Category Archives: Endgame Tactics

Chess Endgame Tactics: Rook and Pawn endings – Part 1

2
Posted by ChessMaster on May 11, 2009 – 5:24 pm
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Strategy, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Endgame Tactics, Forks
Tagged as ,

All is well that ends well is probably at its truest in case of chess endgames! The endgame is the phase where the amateurs are at greatest disadvantage against experienced opponents. They are often at a loss on how to move or position their few pieces and pawns, with the result that they lose or draw games that should have been won.

We have discussed about the general principles of the endgame tactics that should be adopted in different kinds of endings though these were for King and other pieces against a lone King. But amongst the endgame situations that occur in chess games, Rook and Pawn endings are by far the most common and so you should learn the specific tactics that will help you in handling different types of such endings effectively.

In fact, knowing these patterns is helpful for deciding on your action plans. If you know that the situation is favorable, you will persevere to get the win. But if the position is a theoretical draw, you can settle with your opponent without wasting time and effort.

The knowledge of such patterns also helps you to decide on your strategy even before entering the endgame phase. Depending on the chessboard situation, you can exchange and/or move pieces and pawns to reach the pattern that is best possible for you.

Let us now examine some basic positions in Rook and Pawn endings. One fundamental tenet is that a Rook is helpless against two connected passed pawns that have reached the sixth rank.

White to move and win:

Rook and Pawn ending type 1

  1. g7 Rc8    
  2. f7 Rb8+    
  3. Ka6 Kc6    
  4. g8=Q      

In the following position, White will win no matter who has the first move. Check for yourself.

Rook and Pawn ending type 2

But had the Black King been ahead of the pawns to cooperate with his Rook, both White pawns would be captured and Black would win.

Let us now look at King, Rook and Pawn against King and Rook. There are various possibilities.

Rook and Pawn ending type 3

We remind you again about what we said on Chess Strategies for positioning your Rook with reference to your passed pawn. Rook behind your Pawn adds power to it, Rook in front of it makes both immobile. The above is a typical situation which results in a draw. The White Rook cannot come out as the Pawn will get captured. If White King tries to go towards its Pawn, it will not get any shelter against Black Rook’s checks!

But Black has to ensure that the King remains on the seventh rank. If it were on, say, the sixth rank, White Rook would gain a tempo by delivering a check, and the Pawn gets promoted on the next move. Black will lose his Rook against the promoted Queen and White King and Rook will win against the lone King.

Even on the seventh rank, Black King must not stray beyond one square from the edge. See what happens otherwise.

1. Kg2 Kg7
2. Kf2 Kf7
3. Rh8 Rxa7
4. Rh7+ skewers the Rook and wins the game

The presence of other pawns on the board may sometimes mask the position containing above theme. If you can identify it and can make your pawn moves, even sacrificing those as necessary, in such a way that the enemy King is exposed and forced to move to the sixth rank or two squares away from the edge, you can apply above tactics to capture the Rook. Of course, you should be sure that the result of exchanges will not allow your opponent to get one of his pawns to reach position of promotion!

In Endgame Tactics for Rook and Pawn Endings Part 2, we will discuss some more endgames with Rook and Pawn.

Chess Endgame tactics: Forcing opponent’s king to move to its own doom!

0
Posted by ChessMaster on May 9, 2009 – 9:56 am
Filed under Chess Puzzles, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Endgame Tactics
Tagged as , ,

We have shown you a few endgame compositions which brought out some specific ideas that could very well be used in some of your endgames. Endgame studies by Grandmasters like Lasker and Reti are rich in ideas as good as in many of the games they won in tournaments.

Genrikh Kasparyan (1910-1995) won Armenian championship several times but not much success in USSR championship and so had to remain satisfied with the title of an International Master. He later realized that his forte was in creating interesting endgame studies. He was so successful in this field that FIDE bestowed him with the title of International Grandmaster of Chess Compositions, the first player to be so honored. No collection of endgame studies will be complete without some of these compositions from Kasparyan!

But during his playing days, he did come up with some beautiful combinations which can be appreciated from his handling of the position reached in one of his games in a simultaneous display in 1936. No comments are necessary as after the first move, all subsequent moves by Black are forced.

A combination ending in pawn checkmate

1. Rxc6 Bxc6  
2. Qc4+ Kb7  
3. Qxc6+ Kxc6  
4. Ne5+ Kc5  
5. Nd3+ Kd4  
6. Kd2 Qe6  
7. c3#  

 

The checkmate by a pawn move may have induced Kasparyan to create studies with similar finesse. We show below one of Kasparyan’s most famous endgame studies so that you will be able to appreciate his originality in this field. White has to play and win.

An endgame study for pawn checkmate

1. Ne8 Kg6   White was planning 2. Ng7+ Kg6 3. Bf5#
 
2. h5+ Rxh5   2. … Kxh5 enables White to implement his original plan
3. f5+ Rxf5  
4. g4 Rf4   To prevent 5. Bxf5#
5. Bf5+ Rxf5  
6. Ng7   Wins as Black has to move one of the Rooks and White’s NP captures the other Rook with check and mate.

 

End game Tactics: Visualizing the moves is key to tactics

0
Posted by on May 8, 2009 – 8:40 pm
Filed under Endgame Tactics
Tagged as , , , , , ,

The game of chess involves tactics and only tactics. Tactics need not be employed only in the opening game or the middle game. Even in end games, tactics plays a very vital role. Effective implementation of the tactics is very important. Equally important is the counter-moves. If the tactics is not properly understood and visualized, then the tactics of the opponent succeeds and you will end in the losing side.

Let us discuss an example from the World Championship tournament, which unfolds yet another interesting dimension of tactics, especially at the end game.

Given below is the position at the end of 46 moves:

White to Move

1

As is the case always in our articles on tactics, let us analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant pieces.

Black has two bishops as against two white Knights and they are well centralized. The rook at b2 is also well developed. As this is an end game, bishops stand to have a better advantage than Knight. A closer look of the black pieces would also reveal that the King at c7 is vulnerable. Also the rook at e7 is very weak in that it cannot be moved to any other places other than g7.

The diagram given below depicts the same:

2

Tactics in chess is all about exploiting the vulnerabilities of the opponent, and taking advantage of those vulnerabilities.

It is the turn of the white to move. We have already considered the weaknesses and strengths of the black pieces. The black King at c7 is vulnerable. The White might consider checks and other attacking options, as it is in a weaker position and any slackness on his part might lead the black to take advantage of his bishops.

What are the checking options available to White now?

A check by Rook at d8 is one option. What will happen then?

Option #1

1 R8d7+ RxR
2 Ne6+ Kc8

By this option, nothing concrete can be achieved for by the White to gain positional advantage.

What is the next option available to White now?

A check by Rook at d3 is one more thing worth considering for giving check on Black queen.

Option #2

1 R3d7+ RxR
2 Ne6+ Kb7 (After black’s move, White finds that the black’s bishop at c5 is vulnerable and the White Knight can capture that one and give a check – Nxc5+. By doing so the Black rook at d7 is also forked by Knight)

2. ….. Kb6 (suppose if Black king moves to b6, White can consider check by rook at b8 for which the Black can block by moving the rook from d7 to b7. But White gets an interesting point worth noting. – The black’s rook at b2 might become vulnerable as well.

The two options considered above did provide interesting insights.

Among the other options available for giving check on the black King is the move by Knight to e6.

White precisely did that move, presuming that Black’s rook will capture the Knight and then pave the way for the two black rooks to attack the black queen as planned earlier.

47. Ne6+ Rxe6
48. R3d7+ Kb6
49. Rb8+ Ka6 … and the game went on with finally White winning at the end.

This illustrates the importance of tactics and the need for visualization of the moves and counter-moves, at least the next 2 or 3 moves is very essential. This is the beauty of tactics in chess.