“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.” – José Raúl Capablanca
During this year’s Croatian Individual Championship we noticed an interesting endgame position. Black is to move. Can you find a win? Event: Croatian Individual Championship White: Zelčić, Robert WhiteElo: 2520 Black: Martinović, Saša BlackElo: 2555 Result: 1/2-1/2
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In this practical rook ending Black is winning. She has much better king which can go forward, better placed rook and a passed pawn on b-file which will decide the game. Event: 34th ECC Women 2018 Date: 2018.10.17 White: Pogonina, Natalija WhiteElo: 2485 Black: Cramling, Pia BlackElo: 2465 Result: 0-1
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Very complex rook endgame. White is a pawn up but it’s not easy to move his kingside pawns. Black has a threat …Rd2 and White has to think about it immediately. Event: Istanbul ol (Men) 40th Date: 2012.08.31 White: Solak, Dragan WhiteElo: 2599 Black: Saric, Ivan BlackElo: 2638 Result: 1/2-1/2
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World Championship match: First game of rapid. This endgame was probably the key moment in the match because after this game Magnus just rushed and took the title again. This is very complex rook endgame. White is a pawn up, but his king is on the first row and it’s not clear how to […]
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Event: WCh Rapid TB 2018 Date: “2018.11.28 White: Carlsen, M. WhiteElo: 2835 Black: Caruana, F. BlackElo: 2832 Result: 1-0 World Championship match: First game of rapid. This endgame was probably the key moment in the match because after this game Magnus just rushed and took the title again. This is very complex rook endgame. […]
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In the position with the central pawn on the seventh rank, there is an essential difference between the situation with the black king on the shorter and the king on the longer side. Black can be saved only when his king on the shorter side, provided that he can check sideways. The following position […]
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Event: “34th ECC Open 2018” White: “Blomqvist, Erik” WhiteElo: “2499” Black: “Svidler, Peter” BlackElo: “2756” Result: “0-1” When I first saw this ending, at first glance I thought Black was winning. White rook is very passive and he has no future, and also the white king is cut off along e-file. But the truth, […]
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Event: “34th ECC Open 2018” White: “Tari, Aryan” WhiteElo: “2618” Black: “Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi” BlackElo: “2711” Result: “0-1” This rook ending should be won for Black and in the first, technique phase, Vidit played very well. Conclusion: 1. “Vancura” is one of the best defensive methods in rook endgames. The weaker […]
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Let us examine how to lead defence and attack in a critical position with the f- and h-pawn that has been seen many times on tournaments, and was first recorded in the game Bondarevski – Keres, (the Match Moscow-Leningrad, 1939). Even though White achieved an optimum-attacking position by placing the rook on e6, the […]
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7.2. Rook and Two Pawns versus Rook Like in knight and bishop endings, the advantage of two pawns is usually sufficient to win, but the final decision is on pawn structure and the activity of pieces. Thus, we will devide these endings in three groups: a ) Connected pawns, b ) Isolated pawns, c […]
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