“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
It can be extremely difficult to win an opposite-colored bishops endgame, even with 2 extra pawns. Here is one aesthetic example from the past. Black to move. Event: URS-ch sf Lvov Year: 1973 White: Makarichev, Sergey Black: Averbakh, Yuri Result: 0-1
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Here is one well known, older ending from a high class game where White missed a nice winning motif. Do you think you would find it? Event: Dos Hermanas White: Svidler, Peter WhiteElo: 2713 Black: Anand, Viswanathan BlackElo: 2781 Result: 1/2-1/2
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Very unpleasant ending to defend but the world champion did it without a mistake. Event: 34th ECC Open 2018 Date: 2018.10.18 White: Svidler, Peter WhiteElo: 2756 Black: Carlsen, Magnus BlackElo: 2839 Result: 1/2-1/2 Conclusion: 1. In the open position with pawns on both sides bishop is usually better than knight. Very often it […]
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White is better because this is one of classic positions where the bishop is better than the knight. The pawns are on both flanks and what is most important white king is closer to the center than black king. Of course with best play Black shouldn’t lose but it’s not an easy job when […]
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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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In a similar position, sometimes a reduction of material cannot save the weaker side even if it is attacking the remaining pawn by both the king and bishop. This rare case occurred in the game of the former world champion Max Euwe and the first ladies’ world champion- the legendary Vera Menchik, Hastings, 1930. […]
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In this game a much weaker player by rating had a chance to crash a former European champion. Critical position: Everything revolves around who will end up in zugzwang. Event: TCh-CHN 2019 Date: 2019.04.10 White: Inarkiev, E. WhiteElo: 2692 Black: Lan, Zilun BlackElo: 2333 Result: 1/2-1/2
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The end of this endgame reminds me very much of the famous game Topalov-Shirov, Linares 1998. Event: 25th Sigeman & Co 2019 Date: 2019.05.06 White: Harikrishna, P. WhiteElo: 2730 Black: Nihal, Sarin BlackElo: 2598 Result: 1-0
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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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