much to gain for the bishop on a7!
31.Rf1
A very passive continuation, but probably Giri didn’t like 31.Rdd2 as the rooks aren’t very mobile either.
31...Re5!
159
Position after: 31...Re5!
32.Qh2
I think that Giri wasn’t that happy to place his queen on h2, but there is no other good way of
destabilizing Black’s grip on the dark squares. The alternative 32.g3? fails to 32...Rg5 33.Kh2 Qf3!
34.Rd2 Rh5 and Black wins material.
32...Qg5
The silicon monster points out that 32...Qg4 33.Qxe5 Rg6 34.Qe8+ Kg7 35.Qe5+ Kg8 leads to a
perpetual.
33.g3?!
Perhaps Giri was still dreaming of a scenario where he managed to get his ideal setup with Kg2 and f4.
With major pieces on the board there is just not enough time to think only about your own useful moves.
Better would have been 33.Rd1 and now e.g. 33...Rf4 34.Qh3 Rh4 35.Qf3 Rf4 when neither side can
really improve his position so this repetition looks like a logical outcome of the game.
33...Qg4 34.Rd2 Rg5
34...Rh5? is met by 35.Bd1! and White wins.
35.e5?
160
Position after: 35.e5?
A natural reaction in a blitz game to return the extra pawn in order to activate the light-squared bishop.
The problem is that it backfires tactically. Necessary is 35.Qg2 when Black could regain the pawn
anyway by taking on g3. Black retains the better prospects in the endgame, but it should still be holdable
for White.
35...Rxe5?
Having the match situation in mind, I guess Carlsen was satisfied securing the tournament victory and
didn’t look for other possibilities. Black could have obtained a decisive attack had he ignored that pawn
and continued increasing the pressure on White’s kingside with 35...Rf3! Then White is defenceless in all
the lines: 36.Kg2 [36.Bd1 is met by 36...Rxg3+! 37.Kh1 Qe4+ 38.f3 Qg6 and mate on g1] 36...Rh5
37.Qg1 Rh3
161
Position after: 37...Rh3
38.Rd3 [38.Bd1 Qxg3+ 39.fxg3 Rfxg3#] 38...Be3! and after this beautiful intervention on the third rank
Black is ready to strike on g3, when mate is inevitable.
36.Bd1
White might have considered offering to exchange queens, though after 36.Qh4 Qxh4 37.gxh4 Rf4 it’s
clear that only Black is playing for a win.
36...Qg5 37.Rd3
37.Qh4 would still have been an option, but is clearly less effective than in the previous note.
37...Ref5 38.Qh4
162
Position after: 38.Qh4
And realizing that his advantage has evaporated for good, White offers a draw which was gladly accepted
by Carlsen. Objectively Black should have tried converting his advantage by playing the endgame after
38...Bxf2+ 39.Kg2 Qxh4 40.gxh4 Rg6+ 41.Kh3 Rf4 42.Rd4 Rxd4 43.cxd4 Bxd4 and things are looking
very bad for White, being two pawns down.
½-½
Anand, Viswanathan (2768)
Saint Louis 2018
163
White to move
This symmetrical position has arisen from a Berlin, but this type of structure is often seen in other
openings like the Petroff and French Exchange Variation as well. White often enjoys a very slight edge
thanks to his pair of bishops. Black’s last move, 21...Ng5, intends to activate the knight to e4, but
Aronian admitted after the game that he had underestimated the consequences of White’s next move.
22.Bxg5!
An excellent transformation of advantages! Dogmatic players would probably never consider giving up
the bishop pair, failing to take other factors into consideration and fearing play could potentially become
too drawish. Anand trades off an undeveloped piece and quickly seizes control over the e-file. And now,
thanks to the presence of the opposite-coloured bishops, White is able to increase the pressure against
Black’s kingside.
22...Qxg5 23.Re5 Qd8 24.Rae1
Position after: 24.Rae1
24...Kg8
Premature is 24...Bc7?! in view of 25.Re7 Kg8 26.g3 and because of the threat 27.Bh3 Black has some
serious problems.
25.g3!
A very flexible idea, as it prepares both the bishop transfer to h3 and the advance of the h-pawn. Inferior
is 25.Re7?! Rc7 and it’s clear that Black would benefit from trading off his inactive rook from c8.
164
25...Rc7 26.h4 f6
Aronian is aiming for active counterplay by pushing the f-pawn.

In hindsight, it would perhaps have been an option to play 26...Qf6 offering White the choice of playing
for an attack by keeping queens on the board or going for a huge positional advantage by trading off
queens with 27.Qxf6 gxf6 28.Re7±.
Position after: 28.Re7±
Particularly that last option didn›t appeal much to Aronian as it leaves Black without any hopes of
counterplay.
27.Re6 f5 28.Bd3
165
28...Rcf7
28...f4? is refuted by 29.Qh5 g6 30.Bxg6! hxg6 31.Rxg6+ Rg7 32.Rh6! with mate to follow soon.
29.h5 Qg5
After 29...f4 White can no longer bring his queen to h5, though 30.g4! keeps the f-file closed and White
retains a firm grip thanks to the control of the e-file.
30.Kg2 Bc7 31.c4
166
31...g6?
A) This is simply weakening the kingside too much, but it’s understandable that Aronian is looking for
an active way to generate counterplay on the kingside. The following line highlights the dominant
position of all White’s pieces: 31...dxc4 32.Bxc4 Kh8 33.Re8 Rf6 34.Qa3 and mate follows soon.
B) Relatively best is 31...Qd8, but it’s obvious that Black is standing with his back against the wall.
32.hxg6 hxg6 33.cxd5 cxd5 34.Bb5?
Anand finds an interesting way of activating his light-squared bishop, but misses an even stronger
continuation.
He could simply have captured the pawn with 34.Qxd5! but probably refrained from doing that, in view
of 34...Bxg3.
167
Position after: 34...Bxg3
However, continuing this line shows that after 35.fxg3 Qd2+ 36.R1e2 Qxd3 37.Rxg6+ White is just a
pawn up while retaining an excellent position.
34...f4!
Well timed. After a poor move like 34...a6 White plays 35.Be8 and Black’s position falls apart.
35.g4!
White is well advised to keep the f-file closed. 35.Be8? fails to the intermediate move 35...fxg3!
36.Bxf7+ Rxf7 37.Qe3 Bf4 followed by ...gxf2 when White’s king is in trouble.
35...Rh7 36.Bd3 Qh4
168
Position after: 36...Qh4
37.Rxg6+?
This is the most obvious move, capturing a pawn with check, but it gives away White’s advantage.
A) Instead, 37.Bxg6! Qh2+ 38.Kf1 Rh3 39.Qxd5 is still looking good for White. Since the black king
isn’t out of danger yet, Black is forced to offer the exchange of queens with 39...Qh1+ but after
40.Qxh1 Rxh1+ 41.Ke2 White is two pawns up and should be able to convert his advantage.
B) By the way, the immediate 37.Qxd5? can’t be recommended, in view of 37...f3+! and Black wins.
37...Kh8
169
38.g5??
Based on an oversight. It was time to settle for a draw as things are getting out of hand. After 38.Rg1
Qh2+ 39.Kf1 Re8 40.g5 Ba5 41.Be2 Rxe2 42.Qxe2 [42.Kxe2? Qxg1 and Black wins] 42...Qh3+ 43.Rg2
Qh1+ a repetition is inevitable.
38...Qh2+ 39.Kf1 Qh1+!
I guess this is what Anand just had missed, while getting short of time.
A) Very likely he had only counted on 39...Rh3 which indeed can be met by 40.Rh6+! (the point of his
38th move) and White wins [but not 40.Qxd5? f3 with mate to follow].
B) 39...Qh1+
170
Position after: 39...Qh1+
After the text Black simply picks up a rook: 40.Qxh1 Rxh1+ 41.Ke2 Re8+ etc.
0-1
171
Queenless middlegames and endgames
The first couple of examples have shown the attacking possibilities with opposite-coloured bishops and
major pieces on the board. Though even when the queens have been exchanged off the stronger side still
has excellent opportunities to launch a dangerous attack against the enemy king. In the following
example I was gradually outplayed in this type of ending.
Ris, Robert (2403)
Al Modiahki, Mohamad (2556)
Gibraltar 2007
Black to move
Material is even and since there are not many pieces left on the board you might think a draw would be a
logical result. Delving deeper into the position you will realize though that Black has a huge advantage.
His bishop is more active, guarding the dark squares and preventing White from mobilizing his kingside
majority, whereas White’s bishop on g4 makes a pretty useless impression. Also other factors are
working in Black’s favour. His rooks on the the open d-file are more active than White’s and the black
king is ready to join the battle whenever it becomes possible. The following sequence of moves brings
White further into trouble.
43...Bf4 44.Re1 Rd1+ 45.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 46.Ka2 Be5 47.Ka3 Ra1+ 48.Ra2 Rb1 49.Rc2 Ra1+ 50.Ra2 Rf1
172
Position after: 50...Rf1
51.Rc2
I didn’t see anything better than repeating moves, but unfortunately Black has a very effective plan to
increase the pressure against my king.
I wish I could have solved part of my problems by escaping the mating net through initiating a trade of
pawns with 51.b4 but then Black has a powerful reply in the form of 51...Re1! 52.bxa5+ Kxa5
Position after: 52...Kxa5
173
with a dominating position for Black. I can’t avoid further loss of material, e.g.
53.Kb3 [53.Rg2 Re3+ 54.Ka2 Kxa4 and the pawns will be pushed; 53.Be6 Re3+ 54.Bb3 c5 55.Rc2 b6
56.Ka2 Rxf3 with an extra pawn, as well as an outside passed g-pawn for Black] 53...Re3+ 54.Kc2 Re2+
55.Kb3 Rxa2 56.Kxa2 Kxa4 with a technically winning endgame for Black. White is unable to give up
his bishop for the pawns on the queenside, as there is still one pawn left on g5.
51...Ka7!
Position after: 51...Ka7!
Reinforcing the mating attack against the white king, as the b-pawn will move forward.
52.Ra2
52.b4 Ra1+ 53.Kb3 Rb1+ is pretty bad too.
52...b5 53.axb5 cxb5
174
Position after: 53...cxb5
54.Bd7?
In bad positions mistakes are easily made. My only chance of prolonging the fight is 54.b4 but then after
54...a4 Black has a powerful protected passed pawn and it will be just a matter of time till the pawn on b4
falls.
54...Kb6 55.Bg4 Rb1
Here I resigned, in view of 56.Rc2 [56.Bf5 Bd6+ 57.b4 Bxb4#] 56...b4+ 57.Ka2 Ra1#.
0-1
Breakthrough

Karjakin, Sergey (2780)
Wijk aan Zee 2013
175
White to move
The board can practically be divided in two parts, as White’s e-pawn and Black’s d-pawn have already
passed each other. The white bishop on c4 is holding Black’s majority, never allowing
Black to create a passed pawn. On the other side of the board the pawns have been placed in such a way
that every pawn move by White will run into a capture by Black. A frequently recurring theme in this
type of ending is the breakthrough and thanks to this mechanism White is still able to mobilize his
kingside majority.
67.g4!?
The only winning chance. Possibly Carlsen decided to make the kingside break with his king on f2 the
hope of tempting his opponent to go astray on move 68. Had he put his king on g2 first, Black would
have been forced to play the correct move, 68...gxh5.
Having shuffled around with his pieces for a while, Carlsen thinks it’s time to force matters. Ideally he
would have placed his rook on the 7th rank, hitting the pawn on f7, but unfortunately for him he doesn’t
have time to pose Black serious problems that way. After 67.Rd8 Black responds with 67...Be7 68.Rd7
Kf8 and there is no chance to make progress.
67.g4!? hxg4 68.h5
176
68...Rh1?
Karjakin commits a serious error as he believes his opponent too much. He should have played 68...gxh5
but it’s understandable that he feared the creation of a powerful duo on e5 and f5 after 69.f5 when White
is threatening to win material by further advancing the pawns. However, having accepted the sacrifice of
two pawns, Black could have obtained counterchances had he gone for 69...h4 70.f6+ Kg6 71.Rxf8 Kf5!
Position after: 71...Kf5!
177
suddenly the black king is just too active, and secures a draw [71...g3+? fails to 72.Kf3 Kf5 73.Rh8! and
soon Black’s connected passed pawns will be dismantled].
A) 72.Rxf7? even loses, because after 72...g3+ 73.Kf3 Rb2 the white king finds itself in a mating net.
Then the forced move 74.Be6+ doesn’t offer salvation, on account of 74...Kxe6 75.Rh7 g2 76.Rg7 h3
and Black’s passed pawns are stronger than White’s.
B) 72.Rh8 Rb2+ 73.Kg1 Rb1+ and White should accept the draw.
69.hxg6 fxg6
Position after: 69...fxg6
69...Kxg6 70.Rxf8 drops the bishop.
70.Re6!
The point of White’s play has been revealed: the pawn on g6 has become a weakness and should be
conquered, after which White’s connected passed pawns seem unstoppable. Simply bad is 70.e6? Bd6
and Black holds on as he establishes a blockade on the dark squares.
70...Kh6 71.Bd5 Rh2+ 72.Kg3 Rh3+ 73.Kxg4 Rxd3 74.f5 Re3 75.Rxg6+ Kh7 76.Bg8+ Kh8 77.Kf4
178
The last couple of moves have been quite logical and White has obtained a decisive advantage as his
pawns are more threatening than Black’s, which have been restrained by the white king and bishop.
77...Rc3 78.f6
Even faster is 78.Bd5 d3 79.Rg8+ Kh7 80.Rxf8 d2 81.Be4 [81.f6?? is not good, in view of 81...Rc4+!!
and Black miraculously saves the game] 81...d1=Q [81...Rc4 82.Rd8 and the pawns are brought to a halt]
82.f6+ Kh6 83.Rh8#.
78...d3 79.Ke3 c4 80.Be6!
The right plan. White still had to be very accurate, since after 80.e6? Bc5+ the tables would have been
turned, e.g.
179
Position after: 80...Bc5+
A) Objectively White should play 81.Kf4 d2 82.Bf7 Rf3+! (fantastic resource!) 83.Ke5 [83.Kxf3
d1=Q+ check!] 83...Rxf6! 84.Rg8+! [84.Kxf6? Bd4+ followed by queening the d-pawn] 84...Kh7
85.Rd8 Rf2 86.Bh5 when he still might be holding on, but only Black can play for a win.
B) 81.Kd2? Rc2+ 82.Ke1 c3 The white king has been caught in a mating net!
80...Kh7
80...Bc5+ doesn’t help this time, because after 81.Kf4 the d-pawn can’t move because of mate on h6.
81.Bf5 Rc2 82.Rg2+!
180
Position after: 82.Rg2+!
Excellent technique, as Carlsen transforms his advantage into a pure opposite-coloured bishop ending
rather then opting for a complicated win arising from a move like 82.e6. After the text Black is unable to
reach a position where he could sacrifice his bishop for the two remaining pawns.
82...Kh6 83.Rxc2 dxc2 84.Bxc2 Kg5
Or 84...Ba3 85.Kf4 Bc1+ 86.Kf5 and the e-pawn can’t be stopped.
85.Kd4 Ba3 86.Kxc4 Bb2
181
87.Kd5
87.f7?? would have wasted all the good work, on account of 87...Ba3 88.e6 Kf6 and Black simply sets a
blockade on the dark squares.
87...Kf4 88.f7! Ba3 89.e6 Kg5 90.Kc6 Kf6 91.Kd7 Kg7 92.e7
Position after: 92.e7
This time the black king arrives too late on f8 to stop the white pawns, so Karjakin resigned.
1-0
Onischuk, Alexander (2675)
Sasikiran, Krishnan (2681)
Ningbo 2011
182
White to move
A quick glance at the position tells us that White has a significant advantage. He’s a pawn up and all his
pieces are more actively placed than their black counterparts. Black’s only hope lies in exchanging all
four rooks, when the ensuing opposite-coloured bishop ending looks pretty drawish. The presence of
rooks enables White to undermine several targets, while Black’s defensive capabilities are impeded by
the fact that the bishops can’t compete against each other.
37.Kg3 Re6?
Exchanging one pair of rooks, but at a high price: Black’s pawn structure is irreparably damaged.
Better chances of holding this inferior ending were offered by 37...Bc6.
A) 38.Rf5? allows Black to play 38...Re6! 39.Rxe6 [39.Re5 Rxe7 40.Rxe7 Re8=] 39...fxe6 40.Rxf8+
Kxf8 and despite being a pawn down Black should be able to hold this ending without too many
problems.
B) 38.Rde5 Rf6 forcing White to retreat with 39.Re3 when it’s not clear at all whether White’s
advantage will prevail.
38.Rxe6 fxe6 39.Rc5!
183
Position after: 39.Rc5!
Precise judgement! The rook doesn’t belong on the d-file, as that allows Black to offer an exchange of
rooks. Moreover, there’s also another concrete drawback, which will soon become apparent. 39.Rd6?!
Bb3! [Aiming to transfer the bishop to the a8-h1 diagonal, since the immediate 39...Bc6? fails because of
40.Rxc6!] 40.Rd7 Rf7 and Black stays in control.
39...Bb3
Again 39...Bc6? would simply lose to 40.Rxc6! bxc6 41.b7 and the b-pawn queens.
40.f4!
Here’s the difference: had the rook been on d6, this move would simply be impossible.
40...Bd5
In case of 40...gxf4+ 41.Bxf4 the pawn on h6 becomes a clear target.
41.a4!
White’s extra pawn on the queenside doesn’t seem to be useful yet, but soon it will become a decisive
factor.
41...Kh7
184
42.h4!
Increasing the pressure on Black’s king-side. Absolutely wrong would be 42.fxg5? hxg5 43.Rc3 Rf1
when Black obtains counterplay and has got rid of his weakness on h6.
42...gxh4+
This eases White’s task, though Black’s position is already very difficult to handle. Another instructive
line shows that Black has to defend on all sides of the board: 42...Rc8 43.hxg5 hxg5 44.f5 Kg8
185
45.a5! [More effective than 45.fxe6 Bxe6 46.Rxg5+ when it still would take some extra effort to convert
the advantage] 45...Kf7 46.b5 axb5 47.a6 bxa6 48.Rxd5 exd5 49.b7+–.
43.Kxh4 Rc8 44.a5!
Preparing the breakthrough on the queenside. Inferior is 44.b5? a5! when White can no longer create a
second front.
44...Bf3 45.Kg3 Be2
46.b5! Rg8
46...Bxb5 is met by 47.Rxb5! axb5 48.a6 bxa6 49.b7 Rg8 50.b8=Q Rxb8 51.Bxb8 and White wins easily,
e.g. 51...b4 52.Bd6 a5 53.Kh4 Kg6 54.Bc7 b3 55.Be5 a4 56.Bb2 Kh7 57.Kh5 and Black is in zugzwang.
47.bxa6 Bxa6
47...Rxg4+ simply fails to 48.Kh3 when the bishop on e2 is overloaded.
48.Re5
Even faster is 48.Be5! Kg6 49.Rc7 h5 50.g5 Kf5 51.Rf7+ Ke4 52.Kh4 and after picking up the h-pawn,
White’s passer decides the outcome of the game. Onischuk’s choice isn’t bad either: by centralizing the
king White prepares the advance of the f-pawn.
186
48...Rg6 49.Kf3 Kg8 50.Bd6 Kf7 51.Rc5 Rg8 52.Rc7+ Kg6 53.Ke4 h5
53...Rg7 is powerfully met by 54.f5+! exf5+ 55.gxf5+ Kh7 [55...Kf6 56.Be5++–] 56.f6 Rxc7 57.bxc7 b6
58.f7 and White wins.
54.f5+! exf5+
54...Kg5 doesn’t help either, in view of 55.Be7+ Kxg4 [55...Kh6 56.g5++–] 56.f6 and the passed pawn
is unstoppable.
55.gxf5+ Kg5
White’s dominance is best shown in the following line: 55...Kf6 56.Be7+ Kf7 57.Bg5+ Ke8 58.Kf4! h4
59.f6 Rf8 60.Re7+ Kd8 61.f7 and 62.Re8 next.
56.Be7+ Kh6
56...Kg4 57.f6+–
57.Ke5 Rg2 58.Bf8+!
187
Position after: 58.Bf8+!
Black resigned, since after 58...Kg5 59.Rg7+ White wins the rook.
1-0
Sutovsky, Emil (2700)
Harikrishna, Penteala (2669)
Ningbo 2011
Black to move
188
The current position is the result of a Berlin opening that has been misplayed by White. Black has
managed to exchange his doubled c-pawn and thus his queenside majority can easily be advanced.
White’s chances on the other wing are pretty limited. In spite of a 3 vs. 2 majority, White is unable to
mobilize his pawns. Black’s bishops are perfectly placed on e6 and e7, taking control over several
important squares on both sides of the board. Black’s following move is obvious.
36...a4! 37.Ng5?!
After this move White has to abandon his kingside intentions. However, his position is already very
questionable and it’s hard to suggest an improvement.
37...Bxg5!
An excellent decision by the Indian GM to give up his pair of bishops. Of course, 37...Bd5 would have
been perfectly playable as well, though after the text White’s extra pawn on the kingside no longer plays
a role. Black’s light-squared bishop takes care of the base of the pawn chain on f7, enabling the king and
rook to start an initiative on the queenside.
38.fxg5 Ra8 39.Rd6+ Kb5
40.Bc1 Rh8
Returning to the only open file available.

However, Black had a strong breakthrough at his disposal with 40...a3! 41.bxa3 Ra4!. This is a thematic
idea which will be used at a later stage.
189
41.Rd1
Absolutely necessary. White can’t allow the black rook to enter on the 1st rank. In case of 41.Be3 Rh1!
Position after: 41...Rh1!
White is unable to deal with all the threats. Two sample lines are:
A) 42.Kf3 Rb1 43.Rd2 Kc4! and the b-pawn falls [but not 43...Rxb2? in view of 44.c4+].
B) 42.Bd2 Rb1 43.Bc3 Kc4! 44.Rd3 [44.Rxb6 a3!] 44...Rc1 45.Rd2 a3 And White collapses.
41...Kc4 42.Be3 Ra8 43.Rd3
In case of 43.Bc1 it would have been strong to play 43...b5! when White constantly has to reckon with
the creation of a passed pawn.
43...Re8
43...b5? is no longer recommended, as White is ready to answer with 44.Rc3+!.
44.Rd6
190
Position after: 44.Rd6
44...Kb5
A practical decision not to hurry. It seems that 44...b5 would have been perfectly playable as well, since
45.Rc6 can still be answered with 45...Rc8 as the pure opposite-coloured bishop ending seems to be lost:
46.Rxc8 [better is 46.Ra6 Rd8 47.Rc6 Rd5 although Black will make further progress on the queenside]
46...Bxc8 47.Kf2 b4 48.Ke1 [48.Bc1 b3! 49.cxb3+ Kxb3 followed by 50...Kc2 and wins] 48...a3
[48...b3? 49.Kd2 leads nowhere] 49.bxa3 bxa3 50.Bc1 a2 51.Bb2 Kd5! 52.Kd2 Ke4 and after Black
picks up both g-pawns White will be unable to maintain the resistance on both wings at once.
45.Rd1 Ra8 46.Bc1
191
Another way to stop the breakthrough on the queenside is 46.Rd3 which can, however, cause other
problems as well: 46...c4 47.Rd6 c3! [47...Ra6? 48.c3! and White holds] 48.Rxb6+ Ka5 49.b4+ axb3
50.cxb3 Rc8 and White’s defensive task remains highly unpleasant.
46...a3! 47.bxa3
The attempt to keep the queenside closed with 47.b3 fails to 47...c4 48.bxc4+ Kxc4 and sooner or later
Black’s a-pawn will tell.
47...Ra4 48.c3
192
48...Kc4!
A wonderful move. How many people would simply have taken the pawn with 48...Rxg4+, I wonder?
White’s doubled g-pawns are of no significance and so Harikrishna instead decides to optimize the
activity of his king.
49.Rd6 Kxc3
Black still has to be careful about his queenside. After 49...b5 White can put up more resistance with
50.Rc6.
50.Rxb6 Kc2!
Black still isn’t interested in the pawn on g4 and aims to eliminate White’s a-pawn.
51.Be3 Rxa3 52.Kf2 c4
193
Position after: 52...c4
The picture tells the story. Black’s strategy has been executed perfectly as he has managed to create a
passed pawn on the queenside. Note that White could not get any counterchances on the kingside, as the
e6-bishop is outstanding at fulfilling its double function (protecting f7 and supporting the advance of the
c-pawn).
53.Rb4 Rb3 54.Ra4 c3 55.Ke2 Rb2 56.Rf4 Kb3+ 57.Kd3
194
57...Rb1
It still wasn’t too late to spoil all the efforts with 57...c2? allowing White to install a blockade along the
dark squares with 58.Bc1.
58.Rf3 c2 59.Kd4 Rd1+!
A) 59...Rd1+! After the text White resigned, in view of 60.Kc5 [60.Ke4 Bd5+] 60...Rd3! and the
discovered check on the 3rd rank has been dealt with, enabling the c-pawn to queen.
B) Of course, not 59...c1=Q? 60.Bxc1+ and White captures the queen with check.
0-1
Space advantage
In the final chapter of Volume 1 the topic of space advantage in middlegames was examined. In the
following example we see that Black’s king is unable to leave the back rank as all White’s forces (rook,
bishop, king and passed pawn) are making Black’s task of activating his pieces impossible.
Polgar, Judit (2699)
Postny, Evgeny (2618)
Ningbo 2011
White to move
The limited material left on the board might give Black some hopes of survival. However, White’s bishop
on f6 is extremely annoying for Black, as it prevents the black king from joining the battle. The first three
steps of White’s plan seem pretty logical:
1) Prevent Black’s forces from becoming active.
195
2) Bring his own king towards the battlefield.
3) Create a passed pawn on the queenside.
37.Rc8+! Be8 38.Kg2 Re2+ 39.Kf3 Re6 40.h4 h5
41.Rb8!
Important prophylaxis! It would have been too hasty to play 41.c4 allowing the exchange of rooks with
41...Rc6!.
41...Re1 42.c4?!
Since after the text move Black is able to hold the ending, this apparently logical move can be criticized.
Better practical chances might have been offered by a preparatory move like 42.Bd4!? when 42...Rh1?
doesn’t work, because of 43.Bc5+!.
42...bxc4 43.bxc4
196
Position after: 43.bxc4
43...Re6?
Not necessarily a mistake, but in general I don’t like opting for a passive continuation if it’s not needed.
In Volume 1 we have discussed extensively the importance of playing as actively as possible in rook
endgames, and with the presence of opposite-coloured bishops we don’t make an exception to this rule of
thumb. Hence, 43...Rh1! would have kept the balance, e.g. 44.c5 [44.Kg3 Rg1+ 45.Kf3 Rh1=] 44...Rxh4
45.c6 [45.Be5 Ke7=] 45...Rc4 46.Bb2 Rxc6 [46...f6 is also sufficient] 47.Ba3+ Kg7 48.Rxe8 f6 49.Re7+
Kg8 and eliminating White’s remaining pawn leads to a theoretically drawn ending.
44.c5 Rc6 45.Be5!
197
Indirectly protecting the c-pawn, while also supporting the king’s crossing of the e-file.
45...Re6
A) 45...Rxc5? obviously fails to 46.Bd6+.

B) 45...Ke7 46.Bd6+ Kd7 47.Ke4 Ra6 48.Be5 Ke7 [48...Ra2 is met by 49.c6+!.] 49.Bf6+ Kf8
[49...Kd7 50.Rd8+] 50.Kd5 Ra2 51.c6 Rd2+ 52.Bd4 Ke7 53.c7 And White wins.
46.Ke4 Ke7
198
47.Rb7+
47.Kd5 doesn’t make sense, on account of 47...Bc6+.
47...Kd8
Even more accurate is 47...Kf8 when the pawn on f7 remains protected whenever the bishop moves from
e8 (compare with line after 49...Bc6).
48.Kd4 Bd7
48...Kc8? loses, because of 49.Rb8+ Kd7 50.Kd5 and Black ends up in zugzwang: 50...Ra6 [50...Ke7
51.Bd6+ Kd7 52.c6#] 51.c6+ Rxc6 52.Rxe8 and White wins a piece.
49.Ra7
199
49...Kc8?
The decisive mistake and an instructive one! The defending side shouldn’t fear giving up material in
order to activate his forces.
Concretely, in this position Black should have played 49...Bc6! 50.Rxf7 Ke8 when Black’s position
seems impregnable. Although the king is cut off from the 7th rank, the construction with Bc6/Re6
prevents White’s forces from entering.
50.Bd6 Kd8
Now it’s too late to establish a blockade with 50...Bc6? because of 51.Rc7+ winning the bishop.
51.Ra8+ Bc8 52.Kd5 Re2
200
Position after: 52...Re2
53.Kc6
Another instructive winning line goes 53.c6 Rd2+ 54.Kc5 Rc2+ 55.Kb5 Rc1 56.Bb4! Rb1 57.Kc5 Rc1+
58.Kd5 Rd1+ 59.Ke4 and the threat of 60.Ba5 can’t be parried.
53...Re6 54.Ra7 f6
54...Ke8 is strongly met by 55.Kc7! when the bishop is trapped, since 55...Bd7 meets 56.Ra8+ with mate
on the next move.
55.gxf6 Rxf6
201
Position after: 55...Rxf6
Black has managed to exchange off a pawn, but the problems aren’t over yet!
56.Rh7!
Emphasizing the drawback of Black’s 54th move: the white rook is allowed to make a switch to the other
side of the board.
56...Re6 57.Rg7!
202
Position after: 57.Rg7!
57...Ba6
A) 57...Re1 can be met by 58.Bc7+ (which is not possible when the rook is on the 6th rank) 58...Ke8
59.Rg8+ winning the bishop, while Black is unable to wait with
B) 57...Rf6 in view of 58.Rg8+.
58.Kd5 Re2
White also wins after 58...Bc8 59.c6, e.g. 59...Re1 60.Rg8+ Re8 61.c7+ Kd7 62.Rg7+ Re7 63.Rxe7#.
59.c6 Ke8
59...Rd2+ can’t save Black either: 60.Kc5 Rc2+ 61.Kb6 Bc4 62.Rd7+ Kc8 63.Ra7 Rb2+ 64.Kc5 and
mate is inevitable.
60.Ra7 Bc8 61.Ra8 Kd8 62.Bf4 Re1 63.Kd6 Rd1+ 64.Kc5 Rb1 65.Bd2!
Black resigned. Nothing can be done against the threat of 66.Ba5+, winning the bishop.
1-0
203
Chapter 5
Bishop vs. knight
Beginners have been taught that both minor pieces are nominally worth three points, while more
advanced players have a general preference for one specific piece, before taking into account other
factors in the positions. In this chapter we will have a closer look at the subject by discussing a couple of
interesting examples illustrating the pros and cons of both minor pieces. The influence of pawn structures
is immense, though other dynamic factors such as the role of the kings and piece activity play a crucial
role as well.
Good knight vs. bad bishop

In situations with an open or dynamic pawn structure a bishop usually has to be preferred to a knight, but
in positions with a fixed centre and pawns placed on the opposite colour to the bishop, the knight has
plenty of time to explore the board. The next two examples illustrate very well how poor a bishop can be
when it cannot find any targets in the opponent’s position.
Gustafsson, Jan (2629)
Dortmund 2012
Black to move
With so many pawns still left on the board it’s hard to believe this game will have a decisive outcome,
but White’s position is actually pretty dangerous. His main problem lies in the uselessness of the bishop,
lacking any kind of target as the centre is closed. Black’s position, on the other hand, is risk-free, so he
can play for only two results. First the king needs to be activated in order to try and create an opening on
the kingside.
204
30...Kf7 31.Ke2 Kg6 32.Bg3 h5!
Stronger than 32...f5 33.gxf5+ Kxf5 34.Be5 and since the pawn structure has become symmetrical again
Black’s plan of breaking through on the kingside is much harder to implement.
33.gxh5+ Kxh5 34.Bc7 Ne7 35.Bd6 Nc6
Even in positions with limited material left on the board one has to watch out for the simplest tricks:
35...Nf5? 36.g4+ drops the knight.
36.b3 g5 37.g3 f5 38.Kd2
It seems as though White has succeeded in keeping the kingside closed, but the following breakthrough
enables the black king to penetrate into White’s camp.
38...f4! 39.gxf4 gxf4 40.Bxf4 Kh4 41.Bd6
Taking control over the b4 square. In case of 41.Ke2 Nb4! the knight invades White’s camp.
41...Kxh3 42.Ke2 Kg2 43.Bc5
205
43...a6!
Black isn’t tempted into playing 43...b6, chasing the bishop with gain of time. As a rule of thumb you
shouldn’t put your own pawns on squares the colour of the opponent’s bishop. In what follows White’s
bishop doesn’t have any targets and moreover, the knight has another useful square at its disposal.
44.Bd6 Nd8
Ponomariov understandably attempts to transfer his knight to the kingside in order to drive the king away
from e2. Black’s aim is to get the knight to g3, but as we’ll see White is able to disturb Black’s plans.
Therefore it would have been better for Black to try 44...Na7! with similar play to that in the game from
the 49th move on.
45.Be5 Nf7 46.Bf4 Nd8 47.Be5 Kg1 48.Ke1 Nc6 49.Bd6 Na7!
206
Position after: 49...Na7!
50.a4
White doesn’t want the knight to come to b5 (and c3). After 50.Ke2 Nb5 51.Bb4 the knight is not yet
causing any harm, but since the bishop has left the protection of the c7 square the knight can be
redirected to the kingside again. The winning plan is 51...Nc7 52.Bd6 Ne6
Position after: 52...Ne6
53.Be5 [53.Be7 Ng7 54.Bd6 Nf5 55.Bf4 Kg2 followed by 56...Ng3 when Black has a choice between
207
exchanging into a lost pawn ending or letting the black king penetrate to f3] 53...Ng5 54.Bc7 Kg2
55.Bd6 Nh3 56.Bc7 Ng1+ 57.Kd2 Kf2 58.Bf4 Nf3+ 59.Kc3 Nh4 60.Kb4 Ng2 and White collapses.
50...Nc6! 51.b4
In case of 51.Bc5 Na5 52.b4 Nc4 Black seems to be winning as well. Note that White is unable to
generate counterplay on the queenside as the pawns are placed on the opposite colour to his bishop.
51...Kg2
52.Ke2
A funny line goes 52.b5 axb5 53.axb5 Na7 54.b6 Nc8 55.Bc5 [Black also wins after 55.Bc7 Kf3 56.Kd2
Kf2 57.Bd8 Nd6 followed by 58...Nc4] 55...Kf3 56.Kd2 Kf2
208
and although the black knight has temporarily been dominated by the bishop on c5, White has ended up
in zugzwang and thus has to give up the pawn on b6 as well as the pawn on e3.
52...Na7 53.Bc5
White tries to keep the knight out of play, since after 53.Be5 Nc8 54.Bc7 Ne7 the knight comes to g3.
53...Nc8
209
Position after: 53...Nc8
54.a5
A) Alternatives are no better, e.g. 54.b5 can be answered strongly with 54...a5! 55.b6 [55.Bf8 enables
Black to pick up the pawn on a4 with 55...Nb6] 55...Kg3 and again White is in zugzwang, while
B) 54.Bf8 Nb6 55.a5 Nc4 doesn’t save White either. As in the game, Black’s plan will be to transfer the
knight to g3 via b2-d3-f2-h1-g3. The fact that White can do nothing to stop it shows the impotence of
the bishop in such positions.
54...Kg3 55.Bf8 Na7 56.Bd6+ Kg2 57.Bc5 Nb5 58.Bf8 Na3 59.Be7 Nc4 60.Bc5 Nb2 61.Be7 Nd3
62.Bd6 Nf2 63.Bf4 Nh1!
Position after: 63...Nh1!
After a long journey with some obstacles en route the knight finally reaches its destiny. White is just lost.
64.Kd2
Or 64.Be5 Ng3+ 65.Kd2 [65.Bxg3 Kxg3 66.Ke1 Kf3 67.Kd2 Kf2 is hopeless too] 65...Kf3 66.Bf4
Nf1+ and the pawn on e3 falls.
64...Kf3 65.b5
In case of 65.Ke1 the knight will be heading for c4, from where it expels the king from d2: 65...Ng3
66.Bg5 Nf5 67.Kd2 Nd6 and again the pawn on e3 falls.
65...axb5 66.Kc3 Nf2 67.Bg5 Nd1+ 68.Kb4 Nxe3 69.Kxb5 Nc4 70.Kc5 e3
210
White resigned because of 71.Bxe3 Nxe3 [71...Kxe3 wins as well] 72.Kb6 Nc4+! and the a-pawn will
also be eliminated.
0-1
Conclusion: This example illustrates the superiority of a knight over a bishop. The following aspects are
important:
1) The pawn structure needs to be fixed and as a rule of thumb the pawns have to be placed on the
opposite colour to the bishop so they can’t become targets.
2) The centre has to be closed, as otherwise the weaker side playing with the bishop might be able to
generate counterplay.
3) It’s important to be able to break through somehow and penetrate with your king into the enemy camp.
If that’s impossible you won’t be able to reap the rewards of your positional advantage.
In the following game the presence of one extra pair of rooks enables Black to create additional
problems.
Kuzubov, Yuriy (2623)
Efimenko, Zahar (2689)
Kiev 2012
211
Black to move
Black’s small but lasting advantage consists of a favourable pawn structure. White’s isolated pawn on d4
requires permanent care and even when it’s not attacked by any of Black’s forces the square in front of it
(d5) can be used as a wonderful outpost for the knight.
27...Bxf4 28.Bxf4 Bxf3+ 29.Kxf3 Nd5 30.Bd2
30...f6
212
Another idea is 30...Re6 31.Rc4 b5 32.Rc1 though the drawback is that White retains some pressure
against Black’s backward c-pawn.
After the text, Black’s king can be transferred over the light squares to the centre, while at the same time
White needs to be wary of a potential breakthrough on the kingside initiated with ... g6-g5.
31.Rc4
Forcing Black to protect the a-pawn with his rook. Occupying the only open file with 31.Re1 has some
drawbacks as well. Black has the luxury of choosing between:
A) Following the same plan as in the game with 31...Ra8 and thanks to the superb knight on d5 White
can’t penetrate into Black’s position with 32.Re6 because of 32...Kf7 33.Rd6? Ke7 and the rook is
trapped.
B) Or swapping off the rooks with 31...Rxe1 32.Bxe1 Kf7 33.Ke4 Ke6 when Black also has a risk-free
position. On the other hand, it might not be that simple to make progress, as White’s king is perfectly
centralized and the weaknesses on b2 and d4 can easily be defended by the king and bishop.
31...Ra8 32.Ke4 Kf7 33.Kd3 Ke6 34.f3
This move could be criticized, since there isn’t yet any need to make concessions on the kingside.
However, sooner or later it had to be played anyway, as Black’s king might have been able to penetrate
White’s position via f5-g4-f3 (or h3-g2).
34...Ra6 35.Bc1 Kf5
213
An idea worth considering, though a rather surprising one, is 35...Rb6 with the point that after 36.Rxa4
Rb3+ 37.Ke2 [37.Ke4? f5#] Black can play 37...Rc3!? 38.Bd2 [Even after 38.bxc3 Nxc3+ 39.Kd3 Nxa4
White retains some drawing chances due to the limited material left on the board] 38...Rc2 39.b4 [39.b3
Rb2 with the double threat of 40...Rxb3 and 40...Nxc3] 39...Nc3+ 40.Kd3 Rxd2+ 41.Kxc3 Rf2 42.Ra7
b5
Position after: 42...b5
and Black’s activity gives him the upper hand, even though White might still be able to hold on after the
accurate 43.d5+! Kxd5 44.Rd7+ Ke5 45.f4+ Kf5 46.Rd3 Kg4 47.Rd6 and White succeeds in generating
counterplay. In general, I prefer Efimenko’s approach, as there is no reason for a player to complicate
matters when he has a stable advantage.
36.Ke2 g5 37.Kf2
37.hxg5 fxg5 gives Black some extra possibilities to create an outside passed pawn with a well-timed
...h5-h4.
37...g4
214
38.fxg4+?
A serious strategic mistake, after which the black king can pick up the pawns on the kingside. Much
better would have been 38.Bd2! Rb6 39.Bb4 gxf3 40.Kxf3 Nxb4 41.axb4 and Black can’t make further
progress, since 41...Rb5? 42.Rc5+ Rxc5 43.bxc5 Ke6 44.g4 even wins for White thanks to his outside
passed pawn.
38...Kxg4 39.Rc2
39.Bd2 Rb6 40.Bb4 no longer helps, in view of 40...f5 and White ends up in zugzwang.
215
41.Bc3 [41.Kg2 is met by 41...Ne3+.] 41...Nxc3 42.bxc3 Rb2+ and the g3 pawn falls, after which the f-
pawn decides matters. After the text Black activates the rook by putting it on b3, tying down the bishop
on c1 to the defence of the pawn on b2, and then the pawn on g3 can’t be saved either.
39...Rb6 40.Re2
Nothing could have been gained from 40.Rc4 because of 40...Rb3 41.Rxa4 Rf3+ 42.Ke2 Rxg3 43.Ra7
Rb3 and White’s forces are doomed to passivity.
40...Rb3 41.Re4+ Kh3
216
42.g4
A desperate attempt to create counterplay with the passed h-pawn, but Efimenko has seen that his rook
will be back in time to stop it.
42...hxg4 43.h5 f5 44.Re1
In case of 44.h6 fxe4 45.h7 Rf3+, followed by 46...Rf8, the h-pawn will be stopped in time.
44...Kh2 45.h6 Rf3+
There was also an even more straightforward win: 45...g3+ 46.Ke2 g2 47.h7 Rh3 and White is helpless.
46.Ke2 Rh3 47.Kf1
217
47...f4
Black could still have spoiled everything with the hasty 47...g3? 48.Re2+ Kh1 49.Rg2 f4 [49...Rh5?
50.Rxg3 and White is actually better] 50.Rg1+ Kh2 51.Rg2+ and a draw is inevitable.
48.Re2+ Kg3 49.Rg2+ Kf3
And White resigned, as the black pawns will soon decide matters.
0-1
Some thoughts:
1) The only open file, the e-file, isn’t used by either side. Apparently White didn’t like the option of
trading off the rooks, after which he can no longer count on any counterplay. Black, meanwhile, didn’t
mind leaving the e-file either, as the fantastic knight on d5 prevents White from entering on the 6th or 7th
rank.
2) In this example Black moves his pieces around in an attempt to create
new targets on both the queenside (with ...Ra8-a6-b6-b3 etc) and kingside (...Kf5, ...f6, ...g5 etc). It’s
quite remarkable that once the knight has reached d5 it never leaves the square again!
3) 38.fxg4? is a horrible strategic mistake, weakening the light squares on the kingside and thus enabling
the black king to penetrate. Instead White could probably have saved the game with 38.Bd2! Rb6
39.Bb4! but the position was too difficult to play.
The attacking duo queen & knight

The queen and knight are extremely dangerous when conducting a direct attack against the enemy king.
218
The ability of the knight to target squares of either colour gives the attack great flexibility. Below are two
instructive examples.
Nikolic, Predrag (2638)
Zumsande, Martin (2418)
Solingen 2013
Since all Black’s pawns are placed on the colour of the bishop, no further explanation is needed to prove
the superiority of the knight. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem that simple for White to make progress.
But with a powerful pawn sacrifice Nikolic succeeds in activating his queen, highlighting the weakened
dark squares in Black’s position.
White to move
37.d5!
Vacating the d4-square for one of White’s pieces. Black is unable to utilize his extra pawn in the
subsequent phase.
37...exd5 38.Qd4 Kf7
219
39.b4!
Fixing Black’s b-pawn on the colour of his bishop. Another option is 39.Qh8 Qf6 40.Qxh7+ Qg7 and,
after the exchange of queens, the knight vs. bishop ending offers White excellent chances as well.
39...Qf6 40.Qa7 Qe7 41.Qb6 Qd7
Better practical chances are offered by 41...d4!?
220
Position after: 41...d4!?
42.Qxd4 [42.exd4? allows 42...e3!] 42...Qxh4 43.Qd7+ Qe7 44.Qxb5 and White still has to work to
convert his advantage. After the game continuation White strengthens his attacking ideas by pushing his
h-pawn.
42.h5
42...Bc6
A) Alternative ways of dealing with the weakness on g6 are no better: 42...g5 43.Qh6! and Black
collapses, since after 43...gxf4 44.Qxh7+ Ke6 45.Qxd7+ Kxd7 46.h6 the h-pawn is unstoppable.
B) 42...Qc6 43.Qd8 Qe8 [43...gxh5 44.Qh8 looks problematic for Black as well.] 44.hxg6+ hxg6
45.Qc7+ Qe7 46.Qb6 And Black cannot defend both the bishop and the g6-pawn at the same time.
43.Ne2
The knight is heading towards d4. Note that White deliberately refrains from exchanging the h-pawn with
43.hxg6+? hxg6 when it’s not simple to break through the barricade.
43...Qe8 44.h6!
221
Position after: 44.h6!
The h-pawn gives a new impulse to the attack by gaining control over the g7 square, while in certain lines
the pawn on h7 turns out to be a target for the white queen too.
44...Bd7 45.Qd4 Qf8 46.Nf4!
Even more convincing than 46.Qxd5+ Be6 47.Qb7+ Qe7 48.Qxb5 which should also be technically
winning for White.
46...Qxh6
Black can hardly ignore the h-pawn with 46...Be6 because of 47.Qe5 Qe7 [47...Qe8 48.Qg7#] 48.Qh8
and after taking on h7 White will soon get another queen. But after the text the black queen is seriously
misplaced.
47.Qxd5+ Ke7 48.Qe5+ Kd8
After 48...Kf7 the following sequence nicely illustrates what the queen and knight are capable of
together: 49.Qd6 Be8 [49...Ke8 50.Nd5 Qg7 51.Nc7+ is similar to the game] 50.Qe6+ Kf8 51.Qf6+
Kg8 52.Ne6 Bf7 53.Qd8+ with mate to follow.
49.Qd6 Ke8
49...Kc8 can also be met by 50.Nd5.
50.Nd5 Qg7 51.Nc7+
222
Position after: 51.Nc7+
Black resigned, since loss of material is inevitable: 51...Kd8 [51...Kf7 52.Qxd7+] 52.Ne6+ and White
wins the queen.
1-0
The following two games show that the bishop isn’t always superior to the knight in open positions. In
both cases the knight has a temporary advantage, lasting only one or two moves, based on some tactical
or domination motif.
Sargissian, Gabriel (2674)
Smeets, Jan (2610)
Plovdiv 2012
223
White to move
59.g5
Although this move doesn’t spoil anything, it seems to me it would have been better for White to delay
this pawn trade. More accurate is 59.Bc6 Nd6+ 60.Kf4 Ke6 61.Kf3 Ke5 62.Ke3 and Black finds it hard
to make progress. After the text move White has to be very precise in order to maintain the balance.
59.g5 Ng7+!?
A very tricky move, which was probably underestimated by the Armenian GM. After 59...fxg5 60.Kxg5
White brings his king to d2 with rather an easy draw.
60.Kg4
The point of Black’s previous move is to meet 60.Kg6? with 60...fxg5! when Black is suddenly winning.
224
Position after: 60...fxg5!
For example:
A) 61.Kxg7 is met by 61...b4! 62.cxb4 [62.Kg6 bxc3 63.Bd1 g4 doesn’t help either] 62...c3 63.Be4 g4
and one of Black’s passed pawns will promote.
B) 61.Kxg5 Ne6+! 62.Kf5 Kd6!
Position after: 62...Kd6!
[A really wonderful construction. Premature is 62...Nc5? 63.Ke5 Na4 64.Kd4 and White succeeds in
225
protecting the pawn on c3 in time.] 63.Bd1 [63.Ke4 allows Black to exchange the bishop with
63...Ng5+.] 63...Nc5 64.Kf4 Na4 And White is a tempo short defending the pawn on c3 with his king,
while the pawn ending is also hopeless.
60...fxg5
61.Bc6
Of course not 61.Kxg5 Ne6+ 62.Kf5 Kd6! with a transposition to the variation mentioned in the
previous note.
61...b4 62.cxb4 Kd6
Nothing can be gained from 62...c3 63.Be4 Ne6 64.b5 Kd6 65.b6 and the b-pawn ensures Black can’t
make further progress without giving up the g-pawn.
63.Ba4 Ne6 64.Kf3 Kd5
226
65.Ke3?
The king is going in the wrong direction.

White should instead have played 65.Kg4! with the idea of eliminating the g-pawn. 65...c3 [65...Kd4
66.Kf5 and White also holds.] 66.Bb3+! [66.b5? fails because of 66...Kc5! followed by ...Kb6-a5 when
the b-pawn falls.] 66...Kd4 67.Kf5! And Black can’t hold on to his g-pawn.
65...Nd4!
227
Position after: 65...Nd4!
66.b5
Other moves would not have saved White either. The following lines are instructive and perfectly
illustrate the strength of the centralized knight:
A) 66.Bd1 Nf5+ 67.Kf3 g4+! and now 68.Kxg4 can be met by 68...Ne3+.
B) 66.Bd7 c3 67.Kd3 c2 68.Kd2 Kc4 69.Ba4 g4 and Black wins.
66...Nf5+?
Smeets misses an excellent opportunity to convert his extra pawn. Had he gone for 66...Kc5! his
advantage would have been decisive.
For example 67.Ke4 [67.b6 can be answered with 67...Nf5+ 68.Ke4 Nd6+ 69.Ke5 Kxb6 since 70.Kxd6
loses to 70...g4 when both passed pawns are unstoppable] 67...Ne6! [Black shouldn’t rush to eliminate
White’s remaining pawn with 67...Nxb5? in view of 68.Kf5 followed by taking on g5, when Black can
no longer win] 68.Kf5 Kb6 69.Kg4 [69.Kxe6 g4 and wins] 69...Ka5 and when Black takes the pawn the
rest will be pretty simple. After the text move White is in time to disarm the g-pawn.
67.Kf3
228
67...Kc5
In case of 67...Nd4+ 68.Kg4 Ne6 White secures a draw with 69.b6 Kd6 70.Kf3 c3 71.Kg4 Nc5 72.Bc2
Kc6 73.Kxg5 Kxb6 74.Kf4=.
68.Kg4 Nd4 69.Kxg5 Nxb5
Position after: 69...Nxb5
229
White doesn’t have any trouble defending this ending. Black’s only hope lies in blocking with the knight
on the diagonal on which the bishop controls the c2-square. However, the knight needs a lot of time to do
that, which allows the weaker side to preempt Black’s intentions.
70.Kf4 Nc3 71.Bc2 Kd4 72.Bg6 Ne2+ 73.Kf3 Nc1
Or 73...Nc3 74.Bf7 Nd5 75.Bxd5 Kxd5 76.Ke3 Kc5 77.Kd2 Kb4 78.Kc2 and White is in time.
74.Bh7
Position after: 74.Bh7
74...c3
The immediate interference with 74...Nd3 leads nowhere, in view of 75.Ke2.
75.Bc2
A careless waiting move like 75.Bg6? is punished by 75...Nd3! when the c-pawn can no longer be
stopped.
75...Kc4 76.Ke3 Nb3 77.Bd3+ Kb4 78.Bc2 Ka3 79.Bg6 Kb2 80.Bh7 Nc5 81.Kd4 Ne6+ 82.Kc4 Nf4
83.Bf5 Ne2 84.Bd3 Nc1 85.Bg6 Na2 86.Bh7 Nc1 87.Bg6 Nb3 88.Bh7 Nd2+ 89.Kb4 Nf3 90.Kc4
Ne5+ 91.Kd4 Ng4 92.Kc4 Ne3+ 93.Kd4 Nd1 94.Kc4 Kc1 95.Kd3 Kb2
230
96.Kc4
Another drawing method is 96.Ke2 Kc1 97.Kd3 but evidently there isn’t anything wrong with the text
move.
96...Nf2 97.Bg6 Nh3 98.Bf5 Nf4 99.Bh7 Ne2 100.Bd3 Ka3 101.Bh7 Ka2 102.Kd3 Kb2 103.Kxe2 c2
104.Bxc2 Kxc2
½-½
Conclusion: With some exceptions, the endgame knight + pawn vs. bishop is usually drawn. The knight
needs a lot of time to reach the ideal blocking square, enabling the bishop to anticipate.
Potkin, Vladimir (2684)
Vocaturo, Daniele (2545)
Wijk aan Zee 2012
231
Black to move
Despite the limited material left on the board, White faces a difficult task in trying to eliminate Black’s
remaining pawn and thus securing a draw. If the king had been a bit closer, White could easily have held
a draw by bringing it to the corner. Unfortunately for him this is not the case and for the moment the
dark-squared bishop has the task of preventing the advance of the passed pawn.
In general, the pawn has to be stopped as quickly as possible, so covering the h4-square is a high priority.
The e1-h4 diagonal seems to be the most logical possibility, as the bishop is right now placed on g3.
Black’s plan consists of preventing the bishop from retaining control over h4. This has to be achieved by
using the knight to interfere on the diagonal where the bishop will be placed. As we’ll see, that’s easier
said than done.
82...Kg4
It doesn’t really matter whether Black starts with 82...h5 since after 83.Kb3 Kg4 play still transposes.
82...Kg4 83.Be1
Obviously White attempts to retain control over the h4-square. Hence, the main alternative is 83.Bf2 h5
84.Kb3 Nd6 85.Kc2.
232
A) The same construction that Black should build after 83.Be1, initiated with here 85...Nf5? 86.Kd2
Kf3, doesn’t have the desired effect, as White can save himself with 87.Ke1! Kg2 88.Ke2 and there’s
no chance for Black to improve his position, while 88...Ng3+ 89.Bxg3 Kxg3 90.Kf1 leads to a drawn
pawn ending.
B) 85...Ne4! The only winning continuation: 86.Bg1 [86.Be1 Ng3 and the h-pawn can’t be brought to a
halt] 86...h4 87.Kd3 Kf3 88.Bh2 Ng3 followed by 89...Kg2 and Black wins.
83...Ng5?
Activating the knight seems logical, but in fact this move throws away the win. It makes sense to
mobilize the passer with 83...h5, not allowing the bishop to move away from the e1-h4 diagonal. 84.Kb3
Nd6! [84...Nh6 is good as well.] 85.Kc3 Nf5! [The knight has to control the h4-square first, since
85...Kf3 can be answered with 86.Bh4! and after 86...Kg4 87.Bd8 the bishop prevents the advance of the
h-pawn from the other diagonal.] 86.Kd3 Kf3!
233
Position after: 86...Kf3!
A truly fantastic construction. Black succeeds in keeping the opponent’s king out of the corner, while the
bishop doesn’t have a waiting move without giving up control over h4. After 87.Kd2 Ng3 the passed
pawn is unstoppable, as the white king is unable to approach.
84.Kb4
84...Ne4
234
84...Nf3
A) The bishop should stay on the diagonal where it currently stands for as long as possible. It would
have been a bad mistake to play 85.Bc3? h5 86.Bf6 Ng5 and Black is winning. The following variation
shows that White’s king is too far away to reach the corner: 87.Kc4 h4 88.Kd3 h3 89.Be5 Kf3 90.Bc7
Ne4 91.Bh2 Kg2 92.Bc7 Ng3 and Black wins.
B) 85.Bf2!
Position after: 85.Bf2!
Now Black has three different ways to pose White some problems, but all of them lead to the same
result:
B1) 85...Nd2 temporarily prevents the White king from getting closer, though on the other hand the
knight is now unable to support the advance of the h-pawn. 86.Bb6 [Both 86.Kc3? and 86.Kc5 can be
met by 86...Ne4+ winning the bishop.] 86...h5 87.Bd8 and now the knight has to go to g5 anyway with
87...Ne4 88.Kc4 Ng5 89.Bxg5 Kxg5 90.Kd3 and White is in time with his king.
B2) 85...h5 86.Kc3 Kh3 87.Kd3 Kg2 88.Ke3 and White achieves a comfortable draw as Black fails to
make further progress.
B3) 85...Kh3 aiming to force the bishop to leave the e1-h4 diagonal. The fact that the h-pawn is still
on its initial square gives White two full moves to redirect his bishop to the d8-h4 diagonal, stopping
the h-pawn. 86.Kc4 Kg2 87.Bb6 h5 88.Bd8 and White draws. Black’s only try to advance the h-pawn
is retreating the king to g4 intending to block the d8-h4 diagonal with ...Ng5. However, this takes too
much time and thus enables White’s king to get to the corner in time.
85.Kc4 Ng3
235
85...Kf3 86.Bh4 leads nowhere.
86.Kd3 Kf3
Black has managed to use the knight to interfere and is thus ready to push the h-pawn. After the logical
sequence 86...h5 87.Ke3 h4 88.Kf2 h3 89.Kg1 White saves the game by one tempo.
87.Ba5!
Since the h4-square is no longer within reach of the bishop it has to be directed to the other diagonal. In
case of 87.Kd4? h5 the passed pawn can no longer be stopped.
87...h5 88.Bd8 Nf5
Also after 88...Kg4 89.Ke3 White easily secures the half point.
89.Kd2 h4 90.Bxh4
And White has finally succeeded in eliminating the remaining pawn: ½-½.
236
Blockade
In general the knight has been considered to be the best piece dealing with a passed pawn. In the
following game Grischuk’s construction speaks for itself.
Grischuk, Alexander (2747)
Kazan 2011
Black to move
25...Bxe4! 26.Rxe4 Kf8!
A) Covering the important entry square for the rook. 26...Rxd5? loses to 27.Rxe8#.
B) 26...Nf6?! canot be recommended either, in view of 27.Re7!
27.Ra4 a6 28.Rb4 Nd6
237
Position after: 28...Nd6
Here we are. The knight is excellently placed.

First of all, it stops the movement of the d-pawn. Furthermore, White is unable to attack the pawns on
either the queenside or kingside, because the vulnerable points on b7 and f7 are defended by the knight,
while h7 is out of reach. Note that with the pawn on d5, White’s light-squared bishop can’t join the battle
either.
29.Kd2 h6!
Ensuring the h-pawn will never come under attack from White’s rook.
30.Bd3 Ke7 31.Ke3 Kd7 32.f3 Re8+
Now the king has taken over the task of protecting the knight, Black’s rook is released and will try to
disturb White’s attempts to break through with the king.
33.Be4
238
33...g6
Threatening to win the bishop with 34...f5. The immediate 33...f5?! is less accurate, because of 34.gxf5
Nxf5+ 35.Kf4 Nd6 36.h4 and due to the opening of the g-file Black might face some problems in the
long run. It’s worth remembering that in positions where you just have to maintain your blockade, from a
defender’s point of view it’s much better not to take such radical measures yourself, as they usually have
the opposite effect to that intended.
34.Kd4 Rc8 35.h4 Rc1!
The rook has to be activated.
36.Ke5 Ke7
239
Even though it’s hardly a threat yet, it doesn’t make sense to let the white king infiltrate on f6 at any
point.
37.g5
The only way to make progress is to undermine the blockade with 37.Rb6? but for now that just fails
tactically to 37...Nc4+!.
37...hxg5 38.hxg5 Rg1 39.Kf4 f6 40.Bxg6
After 40.gxf6+ Kxf6 41.Rb6 g5+ 42.Ke3 Ke5 Black is also in full control.
40...Rxg5
240
Position after: 40...Rxg5
From a strategic point of view this is the most sound recapture, although 40...fxg5+ is also playable.
Grischuk’s choice is often more appropriate, since the pawn on f6 ensures the white king is kept away
from the blockading square.
41.Be4 Rg2 42.a4 a5 43.Rb3 Kd8 44.Ke3 Rh2 45.Kf4 Rg2 46.Bb1 Rd2 47.Bd3 Rg2 48.Ke3 Rh2
49.Kd4 Rh4+ 50.Kc5 Kc7 51.Rb6 Rxa4!
Position after: 51...Rxa4!
241
52.b3
Grischuk had impressively foreseen that White can’t win material with 52.Rxd6 because of 52...Rb4!
since after 53.Bb5 [53.Rxf6? is met by 53...b6+!] 53...Rxb5+ 54.Kxb5 Kxd6 55.Kxa5 Kxd5 56.Kb6 f5
57.Kxb7 Ke5 58.b4 Kf4 59.b5 Kxf3 60.b6 f4 61.Kc6 Kg2 62.b7 f3 63.b8=Q f2
we reach a theoretically drawn position: 64.Qg8+ Kh1 65.Qd5+ Kg1 66.Qg5+ Kh1 67.Qh4+ Kg1
68.Qg3+ Kh1! and the pawn can’t be taken because of stalemate.
52...Rb4 53.Rxb4 axb4 54.Kxb4 b6! 55.Kc3 Kd8 56.Kd4 Ke7
242
And a draw was agreed. Since White is unable to break through with his king his extra pawn has proven
to be useless.
½-½
The superiority of a bishop

Bishops are usually doing very well when it’s an open position with play on both sides of the board. The
two masterpieces by Carlsen and Ponomariov clearly show why that is the case.
Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2697)
Bilbao 2012
243
White to move
White has a difficult problem to solve, as Black is threatening 31...a5, driving the knight away from
protecting the c2-square. By trading off the rooks, the Spanish GM attempts to ease his task, but instead
he only aggravates the situation.
31.Rc1?
White should have tried 31.Rd1! a5 32.Rxd4+ Ke5 33.Rd5+ Ke6 34.Rxg5 Kf6 35.Rxb5 axb4
Position after: 35...axb4
244
36.a4! [36.Rxb4? is less appealing, because of 36...Rc2+ 37.Ka1 Rxg2 and Black is winning as the h-
pawn is too strong] 36...Rc2+ 37.Ka1 Rxg2 38.a5 Rxg3 39.a6 Rxf3 40.a7 Rf1+ 41.Kb2 Rf2+ 42.Ka1 Be4
43.Rxh5 and White will be able to eliminate the b-pawn as well. This variation is certainly not forced and
perhaps Black has an improvement along the way, but at least it offers White better drawing chances than
the game continuation.
31.Rc1? Rxc1 32.Kxc1 h4!
Black doesn’t care about his a-pawn and instead tries to create a passed h-pawn.
33.gxh4
Exchanging pawns opens up a route for Black to enter the kingside. More stubborn would have been
33.Nc2 when there are two important options for Black:
A) The transition into a pawn ending with 33...Bxc2? 34.Kxc2 hxg3 [34...Kc5? makes things even
worse, and after 35.f4 gxf4 36.gxh4! White wins] 35.b4! is surprisingly drawn, in view of 35...Ke5
36.Kd2 Kd5 37.Kd3 and Black can’t make any progress.
B) 33...Kc5! is correct and leads to a winning position for Black after e.g. 34.f4 hxg3 35.fxg5 Be4
36.Ne1 Kd5 37.Kd2 Ke5 38.a4 b4!
245
Position after: 38...b4!
Rule of thumb: the stronger side should keep pawns on the board! 39.Nd3+ Kf5 40.Nxb4 Bxg2 41.Nc2
Ke5 42.g6 Bd5 43.Ne1 Kf6 44.Kd3 Bxb3 45.Kxd4 Kxg6 And Black wins.
33...gxh4
Position after: 33...gxh4
34.Nxa6
246
White allows the black bishop to get in behind and pick up the important pawn on g2. Alternatives aren’t
any better, though:
A) 34.Nc2 can be met by 34...Bxc2 35.Kxc2 Ke5 36.Kd3 Kf4 37.Kxd4 Kg3 38.Ke5 Kxg2 39.f4 h3
and Black is faster.
B) 34.Kd2 a5! 35.Na6 b4 36.Kc1 Bd3 and the pawn on g2 falls.
34...Bd3! 35.Nb4
In case of 35.Kd2 Black wins by means of 35...Bf1 36.Ke1 Bxg2 37.Kf2 d3 38.Ke3 h3 and the passed
pawns are unstoppable.
35...Bf1 36.Kd2 Bxg2 37.Ke2
37...Bh3!
The bishop needs to be activated first, since after 37...h3? 38.Kf2 it’s locked in a cage and thus Black
can’t make any progress.
38.a4
38.Nd3 doesn’t help either, because of 38...Bf5 39.Nf2 b4 and Black’s two passed pawns decide the
game.
38...Bf5 39.axb5 d3+
247
Position after: 39...d3+
40.Ke3
Or 40.Kf2 d2 41.Ke2 h3 and Black wins.
40...h3 41.Nxd3 Bxd3
White resigned, since after 42.Kf2 Bf5 the black king wipes out White’s weak pawns.
0-1
Poikovsky 2012
248
Black to move
White has just moved his king to d3 and it’s clear that both wings have to be defended carefully.
Ponomariov spots a small opportunity and immediately grabs his chance.
50...Ke5! 51.Nxc5
White can’t prevent the black king from penetrating into the kingside with 51.Ke3 in view of 51...Bxe4!
52.fxe4 a4! 53.bxa4 h5 and the pawn ending is hopeless.
51...Kf4 52.Ke2
White’s pawns on the kingside are quite vulnerable, which is best illustrated by the following variation:
52.Ne4
249
Position after: 52.Ne4
A) 52...Bxe4+? 53.fxe4 Ke5 The liquidation into a pawn ending doesn’t have its desired effect, in view
of 54.g4! Kf4 55.Kd4 h5 [55...Kxg4? even loses, due to 56.e5 Kf5 57.Kd5 g4 58.e6 g3 59.e7 g2
60.e8=Q g1=Q 61.Qf7+ Kg4 62.Qg6+ and White picks up the queen] 56.gxh5 g4 57.h6 g3 58.h7 g2
59.h8=Q g1=Q+ and a draw seems to be the most logical outcome.
B) 52...Bb5+! 53.Kd4 Bf1 54.g4 Be2 55.Nd6 Bxf3 56.Nf7 Bxg4 57.Nxh6 Be6!
Position after: 57...Be6!
250
A typical idea worth remembering: a knight on the rim is dominated by a bishop with two squares
between them.
Black wins easily: 58.b4 axb4 59.axb4 a6! zugzwang [but not 59...g4? 60.Nxg4! and White saves the
game because the bishop doesn’t control the corner square a1] 60.Kc5 Ke5 61.Kb6 Kf6 and Black
picks up the knight.
52...Kg3 53.Kf1 g4
54.fxg4
54.Ne4+ can be met by 54...Bxe4 55.fxe4 Kf4 and Black wins thanks to his potential outside passed
pawn on the kingside.
54...Bxg2+ 55.Kg1 Bd5 56.b4 axb4 57.axb4 Kxg4
251
Position after: 57...Kxg4
The difference in strength between the two minor pieces becomes clear when more pawns are exchanged.
Although White only needs to eliminate both pawns (or just the h-pawn and reach a1 in time so that
Black can’t win any longer) the knight is absolutely incapable of this task, since Black’s pawns are far
apart from each other.
58.Kf2
If White decides to eliminate the h-pawn, his king arrives too late to stop the a-pawn: 58.Kh2 Kf4
59.Kh3 Ke3 60.Kh4 Kd4
252
61.Kh5 [61.Na6 Bf7 62.Nb8 Be8! is hopeless too, as the b-pawn falls, while the h-pawn remains on the
board as well] 61...Kc4 62.Kxh6 Kxb4 63.Na6+ Kb5 64.Kg5 Kxa6 65.Kf4 Kb5 66.Ke3 Kc4 67.Kd2
Kb3 68.Kc1 Be4 and Black wins.
58...Kf4 59.Na4 Bc6 60.Nc3
Position after: 60.Nc3
60...a6
Although this isn’t the only move that wins for Black, it’s quite an instructive one. White would like to
play b5/Na4/b6 exchanging the queenside pawns. With the text move Black puts an end to any illusions
White might have had about accomplishing that task.
Another possibility would have been 60...h5 61.b5 Bb7 62.Na4 h4 63.b6 h3 [63...axb6 64.Nxb6 h3
suffices as well, since after 65.Kg1 Kg3 the h-pawn queens; but not 63...a6? 64.Nc5 and White saves the
day] 64.Kg1
253
64...Kg3! and once more it has been proven that the bishop operates effectively from a long distance
[note that 64...axb6? spoils everything, in view of 65.Kh2! b5 66.Nc3 b4 67.Na2 b3 68.Nc1 b2 69.Nd3+
and White draws].
61.Ne2+ Ke4 62.Ng3+ Kd3 63.Nf5 h5 64.Ng7 h4 65.Nf5 h3 66.Kg3 Kc3 67.Ne3
In case of 67.Kxh3 the simplest continuation is 67...Bd7! and the pawn ending is easily won for Black.
67...Bg2!
254
And White resigned, since he’ll lose a second pawn.

0-1
Ris, Robert (2394)
Walter, Stefan (2358)
Essen 2013
White to move
255
White has the better position thanks to his pair of bishops and the powerful passed pawn. White’s plan is
mainly based on limiting the mobility of the knight on b8.
28.Bb5 Ne4+
The problem is that Black can’t play 28...Nc6, which is tactically refuted by 29.Ba6 Ra8 30.Bb7 and
White wins the exchange.
29.Ke3 Nxd6 30.cxd6
Position after: 30.cxd6
30...Rxc1
Black is forced to trade off one pair of rooks, since a waiting move like 30...Kf8 is strongly met by
31.Rc7! with the idea of 32.Rdc1 winning material. This variation highlights the knight’s poor placement
particularly well.
31.Rxc1 a6
The point of the previous sequence is that Black is unable to eliminate the d-pawn with 31...Rxd6 in view
of 32.Rc8+ and White picks up the knight.
32.Ba4 g6
256
A) Alternatives aren’t any better since Black fails to activate his knight. For example, 32...a5 with the
idea of 33...Na6 can be met by 33.Bb5! when the knight remains dominated.
B) The transition into a rook ending with 32...Nd7 33.Bxd7 Rxd7 also seems very unpleasant for Black,
because after 34.Rc6 a5 35.Kd4 the d-pawn will get support from the king.
33.Rc7?
A serious mistake, enabling Black to stay in the game. In fact, White should have activated his king with
33.Ke4! Kg7 [33...f6 is answered by 34.Rc7! and Black’s position has been paralyzed] 34.Ke5! and
Black is running out of useful moves. After the text the black king joins the play, targeting the d-pawn.
33...Kg7 34.Rb7
Keeping an eye on the knight. 34.Ke4 no longer makes sense as Black can just eliminate the pawn
without worrying about his knight.
34...Kf6 35.Ke4
White doesn’t have time to bring the king to c5 with 35.Kd4? since the pawn on d6 will be captured with
check.
35...Rc8 36.Kd4
257
Nothing can be gained from 36.Rc7 when Black just offers a repetition of moves with 36...Rd8.
36...Rd8?
In time trouble Black doesn’t grab the opportunity to bring the knight into play via 36...Nc6+! 37.Kc5
[37.Bxc6 Rxc6 is not problematic for Black, e.g. 38.d7 Rd6+ 39.Kc5 Rd2 40.Kc6 Ke7 and the d-pawn
can’t be promoted] 37...Ne5+ 38.Rc7 Rd8! and White can’t make further progress, because after 39.d7
Ke7! Black remains in control.
37.Kc5 Ke5 38.d7 f5
It’s too late to retreat the king with 38...Kf6 in view of 39.Kd6! and White wins.
39.gxf5 exf5
258
Position after: 39...exf5
Black seems to have managed to keep the d-pawn under control, but the following exchange sacrifice
enables the white king to penetrate into Black’s position.
40.Rxb8! Rxb8 41.Kc6 Rb4
A desperate attempt to prolong the struggle, but after 41...Rf8 42.Kc7 Kf4 43.d8=Q Rxd8 44.Kxd8 Kg3
45.Bc6 White also wins easily. The king will capture the pawn on a6, while Black is unable to create
counterplay with his pawns on the kingside.
42.d8=Q Rxa4 43.Qd6+ Ke4 44.Qxg6 h5 45.Qxh5 Rxa2 46.Qf3+
259
Position after: 46.Qf3+
And Black resigned as on the next move White picks up the rook with 47.Qd5+.
1-0
Dynamic factors
I was playing in the same tournament and when I was observing this position live in the playing hall I
thought Black was suffering because of his bad bishop. When discussing the game with my Dutch friend
afterwards I realized that I had not understood all the nuances of the position.
Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios (2567)
Ernst, Sipke (2504)
Kalamaria 2006
260
Black to move
The pawn structure in this endgame probably reminds you of the classical games Saidy-Fischer, US
championship 1964 and Karpov-Kasparov, ninth match game 1984. In those games the side playing with
the bishop was suffering, as the fixed pawns in the centre restricted the mobility of both the bishop and
the king. The situation in this game is different, though. The knight on f3 is not doing well, whereas
Karpov and Fischer were fortunate to have the knight on a favorable square (e3 or e6). Besides, the
presence of one pair of rooks seems to favour the side with the bishop. Black’s play is highly instructive
and made me realize that dogmatic thinking (good knight vs bad bishop ensures an advantage) doesn’t
help you evaluate dynamic factors well.
23...Re8+ 24.Kd2 Re4
The rook is well placed here, challenging the pawn on d4. Ideally White would go for a setup with a
knight on e3 and play f2-f3, but this is simply not possible because of the weakness on d4. Black’s next
step is gaining some space on the kingside.
25.Kc3
261
25...g5
Grabbing space is a typical plan, but perhaps worth considering is 25...Rf4!? indirectly exerting pressure
on f2.
26.Ng1?!
This looks very strange: where is the knight going to?

Better seems 26.Ne1 with the idea of meeting 26...Re2 27.Nd3 Bf5 with 28.Rc2. Black should keep
rooks on the board, when his position is still preferable, but at least the knight is much better placed on d3
than where it ends up in the game.
26...Bf5
262
27.h3
A) In hindsight, this move weakens the kingside too much and later the pawns on the light squares
become too vulnerable. It was more stubborn to be patient with 27.Rd1 intending to meet 27...h5 with
28.f3 Re3+ 29.Kd2 and here White doesn’t lose his d4-pawn.
B) The immediate 27.f3? drops a pawn: 27...Re3+ 28.Kd2 Rd3+ and Black is on top.
27...h5 28.Rd1 Kc6
263
29.a4?
White unnecessarily weakens the queenside as well. It seems to me that after 29.f3!? Re3+ 30.Kd2 Rd3+
31.Ke2 Rxd1 32.Kxd1 Bd3 White should be able to hold with 33.Kd2 and now Black can’t win a pawn
with 33...Bf1 in view of 34.Ke1!
29...a6 30.Rd3 Kd6 31.Rd1 a5 32.Rc1 h4!
Nice strategy by Black over the last few moves: pawns on both the queenside and kingside have been
fixed on the colour of the bishop, making them potential targets.
33.Rd1 Re7
Another option is 33...Bd7 34.b3 g4 when White remains under pressure, as he can’t take on g4:
35.hxg4? Rxg4 and g2 is hanging.
34.Kd2 Rc7 35.Rc1
264
35...Rxc1
35...Rc4! 36.Rxc4 dxc4 also looks great for Black. After the move played the bishop will be able to
challenge the white pawns on the kingside as well.
36.Kxc1 Bd7! 37.b3 b5! 38.axb5 Bxb5 39.Kd2 Bf1
265
A similar construction was seen in the game Vallejo – Carlsen where the black pawn on h4 fixes the
pawn on g2. In the present game White is able to solve that problem by trading off those pawns, but a
new target appears on h3. The knight on g1 is condemned to passive defence and since White is running
out of useful moves; zugzwang patterns can be expected soon.
40.g3 Bg2 41.gxh4 gxh4 42.Ke3 Kc6
43.Kd2
43.f3 Kb5 44.Kf2 gives Black the option to place the bishop in the corner, or play 44...Kb4! 45.Kxg2
Kxb3 46.Ne2 a4 47.Nc1+ Kc2 48.Na2 Kb2 49.Nb4 a3 and the ensuing pawn ending wins easily for
Black.
43...Kb5 44.Kc3 f5 45.f4 Be4 46.Ne2
Sooner or later the black king will enter White’s position. Another illustrative line goes 46.Kb2 Kb4
47.Ne2 a4 48.bxa4 Kxa4 49.Kc3 Bf3 50.Ng1 [50.Nc1 Bg2 and the h3-pawn falls] 50...Bh5 and the
black king walks to the pawn on d4.
46...Bf3 47.Ng1
266
Position after: 47.Ng1
47...Bg2
Not the most precise continuation, as Black misses a beautiful way to keep the knight dominated with
47...Bh5! Nevertheless his advantage remains beyond any doubt, though the conversion process takes
some extra moves now.
48.Kc2 Kb4 49.Kb2 Kb5 50.Ka3 Bh1 51.Ne2 Bg2 52.Ng1 a4 53.Kb2 Kb4 54.bxa4 Kxa4 55.Kc3
Ka3 56.Kc2 Kb4 57.Kd3 Kb3 58.Ke2 Kc3 59.Ke3 Be4 60.Ne2+ Kc2 61.Ng1 Kd1
267
It must always be a joy when your king crosses the whole board and reaches the back rank. White is
completely lost, despite the ’’bad’’ bishop, which isn’t so bad after all!
62.Ne2 Ke1 63.Nc1 Kf1 64.Ne2 Bg2 65.Nc3 Ke1 66.Kd3 Bxh3 67.Nxd5 Bf1+ 68.Ke3 h3
And since the h-pawn is out of reach White resigned.

0-1
268
Chapter 6
The power of major pieces
The technical phase with major pieces on the board has a sharper character than any other type of ending.
The presence of queens and rooks on the board ensures a lot of tactical possibilities for the side with the
initiative, but also the defensive side often has reasonable counterchances. Key factors are: 1) king safety;
2) open files (or in general the activity of the major pieces); and 3) passed pawns, which have the power
to tie up the opponent’s forces. In the past Alekhine usually excelled in these positions with only major
pieces on the board, so it might be of interest to study his games as well. In this chapter we will look at
more recent examples from the world’s very best players.
Open file & the 7th rank

Major pieces usually excel when they are not hindered by any pawns, but rather have space to shift from
one side to the other. The more active side usually controls the open file, which is an important starting
point, preparing the infiltration into the opponent’s position. In the following game White gains control
over the only open file and his major pieces will dominate their counterparts for the rest of the game.
Sargissian, Gabriel (2663)
Yu, Yangyi (2672)
Ningbo 2011
Black to move
The material is even and the pawn structure is symmetrical, but nevertheless White enjoys a very pleasant
advantage. His two rooks have already been doubled and are ready to try and gain control over the only
open file. Black, on the other hand, is suffering from a lack of space and in particular his knight on c7
makes a poor impression. Therefore Black’s next move seems to make quite some sense, as he is offering
269
the trade of his bad piece. Evidently, he underestimated the consequences of his idea.
22...Nb5?! 23.Nxb5 Rxc2 24.Rxc2
24.Qxc2 is also possible, but Sargissian’s move is better as he intends to penetrate with his rook on the
seventh rank.
24...Qxb5 25.Rc7
25...a5
There is never a chance to look for counterplay with 25...f6? in view of 26.exf6 Rxf6 27.Qg5 and Black’s
position falls apart. Without the pawn on f7 the power of White’s rook only increases. After 27...Rf7
28.Qd8+ Rf8 29.Qe7 mate is inevitable. Now it’s clear that Black is doomed to a passive defence. White
will slowly increase his attacking potential by advancing his kingside pawns.
26.Qc2
A nice square for the queen: 1) it reinforces the control over the c-file; 2) it keeps an eye on h7, which
could be of use when the seventh rank is cleared; and 3) the black queen is unable to penetrate into
White’s position, which leaves Black without any counterplay.
26...h6
With his last move White has set a little trap. Although the white queen can’t reach g5 any longer it still
plays an active role in the upcoming tactical phase.
270
Again, 26...f6 isn’t possible, in view of 27.a4!
Position after: 27.a4!
A) 27...Qe8 is met by 28.exf6! Rxf6 [28...gxf6 29.Qxh7#] 29.Rc8 and White wins the queen.
B) 27...Qb4 28.Qc6 fxe5 [28...Qxd4 29.Qxe6+ Kh8 30.Rc8 and White wins: 30...Qe4+ 31.Kh3 and the
checks are over.] 29.Qxe6+ Kh8 30.Qxe5 And White is a pawn up. The pawn on d5 will be taken next,
after which the passed d-pawn becomes too strong.
The game continuation completes all White’s preparatory moves and he is ready to launch his pawns on
the kingside.
27.h4!
271
27...Qa6 28.b3 Qb5
28...a4 29.b4 And the queenside remains locked.
29.h5 Rd8 30.Rc6 Rf8 31.f4 Qa6 32.Rc7 Qa8 33.Qc6
Position after: 33.Qc6
33...Qa6
272
The rook endgame after 33...Qxc6 34.Rxc6 is pretty hopeless for Black. His queenside pawns are
vulnerable, but apart from that White could also just increase the pressure on the kingside by advancing
his pawns and his king.
34.Qc2 Qa8 35.g4 Kh8 36.a4 Kg8 37.Kf2 Kh8 38.Qc6 Qb8
Position after: 38...Qb8
39.Kg3!
A great prophylactic move. Tempting is 39.f5? but then 39...Qd8! suddenly brings the black queen back
into play.
39...Kg8 40.g5
Also possible is 40.f5 but Sargissian wants to push his pawn to g6 with the intention of removing the
pawn from f7 and clearing the seventh rank for his major pieces.
40...hxg5 41.fxg5 Qd8 42.Kg4 Kh8 43.Qb7 Kg8 44.g6 Qe8
After 44...f5+ 45.Kf3 mate can’t be avoided.
45.Re7
273
Position after: 45.Re7
Black resigned. One funny line is 45...Qd8 46.Rxf7 Rxf7 47.Qxf7+ Kh8 48.h6 Qg8 49.Kh5 gxh6
50.Kxh6 when Black is in zugzwang and mate is inevitable.
1-0
Combining files & ranks

The occupation of an open file is not a goal in itself, but rather a first step in strengthening your own
position. In the previous example we have seen the impact of major pieces controlling the only open file.
From there they were enabled to infiltrate the seventh rank with devastating effect. The following game
nicely shows that with one extra pair of rooks the side with the initiative is able to pose even more
problems. By employing the other rook laterally White creates extra threats against the king.
Bacrot, Etienne (2730)
Giri, Anish (2749)
Germany 2013
274
White to move
19.b4!
White makes use of the unfortunate placement of the black king on g7 to prepare the advance of the c-
pawn.
Clearly inferior is 19.cxb5? axb5 when Black becomes active on the a-file.
19.b4! bxc4
This is practically forced, because after 19...Rac8 White plays 20.c5! dxc5 21.bxc5 and Black can’t now
take on c5 in view of Qd4+, while after other moves the pawns on c5 and d5 are very powerful,
dominating Black’s major pieces.
20.Rxc4 h5
A) First of all, Black is unable to start disputing control over the c-file, as 20...Rac8? fails to 21.Qc3+
winning the rook.
B) With the text Black admits that the possible rook lift to h4 is very dangerous for him. The alternative
20...f6 is not much fun to play either. White has the luxury of being able to choose between playing for
an attack on the kingside, pressurizing the backward pawn on the e-file or simply mobilizing his
queenside majority. The latter is a good option and moves like a4, Qc3 and Rc6 are very useful. The
black pieces have been paralyzed and even though there is no immediate way for White to break down
the barricades, Black’s task of avoiding any further concessions seems to be much harder.
21.Qc3+ Kg8
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21...f6 is met by 22.Rc7 followed by taking on e7.
22.Rc7 Qb6
Position after: 22...Qb6
23.a4!
Superb technical play by Bacrot, who doesn’t get tempted into winning a pawn with 23.Rcxe7? Rxe7
24.Rxe7 because after 24...a5 Black obtains reasonable counterplay and drawing chances despite the
minus pawn.
23...Rab8 24.Re4!
276
Position after: 24.Re4!
The point of White’s play. His queenside majority is well supported by the major pieces and Black
doesn’t get a single chance to create counterplay. After the text White is ready to expose the black
weaknesses on the kingside with the powerful break g2-g4.
24...f6
A) They say that in bad positions mistakes are easily made, but what else should Black do? The attempt
to simplify the position with 24...Qxc7 25.Qxc7 Rbc8 backfires, in view of 26.Qc6! Rxc6 27.dxc6 and
the white pawns are too strong.
B) Trying to reduce the pressure on the seventh rank with 24...Rb7 is strongly met by 25.Rexe7! Rxe7
26.Rc8+ and mate on h8.
C) 24...a5 will always be met by 25.b5! The only conclusion we can draw is that Black is in zugzwang!
25.g4! Rb7
Giri overlooks a nice tactical shot and can resign immediately, but his position was already impossible to
defend. A great illustration of White’s dominance is seen in the following variation where Black is
attacked from all sides: 25...hxg4 26.Rxg4 Kf7 [Black also collapses after 26...Kg7 27.Qc2 g5 28.h4]
27.Rh4
277
Position after: 27.Rh4
[27.Qc2 f5 is less convincing] 27...Rh8 [27...g5 leads to mate after 28.Rh7+ Kg6 29.Qd3+ f5 30.Qh3
Kf6 31.Qc3+ Kg6 32.Qg7#] 28.a5 Qb5 29.Qe3! Rhe8 [29...Rxh4 30.Qxe7+ Kg8 31.Qg7#] 30.Rh7+
Kg8 31.Qh6 and mate on g7.
26.Qxf6!
Position after: 26.Qxf6!
Black resigned, in view of 26...Qxc7 [26...exf6 27.Rxe8#] 27.Qxg6+ Kh8 [27...Kf8 28.Rf4#] 28.Re6!
278
Qc1+ 29.Kg2 and there is nothing Black can do against Qxh5, Rg6 and Qf5 mate.
1-0
Passed pawn
The presence of a passed pawn has a huge impact on a position with only major pieces on the board.
Since the passed pawn needs to be stopped, one of the stronger pieces (a queen or rook) needs to take the
responsibility for blockading the opponent’s main asset. Naturally this is a huge concession and gives the
attacker new opportunities to exploit the deficiencies in the opponent’s position.
Hou Yifan (2680)
Wijk aan Zee 2018
White to move
The similarities with the sixth game of the Candidates match Petrosian-Kortschnoj, 1977, are striking and
no doubt Anand was aware of that. White has a far advanced passed pawn, but at the moment it isn’t able
to reach the seventh rank. However, thanks to White’s passed c-pawn the black major pieces (and in
particular the queen on c7, which is the blockading piece) have been restricted in their mobility as they
can’t leave the c-pawn unattended. Anand’s play is very instructive.
24.Rd6!
An absolute class move, which many amateur players would be reluctant to play. After all, why would
you place your own rook in a pin? It helps to examine first the consequences of the queen trade.
A) The position after 24.Qxc7? Rxc7 25.Rd7 looks dangerous for Black, but the cold-blooded 25...Rfc8!
keeps everything under control for him [but not 25...Rxd7? 26.cxd7 and White wins, because of the
279
threat 27.Rc8 and the d-pawn queens].
B) An alternative like 24.Qf3 is possible as well, but doesn’t have any other purpose apart from keeping
queens on the board. After 24...h6 White can’t play 25.Rd7? in view of 25...Qxd7.
This first variation gives me the chance to introduce a rule of thumb for this kind of position. The
stronger side having a passed pawn and/or a space advantage will exchange queens only if it immediately
results in something tangible, which could be mate, material gain or the promotion of the passed pawn. If
the trade does not have such an effect, it probably only helps the defensive side to resolve his lack of
space and reorganize the coordination of his forces. The stronger side is therefore recommended to
maintain the pressure, and preferably even increase it by creating new targets on the kingside. The text is
such a great move, as the rook on d6 supports the passed pawn and enables the other rook to find new
employment.
24.Rd6! Rcd8 25.Rcd1
25.Rxd8? tactically backfires, because after 25...Qxf4 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 White can’t now play 27.c7
because of 27...Qxc1#.
Position after: 25.Rcd1
25...h6
Since the rook on d6 is unable to move it makes sense to create an escape square for the king, though it
also creates another weakness on the kingside. In the afore-mentioned game Petrosian – Kortschnoj Black
opted for a passive defence and decided to keep all six major pieces on the board. In subsequent play
White found the very effective plan of using the g-pawn as a battering ram, exploiting the target on h6.
A) The alternative 25...g6 isn’t an improvement as it creates other targets and a good start for White is
26.h4 intending to bring the pawn to h6, with mating threats on g7. If Black blocks the march of the h-
280
pawn White will continue in similar style as in the game, but in this version White has some additional
threats with the possible rook check on g6 discovering an attack on the queen.
B) The nice tactical idea for Black 25...Qxc6? would have been brilliant if it couldn’t be met by
26.Rxd8! [but, of course, not 26.Rxc6? Rxd1#].
C) 25...Rxd6
C1) 26.Qxd6? allows Black to equalize with 26...Qxd6 27.Rxd6
Position after: 27.Rxd6
27...Re8! [The only move, enabling the black king to go to the centre. Inferior is 27...Rc8? in view of
28.c7! and White wins] 28.Kf1 Kf8 and here White has nothing better to do than give up his passed
pawn before things get worse. 29.Rd7 [29.c7 with the idea of Rd8+ fails to 29...Ke7 30.Rc6 Kd7 and
the c-pawn will be lost.] 29...Rc8 30.Rxa7 [30.c7? Ke8 and the c-pawn drops.] 30...Rxc6 With a drawn
rook ending.
C2) 26.Rxd6 Re8 27.g3 with similar play as in the game. Sooner or later Black will be virtually forced
to make a pawn move on the kingside.
26.g3!
281
26...Rxd6
The point of White’s last move would be revealed after a random move like 26...a5? which loses to
27.Rxd8! when the pawn on g3 protects the queen on f4, and also ensures that there are no longer any
back-rank mating motifs.
27.Rxd6!
Again, initiating the trade of queens can’t be recommended, because after 27.Qxd6 Qxd6 28.Rxd6 Rc8
the c-pawn has been kept under control. Note that Black’s move 25...h6 has been very useful particularly
for this line, because 29.c7? doesn’t make any sense here, on account of 29...Rxc7 and there is no longer
any back-rank mate.
27...Rc8
Black had the option of going for the queen ending with 27...Rd8 28.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29.c7 but when the
pawn arrives on the seventh rank Black’s prospects of survival shrink.
282
For instance 29...Qd7 [29...Qc8 30.Qd6! wins on the spot] 30.Qc4 Qc8 31.Qc6 and even though White
doesn’t have an immediate win, because after 31...Kf8 32.Qd6+ Ke8 the white queen can’t go to d8,
soon Black will run out of useful moves. White can still improve his position with useful pawn moves
and try to centralize his king. The queen ending is therefore technically lost. After the text Anand
reinforces his central domination with the aid of a fine queen manoeuvre.
28.Qe5 b5 29.Qd5
283
Position after: 29.Qd5
29...Kh7
A) Alternatives aren’t any better. In case of 29...b4 it becomes obvious why the queen is well placed on
d5: 30.Rd7! Qxc6 31.Qxf7+ Kh8 32.Qxg7#.
B) Protecting the weakness on f7 with 29...Rf8 allows the c-pawn to reach the seventh rank with 30.Rd7
Qb6 31.c7 after which it is over immediately: 31...a5 32.c8=Q Rxc8 33.Qxf7+ with mate to follow.
30.Qe4+ Kg8
30...g6 doesn’t offer salvation either, as White is ready to give up his powerful c-pawn for a devastating
attack against the weakened kingside, e.g. 31.Rd7! Qxc6 32.Rxf7+ Kg8 33.Qe7 Qc1+ 34.Kg2 Qc6+
35.Kh3
Position after: 35.Kh3
35...Qc3 [35...a6 leads to mate after 36.Rg7+ Kh8 37.Rh7+ Kg8 38.Qf7#] 36.Rf6! [36.Rh7 is less
convincing, in view of 36...Rf8, but even then White retains a decisive advantage with 37.Rxh6] 36...Qd3
[36...Qc2 37.Qe6+ Kh8 38.Rf7 Qc3 39.Qxg6 and mate next] 37.Qe6+ Kg7 38.Rf7+ and mate follows
soon.
31.Rd7!
284
Position after: 31.Rd7!
31...Qa5
31...Qxc6 32.Rd8+! Rxd8 33.Qxc6 is the point of White’s play.
32.c7 Rf8
A) 32...Rxc7 33.Rd8#
B) 32...Qxa2 33.Rd8+ Rxd8 34.cxd8=Q#
33.Qe7
33.Qb7 Qc3 34.Rd8 and White wins. There is no chance of a perpetual check because the white queen
has the a8-h1 diagonal very well covered with the king on g2.
33...a6
285
Position after: 33...a6
34.Rd8
And after this move Black had seen enough. There are actually a number of other ways to finish off the
game, e.g. 34.Qxf8+ Kxf8 35.c8=Q+ and 34.c8=Q Rxc8 35.Qxf7+ both lead to mate as well.
1-0
Combinational play
If the famous phrase chess is 99% tactics is correct, then it certainly counts for positions with major
pieces on the board. The following three examples, including one of my own games, seem to confirm that
statement. The possibilities missed by very strong grandmasters and myself indicate that the positions are
incredibly rich from a tactical point of view and difficult to handle in an over-the-board game. You can
never do too much work on improving your tactical and calculation abilities, so be sharp and alert when
examining the following tactical sequences.
Meier, Georg (2648)
Baden Baden 2018
286
White to move
39.Ra1?
Meier had obtained an overwhelming advantage and could have decided the game in his favour had he
played 39.Rh1. Even though other moves are perhaps even stronger according to the machine, this is by
far the most human continuation, as it includes the last piece in the attack. Of course, Meier had
considered playing it, but refrained from doing so in view of 39...Qe7 [Another move like 39...Qf7 is met
by 40.Bf5 and in view of all the pins and threats Black is completely lost] which seems to force the
exchange of queens ... unless White plays 40.Rxh7+!. This beautiful rook sacrifice is not too difficult to
spot, but you can only go for this move if you can calculate till the very end (mate or a signifcant material
advantage). 40...Kxh7 41.Rh5+
287
Position after: 41.Rh5+
A) 41...Kg8 is the most stubborn defence, but then after 42.Be6+ Rff7
A1) 43.Rh6! is a nice idea, maintaining the pin while preparing a devastating attack along the h-file
with Qh5, e.g. 43...Bc6 [43...Bb7 44.Qb8+ Qf8 45.Qxb7+–] 44.Qh5 Rh7 45.Qg6+ Rhg7 46.Bxf7+
Qxf7 47.Qxc6 and White wins. You shouldn’t be afraid of 47...Qf3+ 48.Kg1 Qd1+ 49.Kh2 as after
those two checks the fun is over for Black and it’s his king that is exposed to attack.
A2) White is for choice again after 43.Bxf7+ Kxf7 [The alternatives 43...Qxf7 44.Qb8+ Qf8 45.Rh8+
and 43...Rxf7 44.Qh8# are easy to find] 44.Qf4+!
288
Position after: 44.Qf4+!
It’s never easy to find a backward check, but you can do it when you challenge yourself to keep
looking every move at all checks! The point of White’s last move is that the queen should keep the
fifth rank clear for the rook. 44...Kg8 [44...Kg6 45.Qf5#; 44...Qf6 45.Rf5+–; 44...Ke6 45.Re5++–]
45.Qb8+ Kf7 46.Qxa8+– A good moment to stop your calculations. White has regained the material
and retains a massive attack. With queens and rooks on the board the exposed black king will never
have a safe home again.
B) 41...Kg6 Both players, being short of time, had calculated up to this point and concluded that
White’s attack had come to an end. Indeed, there seems to be no good way to proceed as the black
pieces are taking away some vital squares (no good checks on f5 and g5). However, you should never
cut your own calculations too early without having challenged yourself to look at ALL possible
FORCING moves, preferably checks of course. It’s unlikely that after a rook sacrifice (and with such a
limited army left) a quiet move would suffice; it simply gives Black time to consolidate. I’m sure that if
Meier had paused here for a second and looked at all possible checks he would have found the winning
continuation 42.Rh6+! [not 42.Bf5+? Kxh5–+].
Position after: 42.Rh6+!
42...Kf7 White has a wide range of choice with checks possible on e6, f5 and h5 (with both bishop and
queen). It’s interesting to see that what is in my opinion the most unnatural move is in fact the only one
that wins. At first, I wouldn’t place my queen away from the centre, but on h5 it sets up a battery on the
h-file and so prevents the black king from escaping to g8 where it has protection from the other pieces.
[42...Kxh6 43.Qh5#] 43.Qh5+ [43.Bh5+? Kg8–+; 43.Qf5+ Kg8–+; 43.Be6+ Ke8 44.Qb8+ Qd8
45.Qb5+ Ke7 46.Qc5+ Ke8 only leads to a draw.] 43...Kg8 44.Rh8#.
39.Ra1? Qe7!
289
Black forces the exchange of queens and the remaining endgame is equal.
40.Qxg7+ Qxg7 41.Rxg7 Kxg7 42.Rxa4 Bc6 43.Rb4
½-½
Saint Louis 2018
White to move
Black has just taken the pawn on a2 with his queen, believing that everything on the kingside is under
control. Look at what is going to happen in a game between two of world’s best players!
25.Rg3+ Kh8 26.Qc7?
It’s amazing that both players as well as Aronian, who was asked what to play here with White, missed
an incredible mating idea for White.
A) It looks very natural to play 26.Rd8? threatening both to take on f8 and f6, but fortunately for Black
there is the nice move 26...Be6! which solves both problems at the same time.
B) That defensive resource could have been abolished had White changed the move-order and started
with 26.Qd8! since after 26...Be6 the queen can still take on f6: 27.Qxf6#.
Other moves wouldn’t offer salvation either, as the queen can’t be taken in view of mate while a queen
check on b1 would be countered with Ne1 when all the fun is over for Black.
26...Nxe2
290
Position after: 26...Nxe2
27.Qe7!
Threats above material! Inferior is 27.Kxe2? because of 27...Re8! preventing the white queen from
reaching e7. [Hence, 27...Be6? isn’t good, because of 28.Qe7 Qxc2+ 29.Ke3 Qc3+ 30.Rd3 Qc1+ 31.Rd2
Qc3+ 32.Rd3 and a draw is inevitable, but not 32...Qe1+? 33.Kf3 and mate can’t be prevented.]
27...Nxg3+ 28.fxg3
The position is incredibly complex, especially for a rapid game, and that also explains the mutual
mistakes.
28...Qb1+?
A) 28...Kg8 Very precise!
291
A1) 29.Qxf6? Qb1+ 30.Ne1 h6! [A brilliant defensive resource which secures victory. 30...Qxe4?
allows the repetition of moves with 31.Qg5+=.] 31.Qxh6 Be6! 32.Rxe6 fxe6+ and now White could
have forced a repetition of moves with Qg6-h6 were it not for the fact that Black’s last move came
with check!
A2) 29.Rd8? doesn’t make sense here, because after 29...Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kg7 31.h6+ Kg6 32.Qg8+
Kxh6 33.Qf8+ Kh5 the queen on a2 is still protecting the pawn on f7!
A3) 29.h6! Qxc2 [29...Qb1+? 30.Ne1 Qxe4
292
Position after: 30...Qxe4
actually fails to 31.Rd8! and the only option to ward off an immediate loss is 31...Qe2+ 32.Kxe2 Bg4+
33.Kf2 Rfxd8 34.Qxf6 Kf8 35.Qg7+ and White picks up the bishop.] 30.Qxf6 Qc1+ 31.Kf2 Qc5+
32.Kf1 Qc1+ And neither side can avoid the repetition of moves.
B) Another interesting attempt to keep play in the position is to return some part of the extra material
with 28...Qc4+ 29.Kg1 Qc5+ 30.Kh2 Qxd6 31.Qxd6 Be6 which does not look problematic for Black
now he has managed to fend off the mating threats, but the line continues:
32.Qd2 [32.Qe7? Kg7 33.h6+ Kg6 and Black wins] 32...Kg7 33.h6+ Kg6 34.Ne3 Rad8 [34...f5!? is
worth checking, but the black king seems to be too exposed to consider it as a serious attempt to play
for a win 35.Qf2 Rd6 36.g4 Kg5 [36...b4 37.Qh4 with mate on h5] 37.Qg3 b4 38.Qh3 Kf4 39.Qf3+
Kg5 and neither side is able to strengthen his position.
293
All these lines are impossible to find for a human being, especially when low on time, but nevertheless it
shows how many amazing resources can be found when there are still major pieces on the board.
29.Ne1 Kg8
29...Be6 30.Qxf6+ Kg8 31.h6 leads to mate, because after 31...Bc4+ 32.Kg1 Qxe1+ 33.Kh2 the checks
are over.
30.Rd8?
Missing the golden opportunity of 30.h6!! Qxe4 31.Rd8! which transposes to the variation mentioned
after 28...Kg8.
30...Rxd8 31.Qxd8+ Kg7 32.h6+ Kg6 33.Qg8+ Kxh6 34.Qf8+
294
And a draw was agreed, in view of 34...Kh5 35.Qxf7+ Kg4 36.Qg7+ Kh5 37.Qf7+=...
½-½
Ris, Robert (2429)
Essing, Arnold (2220)
Duesseldorf 2018
White to move
295
I have managed to build up a nice position, as I’m enjoying a space advantage and the black pieces (both
rooks and knight on a6) make a somewhat poor impression. Ideally I would be able to open the position,
which would definitely favour my major pieces because they are clearly more active. When I discovered
the following pawn sacrifice I didn’t hesitate.
26.Nf6! Nxf6
Ignoring the knight is hardly an option. After 26...Rg7 27.Qf4! I basically don’t see any good move for
Black. His rooks are stuck and taking on f6 is no option, as I will recapture with my e-pawn with a
paralyzing effect on Black’s position.
27.exf6 Qxf6
Once again, declining the offer is no option either, e.g. 27...Qd6 28.Ne5 and I will switch my attention to
the queenside (29.b4 is coming!) as the black rooks are sadly missed in the defence of that side of the
board.
28.Ne5!
Position after: 28.Ne5!
The point of my clearance sacrifice. The e5-square has been vacated for my other knight, along the way
threatening a fork on d7. And now I’m able to employ my rook on f3.
28...Qd8
I had mainly counted on 28...Qe7 29.Rf3 and with threats like Rxf7 and Qxg6 it looks certain that I will
regain my invested material with interest.
296
29.Nxf7?
Since my opponent decided to move his queen without protecting the weakness on f7, I spotted this
knight sacrifice and couldn’t resist playing it. However, it would have been much easier following my
initial plan of playing 29.Rf3! with multiple threats like Rxf7 and Qxe6, but I didn’t see a clear win after
29...f5 30.Nxg6+ Ke8
31.Qh5 [31.Rxf5! is another killer I failed to see: 31...exf5 32.Re1+ Kd7 33.Qxf5+ Kc6 34.Re6+ Qd6
35.Ne7+ and White wins] 31...Kd7 and in my calculations I had missed that I can simply take the rook
on h8, retaining a decisive advantage. Somehow I was only trying to make the line 32.Ne5+ Kc8 33.Nf7
work, but I understood that after 33...Qe8! my advantage had slipped away.
29...Kxf7 30.Qxe6+ Kg7 31.h5!
297
It’s this move which attracted me to play this knight sacrifice. After 31.Rg3? Qf6! Black is holding his
position together.
31...Qd6!
During the game I thought I had made sure that I had covered all Black’s candidate moves, but when my
opponent almost instantly played this move I was very annoyed with myself. I had completely
overlooked this only move, which both protects the pawn on g6 and offers the exchange of queens. The
only consolation is that I had managed to calculate the other moves accurately!
A) 31...gxh5 32.Rg3+ and Black is forced to give his queen, as 32...Kh7 33.Qf7+ leads to mate.
B) 31...g5 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.Rf3+ Ke7 34.Re1+ and mate next.
C) 31...Qe8 is strongly met by 32.Qg4! Qf7 33.Rae1 Re8 34.hxg6! and a loss of material is inevitable,
as Black doesn’t have a way to keep his rook on e8 protected.
D) 31...Rh7 runs into 32.hxg6! [32.Qxg6+? Kh8 is of course Black’s point] 32...Rhh8 33.Qf7#.
E) 31...Qf6 32.Qd7+ Qf7 [32...Kf8 33.Re8#] 33.Re7 wins the queen.
F) 31...Kh7 32.Qf7+ Rg7 33.hxg6#
G) 31...Qg5 allows 32.Qd7+ Kf6 33.Qe7+ Kf5 34.Qe6+ Kf4 35.Rf3#.
32.Qg4! Re8
The only move.

After both 32...g5 33.Re6 and 32...Rf8 33.Re6 the weakness of the g6-square is seriously felt.
298
33.Rae1 Rxe3 34.Rxe3
Position after: 34.Rxe3
34...Rf8?
A) Based on a miscalculation by my opponent. During the game I was a bit concerned about 34...Kf7
with the idea that after 35.hxg6+! Kg7 [35...Qxg6 36.Qd7+ and mate follows soon] the black king will
hide behind my pawn, but fortunately I discovered in time a way to give my attack a new impulse with
36.Re6! Qd7 37.Qf5 Rf8 38.Qe5+! Kg8 39.Re7 and mate is inevitable.
B) 34...g5 takes away the pressure against the pawn on g6, but doesn’t stop the rook from entering via
that square. White wins after 35.Re6 Qd8 36.Rg6+ Kh7 37.Qf5 and mate follows.
C) In fact, I was a bit surprised when I checked the game with the engine and it pointed out an incredible
defensive resource for Black. 34...Qc6!! is a move which didn’t get my attention at all. The point is that
both the check on e7 as well as the infiltration on the sixth rank are not dangerous at all. For instance
35.Re6 [35.Re7+ Kf6 36.Re5 Kg7! is only a repetition] 35...Qc1+ 36.Kh2 Rf8!
299
Position after: 36...Rf8!
is a very smart version of the game, as Black threatens to exchange queens on f4. 37.Rxg6+ [37.Qxg6+
Kh8 38.Re3 Qc6! 39.Re6 Qc1! is a funny way of repeating moves] 37...Kh8 [37...Kh7? allows mate
after 38.Qd7+] and the difference with the game becomes clear, because in this line White doesn’t have
the deflection motif of Rg8 check. 38.Kh3 Qh1+! [Forced, as a random move, e.g. 38...c6?, is met by
39.Qd7!.] 39.Kg3 Qc1 and a draw is inevitable, as 40.Qd7 Qf4+ 41.Kh3 Qf5+ presents no problems
for Black.
35.Re6! Qf4 36.Rxg6+!
300
Position after: 36.Rxg6+!
Here Black realized he had missed an important tactical idea and resigned.
After 36...Kh7 White wins the queen by force: 37.Rg7+ Kh8 38.Rg8+! Rxg8 [38...Kh7 39.Qg7#]
39.Qxf4 and that’s hopeless for Black [My opponent had counted only on 36.Qxg6+ Kh8 and there is no
good follow-up for White].
1-0
301
Attack & defence
Major pieces are long-range pieces and therefore capable bridging the distance between attack and
defence. The last two games of the chapter nicely illustrate the resources for both the attacking and the
defensive side. Particularly the next game shows that in this type of position the tables can be turned very
quickly.
Giri, Anish (2773)
Wijk aan Zee 2017
Black to move
24...Ra5!
Excellent play, but it should be mentioned that Black didn’t have much of a choice either. For example
24...Qh3? simply fails to 25.Qxf4!
24...Ra5! 25.Kh1 Rc5
Going after the c-pawn makes sense. In case of 25...Rh5 26.Rg1+ followed by 27.Rg2 White is in time
consolidating his kingside.
26.Qb2 R8xc6 27.Rg1+ Kf8
302
28.a5!?
The situation seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Giri manages to breathe new life into the position.
Nothing can be gained from the useless check 28.Qh8+ Ke7 and Black is all right.
28...Qh3!
The most precise response.

A) Of course, 28...Rxa5? would be a huge blunder, because of 29.Rxa5 bxa5 30.Qb8+ Ke7 31.Qb7+
and White wins the rook, while...
B) 28...bxa5 29.Rxa5 Rxa5 30.Qb8+ Ke7 31.Qb7+ Kf8 32.Qxc6 leaves Black in a slightly inferior, but
perhaps holdable, position.
29.axb6
This offers the best chances, at least from a practical point of view.
The alternative 29.a6? can’t be recommended, in view of 29...Qxf3+ 30.Rg2 Rg5 and Black is on top.
Compared with 29.axb6 the a-file remains closed, which prevents the rook from challenging the black
king (Qh8 and Ra7 etc).
29...Qxf3+ 30.Rg2
303
Position after: 30.Rg2
30...Ra5?
Considering White’s threat to infiltrate with the rook via the a-file, Andreikin’s move seems quite logical.
However, as we will see, both players missed some interesting possibilities in time trouble.
A) As already mentioned, Black now can’t play 30...Rg5? in view of 31.Qh8+ Ke7 32.Ra7+ Ke6
33.Qe8+ Kf6 34.Rxf7+ Kg6 35.Qg8+ with mate.
B) The only correct move here is the counterintuitive 30...Ke7!
B1) After 31.Ra7+ Ke6! the black king is absolutely safe and White has to be a bit careful now the
rook has left the first rank. Fortunately it’s still a draw after 32.Qa2+! d5 33.exd5+ Rxd5 34.Rc7! Rxc7
35.bxc7 Ke7!? 36.Qxd5! Qxd5 37.c8=Q Qd1+ 38.Rg1 Qf3+=...
B2) 31.b7 Rg5 32.Rag1 Rxg2 33.Rxg2 Qd1+ And neither side can avoid the perpetual check.
31.b7!
Critical, because after 31.Rxa5 Qd1+= Black gets what he wants.
31...Rxa1+ 32.Qxa1 Rb6
304
Position after: 32...Rb6
33.h4!
A remarkable idea stopping the perpetual mechanism, which happens when the white queen leaves the
first rank.
The text is better than 33.h3:
A) Black should go for the afore-mentioned perpetual mechanism, rather than eliminating the b-pawn
with 33...Qb3? which is beautifully met by 34.Qa8+ Ke7 35.Kh2!
305
Position after: 35.Kh2!
35...Qb2!? [A tricky resource. After 35...Rxb7 36.Rg8! Black is not going to survive long] 36.Rg8!! An
absolutely brilliant idea: White threatens mate in two and allows Black to capture on f2 with check, but
after 36...Qxf2+ 37.Rg2 the white rook retreats and then the black queen can no longer help the rook to
stop the b-pawn.
B) 33...Qxh3+ 34.Kg1 Qh5! [In case of 34...Qb3? the white major pieces enter the back rank with
devastating effect: 35.Qa8+ Ke7 36.Rg8 and after 36...Qd1+ 37.Kg2 f3+ 38.Kh2 the checks are over:
White wins.] 35.b8=Q+ Rxb8 36.Qh8+ Ke7 37.Qxb8 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 Qh5+ With a perpetual check.
33...Qb3
The only move, as 33...Qh3+ isn’t dangerous at all, in view of 34.Kg1 f3 35.Rg3 and White ensures that
the b-pawn will queen next.
34.Kh2
Worth investigating is the following line pointed out by Giri, which contains some incredible ideas very
hard to find at the board: 34.Qa8+ Ke7 35.Kh2 is another critical path. Now Black’s only chance is
35...Qb2! [35...Rxb7 36.Rg8 Qb6 37.Kg2! looks very promising for White, as Black doesn’t have
counterplay against the white king]
Position after: 35...Qb2!
A) 36.Rg8? fails to 36...Qxf2+ 37.Rg2 Qxh4+ when White would have wished his pawn to be on h3.
B) 36.f3 allows 36...Qf6! 37.Kh3 Qe6+ 38.Kh2= with a repetition.
C) 36.e5!? A great idea to break the coordination of the black pieces, though objectively it’s not enough
306
to win. 36...dxe5 [36...Qxe5 is met by 37.b8=Q Rxb8 38.Qxb8 f3+ 39.Rg3 and White wins.] 37.f3 Qb4!
(controlling both b8 and d2.) 38.Re2 Qd6 39.Qc8! h5 40.Qc3 Rb5 41.Rb2 Rxb2+ 42.Qxb2 Qb8
43.Qb3! f6 44.Qb5 Kd6 45.Qb6+ Ke7 46.Qc6 Qa7
Position after: 46...Qa7
and Black manages to hold on, because 47.Qc7+ Ke6 48.b8=Q Qf2+ 49.Kh1 Qf1+ leads to a
perpetual.
34...Rxb7?!
34...Qb2! 35.Qa8+ Ke7 transposes to the line discussed above, in which Black seems to be holding.
36.e5 transposes to the line 34.Qa8 where Black miraculously manages to escape.
35.Qf6
307
Position after: 35.Qf6
35...Qb6!
The only way to prevent mate on d8.

After 35...Rd7 36.e5 dxe5 [36...Qd5 is nicely met by 37.e6! Qxe6 38.Qh8+ Ke7 39.Rg8 followed by
40.Re8 and White wins the queen] 37.Rg5! White is intending Qh8 and Rxe5 when the black king is too
exposed [but not 37.Qg7+? Ke7 38.Qxe5+ Qe6 when Black holds on].
36.f3?!
A very human decision, removing the pawn from f2 before activating the rook. But White could have
posed more problems with the amazing move 36.Rg4! again not afraid of Black capturing a pawn with
check, because after 36...Qxf2+ [Black’s best option is 36...d5! though after 37.Qg7+ Ke7 38.Rxf4 Qg6
39.Qe5+ Qe6 40.Qg5+ his position remains very unpleasant] 37.Rg2 Qb6 38.Rc2!
308
Position after: 38.Rc2!
Black is under attack from all sides of the board. 38...Ke8 [38...Rb8 is powerfully met by 39.e5! and
White wins.] 39.Ra2! and there are simply too many threats to deal with, but particularly e4-e5, opening
the e-file, is very dangerous for Black [nothing is achieved by 39.Rc8+? Kd7 40.Qf5+ Ke7 41.Qg5+
Kd7=].
36...Rb8?
Position after: 36...Rb8?
309
A crucial mistake in return! Black should have played 36...Qc7! in order to meet 37.h5 with 37...Rb5!
gaining counterplay along the fifth rank. Obviously White isn’t forced to push his h-pawn, but there
aren’t many other ways to improve his position.
37.Rd2?
A pretty harmless move, as White isn’t intending to take on d6 at all. When playing for the initiative with
major pieces there is a simple recipe: open the files! White could have obtained a decisive advantage by
means of 37.e5! dxe5 [37...d5 38.e6! Qxe6 39.Qh8+ and White picks up the rook] 38.Qh8+ Ke7
39.Qxe5+ Kf8 40.Qg7+ Ke7 41.Re2+ and now that the black king isn’t protected by his pawns any
longer it should be game over soon.
37...Re8 38.Qh6+?
In time trouble Giri tries to force matters, but presumably he had overlooked Black’s 39th move. He
could have maintained the pressure on his opponent with 38.Rb2! Qc7 39.Qh6+ Ke7 40.Qxh7 and White
retains excellent winning chances. The black king is still vulnerable, while the remaining three pawns are
targets for the white pieces.
38...Ke7
Of course, not 38...Kg8? 39.Rg2+ Kh8 40.Qg7#.
39.e5 Rg8!
Position after: 39...Rg8!
40.Qxd6+
310
Practically forced, since after 40.exd6+ Kd7 the black king is absolutely safe and White still needs to
solve the mating threat on g1. After the text all the sting has been taken out of the position and a drawn
rook ending is on the board.
40...Qxd6 41.exd6+
½-½
Bilbao 2014
Black to move
Material is even, but White’s edge seems to be beyond doubt judging from Black’s pawn structure
(weakness on e6) as well as the somewhat shaky- looking king on g6. With his last move, 37.h4, White
introduced a new attacking weapon, but didn’t realize that Black would be the first to challenge the
opponent’s king.
37...Qf5?
By keeping the queen close to his king Anand tries to play it safe, which in fact turns out to be
counterproductive for him. Very often such an approach backfires and the key to success is aiming for
active counterplay.
Had he opted for 37...Rd1+! 38.Kh2 Qd5! the rook and queen would be nicely coordinated and
threatening mate on h1
311
Position after: 38...Qd5!
A) 39.Qg4+ Kh7 40.e4 Qd2 41.Rf8 Qe1 and now White has to play 42.Qf3 to protect his king.
However, after this move the white queen is no longer free to go wherever she wants to and Black
always retains the option to trade off queens or force a repetition of moves.
B) 39.e4 Qd4 40.Qf8 Qxe4 41.Qe8+ Kh7 42.Qg8+ Kg6= and neither side can avoid the repetition of
moves.
37...Qf5? 38.Rf8!
312
Position after: 38.Rf8!
An excellent multi-purpose move as the rook attacks the queen, takes away escape squares from the black
king and also protects the pawn on f2.
38...Qd5
A) Black no longer had the chance to defend actively with 38...Rd1+ 39.Kh2 Qd5 40.Qg4+ Kh7 41.e4
Qd7 [41...Qd2 doesn’t threaten anything as the pawn on f2 has been protected. The simplest way to
convert is 42.h5 Qg5 43.Qxd1 and White wins] 42.h5 and Black can’t defend against the mating threat
on g6. This line shows that Black wasted a valuable tempo on the previous move.
B) Another important detail is shown after 38...Rf7 39.Rxf7 Qxf7 40.Qe4+ Kf6 [relatively best is
40...Qf5 41.Qxb7 but playing the queen ending a pawn down doesn’t look very pleasant for Black
either] 41.Qf3+! Kg6 [41...Ke7 42.Qxb7+ is hopeless for Black too] 42.h5+ and White wins the queen.
39.Qg4+ Kh7 40.Kh2!
Position after: 40.Kh2!
This is how positions with major pieces have to be handled! White secures his own king, before
launching the decisive attack against its counterpart. Inferior is 40.h5? which allows Black to exchange
queens with 40...Qd1+
40...h5
A) Normally you don’t like to weaken your kingside, but here Black had a good reason, as after a move
like 40...b5 it’s clear that 41.h5! is very unpleasant for Black. After 41...g5 [41...Qg5 42.Qe4+ g6
313
43.hxg6+ and here Black actually collapses as he can’t recapture with 43...Qxg6 in view of 44.Rh8+
Kg7 45.Rg8+ and White wins the queen] 42.hxg6+ Kg7 43.Qf4 Qh5+ 44.Kg2 Qxg6 45.Ra8! Black’s
weaknesses are too severe for him to defend.
B) The queen ending after 40...Rd8 41.Rxd8 [41.Rf7 is less convincing, because after 41...Rg8 Black
still has everything defended] 41...Qxd8 42.Qe4+ looks pretty bad for Black.
41.Qf4
41...Qc6?
After the text Aronian is enabled to penetrate into Black’s position via the back rank.
Black’s best chance is 41...Qd3 with the idea of meeting 42.Qb8 with 42...Re7 when at least the white
queen has been prevented from approaching the black king. Of course, White still retains a huge
advantage, but there is no immediate win available for him.
42.Qb8! Rd1
Well, finally Anand launches a counterattack but in vain, as White is first to strike. 42...Re7 can strongly
be met by 43.Rh8+ Kg6 44.Qf4! and here White threatens to win the pawn on h5, while 44...Qd5 runs
into 45.g4! with a massive mating attack for White.
43.e4!
314
Position after: 43.e4!
A key idea: White closes the long diagonal. If Black takes the pawn on e4 the white queen can give check
on e8. White could also have reversed the move-order and started with 43.Rh8+! Kg6 44.e4!.
43...Rc1
As mentioned, the point of White’s play is that after 43...Qxe4 44.Rh8+ Kg6 45.Qe8+ the queen is
joining the attack and the loss of material is inevitable: 45...Kf6 [or 45...Kf5 46.Qxh5+] 46.Rf8+ Ke5
47.Qxh5+ and White picks up the rook.
44.Rh8+ Kg6 45.Qf4 Rc5 46.e5
46.e5 and Black resigned in view of:
315
Position after: 46.e5
A) 46...Rc4 47.Qg5+ Kf7 48.Rh7 And after White captures on g7 mate will follow soon.
B) 46...Rc1 leads to mate by force: 47.Qg5+ Kf7 48.Qxh5+ Ke7 [48...g6 49.Qh7#] 49.Qg5+ Kf7
[49...Kd7 50.Qd8#] 50.Qf4+ Ke7 [50...Kg6 51.h5#] 51.Qf8+ Kd7 52.Qd8#.
1-0
316
Chapter 7
Queen vs. two rooks
Endgames of a queen vs. two rooks are often seen in practice and they offer interesting play. The two
rooks are usually doing better when they are able to cooperate and have a common target, while the
queen is obviously a more flexible piece that is searching for ways to exploit vulnerable points in the
opponent’s position. Especially in endgames with major pieces on the board, king safety plays a very
important role and the price of every move is therefore incredibly high. Simple basic tactics (one- or two-
movers) like double attacks and skewers are all over the place so you have to be extremely alert!
Basic ideas
Before examining more complex positions it’s good to remind you about some basic tactical ideas which
could be applied to this type of ending.
Grachev, Boris (2672)
Nabaty, Tamir (2586)
Eilat 2012
Black to move
39...Rf1?
Instead Black could have played something like 39...Ke7 when the position remains more or less
balanced.
39...Rf1? 40.Qh3+!
317
And Black resigned, as White picks up the rook.
1-0
White to move
Two rooks on the seventh (or second) rank are usually a powerful weapon, creating mating threats against
the enemy king. When the black queen is covering the back-rank mating ideas, another tactical idea pops
up.
1.Rh7+ Kg8 2.Rag7+ Kf8 3.Rh8+ Kxg7 4.Rxe8+–
And White wins. In the game Mamedyarov – Inarkiev we will see more about this weapon of two rooks
on the seventh rank.
318
White to move
Rooks are excellent at pinning enemy pieces and therefore it’s not surprising that in these endings pins
are often decisive. After all, queens are very vulnerable pieces, especially when they come under threat
from any of the opponent’s pieces. The following tactical sequence is a treasure for the eyes.
1.Ra4! Qd7
Black has to stop the mating threat on h3, since after 1...Qxa4 2.Rh3+ Kd4 3.Rh4+ Kc5 4.Rxa4 White
wins easily.
2.Rh3+!
Still possible!
2...Qxh3 3.Ra3+ Kf4 4.Rxh3
And White wins.

319
White to move
A very simple yet instructive example for the understanding of this type of position. The queen can be a
very powerful piece and will certainly try to find ways of checking the king, as well as attacking
unprotected pieces and vulnerable pawns. White to move wins by means of
1.Qc3+!
and thanks to the double attack Black is losing his rook.

Let’s now consider the position with Black to play. In that case the roles are reversed and White doesn’t
get the opportunity to execute the double attack. Black plays 1...Rf6! when it immediately becomes clear
that White has a huge problem defending the weakness on f2. The power of two rooks is evident when
they have a common target.
White could still consider defending the pawn with 2.Qc5 but that doesn’t stop Black from capturing the
pawn, since after 2...Rfxf2+ 3.Qxf2 Rxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Kf6 the ensuing pawn ending is easily won for Black
thanks to his extra pawn. This last example perfectly shows the strengths of both the queen and the two
rooks. In the rest of this chapter we will elaborate on this topic.
7th rank
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2726)
Inarkiev, Ernesto (2707)
Konya 2012
320
Black to move
Black has pinned his hopes on his a-pawn, neglecting White’s attacking aspirations against the king. By
eliminating the knight Black intends to reduce the number of threats.
32...Rxd6?
Initiating a forced sequence where Black ends up in a lost ending of queen vs. two rooks. Better is
32...Ke7! when he retains excellent drawing chances.
32...Rxd6? 33.Rxd6 a3 34.Rd7 a2 35.Rfxf7+ Kg8 36.Rg7+ Kh8 37.Rh7+ Kg8 38.Rdg7+ Kf8 39.Rxb7!
321
Position after: 39.Rxb7!
True to his style, Mamedyarov doesn’t fear the fact that Black queens with check(!).
39...a1=Q+ 40.Kh2 Rxg2+?
Black throws in the towel. More stubborn would have been 40...Kg8 41.Rbg7+ Kf8 42.Rc7 [quite a
funny situation arises after 42.Ra7? Ra2 when Black suddenly defends both the a8- and h8-squares just
when White was about to deliver mate] 42...Kg8 43.Rhg7+
Position after: 43.Rhg7+
A) 43...Kf8 44.Rcf7+ Ke8 45.Ra7 Qxa7 [45...Ra2? can now be met by 46.Rg8#.] 46.Rxa7 Rxb4 47.Rh7
Rxe4 48.Rxh6 White has a technically won position.
B) 43...Kh8 44.Rgd7 (threatening mate on both c8 and d8) 44...Qa8 45.Rh7+ Kg8 46.Rcg7+ Kf8
47.Rh8+ Kxg7 48.Rxa8 Rxb4 49.Re8 and White should be able to convert his two extra pawns. With the
text move Inarkiev hopes to set up a perpetual check, but Mamedyarov has seen that he can escape from
the checks by running across the whole board.
41.Kxg2 Qb2+ 42.Kf3 Qf6+ 43.Ke2 Qb2+ 44.Kd3 Qb3+ 45.Kd4 Qb2+ 46.Kd5 Qb3+ 47.Kd6 Qg3+
48.Kd7
322
White temporarily disconnects the rooks, but there’s clearly no way for Black to profit from that (e.g.
with a double attack). The white king finds a nice shelter in the corner of the board.
48...Qh3+ 49.Kc7 Qc3+ 50.Kb8 Qe5+ 51.Ka8 Qa1+ 52.Kb8 Qe5+ 53.Rhc7 Qh2 54.b5 Ke8 55.Ka8
Kd8 56.b6 Qa2+ 57.Ra7 Qe2 58.Rc8+!
White finishes the game in style: 58...Kxc8 59.b7+ Kc7 60.b8=Q+ and White will soon mate.
1-0
Transition into a pawn ending
Sasikiran, Krishnan (2700)

Hou Yifan (2605)
Caleta 2012
323
White to move
One of the main advantages of having two rooks is shown in this example. Black is forced to keep the
pawn on f7 defended by both the king and queen. The transition into a pawn ending must be constantly
borne in mind. Sasikiran wisely improves the position of his king first.
48.Kg2! Kg8 49.Rxf7! Qxf7
Ignoring the rook with something like 49...Qd5 doesn’t change much in view of 50.R7f6 and Black
capitulates. The ensuing pawn ending is pretty hopeless, though, as Black is unable to create a passed
pawn on the queenside.
50.Rxf7 Kxf7 51.Kf3 Ke6 52.Ke4 Kd6 53.f3
324
53...Kc6
53...Ke6 wouldn’t have saved Black either, e.g. 54.Kd4 Kd6 55.g4 Ke6 56.gxh5 [White can’t simply
pick up the pawns on the queenside with 56.Kc5? because that allows 56...g5! and thanks to this beautiful
breakthrough Black actually wins] 56...gxh5 57.Ke4 and White wins as in the game.
54.g4 Kc7 55.gxh5 gxh5 56.f4 Kd6 57.f5 Kd7 58.Ke5 Ke7 59.f6+
Position after: 59.f6+
325
Black resigned. A sample line is 59...Kf7 60.Kf5 Kf8 61.Ke6 Ke8 62.f7+ Kf8 63.Kf6 and now Black
has to move his a-pawn.
1-0
Passed pawn & vulnerable king

In general rooks are quite capable of dealing with a passed pawn. A well-known example is Shirov –
Anand, Linares 1998, where Black systematically eliminated all the weak pawns, but also in other
examples in this chapter the rooks are doing well when working together.
Ipatov, Alexander (2587)
Edouard, Romain (2686)
Wijk aan Zee 2013
In the present game it was shown that the rooks are also useful supporting the advance of a passed pawn.
Our Managing Editor gradually increases his advantage by improving the placement of his rooks.
Black to move
45...Rf6
Black rightly decides to keep his passed pawn on the board since after 45...Rxf5 46.Qxa6 it’s hard to
make further progress.
45...Rf6 46.Qa5 Rb8 47.Qe5 Rb5 48.Qe8+ Kh7
326
49.g4?
A rather weakening move that later causes trouble for White’s king. A more resilient continuation would
have been 49.Qe4 a5 [49...Rbxf5? runs into 50.g4!] 50.Qc2 Rb4 51.Qc5 Rb1+ 52.Kh2 a4 53.Qa3
Position after: 53.Qa3
53...Rf1 [53...Ra6? is met by 54.Qd3! attacking both rooks and threatening 55.f6!] 54.Qxa4 R6xf5 and
White should be able to defend this ending.
327
49...Rfb6 50.Kg2 a5 51.Kg3 Rb4 52.Kh4 a4 53.Qa8 Rd6
Position after: 53...Rd6
54.Qf3
If 54.Qa5 Black has the strong reply 54...Rb3! intending to meet 55.Qxa4 with 55...Rdd3! 56.g5 Rxh3+
57.Kg4 h5+ 58.Kf4 Rh4+ and Black picks up the queen.
54...Rf6
White had set a small trap, as 54...Rb3? could be answered with 55.Qe4 Rdd3 56.f6+! Kg8 57.Qe8+ Kh7
58.Qe4+ and neither side could avoid a repetition of moves.
55.Qa3 Rd4
328
56.Qa1?
The decisive mistake, after which Black is able to trade off the a-pawn with the pawn on f5. Compared
with the line after 49.Qe4 the white king is in more danger. White could offer more resistance with
56.Qc5 when Black would still have to work hard to convert his advantage, if it is possible at all.
56...Rf4 57.Qb1
Position after: 57.Qb1
329
57...a3!
The pawn has taken on the role of deflecting the queen. The immediate 57...R6xf5? is inferior, because of
58.Kg3 Rf3+ 59.Kg2 Rf2+ 60.Kg3! and Black has to accept a draw [60.Kg1? allows Black to steer the
game into a winning pawn ending with 60...Rf1+!].
58.Qb3
White could still have extracted his king from the mating net with 58.Kg3 but after 58...Ra4! his
prospects remain pretty grim.
58...R6xf5 59.Qxa3 Rf3 60.Qe7 Re5! 61.Qd7
61.Qxe5 leads to mate after 61...g5+ 62.Kh5 Rxh3#.
61...Ree3 62.g5 Rf4+
Position after: 62...Rf4+
White resigned, having seen 63.Kh5 Rxh3+! 64.Qxh3 g6 mate.

0-1
Tromso 2013
330
White to move
43.Re1!
White wants to pile up the pressure on the f-pawn and capture it. After the exchange of all the heavy
pieces, the pawn ending is an easy win for White. The alternative 43.Re7! comes down to the same thing.
The pawn structure on the kingside facilitates this plan as Black doesn’t have any counterchances by
threatening to give a perpetual.
43.Re1! Kh6
331
As mentioned in the previous note, the pawn ending loses after 43...Kf6 44.Ree7 Qb3 45.Kh2! [45.Rxf7+
also wins, but since Black can’t do anything why not improve your own position first?] 45...Qd5
46.Rxf7+ Qxf7 47.Rxf7+ Kxf7 48.g4!
48...hxg4 [48...h4 49.g5 Ke6 50.Kh3 Kf5 51.Kxh4 and White wins] 49.Kg3 g5 50.Kxg4 Kg6 51.f3 Kf6
52.Kh5 Kf5 53.g4+ Kf4 54.Kg6 Kxf3 55.Kxg5 and the extra pawn is decisive.
44.Ree7 f6
In case of 44...f5 45.f4! the black king is in great danger: 45...Qg8 [45...g5 46.Rh7+ Kg6 47.Rcg7+ Kf6
48.fxg5+ Ke5 49.Re7+ followed by 50.Rd7 winning the queen] 46.Kh2 Qh8 47.Rcd7 Qg8 48.Rf7 Qh8
49.Rd6 Qc8 50.Rff6 Qg8 51.Rxf5 and next the pawn on g6 will be annexed.
45.Red7!
332
Position after: 45.Red7!
An excellent practical decision in this type of position. Since there is no immediate win apparent,
Kramnik puts the question to the black queen before launching a decisive assault against the black king.
In fact, White should be careful not to force matters as it might allow the weaker side to wriggle out. The
following variation is an example: 45.f4 g5 46.Rh7+ Kg6
47.Rcg7+? [47.Kh2!? still offers winning chances] 47...Kf5 48.Kh2 [48.Rxh5? Qd1+ drops the rook]
48...Kg4! and Black holds as White has problems defending his pawn on g3.
333
45...Qa5
A) It’s hard to pick a decent square for the queen. 45...Qe5 loses on the spot to 46.Rh7+ Kg5 47.f4+ and
White wins the queen.
B) 45...Qe4 can be strongly answered with 46.Rh7+ Kg5 47.Rc5+ f5
48.Kh2! [48.f4+? Kg4 and the pawn on g3 falls] 48...Kf6 49.f4 Qa4 [49...g5 50.Rc6+ Qxc6 51.Rh6+
wins the queen] 50.Rhc7 Ke6 51.R7c6+ Kf7 52.Rd6 h4 [52...Qa7 53.Rcc6 and the pawn on g6 falls]
53.Rc7+ Ke8 54.Rb6 hxg3+ 55.Kh3 and mate soon follows.
46.f4 g5
334
47.Kh2!
White slowly improves his position by placing his king on a safer square where it can’t be harassed by
the black queen. Less convincing is 47.Rh7+ Kg6 48.Rcg7+ Kf5 49.Rxh5 Qe1+ [49...Kg4? fails to
50.Rhxg5+ fxg5 51.Kh2 Qb5 52.Rxg5+ Qxg5 53.fxg5 Kxg5 54.Kh3 and the extra g-pawn proves very
useful] 50.Kh2 Qe8 and the battle goes on [but not 50...Kg4? which is refuted by 51.Rgxg5+ fxg5
52.Rxg5#].
47...Kg6
A) 47...gxf4 is met by a tactical solution: 48.Rh7+ Kg6 49.Rcg7+ Kf5 50.Rxh5+ and White picks up the
queen.
B) 47...Qf5 48.fxg5+ Kxg5 [48...fxg5 49.Rd6+] 49.Rh7 Qe6 50.Rcg7+ and after the h-pawn has been
eliminated the f-pawn will soon follow.
48.fxg5 Kxg5
After the text move the kingside pawn structure becomes vulnerable and the rooks can easily target the
pawns. More resistance could have been offered by the other recapture, e.g. 48...fxg5 49.Rc6+ Kf5
50.Rf7+
335
and now Black has three options:

A) 50...Kg4 is met by 51.Rc4#.
B) 50...Ke4 allows White to drive the king to the edge of the board with 51.Re6+ Kd4 [51...Kd5 runs
into 52.Rf5+] 52.Rd7+ Kc4 53.Rc6+ Kb4 54.Rb7+ Ka3 55.Rcb6 h4 56.Rb3+ Ka2 [56...Ka4 57.Rb1
hxg3+ 58.Kh1 and White wins] 57.Rb2+ Ka1 58.Rb1+ Ka2 59.R7b2+ Ka3 60.Ra1+ and next move the
queen will be taken.
C) 50...Ke5! is certainly the most stubborn defence. After 51.Rh6 h4! 52.gxh4 Qd2 53.Rf3 gxh4
54.Rxh4 we have reached a position where White is theoretically winning, but compared with the game
it’s much more difficult to make progress now the pawn on g3 has been traded off.
49.Rh7
336
Position after: 49.Rh7
49...f5 50.Rcg7+ Kf6 51.Ra7 Qb4 52.Ra6+ Ke5
Black can’t defend the h-pawn with 52...Kg5 in view of 53.Rg7#.
53.Rxh5 Qb1 54.Ra5+ Kf6 55.Raxf5+ Kg6 56.Rfg5+
Position after: 56.Rfg5+
Kramnik methodically pushes the black king backwards. This can’t be achieved by the immediate 56.Rb5
337
as the rook on h5 remains under attack by the king. The doubled g-pawns are a perfect shelter against any
possible checks, eliminating any chances of the game ending in a draw.
56...Kf6 57.Rb5 Qc2 58.Rh6+ Kg7 59.Rbb6 Qc5 60.Rbg6+
Position after: 60.Rbg6+
60...Kf8
Or 60...Kf7 61.Rc6 and next move the king will be forced to the back rank.
61.Rh7 Qf5 62.Rgg7 Qe6 63.Re7
Black resigned, as he can’t avoid the loss of the queen or a transition into a king and pawn ending, e.g.
63...Qg6 64.Ra7 Kg8 65.Rag7+.
1-0
338
Fortress
Also from a defensive point of view, rooks are often able to cooperate pretty well. In the following game
the rooks are excellently placed on the sixth rank, preventing the white king from penetrating into
Black’s position.
Kritz, Leonid (2596)
Ris, Robert (2381)
Germany 2008
Black to move
57...Rc6! 58.Qh1 Ree6 59.Qd5 Kf8 60.Qd7 Kg8 61.Ka5 Kf8!
The only move to save the game. In case of 61...Rb6? White has 62.Qd8+ Kf7 63.Qxb6! steering the
game into a winning pawn ending.
62.Qxh7 Ke8 63.Qb7 Kd8 64.a3 Ke8 65.a4 bxa4 66.Kxa4 Rb6 67.Qc8+ Ke7 68.Qc7+ Ke8 69.b4 Kf8
70.Qd7
70.Ka5 doesn’t really help, in view of 70...Rb5+ 71.Ka4 Rbb6=.
70...Kg8 71.Kb3
339
71...Rbc6!
Once the white king returns to b3, the black rook has to cut it off along the c-file. After a careless move
like 71...Kf8 72.Kc4 Kg8 73.Kd5! White succeeds in destroying the fortress.
72.Qb7 Kf8 73.Qh7 Ke8 74.Qg7 Kd8 75.Qf7 Kc8 76.Ka3 Kd8 77.Ka4 Rb6 78.Qh7 Ke8 79.Qg7
Kd8 80.Qf7 Kc8 81.f5
340
White finally decides to force matters on the kingside, but, after the capture, White still can’t cross the
sixth rank with one of his pawns.
81...gxf5 82.Qxf5 Kd8 83.Qf7 Kc8
Also possible is 83...Rxe5 but in fact there’s no need to eliminate the pawn.
84.Qa7 Kd8 85.Kb3 Rbc6 86.Qb7 Rg6 87.Ka4
And White decided to stop the fight, as there is no chance of making further progress.
½-½
The mighty queen

So far we have been looking at positions where the two rooks had the upper hand. In various endgames,
but also in this type of ending, the queen is a very flexible piece which can easily switch from one side to
another, posing different sorts of problems for the opponent.
Topalov, Veselin (2805)
Sofia 2010
Black to move
A simple position to start with. From a material point of view White has an overwhelming advantage but
there is simply very little material left on the board, which reduces the winning chances in general. An
even bigger issue here is the safety of the white king, as Black could start harassing it with numerous
checks. Due to the unfortunate placement of the rooks on the a-file, White is unable to get out of the
checks.
341
74...Qg1+ 75.Kf4 Qc1+ 76.Kf5
Ideally White would like to solve the check by blocking with one of his rooks, in this case with 76.Re3,
but then the rook on a4 remains undefended.
76...Qc5+ 77.Ke4 Qc2+
Position after: 77...Qc2+
78.Ke3
Same story as in the previous note. White doesn’t have the chance to play 78.Rd3.
78...Qc1+ 79.Kf2 Qd2+ 80.Kg3 Qe1+!
Definitely more accurate than 80...Qg5+? because then White gets exactly what he wants with 81.Rg4
although this should still be a draw. No point in complicating matters though.
81.Kf4 Qc1+ 82.Kg3 Qg1+ 83.Kf4
And White had to rest his case.

½-½
Moscow 2009
342
Black to move
The black queen is superior to White’s two rooks. There are a few reasons for that: 1) White’s king is too
exposed; 2) White’s remaining two pawns are isolated and are likely to drop very soon; 3) after White’s
two remaining pawns are gone Black is ready to push his own pawns, putting White under more pressure;
and 4) the white rooks don’t have a common target. Having these aspects in mind it might not come as a
suprise to see how quickly Black seizes the initiative and launches a decisive attack against the white
king.
35...Qg4+ 36.Rg2 Qxd4+ 37.Kh1 Qe4
Of course, not 37...Qxh4+? 38.Rh2 pinning the queen.
38.Rf1 f5 39.Kg1 d4 40.Rgf2 d3
343
Position after: 40...d3
41.h5
White is unable to take the pawn on f5. The following is very instructive: 41.Rxf5 Qg4+ 42.Kh2 [no
chance to play 42.Kf2? as it disconnects the rooks] 42...Qxh4+ 43.Kg2 Qg4+ 44.Kh2 d2 45.Rd5 Qc4
and White can’t avoid the loss of material, e.g. 46.Rdf5 d1=Q 47.Rxd1 Qe2+ and Black wins the rook.
41...Qg4+ 42.Rg2 Qd4+ 43.Kh1 d2
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44.Rgg1
44.Rd1 is met by 44...Qh4+ 45.Kg1 Qe1+ and Black wins.
44...f4 45.Kg2 Qe3 46.Rh1
Abruptly ending the game, but there is simply nothing better. For instance 46.Rf3 Qe2+ 47.Rf2 d1=Q and
Black wins.
46...Qg3#
0-1
Botvinnik, Mikhail
Boleslavsky, Isaak
Sverdlovsk 1943
White to move
As the safety of the king plays a crucial role, the side playing with the queen is often recommended to
open the position in order to expose the enemy king. In that sense, things were no different back in 1943.
34.g5!
Very naturally played by Botvinnik. White could also have considered playing 34.Qe3 but then after
34...Re6 35.Qa7+ Kg8 36.Qxa5 Rf6 I somehow don’t like that the black rooks are going to be activated
soon, which at least offers practical counterchances. With the text Botvinnik aims to bring his queen as
quickly as possible into the vicinity of the black king. In this way Black’s counterplay can be avoided.
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34.g5! hxg5 35.Qf5+ Kg7 36.Qxg5+
When playing for the initiative, recapturing with check has to be preferred. Clearly worse is 36.hxg5? in
view of 36...Rh8+ 37.Kg2 Rcf8 when Black reorganizes his defence and ensures that the white king will
always remain cut off along the f-file.
36...Kh7 37.Qxb5 Rf8
38.Qd7+ Kg8
After the alternative 38...Kg6 White could automatically capture the pawn with check, but probably it’s
even better to activate his own king rapidly. The pawn on d6 remains weak and it’s not very attractive for
Black to protect that pawn as that would further deactivate his rooks.
39.Qe6+ Kg7 40.Qd7+ Kg8 41.Kg2 Rc2+ 42.Kg3
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42...Rcf2?!
Wasn’t it possible to just capture the pawn on b2? Well, at least the engines think it’s possible, but it’s
understandable that a human being prefers to connect the rooks as soon as possible. After 42...Rxb2 I
would think that White could wrap up the pawns on d6 and e5 and play for a win without any risk,
because as a minimum White always has a perpetual.
43.Qxd6 R2f7
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Position after: 43...R2f7
44.Qd5!
A very nice move and a very common strategy when playing endgames with queens on the board.
Pinning the rook on f7 makes both rooks remain very passive. If you don’t follow this recipe, you will let
your opponent off the hook, e.g. 44.Kg4? Rg7+ 45.Kh3 [45.Kh5 Rh7+=] 45...Rf3+=.
44...Kh8 45.e5!
Another nice move. Not only do you bring the pawn one move closer to promotion, but you also open the
diagonal a8-h1 for the queen and prevent Black from giving an annoying check on f3.
45...Rg7+ 46.Kh3 Rg6 47.d4 Rf1 48.Qe4 Rgg1 49.d5 Rh1+ 50.Kg4 Rhg1+ 51.Kh5 Rf7 52.e6!
Position after: 52.e6!
Black resigned, because after 52...Rh7+ 53.Qxh7+ Kxh7 54.e7 Re1 55.d6 Kg7 56.d7 the pawns are
unstoppable.
1-0
Hammer, Jon Ludvig (2610)
Hector, Jonny (2609)
Malmo 2010
348
White to move
White does have excellent compensation for the pawn and all his pieces are actively placed. Black on the
other hand can’t castle kingside any longer, though he is ready to block the d-file with ...Nd5 with the
idea of castling queenside. How should White proceed? Hammer has seen very well that he had better act
immediately, not leaving his opponent any hope of survival, and comes up with a powerful idea.
27.Rd7! Qxd7
Black can’t really ignore the rook on d7, since after 27...Qb6 28.Qf3 Rf8 29.Ne4 Black’s position will
soon be destroyed.
28.Rxd7 Kxd7 29.Qf4!
349
Position after: 29.Qf4!
That’s the point of White’s play and it nicely shows the power of the queen in such positions: always on
the lookout for unprotected pieces and vulnerable pawns, while at the same time trying to exploit the
exposed king and the lack of coordination between the black rooks.
29...Nd5 30.Nxd5!
Trading off an important defender. The alternative 30.Qxf7+ Ne7 31.Ne4 b6 is also quite good for
White, but definitely less convincing than the text.
30...cxd5 31.Qxf7+ Kc6
No chance to go backwards, as 31...Kd8 32.Qxg8+ wins for White.
32.Qxe6+ Kc5
350
Since his two rooks and knight are no longer there, White has abandoned the idea of playing for a mating
attack. Of course, Hammer has anticipated that his e-pawn will become a serious force to reckon with,
leaving the black rooks passive on the back rank.
33.Qd7 Rad8 34.Qb5+ Kd4 35.e6 b6
35...Rge8 36.e7! Rc8 [36...Rxe7 37.Qb4+ wins a rook] 37.Qxb7 is hopeless for Black.
Position after: 37.Qxb7
351
White has too many ideas for improving his position: either advancing pawns on the queenside or
mobilizing the f-pawn. In the game White also finds a nice idea to catch the black king in a mating net in
the middle of the board.
36.e7 Ra8 37.g3 Rab8 38.f4 g6 39.Kf2 a5 40.Qc6 b5 41.Qc3+
Position after: 41.Qc3+
Black resigned, in view of 41...Ke4 42.Qe3+ Kf5 43.Qe5+ Kg4 44.Qe6#.

1-0
352
Chapter 8
Two minor pieces vs. rook
The battle of two minor pieces vs. a rook is an eternal one and still a topic which features in many games,
from amateur to top grandmaster level. From the 10 examples discussed in this chapter, six are taken
from grandmaster games played in 2018. Coincidentally no examples feature two bishops vs. a rook,
perhaps because two bishops are considered the most powerful duo of minor pieces and therefore players
would try to avoid opposing them with a single rook. In any case, the focus will be on general themes
again: coordination of the two minor pieces, king safety and open positions where rooks can excel. It’s a
dynamic battlefield: mistakes are easily made and advantages are turned around regularly. Do yourself a
favour by enjoying the complexity of this material distribution!
Cooperation of two minor pieces

As in the previous chapter, a lot depends on whether the side with multiple pieces is able to get them
cooperating efficiently. To illustrate the power of two minor pieces it makes sense to start with two
examples where there are no other pieces on the board apart from the rook.
Amin, Bassem (2693)
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2718)
Wijk aan Zee 2018
White to move
41.f4?
I guess that White underestimated the dangers of his position or simply miscalculated something in one
of the next lines. Positions with passed pawns are tactical by nature and relying on your intuition is often
353
the wrong approach. Precise calculation is required! Better would have been activating the king right
away with 41.Kf1 and then a possible line is 41...d3 42.Ke1 Bg7 43.Rf4 Bc3+ 44.Kd1 which is still fine
for White, as the black knight is unable to participate in the attack.
41.f4? d3! 42.Kf1
Alternatives would not have saved White either, though the variations are incredibly complex, almost
impossible to find at the board. Nevertheless, I thought including this example in the book is more than
justified as the variations illustrate a wonderful coordination between the two minor pieces and the passed
pawn. Let’s see what could have happened:
A) 42.Kf3 Nb3! [42...d2? doesn’t make sense, in view of 43.Ke2.] 43.Ke3 [43.Rb6 allows 43...Nd2+!
and the king can’t go to e3 because of the fork on c4.] 43...d2 44.Ke2 Bb4 45.Rb6 Nc1+ 46.Kd1 Nd3
Position after: 46...Nd3
47.Rb8+ [47.Rxb4 Nxb4 48.Kxd2 Kf7 and White’s pawns are simply too weak.] 47...Kf7 48.Rd8
Nxf2+ 49.Ke2 Ne4 [You shoulnd’t forget that after 49...d1=Q+? 50.Rxd1 Nxd1 51.Kxd1 it’s a
theoretical draw, as the bishop doesn’t control the corner square.] 50.Rd4 Ng3+ 51.Kd1 Bc3 52.Rc4
[52.Rd3 Ne4! and now everything has been protected, the black king is ready to join the fray.] 52...Ba5
53.Ra4 Nf5!
354
Position after: 53...Nf5!
What an amazing variation! The bishop is untouchable, in view of Ne3-c4 winning the rook. White isn’t
obliged to capture the bishop but there is no good alternative and soon the black king will approach.
B) Also after 42.Rb6 d2 43.Rb1 Nd3 44.Rd1 [44.Kf3 is met by 44...Nc1!] 44...Bb4 45.Kf3 Kf7 Black
just seems to be winning as the white rook is simply too passive and White has no good solution for
dealing with the d-pawn.
42...Na4!
355
Another incredible move, which was probably missed by White. The knight is heading for b2 from where
it further supports the advance of the d-pawn.
43.Ra6
A) 43.Ke1 comes too late, because after 43...Bb4+ 44.Kd1 Nb2+ 45.Kc1 d2+ the d-pawn queens.
B) 43.Rc6 Nb2! and the d-pawn is out of reach.
43...Nb2 44.Ra1 Kf7 45.Rb1 Bg7
46.f5
Once again, White is too late approaching the pawn, because 46.Ke1 allows 46...Bc3+! And since the d-
pawn can’t be challenged, the black king is ready to penetrate into White’s position. The rest is simple.
46...Ke7 47.f3 Kd6 48.Kf2 Bd4+ 49.Ke1 Bc3+ 50.Kf2 Kd5 51.Ke3 Kc4 52.f4 d2 53.Ke2 Kb3
356
54.Rxb2+
54.f6 Kc2 55.f7 Kxb1 56.f8=Q d1=Q+ And Black wins.
54...Kxb2 55.Kd1 Bb4 56.f6 Kc3 57.f7 Bf8 58.f5 h6 59.f6 Bd6
0-1
Without any passed pawns on the board play normally becomes more technical. It’s usually a good
strategy for the side with two minor pieces to keep those pieces protected by pawns, so that they never
become victim of a tactical shot.
Meier, Georg (2628)
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter (2672)
Dortmund 2018
357
White to move
29.Nd4+
There is no reason to become too greedy and go after the vulnerable doubled pawns. They are weak and
they will remain weak. Inferior is 29.Nd8+? Ke7 30.Nxb7 Kd7 when the knight cannot get back into
play.
29.Nd4+ Ke7 30.Nf5+ Kf8 31.b3
I like this simple move, which White would have been forced to play in the near future anyway. Meier
secures the bishop on c4 and Black will never be able to create a passed pawn on the b-file.
31...Rd1 32.Ne3
Definitely not the only option but once again I do like Meier’s decision, overprotecting his minor pieces.
Another possibility is 32.Kf3 but then Black might try to stir things up with 32...b5!? with the point of
33.Bxb5? Rd5! and White loses one of his minor pieces. Of course, White could instead still retreat his
bishop, but there is no need to give Black this additional option to push his b-pawn.
32...Rd2
358
33.h4
Still, White has to be alert, as 33.Nd5? fails to 33...b5!. Note that in the game Black is unable to bring his
king to the centre, as ...Ke7 will be answered with Nd5 check and the pawn on b6 falls. Hence, Black is
condemned to passive defence, just making waiting moves with his rook or king.
In the meantime Meier shows a nice plan, moving his knight to c3 (with options to challenge the pawn on
b6 from a4 or d5) and slowly increasing his influence on the kingside by pushing his pawns. Since the
black rook doesn’t have any targets White has time to concentrate fully on his own plans.
33...g6 34.g4 Rb2 35.Nd1 Rd2 36.Nc3 Rd4 37.Kg3 Rd8 38.f3 Kg7 39.Kf4 Rd2 40.Ne4 Rd1 41.h5
359
41...b5
From the defender’s point of view it’s usually recommended to exchange pawns, however I don’t think
that 41...gxh5 42.gxh5 is much of an improvement for Black, as White is about to transfer his knight via
g3 to f5.
42.Be6
Another option would have been 42.Bxb5 though after 42...gxh5 43.gxh5 Rd5 Black succeeds in trading
off more pawns. I think that Meier didn’t consider this at all, and his move prevents any sort of
counterplay.
42...Rh1 43.Bd5
360
43...b6
A) 43...gxh5 runs into 44.Ng3 and the weakening of the kingside is fatal for Black: 44...Rc1 45.Nxh5+
Kg6 46.Be4+! [46.Bxb7?! f5] 46...Kf7 47.Bxh7 Rc3 48.Be4 and White is just winning.
B) Perhaps the most stubborn continuation would have been 43...Rd1 when White still has a choice
between two promising continuations: 44.Bxb7 [44.h6+!? Kxh6 45.Nxf6 with a clear advantage, but is
it sufficient to convert into a full point?] 44...gxh5 45.gxh5 Rd3
361
46.Nc5 [46.b4? Rd4 drops the b-pawn] 46...Rc3 47.Ne6+ Kh6 48.Nd4 Kxh5 49.Ba6 b4 [49...Kh4
50.Bxb5 doesn’t look great for Black either] 50.Kf5+–
Position after: 50.Kf5+–
What an amazing coordination of the white pieces. The knight on d4 is protecting both pawns, the black
rook is unable to challenge the knight at the moment because of the bishop on a6. White’s plan is to
take on f6 and push the f-pawn.
44.hxg6 hxg6 45.Nc3 b4 46.Na2 g5+ 47.Ke3 Kf8 48.Nxb4 Ke7 49.Be4
And Black resigned, as either the b- or the f-pawn will fall after 50.Nd5.
1-0
King safety
In middlegames with this material distribution a lot depends on whether the two minor pieces are able to
coordinate and on king safety, which obviously counts for both sides. The next three examples have in
common that once the two minor pieces are cooperating well, the extra piece could become a decisive
factor in launching the attack against the king.
Wijk aan Zee 2018
362
White to move
23.Nf3
The automatic move in this position, as before taking the pawn on d4, White protects his own pawn on
h2. In subsequent play we will see that the knight is doing a great job on f3, safeguarding his king, but
unfortunately won’t have an active task.
After the game Anand mentioned the line 23.Nc4! Qxh2 24.Qxd4 f6 25.Nd6 as a serious alternative for
White. Compared with the game Black has won the pawn on h2, but White’s knight on d6 is looking
great. Neither of the black rooks can use the open central files, while the black queen can’t generate new
threats on its own. With Re1 coming up next, all White’s pieces make a great impression.
23.Nf3 Qh5 24.Qxd4 f6 25.Qc4+
363
Position after: 25.Qc4+
25...Kh8
Offering the trade of queens with 25...Qf7 would be happily accepted by White. After 26.Qxf7+ Kxf7
27.Nd2 the knight is on its way to d6, securing a stable advantage for White as the black rooks can’t be
activated.
26.Bc1 Rfe8 27.Bf4
364
27...a5?
Caruana is looking for a way to bring his rooks into the game and also aiming to challenge White’s pawns
on the queenside. However, the chosen path proves counterproductive, as soon Black’s own pawn on b7
becomes a target for the white queen. I think it would have been better to leave the queenside intact and
opt for a central approach by doubling rooks on the e-file. Hence, 27...Qf5 28.Bd6 Re3 followed by
29...Rae8 is quite playable for Black.
28.Bd6 axb4? 29.Qxb4 Qd5
Perhaps defending the pawn on b7 with 29...Qf7 would have been more stubborn, but Caruana’s play is
in line with his previous sequence of moves.
30.Qxb7
Position after: 30.Qxb7
30...h6
When playing 27...a5 this must have been the position Caruana had been aiming for. I suppose he thought
that Black would be able to strike here with his major pieces but as it turns out, once again, the knight
proves to be an excellent defender.
A) After 30...Qd3+ 31.Kg1 Rxa3 32.Rxa3 Qxa3 [32...Qd1+ 33.Kf2 Qc2+ transposes to the line arising
from 30...Rxa3] 33.h3 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 White’s king is absolutely safe, while the pawn on c6 is weak.
B) 30...Rxa3 doesn’t work for Black, because after the forcing sequence of moves 31.Rxa3 Qd1+
32.Kf2 Qc2+ 33.Kg3 Qg6+ 34.Kh3 Qh5+ 35.Nh4 g5 36.Qb4! White has everything under control and
remains material up.
365
After the game’s continuation the question is, how is White going to improve his position? Anand senses
well that first he has to reorganize his kingside and he finds a nice configuration that secures his king.
31.Kg1! Ra4
31...Rxa3 is similar to the line one move earlier.
32.h3!
Another very useful move. The white king is on its way to h2, from where it will never be disturbed by
any of the black pieces as the bishop controls the b8-h2 diagonal. With the text White also takes away the
g4 square from the black rook.
32...Rc4
Ideally Black would like to bring his other rook into play with 32...Re2 but that’s met by 33.Bf8! and
after the only move 33...Qg8 White collects another valuable pawn with 34.Qxc6, after which Black’s
position falls apart.
33.Qb2
The immediate 33.Ra2? fails to 33...Rc1+ and Black wins the rook.
33...Qd3
366
Position after: 33...Qd3
34.Ra2!
Absolute class by the former World Champion. He has seen clearly that it is important to cover the
second rank with his major pieces. A safer option is 34.Qd2 Qxd2 35.Nxd2 which is definitely also nice
for White, but requires more work transforming the advantage into a full point.
34...Qd1+ 35.Kh2 Rc1 36.a4
Position after: 36.a4
367
36...f5
Caruana is desperately trying to renew his attacking potential, but in fact this move only weakens his
kingside and soon he will be punished for that. Black’s position is already difficult to handle and one of
the reasons for that is that White’s king is very safe.
The automatic 36...Qh1+ 37.Kg3 is leading nowhere, as the knight on f3 is an excellent defender.
37.Qb7 f4 38.Bxf4 Rxc5 39.Rd2 Qxa4 40.Qf7 Rg8 41.Be5 Qc4
Or 41...Qe4 42.Rd8 Qxe5+ 43.Nxe5 Rxd8 44.Qe7 and Black has to give up more material.
42.Rd6
A nice final touch, after which Black resigned. The queen can’t be taken because of mate: 42...Qxf7
43.Rxh6#.
1-0
Ris, Robert (2367)
Kopylov, Michael (2469)
Bad Wiessee 2006
368
White to move
After a complex opening the smoke has cleared and White has two knights vs. a rook and a pawn. My
main concern is that the black major pieces could be activated via the c-file and disturb the coordination
of my pieces. At the same time, I was thinking that my pieces should be directed towards the black king,
as particularly on that side of the board I would be able to prove that my knights are more powerful than
the black rook. Hence, my task is pretty clear: with the aid of prophylaxis (see Volume 1) prevent my
opponent’s plan and only then start thinking about how to build up an attack on the kingside.
20.Ne3!
A good move to begin with, as I’m removing my vulnerable knight from the c-file and on e3 it’s well
protected. Despite temporarily blocking the e-file, the knight is very useful guarding the entry square c2
and is also looking for possibilities to reach the kingside.
Inferior is 20.Kg2?! which allows 20...Qb5! when Black succeeds in trading off queens, which decreases
my chances of building up a successful attack.
20.Ne3! Qa4 21.a3 Rc7
Attempting to double on the c-file, but White is controlling all the relevant entry squares. Black is not
recommended to go for the pawn on a3, because after 21...Bb2 22.Ng4! the weaknesses on the kingside
are felt and White is also ready to take on e7.
22.h4 a6 23.Re1!
369
Always ask yourself what your opponent is aiming for with his last move.
If I had carelessly continued with my original plan of 23.h5 Black would have been allowed to play
23...Qb5! and White can’t avoid the exchange of queens, as the rook on e2 would be hanging. Great
prophylaxis once again!
23...Rfc8
23...Qb5 is still an option, but then I would just move my queen with 24.Qe4 and there is no good way
for Black to improve his position. His only way of trying to make use of the c-file is 24...Bc3 but then
after 25.Bxc3 Rxc3 26.Qxe7 the bishop is sadly missed in the defence of the black king.
24.Nd4
More prophylaxis! I could also have played a move like 24.h5 or 24.Kg2 but my move gives my
opponent no chance at all ever to enter via the c-file with ...Bc3.
24...Rf8
A sad decision, but what else? The black rooks don’t have any open files and thus will remain inactive
for the rest of the game.
24...Bxd4? 25.Qxd4 Qxa3? will be punished by 26.Ng4 f6 27.Rxe7! Rxe7 28.Qxf6 (threatening 29.Nh6
mate) 28...Rg7 29.Qe6+ and White wins.
25.h5 Qd7 26.Kg2!
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Another move I enjoyed playing. Of course, I could also have played 26.hxg6 right away, but in general
the side having the initiative normally benefits from maintaining the tension as long as possible. With the
text I prepare to bring my rook to the h-file, giving an extra impulse to my attacking plans.
26...Be5 27.Rh1 Rfc8 28.hxg6 hxg6
Position after: 28...hxg6
I’m happy to have managed to neutralizie my opponent’s intentions on the queenside and now it’s time to
371
use my extra piece on the other side of the board.
29.Ne6! Rc3
The knight is untouchable, as 29...fxe6 leads to mate after 30.Qxg6+ Kf8 [or 30...Bg7 31.Rh7+–] 31.Nf5
exf5 32.Bh6+ Bg7 33.Qxg7+ Ke8 34.Qg8#. Black’s move is a desperate attempt to mess things up, but
in vain.
30.Bxc3 Rxc3 31.Qe4 fxe6 32.Qxg6+ Kf8
32...Bg7 33.Rh7 and mate on the next move.
33.dxe6 Qc6+ 34.f3 Qe8 35.Qf5+
35...Kg8
Another nice mating pattern is seen after 35...Kg7 36.Qh7+ Kf6 [36...Kf8 37.Rh5 – see the game]
37.Rh6+ Kg5 38.Rg6+ Qxg6 39.Qh4#.
36.Qh7+ Kf8 37.Rh5 Qb5
In time trouble my opponent allows mate in one, but his position is hopeless anyway, e.g. 37...Rxe3 is
met by 38.Rf5+ Bf6 39.Qh8#.
38.Qf7#
372
Position after: 38.Qf7#
1-0
Petrosian, Tigran
Simagin, Vladimir
Moscow 1956
Black to move
A well-known game, but mainly thanks to the wonderful combinational motif at the end. In my opinion it
373
is worth examining the previous stage of the game as well, as both kings are exposed and the question is
which side is more able to profit from that.
33...Re7?
A crucial error, since the minor pieces are gaining the upper hand as the centre is collapsing.
Black should have played 33...Qf5!, pinning the knight on e4. In the next example we will also see that
the pin, with the aim of restricting the minor pieces in their mobility, is a recurring theme in positions
where rooks are excelling. A possible line is 34.Nxc5 [34.Bg1!? is also playable, but it’s not clear what
White is going to do next] 34...Qxd3 35.Nxd3
Position after: 35.Nxd3
A) 35...Rb8! followed by 36...Rb3 and Black is obtaining counterplay, as the bishop on h2 remains out
of play.
B) Inferior, though, is 35...Rc8? in view of 36.c5! dxc5? [36...Ke7 is apparently better, but who would
allow White such a far-advanced protected passed pawn?] 37.d6 c4 38.Nxe5 and White is winning as
the minor pieces have come alive and are supporting the passed d-pawn, e.g. 38...c3 39.d7 Rd8 40.Bf4
and Black can’t untangle, as 40...Ke7? fails to 41.Nc6+.
33...Re7? 34.Nxd6
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Position after: 34.Nxd6
34...Qxg5 35.Qf1+ Kg8
35...Kg7 36.Nf5++–
36.Ne4
Offering the exchange of queens with 36.Qg1! looks quite attractive for White as well. Without the pawn
on d6 the two remaining pawns on c5 and e5 have become more vulnerable. Supported by the two minor
pieces White’s connected passed pawns (after the pawn on c5 drops) will seal the deal.
36...Qh4 37.Qe2 Rg7 38.d6 Qh6
375
39.Qd1?
39.Qf1! to prevent ...Qh3 is the way to play for White. Fortunately for Petrosian, he gets a second chance
and can repair his mistake.
39...Qh4?
39...Qh3! is an excellent, multi-purpose move. After it White constantly needs to keep an eye on the
squares g2 and f3, but the black queen is also preventing the d-pawn from marching forward. After
40.Qe2 Rg6 White’s advantage has evaporated.
376
Position after: 40...Rg6
A possible line is 41.a5 Qf5 42.Qd3 Rxd6! 43.Qxd6 Qf1+ 44.Bg1 Qh3+ leading to a draw.
40.Qe2 Qh6 41.Qf1 Rf7 42.Qg2+ Kf8 43.Ng5
43...Qxd6
After this move White has been given the chance to finish the game off in style.
377
43...Rd7 can be answered with 44.Qf3+ Ke8 [44...Kg7 45.Ne4! and White is dominating] 45.Qa8+ Rd8
46.Qxd8+ Kxd8 47.Nf7+ and White remains two pieces up.
44.Qa8+! Kg7
44...Ke7 45.Qxa7+ and the rook will be taken.
45.Bxe5+!
You have to be very precise until the very end!

A horrible mistake would have been to execute the tactical shot in reverse order, as 45.Qh8+? gives black
the chance to play
Position after: 45.Qh8+?
45...Kg6!! [45...Kxh8? 46.Nxf7++–] 46.Nxf7 Qd1+ 47.Bg1 Qf3+ and Black is in time for a perpetual
check.
45...Qxe5 46.Qh8+!
378
Position after: 46.Qh8+!
46...Kxh8 47.Nxf7+
1-0
379
Rook domination
Rooks are extremely useful pieces in endgames. Since a number of pawns have been exchanged, they can
distinguish themselves by using the open files and ranks. Even the collaboration of two minor pieces
often cannot hold them back
Kraai, Jesse (2516)
Sevillano, Enrico (2510)
Calgary 2011
Black to move
A typical endgame structure has arisen, where White has control over the centre thanks to his pawn
majority, while Black’s chances are on the queenside. Obviously Black can keep control over the c-file
by doubling rooks. An attentive player, however, will surely spot that both the knight and bishop are
looking at the e3 square. A small amount of calculation will lead us to a sharp ending where the two
minor pieces duel with a rook and a mass of pawns. In middlegames two minor pieces are generally
considered more powerful, since together with other pieces they are able to create various threats. The
following example is a perfect illustration, however, of a lack of coordination between White’s forces in
such endings.
33...Nxe3!
Nothing, in fact, can be gained from 33...Rec8 34.Rxc6 Rxc6 35.Rc1 with an equal position, as the king
will soon be centralized.
33...Nxe3! 34.fxe3
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Accepting the challenge. The other possibility is 34.Rxc6 Nxd1 [34...bxc6? 35.fxe3 just drops a piece]
35.Rc7 Nxb2 36.Nxb2 though after 36...Bg7! Black is a healthy pawn up and hence retains the
advantage. Remember that with play on both wings, a bishop is normally more useful than a knight.
34...Bxe3+ 35.Kg2 Bxc1
Position after: 35...Bxc1
36.Bxc1
The other option is to trade one pair of rooks with 36.Rxc1 Rxc1 37.Bxc1 Rc8 which actually favours
Black, as White’s minor pieces are deprived of any cooperation. Hence, after winning either the a-pawn
or the d-pawn, it’s much easier for Black’s extra pawns to play a major role.
36...Rc4 37.Nf4
White should have considered keeping the a-pawn on the board rather than giving Black a passed pawn
so easily. However, after 37.a5 Rxd4 the pin along the d-file is highly unpleasant: 38.Kf3 [38.Be3 Rd5
39.Bxa7? is met by 39...Red8] 38...Red8 39.Ke2 R4d5! and it’s very hard for White to employ his pieces
in an efficient manner.
37...Rxa4 38.d5?
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Position after: 38.d5?
Understandably, White strives to develop his pieces actively, but his last move allows his opponent to
restrict the mobility of White’s forces.
A better attempt would have been 38.Be3 followed by centralizing the king.
38...Ra1!
An excellent move, as the rook has a superb post in the corner. It not only create a nasty pin on the first
rank, but also frees the path for the a-pawn.
39.d6
Consistently played, aiming to create a hole on f6.
39...exd6 40.Nd5 Re6!
The most precise way of dealing with the possible fork on f6.
Black could have gone terribly wrong with 40...Kg7? which is met by 41.Bb2+!; while 40...Rc8? runs
into another fork, 41.Ne7+!.
41.Kf3 a5!
382
Black’s rooks are optimally placed, so now it’s time to set the main trump card in motion. It will soon
become clear how hard it is for the minor pieces to deal with such an outside passed pawn.
42.g4 h6
A strategically sound reaction. Black wants to prevent White from obtaining a firm grip on the kingside.
On the other hand, White won’t be able to profit from the vulnerable dark squares and hence it would
also be good to play 42...a4. If White proceeds to execute his plan with 43.g5 Black’s passed pawn is too
quick: 43...a3 44.Nf6+ Kf8 45.Nxh7+ Kg7 46.Nf6 Rb1 and White has to give up material.
43.h4 g5
In line with his last move. Still, 43...a4 would also have been sufficient.
44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Nc3
The knight has proved to be incapable of causing Black any problems and so retreats to c3 to protect the
rook on d1, renewing the option of taking the pawn on g5.
45...Re5
383
46.Ne4
If White attempts to get out of the pin with 46.Bb2 Rxd1 47.Nxd1 Rb5 he ends up in a hopeless situation.
Black is four pawns up and can easily march his pawns down the board. If White decides to bring his
king over to the queenside, Black can eventually attack White’s only remaining pawn on g4.
46...Rb1 47.Nd2
Another option would have been 47.Nxd6. After 47...Rc5! Black forces the exchange of rooks with
48.Be3 Rxd1 49.Bxc5
384
Position after: 49.Bxc5
and then Black’s connected passed pawns are unstoppable: 49...b6 50.Ke2 [50.Ba3 Rd3+–+] 50...Rb1
51.Ba3 a4 52.Kd2 Rb3 53.Bc1 [53.Nc4 b5 loses a piece] 53...a3 54.Kc2 a2! 55.Bb2 Rg3 56.Ne4 Rg1
and White has to give up more material [only not 56...Rxg4? in view of 57.Nf6+].
47...Rd5!
Setting up another pin!
385
48.Ke2
48.Nxb1? isn’t an option, since after 48...Rxd1 another piece will be lost.
48...Ra1 49.Rh1 a4 50.Ne4
White doesn’t have time to transfer the king to the queenside, because after 50.Kd1 Rc5 he loses the
bishop.
50...Re5!
Again, Black forces White to spend time dealing with quite a nasty pin. 50...a3? is premature, because of
51.Nf6+.
51.Kd3 a3 52.Nf6+ Kg7
Black could still go astray with 52...Kf8? which is countered by 53.Nd7+!.
53.Nd7 Rb1!
Position after: 53...Rb1!
There’s no need to move the e5-rook.
54.Nxe5 dxe5
And White resigned, because after 55.Kc2 a2 the a-pawn decides the game.
0-1
386
Oparin, Grigoriy (2609)
Kobalia, Mikhail (2619)
Satka 2018
White to move
In the previous example we have seen that minor pieces don’t operate well when they are pinned by
rooks. When they have to deal with a powerful pawn centre it helps if they can count on the support of
pawns securing the blockading squares. When that’s not the case the knights lose their grip on the
position, get harassed by the pawns and major pieces, and as a result start wandering around the board.
27.e4
The player with an extra rook needs to open the position. White could also opt for a slower approach with
27.e3, retaining the option of playing e3-e4 at a more suitable moment.
27.e4 fxe4 28.fxe4
387
Position after: 28.fxe4
28...Qg5!
Looking for tactical opportunities against the white king.

Inferior is 28...Qxd4?! because after 29.Qxd4 Nxd4 30.Rxf6 Nxf6 31.Rc1 the ensuing ending looks very
unpleasant for Black. The a-pawn is likely to fall and, as you will see in Chapter 11, knights have a lot of
problems dealing with an outside passed pawn.
29.e5 Rh6?
Black is losing track and soon ends up in a completely lost position as White’s major pieces are
becoming too strong.
Black could have saved the game with 29...Nf4+! 30.Rxf4 Rxf4 31.Rh1+ Kg8 32.Qb3+ and now Black
faces a crucial choice:
388
Position after: 32.Qb3+
A) 32...Kf8? fails to 33.Qe6! and there is no chance for a perpetual check, e.g. 33...Rf2+ 34.Kxf2 Qd2+
35.Kf3 Qd3+ 36.Kg4 Qe4+ 37.Kg5 Qe3+ [37...Qxh1 38.Qxd7 Qh6+ 39.Kf5 Qh3+ 40.g4 with a
winning queen ending for White] 38.Kg6 Qxg3+ 39.Kh7 Qd3+ 40.Kh8
and by reaching the other end of the board the white king has found a safe haven where it can hide from
the checks.
389
B) 32...Rf7! The only move to save the game. 33.Rf1 Nxe5! [33...Qg6? loses to 34.Rxf7 Qxf7 35.e6]
34.dxe5 Qd2+ 35.Kh1 Qh6+ 36.Kg1 Qb6+ 37.Qxb6 axb6 And despite the minus pawn Black easily
holds, as White’s pawns are too vulnerable.
30.Rac1!
Position after: 30.Rac1!
30...g6
Things are getting worse and worse now.

A) Black should have switched to damage control mode with 30...Qd8 preventing a rook invasion on
the back rank but then after 31.Rh1! White succeeds in trading off rooks, after which the black king is
too exposed. An important detail is that 31...Nxe5? runs into 32.Qe4! Qxd4 33.Rc8+ and White wins.
B) Black is simply too late blockading the central pawns, as 30...Nb6 allows 31.d5!.
31.Rc8+ Kg7 32.Qf3
32.Re8! Qh5 [32...Nd8 33.Rf4] 33.Re7+ [33.Rxe6? Qh3+ and Black wins the rook.] 33...Kg8 34.Rxd7
And now after 34...Qh3+ 35.Kf2 Qh2+ 36.Ke1 the white king has walked out of all the checks.
32...Qe7
390
Position after: 32...Qe7
33.d5?
This blows a huge part of White’s advantage. More powerful is 33.Qa8! keeping the strong pawn duo d4-
e5 intact. After 33...Nef8 [33...Ndf8 34.d5! and White wins] 34.Rc7 Ne6 35.Rxa7 White’s major pieces
dominate the board, while 35...Nxd4 will be met by 36.Qd5.
33...Ng5
The only move, because 33...Nxe5? fails to 34.Qc3 Ng5 35.Rc7 and White wins.
34.Qc3 Qxe5
Of course, not 34...Nxe5? 35.Rc7.
35.Qxe5+
Perhaps more challenging is 35.Re1 Qxc3 36.Rxc3 but also after 36...Kf6 37.Rc7 Ne5 38.Rf1+ Ngf3
39.Rxf3+ Nxf3 40.Kxf3 Rh5! it seems to me that Black retains reasonable drawing chances in this rook
ending, despite being a pawn down.
35...Nxe5 36.Rc7+ Ngf7 37.Re1 Kf6 38.Rf1+ Kg7 39.Rxa7
White would love to exchange one pair of rooks, but not at any cost. After 39.Rh1 Rxh1 40.Kxh1 a6
41.Ra7 Kf6 42.Rxa6+ Kf5 the black king is simply too active and will soon pocket the d-pawn.
39...Rh8 40.a4
391
40...Rb8
The following line makes sense as well: 40...Rd8! 41.Rd1 Kf6 42.a5 Nd6 and Black has managed to
coordinate his pieces again.
41.a5 Rb5 42.a6 Ra5?!
After this move the black knights have trouble dealing with White’s passed pawns.
Necessary was 42...Rxd5 43.Ra1 Rd2+
392
Position after: 43...Rd2+
44.Kf1 [44.Kh3? Kh6! and the white king has to watch out, as the knight from f7 will join the fight]
44...Kf6 45.Rxf7+ [or 45.Ra8 Nf3 46.Ra3 N7e5 47.Rh8 Nh2+ 48.Rxh2 Rxh2 49.a7 Rh8 50.a8=Q Rxa8
51.Rxa8 with a similar ending as after 45.Rxf7] 45...Nxf7 46.a7 Rd8 47.a8=Q Rxa8 48.Rxa8
Position after: 48.Rxa8
with a theoretical drawn position. Black will aim for an active defensive setup with Ne5/f6, Kf5 and
pawn g5. Black should not let the white pawn reach g5, when there are possible transitions into a winning
pawn ending.
43.d6 g5 44.d7 Nd8 45.Rf5 Ra2+ 46.Rf2 Ra3 47.Ra8 Nec6 48.Kh3 Ra4 49.Re2
393
49...Nf7
After 49...Kf6 50.Re8 Black can’t prevent the transition into a winning rook ending, e.g. 50...Kf7
51.Raxd8 Nxd8 52.Rxd8 Ke7 [52...Rxa6 53.Rc8 and the d-pawn queens] 53.Rh8 Kxd7 54.a7 Rxa7
55.Rh7+ and White wins.
50.Re6 g4+ 51.Kg2!
Avoiding all problems. In case of 51.Kh4? Nd4 52.Re4 Nf5+ 53.Kxg4 Rxe4+ 54.Kxf5 Nd6+ 55.Kg5
Nf7+ 56.Kh5 Rd4 57.a7 Rxd7 58.Rg8+ Kxg8 59.a8=Q+ Kg7 Black has a fortress.
51...Nfd8 52.Re8 Ra2+ 53.Kf1 Ra1+ 54.Kf2 Ra2+ 55.Ke1
394
55...Nf7
55...Kh7 56.Rexd8 Nxd8 57.Rxd8 Rxa6 58.Re8 And White wins.
56.a7 Kf6
56...Rxa7 57.Rxa7 Nxa7 58.d8=Q Nxd8 59.Rxd8 And the pawn on g4 will be lost.
57.Rac8 Nxa7 58.Rf8 Ra1+ 59.Kd2 Ra2+ 60.Kc1 Ra1+ 61.Kb2 Rd1 62.d8=Q+ Rxd8 63.Rcxd8
395
Position after: 63.Rcxd8
Black resigned. After 63...Nc6 the simplest way to convert the advantage is by giving back one exchange
with 64.Rd6+ Ke7 65.Rxc6 Kxf8 66.Kc3 and soon the pawn on g4 will drop.
1-0
Complicated middlegames
Very often general principles will guide you in the right direction to evaluate the position correctly. In
sharp positions you can’t rely solely on your intuition and often only one precise continuation leads to the
desirable result. My game versus Shirov is a good example of this sort. The critical moment arises after
White’s 20th move when I have a couple of interesting options. The move I played is by far the most
natural continuation, but fails to pose more practical problems to my opponent.
Shirov, Alexei (2693)
Ris, Robert (2419)
Reykjavik 2017
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Nc3 a6 7.Nxb5 axb5 8.Rxa8 Bb7 9.Ra2 e6 10.f3 f5
11.exf5 Nc6 12.Ne2 Nge7 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Qd7 15.Nc3 Nxf5 16.Bf2 Ncxd4 17.Be2
Black has obtained excellent compensation for the exchange and thanks to the lack of coordination
between White’s pieces I saw a way to regain the invested material.
17...b4
396
I felt very excited about the upcoming changes in the position, but in hindsight I perhaps should have
maintained the tension and continued my development with 17...Bc5 18.0-0 0-0, which was also Shirov’s
suggestion after the game. Black’s compensation for the exchange consists of:
1) An extra pawn.
2) Central domination thanks to the powerful knight on d4.
3) The nice pawn chain b5-c4, restricting the movement of White’s minor pieces.
4) The white rooks are inactive.
But after my move not much remains of any of these advantages.
18.0-0
Almost instantly played as White is forced to give up his knight on c3, because after 18.Ne4? b3! 19.Ra7
Nc2+ 20.Kf1 Nfe3+ Black wins the queen.
18...bxc3 19.bxc3 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2
Position after: 20.Qxe2
Over the course of the last few moves the position has drastically changed. From the material point of
view I’m faring very well, but here I sank into deep thought. The longer I looked at my position the more
I realized that I had actually kind of helped my opponent’s pieces become active. I felt that I was coming
one or two tempi short of consolidating my position, since if I could manage to play moves like ...Bd6,
...Bd5 and castling kingside without being tactically punished I would be in excellent shape. The
problem, however, is that White’s rooks are disturbing the completion of my development. So in the end
I decided to play the most natural developing move.
397
20...Bd6
For a good amount of my thinking time I was considering two alternatives.

A) I finally rejected 20...Bd5 because of 21.Ra7 and I didn’t see a nice square for my queen.
A1) 21...Qc8 22.Rd1! with the threat of Rxd5 is unpleasant for Black.
A2) 21...Qc6 22.Rb1! preparing the annoying moves Rb8 and Rb6.
A3) 21...Qb5 22.Qa2 (Intending Rb1.) 22...Bc5 23.Ra8+ [23.Rb1? loses to 23...Bxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Qc5+.]
23...Bxa8 24.Qxa8+ Kf7 25.Qxh8 Bxf2+ 26.Rxf2 Ne3 With an equal game, e.g. 27.h3 Qb1+ 28.Kh2
Nf1+ 29.Rxf1 Qxf1=.
A4) However, as I found out when switching on the engine my best option is the odd-looking
21...Qd8! 22.Rd1
398
22...Be7 [Probably even more challenging is 22...h5!? which I didn’t consider at all, as during the
game I was only trying to bring my king into safety as quickly as possible. Apparently Black is fine
after 23.Qe5 Be7 24.g4 Bf6 25.Rxd5 Qxd5 26.Qb8+ Bd8 27.gxf5 0-0 and actually White has to be
careful.] 23.g4 Nh4 [23...Nd6? fails to 24.Rxd5! exd5 25.Qe6 Rf8 26.Bd4! and Black is totally stuck.]
24.Rxe7+ Qxe7 25.Bxh4 Qb7 Black will castle next move with approximate equality, though White
still faces some difficulties concerning his pawn on f3 [but not 25...Qxh4? 26.Rxd5! which clearly
favours White].
B) Another move I considered, but failed to assess the strength of, is 20...Qc8!?.
399
Position after: 20...Qc8!?
The black queen is no longer harassed by the white rooks, it protects vulnerable pawns on c4 and e6,
and in some cases prepares ...Bc5. The following lines show that Black is doing fine:
B1) 21.Re1 Bd5 looks great for Black, because after 22.Ra5 Kf7 his king is out of danger.
B2) 21.Ra7? Bc5! 22.Bxc5 [22.Rxb7 Bxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Qxb7 24.Qxe6+ Ne7 25.Re2 Rf8 26.Qxc4 Rf7
and after the consolidating moves ...Kf8 and ...Rf6 the extra piece starts telling.] 22...Qxc5+ 23.Qf2
Qxf2+ 24.Rxf2 Bd5 Black will be technically winning after castling kingside.
B3) 21.Rb1 Bd6 22.Rxb7 [22.Ra7 Bd5 23.g4 Ne7 is the ideal position for Black: everything is
protected and the white rooks are unable to cause any damage.] 22...Qxb7 23.Qe4 Qxe4 24.fxe4 0-0
25.exf5 Rxf5 And only Black can be better, with his extra pawn.
Back to 20...Bd6.
21.Ra7
The critical continuation.

A) 21.Qxc4? loses to 21...Bd5.
B) 21.Rb1? Bd5 22.Ra7 Qd8 is great for Black as he is about to castle kingside.
C) 21.Rd1 Kf7 and now 22.Ra7 can simply be answered with 22...Ra8 when Black is in control.
After the text play becomes pretty forced.
21...Bb8 22.Rxb7 Qxb7 23.Qxe6+ Ne7 24.Re1 Ba7 25.Qg6+ Kf8 26.Qd6
400
26...Kf7
Mentally I had already accepted the repetition of moves, though Shirov pointed out a nice idea which
totally escaped my attention: 26...Bxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Rh7!? when Black can still try to play for more.
However, after 28.Re4 g5 29.h4 too many pawns are going to be exchanged, while my king will be too
exposed to make effective use of the extra piece.
27.Qe6+ Ke8 28.Qg6+ Kf8 29.Qd6 Kf7 30.Qe6+
½-½
Saint Louis 2018
401
White to move
The opening has gone horribly for Black. White has two bishops for the rook with an equal number of
pawns. Obviously, Black’s pawn structure is healthier than White’s, but on the other hand his rooks
cannot create any problems, despite having two open files on the queenside. Grischuk’s next move must
have come as a very pleasant surprise for his opponent.
21.Bxf6?
I can’t really explain White’s hasty decision to trade off his bishop, as the knight on f6 isn’t doing too
much anyway. Besides that, minor pieces operate better together with other pieces, so basically any
exchange improves Black’s possibilities for his rooks.
Having said that, White could have strengthened his position by securing his bishop on g5 with 21.h4!.
Remember that minor pieces need outposts! My guess is that Grischuk didn’t want to play this move
because of 21...Nh7 [21...Nxd5? tactically fails to 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 23.Nb6 and after taking on a8 White
remains a piece up; 21...Ra4 22.Re1 just looks excellent for White] 22.Bd2 Qf6 and the h-pawn becomes
vulnerable.
402
White has plenty of interesting options here, but I will mention only two: 23.Qg4 [23.Bf3! Qxh4 24.Kg2
and the rook comes over to the h-file, with dangerous attacking prospects. After 24...Ng5 25.Rh1 Nxf3
26.Rxh4 Nxh4+ 27.Kh3 Nf5 28.Bf4 White shouldn’t have too many problems converting his extra
piece] 23...Ra4 24.Re1 Rxa2 25.h5 with excellent play for White, as his pieces are wonderfully
coordinated. Black’s knight on h7 is out of play, while his queen has the responsibility of guarding both
d6 and e7.
21.Bxf6? Qxf6 22.Qf3
403
22...Qh4!
Of course, Black isn’t interested trading off queens. After 22...Qxf3 23.Bxf3 Ra4 24.Be2 White has
everything protected, will slowly bring his king to the centre and at a good moment try to mobilize the a-
pawn if possible. Carlsen’s move is very logical, as he is trying to exploit the absence of White’s dark-
squared bishop, which was taking away a lot of possible squares from the queen. In the game Grischuk is
facing some practical problems finding a stable setup for his pieces.
23.Qe4 Qf6 24.Qf3 Qh4 25.Qe4 Qf6
26.Qd3?
A) After the text White’s advantage is gone. There is no good way of keeping the pawn on c3 protected.
If 26.Qc2 the reply 26...Qf4 is quite annoying, e.g. 27.Bf1 [27.Ne3 allows 27...Ra3! followed by
28...Rea8] 27...Kg7 and things aren’t that simple any longer, as the other rook will come to h8. White’s
kingside is unstable and there are too many pawn weaknesses to employ the two minor pieces
efficiently.
B) While exploring these variations, Grischuk failed to realize that the c-pawn isn’t that important at all.
The following variations look quite convincing: 26.a4! Qxc3 [26...Reb8 27.Ra3! saves the pawn on c3,
while the rooks are hardly doing anything] 27.Ra3 Qc1+ 28.Bf1 Rab8 29.Rg3 Rb1 30.Ne3
404
I really like to see how quickly the white pieces have been rearranged and now have a common goal of
playing for a kingside attack. After 30...Rb4 31.Qf5 Rxa4?! 32.Qd7 Raa8 33.h4! Black has a difficult
time ahead.
26...Reb8! 27.a3
After both 27.a4 Rb3! and 27.Qc2 Qf4! there is no way for White to make further progress.
27...Rb3 28.Rc1 Ra4 29.Qc2
29.Bf1? would even lose to 29...Qg5+!.
29...Qf4!
405
Position after: 29...Qf4!
30.Qxb3 Qxc1+ 31.Bf1 Qg5+ 32.Bg2 Qc1+ 33.Bf1 Qg5+ 34.Bg2 Qc1+
½-½
Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2779)
Biel 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 0-
0 11.Bc2 Nxf2
406
Position after: 11...Nxf2
The so-called Dilworth Variation was incredibly popular in the 80s thanks to the efforts of Artur
Jussupow, who had some great results with this line and demonstrated that two minor pieces aren’t
necessarily better than a rook on a board full of pieces. For some reason the variation has disappeared
from top-level tournaments in recent years, but the present game shows that once the theoretical paths
have been left behind it’s anybody’s game!
12.Rxf2 f6 13.Nf1
The main line runs 13.exf6 Bxf2+ [13...Qxf6?! 14.Qf1! favours White, as was already seen in Smyslov –
Botvinnik, Moscow 1943] 14.Kxf2 Qxf6 and now 15.Nf1 and 15.Kg1 have been the main moves played
here. After the move played Black obtains a nice pawn centre.
13...Bxf2+
Black is forced to take the rook now, as 13...fxe5? fails to 14.Be3!.
14.Kxf2 fxe5 15.Kg1 Qd6
407
16.Ng3?!
16.Ng5 Bf5!
Position after: 16...Bf5!
17.Bxf5 [17.Bb3?! Ne7 18.Ne3 Rad8 with excellent prospects for Black in Darga – Larsen, Copenhagen
1953. He is ready to launch his c-pawn and soon after that one of his two central pawns.] 17...Rxf5
18.Qd3 e4 19.Qh3 Qg6 20.Ng3 Rf6 21.Nh5 And here Black can decide whether he wants to take a
408
repetition or not.
16...h6
Stopping all sorts of tactical ideas with Bxh7 and Ng5, but Black could also have played more
ambitiously with 16...Bg4! as he doesn’t have to fear 17.Bxh7+
Position after: 17.Bxh7+
in view of 17...Kh8! [not 17...Kxh7? because of 18.Ng5+] 18.Bb1 [18.Bc2? runs into 18...Qc5+! 19.Kh1
Qf2 followed by 20...Rxf3] 18...e4 [The difference between 18.Bb1 and 18.Bc2 is seen after 18...Qc5+
19.Kh1 Qf2 as now White has 20.Qc2!] 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Qxd6 cxd6 21.Bxe4 and although White has a
pawn and some compensation for the exchange, he is likely to suffer in the remaining part of the game.
17.Qe1
A) Anticipating a possible pin on the knight, which could not have been solved by means of 17.h3?
because of 17...e4!.
B) White could also have ignored Black’s intentions and continued his development with 17.Be3 but
it’s understandable he didn’t like the weakening of his kingside after 17...Bg4 18.h3 Bxf3 19.gxf3
which isn’t clear at all.
409
Position after: 19.gxf3
A typical position for the Dilworth Variation, where White is trying to rearrange his minor pieces and
Black is trying to play as dynamically as possible with his mobile pawn centre and major pieces. For
now, White is controlling the break moves ...d5-d4 and ...e5-e4 thanks to his pawns on c3 and f3 and an
important nuance is that 19...e4 can be met by 20.f4.
17...Bg4
To gain control over squares you’ve got to give them as well! Black dismissed an interesting option to
restrict the mobility of White’s bishops with 17...e4!?
410
Position after: 17...e4!?
18.Nd4 [18.Nxe4? dxe4 19.Qxe4 is met by 19...Bf5!] 18...Nxd4 19.cxd4 c5 20.Be3 c4 with a complex
situation. Black appears to be doing fine with his two extra pawns on c4 and e4, but White seems able to
control the dark squares on the queenside and after something like 21.Qa5 Black will have to work hard
to make his extra pawns pay.
18.Nh4
Position after: 18.Nh4
18...e4
18...g5?! 19.Nhf5 gives White a nice square on f5.
19.h3
White should always look for possibilities of clearing the centre by radical means, but here 19.Nxe4 fails
to 19...Rae8! and the queen can’t be taken because of mate [however, not 19...dxe4? 20.Qxe4 and Black
is in trouble, as 20...Qc5+ will be met by 21.Be3].
19...Bd7 20.Be3 Qf6
The knight on h4 seems to be in trouble, but MVL has spotted some interesting resources.
A) Tempting is 20...g5? but it fails to 21.Nxe4! dxe4 22.Rd1 when the queen doesn’t have a good
square available:
411
22...Qf6 [22...Qe7? 23.Ng6!; 22...Qe6? 23.Bb3!] 23.Rxd7 Rad8 [after 23...gxh4 24.Bxe4 the position
has blown open and the bishops are monsters] 24.Bb3+ Kh8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Bf2 and White emerges
victorious from the tactical complications. Even if Black manages to remain an exchange up, the two
bishops are likely to pose serious problems for the black king.
B) A solid alternative is 20...Ne7 21.Rd1 Qc6 with complex play where White has gained control over
the dark squares in the centre, but his knight on h4 is still out of play. Mamedyarov’s move better fits
with his tactical style.
21.Nh5
412
Position after: 21.Nh5
21...Qe5
The alternative is 21...Qf7 but then in various lines Black has to reckon with tactical issues on the a2-g8
diagonal. 22.Nf4 Ne7 [22...g5? is looking great for White after 23.Nxd5! Be6 24.c4! gxh4 25.Qxh4 and
Black’s kingside falls apart.] 23.Rd1 might be playable for Black, but I do like the harmony in White’s
position now that he has gained control over the dark squares. It’s still very tactical because of ideas with
...g7-g5, but I would definitely prefer to be White here.
22.Nf4
Worth examining is 22.g4!? preparing the retreat of the knight to g3, and also creating an outpost on f5.
22...Rxf4! 23.Ng6 Rf1+!
413
Position after: 23...Rf1+!
24.Kxf1
Great calculation by both players. After 24.Qxf1 Qg3! Black regains the piece.
In the game Black also succeeds in getting his piece back, resulting in an endgame which MVL managed
to hold with accurate play.
24...Qf5+ 25.Nf4 g5 26.Qg3 Kh7 27.Ke2 gxf4 28.Qxf4 Qxf4 29.Bxf4 Rg8
414
Position after: 29...Rg8
30.Kf2
I suppose that after 30.g4 Black had intended 30...h5, maintaining the pressure, even though it might not
be anything special at all.
30...Rf8 31.Ke3 Ne7 32.Bxc7 Nf5+ 33.Ke2 b4
34.Bf4
A spectacular line is 34.g3?! Nd4+! 35.cxd4 Bb5+ 36.Kd2 Rf2+ 37.Kc1 Rf1+ 38.Bd1 e3 39.Kc2 e2
40.Bxe2 Rxa1 41.Bxb5 axb5 with a clearly better ending for Black, but perhaps even this is holdable.
34...bxc3 35.bxc3 Nh4 36.g3 Ng2 37.c4 Nxf4+ 38.gxf4 Rc8 39.Rd1 Rxc4 40.Bb3 Ba4 41.Rxd5 Bxb3
42.axb3 Rc3
½-½
415
Chapter 9
Worth of a queen
Whereas in chapter 7 we have examined all important aspects of a queen competing against two rooks, in
this chapter we will elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of a queen fighting other combinations of
forces. Similar factors play a key role in this chapter: king safety, pawn structure, passed pawns, but
above all the focus will be on the coordination of the pieces. Understanding how pieces are cooperating
efficiently will help you assess correctly positions with a material imbalance. Advantages are often
temporal and the positions examined in this chapter will help you sense the turning points and react
accordingly.
Queen vs. rook + two minor pieces

In the first few examples we will examine the battle between a queen and a rook plus two minor pieces.
This material distribution has been seen more often in practice than you might think. As with various
other material distributions, factors such as king safety and coordination play a key role.
Hausrath, Daniel (2483)
Van Kampen, Robin (2570)
Groningen 2012
Black to move
In our first example the strength of the attacking trio will be shown. Black’s king has advanced into the
battlefield and once it joins the attack things go downhill pretty fast for White.
97...Rd3+ 98.Kb2 Bd4+ 99.Kc1
416
99.Kb1 Rd1#
99...Ka4!
Position after: 99...Ka4!
In Chapter 1 the role of the king was discussed extensively and for good reason. Also in this example the
king is a very important attacker. Please take note of the wonderful coordination between the black pieces
as they are all protecting one another. The white queen is unable to annoy Black with a series of checks.
100.Qg4
After 100.Qa8+ Kb3 the checks are over, as the black king has found a safe place to hide, surrounded by
his own forces.
100...Kb3 101.c5 Na2+ 102.Kb1 Nc3+
417
Position after: 102...Nc3+
103.Ka1
103.Kc1 Be3#
103...Ne2+
White resigned, in view of 104.Kb1 Rd1#.

0-1
Nakamura, Hikaru (2760)
Ding Liren (2702)
Beijing 2012
418
White to move
The previous example was simply an unfair battle, as even the king was ready to help in the attack. Very
often the king is not able to join the attacking trio. That’s not a big issue, as long as the pieces are
cooperating well. In this example the black king has been cut off from the action but once the third piece
joins the attack, it’s all over soon.
50.Be5!
A nice square for the bishop, allowing it to join the attack while also covering the b8-h2 diagonal against
any checks. As in the previous example the attacking trio is working excellently together, and since they
are protecting one another Black doesn’t have any opportunity to dismantle that construction.
50...Qxf2 51.Nf6+ Kd8
419
After 51...Kf8 52.Rd7! nothing can be done to stop checkmate on d6. Note the wonderful coordination
between White’s forces: the rook and knight are taking away the king’s escape squares, while the bishop
plays a role in both defence and attack!
52.Bd6
Another illustrative line highlighting the excellent cooperation between White’s forces is 52.Bc7+ Kc8
53.Ne8!
420
Position after: 53.Ne8!
(threatening mate on d6) 53...Kb7 54.Bg3+ and White wins the queen.
52...Kc8 53.Rc7+ Kd8
After 53...Kb8 White picks up the queen with 54.Rc2+.
54.Rb7
Black resigned, in view of 54...Kc8 55.Rb8#.

1-0
Ris, Robert (2426)
Guerra Mojena, Leandro (2254)
Havana 2010
White to move
22.e5! Rd4
This is the move Black had based his hopes on. The alternative is 22...Nd5 but then after 23.Ne4! White
obtains a massive advantage. White is preparing to take on d5 and then on e7, after which a knight jump
to d6 becomes possible. [Less convincing is 23.Nxd5?! Bxd5 24.Bxe7 which indeed wins a pawn, but
after 24...Re8 White would have to work hard to convert that extra material.] White’s last move is
tactically justified, as 23...Bxe5? will be met by 24.Nc5! winning material.
23.exf6!
421
The point of White’s play. This type of liquidation has often been seen in positions with a fianchettoed
bishop and particularly in the Grünfeld. In the Russian Variation (Qb3 lines) there are lines where White
obtains three minor pieces for the queen, with interesting play. These types of position have been
discussed by Ivan Sokolov in his book Chess Middlegame Strategies, Vol. 2. In the present game White
gets a rook and two minor pieces, which obviously favours him.
A) By the way, White practically didn’t have any option. For example 23.Qg3? is met by 23...Rg4,
while after
B) 23.Qh3 Ng4! Black is doing absolutely fine.
23...Rxh4 24.fxg7 Kxg7 25.Bxh4 e6
So this is the position I had been aiming for when playing 22.e5. White is technically winning and with
my next move I practically force Black to trade off his active bishop, as otherwise White will start
dominating the dark squares when the bishop arrives on f6.
26.Ne4! Bxe4 27.Rxe4 a5 28.Be7 Re8 29.Bc5 Qb7 30.Bd4+
422
Position after: 30.Bd4+
30...f6
This further weakens the black kingside, but there is no good alternative.
After 30...Kg8 White has several ways of improving his position, e.g. 31.Re5 Rd8 32.Be3 followed by
Rec5 and the bishop from b3 will go to e2 via d1. The black pawns on the queenside are likely to fall any
time soon. After the text White picks up a pawn, but allows the black queen to be activated. I had seen in
advance that with a few accurate moves Black’s threats can be neutralized quite easily.
31.Rxe6 Rxe6 32.Bxe6 Qe4 33.Rc7+
423
Position after: 33.Rc7+
33...Kh6
A) Forced as retreating to the back rank is no option: 33...Kh8 34.Bxf6#.

B) Or 33...Kf8 34.Bc5+ Ke8 35.Rc8#.
34.Be3+ g5 35.Bg8 f5
In case of 35...Qb1+ it had been my intention to respond with 36.Rc1! [36.Bc1? allows 36...Qd3! 37.Bb3
Qe2 38.g3 Qe5! and suddenly White has some coordination problems and has to be careful not to leave
any of his pieces unprotected. After 39.Rc3 a4! 40.Re3 Qc5 a repetition of moves is inevitable] and after
36...Qxb2 proceed with 37.h4!, a multi-purpose move combining attack and defence as White also
creates an escape square for his king, enabling the rook to leave the first rank.
36.h4 f4 37.Rxh7+ Kg6 38.h5+ Kf6
Or 38...Kf5 39.Rf7+ Kg4 40.f3+ which wins the queen.
39.Rf7+
424
And Black resigned, in view of 39...Ke6 [or 39...Ke5 40.Re7+] 40.Rxf4+ in both cases losing his queen.
1-0
Sumets, Andrey (2638)
Kozul, Zdenko (2638)
Zadar 2012
Black to move
425
Finally we’ll examine a very interesting position where the queen initially has the upper hand. Often such
an advantage is only a temporary result of the poor coordination of the three pieces and therefore the
chance has to be seized immediately!
36...b4?!
Based on a small trap, but it would have been much better to open up the kingside with 36...e4! when
White is just completely lost. The following line is pretty straightforward: 37.fxe4 Qe7 38.Bxb5 Qxe4+
39.Kg1 Qd4+ 40.Rf2 f3!
and White’s pieces can hardly move. A nice illustration of the queen’s superiority.
36...b4?! 37.Re2
White doesn’t, of course, fall for 37.Rxb4 Qe1! and Black wins on the spot.
37...f6?
Again, it would have been a good idea to disturb the configuration of White’s forces with 37...e4!.
426
Position after: 37...e4!
38.Rxe4 [38.fxe4 f3 and the black queen will arrive on either f2 or e1 or capture on e4, though that needs
to be prepared first with a move like Kg7, avoiding the fork on f6.] 38...Qf2 39.Be2 Qe1+ 40.Kg2 Qd2
And Black threatens to take either the knight on d7 or the pawn on a2, when the b-pawn would be
unstoppable. After the text move White is able to regroup his pieces.
38.Nc5 Qh5 39.Kg2 Qf5 40.Rd2 Kg7 41.Ne4 Qc8 42.Bb5
Position after: 42.Bb5
427
42...Qa8?
Hitting the weak pawn on a2, but the queen is obviously completely misplaced in the corner of the board.
Better would have been 42...f5! 43.Rd7+?! [more stubborn is 43.Nf2 now, or even on the next move]
43...Kh6 44.Nf6? Kg5 45.Nxh7+ Kh4! and now the black king is out of danger it plays a decisive role in
the mating attack and soon Black will break through the centre with ...e5-e4.
43.h4
43...f5?
The following line illustrates well what a queen is capable of in an open position: 43...Qg8 44.Rd7+ Kh8
45.Nxf6 Qxa2+
A) 46.Kh3? is met by 46...Qe6+ 47.Ng4 b3! 48.Rd8+ [48.Rd2 can be answered with 48...h5!] 48...Kg7
and now White can no longer repeat moves with 49.Rd7+ because of 49...Qxd7! 50.Bxd7 b2 and Black
wins.
B) 46.Kg1 Qa7+! and a perpetual check is inevitable [but not 46...Qa1+? because of the interference
move 47.Bf1!].
44.Rd7+?
Again, the silicon monster is critical of this human interpretation of the position and instead recommends
44.Ng5 which yields White a decisive advantage. The rook will arrive on d7 anyway and there is simply
no need to allow Black to activate his queen by capturing on a2.
428
44...Kf8 45.Ng5 Qxa2+ 46.Kh3
46...e4?
Wasting valuable time. Black should have chased the knight away immediately with 46...h6! and after
47.Nh7+ Kg8 48.Nf6+ Kf8 [48...Kh8? 49.Rh7#] 49.Rc7 Qf2 50.Nh7+ [50.Bc4? allows 50...Qxf3#]
50...Kg8 51.Nf6+ Kf8 neither side can avoid the repetition.
47.Rc7! Qb2
The point of White’s play is that 47...exf3 can be met by 48.Nxh7+ Kg8 49.Bc4+! winning the queen.
48.Nxh7+ Kg8 49.Bc4+ Kh8 50.Ng5
429
And Black resigned as he can’t avoid mate, e.g. 50...Qg7 51.Rc8+! and White wins.
Conclusion: The attacking trio of rook, bishop and knight is normally stronger than the queen. Some
important features worth keeping in mind:
1) Watch out for tactical tricks. The attacking trio is incredibly ruthless if it can strike.
2) King safety plays an important role and once the king succeeds in escaping from the attacking trio it
can also become an asset, as can be seen in the last example (see the variation with 42...f5).
3) Using simplification to steer the game into a favourable ending is something you should always reckon
with. On the other hand, you shouldn’t underestimate the strength of the queen.
The last example is a nice illustration of what can happen when the mobility of the attacking trio has been
reduced.
1-0
Rook and minor piece for the queen

As we have seen in the first part of the chapter, generally speaking a rook and two minor pieces are
considered to be stronger than a queen, unless temporal factors are working in favour of the queen. In the
remaining part of the chapter we will examine a couple of instructive positions where the queen is
battling it out against another duo or trio of pieces. The following masterpiece by Keres is a joy for those
who adore the bishop pair.
Euwe, Max
Keres, Paul
Amsterdam 1940
430
Black to move
22...d3! 23.Rxd3 Qxd3!!
An incredible queen sacrifice! The alternative 23...Bd4+ is worth considering as well, though after
24.Kh1 Qf6 25.f5 it is not so simple to direct the black forces towards the white king. The text is more
spectacular and above all even stronger.
24.Qxd3 Bd4+
Position after: 24...Bd4+
431
25.Rf2
Pinning your own rook is not what you would really want to do, but alternatives aren’t great either.
A) After 25.Kh1 Rxe6 the black rooks are ready to infiltrate along the e-file, while after
B) 25.Ne3 Rxe6 26.Re1 Rae8 the knight on e3 will be lost.
25...Rxe6 26.Kf1 Rae8!
Position after: 26...Rae8!
Highlighting the power of the two bishops. It would simply be a pity to regain the material by giving up
that wonderful bishop on d4, but the following line confirms that Black also retains a decisive advantage
after 26...Bxf2 27.Kxf2 Rae8 28.Nh4 Rd6 29.Qc3 Be4 and since both rooks are dominating the open
central files and the bishop cuts off the knight, White is left without any counterplay.
27.f5
Euwe stirs things up by pushing his f-pawn. He could also have stuck to his extra material by moving his
rook away, e.g. 27.Rd2 but then after 27...Be4 28.Qb3 Bf5 the light-squared bishop will be employed on
h3 where it will pin the knight on g2: 29.Qd1 Bh3 30.Rc2 g5!–+ and White can’t prevent the files on the
kingside from being opened soon.
27...Re5
432
28.f6
A) 28.Rd2 Be4 29.Qb3 Rxf5+ 30.Nf4 g5 This is hopeless for White.

B) 28.Rf4 allows 28...Re2! 29.Qxe2 Rxe2 30.Kxe2 Bxg2 and the two bishops are superior.
28...gxf6 29.Rd2
29.Rxf6? Bxg2+ 30.Kxg2 Re2+ And the rook on f6 will be taken next.
29...Bc8!
433
Position after: 29...Bc8!
As in the variation with 27.Rd2 Black finds a great idea to improve his light-squared bishop. Since the
white king is now on f1, the bishop has done its job on b7 and now intends joining the attack by
approaching the white king from another diagonal.
30.Nf4 Re3
Also after 30...Re1+ 31.Kg2 Rg1+ 32.Kf3 Rg8 it doesn’t look as if White is going to survive the
harassment of his king.
31.Qb1
31.Qc2 enables Black to pick up the queen by force: 31...Re1+ 32.Kg2 Rg1+ 33.Kf3 Re3+ 34.Kf2 Rc3+.
31...Rf3+ 32.Kg2
434
32...Rxf4!!
That last defender is finally eliminated. The white queen on b1 is totally out of play and can only watch
the damage the black bishops are about to inflict.
33.gxf4 Rg8+ 34.Kf3
A) 34.Kf1 Rg1+–+ wins the queen.

B) 34.Kh1 Bb7+ with mate.
34...Bg4+
435
Position after: 34...Bg4+
35.Ke4
35.Kg3 Bf5+–+ wins the queen.
35...Re8+ 36.Kd5
36.Kd3 Bf5#
36...Bf3+
0-1
Passed pawn
In the previous example Keres voluntarily gave up the pride of his position (protected passed d-pawn) in
order to activate his other forces. In the majority of cases preserving such an asset is an important tool
deflecting the opponent’s attention away from converting his material plus. In the next game the white
queen is struggling to deal with the far advanced passed d-pawn, but at the critical moment it misses a
chance to escape from its duties and search for other targets in the opponent’s camp.
Dortmund 2018
436
Black to move
21...Qxe1+!?
There isn’t anything wrong with a quiet move like 21...Qf6 when the position remains pretty balanced.
Ambitious as ever, Kramnik decides to complicate matters and opts for an unbalanced position with
mutual chances.
21...Qxe1+!? 22.Qxe1 Bxd3 23.bxa5!?
On positional grounds this move could easily have been rejected. White could have kept the pawn
structure on the queenside intact and proceeded with something like 23.Qd2, but then after 23...Bb5
24.Re1 d3 the d-pawn suddenly becomes a force to be reckoned with. In general the queen is considered
the least suitable piece for blockading a passed pawn and this is no exception, especially as the d-pawn is
far advanced and well supported.
23...Rac8 24.Qe7 Ba6
437
Position after: 24...Ba6
25.c6
By exchanging the pawn on b7 White intends to make the bishop on a6 more vulnerable. Too slow is
something like 25.g3? d3 26.Rd1 d2! when White is in trouble because of Black’s main threat 27...Re8.
Position after: 26...d2!
After 27.c6 bxc6 28.Qb4 c5 29.Qb2 c4 30.Rxd2 Rxd2 31.Qxd2 White has managed to get rid of the
powerful d-pawn, but now the c-pawn proves to be too strong: 31...c3 32.Qc1 Bd3 and soon the bishop
438
will take over the protective duties from the rook, which will then be enabled to pick up the pawns on the
a-file and/or ensure the promotion of the c-pawn by chasing away the queen from c1.
25...Re8
The most challenging continuation. A safer option is 25...bxc6 and now after 26.Rxc6 d3 27.Rxc8 Rxc8
Position after: 27...Rxc8
White has to stop the passed pawn with 28.Qe1 when apparently there is no good way for Black to push
his d-pawn without allowing counterplay, e.g. 28...Rc2 29.Qd1 Rb2 30.h4 d2 (threatening 31...Be2)
31.Kh2 Bc4 32.Qg4 Bb3 33.a6!
439
Position after: 33.a6!
33...Ra2 [33...d1=Q? 34.Qxd1 Bxd1 35.a7 and thanks to the pawn on a3, the pawn on a7 can’t be
stopped] 34.a7 Rxa3 35.Qb4 d1=Q 36.Qxa3 Bd5 37.a8=Q+ Bxa8 38.Qxa8+ with a drawn queen ending.
26.Qb4 Rxc6 27.Rxc6 bxc6 28.h4 d3 29.Kh2
29...Kh7
440
29...Re2 30.Qb6 d2 31.Qd8+ Kh7 32.Kg3 c5 And just when Black is about to push his c-pawn further
White is in time with his king: 33.Kf3 and Black can’t make further progress.
30.Qd6 Re6 31.Qd7 Rf6 32.Qd4 h5 33.a4 Re6 34.Kg3 Rg6+ 35.Kf3 Re6 36.Kg3 g6 37.Qa7 Kg7
38.Qd4+
Surprisingly, after capturing the bishop with 38.Qxa6? Rd6! White is not in time to stop the passed d-
pawn, despite having two moves to accomplish that. For example 39.Qb6 d2 40.Qb2+ f6! [inferior is
40...Kh7? 41.Qb3! d1=Q 42.Qxf7+ with a perpetual.] 41.Qb7+
441
Position after: 41.Qb7+
41...Kf8! [41...Kh6? 42.Qb8! Rd3+ 43.f3 Kg7 44.Qb7+ with a draw] 42.Qb8+ Ke7 43.Qa7+ Rd7
44.Qe3+ Kf8 45.Qc5+ Kg7 and once the checks are over Black will queen his d-pawn.
38...Kg8 39.Qd8+ Kh7?
Position after: 39...Kh7?
A serious mistake in time trouble. Black should have played it safe with 39...Kg7 when I fail to see a
clear way for White to make progress.
442
40.Qd4?
White misses his chance. He could have obtained a decisive advantage had he found the most natural
continuation 40.Qf8! which takes advantage of the fact that Black’s last move left the pawn on f7
unprotected.
A) There is not really a chance of setting up a fortress by keeping the pawn on f7 defended. The
problem is that after 40...Rf6 41.f3 Black is running out of useful moves:
A1) 41...Bc4 42.Qb4 Ba6 43.Qb6 Rd6 44.Qc7 Rf6 45.Qa7 c5 [45...Bc4 is met by 46.Qd4.]
46.Qxc5+–
A2) 41...Rf5 42.Qd6 Rd5 43.Qxc6 and Black doesn’t get the opportunity to push the d-pawn, while
there are still too many weaknesses (pawn on f7, unprotected pieces and a vulnerable king) to worry
about.
B) 40...d2 41.Qxf7+ Kh8 42.Qd7 Re2 43.Kf4!
And when the king joins the party Black’s resistance is broken, e.g. 43...Rxf2+ 44.Kg5 Kg8 45.Kh6
Kf8 46.g4 hxg4 47.Kxg6 and White wins.
40...Re2?
443
Position after: 40...Re2?
The rook isn’t well placed here at all. More precise is 40...Re1 when Black still seems to be holding on.
Once the queen abandons control over the d2-square the pawn can be pushed and is ready then to
promote on the next move with the aid of the rook.
41.Qd7?
Again after the time control Wojtaszek fails to find the critical move and wastes his last chance. Correct
is 41.Qf6! with a double attack on pawns on c6 and f7, whereas Black doesn’t have a chance to take
advantage of the fact that the queen temporarily gives up control over the d-pawn.
444
The following lines confirm that verdict:

A) In case of 41...d2 42.Qxf7+ Kh8 43.Qb3 White has everything under control.
B) 41...Bc4 is strongly met by 42.a6 d2 43.a7 d1=Q [43...Re8 44.Qd4 and the pawn on d2 drops]
44.a8=Q Qd3+ 45.Kh2 and Black can only avoid mate on h8 by giving up the queen.
C) 41...Kg8 42.Qxc6
C1) 42...d2 43.Qc2 Bc4
Position after: 43...Bc4
44.a6! [44.Kf3? runs into 44...Bb3! 45.Qxb3 Re1 and Black wins.] 44...Bxa6 45.Kf3 Bc4 46.Qd1!
and White has succeeded in neutralizing all threats. 46...Bb3 works no longer, in view of 47.Kxe2!
and the extra a-pawn decides matters.
C2) Perhaps, more stubborn is 42...Re6 43.Qd5 Kg7 but then White could still improve his position
further by advancing the f-pawn and creating new weaknesses on the kingside. It seems to me that
Black is unable to hold.
41...Bc4
445
42.Qxc6
The idea of 42.a6 is far less effective than in the line 41.Qf6! Bc4 (examined in the notes to 41.Qd7):
42...d2 43.Kf3 [43.a7? Bd5 44.a8=Q d1=Q
Position after: 44...d1=Q
with a unique picture where White is lost despite having two queens on the board! A beautiful motif is
45.Qdd8 Re8! 46.Qxe8 Qg4+ 47.Kh2 Qxg2#] 43...Re4! preparing the interference move 44...Bd5.
446
44.Qxd2 [44.Kxe4? Bd5+ and Black wins] 44...Bd5 45.Kg3 Rg4+ 46.Kh2 Rxh4+ 47.Kg1 Rxa4= and the
a-pawn has been stopped.
42...Rc2
Position after: 42...Rc2
43.Qe4
43.a6 d2 44.Qf3 Bxa6 45.Qxf7+ Kh8 And White should repeat moves now or soon, after 46.Qd7 Rc3+
[not 46...Be2? in view of 47.Qe8+] 47.f3 Rd3 before it’s too late.
43...Rc3 44.Qd4 Rc2
44...d2+ 45.Qxc3 d1=Q 46.Qxc4 The queen ending is lost for Black.
After the text White doesn’t have any other options for improving his position and hence a repetition of
moves is the logical outcome of this great fight.
45.Qe4 Rc3 46.Qd4 Rc2 47.Qe4
½-½
447
Coordination

Dominguez Perez, Leinier (2738)
Saint Louis 2018
White to move
A slightly different material distribution from what we have seen so far. White has two rooks and a
knight for the queen and two pawns, which normally should favour him. However, everything depends
on whether or not the three pieces are able to work together. At the moment White has still some
coordination problems as the three pieces aren’t helping one another, while the king on f1 isn’t entirely
safe yet and will probably soon have to deal with a barrage of checks.
33.Ne3!
A good move, as the knight finds a safe place where it receives support from the pawn on f2. It’s often
recommended that you should not care too much about a single pawn, but rather work on the activation
of your forces. Therefore it’s not a surprise that a move like 33.Rh1? doesn’t work out well for White, as
it allows 33...Qc4+.
448
Position after: 33...Qc4+
A) White shouldn’t go too far in his attempts to avoid the checks with 34.Kg1? because after 34...Qc1+
35.Kh2 Qc7+ he will lose his rook on d8. A good reminder that you have to keep your pieces protected
when dealing with a queen.
B) 34.Ke1 Qe4+ with a repetition.
33.Ne3! Qxh5
Position after: 33...Qxh5
449
34.Ra8?
Caruana tries to bring his rook to the seventh rank, intending to take on g7. My guess is that he
overlooked or underestimated Black’s next move.
A) Note that White can’t play 34.Rd7? in view of 34...Qh3+ which loses the rook again.
B) White would be well advised to bring his rook from g1 into play, temporarily abandoning the
ambition to win the pawn on g7. After 34.Rg4! the white rooks will soon be connected and by
controlling the central open files and ranks they reduce the activity of the black queen. In this way the
white king is better protected against the checks from the black queen. White is now threatening to play
Rd7 (since there is no double attack on h3) and Black is pretty much forced to play 34...f5 35.Rf4 but
then the pawn on f5 is likely to drop. Black would not wish to weaken his kingside further with 35...g6
36.Rd7+ Kg8 37.Rfd4 and with the black king being cut off this isn’t going to end well for him.
34...Qc5!
Position after: 34...Qc5!
35.Rb8?
Caruana’s main goal is still to bring his rook to the seventh rank, but it’s clear that playing too many
times with the same piece has not improved his position much.
A) At least he had noticed in time that 35.Rxa6? is met by 35...b4! with the point of 36.axb4? Qb5+!
winning the rook.
B) Still, 35.Rg4 would have been the way to proceed for White, though after 35...a5! things are not
simple for him yet [but not 35...Qxa3? 36.Ra7! and White gets what he wants].
450
35...Qc7
Dominguez’s move is very understandable, as the rook is forced to go to f8 where it’s not doing much at
all. However, he could have taken over the initiative by bringing the f-pawn into play. After 35...f5! the
threat of ...f4-f3 is very unpleasant to deal with as the white king suddenly seems to be caught in a mating
net.
The only move is 36.Rd8 [36.Rb7? allows 36...Qc1+ 37.Kg2 Qc6+! winning the rook] and then after
36...f4 37.Rd7 Qc1+! 38.Rd1 [38.Nd1? Qc4+! followed by a double attack on c6 or e6] 38...Qxa3
39.Nd5 White has managed to avoid an immediate disaster, but it’s obvious that Black is deciding the
course of the game. Centralizing the queen with 39...Qh3+ 40.Ke2 Qh5+ 41.f3 Qe5+ 42.Kf2 b4!
followed by advancing the pawns on the queenside seems to be very difficult to handle for White.
36.Rf8 Qe7 37.Rc8
451
37...Qd7?!
There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with 37...Qxa3! and now after 38.Rc7 Qd3+ 39.Ke1 Qb1+
40.Nd1 Qe4+ 41.Kf1 Qd3+ neither side can really avoid the perpetual check in a convenient way. It
seems that Dominguez is aiming for more!
38.Rc2
A very human decision to protect the rook, but it’s interesting to see the engines point out that White
could also play 38.Rc5! which prevents Black’s next move.
38...f5!?
The point of Black’s play has been revealed.

He could still have opted for a repetition of moves, initiated by 38...Qd3+.
39.f4 Qd4 40.Ke2 Qxf4 41.Rc5 Qh2+ 42.Rg2 Qh5+ 43.Kd2
452
43...Qf3??
A horrible blunder, as finally the rook is ready to enter the seventh rank. The only move is 43...Qf7!
when there is still everything to be played for.
44.Rc7! h5
44...f4 leads to mate after 45.Rcxg7+ Kh8 46.Rg8+ Kh7 47.R2g7#.
45.Rcxg7+
More precise than 45.Rgxg7+ Kh6 46.Rh7+ Kg5 which is also winning for White, but in that case he
would have to spot the quiet move 47.Rcf7!.
453
Position after: 47.Rcf7!
After 47...f4 48.Rhg7+ Kh4 [48...Kh6 49.Nf5#] 49.Ng2+ Kh3 50.Nxf4+ Kh2 51.Ne2 Qd5+ 52.Ke1 the
black king will soon be checkmated.
45...Kh8 46.Rg8+ Kh7 47.R2g7+ Kh6
48.Rg5
454
Caruana misses a thematic way to finish off the game. After 48.Rg3! Qf2+ 49.Kd3 Kh7 50.R3g7+ Kh6
51.Rg2! Black has to give up his queen, on account of the mating threat on h8.
48...Qf4 49.R8g6+ Kh7 50.Rg7+ Kh8
50...Kh6 51.R5g6#
51.Rg8+ Kh7 52.R5g7+ Kh6 53.Ke2
Another convincing way leading to victory is 53.Rg6+ Kh7 54.R8g7+ Kh8 55.Rd7! and the black queen
is unable to pose new threats against the king. 55...Qf2+ 56.Kd3 f4 57.Re6! and White wins. As in so
many variations the knight proves to be an excellent defender, protecting the king and at the same time
preventing checks from the queen.
It’s a pity that in the game White thought he had a brilliant idea, simply overlooking that the knight will
still be pinned.
53...Qe4
54.Re7?? Qxe7
0-1
Anand’s fortresses
Building a fortress is a well-known theme in different types of endings. In spite of a material
disadvantage the weaker side is able to hold on, and from time to time even World Champions have to
455
make use of this concept.
Gelfand, Boris (2739)
Moscow 2012
White to move
White is a queen up against rook, knight and pawn, but due to the limited material left on the board Black
has reasonable drawing chances. Since there are pawns on both sides of the board Black’s task is actually
a bit more difficult than it might seem at first glance. If the a-pawns were removed from the board the
draw would become obvious, but in the present situation the rook is tied down to protecting the pawn on
a7. So what can White do here? At the moment Gelfand has one weakness to attack on a7 and hence his
aim is to create a second one on the kingside in order to disturb the defensive coordination of Black’s
pieces. The subsequent play therefore seems pretty logical.
29.Qb2 Kg7 30.a4
The plan is to place the pawn on a6, when in certain variations White can play Qb7. In that case Black
should be able to keep his rook on the seventh rank protected by the knight.
30...Ne7
Anand decides to bring his knight to the centre. Another possible way of getting a fortress would have
been 30...e5 followed by 31...Re7.
31.a5 Nd5 32.a6
456
In certain cases White might have considered delaying the further advance of the a-pawn, keeping a6
vacant for the king, with the idea of sacrificing the queen on a7 under favourable conditions. In this
particular situation, however, White’s king is unable to cross the c-file.
32...Kh7 33.Qd4
Quite a logical move, as the queen keeps an eye on the pawn on a7, but perhaps White should have
proceeded with 33.g4!? restricting Black’s possibilities on the kingside.
33...f5
Anand didn’t know which fortress to go for. It probably wasn’t yet necessary to push the f-pawn at all,
and thus 33...Kg7 looks like a viable alternative.
34.f4
It was still worth considering 34.g4!?.
34...Rd7 35.Kg3
In case of 35.g4 Black should respond with 35...Kg6! [35...fxg4? 36.hxg4 followed by Kg3-h4-h5 and f5
seems to favour White] 36.Qd3 Nf6 37.gxf5+ exf5 and White can’t make further progress.
35...Kg6 36.Qh8 Nf6!
457
Position after: 36...Nf6!
A very instructive moment. The white queen has penetrated into the corner, but it’s absolutely unable to
cause any damage and hence needs to return immediately.
37.Qb8 h5!
At first glance this move seems pretty ugly, as Black voluntarily weakens the g5-square, but Anand has
accurately calculated that White is unable to exploit it.
38.Kh4 Kh6
458
39.Qb2
A) 39.g4 hxg4 40.hxg4 Nxg4 leads to a draw after 41.Qg8 Nf2 [Black could have gone wrong with e.
g. 41...Rc7? 42.Qd8 Rc6 43.Qg5+ Kh7 44.Qe7 and White manages to break through with the queen]
42.Qc8 Rd3
Threatening mate on h3, so White should give perpetual check or play the picturesque 43.Qxe6+ fxe6
with stalemate.
B) Another critical option is 39.Qe5 though Black holds after 39...Kg6 40.Qe3 Ne4 41.Qf3 Nf6 and
White can’t exploit the weakened g5-square (see the next note).
39...Kg6 40.Qc3 Ne4 41.Qc8
41.Qf3 Nf6 42.Qg3+ Kh7 [42...Kh6? 43.Qg5+ loses the knight] and White can’t penetrate with his
queen, as 43.Qg5? is surprisingly a losing move, in view of 43...Ne4! 44.Qxh5+ Kg7
459
and nothing can be done against the threat of Rd8-h8 winning the queen or giving mate. A funny
situation, which illustrates that the stronger side can go too far in his attempts to break down a fortress!
41...Nf6 42.Qb8
Position after: 42.Qb8
42...Re7
460
There was no need to leave the rook unprotected, so it would have been safer to play 42...Kh6. On the
other hand, there’s nothing wrong with the text move as Anand had seen his 45th move well in advance.
43.g4 hxg4 44.hxg4 fxg4
The correct recapture. It would have been a terrible mistake to play 44...Nxg4? 45.Qg8+ Kh6 [45...Kf6
46.Qg5#] 46.Qg5+ and White picks up the rook.
45.Qe5
45...Ng8!
Black finds the only square for the knight to retreat to. From g8 it protects the rook and leaves the h7-
square vacant for the king.
A) Alternatives were bad for Black, e.g. 45...Nh7? 46.f5+ Kh6 47.f6 and White wins.
B) 45...Nd5? 46.Qg5+ Kh7 47.f5 and Black is in serious trouble because of the threat of 48.f6.
46.Qg5+ Kh7
461
47.Qxg4
47.f5 leads nowhere, in view of 47...exf5 48.Qxf5+ Kg7 49.Qxg4+ Kf8 and Black easily holds on by
keeping everything protected.
47...f6 48.Qg2 Kh8 49.Qe4 Kg7
And here the players agreed a draw. There’s no chance for White to improve his position.
½-½
St Petersburg 2013
462
White to move
Against Gelfand the World Champion couldn’t do anything but wait, keeping his weaknesses
permanently protected. The position here is quite different. Although Black is a queen for rook plus
bishop down, he is certainly not without counterplay. Apart from defending the pawn on a7, the dark-
squared bishop also attacks the pawn on f2. Moreover, White’s back rank isn’t entirely safe either, as the
other bishop may control the g2-square.
All in all Black has enough reason to activate his rook, which was quite senseless (and impossible!) in the
Gelfand game. White, on the other hand, aims to disturb Black’s development either by advancing his a-
pawn or creating new targets on the kingside with h4-h5. The latter plan is quite attractive now the queen
and bishop are working together in the attack. But once the light-squared bishops are traded off Black
doesn’t have to worry about his king’s safety, being able to build a fortress quite easily.
27.Be4
White decides to take the a8-h1 diagonal under control. The alternative 27.a4 allows Black to generate
counterplay with 27...Bb7! [27...Rd8!? followed by 28...Rd2 comes also into consideration] 28.a5 Rd8!
[28...Rc8? is strongly met by 29.Qb2! and now it’s too late for 29...Rd8 30.Bc2! as Black loses a bishop]
29.Bc2 Bd4!
463
Position after: 29...Bd4!
30.Qf4 [30.Qc7 can be met effectively by 30...Rc8 31.Qxb7 Rxc2 and Black is perfectly safe] 30...e5
31.Qxh6 Rc8 32.Bxg6 [32.Qd2? Rc3! with ideas like ...Rf3 or ...Ra3, giving Black the upper hand]
32...fxg6 33.Qxg6+ Kf8 and White has to give perpetual.
27.Be4 Bd7
As we will see, Anand still intends trading off the bishops. Also worth considering is 27...Rd8!? 28.a4
Rd1+ [28...Bd7? 29.a5! and the bishop has been trapped] 29.Kg2 Ba6! and Black obtains some
counterplay.
28.h4
464
28...Rc8!
A natural reaction would have been 28...h5?! but in fact it only helps White. After 29.g4! Black’s
position becomes quite problematic, e.g. 29...hxg4 30.h5 f5 [30...gxh5? leads to mate after 31.Qg5+ Kh8
32.Qh6+ Kg8 33.Qh7#] and now White has two interesting options:
31.Bc6! [31.hxg6 looks very tempting, though after 31...fxe4 32.Qh5 Rxf2 33.Qh7+ Kf8 34.g7+ Ke7
465
35.g8=Q+ Rf7+ 36.Kh2 Bc7+ 37.Kg2 Rxh7 38.Qxh7+ Kd6
the black bishops are so strong that Black’s position seems impregnable] 31...Bxc6 32.Qxe6+ Kh8
33.hxg6! [33.Qxc6? gxh5 is less clear] 33...Bd8 34.Qe5+ Kg8 35.Qh2 Kg7 36.Qh7+ Kf6 37.g7 Re8
38.Qh6+ [38.g8=Q? leads to mate after 38...Re1+ 39.Kh2 Bc7+ 40.Qxc7 Rh1+ 41.Kg3 Rh3+ 42.Kf4
Rf3#] 38...Kf7 39.Qxc6 Rg8 40.a4 and White retains good winning chances.
29.h5
Consistently played, since after 29.Kg2 Bc6 the light-squared bishops will be exchanged and Black will
establish a comfortable fortress.
29...gxh5
466
Position after: 29...gxh5
30.Qf6
30.Qxh5 Bc6 31.Bxc6 [31.Bd3 Rd8! is quite similar to the game.] 31...Rxc6 32.Qxh6 Rc2 And White’s
winning chances are absolutely zero.
30...Bc6
A simple move, according to plan.

A more challenging continuation is 30...Rc1+ 31.Kh2 Rf1 [31...Bc6? doesn’t work any longer, in view of
32.Qxh6 Bxe4 33.Qxc1 and White is technically winning, as 33...Bxf2 fails to 34.Qf4] and now:
467
A) 32.f4 Rf2+ and the king should retreat to h1 when a draw seems likely, but after 33.Kh3? Bb5! 34.g4
Rxa2 35.gxh5 Bf1+ 36.Kg4 Ra3!
Position after: 36...Ra3!
the white king is in serious danger in view of the mating threat 37...Bh3 and 38...Bf2. The following
line is difficult to find over the board: 37.Bf3 Rb3! (zugzwang!) 38.Qxh6 Bg2! 39.Bxg2 f5+ followed
by 40...Bd8 winning the queen.
468
B) 32.Qxh6 Rxf2+ 33.Kh3 e5+ 34.g4 [34.Kh4? Bd8+ 35.Kxh5 Rh2#] 34...Bxg4+ 35.Kg3 Bd4 and
since all the black pieces are protecting one another, White doesn’t have anything better than to repeat
moves with 36.Bh7+ Kh8 37.Bg6+ Kg8=.
C) 32.f3 Rf2+ 33.Kh3 e5+ 34.g4 [34.Bf5? Rxf3–+] 34...Bxg4+ 35.Kg3 Bxf3 36.Bh7+ [36.Bxf3? e4
and Black has good winning chances.] 36...Kf8 37.Qh8+ Ke7 38.Qxe5+ Kf8 and a draw seems
inevitable.
31.Bd3
A last attempt by Kramnik to keep the game going.

A) A perpetual could have been forced with 31.Bh7+ Kxh7 [31...Kf8? runs into 32.Qh8+!] 32.Qxf7+
Kh8 33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Qe7+ Kh8
and there is no reason to play on with White since after 35.Qxe6 Rc7 36.Qxh6+ Kg8 37.Qxh5 Rg7
everything is well protected and the pawns on the kingside are kept under control by Black’s forces.
B) 31.Bc2? is a serious error, because of 31...Bd5! 32.Qb2 h4! 33.gxh4 Rc4
469
Position after: 33...Rc4
and suddenly Black is taking over. His pieces are well placed and next comes 34...Rf4, hitting the
weakest link in White’s position.
C) Nothing can be gained either from 31.Bg6 Be8 and Black is in control [but of course not 31...fxg6?
32.Qxe6+ and White picks up the rook].
31...Rd8!
470
More accurate than 31...Bd5?! because after 32.Qxh6 the queen defends against the back-rank mate.
32.Bc2 Rd2 33.Bh7+! Kxh7
Black can’t play for more with 33...Kf8? in view of 34.Qxh6+ and the rook will be taken.
34.Qxf7+ Kh8 35.Qf8+ Kh7 36.Qf7+ Kh8 37.Qf6+
37...Kh7
A last chance to go wrong is 37...Kg8? 38.Qg6+ followed by taking on h6 with check and the rook drops.
38.Qe7+ Kh8 39.Qf6+ Kh7
½-½
Three minor pieces vs. a queen

A key lesson learnt from this chapter should be that minor pieces need an outpost. Without the support of
a pawn a minor piece is often a vulnerable piece subjected to attack by the queen. When three minor
pieces are competing against a queen this rule of thumb helps you evaluate the position correctly. The
following two examples will make that clear.
Harikrishna, Pentala (2734)
Liu Qingnan (2545)
Jia Xing 2018
471
Black to move
Not much seems to be happening yet, as both kings are relatively safe and the major pieces aren’t
creating problems for the opponent. However, it seems to me that White is doing absolutely fine here as
his minor pieces are well supported by his own pawns and pieces. When these pieces are well
coordinated it’s actually quite difficult, if not impossible, for the queen to find any targets. The minor
pieces on the other hand have a clear goal of exploiting weaknesses and especially pawns are simple
targets.
A few ideas:
1) Na4 and Be3, targetting b6.
2) Be4 and Nd4, targetting c6.
3) Any time the white rook is able to infiltrate Black will have to watch out for his pawns as well.
All in all, I believe that White’s position is easier to play, and having these goals in mind, it seems to me
that there are sufficient little moves at hand which would help White further improve his position. With
his next move, Black only weakens his pawn structure on the queenside and helps his opponent penetrate
into his position.
25...Bc5?
Positional kamikaze, but it’s not easy to point out an improvement that makes Black’s task easier.
Better possibilities include 25...a4
and 25...Bb4.
25...Bc5? 26.Bxc5 bxc5 27.Na4!
472
Position after: 27.Na4!
The pawn on c5 is the first target and Black is unable to defend it or launch a counterattack against a
vulnerable point in White’s position.
27...Qd6 28.Re5 Rb8 29.Be4 Kf8
No time for 29...Rb4? in view of 30.Re8+.
30.Rxc5 Rb4
30...Rxb2 allows the intermediate move 31.Rxc6! winning material. [Not very relevant, but it’s worth
pointing out that after 31.Nxb2? Qxc5 the white minor pieces are no longer working well together and
they are unable to deal with the outside passed a-pawn.]
31.Rxa5
473
Position after: 31.Rxa5
31.Rxc6 followed by 32.Nc5 appears even stronger.
31...Qc7
A) The tactics are all working in White’s favour. After 31...Rxc4 32.Ra8+ Ke7 33.Nb6! Rxe4 34.Nc8+
White wins the queen and remains a piece up, while after Black’s best try
B) 31...Qd8 32.Ra6 Rxc4 33.Bxc6 White is winning as well. One of the points is that 33...Qc8 runs into
34.Ra8 Qxa8 35.Bxa8 Rxa4 36.Bd5 and the extra b-pawn makes White’s task of converting the extra
material quite simple.
32.Ra8+ Ke7 33.b3!
474
33...f5
It’s very frustrating for Black that the pawn on b3 can’t be taken, since after 33...Rxb3 34.Nd4! Ra3
35.Nxc6+ Kf6 there are many ways leading to Rome, but the tactical shot 36.Nb6! is worth pointing out.
34.Bc2
Nothing wrong with the alternative 34.Bxf5 Rxb3 35.Nc5, but a technical player like Harikrishna prefers
to keep the opponent’s rook passive.
34...f4 35.Nc5 fxg3 36.fxg3
475
Position after: 36.fxg3
36...Qb6
Now that Black has succeeded in slightly weakening White’s kingside the queen is looking for ways to
infiltrate.
The alternative 36...Qd6 is met by 37.Ra7+ Kf8 38.Nd4! with a massive attack, as neither of the knights
can be taken because of the fork on e6.
37.Nd3 Qe3
37...Rxb3 38.Bxb3 Qxb3 39.Nde5 With a technical win for White, since after 39...Qc2+ 40.Kh3 Qf5+
41.g4 the checks are over and the white king is quite safe anyway thanks to the protection of the knights.
38.Nf4!
Simple and strong!

I guess there are not many grandmasters who would be tempted to play 38.Nxb4 Qe2+ 39.Kh3 Qxf3 and
suddenly things are starting to look unclear with White’s king being too exposed. The silicon monster
mentions 40.Ra5! followed by Rf5, but this is difficult to find and completely unnecessary.
I do very much like Harikrishna’s play in this phase of the game, as he simply prevents all the
counterplay, regroups his pieces and soon launches an attack against the black king. White’s isn’t in a
hurry after all!
38...Qc3 39.Ra2 Rb8 40.Ne2 Qf6 41.Bg6!
476
Position after: 41.Bg6!
Certainly not the only move, but a good example of a strong grandmaster using outposts for his pieces.
White is totally in control.
41...Rxb3 42.Ned4 Rc3 43.Rd2 Rc1
43...Rxc4 runs into 44.Nf5+! Kf8 45.Ne5! and all the threats are becoming simply too much for Black.
44.Nf5+ Kf8 45.Re2 Qd8
477
46.Nd6!
White isn’t tempted into winning back the queen with 46.Re8+ Qxe8 47.Bxe8 Kxe8 48.Nxg7+ Kf7
49.Nf5 which leads to a winning endgame of two knights vs. a rook. The text is more efficient as White
even gets a third piece for the rook after winning the queen and soon the c-pawn will be consumed as
well.
46...c5 47.Re8+ Qxe8 48.Nxe8 Rxc4 49.Nd6 Rc1 50.Kf2 Ke7 51.Ne4 Ke6 52.Ke3 Kd5 53.Bf7+ Kc6
54.Ne5+ Kb5 55.Nd3
1-0
Gutierrez Delgado, Yusuan (2342)
Ris, Robert (2423)
Varadero 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.c3
7.d3 is nowadays White’s main continuation combatting the Arkhangelsk Variation and for good reason.
The text leads to sharper play, but Black is doing absolutely fine in the ensuing complications.
7...Nxe4 8.d4 exd4 9.Re1 d5 10.Ng5
10...Be7?
478
For this game I didn’t expect this particular variation to appear on the board. In fact I had analyzed it
about five years earlier, and as so often is the case had forgotten everything.
Analyzing sharp opening variations is a fun pastime but requires quite some discipline, repeating your
investigations every now and then. Had I done so, I would have followed my home analysis starting with
10...Qf6! with excellent prospects for Black in the massive complications which are likely to follow.
In the game I got punished for not doing my homework.
11.Rxe4! dxe4
Position after: 11...dxe4
12.Bxf7+!
A) The best continuation. In case of 12.Nxf7 Qd7 13.Nxh8 Qf5 I thought I would have reasonable play
for the piece, as the knight on h8 is out of play and White’s queenside is still not developed yet.
B) 12.Qh5 doesn’t have its desired effect, because after 12...Ne5 13.Nxf7 Nxf7 14.Qxf7+ Kd7 White
should probably be satisfied with a repetition of moves.
12...Kf8 13.Ne6+ Kxf7 14.Nxd8+ Rhxd8
I was seriously hesitating over which rook to recapture with. Ideally I would have liked to play
14...Raxd8 but refrained from this move, in view of 15.Qb3+!? when I don’t see a comfortable square for
my king, as I would not like to retreat to the back rank, disconnecting the rooks, or go forward.
15.Bf4 Bf6
Trying to maintain a grip in the centre. In case of 15...dxc3 16.Qh5+! followed by 17.Nxc3 I’m only
479
helping White to get his pieces developed.
16.Nd2 Ne7 17.cxd4 Rxd4
Position after: 17...Rxd4
18.Bxc7?
Wasting valuable time. White should have brought his remaining piece into play with 18.Rc1! when his
advantage is beyond any doubt.
18...Nd5 19.Qh5+?
Presumably my opponent had misevaluated the outcome of the following sequence of moves, though also
after 19.Bg3 Rd8 I have managed to bring harmony to my position. Once again, it becomes clear that the
pawn on c7 was totally irrelevant.
19...Kg8 20.Nb3 Nxc7 21.Nxd4 Bxd4 22.Qg5?
480
Position after: 22.Qg5?
So having suffered through most of the opening, I have managed to reorganize my position again and felt
that my three minor pieces should not be inferior to the queen. During the game I realized my opponent’s
idea had been to play Qe7, challenging my pieces on c7 and b7, but I thought I could ignore his
intentions and launch a counterattack. The queen is not well placed on g5. No matter what, White should
have brought his rook into play with 22.Rd1 though after 22...Rd8 it seems to me that Black is in great
shape, as the white queen has been deprived of access to most of the central squares. An important detail
is that 23.Qg5? fails to 23...Bxf2+!.
22...Rf8?
A logical move, pressurizing the pawn on f2, but I believe that I should not have allowed my opponent to
activate his queen. The prophylactic move 22...Re8! was called for, and I don’t see how White could
create new problems for Black. For example the natural looking move 23.Rd1 is strongly met by 23...e3!
when White is in trouble as 24.Rxd4? [24.fxe3 Bxe3+ wins the queen] is met by 24...e2 when the e-pawn
decides.
23.Qe7! Bxf2+ 24.Kh1 Bb6 25.Rd1 Bd5
A) I had seen all this in advance and I basically thought that Black was winning thanks to the powerful
passed pawn and was ready to play 25...e3
481
but then I realized in time that I had underestimated the impact of the trade of rooks, which could be
initiated with 26.Rd8! [no time to threaten mate with 26.Rd7? because of 26...Rf1#] 26...Rxd8
27.Qxd8+ Kf7 28.Qd7+ Kg8 and White has at least a perpetual check. But White also has the
interesting possibility of prolonging the battle with 29.Qd6!? and since my minor pieces lack
coordination (read: not protected by any pawns) I’m forced to give up my e-pawn with 29...e2 30.Qe7.
After giving up the e-pawn I tend to prefer White, though Black is probably able to hold with accurate
play. In a practical game though it’s very difficult handling minor pieces when they are not protected by
any pawns. Besides that, the queen is the most powerful piece in an open position and always has
numerous checks.
B) A very interesting move, the point of which I failed to discover during the game, is 25...Bc6!? when
White has to be very careful not to lose control.
B1) 26.Qd6? is met by 26...Rf6! 27.Qd8+ Kf7–+ and since all the entry squares have been covered the
white queen and rook cannot create new threats.
B2) 26.Rd8?
482
Position after: 26.Rd8?
can be countered with the remarkable 26...Ne8! [26...Rxd8? 27.Qxd8+ followed by 28.Qd6 winning
the bishop] when White has nothing better than to retreat his rook, e.g. 27.Rd1 Rf6 with a fantastic
piece coordination, as everything is well defended. Soon the e-pawn is likely to become a powerful
asset.
B3) Apparently, the only move is 26.h3!
B3.1) 26...e3 27.Rd8 Rxd8 [27...Ne8? makes no sense now, as Black no longer has back-rank mate
483
on f1. After 28.Rc8! his pieces are tied down.] 28.Qxd8+ Kf7 29.Qd6 e2! and here White has a
choice between taking a perpetual or continuing play with 30.Qe5 and picking up the pawn on e2,
but in any case I don’t see any problems for Black.
B3.2) 26...Re8 27.Qd6 Re6 28.Qd8+ Re8 [28...Kf7? 29.Rf1+ Kg6 30.Qf8! is asking for trouble.]
29.Qd6 Re6= And a repetition seems inevitable.
26.Qd6!
Position after: 26.Qd6!
White should try to break down the coordination of Black’s minor pieces. A slow move like 26.h3? fails
to 26...e3!. White lacks an active plan and there is no chance of forcing matters with 27.Rxd5 [27.Qd6
e2! followed by 28...Rf1] 27...Nxd5 28.Qe6+ Kh8 29.Qxd5 e2
484
and the e-pawn is decisive, e.g. 30.Qe4 Rf1+ 31.Kh2 Bg1+ 32.Kh1 [32.Kg3 e1=Q+ and it’s over]
32...Bc5+ followed by queening the e-pawn and Black is able to block on f8 if necessary.
26...Rf6
I decided to settle for a draw, as I didn’t see a realistic winning attempt.

An exciting line, which I completely missed during the game, is 26...e3 27.Qxb6 e2 28.Rg1 Ne6 29.Qe3
Nf4 30.Qe5 and it turns out that neither side can make progress here. Black is nicely coordinated, but
simply unable to launch the e-pawn.
27.Qd8+ Rf8
27...Kf7 28.Qd7+ Kg6 29.Qg4+=
28.Qd6 Rf6
½-½
A bizarre material distribution

Nothing in chess is as exciting as a fight between two armies with an uneven material distribution.
Imagine what happens when both sides also have three connected passed pawns!
Jobava, Baadur (2730)
Kamsky, Gata (2744)
Amsterdam 2012
485
Black to move
A rather crazy situation has arisen, where Black has two pawns for the exchange. What strikes you first is
the placement of Black’s king. Dutch GM Smeets, who joined Kamsky in the post-mortem, remarked that
Black’s king is actually pretty safe behind the mass of pawns. His opinion must have been influenced by
his experience with the Botvinnik Variation in the Semi-Slav, where the black king often ends up in
similar situations. Moreover, the knights are pretty close as well, which is good news as they are
generally known to be the best defenders in our game.
31...Rxe8?
As Kamsky mentioned a couple of times during the post-mortem, the players were looking for some real
fun. However, it remains a mystery why he refrained from playing the simple and strong 31...Qe5!
32.Rxe6+ Qxe6 when sooner or later his massive phalanx of pawns will be the decisive factor.
31...Rxe8? 32.Rxf6+ gxf6 33.Bg6
486
33...Rd8
Rooks have to be placed behind their own passed pawns in order to support them. In case of 33...Re6
34.h4! White’s h-pawn runs pretty fast [but not the immediate 34.Qxh6? because of 34...Re1#].
34.Qxh6 Ne5?
Aiming to transfer the knight to c6, protecting the king. On the other hand, there doesn’t seem to be
anything wrong with 34...d4!?.
35.Bf5 d4
Black shouldn’t be afraid to give up all his pawns on the kingside. After 35...Rd6 36.Qf8 Rc6 37.h4!
Black is suddenly in big trouble, as the h-pawn can no longer be stopped.
36.Qxf6+ Nec6 37.h4
487
Kamsky must have anticipated this position when playing his 31st move. Afterwards he admitted he had
underestimated White’s chances. The queen and bishop work perfectly together, supporting the advance
of the passed pawn by controlling all the squares on the h-file while simultaneously keeping an eye on
Black’s pawns.
37...c4
An understandable decision, which initiates a forcing sequence.

Other moves which come into consideration are 37...d3 and 37...Nd5.
38.h5 d3 39.h6 d2 40.Bg4 d1=Q+ 41.Bxd1 Rxd1+ 42.Kh2 Rd7 43.g4 Nd3
Better than 43...Nd5 44.Qf5! followed by the advance of the g-pawn, which seems quite dangerous for
Black.
44.g5 Nde5
488
Position after: 44...Nde5
45.Qf4?
A serious mistake by the Georgian GM.

He should have played 45.Qf5! keeping the possibility of chasing the knight away from the centre with
f2-f4.
A) 45...Nd4? fails to 46.Qxd7! [but of course not 46.Qxe5? Nf3+ and Black wins the queen] 46...Nxd7
47.h7 and the h-pawn is out of reach.
B) 45...c3 46.h7 Nf3+ 47.Qxf3 Rxh7+ 48.Kg2 c2 49.Qc3 Nb4 White doesn’t have anything better than
giving perpetual check.
45...b4 46.Qe3+ Kb7 47.Qc5 c3 48.f4 Rd2+
489
Position after: 48...Rd2+
49.Kg3
The alternative is 49.Kg1 though in various lines it soon becomes clear that the king isn’t better off on
the first rank: 49...Nd3 50.Qc4 [50.Qb5+ Kc7 51.h7 c2 and Black wins] 50...c2 51.h7 c1=Q+ 52.Qxc1
Nxc1 53.h8=Q b3 and the b-pawn is unstoppable. A sample line is 54.Qh7+ Kb6 55.Qb1 [55.g6 b2
56.g7 Nd3 and Black wins] 55...b2 56.g6 Nd4 57.g7 Nf3+ 58.Kf1 Nd3 59.g8=Q Rf2#.
Position after: 59...Rf2#
490
49...c2 50.h7
White doesn’t have time to eliminate the knight with 50.fxe5 on account of 50...Rd3+ 51.Kg4 Rc3 and
Black wins.
50...Rd3+ 51.Kg2 Rc3 52.Qb5+ Kc7 53.Qf1
Quite an amazing line is 53.h8=Q c1=Q 54.Qg7+ Nd7!
Position after: 54...Nd7!
and although White has two queens in the attack and the black king is no longer protected by its own
pawns, White doesn’t have any threats and in fact is just completely lost. The black knights are excellent
defenders, taking away several important squares from the white queens. Black quickly decides matters
in his favour, e.g. 55.Qf1 Rc2+ 56.Kg1 Qe3+ 57.Kh1 Qe4+ 58.Kg1 Nd4 and when the knight joins the
attack mate soon follows.
53...c1=Q 54.Qxc1 Rxc1 55.h8=Q b3
491
56.Qh7+
A) The alternatives aren’t any better: 56.fxe5 b2 and the b-pawn queens, while after
B) 56.Qg7+ Kb6 the white queen can’t gain control over the b-pawn either.
56...Nd7 57.g6 b2 58.g7
492
58...Ne7!
A wonderful final move, after which Jobava resigned.

A) White’s only hope would have been Black going astray with 58...b1=Q? 59.Qxb1 Rxb1 60.g8=Q
with a draw the most logical outcome, or
B) 58...Nf6? 59.g8=Q+ Nxh7 60.Qg7+! And Black picks up the pawn on b2 [but not 60.Qxh7+? Kb6
and the b-pawn still queens].
0-1
Conclusion: We can learn some useful lessons from this hyper-sharp ending.
1) Kamsky’s 31...Rxe8? unnecessarily complicated matters for Black and allowed White to generate
counterplay with his h-pawn.
2) The white queen and bishop cooperate very well with a double function: supporting the advance of the
h-pawn and keeping an eye on Black’s pawns as well.
3) Time plays an important role. 45.Qf4? was an unfortunate decision by Jobava, as the f4-square could
have been used for chasing the knight away from the centre.
4) Knights are incredibly good defenders. In this example the black king lacked protection from his
pawns, but on many occasions the white queens didn’t even have the possibility of giving more than a
single check.
493
Chapter 10
Exchange sacrifice
In the history of chess there are two former World Champions who have made the exchange sacrifice
their trademark. From the 1950s to the 1970s Tigran Petrosian played dozens of games where he
sacrificed a rook for a minor piece. In the majority of cases his exchange sacrifices had a clear positional
foundation, aiming to gain control over certain squares or exploit a favourable pawn structure. Chess has
always been evolving and when players started to use engines the nature of exchange sacrifices also
altered. Famous also are the exchange sacrifices of Veselin Topalov, who gave a more dynamic touch to
this concept. His games have proven that in modern chess the combination of general concepts and
concrete variations are interwoven and when deciding on making such a sacrifice, both need to be taken
into consideration.
Kingside attack
Cheparinov, Ivan (2678)

Dreev, Alexey (2668)
Khanty-Mansiysk 2013
White to move
Thanks to the presence of the pawn on d6 the black queen has been disconnected from the action on the
other side of the board. The following sacrifice hence makes quite a lot of sense, as in the remaining part
of the game the black king lacks sufficient protection.
30.Rxf6! gxf6 31.Ne4
494
Of course, one of the ideas is to capture the pawn on f6 with the knight, but it’s even more important that
the third rank has been cleared so that the white queen can join the attack.
31...f5
Black could temporarily deactivate White’s knight with 31...Qc6 but after 32.Qf3! the knight has been
unpinned again, while the white queen is joining the attack.
32...Rfe8 [32...Rde8 33.Nxf6+ Kg7 34.Bd5! Nxd5 35.Rxd5 with a crushing attack.] 33.Nxf6+ Kf8
34.Nxe8 Qxf3+ 35.Kxf3 This is objectively Black’s best option but the endgame is quite hopeless, as
White has an extra pawn and superior piece coordination.
32.Nf6+ Kg7 33.Qe3!
495
Position after: 33.Qe3!
33...Rh8
Alternatives would not have offered salvation either:

A) 33...Kxf6 leads to mate after 34.Qh6+ Ke5 35.Qg7+ f6 [35...Ke4 36.Re1#] 36.Qe7#.
B) 33...Rxd6 is met by 34.Qg5+ Kh8 35.Qh6#.
34.Qg5+ Kf8 35.Nh5
Threatening checks on e7 and g7.
35...Rxd6 36.Qg7+ Ke7 37.Qxf7+ Kd8 38.Qf6+
496
38...Kd7
38...Kc7 39.Qe7+ Kb8 40.Rxd6 And White wins.
39.Qg7+ Kc8
39...Kc6 is also hopeless, in view of 40.Bb5+ and Black loses his queen.
40.Qxh8+ Kc7 41.Qg7+
1-0
In the following game Kramnik launched a powerful exchange sacrifice to start a devastating attack
against the white king. White’s lack of coordination and his inability to activate his forces left him in a
hopeless situation.
Berlin 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Qe7 7.h3 Rg8!?
497
Position after: 7...Rg8!?
A fascinating idea worth remembering. In openings like the Ruy Lopez and Italian you have to be careful
not to castle too quickly, especially when your opponent has not yet decided where to place his king. In
this particular case White has also weakened his kingside with the move h3, which Black now aims to
exploit with a quick ...g7-g5-g4 planning to open the g-file.
8.Kh1
White anticipates Black’s intentions.

A) After 8.Nc3 g5! Black’s attack is already quite threatening, as 9.Bxg5 will be met by 9...Bxh3
10.gxh3 h6 and Black regains the piece, while White’s kingside is seriously weakened.
B) Also after a developing move like 8.Bg5 White is unable to stop Black’s early aggression. Simple
and strong is 8...h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 and the g-pawn will be launched on the next move.
8...Nh5
A) The point of White’s last move is revealed after 8...g5? 9.Bxg5! and since the white king has left the
g-file, Black is unable to regain the pawn or claim sufficient compensation.
B) Another option is 8...h6 with nice prospects on the kingside for Black.
9.c3
498
Since White will be facing problems with the development of his pieces on the queenside, perhaps it
would have made more sense instead to play 9.Nc3. After the text White’s position becomes very
unpleasant to handle.
9...g5! 10.Nxe5 g4!
The point of Black’s play. Nothing can be gained from 10...Qxe5? 11.Qxh5 and White is in great shape.
11.d4
11.Nxg4? is met by 11...Bxg4 12.hxg4 Qh4+ 13.Kg1 Ng3 with mate on the next move.
11...Bd6
Kramnik accurately maintains the tension, since after 11...gxh3? 12.g3! White’s king is absolutely safe
again [however, not 12.Qxh5? hxg2+ which loses material].
12.g3 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5 14.Qd4
499
14...Qe7!
Keeping queens on the board is in the spirit of Black’s aggressive approach.

A) It’s tempting to sacrifice the knight with 14...Nxg3+? 15.fxg3 Qxg3 but after 16.Qe3! there is no
good way of continuing the attack.
B) Black could also have considered just taking a pawn with 14...Qxd4 15.cxd4 gxh3 but, once again,
that is not what Black had been aiming for when he went for a quick kingside attack.
15.h4 c5!
An excellent follow-up.
I guess many people would have proceeded with a natural developing move like 15...Be6 which in fact
doesn’t have a clear purpose at all. With the text Kramnik aims to drive the white queen to an inferior
square and also prepares to activate the light-squared bishop on the long diagonal, exploiting the
weaknesses around the White king.
16.Qc4
500
Position after: 16.Qc4
16...Be6
Much more powerful than on the last move, as now Black gains at least a tempo by attacking the queen.
Note that Black can’t play 16...b6?? because of 17.Qd5! and both the rook and the knight are
unprotected. A welcome reminder that you always need to be tactically alert, even in positions where it
seems nothing could go wrong for you.
17.Qb5+
17.Qa4+ Bd7 and on the next move the bishop goes to c6.
17...c6 18.Qa4?
After this move Black’s attack is irresistible. In any case, White should have kept his queen closer to the
centre with 18.Qd3 but then, nevertheless, Black builds up an impressive attack against the king, starting
with 18...f5! with similar ideas as in the game.
18...f5!
501
19.Bg5
The main problem for White is that 19.exf5 will be strongly met by 19...Nxg3+!! [19...Bd5+? 20.Kh2! is
less clear] 20.fxg3 Bd5+ 21.Kg1 Qe2 and it becomes clear how poorly White’s pieces are coordinated:
22.Rf2 Qe1+ 23.Rf1 Qxg3#. After the text Black eliminates what is basically the only defender of
White’s kingside.
19...Rxg5! 20.hxg5 f4!
502
Although 20...Qxg5 is perfectly fine as well, Kramnik’s move is probably even stronger. The pawn on g5
isn’t running away, while Black intends first to destroy the shield of White’s king.
21.Qd1
White is an exchange up, but his miserably placed pieces on the queenside and Black’s threat of opening
up the kingside and hunting down the white king leave him in a hopeless position. The following lines
illustrate that Black is completely winning:
A) 21.Nd2 fxg3 22.fxg3 Nxg3+ 23.Kg2 Nxf1 24.Nxf1 Qxg5 The engines mention several other
options along the way, but in my opinion this is the most human solution: with two extra pawns and an
exposed white king on g2 Black is winning.
B) 21.gxf4 Nxf4 followed by 22...Qxg5 should lead to either mate or a huge material gain for Black.
21...Rd8 22.Qc1 fxg3
23.Na3
What else?
A) 23.fxg3 Nxg3+ 24.Kg2 Nxf1 25.Kxf1 Qf7+ and with a queen coming to f3, mating threats are in
the air.
B) 23.Nd2 Qxg5 24.Nb3 Qh4+ 25.Kg2 Qh2#.
503
23...Rd3 24.Rd1
There is no time to connect the rooks, because after 24.Qc2 Qxg5 the rook on d3 is untouchable, on
account of mate on h2. Aronian’s move allows Black to finish it off in great style, making this game a
modern classic!
24...Bd5!!
Position after: 24...Bd5!!
25.f3
Alternatives would not have saved White either:

A) 25.Rxd3 Qxe4+ 26.f3 gxf3 27.Re3 f2+ 28.Rxe4+ Bxe4#
B) 25.exd5 Qe4+ 26.Kg1 gxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Rh3 28.Re1 g3+ followed by 29...Rh1 mate.
25...gxf3 26.exd5
26.Rxd3 Qxe4 and Black wins as he does after 25.Rxd3.
26...Qe2 27.Re1
Or 27.Qc2 g2+ 28.Kh2 [28.Kg1 f2+ 29.Kxg2 f1=Q#] 28...g1=Q+ 29.Kxg1 f2+ 30.Kh2 f1=Q+
31.Qxe2+ Qxe2+ and Black wins.
27...g2+
White resigned, as mate cannot be avoided:
504
Position after: 27...g2+
28.Kg1 [28.Kh2 g1=Q+ 29.Kxg1 f2+ 30.Kh1 Rh3+ 31.Kg2 f1=Q#] 28...f2+ 29.Kxg2 f1=Q#.
0-1
Bishop vs. rook: control colour

In chess literature the term exchange is used for a material distribution of a rook vs. a knight or bishop.
When evaluating the consequences of the exchange sacrifice it is in my opinion very important to
distinguish which minor piece is dealing with the rook.
In the following two games I succeed in exploiting the specific characteristics of the minor piece in my
favour.
Ris, Robert
Kuzubov, Yuriy
Dubai 2016
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bxc4 Nxe4 7.0-0 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.Ne5 0-0
10.Qg4 Nc6 11.Re1 f5 12.Qf3 Nxe5 13.Rxe5 Kh8 14.Bf4
505
Despite consuming a lot of time in the opening (I guess neither of us expected this sharp line to appear on
the board) I was still some sort of familiar with this variation. White has sacrificed a pawn, but his
actively placed pieces definitely compensate for that. Besides, Black has voluntarily weakened the e5-
square with his move ...f7-f5 and White has ideas of increasing the pressure against the backward pawn
on e6 by doubling rooks on the e-file. However, at the same time White should not be too eager to regain
the pawn quickly, as that would allow Black to exchange off pieces and escape into an equal endgame.
Quite a typical scenario for this particular variation, but also for gambit play in general. In order to
maintain the initiative you had better refrain from regaining material, but rather invest more! Although I
couldn’t remember any details of my own analysis, I was fortunate to recall an idea from Topalov with an
exchange sacrifice.
14...Bd6
One of the two main moves. In a couple of other games Black decided to chase the bishop away first with
the very aggressive move 14...g5 15.Bd2 Bd6 16.Rae1 Bxe5 17.Rxe5 and we have reached a well-known
position.
506
Position after: 17.Rxe5
White is an exchange plus a pawn down, but has tremendous compensation. Why?
1) Black has weakened his kingside by advancing both his f- and g-pawns.
2) The pawns on e6 and f5 have been fixed on light squares, which means that the bishop on c8 remains
quite passive.
3) As mentioned before, White has nice control over the e5 square, and since Black has given up his
dark-squared bishop he doesn’t have any good pieces to fight for the control of the dark squares.
4) There are no open files yet, so it will take some time for Black to activate his rooks, if he can manage
that at all.
Then, on the other hand, Black is still quite solid, you might think. Imagine if he could play moves like
...Qf6, ...Bd7 and ...Rae8 his pieces would be holding the position together nicely. That means White
should come up with an active plan in order to put more pressure on his opponent. In the games examined
below there is one common strategy: include the dark-squared bishop in the play!
A) A nice example of how things could go wrong very quickly for Black: 17...c6?! 18.h4 gxh4 19.Qh5
Bd7? [careless. 19...Rg8! was called for, not allowing White’s next move] 20.Bg5 Qe8 21.Qxh4 Qg6
22.Re3!
507
Wonderful play: the rook is becoming active along the third rank and it also clears the e5-square for the
bishop. 22...f4 23.Bd3 Qg7 24.Bxf4 Rxf4 25.Qxf4+– and with the material balanced restored again,
White obtained a decisive advantage in Sasikiran – Hossain, Abu Dhabi 2016. Black’s kingside is too
vulnerable, and there are too many other deficiencies in his position as well.
B) 17...Bd7 18.Bb3 c6 19.c4 Rc8 20.Bc3 was seen in Yilmaz – Christiansen, Dubai 2018. Black’s last
few moves don’t look very impressive and this time White opted for a different plan of activating his
dark-squared bishop. The threat of d4-d5 is unbearable.
C) 17...Qf6 This has been seen most often. 18.h4!
508
Thematic play: White sacrifices a pawn in order to gain access to the f4-square for the bishop. Now
Black has to make a critical choice: capture, advance or protect the pawn.
C1) 18...g4 keeps the files closed towards the king, but leaves the dark-squares chronically weak.
19.Qe2 f4 Avoiding a positional torture on the dark squares, but weakening the b1-h7 diagonal (which
White soon forgets to take advantage of). [The alternatives 19...c6? 20.Bxe6 Bxe6 21.Rxe6 Qf7
22.c4+– followed by 23.Bc3; and 19...Qxh4 20.Bf4± intending to break through in the centre by
taking on e6 or d4-d5, are not much fun either.] 20.Qxg4 Bd7 21.Re4 f3 [Things are going from bad to
worse. Relatively best is 21...Qg7, but the ensuing endgame after 22.Qxg7+ Kxg7 23.Bxf4± is also a
joy to play for White.] 22.Qg3 Bc6 (otherwise Bf4-e5) 23.Rxe6 Qf5
and so far White had played a fantastic game in Ding Liren – Lu Shanglei, Xinghua 2015. He could
have finished off the game with the powerful sequence 24.Re7! Rg8 25.Bg5! and Black is unable to
deal with several threats including Bd3 and Qxc7, both intending to menace the pawn on h7.
C2) 18...gxh4 19.Bf4 Qg6 20.Qh3 Rg8 21.Re3 h6 22.Qh2 b5? [22...Kh7 23.Rh3 Qf6 24.Rxh4 Rg6 is
more stubborn.] 23.Bf1 Kh7 24.Qxh4 e5
509
And now in the stem game with this type of exchange sacrifice, Topalov – Laznicka, Novy Bor 2013,
White should followed his initial idea of playing 25.Rg3! when after 25...exf4 26.Rxg6 Rxg6
27.Qxf4+– the white queen seems to be stronger than the two rooks, because of a combination of
factors: Black’s rooks are not working together, and his king is vulnerable.
C3) 18...h6 Aiming to prevent the bishop from joining the attack, but after this move it turns out that
the black king can also be attacked via the h-file. 19.hxg5 hxg5 20.Qe2 Qg6 21.d5 exd5 22.Bxd5 c6
23.Bb3 f4 24.Re7 Bf5
510
was seen in the game Yilmaz – Kerigan, Suleymanpasa 2017. White continued with the normal-
looking 25.c4, intending to activate the bishop. However, he had a much stronger continuation at his
disposal, one which is not easy to find at the board. After 25.g4!! the bishop on f5 is in trouble.
25...fxg3 [25...Bd3 is beautifully met by 26.Qe5+ Qf6 27.Bxf4! gxf4 (otherwise the bishop reaches
e5) 28.Qh5+ with mate to follow.] 26.fxg3 (threatening 27.Qh2) 26...Rf6 27.Be3 Rd8 28.Bd4 Rxd4
29.cxd4 And Black is lost as his king is too vulnerable on both the back rank and the h-file.
15.Rae1!?
The main moves are 15.Re3 and 15.Re2, where Black should be able to hold a slightly inferior position.
However, during the game I thought I should try to punish Black’s move-order, as he hadn’t chased away
my bishop yet.
15...Bxe5
Still, after 15...g5 16.Bd2 play transposes to the lines after 14...g5.
16.Bxe5
Position after: 16.Bxe5
This is the position I had been aiming for. During the game I thought I had a good version of the
exchange sacrifice as I had been allowed to recapture with my bishop on e5. Indeed, White does have
compensation for the material deficit and my dark-squared bishop is having a wonderful life, as Black
will never be able to get rid of it. On the other hand, compared with the lines after 14...g5 Black hasn’t
weakened his kingside yet and therefore the bishop isn’t as effective in assaulting the black king as in the
511
other lines. Nevertheless, I felt quite optimistic as I thought I would be able to launch a very dangerous
attack rather quickly with simple moves like Qf4, followed by the rook lift Re3-g3/h3.
16...Rf7?
This was the first moment where my opponent sunk into deep thought, only to come up with this
unfortunate decision. It seems quite logical to place the rook on the seventh rank, guarding the pawn on
g7. The main drawback is that it allows my pieces to join the attack with tempo.
Instead, Black should have thwarted my attacking scheme, starting with 16...h6! planning to meet 17.Qf4
with 17...Qg5! offering the exchange of queens, which slows down my aggressive ambitions. Of course,
White isn’t forced to play his last move and instead there are plenty of other possibilities, but in any case
White would have needed to work harder to launch the kingside attack. Moreover, with the move 16...h6
Black also intends to place his king on h7, getting out of the reach of the bishop on e5.
17.Qh5!
Position after: 17.Qh5!
A multi-purpose move. Apart from attacking the rook, the white queen clears the third rank for a rook lift
and also sets up some threats against the pawn on h7.
17...Kg8
The engines are also critical about this move. Instead, 17...Qe8 is their choice, but in my opinion 18.Re3
offers White excellent prospects of building up a dangerous attack. Despite the evaluation of 0.00 I would
take White any time of the day as such positions are much more difficult to defend over the board.
512
18.Re3 Bd7
After 18...g6 19.Rg3! Black is suffering, as White threatens to take on g6 followed by mate on h8. By
now, you should appreciate the power of the bishop on e5 compared to that of the rook on a8!
19.Rh3 h6
The only move, as 19...g6 allows a beautiful mating combination: 20.Qxg6+ hxg6 21.Rh8#.
20.Rg3
Position after: 20.Rg3
20...Rf6
Once again, the only move as Black can’t allow White to capture on h6 -- his position would fall apart
then.
It’s too late to run away with the king, because 20...Kf8 is strongly met by 21.Bxg7+! Rxg7 22.Qxh6 and
Black is completely lost, e.g. 22...Qe7 23.Qh8+ Kf7 24.Rxg7+ Kf6 25.Qh6#.
21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Rg6 Qf7 23.Qxh6±
513
Position after: 23.Qxh6±
White has regained all the invested material and is clearly enjoying a superior position:
1) Black’s pawn weaknesses on e6 and g7 require permanent protection.
2) White’s light-squared bishop is much more useful than Black’s.
3) White’s attack isn’t over yet and there are even ideas of increasing the pressure by advancing the h-
pawn.
Well, since we were getting short of time, neither of us played optimally in the remaining part of the
game, but nevertheless I managed to convert my positionally dominant advantage.
23...b5 24.Bb3 Re8 25.h4 a5 26.a3 Kf8 27.Qg5 Re7 28.h5 Be8 29.Qh4 Qg8 30.Rg3 Qh7 31.Rg5 Qh6
32.g4 a4 33.Bc2 Bf7 34.Bd3 Qf6 35.Bxb5 c5 36.dxc5 Be8 37.Bxe8 Rxe8 38.gxf5 Rc8 39.fxe6 Rxc5
40.e7+ Qxe7 41.Qf4+ Kg8 42.Rxc5 Qxc5 43.Qxa4 Qxc3 44.Qe8+ Kh7 45.Qg6+ Kh8 46.Qe8+ Kh7
47.Qe4+ Kh8 48.a4 Qc5 49.Qg4 Qc1+ 50.Kg2 Qc6+ 51.Kg3 Qc3+ 52.Qf3 Qe5+ 53.Qf4 Qd5 54.h6
gxh6 55.Qxh6+ Kg8 56.Qf4 Qd3+ 57.Kg2 Qd5+ 58.Qf3 Qc5 59.Kh3 Kh8 60.Qf6+ Kh7 61.Kg4
Qc4+ 62.Qf4 Qe2+ 63.Kg5 Kh8 64.Qf8+ Kh7 65.Qf7+
1-0
Knight vs rook: the octopus
Ris, Robert (2419)

Beliavsky, Alexander (2597)
Reykjavik 2017
514
White to move
Everything had gone wrong for me in the early middlegame. I had lost an exchange, was down one hour
on the clock and was basically hoping not to lose in 25 moves. With a bit of fortune on my side, I have
managed to avoid an immediate disaster and still reach some sort of playable position. The main reason
for that is my knight on d6 (in chess terminology called the octopus!), which restricts the mobility of the
black rooks. The only open file has been kept closed by the knight (and the very important pawn on e5!),
so there is no immediate way to activate the rooks and exploit the material advantage.
24.e4 b5
It looks very logical to mobilize the queenside majority, aiming to create a passed pawn and open the
files for the black rooks, either to invade White’s position or just to liquidate into a winning endgame
thanks to the material plus. We will see that this plan of advancing the pawn majority simply takes too
much time and is therefore unrealistic to carry out. Opening the files for the rooks is the right plan,
though, but it needs to be carried out in a different way.
Correct is 24...f6! which is a move I considered at various moments during the game, but I also thought
that weakening the kingside would give me reasonable practical chances with three powerful pieces
standing ready to attack the black king. Well, that’s what I was thinking during the game with only a few
minutes left on the clock, no time to calculate concrete variations.
515
After the intended 25.exf6? [centralizing the queen with 25.Qc3 might have been a better idea, though
after 25...Rad8 Black is clearly better, and soon will try increasing the pressure on White’s centre]
25...Rxf6 26.Qe3 Raf8 White is losing his grip on the position. That’s mainly because the knight has lost
the support from the pawn on e5, while the black rooks are now exerting pressure on the f-file and simply
threaten to take on f4.
25.Qe3
516
25...Qb6
A) In case of 25...b4 it had been my intention to follow up with 26.f5 and Black has to watch out for
White’s mating threats with Qh6 and f6.
B) 25...f6! would still have been a very reasonable option.
26.Qg3 Qa5 27.Rf2 b4 28.f5 c3 29.bxc3 bxc3 30.Qf4!
30.f6? would have been a serious mistake, as it allows Black to close the kingside with 30...h6! 31.Qh4
Kh7 and there is no convenient way for White to continue the attack, as his own king is too exposed.
30...c2?
During the game I was very optimistic about my chances here, but it turns out there is still a way to stop
White’s attack.
A) Correct is 30...exf5 31.gxf5 f6
517
and the position is still quite balanced, e.g. 32.exf6 Rxf6 33.e5 Qd5+ 34.Qf3 Qxf3+ 35.Rxf3 Rff8
36.Rxc3 gxf5 37.Rg3+ Kh8 38.e6 and soon White will win back the exchange, resulting in a drawn rook
ending.
B) It’s worth pointing out that the immediate 30...f6? is inferior, in view of 31.exf6 Rxf6 32.e5 Rff8
33.f6 and White retains a very dangerous attack.
For example, 33...Kh8 34.Qh6 Qc7 35.Rf3 c2 36.Rc3! and after White picks up the c-pawn, Black
518
remains very passive as he still can’t activate the rook while the queen needs to cover the seventh rank.
31.f6! Qxe5
31...Kh8 32.Qh6 Rg8 33.Nxf7#.
32.Qh6!
Position after: 32.Qh6!
Black resigned, as the only way to avoid mate is 32...Qxf6 33.Rxf6 but then my queen is still guarding
the c1 square and White enjoys a huge material advantage.
1-0
519
Restricting mobility of the rooks
From the previous two examples we have learned that one of the most important criteria for claiming
compensation for the exchange is whether or not the rook is able to use open files or ranks. As long as
that’s not the case the minor piece might find a way to become more useful than the rook. In a must-win
situation Karjakin managed to bring the tension back into the 2018 Candidates tournament with the aid of
a wonderful exchange sacrifice.
Berlin 2018
White to move
17.Bxd5 Bxd1 18.Rxd1 Qc7 19.c4
So this is the setup Karjakin had been aiming for. White has one pawn and a wonderful light-squared
bishop on d5 as compensation for the exchange. With his last move White has made sure that the bishop
will not be driven away any time soon and it’s also highly unlikely that the d-file will be opened in the
near future.
19...Rge8 20.Qf2!
An excellent move, as by attacking the pawn on c5 the queen provokes Black to further weaken the
queenside.
20...b6
520
Not a move you would normally make voluntarily, as the light squares around the black king are
irreparably weakened. On the other hand, the black queen and bishop are now freed from their
responsibility to protect the pawn on c5, a duty which had been restricting their mobility.
However, it might have been a better option to prevent White’s expansion on the kingside by starting with
20...f5!?. Of course, this move isn’t without risk either, as the pawn could easily be lost some time soon.
However, let’s say White goes after the pawn immediately with 21.Be6+ then it seems to me that Black
would be very relieved to trade off one pair of rooks, even if that would cost a second pawn. In the game
Black suffers from a lack of space and the presence of White’s rook gives an extra boost to White’s
attacking aspirations.
21.g4!
White is slowly preparing to create new targets on the kingside.
21...Bf6 22.Kb1
Avoiding unnecessary complications after 22.g5?! hxg5 23.fxg5 Bxb2+! 24.Kxb2 Qe5+ and Black stays
in the game.
22...Rd7?
After this move the black rooks are getting further into trouble as they just don’t have any active task.
According to the machine Black should have played 22...Qe7:
521
A) After 23.Bc1 Qe2 24.Qg1 Bd4 25.Qh1 Kc7 the position remains pretty balanced. Black has gained
control over the e-file, whereas White dominates the a8-h1 diagonal. Neither side seems to be able to
take advantage of their own trumps.
B) 23.Rd3 b5!?
Position after: 23...b5!?
Indirectly undermining the bishop on d5. Taking the pawn on c5 allows Black to trade off queens on e1,
while 24.cxb5? fails to 24...c4! 25.Bxc4 Rxd3 26.Bxd3 Qxe3 and Black is just a full rook up.
522
On move 23 and 24 play could still be improved, but I very much like the dynamic spirit of 23...b5!?
compared with the game where Black remains standing with his back against the wall.
23.Rd3
23...g5
The problem with the line 23...Rde7 24.g5 hxg5 25.fxg5 Be5 26.h4 is that Black has managed to double
his rooks on the e-file, but just can’t exert any pressure on it. White still has plenty of ideas for improving
his position, e.g. by advancing his h-pawn. A passed pawn could be created combining with threats along
the light squares, possibly with the queen in front and light-squared bishop behind.
24.Ka2!
With another very calm move Karjakin is showing his class. White is absolutely not in a hurry, as Black
is left without any counterplay. Before forcing matters on the kingside White ensures his king is in the
safest place so that it, for instance, could never come under threat of a possible check on the back rank.
24...Ree7 25.Qf3 Kd8 26.Bd2 Kc8 27.Qf1!
523
Backward moves with a clear positional purpose are the nicest ones! White is clearing the third rank for
his rook, preparing a switch to the kingside where it could attack the weak pawn on h6.
27...Rd6
Black is anticipating the rook lift by indirectly protecting the pawn on h6.
After 27...Kd8
A) 28.Rh3 Black’s position starts cracking.
B) The following line is quite fascinating as well: 28.h4! gxh4 29.g5 hxg5 30.fxg5 Bg7 31.Bf4 Be5
32.g6! Bxf4 [32...fxg6 33.Bg5!] 33.g7 Re8 34.Bxf7! and the g-pawn decides!
28.fxg5
White has maintained the tension on the kingside for quite some time, but finally the time has come to
reap the harvest. The intended 28.Rh3 is less efficient now, because after 28...Qd7 White can’t play
29.Rxh6? on account of 29...Rxd5!
28...Bxg5 29.Bxg5 hxg5 30.Qf5+ Rdd7 31.Qxg5 Qe5
524
32.Qh6!
Of course, White keeps queens on the board to pose more problems for the black king. Inferior is
32.Qxe5? Rxe5 33.h4 Rde7 and Black is holding on, as he intends trading off one pair of rooks.
32...Kd8?
Things are going from bad to worse.

No matter what, Black should have played 32...f6, stopping White’s next move and also activating the
rooks along the seventh rank. In that case White would still have had to work to convert his advantage.
33.g5! Qd6
33...Rd6 34.Qf8+ Kd7 [34...Re8 35.Qxf7+–] 35.Qa8 and Black’s queenside falls apart.
34.Qh8+ Re8 35.Qh4 Qg6 36.Qg4 Re5
525
37.h4!
Of course, a player of Karjakin’s calibre doesn’t get tempted by 37.Qxd7+? Kxd7 and now it becomes
clear that both discovery checks with the bishop are useless: 38.Bxf7+ [38.Be4+ Qd6!] 38...Qxd3!.
Instead White strengthens his position, by mobilizing the outside passed h-pawn and protecting the pawn
on g5. There is still no counterplay for Black after all!
37...Ke7 38.Rd2
526
38...b5
Black finally tries to challenge the bishop on d5, but allows a nice liquidation into a winning endgame.
The alternative 38...Qf5 is effectively met by 39.Qg3! preparing 40.Rf2 when Black has problems to
keep both the rook on e5 and the pawn on f7 protected without losing more material. Black is forced to
play 39...Rdxd5 40.cxd5 Rxd5 but then still after 41.Rf2! there is no hope on a positive result anyway, as
White is a full pawn up while retaining dangerous attacking possibilities against the black king.
39.Bxf7! Qf5 40.Rxd7+ Kxd7 41.Qxf5+ Rxf5 42.g6 Ke7
All this is pretty much forced. There is no time for 42...bxc4, which runs into 43.g7!
43.cxb5
Position after: 43.cxb5
White has obtained too many pawns for the exchange, but even more important is that he is ready to
advance his majority on the queenside, creating a second front. Black is completely lost.
43...Rh5 44.c4 Rxh4 45.a4 Rg4 46.a5 Kd6 47.a6 Kc7 48.Kb3
And here Black resigned. Although the black king has returned in time to the queenside preventing
White’s breakthrough b5-b6, he can’t stop the white king from infiltrating via the centre, supporting the
g-pawn’s promotion.
1-0
527
Improving pawn structure
The examples covered in this chapter have shown that pawn structures play a key role in evaluating the
impact of an exchange sacrifice. When suffering from a clearly inferior pawn structure it could therefore
sometimes make sense to sacrifice the exchange just to get rid of your own weaknesses. The following
example is a classic everyone should know; it still does inspire people.
Liublinsky, Victor
Botvinnik, Mikhail
Moscow 1943
Black to move
In an almost symmetrical position both sides are fighting for the control of the open d-file. One aspect
which springs out is the isolated and doubled pawns on the c-file. The pawn on c6 is quite useful, in fact,
taking away the d5-square from the white knight, but the pawn on c5 could easily become a target for the
white pieces. Rooks are likely to be swapped on the d-file and then White has the simple plan of playing
moves like Qf2 and Na4, when the pawn cannot be adequately defended.
25...Rd4!
Although the exchange sacrifice doesn’t promise Black any advantage, the exclamation mark has been
given for its boldness and change of game plan. This plan had to be implemented immediately, because
after 25...Kg7 26.Rxd8! Rxd8 27.Rd1
528
27...Rd4 [27...Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 followed by Na4 and possibly Qf2, and the pawn on c5 is dropping off]
28.Bxd4 cxd4 29.Na4 followed by Nb2-d3 White is clearly better. The main difference with the game is
that one pair of rooks has been exchanged. In the game the extra rook certainly helps Black conduct the
attack on the kingside.
25...Rd4! 26.Ne2
More precise is 26.Bxd4 cxd4 27.Na4! followed by Nb2-d3. In closed positions the knight is often a
more useful piece than a bishop. Particularly in this case, dealing with a protected passed pawn, the
knight functions better as a blockading piece since it can jump over other pawns.
26...Bc8 27.Nxd4 cxd4 28.Bf2 c5
Well played by Botvinnik. The position has been locked and now it’s clear that the white rooks aren’t as
useful as they were when the files were still open.
29.Rf1 f5!
529
30.Bg3
A difficult decision had to be made here. Probably a better option would have been to open the position
with 30.exf5 gxf5 but also in that case, things aren’t simple. Black has a massive pawn centre and sooner
or later he will push in the centre with ...e5-e4.
30...Bd7
Black could have started with 30...f4! to avoid that additional possibility of White capturing on f5.
31.Rad1
31.exf5 could still have been considered.
31...f4! 32.Bf2 g5
Black’s position is so easy to play and in a closed position the material deficit is hardly felt. The position
reminds us of a King’s Indian where Black is about to push his kingside pawns, attacking the white king.
White doesn’t fancy the prospect of just waiting for Black’s action to start, so stops the advance of the
black g-pawn.
33.g4 fxg3 34.Bxg3 Bh3 35.Rf2 h5 36.Rfd2 h4 37.Bf2 Rf8 38.Rd3
530
38...Rf4
I do like Botvinnik’s play in this game, step by step improving his position before going to deliver the
final knock-out. I suppose that nowadays top grandmasters would not have made this preparatory move
and would instead have played 38...g4!? which is also the engine’s choice. A sample line is 39.fxg4 Bxg4
40.Rf1 Qf6 41.Qd2 Qg6 and White’s position collapses as e4 will be taken next.
39.Kh1 Kh7 40.Rg1 Bd8 41.Qe2 Qf7
531
42.Qd1
After 42.Be1 g4! White seems to be helpless against the power of Black’s forces. For example 43.fxg4
Bxg4 44.Rxg4 Rxg4 45.Rxd4 [45.Qxg4 Qf1+ 46.Qg1 Qxd3 and Black wins] 45...cxd4 46.Qxg4 Qf1+
47.Qg1 Qe2 48.Qf2 Qxe4+ 49.Kg1 Kg6 and White remains under pressure. Black’s central pawn duo is
more dangerous than White’s queenside majority.
42...Qh5 43.Be3
43...Qxf3+
Or 43...dxe3 44.Rxd8 Qxf3+ 45.Qxf3 Rxf3 46.Rd3 g4–+.
44.Qxf3 Rxf3 45.Bxg5 Rxd3 46.Bxd8 Re3 47.Bb6 Rxe4 48.Bxc5 Re2 49.Rd1 Bg4 50.h3 Bxh3 51.b4
Bf5 52.Bd6 d3 53.bxa5 h3
0-1
It should be mentioned that Botvinnik was not the first to come up with this type of exchange sacrifice.
For instance, another well-known masterpiece was played in 1921 by Alekhine who won a nice game
against Selezniev, even though the execution of this sacrifice wasn’t optimal.
It’s good to know that similar sacrifices are still seen these days, which indicates that the underlying
meaning of such concepts is still pretty much alive. In the following example Anand launches a very
similar sacrifice, but after Carlsen accepts it Black is left with a very difficult decision as to how to
532
recapture.
Sochi 2014
Black to move
27...Rb4?!
According to Peter Heine Nielsen, Carlsen’s coach for many years, it’s more accurate to play first
27...Rb3. After e.g. 28.Rb1
A) Black could still consider following up with the exchange sacrifice 28...Rb4!? The point is that
White’s rook is worse placed on the b-file. In the game Carlsen gratefully makes use of his rook on the
d-file and eventually invades on the seventh rank with devastating effect.
B) Another interesting idea is 28...Ra3 29.Ra1 Rxc3!? 30.Nxc3 Bxc4 and even though Black hasn’t
improved his own pawn structure, a white knight on d5 will no longer be supported by the pawn on c4.
Potentially Black could also enjoy the creation of a passed pawn on the c-file, but it’s not likely that that
asset could be used in the near future, with so many pieces on the board and the king on the c-file.
27...Rb4?! 28.Bxb4 cxb4?
A very tough decision, but probably a wrong one. As a rule of thumb one should capture towards the
centre, increasing one’s influence on that part of the board. Besides that, capturing with the a-pawn
automatically activated the rook, without moving that piece!
Let’s make this idea more concrete with the aid of the following variation: 28...axb4! 29.Nh5 [29.Ra1
Bg7! looks excellent for Black, as White has difficulties generating play in the centre with f2-f4, since
533
the pawns on e5 and c4 would then become vulnerable] 29...Rxa4 30.Ra1 Rxa1 31.Rxa1 Bxd5+ 32.cxd5+
Kb5!„
Position after: 32...Kb5!„
with an unclear position. White’s pawns on d5 and e5 are looking very impressive, but in fact they can’t
easily go forwards. The black king is actively placed and might support the advance of the pawns on the
queenside.
29.Nh5!
534
Position after: 29.Nh5!
Excellently played! The knight has done its best work on f6 and now Carlsen intends to break through the
centre with the afore-mentioned idea of f2-f4.
29...Kb7 30.f4 gxf4
30...Bd7 31.f5! doesn’t look like much fun either.
31.Nhxf4 Nxf4 32.Nxf4 Bxc4
Allowing the white rook to enter the seventh rank.

Controlling the entry square with 32...Bc8 is too passive and after 33.Rf1! it’s clear that Black’s
compensation is insufficient as the white rooks are too powerful.
33.Rd7! Ra6
After 33...Kc6 34.Rd2! the black king is misplaced on the c-file, in view of the threat 35.Rc1.
34.Nd5 Rc6 35.Rxf7 Bc5
36.Rxc7+!
Very effective simplification!
36...Rxc7 37.Nxc7 Kc6
535
37...Kxc7 38.Rc1 b3 39.Rxc4 b2 [39...Kb6 40.Rc3 and the pawn will be annexed.] 40.Rxc5+ Kb6
41.Rb5++–
38.Nb5 Bxb5 39.axb5+ Kxb5 40.e6 b3 41.Kd3 Be7 42.h4 a4 43.g5 hxg5 44.hxg5 a3 45.Kc3
And Black resigned, as soon he will need to give up his bishop for a passed pawn, while the white king
takes care of Black’s connected passed pawns. 1-0
Destroying pawn structure

In the previous two examples we have seen that improving your pawn structure could be a good reason to
go for an exchange sacrifice. At the same time, weakening your opponent’s pawn structure might also
encourage you to decide to invest material.
Berry, Neil (2283)
Ris, Robert (2419)
Reading 2018
Black to move
Various openings have their own thematic ideas. The exchange sacrifice has also become an important
feature of opening theory. Well-known are the exchange sacrifices on c3 in several variations of the Open
Sicilian and on f3 in the French, to name just two. They all have in common the intention to destroy the
opponent’s pawn structure, which will have further impact on other aspects like king safety and activity
of other pieces. In the following game I was glad to get the opportunity of launching a thematic exchange
sacrifice on e3 in the Benoni.
14...Rxe3!?
536
It was now or never! This positional exchange sacrifice has often been seen in the Benoni and for me it
wasn’t even difficult deciding to play it, since after a developing move like 14...Nbd7? Black’s position
contains too many weaknesses on the kingside, apart from the standard weakness on d6. 15.Nc4± and
soon the bishop will go to f4.
14...Rxe3!? 15.fxe3 Bg6 16.Nc4
A later game went 16.Rf4 Nbd7 17.Nc4 Nb6 18.Na5? [the knight will be misplaced on a5. Better would
have been 18.Nxb6 axb6 but also here I would take Black] 18...Qd7 19.Qd2 Re8 20.Kh2 Nh5 with a
clear advantage for Black in Nguyen, A – Tran, T Cha Am 2018.
16...Qe7
A creative solution for Black’s problems with his development of the queenside would have been
16...Nbd7!? with the idea to meet 17.Nxd6 with 17...Qb8. However, after 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.Rxf5 Qxg3
20.Qf1 it remains to be seen whether Black has sufficient compensation.
17.e4
After this move I felt quite comfortable. I was more concerned about 17.Nb5 when I had intended to play
it safe with 17...Ne8. [At the board I couldn’t assess the consequences of the sharper 17...Nh5?! 18.Qe1
Nd7 19.Nbxd6 Ne5 but here 20.Rc1! seems to favour White, although the position remains complex.]
17...Nh5 18.Qe1
During the game I thought it would be more logical to keep the queen free and play 18.Kh2 but then after
537
18...Nd7 Black obtains a very comfortable position. One of the points is that after 19.Nb5? Black has
19...Nb6! and soon the bishop comes to e5, e.g. 20.Nxb6 Be5! with a crushing attack for Black.
18...Nd7 19.a4?
Position after: 19.a4?
Once again, it would have been critical to challenge the pawn on d6 with 19.Nb5 but then Black can play
in a very dynamic way with 19...Nb6!? [19...Be5 20.Nxe5 Qxe5 is what I had planned to do. Black is
perfectly in control, but without the dark-squared bishop it’s difficult to play for an advantage] 20.Nbxd6
Nxc4 21.Nxc4 b5 22.Na5 Re8 and there is still everything to play for.
19...a6?
A serious error.
A) During the game I really wanted to play 19...Ne5?! aiming to trade off the knight on c4 and gain
access to the e5- square for my bishop. My problem was that White does not need to cooperate by
trading off the knights, but instead can play 20.Ne3! when my knight isn’t doing that much at all on e5.
B) I didn’t realize how strong 19...Nb6! actually is: 20.Nxb6 [20.Ne3? is met by 20...Bd4 21.Ncd1
Nc4 and White’s position is falling apart] 20...axb6 21.e3 (intending to bring the knight to e2) 21...b5!
22.Nxb5 [22.axb5 Rxa1 23.Qxa1 Nxg3 looks pretty bad] 22...Bxb2 followed by 23...Be5 with a great
game for Black.
20.Ra3 Bd4+ 21.e3 Bg7 22.Rb3
538
Position after: 22.Rb3
22...Rb8
Also possible is 22...Ne5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Ne2 Rb8 with sufficient compensation, but not more.
23.Na5?
My opponent becomes too optimistic.

A) During the game I expected White to play 23.a5.
B) Another interesting idea is to offer back the exchange with 23.Rf4 in order to improve the pawn
structure. After the text Black seizes the initiative with a dynamic pawn sacrifice.
23...c4! 24.Rb4
A) After both 24.Nxc4 b5 25.axb5 Nc5! and

B) 24.Rxb7 Rxb7 25.Nxb7 Ne5 26.Na5 Nd3 Black obtains fantastic play.
24...Ne5
Another promising continuation is 24...Qd8!? 25.Nxc4 b5 26.axb5 Nc5!µ.
25.Nc6 Qc7!
539
Position after: 25...Qc7!
Of course, not 25...Nxc6? 26.dxc6 and Black loses his grip on the position.
26.Nxe5
The point is that 26.Nxb8 fails to 26...Nd3! followed by taking the rook on b4 and the knight on b8.
26...Bxe5 27.Ne2 Qc5 28.Nf4 b5 29.axb5?!
As we will see, the opening of the a-file helps Black, but it’s hard to suggest an improvement for White.
29...axb5
540
Position after: 29...axb5
30.Nxh5
30.Nxg6 fxg6 is hopeless for White, e.g. 31.Qf2 Nxg3 32.Qf7+ Kh8 and Black’s king is absolutely safe.
30...Bxh5 31.Rf5 Bg6 32.Rxe5 dxe5 33.Qc3 Ra8!
After returning the exchange it seems White is back in the game, but thanks to Black’s last move he
retains a decisive initiative.
34.b3 Ra3!
541
Position after: 34...Ra3!
35.h5
If White starts making waiting moves like 35.Kh2 f6 36.Kg1 Black could bring the king to d6 and then
play ...cxb3.
35...Bxh5 36.d6 Qxd6 37.Rxb5 Qd1+ 38.Bf1
38.Kh2 Ra1–+
38...Ra1 39.Qxc4 Qf3 40.Rb8+ Kg7 41.Qb5 Qxg3+ 42.Kh1 Bg6
0-1
542
Chapter 11
Piece vs. pawns
In general it is considered that three pawns nominally equal a minor piece, but as ambitious players we
often encounter exceptions to this rule. When working on your own play it helps to study specific
endgames where a minor piece is battling it out against a number of pawns. Therefore we will start with a
few examples highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of the minor piece. In the second part of the
chapter we will have a look at more complex middlegames in which we analyze whether the piece
sacrifice is justified or simply doesn’t offer sufficient compensation.
Bishop vs. pawns

Svidler, Peter (2754)
Moscow 2009
White to move
Without the pawn on h2 it would not be too difficult for Black to hold a draw. Since the bishop on f1 is
blockading both the a- and b-pawns simultaneously on the same diagonal, the only way to advance these
pawns is to bring the white king closer, but that also enables the black king to reach the corner. However,
in the present situation with the extra h-pawn, the bishop will be overloaded as it will be unable to deal
with passed pawns on different diagonals.
39.b4 Ke8 40.h4 Be2
Also after 40...Kd8 White wins easily, e.g. 41.h5 Bd3 42.h6 Kc8 43.a6 Kb8 44.b5 Ka7 45.Kc7 Be4
543
46.b6+ Kxa6 47.b7 Bxb7 48.h7 and the h-pawn decides.
41.Kc7 Ke7 42.Kb6 Kd7 43.b5 Kc8
44.Kc5
More roads also lead to Rome.

Another path to victory is 44.h5 since after 44...Bxh5 45.Ka7! there is nothing Black can do against the
plan b6, a6 and b7 and the b-pawn queens.
44...Kb7 45.b6 Bf3 46.Kd4 Ka6 47.Ke3
1-0
The white king will support the h-pawn, while the pawns on the queenside remain untouchable.
For example: 47...Bh5 [or 47...Bc6 48.h5 Kxa5 49.h6+–] 48.Kf4 Bg6 [48...Kxa5 49.b7+–] 49.Kg5 Be4
50.h5 Kxa5 and now 51.Kf4!!+– .
544
Position after: 51.Kf4!!+–
is a nice final touch, illustrating that it’s impossible for a bishop to function well on two separate
diagonals at the same time.
1-0
Fridman, Daniel (2652)
Ernst, Sipke (2581)
Groningen 2012
Black to move
545
It’s clear Black is struggling for a draw, as his remaining pawn is about to fall. It’s not always easy for a
bishop to deal with passed pawns, especially when the king can’t join the defence.
42...Bd2!
Very precise.
A careless waiting move like 42...Bb2? loses to
A) 43.g5! Kh5 [43...Kxh3 44.g6+–] 44.Kxe6 Bxd4 45.Kf7! and the black king doesn’t get in front of
the pawns. White easily wins after e.g. 45...Bc3 46.g6 Kh6 47.f5 Bb2 48.f6 and nothing can be done
against the promotion of the g-pawn.
B) 43.Kxe6? only leads to a draw after 43...Bxd4 44.f5 Kxh3 45.g5 Kg4 46.g6 [46.f6 Kxg5 47.f7
Bc5=] 46...Kg5 as Black succeeds in gaining control over the dark squares with both his king and
bishop.
42...Bd2! 43.f5
The most challenging continuation.

A) The point of Black’s previous move is that after 43.Kxe6 Bxf4 44.d5 Bg5 he draws comfortably, as
the pawns on the kingside are perfectly blockaded, while the bishop controls d8.
B) Another interesting option is 43.g5 Kh5! [43...Bb4? 44.g6 Bf8 45.Kxe6 is hopeless for Black]
44.Kxe6 [44.Kf6 Bxf4 45.g6 Be3! and Black is just in time] 44...Bxf4 45.h4 Kg6! [obviously Black
can’t take the pawn with 45...Kxh4? because of 46.g6 Bh6 47.d5 Kg5 48.Kf7 and the d-pawn is
unstoppable] 46.d5 Bg3! 47.d6 Bxh4 48.d7 Bxg5 and Black just manages to hold on by a single tempo!
43...exf5
546
Position after: 43...exf5
44.gxf5
A very tricky idea after which Black has to be extremely careful. The other recapture allows Black to
save the game without too many problems: 44.Kxf5 Bg5 45.d5 Bd8 46.d6 Bg5! [of course not
46...Kxh3? 47.g5 and the g-pawn runs clear] 47.d7 [47.Ke6 allows Black to eliminate the kingside pawns
with 47...Kxh3] 47...Bd8 48.Kg6
A) 48...Kxh3? can be met strongly by 49.Kh5! which doesn’t allow the black king to approach the
pawn. Nothing can be done against 50.g5, when White wins [however, 49.g5? is premature in view of
49...Kg4=].
B) 48...Bg5 49.Kf7 Kxh3 50.Ke8 Kxg4 51.d8=Q Bxd8 52.Kxd8=
44...Kg5?
It’s pretty obvious that the king has to be brought back to control the advance of White’s pawns. The king
is, however, very unfortunately placed on g5, as that square is needed for the bishop.
Correct would have been 44...Kh5! 45.Ke6 [45.f6? Kg6!= transposes to the game] 45...Bg5! and no win
is apparent for White:
547
A) 46.f6 Kg6 47.f7 Kg7 is drawn, since the bishop stops the d- and h-pawns, while the king controls the
f8-square.
B) 46.Kf7 Bh4!
Position after: 46...Bh4!
A wonderful resource. The g5-square now has to be vacated for the king, while the bishop has to stay on
the d8-h4 diagonal. 47.d5 [47.f6 can be answered with 47...Kg5 48.Kg7 Bf2! 49.d5 Bd4 and Black
548
narrowly escapes.] 47...Kg5 48.Ke6 Kh6 and Black holds on.
C) 46.d5 Bh4! [46...Kh6? is bad because of 47.Kf7!; 46...Bd8? 47.f6 Kg6 48.f7 Kg7 and now White
reaches e8 via 49.Kd7 Bh4 50.Ke8+–.] 47.d6 [47.f6 Kg6 48.f7 Kg7=] 47...Kh6 48.Kf7 [In case of
48.d7 Black can deal with the threat of 49.f6 by means of 48...Kg7!=.] 48...Kg5 49.f6 [49.Ke6 Kh6!
leads to a repetition.] 49...Kf5! Black will play 50...Bxf6, when a draw is inevitable.
45.f6?
White doesn’t take advantage of Black’s blunder on the previous move.

He could instead have won with 45.Ke6! when Black cannot deal with the three separated pawns:
Position after: 45.Ke6!
A) 45...Kh6 46.f6 Bg5 47.Kf7! Preventing the king fom getting to g6. [Of course not 47.f7? in view of
47...Kg7!; though 47.Kf5! wins as well.] 47...Bf4 48.d5 Bg3 49.Ke6 Kg6 50.f7 Kg7 And since the
bishop is not on the d8-h4 diagonal right now, White has 51.Ke7!.
B) 45...Be1 46.f6 Kg6 47.f7 Bb4 [47...Kg7 48.Ke7 Bb4+ 49.Ke8 and the advance of the h-pawn is
decisive.] 48.d5 Kg7
549
49.h4! [Too hasty is 49.d6? Bxd6! 50.Kxd6 Kxf7=.] 49...Kg6 50.h5+ Kg7 [50...Kxh5 allows White to
block the diagonal with 51.d6!.] 51.h6+ [Also possible is 51.d6 Bxd6 52.h6+ Kf8 53.h7 Kg7 54.Kxd6
and White wins.] 51...Kxh6 52.d6 Kg7 53.d7 Ba5 54.Ke7 Bb4+ 55.Ke8 and Black fails to gain control
over both d8 and f8.
45...Kg6 46.Ke6 Bg5!
550
We’re familiar with the drawing procedure by now. The bishop takes care of the d- and h-pawns, while
the king can easily stop the f-pawn.
47.f7 Kg7 48.d5 Bh4 49.d6 Kf8 50.d7 Bd8 51.h4 Bxh4 52.d8=Q+ Bxd8 53.Kd7 Kxf7 54.Kxd8
½-½
London 2013
Black to move
30...Rf1+?
Black’s idea of placing the rook behind the passed pawn seems quite logical, but apparently Kramnik
missed or underestimated the fact that White is able to exchange rooks.
Instead, a clean way to victory is 30...Rc8! 31.Kf2 Bc4 32.Rd6 Bf7! followed by 33...Be8, when the c-
pawn falls.
30...Rf1+? 31.Kh2 Rc1 32.Re3! Bb1
In the event of 32...Bf5 33.Re5 it’s not clear how Black can make progress.
33.Rc3! Rxc3 34.bxc3 Kg8 35.c7 Bf5 36.Kg3 Kf7 37.Kf4
551
37...Bc8
After 37...g6 38.h5! Black even has to be a bit careful to avoid losing.
38.Kg5 Bd7 39.h5 Be6
Since White’s passed pawn is already on the seventh rank, the bishop needs to control the c8 square,
whereas the king can’t come any closer with 39...Ke7 in view of 40.Kg6 Kf8 41.Kg5 and White holds
on.
40.g3
40.g4 might have been possible as well, but Aronian prefers to provoke Black into fixing the pawn
structure on the queenside.
40...a4 41.g4
552
41...Kf8
41...Ke7 42.Kg6 Bxg4 43.Kxg7 Kd7 44.h6 Bf5 45.Kf6! [Of course, not 45.h7? Bxh7 46.Kxh7 Kxc7
and Black wins.] 45...Bb1 46.Ke5 Kxc7 47.Kd4 Kc6 48.c4 And after the exchange of pawns, it’s a
theoretical draw as the black bishop doesn’t control the corner square.
42.Kf4 Ke7 43.g5
Compared with the previous note White is now a tempo short after 43.Kg5? Kd7 44.Kg6 Bxg4 as the
black king is now within reach of the c-pawn.
43...Kd7
553
44.Ke5
Kramnik thought that he was winning after 44.h6 Bg8 but White still holds on to a draw after 45.Kf5!
[inferior is 45.hxg7? Kxc7 46.Ke5 Kc6 47.Kf6 Kd6 and the g-pawns will soon be eliminated, while the
bishop retains control over the c4 square] 45...Kxc7
Position after: 45...Kxc7
46.Kg6! [46.hxg7? Kd6–+] 46...gxh6 47.gxh6 Ba2 [47...Kc6? 48.Kg7 and White even wins, as the
554
diagonal for the bishop is too short to retain control over h7] 48.Kf6 [48.h7? runs into 48...Bb1+ 49.Kg7
Bxh7 50.Kxh7 Kc6 and Black wins the pawn ending] 48...Bb1 49.Ke5 and White draws as in the
variation with 41...Ke7.
44...Bg8 45.c8=Q+
The white king goes after the queenside pawns. If 45.h6? Kxc7 46.hxg7 Kc6 Black wins.
45...Kxc8 46.Kd6 Kd8
47.Kc6
For some mysterious reason White refrains from playing 47.h6 within the next couple of moves, after
which a draw would simply be unavoidable (see notes to 50.h6!).
47...Ke7 48.Kxb5 Ke6 49.Kxa4 Kf5 50.g6?
An incredible mistake after spending quite some time calculating the consequences. White could still
have saved the game with 50.h6! g6 51.Kb5 Kxg5
A) 52.a4 Kxh6 53.a5 g5 54.a6 and now...
555
A1) 54...Bd5 55.c4 [55.a7? Kg6 56.c4 Ba8 57.c5 Kf6 58.c6 Ke6 59.Kb6 Kd6 60.c7 Kd7 and both
White’s passed pawns are blocked.] 55...Be4 [55...Ba8? even loses after 56.c5 g4 57.c6 g3 58.c7 g2
59.c8=Q g1=Q 60.Qh8+ Kg5 61.Qg7+ and White picks up the queen.] 56.c5 g4 57.c6 g3 58.c7 g2
59.c8=Q g1=Q 60.Qh8+ Bh7 And a draw is inevitable.
A2) 54...g4 55.a7 Bd5 56.c4 Ba8 57.c5 g3 58.c6 g2 59.c7 g1=Q 60.c8=Q Qxa7 61.Qa6+ Qxa6+
62.Kxa6=
B) 52.c4 Kxh6 53.c5? [53.a4 still draws, though.] 53...g5 54.c6 g4 55.c7 Be6 and the g-pawn queens
first.
50...Kg5 51.Kb5 Kxh5 52.a4 Kxg6 53.a5 Kf6
556
54.a6
54.c4 would not have saved White either, in view of 54...Ke7 55.a6 Bh7! and the bishop is in time to
reach the a8-h1 diagonal: 56.c5 Be4 [56...Kd7? fails to 57.c6+ Kc7 58.a7 and the a-pawn is out of reach]
57.c6 [57.a7 Kd7 and Black stops both pawns] 57...Kd6 and Black wins.
54...Bd5 55.c4 Ba8 56.Kb6 Ke5
557
57.Kc7
The main difference between 50.g6? and 50.h6 is that the black king now stands closer to the queenside.
Hence, 57.c5 can just be answered with 57...Kd5 and Black wins.
57...g5!
Finally the g-pawn joins the play. Precision is still required, since after a careless move like 57...Kd4?
White is able to save the game with 58.Kd6! and now...
Position after: 58.Kd6!
A) 58...Kxc4 should be played now and after 59.Ke5 g6 60.Kf6 Be4 61.a7 Kd4 62.a8=Q Bxa8
63.Kxg6 Black has insufficient material to win.
B) 58...g5? even loses for Black after 59.c5 g4 60.c6 Bxc6 [60...g3 61.c7 g2 62.c8=Q g1=Q 63.Qc5+
and White picks up the queen] 61.Kxc6 g3 62.a7 g2 63.a8=Q g1=Q 64.Qa7+ and another X-ray attack
assures victory for White.
58.Kb8 Be4 59.Kc7 g4 60.a7 g3 61.c5
558
61...Ba8
61...g2 would have been perfectly possible too, e.g. 62.c6 Bxc6 63.Kxc6 g1=Q 64.Kb7 [64.a8=Q Qg2+
wins for Black] 64...Qg7+ 65.Kb8 [65.Kb6 Qg2 and Black controls the promoting square] 65...Kd6
66.a8=Q Qc7#.
62.Kb8 Bc6
And here Aronian threw in the towel. Black wins easily after 63.Kc7 [63.a8=Q Bxa8 64.Kxa8 Kd5 and
the c-pawn falls] 63...Kd5 and the g-pawn will soon promote.
0-1
Knight vs. pawns: the knight’s nightmare

It’s well known that knights have huge problems dealing with outside passed pawns, especially rook
pawns. In the following pair of examples, two elite players go astray.
Carlsen, Magnus. (2837)
Astana 2012
559
White to move
52.Kf4 Kc5 53.Kg5
53.a7 doesn’t win either. The following line is pretty forced: 53...Kxd4 54.b6 Nd5+ 55.Kg5 Nxb6
56.Kxh5 Kd5 57.Kxg4 Kc6 58.h4 Kb7 59.h5 Nd7 60.h6 Nf8 and Black is in time to stop the h-pawn.
53...Kxd4 54.Kxh5 Nxb5
An interesting alternative is 54...Kc5 55.Kxg4 Kxb5 56.a7 Kb6
560
A) 57.h4 Kxa7 58.Kf5 Nd5! [58...Ne8? doesn’t work now because of 59.Kg6 Nc7 60.Kf7! and the
black king is too far away, while the knight is unable to stop the h-pawn.] 59.h5 Ne7+ 60.Kf6 Ng8+
And the knight arrives in time.
B) 57.a8=Q doesn’t really help, as the black king remains close to the important e6-square: 57...Nxa8
58.h4 Nc7 59.Kf5 [or 59.h5 Ne8 60.Kg5 Ng7 61.h6 Ne6+ 62.Kf6 Nf8 with a theoretically drawn
position. The knight can jump around on the squares f8-h7-g5-e6] 59...Ne8
60.Kg6 [60.h5 Ng7+ draws on the spot] 60...Nc7! 61.Kf7 [61.h5 Ne6=] 61...Kc6! 62.h5 Kd6 63.h6
Ne6! and White can’t make further progress.
55.Kxg4
561
Position after: 55.Kxg4
55...Nc7?
After this move the a-pawn is too far advanced. Black could have saved the game with 55...Kc5 56.h4
Kd6! [in case of 56...Kb6? 57.h5 Nc7 58.h6 Nd5 59.Kg5! the h-pawn is out of reach] 57.Kg5 Ke7
58.Kg6 Kf8 and Black draws. The king deals with the h-pawn, while the knight stops the a-pawn.
56.a7 Kc5 57.h4
562
57...Kd6
57...Kb6 58.h5 Kxa7 59.h6 Nd5 60.Kg5! and White wins [but not 60.h7? Nf6+=].
58.Kf5 Ke7 59.Kg6 Kf8 60.Kf6 Ke8
After 60...Kg8 61.Ke7 the march to b7 can’t be prevented.
61.Kg7
1-0
Tkachiev, Vladislav (2644)
Topalov, Veselin (2752)
Astana 2012
Black to move
52...g4?
After the text move White’s knight comes over to the kingside to blockade
the passed pawns. In case of something like 52...f5! Black would be getting closer to victory.
52...g4? 53.Nd8! Na7
Of course 53...Nxd8? fails to 54.a7 and the a-pawn promotes.
54.Ne6
563
54...g3+
Also after 54...f5 55.Kg2! Black can’t make progress, e.g. 55...g3 56.Nc5! [56.Kf3? is a big mistake, in
view of 56...Kh3 57.Nf4+ Kh2 58.Ng2 Nb5 59.Nh4 Kh3 60.Ng2 h4 and Black wins] 56...Kg4 57.Nd3
f4 58.Ne5+ Kf5 59.Nf3 Ke4 60.Ng5+ Ke3 61.Nf3 and since all three pawns are blocked, a draw seems
inevitable.
55.Kf3!
Suddenly it becomes clear that Black can no longer get his pawns rolling. Inferior is 55.Kg2? which
allows 55...Kg4 followed by h4-h3 etc.
55...Kh3 56.Nf4+ Kh2 57.Ng2 Nc6 58.Nh4 Kh3 59.Ng2 h4
564
60.Ne3
A) 60.Nf4+? is bad, because of 60...Kh2 61.Kg4 g2 62.Nxg2 Kxg2 63.Kxh4 Kf3 and Black succeeds
in keeping the f-pawn on the board.
B) Another way to proceed is 60.Ne1 Kh2 61.Kg4 g2 [61...h3 62.Nf3+ Kg2 63.Nh4+ Kf2 64.Kxh3 f5
65.Ng2 and there’s still no chance for Black to break through] 62.Kxh4 [62.Nxg2 Kxg2 63.Kxh4 Kf3]
62...g1=Q 63.Nf3+ Kg2 64.Nxg1 Kxg1 65.Kg4= and White picks up the pawn on f6.
60...f5
The point of White’s last move is that 60...Kh2 can be met by 61.Nf1+ Kg1 [61...Kh3 62.Ne3 is just a
repetition] 62.Nxg3! hxg3 63.Kxg3 and Black’s last pawn will soon be eliminated.
61.Ng2 Na7 62.Ne3 Nb5 63.Ng2 Nd4+
565
Position after: 63...Nd4+
64.Ke3!
The right square for the king. 64.Kf4? loses to 64...Kxg2 65.a7 Ne6+ 66.Kxf5 Nc7 and the knight has
returned in time to stop the a-pawn.
64...Nb5
Even after 64...Kxg2 65.a7 Kh2 66.a8=Q g2 Black obtains a draw, as White has nothing better than
repeating moves with 67.Qb8+ Kh1 68.Qa8 Kh2=.
65.Kf3 Nc7 66.a7 Na8 67.Ne3 f4 68.Ng2 Kh2 69.Nxh4 Nc7 70.Ng2 Kh3 71.Nxf4+ Kh2 72.Ng2
Kh3 73.Ne3 Na8 74.Ke4
566
74...Nc7!
A) The best continuation. Black comes a tempo short in the following line: 74...g2? 75.Nxg2 Kxg2
76.Kd5 Kf3 77.Kc6 Ke4 78.Kb7 Kd5 79.Kxa8 Kc6 80.Kb8 and White wins.
B) 74...Nb6? isn’t good either, because of 75.Kd4 and the king goes to the a-pawn.
75.Kd3!?
A very tricky move by Tkachiev, even though it doesn’t change the evaluation of the position.
Alternatives lead to a more straightforward draw.
A) 75.Kd4? makes no sense, in view of 75...Nb5+.
B) 75.Ke5 g2 76.Nxg2 Kxg2
567
Position after: 76...Kxg2
77.Kf6 [77.Kd6 can be answered with 77...Nb5+=.] 77...Kf3 78.Ke7 Ke4 79.Kd7 Na8 80.Kc8 Kd5
81.Kb7 Kd6 82.Kxa8 Kc7 Stalemate.
75...Kh2?
After spoiling a winning advantage with two extra pawns the former World Champion now mishandles a
drawn ending.
A) 75...g2? 76.Nxg2 Kxg2 77.Kc4 Kf3 78.Kc5 and Black is also too late.
B) However, Black could have held on with 75...Na8!
568
76.Kc4 Kh4 77.Kc5 Kg5 78.Kc6 Kf4 79.Ng2+ Ke5 80.Kb7 Kd6 81.Kxa8 Kc7 when White is unable
to get his king out of the corner.
C) In addition, Black could also have played 75...Kh4! first.
76.Kc4 Kg1
569
77.Nf5!
Certainly overlooked by Topalov. The Bulgarian had probably only counted on 77.Kc5 Kf2 when a draw
seems
inevitable.
77...Kf2
White also wins after 77...g2 78.Ne3 Kf2 79.Nxg2 Kxg2 80.Kc5.
78.Nxg3 Kxg3 79.Kc5 Kf4 80.Kc6 Na8 81.Kb7
Black resigned, since after 81...Ke5 82.Kxa8 Kd6 83.Kb7 he’s simply too late.
1-0
Attacking the king

The simplest form of claiming compensation for a piece sacrifice is by starting an assault against the
enemy king. The following games point out some useful ideas worth bearing in mind when conducting
such an attack.
Maiorov, Nikita (2535)
Ris, Robert (2415)
Enschede 2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.e3 Qa5+
570
10.Bd2 Qxc5 11.b4 Qe7 12.Bc1 a5 13.b5 Ne5 14.Bb2 Ng4 15.Nh3 Qh4 16.g3 Qh6 17.Qe2 e5 18.f3
For this game I had specifically prepared this variation of the Nimzo-Indian and was very fortunate to
reach a position which I had seen on my screen a few hours before the game.
18...Nxe3! 19.fxe4
Objectively better is 19.Bc1 but after 19...d4! the knight on h3 is still hanging, so White doesn’t win a
piece. Black is doing well here.
19...Bg4 20.Qd2 d4
During my preparation I considered this particular position to be practically winning for Black. Black has
only one pawn for the piece, but the main problem for White is that he can’t get rid of the knight on e3.
As in my game with Beliavsky (see Chapter 10) the octopus has a dominant role. Whereas in that game
the knight prevented the rooks from occupying the open files, here it ensures the king is stuck in the
centre and keeps the rooks disconnected. Since the white pieces aren’t cooperating well it therefore does
not feel as if Black is a piece down! By the way, Black can’t regain the material right now with
20...Nxf1? in view of 21.Qxh6 gxh6 22.Nf2! and both the bishop on g4 and knight on f1 are hanging.
21.Nf2 Bf3
571
22.h3
Preparing to move the rook, without allowing Black to penetrate with the queen. White can’t save the
rook with 22.Rg1 since after 22...Qxh2–+ the rook will be hanging again and White’s position collapses.
22...0-0
During the game I felt incredibly satisfied with my decision not to trade my wonderful bishop for the
inactive rook and thought that maintaining the pressure usually favours the side with the initiative.
Nevertheless, after going through the game again with more advanced technological equipment, it seems
it would probably have been stronger to go for 22...Bxh1 23.Nxh1 0-0 followed by 24...f5. White still has
too many problems with his king on e1 and inactive minor pieces.
23.Rg1 f5!
572
24.Bd3
24.exf5 Rxf5 25.Bd3 Rf6 also looks excellent for Black. However, you shouldn’t be tempted into playing
the aggressive [25...e4? which runs into 26.Bxd4 and Black’s control of the centre fades away].
24...fxe4 25.Nxe4
25.Bxe4 Bxe4 26.Nxe4 Rf3! followed by 27...Raf8 looks crushing.
25...Qg6 26.Nc5
The following lines illustrate the difference in activity between White’s and Black’s forces. With the
white king still stuck in the centre, the position needs to be opened and White will never get a chance to
coordinate his forces. In such a scenario it’s hardly felt that Black is a piece down! After 26.Nf2 e4!
Black obtains a massive attack, e.g. 27.Bxd4 Ng2+
573
Position after: 27...Ng2+
A) 28.Rxg2 exd3 29.Rg1 [29.Qxd3 Rae8+ 30.Kf1 Bxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Rxf2+ wins material.] 29...Rae8+
30.Kf1 [30.Be3 Qg5] 30...Re2–+
B) 28.Kf1 exd3 29.Rxg2 Rae8!
Position after: 29...Rae8!
and White’s position is falling apart: [a typical mistake is to be too greedy regaining material. After
29...Bxg2+? 30.Kxg2 White consolidates] 30.Rg1 [30.Re1 Re2! 31.Qc3 Bxg2+ 32.Kxg2 Qe4+ and
574
Black wins] 30...Re2 31.Qc3 Qe4 32.Nxe4 Bg2#. Black clearly benefitted from opening the central
files by means of 26...e4!, as his major pieces got mobilized very quickly.
26...e4 27.Be2 Bg2
28.Rxg2?
White succumbs under the pressure. The only move is 28.Bg4 when I was intending to proceed with
28...Qd6 which I considered to be winning for Black. However, matters aren’t that simple yet as during
play I didn’t spot the following variation: 29.Rxg2 Qxc5 30.Qxd4 Nxg2+ 31.Ke2 Qg5! (threatening
32...Rad8) 32.Qd5+ Qxd5 33.cxd5 e3 and Black retains the initiative.
28...Nxg2+ 29.Kd1 d3 30.Nxd3 exd3 31.Bxd3 Qxg3 32.a4 Rf2 33.Be2 Ne3+
575
Position after: 33...Ne3+
White resigned, in view of 34.Kc1 Qg1+ winning the queen with mate to follow soon.
0-1
Sakaev, Konstantin (2655)
Belov, Vladimir (2553)
Krasnoyarsk 2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0
Bd7 11.Rb1 a6 12.dxc5 Qc7 13.Nd4 e6 14.f4 Na5 15.Bd3 e5
576
A fairly normal type of Grünfeld position where Black temporarily has given up his pawn on c5. With his
last move he is intending to disrupt White›s pawn structure even further.
16.f5!
What a move! After 16.fxe5 Bxe5 Black obtains excellent play on the dark squares thanks to the outpost
on e5.
16...exd4
Note that 16...Qxc5 is strongly met by 17.f6! when Black needs to give up the most important defender
on the kingside, since after 17...Bh8 18.Nf5 Black is losing his queen in view of the mating threat on h6.
17.cxd4
577
White has invested a full piece in order to improve his pawn structure in the centre and as a result he has
gained more control over that part of the board. Well, White already has two pawns as compensation and
the black knight on a5 doesn’t make a great impression either, but the most important factor is that all the
black pieces lack a clear goal. White’s massive pawn centre is well supported by the two bishops, and his
major pieces are ready to help as well. This type of space advantage enables White to build up a powerful
kingside attack.
17...Rfe8 18.f6 Bf8 19.Qc1!
Clearly hinting at a trade of dark-squared bishops. However, 19.Qd2 is certainly less accurate, in view of
19...Bb5 when White needs to reckon with ideas linked to ...Nc4.
19...Nc6
578
Position after: 19...Nc6
20.Kh1
20.Bh6? is premature, because after 20...Nxd4 21.Bxf8 Rxf8 22.Qh6 Ne6 Black is in time to cover the
mating threat.
20...h5
Vacating the h7-square for the king. In a later correspondence game Black didn’t manage to activate his
forces either: 20...Bg4
579
21.Bf4
A) 21...Qc8 22.Bh6 Kh8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.h3 Bd7 25.Qe3 Rg8 26.Bc4 And White was dominating on
all sectors of the board in Cutillas Ripoll – Haugen, ICCF email 2004.
B) 21...Qd7! 22.Bh6 Bxc5 is apparently Black’s best, though giving up the main defender of the dark
squares is not something a human would consider. After 23.Qxc5 Nxd4 Black stays in the game, as the
white queen isn’t close to the mating square g7 at all.
21.Bf4 Qd8 22.Bd6 Kh7 23.Qe3 Bxd6 24.cxd6
24...Bc8?
Black is asking too much from his position. Instead, he should have played 24...Qb8 25.e5 Qxd6 and he
would be well advised to return his extra material soon by taking with the knight on e5. The position
remains sharp, but Black seems to be doing fine as his pieces are finally becoming more active. The main
difference from the text is that 26.Bxg6+? doesn’t make much sense now as Black’s bishop is not
blockng the black rook on a8 and after 26...fxg6 27.f7 Re6! 28.exd6 Rxe3 29.f8=Q Rxf8 30.Rxf8 Kg7
only Black can be better here, as his two minor pieces are well coordinated.
25.e5 Qxd6
580
Position after: 25...Qxd6
Black seems to have left the worst behind him, but he might have missed the following tactical sequence.
26.Bxg6+! fxg6
26...Kxg6 runs into 27.Qg3+ followed by capturing the queen.
27.f7 Qe7 28.fxe8=Q Qxe8 29.Rf6 Qe7
Even though the material is roughly balanced, Black has been completely dominated by the white forces.
A move like 29...Be6 fails to activate Black’s pieces on the queenside and neutralize White’s central
pawn duo on account of 30.Rxb7+ with a massive mating attack by White’s major pieces.
30.Rbf1 Be6
581
31.Qe4
Simple and strong, targetting the pawn on g6. Also possible is 31.d5 Bxd5 32.e6 and White invades with
a rook on f7.
31...Bf5
31...Rg8 32.d5 Bf5 is strongly met by 33.R1xf5 gxf5 34.Qxf5+ Kh8 35.Rh6+ Kg7 36.Rh7#.
32.R1xf5 gxf5 33.Qxf5+ Kg8 34.Rg6+
Black resigned, because after 34...Kh8 35.Qxh5+ Qh7 36.Rh6 he is forced to give up his queen.
1-0
582
Restricting mobility of pieces
From the amazing game Sakaev – Belov we have seen that even at a cost of a piece, a massive pawn
centre facilitates the process of building up an attack against the enemy king.
However, in many other situations the pieces are not well enough placed to enable a kingside attack to
succeed. In that case the focus should rather be on restricting the movement of your opponent’s pieces.
The following three masterpieces illustrate the impact of pawns when they are cooperating well as a
chain.
Wang, Hao (2731)
Wijk aan Zee 2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 Ne7 10.Be3
0-0 11.Qb3 Qc7 12.Bb5 Nec6 13.Ne2 Na5 14.Qb4 e5
15.0-0
A more recent game went 15.Nd4 exd4 16.cxd4 b6 17.Rc1 Bd7 18.d5 Bxb5
583
Position after: 18...Bxb5
A) 19.cxb6? Qd7 20.Qxa5 axb6! (This must have been missed by Kravtsiv.) 21.Qxb6 [21.Qxa8 Na6
22.Qxf8+ Kxf8 is excellent for Black.] 21...Rxa3–+ And even though White has two pawns for the
piece his position is quite bad, as his king is stuck in the centre and his pieces are not cooperating well.
Black went on to convert his material advantage convincingly in Kravtsiv – Jakovenko, Ankara 2018.
B) White should have gone for 19.Qxb5 with good compensation for the piece, as Black is facing some
difficulties to untangle. A possible variation is 19...Qe7 20.0-0 Qe8 and now after 21.c6 Black is pretty
much forced to return the material with 21...Nbxc6 22.dxc6 Rc8 though White keeps a clear edge.
15...Be6?
The bishop is very unfortunately placed here. Black seems to be doing fine from a theoretical point of
view after 15...Na6 16.Bxa6 bxa6 17.Rad1 Be6 18.Rd5!? Now Black is wise if he declines the exchange
sacrifice.
584
Position after: 18.Rd5!?
A) After 18...Bxd5 19.exd5 Rab8 20.Qe4 f5 21.Qd3 things would be looking excellent for White thanks
to the central connected passed pawns being very well supported by the white pieces.
B) 18...Rfb8 19.Qa4 Bxd5 20.exd5 Rb5 21.Rd1 [Another line goes 21.d6 Qc6 22.c4 Rxc5 23.Qb4 Rxc4
24.Qxa5 Qxd6„ and Black seems to be doing reasonably well. White’s minor pieces are not working
very well together and soon Black will exchange one pair of rooks.] 21...Rxc5 22.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 23.Kh1
Qb5 And Black was doing fine in Li Chao – Jakovenko, Geneva 2017.
16.Nd4!
585
Position after: 16.Nd4!
An amazing novelty at the time, which basically refutes Black’s last move.
Previously White had tried 16.Rfd1 but then the knight remains passive on e2, as so often is the case in
this variation of the Nimzo-Indian.
16...exd4
Ignoring the piece sacrifice with 16...Nbc6 is not an option this time, because of 17.Nxe6!
17.cxd4
This piece sacrifice had been prepared by Anand for his World Championship match with Kramnik in
2008. The similarities with the game Sakaev – Belov are obvious, though the main difference is that
Black hasn’t weakened his kingside with ...g7-g6 and White’s pawn is still on f3. Hence, an effort by
White to build up an attack on the kingside would probably be rather slow, and instead the best policy for
the white pieces is to support the central pawn chain.
17...Nbc6
The inclusion of the moves 17...a6 18.Be2 hardly helps Black, as it weakens the b6 square. In some lines
White could use this square as an outpost for a queen or a rook to exert pressure on the queenside.
18.Qc3 Ne7
19.Rfd1
586
19.d5? looks very tempting, but can’t be recommended as Black simply returns the material with
19...Bxd5! 20.exd5 Nxd5 obtaining excellent play, as the pawn on c5 becomes vulnerable.
19...Rad8 20.Bf2!
This quiet move highlights the power of White’s pawn chain. White isn’t in a hurry to push the central
pawns and instead prefers to improve his pieces first. The bishop is on its way to d6, where it will further
restrict the movement of the black pieces and prepare the advance of the d-pawn.
20...a6
20...Nac6 21.Bg3 Qc8 22.Bd6 looks horrible for Black. White’s next move is 23.d5, regaining the
invested material with interest.
21.Bg3 Qc8
Position after: 21...Qc8
22.Bf1!
Simple and strong, as White isn’t in a hurry.

A) Inferior is 22.Qxa5?! axb5 23.Qxb5 Qc6 which is actually looking quite promising for White, but at
least Black has managed to exchange one of his minor pieces, which helps solve his problems
concerning a lack of space.
B) 22.Bd6? doesn’t work yet, in view of 22...Rxd6.
22...b6
587
22...Nac6 23.Bd6 Rfe8 24.d5 And after regaining the piece, White remains a pawn ahead while
dominating the centre.
23.Rab1!
Particularly after this move it’s becoming clear how poorly situated Black’s knight is on a5.
23...Nb3 24.Rxb3 Bxb3 25.Qxb3 bxc5 26.d5
Position after: 26.d5
The situation has hardly been improved for Black. Thanks to his massive pawn centre and bishop pair,
White enjoys a big advantage despite being an exchange down. The next step is collecting the vulnerable
pawns on the queenside.
26...Ng6 27.Qb6 f5 28.Bxa6 Qd7 29.Bb5 Qf7 30.exf5 Qxf5 31.Qxc5 Rc8 32.Qd4 Rfd8 33.a4
And Black had seen enough.

1-0
Saint Louis 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3
Be7 11.Bc2 d4 12.Nb3 d3 13.Bb1 Nxb3 14.axb3 Bf5 15.b4 0-0 16.h3 Qd7 17.Bf4 Rfd8 18.g4 Bg6
19.Bg3 h5 20.Nd2 hxg4 21.hxg4
588
Position after: 21.hxg4
When you look at this position the passed pawn on d3 springs out. For the moment the knight on d2 is
doing a great job preventing the further advance of this pawn, but at the same time White has some
coordination problems because the pawn has restricted the mobility of his pieces. If White had all the
time in the world his next few moves would be Ba2, Qf3, centralize the rooks and try to strike with e5-
e6, exposing the black king. Besides that, White could also seriously consider pushing the pawn to f5,
intending to lock up the light-squared bishop. Mamedyarov thwarts White’s intentions with a fantastic
positional piece sacrifice.
21...Nxb4!?
A) Another thematic way of playing for Black is 21...a5 in order to generate counterplay on the
queenside and gain access to the c5-square for the bishop. However, in this case Black’s idea seems to
be too slow, since after 22.f4! axb4 23.Rxa8 Rxa8 24.f5 White seizes the initiative on the kingside and
locks up Black’s light-squared bishop, which now has been disconnected from the pawn on d3. Next
White will remove that pawn with a move like Rf3.
B) It actually does matter a lot with which piece you take on b4. The other capture 21...Bxb4 doesn’t
really do anything and White could still consider improving his position with ideas like f2-f4-f5 and
Ba2.
22.cxb4
Ignoring the piece sacrifice is not a good idea, e.g. 22.Re1? Nc2! and White loses material.
22...Bxb4 23.Ba2 c5
589
Position after: 23...c5
One of the points of Black’s play is that the queenside pawns will be rolling now and once the pawn
reaches c4 the bishop on a2 will be out of play for quite some time. Therefore, White needs to act
immediately in order to avoid a positional disaster.
24.e6
A very interesting pawn sacrifice by Caruana. He intends to bring his knight to e5 so that the white queen
no longer has to protect it.
Another interesting idea is 24.f4!? with the point that after 24...Bxd2 White continues with 25.f5 when
White seems to be doing fine in this mess despite being material down. Black can’t really stick to his
material plus, because after 25...Be3+ 26.Kg2 Bh7 White has 27.e6!.
24...fxe6 25.Nf3 c4 26.Ne5 Qe8 27.Kg2
590
Clearing the first rank, enabling the rooks to switch to the h-file. Note that returning the piece with
27.Nxc4? bxc4 28.Bxc4 is not a serious option, as Black’s passed d-pawn is too strong.
27...Rd5
A) Both the text and 27...Bd6 make quite a lot of sense in order to put pressure on White’s most active
piece.
B) Besides these two options Black has another interesting idea at his disposal, by bringing his light-
squared bishop to the other diagonal, challenging White’s kingside: 27...Be4+ 28.f3 Bb7 29.Rh1 Rd5
30.Rh3 (intending 31.Qh1) 30...Rxe5 31.Bxe5 Qg6 and although Black is a full rook down a draw
seems inevitable, e.g. 32.Qg1 Rf8 [32...Qxg4+? 33.Kh2 favours White] 33.Qd4 Bc5! 34.Qxc5 Rxf3
35.Rxf3 Qxg4+ with a perpetual check to follow.
28.f3?
A serious positional error by Caruana. Understandably he wants to take the e4-square away from Black’s
light- squared bishop, but the problem now is that his queen is unable to participate, which also prevents
the white rook from joining the play.
Instead, a more harmonious continuation is 28.Qf3! which also justifies White’s previous move 27.Kg2,
as the white rooks will be doubled on the h-file. Two possible lines are:
591
A) 28...Bd6? fails to 29.Nxg6 Bxg3 [29...Qxg6 30.Bxd6 and Black can’t recapture as the rook on a8 is
hanging] 30.Qe4 with a massive attack along the h-file.
B) 28...Rad8 29.Rh1 Bd6 30.Rh3 Bxe5 31.Rah1 Bf6 32.Rh8+ Kf7 33.Rxe8 Rxe8
Position after: 33...Rxe8
with a very complicated position where anything could happen. Black has a rook and three pawns for
the queen and the bishop on a2 is out play. My silicon monster likes White, but in my opinion matters
592
aren’t that simple. In a practical game I would be concerned about Black’s pawn chain which is very
well supported by the rooks and bishops.
28...Rad8 29.Rh1 Bd6
30.Qe1
A) Finally White is able to bring his queen into play. Forcing play doesn’t work in White’s favour, as
shown by the following variation: 30.Nxc4? bxc4 31.Bxc4 Bxg3! [31...Rd4? 32.Qb3! is exactly what
White is looking for: counterplay against the black king] 32.Bxd5 Rxd5 33.Kxg3 d2! with excellent
play for Black. The far advanced passed pawn is well supported by the rook, and the bishop and queen
are ready to help at any time.
B) The other forcing line, which releases the tension, is 30.Nxg6 Qxg6 31.Bxd6 R8xd6µ but in that
case White ends up with a passive bishop on a2.
30...d2 31.Qe3
The other option is 31.Qe2 which has the advantage of controlling the queening square one extra time.
Caruana opts for a more active continuation and sets a little trap (see line after 31...Bxe5).
31...Bc2!
An excellent move, which increases the pressure on White. Black would love to queen his d-pawn, but
unfortunately that doesn’t work right now.
After 31...Bxe5 32.Bxe5 d1=Q
593
Position after: 32...d1=Q
33.Raxd1! [precision is still required, since the immediate 33.Rh8+? doesn’t work in view of 33...Kf7!
34.Qf4+ Bf5 35.Rxd1 Qxh8 36.Rxd5 Rxd5 37.gxf5 Qh6 and Black is actually winning, because of the
miserable bishop on a2] 33...Rxd1 34.Rh8+! Kf7 [34...Kxh8 35.Qh6+ Kg8 36.Qxg7#] 35.Qf4+ Ke7
36.Rxe8+ Rxe8 37.Bxg7 White has a decisive advantage.
32.Rad1
Position after: 32.Rad1
594
32...Bxd1?
A serious positional mistake, as the bishop on c2 is more active than the rook on d1. It seems to me that
Black should have maintained the tension with 32...Bb8! when it turns out that White has hardly any
good option. The d-pawn is well supported by the two rooks, which means that the rook can’t leave d1
and the move Bb1 has been ruled out. It should be mentioned that the bishop can’t be challenged at all, as
33.Qc3? runs into 33...Bxd1 34.Rxd1 Bxe5 35.Bxe5 Rd3 36.Qc2 Qf7 and Black wins as the pawn on f3
drops.
33.Rxd1 Bxe5 34.Bxe5
Position after: 34.Bxe5
34...Rd3?
Consistently played, but we will see that the rook on d3 ends up in some trouble. Also after 34...Qg6
35.Bb1 Qh6 White retains a massive advantage with 36.Bf4!. The two bishops are very dominant and
White could start thinking of a kingside attack or simply pick up the pawn on d2 at the right moment.
35.Qe4 R8d5 36.Bb1 Qf7 37.Bxd3 Rxd3 38.Qa8+ Qf8
Black is forced to exchange queens, because after 38...Kh7 39.Rh1+ Kg6 40.Qe4+ mate will follow
soon.
39.Qxf8+ Kxf8 40.Bc3 Ke7
595
41.Kf2
White shouldn’t be too greedy; 41.Bxg7? b4 and White needs to give up his bishop to stop the march of
the queenside pawns.
41...g6 42.Rxd2 Rxd2+ 43.Bxd2 Kd6 44.Bb4+ Kd5 45.Ke3 Ke5 46.Bd2!
The point of this move will soon be revealed.
46...Kd5 47.f4 Kc5 48.Ke4 b4 49.Ke5
596
49...a5
Now after 49...c3 50.bxc3 b3 White has 51.Bc1! Kc4 52.Kxe6 Kxc3 53.f5 gxf5 54.gxf5 Kc2 55.Ba3 b2
56.Bxb2 Kxb2 57.f6 a5 58.f7 a4 59.f8=Q and White wins by one tempo; with a pawn on a2 it would
have been a theoretical draw.
50.Kxe6 Kd4 51.f5 gxf5 52.gxf5 Kd3 53.Bf4 a4 54.f6
597
54...b3
54...c3 is met by 55.f7 cxb2 56.f8=Q b1=Q 57.Qf5+ and White picks up the new queen.
55.f7 c3 56.bxc3
Black resigned here, in view of 56...b2 57.f8=Q b1=Q 58.Qf5+. White could have simply played
56.f8=Q, but the text also suffices.
1-0
Geller, Efim (2540)
Eingorn, Vereslav (2525)
Riga 1985
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Bc2 g6 13.d5 Ne7 14.Nf1 Bg7 15.b3
Position after: 15.b3
Often in Spanish structures a lack of space can become fatal for Black in the long run. A piece sacrifice
with the intention of destroying White’s centre is a frequently seen guest in the Breyer Variation.
Rather than giving a theoretical overview of the current state of this particular opening variation, I prefer
to show you two examples where ideas for both sides are applied in practice.
15...Nxe4 16.Bxe4 f5 17.Bc2 e4
17...Nxd5 18.b4!?
598
Position after: 18.b4!?
Active play is often the key to success! The bishop can now be employed on b3, while the b-pawn also
stops a quick mobilization of Black’s pawn centre. 18...Nxc3 [After 18...c5 19.bxc5 dxc5 the move
20.c4!? comes to mind, when Black needs to make another concession concerning his pawn structure.]
19.Bb3+ d5 20.Qc2 Ne4 21.Rxe4! fxe4 22.Ng5 Great play by the future World Champion Magnus
Carlsen. Thanks to this counter-sacrifice White establishes more grip in the centre. 22...a5 23.bxa5 Rxa5
24.Nxe4 Kh8 25.Bg5 Qc8 26.Nf6 Rd8 27.Ne3 e4 [27...c6 allows 28.Qc5! and Black can’t advance his
pawns, e.g. 28...e4 29.Qe7 Rf8 30.Neg4!+– and in view of the threat 31.Bh6 Black is forced to give up
more material.] 28.Rc1 h6
599
29.Nxe4! dxe4 [29...hxg5 30.Nxg5 Ra6 (otherwise g6 would be hanging) 31.Nf7+ Kg8 32.Nxd8 Qxd8
33.Qxc7 and White is technically winning.] 30.Bxd8 Qxd8 31.Qxc7 Qxc7 32.Rxc7 Ba6 33.Nd5 b4
34.Ra7 Bd4 35.Ra8+ Kh7 36.Nxb4 Rf5 37.Rxa6 Rxf2 38.Rd6 Rd2+ 39.Kf1 e3 40.Rxd4 Rxd4 41.Nd5
Rd3 42.Ke1 h5 43.Bc4 Rd4 44.Nxe3 Kh6 45.a4 Kg5 46.a5 Kf4 47.Kf2 Rd2+ 48.Be2 Ke4 49.a6 Ra2
50.h4 1-0 Carlsen – Navara, Dresden 2008. A true model game of how to deal with such an impressive-
looking pawn centre!
18.Nd4 Nxd5
Position after: 18...Nxd5
19.Ne2?
This is way too passive. Much more challenging is 19.Bd2 c5 [19...b4 can be answered with 20.c4! Bxd4
21.cxd5 Bxa1 22.Qxa1 and Black needs to watch out for his weaknesses on the dark squares] 20.Ne2 and
White has clearly a favourable version of the game, as Black right now has only two pawns for the piece.
Furthermore, the pawn on c3 is playing a crucial role in stopping a possible march of Black’s central
chain.
19...Nxc3 20.Nxc3 Bxc3
600
Position after: 20...Bxc3
21.Rb1
White is losing momentum. He should have gone for 21.Bd2! After 21...Bxa1 22.Qxa1 we get a position
where Black has three pawns and a rook for the bishop and knight. Normally speaking this would be
considered favourable for Black, but here other factors should be taken into account as well, particularly
king safety which plays a crucial role in evaluating the position.
Black would be in excellent condition once he managed to bring pawns to c5 and d4 (as in the game), but
that’s not the case here yet. For example 22...c5 23.b4!? and White aims to establish a firm grip on the
dark squares. The position looks very doubled-edged and the engines’ 0.00 evaluation is not much of a
help here either. Although anything could still happen, I tend to prefer White here. When going back to
the position after 21.Bd2! perhaps Black should refrain from giving up the pride of his position and
instead retreat the bishop to some square on the long dark diagonal.
21...c5!
Power play by Black! As we have seen in so many positions before, you shouldn’t automatically regain
even part of your investments. The bishop on c3 is much more useful than the rook on e1, and after
21...Bxe1? 22.Qxe1 White is not worse at all.
22.Bb2 Bxb2 23.Rxb2 d5 24.Qc1 d4
601
Sometimes dreams can come true: just look at Black’s impressive pawn chain! Black has three pawns for
the knight and, more importantly, the white pieces are inactive and not able to pose any threats against
Black’s position. Of course, it would be very tempting to march forward with those pawns, but keep in
mind that every pawn move you make cannot be taken back!
Hence, Black shouldn’t hurry at all but should ensure that all his pieces are participating and supporting
the further advance of the central majority. Concretely Black has in mind to centralize the major pieces
and try to break through in the centre. After all, that’s the part of board where he has an overwhelming
advantage. It’s worth mentioning that White is unable to take advantage of Black’s weakened kingside.
Since there are no open files, ranks or diagonals, the white pieces aren’t in great shape and cannot exploit
the weaknesses in Black’s camp.
25.Bd1 Qd6 26.Rc2 Rac8 27.Qg5 Qe5 28.h4 f4 29.Bg4 Qxg5 30.hxg5 Rc7 31.Rd1 d3 32.Rc3 Re5 33.f3
602
33...e3 34.Rcxd3 e2 35.Re1 exf1=Q+ 36.Kxf1 Rxg5
Position after: 36...Rxg5
Black has regained the piece and emerges with two extra pawns. The rest is relatively simple and Eingorn
converts without any technical difficulties.
37.Kf2 Kg7 38.Rd7+ Rxd7 39.Bxd7 Kf7 40.a4 Bd5 41.Bc8 Bxb3 42.a5 c4 43.Bxa6 c3 44.Bb7 b4
45.Ra1 Bd5 46.Bxd5+
603
0-1
Long-term assets
When pawns are still placed on their initial squares they hardly play an active role, though they do a good
job protecting their own king. The influence of pawns increases as they move forward and hence the
chess phrase ’’pawns need to be pushed’’ certainly makes some sense, especially when we go through the
transformation of middlegame to endgame.
Mednis, Edmar
Kerr, Derwin
Oklahoma City 1956
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qf3 Nbd7 8.0-0-0 Qc7 9.Qg3 b5
10.Bxb5 axb5 11.Ndxb5 Qb8 12.Nxd6+ Bxd6 13.Qxd6 Qxd6 14.Rxd6
Position after: 14.Rxd6
After the piece sacrifice on b5 White has also snatched a third pawn by taking on d6. For most Sicilian
Najdorf players quite a standard type of position has arisen. The main question is whether those three
connected passed pawns on the queenside are worth a piece. Once they start rolling they will definitely
have their impact and become serious players to reckon with. Hence, it’s Black’s task to stop them from
advancing. Black’s next move is a serious mistake, since after the exchange of rooks it will be much
easier for White to get his queenside expansion started.
14...Ra6?
In the majority of games Black has opted for 14...h6.
604
A) 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.f3 Rg8 17.Rd2 Ke7 18.b3 Ne5 19.a4 Ba6 20.Nd1 Rab8 21.Ne3 h5 22.Kb2 h4
23.h3 Rgc8=
Position after: 23...Rgc8=
The position is dynamically balanced, Milov – Khenkin, Pardubice 1993. The white pawns are
restrained by both the black rooks, but at the same time Black is unable to improve his position any
further as the only weaknesses in White’s pawn structure (pawns on c2 and g2) are well defended.
B) 15.Bd2
605
B1) 15...Bb7 16.f3 0-0? (another serious positional error. The black king needs to stay in the centre, so
that it’s closer to the queenside pawns) 17.b3 Rfc8 18.Kb2 Nc5 19.Be3 e5 20.Rhd1 Ne6 21.Rb6 Bc6
22.Nd5 Bxd5 23.exd5 Nc5 24.Rb5 Nfd7 25.c4 e4 26.Bxc5 Nxc5 27.fxe4 Nxe4 28.d6
Position after: 28.d6
28...Rxa2+? [According to the machine 28...Rc6 would have been more stubborn, but looking at
White’s pawns on the queenside I wouldn’t feel relieved here if I were sitting behind the black pieces.]
29.Kxa2 Nc3+ 30.Ka3 Nxd1 31.c5 and Black is totally lost: 31...Nc3 32.Ra5 Nd5 33.c6 Nf6 34.Ra6
Kf8 35.b4 Ke8 36.b5 Nd7 37.Ra7 Rb8 38.Rxd7 Rxb5 39.Ra7 Rb8 40.d7+ Ke7 41.d8=Q+ Kxd8
42.c7+ 1-0 Bronstein – Najdorf, Buenos Aires 1954.
B2) 15...Ke7 16.Rd4 Ba6 17.Re1 e5 18.Rb4 Rhc8 19.f3 Rc6 20.Be3 Ke6 21.Rd1 Ne8 22.Nd5 Rac8
23.Rd2 Nd6 24.b3 f5 25.exf5+ Nxf5 26.Bg1 Bf1 27.c4 g5 28.Ra4 Rd6 29.Ra7 Nh4 30.Nc7+ Ke7
31.Nd5+ Ke6 32.Nc7+ Ke7 33.Nd5+
606
Position after: 33.Nd5+
½-½ Tinture – Sadowski ICCF email 2015. Some lessons to be learned from this correspondence
game: 1) With two rooks it›s easier to stop the queenside majority. 2) The black king is better off in
the centre than on the kingside (compare Bronstein – Najdorf). 3) All the attention has been paid to
actions on the queenside, but don›t forget to look for counterplay on the other wing. Thanks to the
knight on h4 and bishop on f1 White is forced to make a repetition of moves.
15.Rxa6 Bxa6
607
Position after: 15...Bxa6
16.f3 Kd8
16...Ke7 is more logical, to bring the rook into play as quickly as possible.
17.Rd1 Kc7 18.Bf4+ e5 19.Be3 Re8 20.a4 Re6 21.b4!
With only one black rook on the queenside it’s much easier for White to push the pawns.
21...Bc4 22.Kb2 Rd6 23.Ra1
It’s probably even stronger to initiate the exchange of pieces as follows: 23.Nb5+! Bxb5 24.Rxd6 Kxd6
25.axb5 and I don’t see a good defensive plan for Black to deal with White’s idea of playing c2-c4-c5
followed by Kb3-c4 etc.
23...Kb7
608
Black should have searched for counterplay by challenging the pawns on the kingside.
A good start is 23...Nh5!? intending to play ...Nf4 and clear the sixth rank for the rook. At least then
things would not be as simple as in the game. If you look at Mednis’ next 10 moves or so, chess
sometimes seems so simple!
24.b5 Ne8 25.Ka3 f6 26.Kb4 Bf7 27.a5 Nc7 28.a6+ Kb8 29.Rd1
Anyway!
29...Rxd1 30.Nxd1 Ne6 31.c3 Nf4 32.Bxf4 exf4 33.Nb2 Kc7 34.c4 Ne5 35.c5 Be8 36.c6
609
36...Kb8
A) There is no chance for Black to get rid of those queenside pawns, e.g. 36...Bxc6 37.bxc6 Kxc6
38.Nc4 Nd3+ 39.Ka5+– and the a-pawn will eventually decide, while after
B) 36...Nxc6+ 37.bxc6 Bxc6 38.Kc5+– Black can’t eliminate the a-pawn either.
37.Nc4 Nxc4 38.Kxc4 g5 39.Kc5
1-0
610
Show in Text Mode
Exercises
Now that you have worked through all the material from chapters 1-11 it’s time to test and challenge
yourself. These 40 positions have been carefully selected and in my opinion perfectly match the content
of this book. Some excercises are relatively easy to solve, others may be really difficult. In any case,
please don’t feel discouraged if you fail to solve them. The most important thing is to enjoy and learn
from this work, and therefore I have presented the solutions in depth. Good luck!
1
Ris, R. – Kamsky, G.
Reykjavik, 2017
Black to move
How do you evaluate the opposite-coloured bishop ending after taking on g4?
Show/Hide Solution
After
44...Bxg4 45.hxg4
611
I had missed that Black could play
45...Bb6!
when White can’t stop Black from getting two connected passed pawns. 45...Bxg3 should be an easy
draw.
46.Bh7 Kg7 47.Bd3 e5 48.Bf5 Bxd4+ 49.Kd3 Kf6 50.Bh7 Bb6
Black continues with ...e4, ...Ke5, ...d4-d3 etc. when sooner or later I am forced to give up my bishop.
0-1
2
Caruana, F. – Ding, L.
Berlin, 2018
White to move
How should White play here?
Show/Hide Solution
66.Re5?
This was the move played in the game.
612
White missed a great opportunity with 66.Nf8+! Kg8 67.h6!, probably overlooking that in case of
67...Kxf8 68.h7 Nxe6+ 69.Kg3 the h-pawn is out of Black’s reach.
66.Re5? Be8 67.e7
The players agreed to a draw, in view of 67.e7 Nc6 and soon the e-pawn will be eliminated.
½-½
3
Centurini
White to move
Can you find the winning plan for White?
Show/Hide Solution
The a7-b8 diagonal is too short for the black bishop and hence White can bring his opponent into
zugzwang. For example:
1.Bg5 Kb6
After 1...Bg3 2.Be3 the bishop is going unhindered to a7 and b8 and the win is pretty simple: 2...Bh2
3.Ba7 Bg3 4.Bb8 Bf2 5.Bh2 Ba7 6.Bg1 and the diagonal a7-b8 is too short for Black’s bishop.
613
2.Be3+ Ka6 3.Bc5
A very useful waiting move; it soon becomes clear why.
3...Bg3
3...Kb5 4.Ba7! Now White gets what he wants. 4...Kc6 5.Bb8 Bg1 6.Bg3 Ba7 7.Bf2.
4.Be7 Kb6
4...Bh2 allows 5.Bd8 followed by Bc7.
5.Bd8+ Kc6 6.Bh4!
If the black bishop were still on h2 White would not be able to gain this valuable tempo to reach the a7-
g1 diagonal.
6...Bh2 7.Bf2
And White wins, e.g.
7...Be5 8.Ba7 Bg3 9.Bb8 Bf2 10.Bh2 Ba7 11.Bg1+–
4
Ris, R. – Archangelsky, M.
Hoogeveen, 2010
614
White to move
Do you see a constructive plan for White?
Show/Hide Solution
All my pieces are optimally placed, while Black’s have been paralyzed on the back rank. I am quite
satisfied with the plan of improving the position of my king.
23.Kb3! Kg7 24.Kb4 Kf6 25.Ka5 Ke7 26.Rd4 Rd8 27.Rc7+ Rd7 28.Rdxd7+ Bxd7 29.Bc6 Kd6
30.Rb7!
A key move, perfectly fitting into White’s strategy of suppressing any counterplay. Less convincing is
30.Rxd7+ Kxc6 31.Rxf7 Rd8 followed by ...Rd2 with reasonable counterchances for Black. With the text
I’m forcing the exchange of rooks, leaving Black with pawn weaknesses on a6 and b5.
30...Rxb7 31.Bxb7 Kc5 32.b4+ Kd4 33.Bxa6 Bc6 34.Bxb5 Bd5 35.a4 Kc3 36.Kb6 Kxb4 37.a5 Ba8
38.a6
1-0
615
Markowski, T. – Ragger, M.
Warsaw, 2012
White to move
Show your technique!
Show/Hide Solution
In the game White made a serious mistake by playing
72.Kf5?
White should have played 72.Rf8! cutting off the king along the f-file. White wins after e.g. 72...g3
73.Ke5 Kh1 74.Kf4 g2 75.Rh8+ Kg1 76.Kg3 Kf1 77.Rf8+ Kg1 78.Rf7! (78.Rf2? Kh1 79.Rxg2
stalemate!) 78...Kh1 79.Rh7+ Kg1 80.Rh2 and White picks up the pawn.
72.Kf5? Kf3!
It is thematic for these types of ending to prevent the enemy king from approaching the pawn. Of course,
not 72...g3? 73.Kg4 Kf2 74.Rf8+ Kg2 75.Rf3 and White wins easily.
73.Kg5 g3 74.Rf8+ Ke2 75.Re8+ Kf2 76.Rf8+ Ke2 77.Re8+ Kf2 78.Rf8+ Ke2 79.Kh4 g2 80.Rg8 Kf2
½-½
616
6
Michiels, B. – Hirneise, T.
Solingen, 2012
White to move
How does White win?
Show/Hide Solution
55.Kf5?
Throwing away the win. Precision was required, as White should not let his king get shouldered away by
its counterpart. Hence, 55.Rd3+! Kg2 (55...Kg4 56.Ke3 Kg3 57.Ke2+ Kg2 58.Rd5 g4 59.Rd4 and White
succeeds in getting his king in front of the pawns) 56.Kf5 h3 57.Kg4! h2 58.Rd2+ Kg1 59.Kg3 h1=N+
(59...h1=Q 60.Rd1#) 60.Kf3 g4+ 61.Kxg4 and usually rook vs. knight is drawn, but this specific position
is theoretically lost due to the poor placement of Black’s forces: 61...Nf2+ (61...Kf1 62.Kf3 Kg1 63.Rc2
and Black is in zugzwang) 62.Kf3 Nh3 (62...Nh1 63.Rc2+–) 63.Kg3 and Black can’t deal with the
threats of both 64.Kxh3 and 64.Rd1#.
55.Kf5? h3 56.Rd3+
617
Position after: 56.Rd3+
56...Kh4!
A marvellous resource, preventing White’s king from getting closer. White had probably only counted on
56...Kg2? 57.Kg4! when he wins as mentioned in the previous note.
57.Rd8 Kg3 58.Rd3+ Kh4 59.Rd4+ Kg3 60.Kxg5 h2 61.Rd1 Kg2 62.Rd2+ Kg3
½-½
7
Topalov, V. – Beliavsky, A.
Linares, 1995
618
White to move
Do you know the winning idea for White?
Show/Hide Solution
72.Kb6!
72.b6? allows 72...Ra5+! (but not 72...Rxa6? 73.b7 and the b-pawn queens) 73.Kc6 Rxa6 with a draw.
72.Kb6! Kd2 73.Ka7!
White wins, e.g. 73...Kc3 74.b6 Kc4 75.b7 Rb1 76.b8=Q Rxb8 77.Kxb8 Kb5 78.a7+–.
But 73.a7? doesn’t suffice, in view of 73...Kc3 74.Kb7 Kc4 75.b6 Kc5 76.a8=Q Rxa8 77.Kxa8 Kxb6=.
1-0
8
Van Kerkhof, D. – Erwich, F.
Netherlands, 2012
619
Black to move
Can Black hold the ending?
Show/Hide Solution
Yes, but precision is required!
49...Kf4?
A horrible blunder. Black should first have played 49...f4! 50.Kb6 and only then 50...Kf3! when Black
gains an important tempo. (In case of 50...f3? the black king ends up on the wrong side of the pawn:
51.Kc5 Kg3 52.Kd4 f2 53.Ke3 and White wins.) 51.Kc5 Ke3!
620
Position after: 51...Ke3!
52.Kc4 f3 53.Re6+ (53.Kc3 f2 is drawn too: 54.Re6+ Kf3 55.Rf6+ Kg2.) 53...Kd2! 54.Rf6 Ke2 And the
white king is unable to approach.
49...Kf4? 50.Kb6 Ke4 51.Kc5 f4 52.Kc4
Not 52.Re6+? Kd3! and the white king can’t reach the pawn.
52...Ke3 53.Kc3 f3 54.Re6+
Black resigned, since the white king is standing too close, e.g. 54...Kf2 55.Kd2 Kg2 56.Rg6+ Kf2
57.Rf6 Kg2 58.Ke3 and the f-pawn falls.
1-0
9
Yu Yangyi – Bu Xiangzhi
Danzhou, 2018
621
White to move
Do you see a way out for White?
Show/Hide Solution
66.Nh6+?
White could have saved the game by liquidating into a drawn rook vs. pawn ending. 66.Nxe5!
A) 66...Rxe5 67.Kf7 Ra5 68.g7 Ra7+ and since White has a knight’s pawn he has two ways to secure a
draw: 69.Kg8 (69.Kf8 Kf6 70.g8=N+! Ke6 71.Nh6!= with a theoretical draw) 69...Kg6 70.Kh8 Rxg7
stalemate!
B) 66...Kxe5 67.Kf7 Rf1+ 68.Ke7!
622
Position after: 68.Ke7!
and Black can’t make progress, e.g. 68...Rg1 69.Kf7=.
66.Nh6+? Ke6 67.Nf7
67.Kh7 Rg1 68.g7 e4 69.g8=Q+ Rxg8 70.Kxg8 e3 And the e-pawn can’t be stopped.
67...e4 68.Ng5+ Ke7 69.Kh7
623
69...Rh1+!
69...e3? 70.g7 Rh1+ 71.Kg6 only leads to a draw.
70.Kg8 e3
White resigned, in view of 71.g7 e2 72.Nf3 and now 72...Ke8! with zugzwang is a cute finish.
0-1
10
Shirov, A. – Radjabov, T.
Linares, 2004
Black to move
Because of mating threats Black should take on e6, but how? With the queen or with the rook?
Show/Hide Solution
33...Qxe6?
According to Shirov a crucial mistake. He points out that after 33...Rxe6 34.Qh5+ (34.Qxe7? Rxe7
35.Rxe7 Rc8 is excellent for Black) 34...Kg7 35.Rg5+ Qxg5 36.Qxg5+ Rg6 37.Qe5+ Kg8 38.Qxd4 Rf7
39.g3 Rfg7
624
Position after: 39...Rfg7
it’s a fortress. White has two extra pawns on the kingside, but they can’t advance. The rooks are
excellently placed, as they also defend the vulnerable pawns on the queenside. After the text White has
been enabled to push his pawns on the kingside.
33...Qxe6? 34.Rxe6 Rxe6 35.Qg4+ Kf7 36.Qxd4 a6 37.g4 Rg8 38.f3 Rf6 39.Kf2 Re8 40.Qc4+ Kg7
41.Qxa6 Ref8 42.Qd3 c5 43.a4 Ra8 44.Qc3 Kg6 45.Qxc5 Rfa6
45...Rxa4 46.Qc2++–
46.Kg3 Rxa4 47.Qd6+ Kf7 48.g5 R8a6 49.Qd7+ Kg6 50.f4 Ra1 51.Qd3+
Inferior is 51.Kg4? because of 51...Rg1+ 52.Kf3 Ra3+ 53.Kf2 Rga1=.
51...Kg7 52.Qd4+ Kg8 53.Kg4 R1a2
625
Position after: 53...R1a2
54.Qd8+
54.f5? R2a4 should be avoided!
54...Kg7 55.Qc7+ Kg8 56.f5 Ra7 57.Qd8+ Kg7 58.f6+ Kh7 59.Qd3+ Kh8 60.Kf5 Ra8 61.Qh3+ Kg8
62.Kg6 R2a7 63.Qe6+ Kf8 64.Qd6+ Kg8 65.Qd5+ Kh8 66.Qh1+
And Black resigned. A sample line: 66...Kg8 67.f7+ Kf8 68.Qh8+ Ke7 69.f8=Q+ Rxf8 70.Qg7+ Ke8
71.Qxa7+–.
1-0
626
Show in Text Mode
11
Cmilyte, V. – Lahno, K.
Wijk aan Zee, 2012
Black to move
How should Black defend?
Show/Hide Solution
As in the game Kritz – Ris (Chapter 7) Black is best advised to double his rooks on the sixth rank. The
game went
43...Rd7 44.Qf8 Rdd6 45.Qf7+ Kh8 46.Kf3 Rc6
Fortunately Black has sufficient reserve moves at his disposal.
47.a4 Rcd6 48.Ke2
After 48.b5 axb5 49.axb5 Black has a choice between a technical solution in 49...Rb6 and a tactical one:
(49...Rxe3+! 50.Kxe3 Rd3+ with stalemate to follow).
627
48...Rc6 49.b5
White can’t activate his king with 49.Kd3 in view of 49...Red6+!.
49...axb5 50.axb5 Rcd6
50...Rb6? fails to 51.Kd3! and the king comes over to support the b-pawn.
51.Kf3
51...Rxe3+!
51...Rb6 also suffices, but the text forces an immediate draw.
52.Kxe3 Rd3+ 53.Ke2 Rd2+ 54.Ke1 Rd1+ 55.Kf2 Rd2+ 56.Kg3 Rd3+ 57.Kh4 Rh3+ 58.Kxh3
½-½
12
Leko, P. – Kramnik, V.
Brissago, 2004
628
White to move
Can you explain why Leko’s move 44.Qf4 is a mistake? What should White have played instead?
Show/Hide Solution
44.Qf4?
Probably it had been White’s intention to play for an attack with moves like h6 and Qf6. However, much
better would have been trading off pawns, because after 44.hxg6 hxg6 it’s not easy for Black to make any
progress. The black king is also quite vulnerable in view of possible checks on the h-file.
44.Qf4? g5! 45.Qf6 h6!
629
Missed by Leko!
46.f3
The problem is that White can’t take on h6 with 46.Qxh6? because of 46...R8a6! and the queen is
trapped.
46...R5a6
Black has managed to keep his three pawns on the board. Next step is conquering the pawn on f3.
47.Qc3 Ra4 48.Qc6 R8a6 49.Qe8+ Kg7 50.Qb5
50.Qe5+ only helps Black, in view of 50...Rf6 followed by Raf4 and taking on f3.
50...R4a5 51.Qb4 Rd5
51...Re5? isn’t good, because of 52.Qd4 Rae6 (52...f6? even loses to 53.Qd7+ Kf8 54.Qc8+) 53.f4! and
White manages to solve his weakness on f3.
52.Qb3 Rad6 53.Qc4 Rd3 54.Kf2 Ra3 55.Qc5 Ra2+ 56.Kg3 Rf6 57.Qb4 Raa6 58.Kg2
630
A) 58.Qd4 Ra3!–+
B) 58.Qc3 Ra4! followed by Raf4.
58...Rf4! 59.Qb2+ Raf6 60.Qe5
The pawn ending wins easily, e.g. 60.Qc3 Rxf3 61.Qxf3 Rxf3 62.Kxf3 Kf6 63.Ke4 Ke6 64.Kf3 Ke5
65.Ke3 f5 66.gxf5 Kxf5 67.Kf3 g4+ 68.Kg3 Kg5–+.
60...Rxf3 61.Qa1 Rf1 62.Qc3 R1f2+ 63.Kg3
63.Kg1 R2f4 64.Qc8 Rd4 65.Kg2 Rff4–+
63...R2f3+ 64.Qxf3 Rxf3+ 65.Kxf3 Kf6
and Black wins as in the line after 60.Qc3.

0-1
13
Brandenburg, D. – Ris, R.
Hengelo, 1999
631
Black to move
How should Black deal with White’s early aggression?
Show/Hide Solution
15...Nxe4!
A) After both 15...Nh5? 16.Nd5 and

B) 15...Ne8? 16.Nd5 Black is under pressure.
15...Nxe4! 16.Nxe4 Bxf5
Black has sacrificed a piece for two pawns but the two bishops are giving me excellent attacking
prospects.
17.Bd3
After 17.Ng3 it was my intention to play 17...Na5! (though actually 17...Nb4! is even stronger) 18.Nxa5
(18.Nxf5 Nxb3+ 19.Kb1 Nxd2+–+) 18...Qxc2+ 19.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 20.Kb1 Rxb2+ 21.Kc1 Rc8+–+.
17...Ne5 18.Nf2
18.Kb1 Nc4 19.Bxc4 bxc4 and I will regain the piece.
18...Nc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4
632
It’s just game over.
20.Rdg1 Qxb3 21.Kd1 Rxc2 22.Qb4 Qa2 23.Ke1 Rxb2 24.Qf4 Rb1+ 25.Nd1 Qc2 26.Qf3 Bc3+
0-1
14
Le Quang Liem – Nakamura, H.
Saint Louis, 2017
Black to move
How to approach the queenside pawns? With 70...Kc3 or 70...Ke4?
Show/Hide Solution
70...Ke4??
A big mistake, which can’t be repaired. Correct is 70...Kc3! and now 71.a4 Kb3 72.a5 Ka4 73.Kb6
(73.a6? Ka5! and Black even wins) 73...Bg2 (73...Be2?? 74.a6 Bxb5 75.a7 and the pawn can’t be
stopped) 74.a6 Kb4 75.a7 Ba8! (75...Bf3? fails to 76.Ka6 Kc5 77.b6+–) 76.Kc7 (76.Ka6? allows
76...Kc5 77.b6 Kc6–+) 76...Kxb5 77.Kb8 Be4 78.a8=Q Bxa8 79.Kxa8= and the ensuing pawn ending is
a draw.
70...Ke4?? 71.a4 Ke5 72.a5 Ke6
633
73.Kb6!!
A) 73.b6? Kd7=
B) 73.a6 Kd7=
73...Be2
73...Kd7 74.Ka7 Be4 75.b6 Kc8 76.a6+–
74.Kc6!
74.a6?? Kd7–+
74...Ke7
74...Bf3+ 75.Kc7+–
75.b6
And Black resigned, in view of 75...Kd8 (or 75...Bf3+ 76.Kc7) 76.b7 Bf3+ 77.Kb6+–.
1-0
15
Mamedyarov, S. – Reinderman, D.
634
Warsaw, 2005
White to move
How do you evaluate the sequence 13.Nd5 Na6 14.gxf4 c6 15.fxe5 cxd5 16.exd5 ?
Show/Hide Solution
13.Nd5 Na6 14.gxf4 c6 15.fxe5! cxd5 16.exd5
635
Position after: 16.exd5
White has an overwhelming pawn centre for the sacrificed piece and the main problem for Black is that
his pieces can barely move. Once again the main priority of such a massive pawn centre is to restrict the
mobility of the opponent’s pieces, but of course queening one of the pawns always remains an option too.
Perhaps Black’s play could have been improved over the course of the next few moves, but his position is
quite difficult to handle anyway.
16...b5 17.Re1 bxc4 18.bxc4 Rf4 19.Qc1 Qf8 20.e6 Bxb2 21.Qxb2 Nf5
21...Rb8 22.Qd2 Rxf3 23.e7! is a nice tactical shot.
22.Rad1 Nc5 23.Ne5 Bb7 24.Nd7 Nxd7 25.exd7 Rb8 26.d6 Nxd6
26...Bxg2 is met by 27.Qxb8 Qxb8 28.Re8++–.
27.Rxd6 Qxd6 28.Bxb7 Rff8
28...Qxd7 29.Bd5+ And White wins.
29.Re7!!
Position after: 29.Re7!!
And Black resigned after this beautiful move. 29...Qxe7 30.Bd5+ Rf7 31.Qxb8+ Kg7 32.Bxf7
(32.d8=Q?? Qe1+ 33.Kh2 Rxf2+ 34.Bg2 Rxg2+=) 32...Qe1+ 33.Kg2 Qe4+ 34.Kh2 and there is no
perpetual.
1-0
636
16
Aronian, L. – Naiditsch, A.
Baden-Baden, 2017
White to move
How do you evaluate the opposite-coloured bishop ending after the exchange of queens?
Show/Hide Solution
37.Qxb7+! Kxb7 38.f4
Let’s see what Aronian has to say about this endgame: ’’The white plan is simple: force h7-h6, achieve
the pawn structure h5-g4-f4-e5, hold up Black’s queenside pawns on a5-b4 and push forward g4-g5.
Although some strong players were of the opinion that Black could hold on here, I would gladly get this
position again because of late I have had less and less belief in fortresses.’’
38...Kc6 39.Kf2 a5 40.Kf3 a4 41.Bf5
An important move, creating a weakness on the kingside.
41...h6
41...g6 42.Be6 Bc3 43.e5 b4 44.Ke4 h5 (Or else by means of g3-g4 and f4-f5 White creates a pair of
passed pawns.) 45.Kd3 White will play Be6-f7 and collect the pawns.
637
42.Bg6
The bishop is aiming for e8, where it would hold everything together.
42...Kd7 43.e5 Bc5 44.Bd3 Kc6 45.Bc2
45...Kd5
Although after 45...Bg1 46.h4 Kd5 47.h5 Bd4 48.Bg6 b4 49.Bf7+ Kc5 50.Ke4 Black manages to
exchange his a- and b-pawns for the a2-pawn, he does not manage to bring his king back to e7 in time.
46.Be4+
This decides everything because the white king gets to e4 and pushes the pawns forward.
46...Kc4 47.Bc6! Bg1 48.h4 Kc5 49.Be8 Bd4 50.h5 Bc3 51.Ke4 Be1 52.g4 Bd2 53.Kf5 a3 54.g5 b4
Also after 54...hxg5 55.fxg5 b4 56.Bf7 Kc6 the breakthrough 57.h6 gxh6 58.g6 decides the game.
55.Ba4 Kd5 56.gxh6 gxh6 57.Bb3+ Kc5 58.Ke4
And White’s connected passed pawns can’t be stopped.

1-0
638
17
Topalov, V. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
Leuven, 2016
White to move
A perpetual with Qg6-h7 or does White have more?
Show/Hide Solution
36.Qg6+?
A) This blitz game soon ended in a draw, but White missed a very nice win with 36.e5! and despite
being a full rook up Black is unable to defend. White intends to play Bg6 after which he can pick up
some material, and he also prepares for the rook to join the attack. Some variations: 36...Rfe8 (36...Rh8
runs into 37.Qg6+ Kg8 38.Be6+ Kf8 39.Qf7#; 36...Ra8 37.Bg6+ Ke7 38.Qxg7+ Kd8 39.Qxf8+ and
White wins; 36...Ke8 37.Qg6+ Rf7 38.e6 etc) 37.Ra1!
639
Position after: 37.Ra1!
(37.Bg6+? doesn’t make sense, in view of 37...Kf8 when things are not clear) 37...Rb7 (37...Re7
38.Be6+ Rxe6 39.Ra7+ Re7 40.Rxe7+ Kxe7 41.Qxg7+ Ke8 42.d6 with mate to follow) 38.Bg6+ Kf8
39.Bxe8 and White wins.
B) Another option is 36.Ra1 but this requires some brilliant calculation: 36...Ra8 37.Rxa8 Rxa8
38.Be6+! Kf6 (38...Ke7 39.Qxg7+ Kd6 40.b6!) 39.Qf5+ Ke7 40.d6+ Kxd6 41.Qd5+ Ke7 42.Qd7+
Kf6 43.Bf5 and Black is getting mated.
36.Qg6+? Kg8 37.Qh7+
½-½
18
Polgar, J. – Edouard, R.
Aix-les-Bains, 2011
640
White to move
Black has just played 35...h6. A good idea?
Show/Hide Solution
Black’s position was already quite unpleasant, but after the text it is soon all over:
36.h5! Rg8
A) The only way to avoid mate, because after all of 36...Bxg5 37.hxg6,
B) 36...hxg5 37.hxg6 and
C) 36...gxh5 37.g6 it’s going to be mate on h7.
37.Rd7 Rg7 38.Bf7!
A cute finish. Black can’t stop a white pawn from reaching g6. After, e.g. 38...gxh5 39.Rd8+ Kh7 40.g6+
Rxg6+ 41.Bxg6+ Kxg6 42.Rxd6+ White wins the house.
1-0
19
Korobov, A. – Kovchan, A.
Aix-les-Bains, 2011
641
White to move
Can White break through?
Show/Hide Solution
37.Re8!
and Black resigned, having seen 37...Rxe8 (37...Qa3 runs into 38.Qxf7+) 38.Qxf7+! (38.dxe8=Q+ Qxe8
is leading nowhere) 38...Qxf7 39.dxe8=Q+ and White wins.
1-0
20
Ris, R. – Mamedov, R.
Ürgüp, 2004
642
White to move
Isn’t 37.Bc4 just a very simple win?
Show/Hide Solution
What a mistake! I should have prepared this bishop check more carefully. After the text it’s just a draw.
37.Bc4??
A) I could have won by, for instance, first moving my rook away, not allowing the black rook to attack
my bishop. A convincing variation is 37.R5d7! Rb2 (37...Rxd8 38.Rxd8+ Kf7 39.Bc4+ Ke7 40.Rg8 and
White wins material) 38.Bc4+ Kh8 39.f6! Bh6 40.Rxf8+ Bxf8 41.Rd8 and mate is inevitable.
B) 37.f6 is also good, e.g. 37...Bxf6 38.Bc4! Bxd8 39.Rxd8+ Kg7 40.Rd7+ followed by 41.Bxa2.
37.Bc4?? Rc2! 38.Rc5+
After 38.Rxf8+?! Kxf8 White has to be careful.
38...Rxc4!
38...Kh8? 39.Rcc8! was my expectation.
39.Rxf8+ Kxf8 40.Rxc4 a2 41.Ra4 a1=Q 42.Rxa1
It’s a draw, as the bishop does not control the h1-square.
643
½-½
644
Show in Text Mode
21
Wang, Y. – Ding, L.
Danzhou, 2015
White to move
What is White’s winning plan?
Show/Hide Solution
53.Kd5 Bd2 54.Kc6 Ba5 55.Bd1 Kh6 56.b4!
645
The key move!
56...cxb4
56...Bxb4 57.Kxb6 and the a-pawn decides.
57.Bb3 Kg5 58.Kd5
And since the black bishop can’t move, the white king returns to the kingside to pick up the pawn on f4.
Only by playing ...b6-b5 is Black able to activate his bishop again, but then after axb5 the b-pawn will
decide.
1-0
22
Kramnik, V. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
Moscow, 2011
646
Black to move
How did Black manage to convert his advantage?
Show/Hide Solution
41...b4!
Obviously not 41...hxg6? 42.Bxg6 b4 43.Be8! a3 44.Bf7= and White gets his desired blockade.
41...b4! 42.Bc2
42.gxh7 loses to 42...b3 followed by ...a3-a2-a1=Q.
42...b3 43.gxh7
43.Bxb3 axb3 44.gxh7 Kb4 and after Black moves his bishop away from b2, his king supports the
advance of his remaining pawn.
43...Kb4!
647
Position after: 43...Kb4!
And the king protects the b-pawn and thus enables the a-pawn to queen. It would have been premature,
however, to play 43...bxc2? 44.Kxc2 Bh8 45.Kb1 Kb4 46.Ka2 and although Black’s bishop controls the
a1-square, White holds a draw by advancing his pawns on the kingside, forcing the black king to leave
the a-pawn.
0-1
23
Van Wely, L. – Kleiman, J.
Las Vegas, 2010
648
Black to move
How does Black take advantage of the exposed king on b3?
Show/Hide Solution
52...Rxc5! 53.Qd7
53.Qxc5 is met by 53...Qd1+ 54.Ka2 Bb1+ 55.Ka1 Bc2+ 56.Ka2 Qb1#.
53...Bd3 54.Qd4 Qd1+ 55.Kc3 Rxc4+ 56.Qxc4 Bxc4 57.Kxc4 Qe1
0-1
24
Dziuba, M. – Ris, R.
Dresden, 2014
649
Black to move
Is Black holding the blockade on d6 or ...?
Show/Hide Solution
Surprisingly Black has a tactic which decides the game in his favour:
38...Rxc6! 39.dxc6 Qa1+ 40.Re1 Rd1! 41.Kg1
41.Qe4 runs into 41...Bc3!–+.
41...Rxe1+
and a few moves later my opponent resigned.

0-1
25
Rogers, I. – Ris, R.
Gibraltar, 2007
650
Black to move
Can Black make use of his more actively placed pieces?
Show/Hide Solution
29...Qc6!
and White resigned, as he can’t deal with the mating threats on the back rank and g2:
30.Rxc6
30.Rd1 Rxe1+ 31.Rxe1 Qxg2#
30...Rxe1#
0-1
26
Vazquez Igarza, R. – Blomqvist, E.
Cappelle-la-Grande, 2015
651
White to move
How should White proceed?
Show/Hide Solution
30.d5! cxd5
30...exd5 31.Rxf5 drops the bishop.
31.c6 Rg7
31...bxc6 32.Rb8# is a cute mate.
32.Rfb2 Rhh7 33.Rb6 Bg6 34.Rxa6
And Black resigned, because of 34...bxa6 35.Rb8#. 1-0
27
Gurgenidze, B. – Averbakh, Y.
Baku, 1961
652
White to move
Black has just played 46...f5. Do you see White’s winning plan?
Show/Hide Solution
The rest of the game shows why Black’s last move seriously weakened his position.
47.Re1 Qc8 48.Ree7 Qh8
The queen is now forced to keep h7 protected. White has now time to mobilize his king.
49.f4 Qa1+ 50.Kh2 Qb2+ 51.Kh3 Qh8
51...Qh2+ 52.Kxh2 isn’t stalemate!
52.Rb7 Qg8 53.Rf7 Qh8 54.Kg2 Qg8 55.Kf2 Qh8 56.Ke2
56.Ke3?? Qc3+=
56...Qe8+ 57.Kd2
57.Kd3?? Qe4+!=
57...Qd8+ 58.Kc2
58.Kc3?? Qa5+=
653
58...Qc8+ 59.Rbc7 Qh8 60.Kd3 Qd8+ 61.Kc4 Qg8 62.Kc5 Qh8
The white king has become too active and a transition into a pawn ending decides the game.
63.Rh7+! Qxh7 64.Rxh7+ Kxh7 65.Kd5 Kg7 66.Ke6
And Black resigned, in view of 66...Kh7 67.Kf7 Kh6 68.Kg8 g5 69.hxg5+ Kg6 70.Kf8+– etc.
1-0
28
So, W. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
Paris, 2018
654
White to move
Can White just take the pawn on b6?
Show/Hide Solution
24.Qxb6!
White had calculated that he could meet
24...Re7
with
25.Rxe7! Qxb6
25...Qxe7 26.Kf1! and White is just a pawn up, though after 26...Qd8 matters aren’t as simple as in the
game continuation.
26.Rxf7+ Kh8 27.Rf8+ Kg7 28.Rf7+ Kh8 29.Rxf6
This position is just extremely good for White. His bishop is working well both in attack and defence and
the black queen doesn’t have any targets.
29...Qb4 30.Rxd6 Qxd2 31.Rc6 Qd4
31...Qxa2 32.Rxc5 Qxb3 33.Rxa5 is more stubborn perhaps, but certainly offers White excellent winning
655
chances.
32.Kg2 Kg7 33.Rc7+ Kh8 34.h4 h5 35.a4
ZUGWANG!! Black has to give up the defence of the c5-pawn. 1-0
29
Ris, R. – Maslak, K.
Rijeka, 2010
656
Black to move
I missed Black’s idea. Do you see it?
Show/Hide Solution
53...e3+! 54.Kxe3
54.Kxf3 Rf7 wins the bishop.
54...f2 55.Kxf2 Rf7 56.Kg3 Rxf6
The game is over. I just kept on playing a few more moves, but I’m not even close to any sort of drawing
chances.
57.h4 gxh4+ 58.Kxh4 Rxb6 59.Nb3 Kc4 60.Na5+ Kc3 61.g5 Rb5 62.Nc6 b3 63.g6 b2 64.g7 b1=Q
65.g8=Q Qh1+
0-1
30
Salem, A. – Sevian, S.
Wijk aan Zee, 2015
657
White to move
Do you see White’s killer move?
Show/Hide Solution
39.Rxe5
This was the move played in the game but 39.Rb6! is decisive, preventing the black rook from helping in
defence along the sixth rank. Black is helpless against the threat of Rh6 checkmate.
39.Rxe5 Qa1+ 40.Kh2 Ra6!
The game soon ended peacefully.

½-½
658
Show in Text Mode
31
Nepomniachtchi, I. – Wojtaszek, R.
Batumi, 2018
White to move
How does White exploit the absence of Black’s rook in defence?
Show/Hide Solution
38.Qa8+! Kh7
38...Kf7 39.Qe8+ Kf6 40.Re4! isn’t any better.
39.Re8! Qd3
Another instructive line: 39...Kg6 40.Qe4+ Kf7 41.Rc8 Qd7 42.Qf4+ Kg6 43.Rc7 and Black isn’t going
to survive, e.g. 43...Qe6 44.Qd4! and g7 can’t be defended.
40.Rh8+ Kg6 41.Qe8+
Black resigned, in view of 41...Kg5 42.f4+ Kf6 43.Rf8#.
659
1-0
32
Anand, V. – Delgado Ramirez, N.
Batumi, 2018
White to move
What is the most convincing way for White to proceed?
Show/Hide Solution
The weakened queenside can be exploited neatly by means of
24.Qe1! c5
Protecting the a5 square with 24...Qd5 allows 25.Qg3
25.Qa5! Qd4+ 26.Kh1
660
And Black resigned, in view of 26...Qd1+ 27.Kh2 Qd6+ (27...Qa4 28.Qxc5+ also wins) 28.g3 Re8
(28...Bc6 29.Qa8+ Qb8 30.Rc7+ Kd8 31.Qxb8#) 29.Qa8+ Qb8 30.Qxb8+ Kxb8 31.Rxd7+–
1-0
33
Howell, D. – Brunello, S.
Batumi, 2018
661
White to move
Is the rook really stronger than the two minor pieces?
Show/Hide Solution
White wins with the aid of a nice tactical idea:
38.g6+! Kf6
38...Kf8 39.Rd2 Ke7 transposes to the game.
39.Rd2! Ke7 40.f6+! gxf6
40...Kxf6 41.Rxd6++–
41.g7 Be6 42.Re2
662
And Black resigned, as the g-pawn is unstoppable: 42...Kf7 43.Rxe6!+–.

1-0
34
Caruana, F. – Mamedyarov, S.
Batumi, 2018
663
White to move
How does White take advantage of the exposed black king?
Show/Hide Solution
60.f4+! Kh5
A) 60...Kg4 61.Qxg6+ Kf3 runs into the quiet but deadly 62.Rd2! when there is no good defence for
Black: 62...Qe3 63.Qh5+ Kxg3 64.Qh2+ Kf3 65.Rf2+ Kg4 (65...Ke4 66.Qg2+ Kd3 67.Qd5+ and
mate) 66.Rg2+ Kf3 67.Rg3+ and White wins the queen.
B) 60...Kf6 61.Rf8+ and White wins.
61.Rd2!
61...Qg7
61...Qe3 62.Rh2+ Kg4 63.Qxg6+ Kf3 64.Qh5+ Ke4 65.Re2 and White wins the queen.
62.Rh2+ Kg4 63.Kg2! g5
63...Qxg8 64.Rh4#
64.Qe8
664
And Black resigned, in view of the dual mating threats on e2 and h5.
1-0
35
L’Ami, E. – Yu, Y.
Batumi, 2018
Black to move
Black to play and win!
Show/Hide Solution
In the game the Chinese grandmaster blundered horribly with
77...Bf5??
The right way to convert the extra pawn is as follows: 77...Bd3!

A) After 78.Kd2 only now does Black play 78...Bf5 79.Bxf5 (79.Bf1 Kf2–+) 79...g2 and the g-pawn
queens.
B) 78.Bf1 Bf5! 79.Bb5 (79.Kd2 Kf2 wins easily.) 79...Kg2! (79...g2? 80.Bc6+! draws.) 80.Bc6+ Kh2
81.Kf1 Bh3+ 82.Ke2 Bg2 And the white bishop can’t reach another diagonal to stop the g-pawn.
83.Bd7 Bb7–+.
665
77...Bf5?? 78.Bxf5 g2 79.Be4+!
Certainly missed by Black!
79...Kxe4 80.Kf2 Kf4 81.Kxg2
½-½
36
Ragger, M. – Saric, I.
Batumi, 2018
Black to move
What is the best continuation for Black?
Show/Hide Solution
In the game Black played
35...Qf5
and after a long battle White managed to survive.

However, a much more powerful continuation here is 35...Qe3! which puts more pressure on f3 and also
supports the advance of the d-pawn. White will run out of useful moves very soon. 36.Kh2 d3
666
37.h5 (37.Rg1 is met by 37...g5! 38.hxg5 and here Black can even consider 38...Qxf3! and after the trade
of queens the d-pawn is too strong.) 37...d2 38.Rg1 g5 39.hxg6+ Kg7 and thanks to the central
domination of the black queen and the d-pawn White is unable to activate his major pieces. 40.Rf1 Qe1!
And the d-pawn queens.
½-½
37
Stevic, H. – Dragnev, V.
Batumi, 2018
667
White to move
How should White coordinate his pieces?
Show/Hide Solution
23.Bd4!
Not good is 23.Re5+? because after 23...Qxe5 24.b8=Q Qe4+ 25.Ka1 Qe5+ it’s a repetition of moves.
23.Bd4! Qb8 24.Re1+ Kf8
24...Kd8 25.Bf6+ wins.
25.Rxd7 Qxb7+ 26.Ka1
White’s king is safe, while Black’s king has been caught in a mating net.
26...Qb8 27.Bf6 Bb4 28.Re2
Threatening to win the queen with Rd8.
28...Qb5 29.Bg7+
29...Kg8 30.Re8+ Bf8 31.Rxf8#

1-0
668
38
Papaioannou, I. – Kasimdzhanov, R.
Batumi, 2018
White to move
How should White use his initiative with the presence of opposite-coloured bishops?
Show/Hide Solution
In the game White played
55.Qg4+
but in the end failed to break down Black’s resistance.

A very convincing line is shown by the engines, though it’s difficult to find over the board: 55.e5! Qg6
56.Kf1!
669
Amazing!
A) 56...Bxg3 is met by 57.f5 Qh5 58.f6+ Kg8 (58...Kg6 59.Bxf7+ wins the queen) 59.Qe8+ Kh7
60.Bd3+ with mate to follow.
B) 56...Qxg3 57.Qxf7+ Kh8 58.Qf8+ Kh7 59.Qg8+ leads to a winning pawn ending for White.
C) 56...Bb4 57.Kf2! Another great move. Black has difficulties keeping his pawn on f7 protected,
because of the threat f4-f5. (Surprisingly, 57.f5? Qxg3 58.Qxf7+ Kh8 isn’t so clear after all.) 57...Bc5+
(57...Qc2+ 58.Kf3 Qc3+ 59.Kg4 h5+ 60.Kh4 and the checks are over.) 58.Kg2 Qe4+ 59.Kh2 Qc2+
60.Kh3 Qg6 And only now comes 61.f5 Qh5+ 62.Kg2 and White wins.
½-½
39
Svetushkin, D. – Skoberne, J.
Batumi, 2018
670
Black to move
Would you rather take the pawn with 36...Bxh6+ or get your pieces coordinated with 36...Nd3+?
Show/Hide Solution
36...Bxh6+?
After this move the bishop is misplaced on h6 and Black has too many problems to deal with, as most of
his pieces are unprotected. Correct would have been 36...Nd3+! 37.Kb1
A) 37...Nxe1 fails to 38.Qxd5+ Rd7 (38...Ke8 39.Qa8+ Ke7 40.Qe4+ wins the knight) 39.Qa8+ Ke7
40.Qe4+ winning the knight.
B) 37...Rd7! 38.Qxf6+ Be7 39.Qh8+ Kc7
671
with a very unclear position. At least Black has managed to protect all his pieces and he certainly has
also some chances, e.g. 40.Re2 Nb4 41.Qxh7? loses to 41...Be4+ 42.Qxe4 Rd1#.
36...Bxh6+? 37.f4 Nd3+ 38.Kb1 Nxe1
38...Rd7 39.Qxf6+ Kc7 40.Re7 And after the exchange of rooks Black will lose one of his unprotected
bishops.
39.Qxd5+ Rd7
39...Ke8 40.Qa8+ Ke7 41.Qe4+ And White wins.
40.Qa8+! Kc7 41.Qxa7+ Kd6 42.Qb6+ Ke7 43.Qxc5+ Ke8 44.Qh5+
A nice example showing that the side playing against the queen has chances only when his pieces are
working together.
1-0
40
Stoenescu, R. – Ris, R.
Porticcio, 2018
672
White to move
White to play and make a draw.
Show/Hide Solution
53.c6??
This Is a huge blunder, as thanks to a little tactic I win the c-pawn.

A) White should have played 53.Bf6! and now after 53...e2 54.Kd2 Kf3 he is just in time for 55.Bc3!
673
(55.Ke1? loses to 55...Ne3–+) 55...Kf2 56.Kd3 e1=Q 57.Bxe1+ Kxe1 58.Ke4 White eliminates
Black’s remaining pawn on h5.
B) 53.Kc2? isn’t good, in view of 53...Nd4+ 54.Kd1 Kd3 and the e-pawn is too strong.
C) 53.Kc4? doesn’t work, in view of 53...e2 54.Bd2 Nxh4! 55.c6 Nf3 56.Bc3 Ne5+ and Black wins.
53.c6?? Nd4! 54.Be7
54.c7 is met by 54...Nb5+.
54...Nxc6 55.Bg5 Nd4
0-1
674
Table of Contents
Title page 3
Key To Symbols 4
Preface 5
Chapter 1 - The role of the king in the endgame (Part 1) 7
Chapter 1 - The role of the king in the endgame (Part 2) 25
Chapter 2 - Same-coloured bishop endings (Part 1) 47
Chapter 3 - Opposite-coloured bishop endings (Part 1) 92
Chapter 3 - Opposite-coloured bishop endings (Part 2) 115
Chapter 4 - Initiative in opposite-coloured bishop endings (Part 1) 138
Chapter 4 - Initiative in opposite-coloured bishop endings (Part 2) 172
Chapter 6 - The power of major pieces (Part 1) 269
Chapter 6 - The power of major pieces (Part 2) 302
Chapter 7 - Queen vs. two rooks (Part 1) 317
Chapter 7 - Queen vs. two rooks (Part 2) 339
Chapter 8 - Two minor pieces vs. rook (Part 1) 353
Chapter 8 - Two minor pieces vs. rook (Part 2) 380
Chapter 9 - Worth of a queen (Part 1) 416
Chapter 9 - Worth of a queen (Part 2) 448
Chapter 10 - Exchange sacrifice (Part 1) 494
Chapter 10 - Exchange sacrifice (Part 2) 520
Chapter 11 - Piece vs. pawns (Part 1) 543
Chapter 11 - Piece vs. pawns (Part 2) 583
Exercises 1-10 611
Exercises 11-20 627
Exercises 21-30 645
Exercises 31-40 659
675

Ris Robert Crucial Chess Skills For The Club Player Volume 2

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Ris Robert Crucial Chess Skills For The Club Player Volume 2

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Table of Contents

Thinkers Publishing 2019

First edition 2019 by Thinkers Publishing

Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Dear chess fan!

28.Rxa7 Rc2+ 29.Ke3!

Position after: 30...g5

31...f6 32.d6 Ke8 33.Kd4 h5 34.Kd5

Position after: 34.Kd5

35.Ke6 Re2+ 36.Kxf6 h4 37.Re7+!

The king in the mating attack

64...a3 65.g6+ Kg8 66.g7! Kf7

68.Rc7+ Kg8 69.Kg6

Black resigned, in view of 69...a1=Q 70.f7#.

Position after: 58.Kg5!

59...Nxe4+ fails to 60.Bxe4 Rxe4 61.Ra8#.

Position after: 60...Kf8

61.Ra8+! Ke7 62.e5!

Rook vs. pawn

2.Kc4 Kh3 3.Kd3 g2 4.Ke2 Kh2 5.Kf2 Kh1 6.Rh8#

But not 6.Rxg2? with stalemate!

1.Kb5 g3 2.Kc4 Kf3 3.Kd3 g2 4.Rf8+

4...Kg3 5.Rg8+ Kf2=

And a draw is inevitable.

1.Kd6! d3 2.Kc5 Ke3 3.Kc4 d2 4.Kc3+–

On the next move White takes the d-pawn.

3.Rd8+ Kc3 4.Rc8+ Kd2=

Cutting off the king

1.Rg4 a3 2.Kg7 a2 3.Rg1

3...Kb4 4.Kf6 Kb3 5.Ke5 Kb2

Black achieves a draw.

2.Kg7 Ka5 3.Kf6 Kb4 4.Ke5 Kc3

5.Kd5 b4 6.Rg3+ Kc2 7.Kc4

and the b-pawn falls.

71...g4 is met by 72.Rg2.

73...g3?! 74.Rg2 and Black drops the pawn immediately.

75...g2 fails to 76.Rg8+.

The only move, as 3...Kd1 4.Rh1# is mate again.

5.Rc2+ Kd1 6.Rc8 Na3 7.Ra8 Nb1 8.Ra1 Kc1

1.Kc4 a2 2.Kb3 a1=N+

Also after 3.Kc3 a2

Position after: 3...a2

3...Kb2 4.Kd2 a2 5.Rb8+

Position after: 5.Rb8+

Anticipating rook vs. pawn endings

72.b8=Q Rxb8 73.Rxb8 f4 74.Kd5

Position after: 74.Kd5

75.Ke4 f2 76.Rf8 Kg3 77.Ke3

53...Kh4? 54.Kc7 Rxb7+

The correct recapture.

57...Kh3 58.Ke5 g2 59.Kf4 Kh2

60...Kg1 61.Kg3 Kf1 62.Rf7+

Position after: 62.Rf7+

Position after: 56.Rc5

Position after: 68.Kf5!

66.Kf3? c2 67.Rc1 Kd3?

Position after: 68...Rd4!

68.g4 Rd1 69.Rxc2 Kxc2

Position after: 69...Kxc2

Position after: 72...Kd5

71.Kf5 Kd3 72.g5 Kd4 73.g6 Kd5 74.Kf6

Position after: 74.Kf6

75.g7 Kd7 76.Kf7 Rxg7+ 77.Kxg7