“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
Event: “43rd Olympiad 2018” Site: “Batumi GEO” White: “Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi” WhiteElo: “2711” Black: “L’Ami, Erwin” BlackElo: “2639” Result: “1/2-1/2” One of the most interesting things about queen endings is that the queen with g and h pawns versus queen cannot win with the best defence. Of course, in practical game, various factors such […]
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If the rim pawn had not gone too far, if it had not passed the fourth rank, the position is won! This was found by Guretzky and Cornitz in 1863. White to move wins because he can permanently cut the opponent’s king off his h-pawn. The starting moves are identical to the previous example. […]
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As in the example with the b-pawn, White may win even when the black king is cut off only a file away from the pawn, provided that black pieces have not reached their optimum-positions Rc8 and Ke6, i.e. Ke5. The following position has been examined by J. Nunn in 1992. Black to move may […]
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As we have seen in the example 3, the weakness of the rim pawn is especially expressed when the black king has not “crossed the Rubicon” on the fifth rank, in which case the rook can neutralize it through “cutting off” and preventing support for the pawn. However, the fatal can also be the […]
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With c- and d-pawns (or e- and f-pawns) there is an important exception to the general rule. White can win only if his c- or f-pawn has not advanced on the fifth rank! White to play wins by taking advantage of the passive position of the black bishop. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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