Tag Archives: chess endgame

Two more plays to enhance your chess endgame ideas

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Posted by ChessMaster on April 24, 2009 – 8:20 am
Filed under Chess lessons, Chess Tutorials, Defensive strategy, Endgame Tactics
Tagged as chess endgame

In the previous article on chess endgames, we discussed two situations to show offensive and defensive techniques applied in endgame positions. In this article, we will see two more endgame positions on similar themes.

endgame offensive

Here we see a very simple set up. But you may have doubt about who has the better position – White with two linked passed pawns or Black with a Rook. Actually, White has a slight advantage because of the favorable position of his King to give support to the pawns.

But still White had to play very precisely to win the game.

1. Kd4 Kb3

White moved to gain ‘opposition’. If Black tried Rf5, White would play Ke4. If Black Rook then captured pawn at g5, White would simply push f-pawn and Black cannot stop its promotion.

2. Ke5 Kc4
3. g6 Re1+
4. Kd6 Rd1+
5. Ke6 Re1+
6. Kf7 Resigns

Black is simply helpless!

If you looked deeper, you will find that Black could offer a greater fight with the following moves. And the more the resistance you offer, the more is the chance of your opponent making a wrong move, allowing you to salvage the game.

4. Kd6 Rg1
5. g7 Kd4

 

A point to note. If you thought either of g7 or f7 would do for White at move 5, you would be sorely mistaken. It would go like 5. f7 Rxg6+ 6. Ke7 Rg7 and after the White King moves, Black simply exchanges the Rook with Pawn to snatch a draw!

Other moves by White King would be worse. For example, 5. f7 Rxg6+ 6. Ke5 Rg5+ 7. Ke4 Rg1 8. f8=Q Re1+ 9. Kf5 Rf1+ and Black wins the Queen and the game! So one cannot be too careful in endgame situations!

6. Kc6 Kc4

6. Ke6 would be a mistake because of 6… Ke4 7. Kf7 Kf5 resulting in a draw! On the other hand, Black’s attempt to reach the pawns by 6… Ke5 leads to 7. f7 Rg6+ 8. Kc5 and one of the pawns get promoted!

7. Kd7 Kd5
8. Ke8 Ke6
9. f7 Rxg7
10. f8=Q

Black could still make a last attempt by playing 9… Ra1 10. f8=Q Ra8#! But White had a counterplay with 10. f8=N+ Kf6 11. g8=Q Ra8+ 12. Kd7 and Black has nothing effective to do. You will surely appreciate the number of surprises that can remain hidden in a position! You should also make a note of “underpromotion” (pawn promoted to a piece other than Queen) which, though relatively rare, can sometimes offer the only solution to a tricky situation!

endgame defense

This position exemplifies the need to think deeper even after you have found an apparently winning line. White played 1. Rxe8 expecting 1… Rxe8 after which he foresaw 2. Nxf6 Rg7 (to prevent Rh7#) 3. Rxg7 Kxg7 4. Nxe8+ and win!

But what actually happened must have taken White by surprise, though it was not a very difficult line to see.

1. Rxe8 Rh5+
2. Kg1 Rxe8
3. Nxf6 Rh1+
4. Kxh1 Re1+
5. Kh2 Rh1+
3. Kxh1 Stalemate

So what looked like an easy win ended only in a draw.

 

How to checkmate using King and Queen vs. King

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Posted by ChessTeacher on April 17, 2009 – 4:20 pm
Filed under Chess Tutorials
Tagged as chess endgame, chess endgame tactics, chess endgame tips, Endgame Tactics, endgame tips, endgame tutorial, king and queen vs king, queen vs king

end-game

A checkmate can be enforced with the following minimum materials:

  • King and Queen versus King
  • King and Rook versus King
  • King and Two bishops versus King
  • King and Two rooks versus King

In this article, let us discuss the ways in which the opponent King can be checkmated using only the King and Queen at your disposal.

The King, as we know, can move only one square either on any of the sides, front, back or on either of the two sides. The Queen can move any number of unoccupied squares in a rank or file and in any direction.

The first thing that needs to be done is to restrict the movement of the opponent king either to only one rank or only one file among ranks and files in the chess board – that is – either to the first rank or to the eight rank horizontally or to the “a” file or the “h” file vertically. This can be done using the Queen.

Suppose the King is in “g4”, then placing the Queen in the “f” file will restrict the movement of the king to only among the “g” and “h” files. Then the next step would be to make the opponent move to the “h” file and then block the “g” file. Once the king is made to move only among the ranks in the “h” file by placing Queen in the “g” file, then the King should be made to move to the “f” file.

Using the King and the Queen might be tricky at times, and any urgency shown by you in hastening the things might result in a stalemate, instead of a checkmate, and you may have to settle for a draw where you had every chance to finish the game in your favor. You are aware that a stalemate results when the opponent king, in his turn to make the movement, on not being attacked with a check, has no legal moves to make. One typical case of a stalemate is a position in which the opponent king is “a8”, your king is in “a6” and your Queen is in “b6” and it is the turn of your opponent to make a move. The opponent king cannot move and you are not attacking the king either. This is the case of a stalemate.

To avoid a stalemate, it is important that sufficient distance is maintained between the Queen and the opponent King in the “g” file. After ensuring that there is enough distance, then the King should be made to move in the “f” file nearer to the rank of the opponent King in the “h” file. Suppose the opponent king is “h6”, and your Queen is “g1”, then your King should be made to move either to “f7” or to “f5”, and in the next move in your turn, you can place the Queen at “g6” or “g5” and call it “Check”. The opponent King will have no place to move and has to succumb to a defeat.

The similar positioning using the ranks can also be attempted and practised to win the game using only the King and Queen against the opponent’s King.

How to checkmate using King and Rook vs. King

0
Posted by ChessTeacher on April 17, 2009 – 4:15 pm
Filed under Endgame Tactics
Tagged as chess endgame, chess endgame tactics, chess endgame tips, Endgame Tactics, endgame tips, endgame tutorial, king and rook vs king, rook vs king

end-game

In this article, let us discuss the ways in which the opponent King can be checkmated using only the King and Rook at your disposal.

The King, as we know, can move only one square either on any of the sides, front, back or on either of the two sides. The rook, on the other hand, is capable of moving any number unoccupied squares either horizontally or vertically, and it cannot move diagonally.

A King and a Rook can always checkmate a lone King of the opponent. For this to happen, both the King and the Rook should work together such that the opponent King is driven to the edge of the board. This can be successfully achieved by cutting of the squares in which the King can effectively move, so that the opponent King has fewer options and finally is forced to move to the corner of the board, such as either “a8”, “a1”, “h8” or “h1”.

Unlike the Queen, the capability of the rook is limited, and the opponent can try to attack the rook and drive away the rook in order to gain more squares to move on. The opponent King can, however, only try to delay the inevitable as it can move only one square at a time. Nevertheless, using the king and the rook might be very tricky as well. The King has a very important role to play as well in this attempt.

To make the point more clear, let us assume the positions in a chessboard as follows: The opponent King is in “d6”; your king is in “d3” and your rook is in “a1”.

If it is your turn to move, it would be foolish to attack the opponent King by calling check at “a6”. If you do so, the opponent king might move to the centre of the board by moving one rank to “e5”. As your mission in this case would be to drive the king to the nearest corner, which is a8, you can place the rook at “a5” thus restricting the movement of the opponent King to only ranks 6, 7 and 8. As the rook can move only horizontally or vertically and cannot move diagonally, the opponent king might try to attack the rook and move it to “c6”. Your next move in that case should be to move the king to “c4”. The opponent King, in an attempt to drive away the rook, might move to “b6” threatening your rook in “a5”.

Here, you should be careful. You may be tempted to call check by placing the rook at “b5”. If you do, the opponent might move to “c6” and your attempt to pin down the opponent King at “a8” might get delayed. Therefore, it would be wise to move the rook to “c5” and restrict the movement of the opponent King to only the three ranks in two files “a” and “b”. Now, the opponent King has to make the movement only in those six squares and ensuring that no escape route is allowed to the opponent king, the ranks can be closed in such a way that the opponent king is pushed to the corner “a8” and your king is placed at “b6”. Ensuring this, a check by rook at “c8” will be the killer blow and results in a checkmate.