% BOOKTITLE = Mastering the Endgame
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Study brings wisdom. Practice brings perfection. --- Following his highly
acclaimed 'Mastering Chess Strategy' and 'Mastering Opening Strategy', this
book completes a trilogy of strategy books by Grandmaster and renowned chess
teacher Johan Hellsten. In his new work Hellsten focuses exclusively on
endgame play and covers every type of endgame: pawn, minor piece, rook and
queen endgames. He examines not only the many fundamental positions that
everyone needs to know, but also the key themes and characteristics of
successful endgame play, including activity, creating and exploiting
weaknesses, active and passive defence, fortresses and technique. --- Just
like his previous two books, 'Mastering Endgame Strategy' is a product of
Hellsten’s many years’ work as a full-time chess teacher and is
specifically designed as part of a structured training programme to improve
strategic thinking. In addition to the many examples there’s an abundance of
carefully selected exercises which allow readers to monitor their progress and
put into practice what they have just learned. Following such a course is an
ideal way for players of all standards to improve. Although designed mainly
for students, this book is also an excellent resource for chess teachers and
trainers.} 1. -- {Johan Hellsten is a Grandmaster and a former Swedish
Champion. He has represented Sweden in numerous Chess Olympiads and team
tournaments, and he won individual gold and bronze medals at the European Team
Championships. He’s a full-time chess teacher and lives in Riobamba, Ecuador.
} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Sometimes in my classes, I have felt the need of a book that covered major
and minor strategic ideas in the last phase of the game. Finally, it turned
out that I would write such a book myself, and I am now pleased to share it
with the reader. --- This book is intended to complement the traditional
endgame manuals. From my experience, success in the endgame is determined
mainly by three factors: 1) calculation skills; 2) knowledge of basic
positions and their respective continuations; 3) knowledge of major and minor
strategic ideas. Evidently, this book is aimed at helping you with the last
aspect, although on occasion it could also raise your level in the second area.
As for the first aspect, working through the exercises will definitely improve
your abilities in that field. --- The first five chapters of the book are
dedicated to strategic ideas – or themes – with a close relation to a
specific piece. In contrast, the last three chapters discuss themes of a more
general nature. Note that many examples touch upon more than one theme, which
explains why I often make references to earlier examples throughout the book.} 
1. -- {I have used many sources in the process of writing this book, from
which three could be emphasized: -- 1) Smyslov's endgame collection 'Iskusstvo
Endshpilya'. The seventh world champion left a wealth of instructive endgames,
and here they are annotated by himself. -- 2) Shereshevsky's classic 'Endgame
Strategy'. This book is filled with well-annotated examples, and it is one of
few other endgame works with an idea-based structure. -- 3) Baburin's 'Endgame
Kaleidoscope' column featured in Chess Today. In my opinion, this is an
outstanding place for anyone interested in practical endgames. --- Just like
in my previous works, 'Mastering Chess Strategy' and 'Mastering Opening
Strategy', I have also relied a lot on the Chess Informants and the ChessBase
Megabase. On occasion I have consulted Nalimov's tablebases.} (1. -- {The
style and format of this book is similar to my previous ones – I have
generally preferred verbal comments to explain what is going on at the board,
the variation trees have been reduced to a minimum, and the total number of
examples is rather big. At the end of the book you will find a number of
related exercises, which will help you to put in practice the new (or
reinforced) knowledge. --- While primarily aimed at chess players, this book
should also prove useful to trainers wishing to diversify their endgame
classes. Thanks to my students in Riobamba for all their valuable input.}) (1.
-- {Johan Hellsten, Riobamba, July 2013.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1. King Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {King first! -- Opposition -- Obstruction -- The king's route -- King
raids -- Shelter} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 1"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/8/8/8/8/8/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{King first! --- With "King first!" I refer to the idea of improving the king
as a first priority in our position, in an almost mechanical way. In contrast,
the "Active king" theme featured in the final chapter of the book, deals with
the subject in more general terms. Let's start with a very simple example. ---
As we were taught when beginners, in such positions before pushing the pawn we
should improve our king. ---} 1. Kf3 $1 (1. Kg3 {is also good, as well as 2
Kg4 (or 2 Ke4) on the next move.}) ({Only a very inexperienced player would
consider} 1. f4 $2 {or 1 f3?, after which a draw is inevitable.}) 1... Kf7 2.
Kf4 Kf6 3. f3 $1 {A clever waiting move.} -- ({White wins after} 3... Ke6 4.
Kg5) ({or} 3... Kg6 4. Ke5 {, further improving the king.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/8/8/8/3P4/8/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a slightly more complex example. In order to win White must bring his
king to c5, d5 or e5, which are the so called key squares for the d3-pawn -
if the king gets there, the pawn is assured promotion. ---} 1. Kd2 $1 {Only
one sequence does the trick.} ({In contrast after} 1. Ke2 $2 Kf7 2. Ke3 Ke7 $1
3. Ke4 Ke6 4. Kd4 Kd6 5. Kc4 Kc6 {, Black makes a draw, by preventing the
white king's access to any of the key squares. The idea of placing the king in
front of its counterpart is commonly referred to as the opposition, and we
will get back to it soon.}) 1... Kf7 2. Kc3 Ke6 3. Kc4 Kd6 4. Kd4 {. The white
king reaches a key square on the next move;} ({for example,} 4. Kd4 Kc6 5. Ke5
Kd7 6. Kd5 $1 Ke7 7. Kc6 Ke6 8. d4 {with an elementary win.}) *

[Event "Toronto"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lesiege, A."]
[Black "Kozul, Z."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/b7/5P2/6P1/1k5P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see the "King first!" idea in positions with more material. --- The
bishop usually makes a draw against three connected pawns, but here Black is
suffering due to the remote placement of his king. ---} 1. Kf2 $1 {King first!}
({In contrast, after the impulsive} 1. h4 $6 Kc3 $1 {(Black applies the same
idea)} 2. h5 $2 Kd4 3. h6 Ke4 {followed by ...Bc3, Black draws.}) 1... Kc3 2.
Ke3 $1 {Obstructing the enemy king.} (2. Kf3 $6 Kd4 {was less to the point.})
2... Kc4 3. Ke4 Kc5 4. Ke5 $1 {Again preventing the black king's return to the
kingside.} ({In contrast, after} 4. g4 $6 Kd6 5. g5 Ke6 {Black's drawing
chances have increased.}) 4... Kc6 5. Ke6 Kc7 6. f5 {Only now, after having
placed his king in an ideal position, White starts advancing his pawns.} Kd8 7.
Kf7 $1 {Of course the black king should be denied the e file.} Bc7 8. g4 {
Thanks to the splendidly placed king on f7, this pawn proves unstoppable.} Bf4
({Or} 8... Bxh2 9. g5 {etc.}) 9. h4 {. In view of the inevitable g4-g5 g6 g7,
Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Beijing"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Xu Jun"]
[Black "Onischuk, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/5P2/4PK2/8/4b2k b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex case, by coincidence of the same type of ending. Again
the side with the bishop has a problem with his badly placed king. Only
precise play with this piece will enable him to save the game. ---} 1... Kh2 $1
{King first!} ({The seemingly logical} 1... Bd2 $2 {fails after} 2. e4 Kh2 3.
Kg4 $1 {(obstruction)} Kg2 4. e5 Bc3 5. e6 Bf6 6. f5 Kf2 7. Kh5 Ke3 8. Kg6 {
and White wins.}) 2. f5 ({Black also draws after} 2. e4 Kh3 3. e5 Kh4 4. e6 Bb4
) ({or} 2. Kg4 $5 Kg2 3. e4 Kf2 4. e5 Ke3 5. f5 Bc3 6. e6 Bf6 $1 7. Kh5 Kd4 8.
Kg6 Ke5 {. In the latter variation, we can see that Black has saved a tempo
upon the subline 1...Bd2 above.}) 2... Kh3 3. f6 Kh4 4. Kf4 ({Seeing that} 4.
f7 Bb4 {is useless, White tries obstructing the enemy king, just like in the
previous example.}) 4... Kh5 5. Kf5 Kh6 6. e4 Kh7 $1 {The king's journey still
isn't over - its ideal destiny is f8 or e8.} 7. e5 ({The game actually went} 7.
Ke6 Kg6 8. e5 Bb4 {and, incapable of progress, White agreed to a draw.}) 7...
Kg8 8. e6 Kf8 {White can't win;} ({e.g.} 8... Kf8 9. Ke4 {(heading for d7)} ({
or} 9. Kg6 Bb4) 9... Bc3 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 5"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/8/4Kp2/5P2/1B1b4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kf7 $1 {Before taking the pawn White should prevent ...Ke8.} ({In contrast,
the obvious} 1. Be7+ $2 Ke8 2. Bxf6 {fails after} Be3 3. Bh4 Bd4 4. Bg3 Bc3 5.
Be5 Bxe5 6. Kxe5 Ke7 {etc.}) 1... Kd7 2. Be7 Bc3 3. Bxf6 Be1 4. Bg5 Bc3 5. Kg6
$1 {Preparing a "bridge" by Bh6 g7, a plan that Black can't parry in any way.}
Ke8 6. Bh6 Bd4 7. Bg7 Bc5 8. f6 Bb4 9. f7+ Kd7 10. Kh7 {A new bridge should be
constructed on f8 in order to gain the a3 f8 diagonal.} Ke6 11. Kg8 Kf5 12. Bf8
Bd2 13. Bc5 Bh6 14. Be3 $1 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Baja"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, I."]
[Black "Ciocaltea, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/6p1/8/5PPK/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Such pawn endings on a single flank with an extra pawn - leaving aside the
case with a single pawn - are usually won quite easily. However, it is
imperative to improve the king as much as possible before advancing the pawns.
---} 1. Kg3 $1 {In order to improve properly, the king should make a turn to
the other side of the pawns.} ({In contrast, after} 1. Kg5 $6 Kg7 2. f5 $2 gxf5
3. Kxf5 Kf7 {, Black draws.}) 1... Kf7 2. Kf3 Ke7 ({Or} 2... Kf6 3. Ke4 Ke6 {
transposing.}) 3. Ke3 {Applying distant opposition, an idea that we will study
more thoroughly in the next section.} ({The simple} 3. Ke4 {was also good; e.g.
} Kf6 4. Kd5 Kf7 5. Ke5 Ke7 6. g5 {, again transposing to the main line.}) 3...
Kd7 4. Ke4 Ke6 ({Or} 4... Kd6 5. Kd4 $1 ({but not} 5. f5 $2 Ke7 $1) 5... Ke6 6.
Kc5 {and the white king enters anyway.}) 5. g5 {The king can no longer be
improved, so it is time to use a pawn move in order to gain the opposition.}
Kd6 ({If} 5... Ke7 {then} 6. Ke5 {, while other moves are met by 6 Kd5.}) 6. f5
$1 {Just in time;} ({when the black king can't reach f7 after} 6. f5 gxf5+ 7.
Kxf5 {.}) 6... Ke7 7. f6+ $1 ({But not} 7. fxg6 $2 Kf8 8. Ke5 Kg7 9. Kf5 Kg8
10. Kf6 Kf8 11. g7+ Kg8 {with a draw. It is worth noting that with the g5 pawn
still on g4, White could indeed win here by} 12. Kf5 $1 Kxg7 {and now 13 Kg5.})
7... Kf7 8. Ke5 Kf8 9. f7 $1 {This pawn sacrifice is the only winning idea;
After 9 f7 Black resigned, but let's see a possible conclusion of the game.} ({
which could also be realized by} 9. Ke6 Ke8 10. f7+ Kf8 11. Kd6 $1 {etc.}) 9...
Kxf7 10. Kd6 {A final "improvement" measure, in order to conquer the g6-pawn.}
Kf8 11. Ke6 Kg7 12. Ke7 Kg8 13. Kf6 Kh7 14. Kf7 Kh8 15. Kxg6 {Returning to the
subject of key squares, with a pawn on the fifth rank (from Black's
perspective, the fourth) these squares are located one rank closer to the pawn,
in this case f6, g6, and h6.} ({So White wins no matter who is to move; e.g.} 
15. Kxg6 Kg8 16. Kf6 Kh8 17. g6 Kg8 18. g7 {.}) *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chang, R."]
[Black "Calderón, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/1k6/1p1p1p2/3P1P1p/3K3P/1PP3P1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is another pawn ending illustrating our subject, this time with pawns on
both flanks. ---} 1... Ka5 $1 {King first!} ({In contrast, the game went} 1...
b4 $2 2. b3 Kb5 3. Kd2 a5 4. Kc1 Kb6 5. Kd2 a4 6. Kc1 $1 ({not} 6. bxa4 $2 Ka5
7. Kc1 Kxa4 8. Kb2 Kb5 9. Kb3 g6 $1 {and Black wins}) 6... a3 7. Kb1 Kb5 8. Ka2
{and a draw was soon agreed.}) 2. c3 ({Or} 2. b3 Kb4 3. Kd2 a5 {and the a pawn
decides.}) 2... Ka4 3. Kc2 b4 $1 {Immediately striking at the enemy pawns;} ({
whereas the seemingly natural} 3... g6 $2 {permits the unexpected counterstrike
} 4. b3+ Ka3 5. c4 $1 {.}) 4. b3+ ({After} 4. Kd2 Kb3 {Black's task is easier.}
) 4... Kb5 5. Kb2 bxc3+ 6. Kxc3 Ka5 $1 {As we will see many times throughout
the book, the king is an excellent performer of waiting moves. Here he is
aiming at winning the b4-square.} 7. Kc2 Kb4 8. Kb2 a5 ({Also possible is} 8...
a6 9. Kc2 Ka3 10. Kc3 a5 11. Kc2 Ka2 12. Kc3 Kb1 13. b4 a4 {etc.}) 9. Kc2 a4
10. bxa4 Kxa4 11. Kc3 Ka3 {. Black soon wins the d4-pawn, and the game.} *

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Motylev, A."]
[Black "Odinokov, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p1p1k3/3p1p2/2pP1p1p/5P2/1PP1K1P1/P6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's see one more pawn ending. ---} 1. Kd3 $1 {Of course. White should try
to penetrate with his king as far as possible into the enemy camp before
taking further action.} Kd7 2. Kc4 Kc8 ({If} 2... c6 {, taking the b5-square
from the white king, then} 3. b4 $1 cxb4 4. cxb4 {and the outside passed pawn
decides – Wedberg. Let's confirm that assessment:} Kc7 5. a4 a6 6. dxc6 Kxc6
7. b5+ axb5+ 8. axb5+ Kb6 9. Kd5 {and White wins. We will come back to the
subject of the outside passed pawn many times in this book.}) ({On} 2... a6 {
White could proceed in similar fashion:} 3. b4 cxb4 4. cxb4 $1 Kc8 5. b5 a5 6.
b6 $1 cxb6 7. Kb5 Kb7 8. a4 {and the king invades decisively at a6 or c6 on
the next move.}) 3. Kb5 Kb7 4. b4 $1 {The king can't be improved any more for
now, so White starts working on an outside passed pawn.} a6+ ({Or} 4... cxb4 5.
cxb4 a6+ 6. Ka5 Ka7 7. b5 $1 {and the outside passed a pawn again decides –
Wedberg.}) 5. Ka5 Ka7 6. b5 $1 ({In view of} 6. b5 axb5 7. Kxb5 Kb7 8. a4 {
followed by a4-a5 a6 and Kc6, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 9"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2P5/3K2k1/8/7r/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Another type of ending where the "King first!" idea holds great importance is
the one with rook vs. pawns. Here is an example. --- Despite appearances White
is just in time to save a draw, if he uses his king first. ---} 1. Ke5 $1 {
Improving the king while obstructing its black counterpart.} ({In contrast,
after} 1. c6 $2 Kf5 $1 2. Kd5 Rd2+ $1 3. Kc5 Ke6 {, the black king approaches
the pawn with decisive effect.}) 1... Rc2 ({There is nothing better; e.g.} 1...
Re2+ 2. Kd6 ({but not} 2. Kd5 $2 Kf5 $1 {.})) 2. Kd6 Kf5 3. c6 Rd2+ ({On} 3...
Kf6 {White can draw both by} 4. Kd7 ({and} 4. c7 {. However, if this was a
rook's pawn, then only the king move works - more about this in the next
example.})) 4. Ke7 $1 {. The correct and only square, where the king remains
close to the pawn without obstructing it, and at the same time keeps away the
black king. Draw.} *

[Event "Mexico"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leal, A."]
[Black "Filguth, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/7P/2P2K2/2k5/8/r7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex example, where it is the stronger side that uses the
"King first!" idea. --- How should Black proceed? ---} 1... Kd4 $1 {The king
approaches the dangerous h pawn as soon as he can.} ({In contrast, in the game
Black lost a crucial tempo by snatching a pawn:} 1... Kxc4 $2 2. h6 Kd5 3. Kf5
Rf1+ 4. Kg6 Ke6 5. Kg7 $1 ({avoiding} 5. h7 $2 Rg1+ 6. Kh6 Kf7 $1 7. h8=N+ Kf6
8. Kh7 Rg2 {and Black wins}) 5... Rg1+ 6. Kf8 $1 Rf1+ 7. Kg7 Rf7+ {and here
White could have made a draw with} 8. Kg6 {, keeping the black king away from
f6,} ({instead of} 8. Kg8 $2 Kf6 9. h7 Rg7+ {.})) ({Changing the move order
with} 1... Rh1 2. Kg5 Kd4 $1 3. Kg6 Ke5 {was possible as well.}) 2. h6 Rh1 3.
Kg5 Ke5 $1 {Again, the king should approach the more dangerous pawn whenever
possible.} 4. Kg6 Ke6 5. h7 ({After} 5. c5 Rg1+ 6. Kh7 Kf7 {etc - Speelman}) ({
or} 5. Kg7 Ke7 $1 6. h7 Rg1+ 7. Kh8 Kf7 {, Black also wins. Interestingly, in
the second line the c pawn works against White, who would have been stalemated
without it.}) 5... Rg1+ 6. Kh6 Kf7 $1 {A typical piece of endgame tactics, by
which Black prepares a skewer with ...Rh1+ in case White queens.} 7. h8=N+ Kf6
8. Kh7 Rc1 9. Kg8 ({There is nothing better; e.g.} 9. Ng6 Rh1+ {.}) 9... Rxc4
10. Kh7 Rg4 {. Zugzwang; Black wins - Speelman.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1949.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Lilienthal, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2kb4/p1p2pp1/2Pp4/3N1PP1/1P4K1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1949.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In bishop vs. knight endings the "king first!" mechanism is of great utility
as well. Here are two old, but instructive examples. --- The knight is in its
element here, untouchably placed in the centre, while the pawn structure makes
it impossible for Black to organize any activity at all. But the great knight
in itself won't be sufficient to win the game - in order to progress, White
should create a path for his king towards the enemy camp. ---} 1. g5 $1 {
Softening up the crucial e5-square and fixing the g6-pawn as a weakness. By
the way, we will see more about fixing pawns in Chapter Four.} fxg5 {This
helps the White king's cause;} ({though after} 1... f5 2. Nf3 {followed by Ne5
Black is also doomed; e.g.} Be8 3. Ne5 Kd8 4. Kf3 Ke7 5. Ke3 Ke6 6. Kd4 Ke7 7.
Nd3 Ke6 8. Nb4 $1 {(provocation)} a5 9. Nd3 Bd7 10. a4 Be8 11. b4 {and the
a-pawn decides.}) 2. fxg5 Bc8 {At this point Black already resigned. Let's see
a possible continuation:} 3. Kf4 {King first!} ({White could also restrict the
enemy bishop by} 3. b4 $5 {before using the king; e.g.} Kd7 4. Kf4 Bb7 5. Ke5
Ke7 6. a3 $1 {(zugzwang)} Ba8 7. Ne2 Bb7 8. Nf4 Kf7 9. Kd6 {etc.}) 3... a5 {In
order to activate the bishop via a6 d3.} 4. Ke5 Ba6 5. Kf6 Bd3 6. Ke7 $1 {
Heading for d6.} ({Less convincing was} 6. Ne6+ $6 Kd7 7. Nf8+ Kc7 8. Nxg6 $2
Bxg6 9. Kxg6 d4 {and Black escapes to a queen ending.}) 6... Bb1 7. a3 Be4 8.
Ne6+ {This time it is the knight who helps the king to make further progress.
Such a combined method is indeed typical in blocked positions within bishop vs.
knight endings.} Kb7 9. Kd6 Bc2 10. Nd4 Bd1 11. Nxc6 ({In view of} 11. Nxc6
Bxb3 12. Nxa5+ {, White wins.}) 1-0

[Event "The Hague Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stoltz, G."]
[Black "Kashdan, I."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p2b1ppp/8/8/3N4/1P5P/5PP1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In open positions with pawns on both flanks the bishop tends to outperform
the knight, and this is no exception. Black's long term task is to penetrate
with his king into the enemy camp, thus he first improves this piece as much
as he can. ---} 1... Kf8 $1 2. Kf1 Ke7 3. Ke2 Kd6 4. Kd3 Kd5 5. h4 $1 {A
sensible idea, placing the pawns on squares of the opposite colour to the
enemy bishop.} ({In contrast, after} 5. Kc3 $2 Ke4) ({or} 5. Ke3 $2 Kc5 6. Kd3
Kb4 {, the black king enters with fewer difficulties.}) 5... Bc8 $1 {Preparing
a check on a6 in order to release White's opposition, so that the black king
can keep improving.} 6. Nf3 ({On} 6. b4 {Black plays} Ba6+ {anyway, and after}
7. b5 Bb7 {, followed by ...Kc5 and ...Bc8-d7, the b-pawn has turned into a
serious weakness.}) 6... Ba6+ 7. Kc3 ({Or} 7. Ke3 Kc5 8. Ng5 Kb4 9. Nxf7 Kxb3 {
and Black reaches a position with mutual passed pawns, where the bishop is
much the stronger piece.}) 7... h6 (7... Ke4 $2 8. Ng5+ {should be avoided.})
8. Nd4 g6 {Covering the f5-square.} ({The natural} 8... Ke4 $5 {also seemed
strong; e.g.} 9. Nc6 Bf1 $1 {(provocation) and} 10. g3 $2 {fails to} Kf3 {.})
9. Nc2 Ke4 10. Ne3 f5 $1 {The pawn advances with the dual mission of
dislodging the knight and softening up the enemy kingside.} 11. Kd2 f4 12. Ng4
({Or} 12. Nc2 Bf1 $1 13. Ne1 Kf5 14. f3 g5 15. hxg5 Kxg5 $1 {and the plan of ...Kh4-g3 decides - Speelman.}) 12... h5 13. Nf6+ Kf5 14. Nd7 Bc8 $1 {Before
entering with the king on g4, Black rules out a knight check on e5.} 15. Nf8 {
Thus White prevents ...Kg4 but also misplaces his knight, something that
explains Black's reply.} g5 $1 16. g3 ({Unfortunately for White, after} 16.
hxg5 Kxg5 {his knight is trapped.}) 16... gxh4 17. gxh4 Kg4 {The rest is easy.}
({There followed} 17... Kg4 18. Ng6 Bf5 19. Ne7 Be6 20. b4 Kxh4 21. Kd3 Kg4 22.
Ke4 h4 {and Black soon won.}) 0-1

[Event "Bonn (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Comp Deep Fritz"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkp/1p6/3Npp2/3b4/6P1/P3PPKP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this more modern example, the side with the knight could have decided the
game in his favour by immediately improving his king. ---} 1. e3 $1 {Thus
White enables a king journey to b5.} ({In contrast, the game went} 1. a4 $6 Bc5
2. h3 f6 3. f3 Kg6 {and Black later saved a draw.}) ({Changing the move order
with} 1. Kf3 {first should also work, since} e4+ $2 2. Kf4 {is bad for Black.})
1... Bc5 2. Kf3 f6 ({Or} 2... Kg6 3. Ke2 Kg5 4. h3 $1 {preventing the black
king's entrance - Braun.}) 3. Ke2 e4 {The most tenacious.} ({After} 3... Kf7 4.
Kd3 Ke6 5. Kc4 {Black ends up in some kind of zugzwang, with both the king and
the bishop tied to the defence of pawns. Besides, White has the strong idea of
a2-a4-a5 at his disposal.}) 4. Kd2 $1 {White insists with the plan of bringing
the king to b5.} Kf7 5. Kc3 b5 ({Or} 5... Ke6 6. Kc4 {with a similar situation
to that after 3...Kf7 etc.}) 6. Nc7 $1 {A useful piece of provocation.} Bb6 ({
In view of} 6... b4+ 7. Kc4 {, followed by Nd5xb4, Black has to pin his hopes
on this counter-attack.}) 7. Nxb5 Ba5+ 8. Kc4 Be1 9. a4 $1 {Passed pawns
should advance, as the old saying goes.} Bxf2 10. a5 Bxe3 11. Nd4 $1 {Black
isn't even allowed to sacrifice his bishop for the pawn.} f4 12. gxf4 Bxf4 13.
a6 Bb8 14. Nc6 {. White wins - Braun.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 14"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p2k4/8/PP6/3K4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Opposition --- Opposition tends to be one of the first methods taught within
pawn endings, and it is highly relevant to dominate it in practice. Let's
start with a few simple examples. ---} 1. Kd4 $1 {Gaining the opposition; i.e.
our king is placed in front of its counterpart.} ({Of course} 1. Kc4 $2 Kc6 {
is wrong, when it is Black who gains the opposition.}) 1... Kc6 ({After} 1...
Ke6 2. Kc5 {the white king enters straight away.}) ({As for a pawn sacrifice
with} 1... a5 {:} 2. b5 $1 {should win, if White uses his king accurately; e.g.
} ({White should evidently avoid} 2. bxa5 $2 Kc6 {and Black draws no matter
how many pawns there are on the a-file. The rook's pawn is usually the worst
pawn for the stronger side in pawn endings, since there is only one side from
which it can be assisted. As a consequence, the opposition loses its force and
the weaker side draws if his king arrives in time to c7 or c8. In contrast, if
we move all the pieces one file to the right (i.e. Ke4, c4 and b4 vs. Ke6 and
b5) then 2 cxb5 is fully possible, provided that later on White sacrifices the
upper pawn at the right moment and takes the opposition, as you can try out
for yourself.} (2... --)) 2... Kc7 3. Kc5 Kb7 4. Kd6 ({not} 4. b6 $2 Ka6 $1)
4... Kb6 5. Ke6 $1 {(in order to gain the opposition on the next move, now
that Black has neither ... Kc6 nor ...Ka6 at his disposal)} Kc7 6. Ke7 {and
the king enters after either} Kc8 ({or} 6... Kb7 7. Kd7) 7. Kd6 {.}) 2. Ke5 $1
{King first!} ({Renewing the opposition is rather useless due to} 2. Kc4 Kd6 {
, when} 3. b5 $2 {only leads to a draw.}) 2... Kc7 {Trying to hold by diagonal
opposition.} ({After} 2... Kd7 3. Kd5 Kc7 4. Kc5 Kb7 5. Kd6 Kb6 6. a5+ $1 Kb5
7. Kc7 Kxb4 8. Kb6 {White wins.}) 3. Kd5 Kd7 4. a5 $1 {By means of this timely
waiting move White regains the opposition.} ({Of course} 4. Kc5 Kc7 5. a5 {
works as well.}) 4... Kc7 5. Kc5 Kb7 6. Kd6 Ka7 7. Kc7 Ka8 8. Kb6 {. White
wins.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 15"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p2k4/8/PP6/3K4/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's examine the same position with Black to move. ---} 1... Kd7 $1 {
Applying the distant opposition.} ({In contrast, after} 1... Kd5 $2 2. Kc3 $1 {
White gains the opposition on the next move since the black king has neither
c5 nor c7 at his disposal; e.g.} Kd6 3. Kd4 Kc6 4. Ke5 {and we are back in the
previous example.}) 2. Kc4 ({After} 2. Kd4 Kd6) (2. Ke4 Ke6) (2. Kc3 Kc7 $1) ({
or} 2. Ke3 Ke7 $1 {, Black again maintains the opposition.}) 2... Kc6 {. Draw.}
*

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 16"]
[Black "Neustadtl, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/4p1p1/8/5P2/6K1/3k4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{By now we should outline some of the ideas used by both sides in these two
examples: direct opposition (e.g. Kc6 vs. Kc4), diagonal opposition (Kc7 vs.
Ke5), distant opposition (Kd7 vs. Kd3) and corresponding squares (d4-d6, e4-e6,
c3-c7- e3-e7, and c4-c6). The last term is a favourite of theoretical works
and it is good to dominate it in practical play too - it tells us where to
put our king when its counterpart is placed on a specific square. If there is
no such square, then we are probably lost! A final thing to be extracted from
these examples is the waiting move (e.g. a4-a5 in the previous example), an
idea that we will study more thoroughly later on in the book. --- The
following example is a study but its content is relevant in practice as well.
--- White is a pawn down, and only accurate play with the king will let him
save half a point. ---} 1. Kh1 $1 {Distant opposition.} ({The natural} 1. Kf1
$2 {loses after} Kd2 2. Kg2 (2. Kf2 {, when both} Kd3 ({and} 2... g4 {win for
Black.})) 2... Ke2 3. Kg3 Kf1 {(a king's raid - more about that later in
this chapter)} 4. Kg4 Kf2 {and wins.} (4... --)) 1... Kd2 2. Kh2 {Using the
"corresponding squares" term, the h2-square corresponds to d2.} Kd3 3. Kh3 {
Draw, since the black king is unable to reach f2 or f1;} ({e.g.} 3. Kh3 Ke2 4.
Kg2 Ke1 5. Kg1 Ke2 6. Kg2 Ke3 7. Kg3 {. By the way, if we let the kings change
place in the initial position, then White defends in an identical manner: 1
Ke2 Kh3 2 Kd3! Kh2 3 Kd2 etc.}) *

[Event "Israeli Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shevelev, A."]
[Black "Lerner, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p2p/8/3kp3/6P1/3K1P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see some of these ideas applied in practice. --- At first sight
Black's winning process seems to be complicated by the doubled e-pawns, but
Lerner came up with a clever idea. ---} 1... e3+ $1 2. fxe3+ Ke4 3. Ke2 h5 $1 {
A timely waiting move which secures the opposition.} (3... e5 $2 4. g4 {would
let White achieve the same thing, with a draw.}) 4. Kf2 ({After} 4. Kd2 Kf3 {
Black wins more easily.}) 4... Kd3 5. Kf3 e5 $1 {Again taking the opposition.}
6. e4 ({Or} 6. Kf2 e4 {and Black wins even without the g- and h-pawns on the
board.}) 6... Kd4 7. Kf2 Kxe4 8. Ke2 {It is White's turn to take the
opposition, and this would have been enough for a draw if it wasn't for the g-
and h-pawns. By the way, the fact that a greater number of pawns on the board
favours the stronger side will be investigated in Chapter Seven.} Kd4 9. Kd2 e4
10. Ke2 e3 11. Ke1 Kd3 12. Kd1 e2+ ({In view of} 12... e2+ 13. Ke1 Ke3 14. g4
h4 {, Black resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Hungarian Championship, Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szilagyi, P."]
[Black "Bilek, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/4k1p1/6Pp/5K2/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A common situation in endgame practice - from two obvious moves one loses,
and the other one makes a draw. ---} 1. h3 $1 {Securing the g4-pawn is the
main priority here.} ({In contrast, the game saw the "natural"} 1. Ke3 $2 {,
on which Black continued} h3 $1 {, gaining the opposition, and after} 2. Kf3
Kd4 3. Kg3 Ke3 4. Kxh3 Kf4 5. Kg2 Kxg4 {White resigned.}) 1... Kd4 2. Kf2 $1 {
Temporarily applying diagonal opposition.} Kd3 ({Or} 2... Ke4 3. Ke2 {and the
black king won't enter, nor after} f5 4. gxf5 Kxf5 5. Kf3 {.}) 3. Kf3 {. By
regaining the direct opposition, White secures the draw. This kind of "side"
opposition will appear several times in the next section dealing with
obstruction.} *

[Event "European Team Championship, Debrecen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Galliamova, A."]
[Black "Gurieli, N."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/5p2/5Pp1/8/8/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A protected passed pawn is usually a big asset in any endgame, but here White
can defend by applying different kinds of opposition depending on the location
of Black's king. ---} 1. Ke3 {Distant opposition.} ({Of course the black king
must not be allowed to reach e5, and} 1. Kf3 $2 Kd6 2. Ke4 Kc5 $1 {would soon
let her achieve that. By the way, a "lazy" rule for pawn endings is to put
your king on squares of the same colour as the opponent's king. It has several
exceptions, for example when waiting moves with the pawns are involved, but it
works surprisingly well on many occasions.}) 1... Kd7 ({Or} 1... Kd6 2. Kd4 Kc6
3. Kc4 {and Black can't break through; e.g.} Kb6 4. Kd4 $1 {(shifting to
diagonal opposition)} Kb5 5. Kd5 Kb6 6. Kd4 {with a draw} ({but not} 6. Ke6 g4
7. Kxf6 g3 8. Ke7 g2 9. f6 g1=Q 10. f7 Qg7 11. Ke8 Kc6 $1 {and Black wins.})) (
{As for} 1... Kf7 {, trying to infiltrate via the h-file, White should apply
corresponding squares:} 2. Ke4 Kg7 3. Kf3 Kh7 ({or} 3... Kh6 4. Kg4) 4. Kg3 $1
{with a draw. Perhaps you have heard the term "mined squares", which could be
applied to this case; i.e. g4 is "mined" whenever Black can reply ...Kh6.}) 2.
Kd3 $1 {Keeping the distant opposition.} ({Evidently, both} 2. Kd4 $2 Kd6) ({
and} 2. Ke4 $2 Kc6 {would destroy the draw.}) 2... Kc7 3. Kc3 Kb7 4. Kd3 ({The
distant opposition was no longer feasible (} 4. Kb3 $2 g4 {), so White stays
on a light square while awaiting Black's next move.}) 4... Ka6 5. Kc4 $1 {
Diagonal opposition.} Ka7 6. Kc3 Kb7 7. Kd3 Kb6 8. Kd4 Kc7 ({As we already
have seen,} 8... Kb5 9. Kd5 Kb6 10. Kd4 {is also drawn.}) 9. Kc3 Kb6 10. Kd4
Ka5 11. Kc5 Ka6 12. Kc4 1/2-1/2

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Potkin, V."]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1k4p1/5p1p/1PK1pP1P/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this position the protected passed pawn on e4 is stronger than the outside
passed pawn on b5, so White is struggling. ---} 1. Kb3 $2 {This retreat lets
Black win the game by "corresponding squares".} ({Correct was} 1. b5 $1 e3 ({or
} 1... Ka5 2. Kc5 e3 3. b6 e2 4. b7 e1=Q 5. b8=Q {- Golubev}) ({, while} 1...
Kb7 2. Kb3 {is equally unproductive}) 2. Kd3 Kxb5 3. Kxe3 Kc4 4. Ke2 {and the
diagonal opposition secures the draw. As we will see in the game, the fact
that the b-pawn is captured on b4 instead of b5 makes a huge difference.
Actually, the space factor (the more advanced your pawns, the better, so to
speak) determines the result of many endgames.}) 1... Kb5 2. Kc3 e3 $1 ({Also
possible was} 2... Ka4 3. Kc4 e3 {, transposing.}) 3. Kd3 Kxb4 4. Kxe3 Kc3 $1 {
Gaining the "side" opposition, which will enable Black to win the g-pawn in
the end.} 5. Ke2 Kc2 6. Ke3 ({Obviously,} 6. Ke1 Kd3 {soon leads to the same
thing.}) 6... Kd1 $1 {Unfortunately for White, he doesn't have the
corresponding 7 Kf1 at his disposal.} 7. Kf2 Kd2 8. Kf3 Ke1 9. Ke3 ({Or} 9. Kg2
Ke2 10. Kh2 Kf2 11. Kh3 Kg1 {etc - Golubev.}) 9... Kf1 10. Kf3 Kg1 {. In view
of 11...Kg2 on the next move, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ebralidze, A."]
[Black "Bondarevsky, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/5K2/5N2/6k1/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Although the idea of the opposition is mainly seen in pawn endings, it
occasionally turns up in other endgames as well, in particular when some piece
is tied up to defensive tasks. Here are two examples. --- If we just consider
his material advantage White should be easily winning; however, the active
position of the black king and the reduced number of pawns makes the win
rather difficult. ---} 1. Ke5 $1 {Both sides are fighting for the "side"
opposition, and considering Black's spare tempo with the h-pawn, White places
his king on a square of opposite colour to Black's.} ({In contrast, the game
went} 1. Ke6 $2 Kg5 ({not} 1... h5 $2 2. Kf6) 2. Ke5 h5 $1 {and Black gained
the opposition. After} 3. Ke6 ({or} 3. Ke4 Kg4 $1) 3... Kg6 $1 4. Ne3 {the
players agreed a draw in view of} Kg5 5. Ke5 h4 6. g4 h3 {etc - Dvoretsky.})
1... Kg5 ({The alternatives are no better: --} 1... h5 2. Kf6 {and the king
enters.}) (1... h6 2. Kf6 $1 Kh5 3. Nxh6 $1 Kxh6 4. g4 {and wins.}) (1... Kf3
2. Ke6 $1 Kg4 3. Kf6 {(triangulation)} Kh5 4. Ne3 {with a barrier and White
wins easily.}) 2. Ne3 {This is a so-called "barrier", by which the knight and
a pawn (or bishop) prevent the entrance of the enemy king.} h5 ({Or} 2... h6 3.
Ke4 h5 4. Kf3 h4 5. g4 {and wins.}) 3. Nf5 {Simplest, in order to regain the
opposition.} ({Also possible is} 3. Ke4 {approaching his own pawn, just like
in the previous line:} h4 4. g4 h3 5. Kf3 Kh4 ({or} 5... h2 6. Kg2) 6. Nf5+ Kg5
7. Ng3 $1 ({but not} 7. Kg3 $2 h2) 7... h2 8. Ne4+ Kh4 9. Nf2 Kg5 10. Kg3 {etc.
}) 3... Kg4 ({Or} 3... Kg6 4. Kf4 {with an elementary win.}) 4. Kf6 Kf3 5. Kg5
{. White wins.} *

[Event "USSR vs. Yugoslavia, Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1961.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Matanovic, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b5/7p/p1k3p1/P2p1p2/1K3P2/3BP1P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1961.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this bishop ending Black has been forced to place several pawns on the
"wrong" colour (the same as his bishop) and White soon exploits the limited
mobility of the enemy forces. ---} 1. h4 $1 {In order to create a "new front"
on the kingside - more on this topic in the last chapter of this book.} Kd6 ({
After} 1... h5 {instead, White wins by playing} 2. Bc2 $1 {with the
irresistible threat of Ba4-e8.}) 2. h5 gxh5 {Now the f5-pawn turns into a
serious weakness;} ({but other moves like} 2... Kc6 {run into} 3. h6 $1 {with
a similar decisive plan: Bc2-a4-e8xg6!.}) 3. Kc3 $1 {Heading for d4 in order
to enter with the king. Here Black resigned, but let's see a possible
continuation indicated by Averbakh:} Kc5 4. Bf1 Bb7 ({Obviously,} 4... Kd6 {
(or 4...Kc6) runs into} 5. Kd4 {.}) 5. Be2 $1 {White should lose a tempo with
his bishop so that it reaches d3 just when its black counterpart is on c8.} Bc8
6. Bd3 {Zugzwang; Black has run out of bishop moves.} d4+ {Black tries to
obstruct the enemy king by a pawn sacrifice.} ({After} 6... Kc6 7. Kd4 Kd6 8.
Be2 Bb7 9. Bf1 $1 Bc8 10. Bd3 {White gains the opposition, which means that
his king will enter either on c5 or e5, with decisive effect.}) ({On} 6... h6 {
(here or later) White simply repeats the previous bishop manoeuvre:} 7. Be2 Bb7
8. Bf1 $1 Bc8 9. Bd3 {with the same scenario.}) 7. exd4+ Kd5 8. Bc4+ Kd6 ({Or} 
8... Ke4 9. d5 h4 10. gxh4 Kxf4 11. Kd4 $1 {, followed by 12 d6, and the black
king proves fatally obstructed.}) 9. d5 Kc5 {How to make progress?} 10. d6 $1 {
An ingenious sacrifice in order to enter with the king.} Kxd6 11. Kd4 {
Opposition. As we already know, there is a way to put an end to Black's bishop
moves, so he is lost.} Bb7 12. Bf1 $1 Bc8 13. Bd3 {White soon wins;} ({e.g.} 
13. Bd3 Ke6 ({or} 13... Kc6 14. Ke5) 14. Kc5 {.}) 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brynell, S."]
[Black "Sokolov, I."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/8/6k1/R4p2/5PK1/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{To round off this section, let's see some examples where one of the players
had to consider the opposition factor when transposing into a pawn ending. ---
Black has just played ...f4-f3+, confronting White with a typical endgame
problem: transpose, or not transpose, to a pawn ending? ---} 1. Rxf3 $1 {A
well-calculated decision.} ({After} 1. Kh2 $6 f5 {Black would retain some
practical winning chances.}) 1... Rg1+ 2. Kxg1 Kxf3 3. Kf1 f5 4. Ke1 Kg2 5. f4
$1 {The key move, which guarantees a later opposition against Black's king (or
prevents him from occupying one of the key squares on e3, f3 and g3, if you
prefer that term).} ({Any other move loses; e.g.} 5. Ke2 $2 f4 6. f3 Kg3 7. Ke1
Kxf3 {(reaching a key square)} 8. Kf1 Ke3 {etc.}) 5... Kg3 6. Ke2 Kxf4 7. Kf2 {
. Opposition, draw agreed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Russian Women's Championship, Samara"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zayac, E."]
[Black "Matveeva, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kp1/8/8/4K1R1/8/5r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite the reduced material White is in some practical trouble due to her
king being cut off from the f-file. ---} 1. Ke3 ({Correctly avoiding the
transposition to a pawn ending by} 1. Rf4+ $2 {, when} Rxf4+ 2. Kxf4 Kf6 $1 {
leads to a decisive opposition.}) ({Baburin also suggests} 1. Rg1 $1 {, moving
the rook to the edge, a sensible idea in the endgame and one that we will see
more of in Chapter Three.}) 1... Rf1 2. Ke4 Kf6 3. Rg3 ({The text doesn't
spoil the draw, but} 3. Rf4+ $1 {was possible now; i.e.} Rxf4+ 4. Kxf4 {and it
is White who takes the opposition. Such a "bridge" is a common feature in rook
endings, and we will meet this subject in Chapter Three as well.}) 3... g6 4.
Ke3 Kf5 5. Ke2 ({Again,} 5. Rf3+ Rxf3+ 6. Kxf3 {was the simplest road to the
draw - Baburin.}) 5... Rf4 6. Ke3 g5 7. Rg1 $2 {White's hesitance to enter a
pawn ending finally dooms her.} ({After} 7. Rf3 $1 {she would soon draw by
opposition; e.g.} Kg4 ({or} 7... Rxf3+ 8. Kxf3) 8. Rxf4+ gxf4+ 9. Kf2 f3 10.
Kf1 Kg3 11. Kg1 {.}) ({Even} 7. Rg2 $1 g4 8. Rf2 {in the same spirit was
possible - Baburin.}) 7... g4 8. Ke2 ({After} 8. Rg2 Rf3+ 9. Ke2 Kf4 {White
lacks the space to save this rook ending; e.g.} 10. Ke1 ({or} 10. Rg1 g3 {,
followed by ...Rf2}) ({, or} 10. Rh2 Kg3 $1 {with ...Kg2 and ...g4-g3 next})
10... g3 11. Ra2 Kg4 {and the black king will soon manage to assist the pawn.})
8... Kg5 9. Rf1 g3 $1 10. Ra1 ({Or} 10. Rxf4 Kxf4 11. Ke1 Ke3 $1 12. Kf1 Kf3 {
etc - Baburin.}) 10... Kg4 11. Rh1 Re4+ ({In view of} 11... Re4+ 12. Kd3 ({or} 
12. Kf1 Kf3) 12... Re8 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Spanish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moreno Carnero, J."]
[Black "Suba, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/5p2/2P1b1p1/p3PpPp/B2K1P1P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this bishop ending White's space advantage and the fact that the enemy
kingside pawns are placed on the "wrong" colour made the win possible. ---} 1.
Kc5 Kc7 2. Kb5 Bd5 3. Kxa5 Bxc6 ({After} 3... Be4 4. Bb3) ({or} 3... Be6 4. Kb5
Bd5 5. Kc5 Be6 6. Bd1 $1 {, followed by Bf3-d5, White also wins comfortably.})
4. Bb3 $1 Be8 5. Bd5 $1 {Zugzwang, or diagonal opposition, name it as you like.
} Kd8 6. Kb6 Ke7 7. Bc6 $1 {A well-calculated transposition to a pawn ending.}
Bxc6 ({After} 7... Bd7 8. Bxd7 Kxd7 9. Kb7) ({or} 7... Kd8 8. Bxe8 Kxe8 9. Kc6
{, White takes the opposition even earlier.}) 8. Kxc6 Ke6 9. Kc5 {
Triangulating without letting Black play ...Kd5. By the way, without the e5-
and f7-pawns this would be a draw, similar to Example 20 (Potkin-Grischuk) had
White played the correct 1 b5.} Ke7 10. Kb6 $1 Kd8 ({The game actually went} 
10... Kd7 11. Kb7 {and Black resigned.}) 11. Kc6 {Black can no longer take the
"side" opposition by ...Ke6, and has to let the enemy king enter.} Ke8 12. Kd6
Kf8 ({On} 12... Kd8 {there follows the same thing.}) 13. e6 {White wins;} ({e.g.} 13. e6 fxe6 14. Kxe6 Kg7 15. Ke7 Kg8 16. Kf6 Kh7 17. Kf7 {.}) *

[Event "World Student Team Championship, Ybbs"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pritchett, C."]
[Black "Kagan, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4p2p/2K5/7p/1k6/6P1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Obstruction --- With "obstruction" I refer to the idea of limiting, with
our own king, the movements of the enemy king. Typically the king is placed
vis-à-vis its counterpart, similar to the opposition. Here is an example. ---
} 1... Kc4 $1 {Obstruction.} ({The more straightforward} 1... Kb3 $2 {only
draws after} 2. Kd5 Kxb2 3. Ke6 Kc3 4. Kxe7 Kd4 5. Kf6 Ke4 6. Kg5 $1 {etc.}) 2.
b4 ({Obviously, the king couldn't move due to 2...e5, and} 2. b3+ {leads to
the same thing after} Kxb3 3. Kd5 Kc3 {.}) 2... Kxb4 3. Kd5 Kc3 4. Ke6 Kd4 $1 {
The king should stay close to its counterpart in order to obstruct it on the
next move.} ({In contrast,} 4... Kd3 $2 5. Kxe7 Ke3 6. Kf6 Kf3 7. Kg5 {is a
draw.}) 5. Kxe7 Ke5 $1 6. Kf7 Kf5 {A last twist of obstruction.} ({The move
order matters: after} 6... h4 $2 7. gxh4 Kf5 8. h5 $1 h6 9. Ke7 Kg5 10. Ke6
Kxh5 11. Kf5 {, the white king arrives on time.}) 7. Kg7 h4 $1 ({Seeing that} 
7... Kg4 8. Kh6 $1 {draws, Black swaps the pawns in a different way.}) 8. gxh4
h5 $1 9. Kf7 ({Or} 9. Kh6 Kg4 10. Kg6 Kxh4 11. Kf5 Kg3 {with similar play.})
9... Kg4 10. Kf6 Kxh4 11. Kf5 Kg3 12. Ke4 h4 13. Ke3 Kg2 0-1

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Glek, I."]
[Black "Lerner, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/1p6/8/5k2/1p6/8/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With an extra pawn and the right to move Black seems to be easily winning,
but this is not quite so. ---} 1... Ke6 $1 {Only thus, obstructing the enemy
king while approaching the queenside.} ({The obvious} 1... Ke4 $2 {failed to}
2. Ke7 Kd3 3. Kd6 $1 {and White takes the "upper" pawn first}) ({while} 1...
Kf6 $2 {would lose a crucial tempo:} 2. Ke8 Ke6 3. Kd8 Kd6 4. Kc8 Kc6 5. Kb8 b5
6. Ka7 $1 {and the white king approaches the pawns along the a-file.}) 2. Ke8 (
{Or} 2. Kg7 b5 $1 {, prioritizing queenside action while the enemy king
remains displaced; e.g.} 3. Kg6 b3 $1 4. axb3 b4 {followed by ...Ke5-d4-c3.})
2... b5 $1 {In the same spirit as the previous note, progressing on the
queenside while the white king remains obstructed.} 3. Kd8 Kd6 4. Kc8 Kc6 5.
Kb8 Kb6 6. Kc8 b3 $1 {By swapping the pawns in this way, Black assures that
when he captures the white pawn, his own pawn remains protected. We saw a
similar trick (7...h4!) in the previous example.} 7. axb3 b4 ({In view of} 7...
b4 8. Kd7 Kc5 9. Ke6 Kd4 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Malakhov, V."]
[Black "Najer, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/8/8/1k2K3/8/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The following example shows that even top grandmasters sometimes fail to
apply this idea. --- The awkwardly placed black king makes White's chances
evidently better, but is it enough to win? ---} 1. Kd4 $1 {Obstruction.} ({
Other moves lead to a draw; e.g.} 1. Kd5 $2 Kc3 2. f4 Kd3) ({or} 1. f4 $2 Kc5
2. Ke5 Kc6 {, when neither} 3. f5 ({nor} 3. Kf6 Kd5 $1) 3... Kd7 4. Kf6 Ke8 5.
Kg7 Ke7 {works for White.}) ({In contrast, the game went} 1. Ke5 $2 Kc5 $1 2.
f3 (2. f4 {returns to 1 f4}) 2... Kc6 3. f4 Kd7 4. Kf6 Ke8 5. Kg7
f5 $1 {(a timely sacrifice ensuring later opposition - we already saw this
trick in Example 23, Brynell-Sokolov)} 6. Kf6 {and a draw was agreed in view of
} Kf8 7. Kxf5 Kf7 {.}) 1... Kb5 ({Or} 1... Kb3 2. f4 $1 Kc2 3. f5 Kd2 4. f6 {
(an idea familiar from the previous example: while the opponent's king remains
obstructed, the stronger side keeps improving his pawns)} Ke2 5. Ke5 Kf3 6. Kd6
Kf4 7. Ke7 {and wins - Deviatkin.}) 2. Kd5 $1 {White repeats the obstruction
in order to get his king to d6, where the enemy pawn will be at a shorter
distance.} Kb6 ({After} 2... Kb4 {White profits from his improved king:} 3. f4
Kc3 4. f5 Kd3 5. f6 $1 {, followed by Kd6-e7.}) 3. Kd6 $1 Kb5 4. f4 ({
Adjusting the move order with} 4. Ke7 Kc4 5. f4 $1 {works as well.}) 4... Kc4
5. f5 Kd4 6. f6 Ke4 7. Ke7 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Tashkent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Son"]
[Black "Khorovets"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/7p/4n2P/3k1K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see two examples where the stronger side transposes to a pawn
ending in order to prevail by obstruction. --- Despite the extra piece Black
should proceed with care, since his king is remotely placed from its desired
duty of protecting the h4-pawn. ---} 1... Nd5 $1 {The pawn should be protected
from behind, in fact this is a sensible idea in many knight vs. pawn endings.}
({Less constructive is} 1... Kd3 $6 2. Kf3 Kd4 3. Kf4 {and White defends by
opposition, or obstruction, name it as you like.}) ({But} 1... Nc4 2. Kf3 Ne5+
3. Kf4 Ng6+ {is another possible move order, as in the later game T.Macsik-M.Zlatic, Paks 2004.}) 2. Kf3 Ne7 $1 {This results in an indirect sacrifice of
the knight in order to divert the enemy king from the h-pawn.} 3. Kg4 Ng6 4.
Kg5 Ke3 5. Kxg6 Kf4 $1 {This is it; with his king fatally obstructed from the
pawns, White resigned.} ({In contrast,} 5... Kf3 $2 6. Kf5 Kg3 7. Ke4 {would
just draw" - Shereshevsky.}) *

[Event "World Team Championship, Ekaterinburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Socko, M."]
[Black "Le Kieu Thien, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5K2/1p5p/5P1P/1k6/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With a pawn race coming up, Black should carefully study where to put her
king on the next move. ---} 1... Kc4 $1 {The only winning move - we will soon
see why.} 2. Kxf7 b4 3. f5 b3 4. f6 b2 5. Kg7 b1=Q 6. f7 Qg1+ 7. Kh7 Qf2 8. Kg7
{With the black king more remotely placed this would be a draw due to White
having a bishop's pawn on the seventh rank, but here Black has an elegant path
to victory.} Kd5 $1 9. f8=Q Qxf8+ 10. Kxf8 Ke6 $1 {Obstruction! This is why
the king had to move exactly to c4 on the first move - Deviatkin.} ({In
contrast,} 10... Ke5 $2 {just draws after} 11. Ke7 Kf5 12. Kd6 Kg4 13. Ke5 Kxh4
14. Kf4 {.}) 11. Ke8 ({At the same moment, White resigned in view of} 11. Ke8
Kf5 12. Ke7 Kg4 13. Ke6 Kxh4 14. Kf5 Kg3 {.}) 0-1

[Event "US Championship, Seattle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Browne, W."]
[Black "Gulko, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/3R3P/7r/4p3/8/3Pk3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In rook vs. pawn endings, too, obstruction is frequently used by both sides,
as we already saw in the first section of this chapter. Here are two more
examples. --- In view of the threat of Kg7, Black is forced to enter a rook vs.
pawn ending. ---} 1... Rxh7 2. Rxh7 Kxd3 3. Rd7+ {A clever check, expelling
the black king from its ideal place on a neighbouring file to the pawn. On
other moves, 3... e4 draws comfortably.} Ke3 $1 {A key move, preparing a later
obstruction of the white king.} (3... Kc3 $2 {loses after} 4. Re7 $1 Kd4 5. Kf7
e4 6. Kf6 {and the white king reaches f3 in time.}) 4. Ke7 e4 5. Kd6 {The most
critical try.} ({The game went} 5. Ke6 Kf2 6. Kf5 e3 {and a draw was soon
agreed.}) 5... Kd4 $1 {Only thus, obstructing the enemy king from approaching
the pawn.} ({After} 5... Kf2 6. Rf7+ {, both} Ke2 ({and} 6... Kg2 7. Re7 Kf3 8.
Kd5) 7. Ke5 e3 8. Ke4 Kd2 9. Rd7+ {win for White" - Gulko.}) 6. Ke6+ ({If} 6.
Kc6+ {, then} Kc3 7. Re7 Kd3 ({or even} 7... Kd4 {) and the white king is too
remotely placed.})) 6... Kc3 7. Kf5 e3 8. Re7 Kd2 {. Black just draws.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Stockholm Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keres, P."]
[Black "Mikenas, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/3PK3/8/2R3pk/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is not difficult to see that Black is in big danger here, but by accurate
play with the king he managed to save himself. ---} 1... Kg4 $1 {At first
sight it seems wrong to block one's own pawn, but Mikenas has concluded that
he must turn around his king in order to obstruct its white counterpart once
the rook vs. pawn ending is reached.} ({In contrast,} 1... Kh4 $2 2. Rc8 $1
Rh7+ 3. Ke6 $1 Rxd7 4. Kxd7 g4 5. Ke6 g3 6. Kf5 $1 {(king first!)} g2 7. Kf4 $1
{wins for White.}) 2. Kf6 {The trickiest try.} ({After the analogous} 2. Rc8
Rh7+ 3. Ke6 Rxd7 4. Kxd7 {we can easily appreciate the point behind 1...Kg4:
Black now has the obstructive} Kf4 $1 {, with a draw after} ({or} 4... Kf3 $1)
5. Ke6 g4 6. Rc4+ Kf3 7. Kf5 g3 8. Rc3+ Kf2 9. Kf4 g2 10. Rc2+ Kf1 11. Kf3
g1=N+ $1 12. Ke3 Nh3 {etc.}) 2... Rf8+ $1 {The enemy king must be expelled
from the g-pawn.} ({Instead,} 2... Rh6+ $2 {would let White queen after} 3. Ke5
Rh8 4. Rc8 {.}) 3. Ke6 ({Now} 3. Kg6 Rg8+ {is useless for White.}) 3... Rd8 4.
Rd5 ({We already know that} 4. Rc8 Rxd7 5. Kxd7 Kf4 $1 ({or} 5... Kf3 $1 {
draws.})) 4... Kf4 $1 5. Rf5+ ({Or} 5. Ke7 Rxd7+ 6. Kxd7 g4 {with similar play
as before.}) 5... Kg4 6. Rf7 Kh3 $1 ({Here, blocking the pawn by} 6... Kg3 $2 {
loses a crucial tempo after} 7. Ke7 Rxd7+ 8. Kxd7 g4 9. Ke6 Kh2 10. Kf5 g3 11.
Kg4 g2 12. Rh7+ {and White wins.}) 7. Kf5 ({Or} 7. Ke7 Rxd7+ 8. Kxd7 g4 9. Ke6
g3 {with a draw soon.}) 7... g4 8. Kf4 g3 9. Kf3 Kh4 $1 ({Black avoids both
pitfalls:} 9... Rh8 $2 10. d8=Q $1) ({and} 9... Kh2 $2 10. Rh7+ Kg1 11. Kxg3 {.
}) 10. Rg7 Kh5 11. Kxg3 Kh6 12. Re7 Kg6 13. Kf4 Kf6 14. Rh7 Ke6 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 33"]
[Black "Reti, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7K/8/k1P5/7p/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The king's route --- In several examples of the previous section we saw how
one side adjusted his king's route in order to obstruct its white counterpart 
(4...Kd4! and 5...Ke5! in Pritchett-Kagan, 1...Ke6! in Glek-Lerner, etc). Here
are some more examples where the king is assigned a second task while on its
way somewhere. Let's start with Réti's famous study. --- This ancient study
has attracted innumerable chess fans over the years. White seems completely
lost, yet by choosing an optimal route for his king the game can be saved. ---
} 1. Kg7 $1 (1. Kh7 $2 h4 2. Kg6 h3 {would be useless.}) 1... h4 2. Kf6 Kb6 ({
After} 2... h3 3. Ke7 h2 ({or} 3... Kb6 4. Kd6) 4. c7 Kb7 5. Kd7 {both players
queen.}) 3. Ke5 $1 {The key move, with the double intention of 4 Kd6,
assisting the c-pawn, and 4 Kf4 (or Ke4), catching the enemy pawn.} Kxc6 ({Or} 
3... h3 4. Kd6 h2 5. c7 Kb7 6. Kd7 {.}) 4. Kf4 {. Draw. Note the king's
affinity with diagonal walks" - we will soon see more of this in the present
section.} *

[Event "Carlsbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1929.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yates, F."]
[Black "Marshall, F."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/p2K4/3Q4/kp3P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "1929.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the following example, Black was allowed to save himself by using Réti's
idea. ---} 1. Kc4 $2 {When playing so Yates must have overlooked Black's third
move.} ({With} 1. Qc2 $1 a3 ({or} 1... Ka3 2. Qb1) 2. Kc3 Ka1 3. Kb3 b1=Q+ 4.
Qxb1+ Kxb1 5. Kxa3 Kc2 6. f4 {, his idea of transposing to a pawn ending would
have been realized successfully.}) 1... b1=Q 2. Qxb1+ Kxb1 3. Kb4 Kb2 $1 {By
means of the threat of 4...a3 Black gains a crucial tempo on his way to the
white pawn.} (3... Kc2 $2 {failed to} 4. f4 {.}) 4. Kxa4 Kc3 5. f4 Kd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Berlin (analysis variation)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1921.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schlage, W."]
[Black "Ahues, C."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4K2/P7/8/8/8/1k6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1921.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{By moving his king in V-form, White manages to capture the a7-pawn without
letting the black king reach the key square on c7. ---} 1. Ke6 $1 ({Not} 1. Ke7
$2 Kc3 $1 2. Kd7 Kd4 $1 ({avoiding} 2... Kc4 $2 3. Kc6 $1 {with obstruction})
3. Kc6 Ke5 4. Kb7 Kd6 5. Kxa7 Kc7 {and Black reaches his goal.}) 1... Kc3 2.
Kd5 $1 {Obstruction while approaching the queenside.} Kd3 ({Equally useless is
} 2... Kb4 3. Kc6 Ka5 4. Kb7 {etc.}) 3. Kc6 Ke4 4. Kb7 Kd5 5. Kxa7 Kc6 6. Kb8 {
. White wins. The diagonal route (f7-e6-d5-c6-b7) is geometrically longer than
the straight route (f7-e7-d7-c7-b7), but in both cases it takes the white king
four moves to reach b7.} *

[Event "Manresa"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pozharsky, V."]
[Black "Escudero Martinez, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p2k1p1/1P6/p6P/6P1/8/4PK2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{How should White cope with the enemy a-pawn while keeping his kingside pawns
intact? ---} 1. Ke1 $1 {The right route, in order to keep the e-pawn mobile.} (
{The more natural} 1. Ke3 $2 {permits} Kf6 $1 2. Kd4 Kg5 3. e4 Kxg4 4. e5 Kg5
5. Kd5 a4 6. e6 a3 7. e7 a2 8. e8=Q a1=Q {with excellent drawing chances -
Pozharsky.}) 1... Kf6 2. e4 $1 Ke5 ({Or} 2... Kg5 3. e5 {with similar play.})
3. g5 {Now that the e- and g-pawns defend themselves mutually, White wins
easily by picking up the a-pawn;} ({e.g.} 3. g5 a4 4. Kd2 a3 5. Kc3 {etc.}) 1-0

[Event "European Team Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cheparinov, I."]
[Black "Pavasovic, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3p2kp/2p1bp2/2P5/3K3P/1P6/2B5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The king's route is not an exclusive theme of pawn endings. Here are two
examples from other types of endings. --- Apart from being a pawn down, White
has to look watch out for the opponent's plan of Kh5-h4xh3 followed by the
advance of the f-pawn. ---} 1. Ke2 $1 {On its way to f3 the king steps on a
light square, which is not a bad general recommendation when the opponent has
a bishop of the other colour.} ({In contrast, the game saw} 1. Ke3 $2 Bf6 $1 {
and White had to resign immediately, in view of 2...Bg5(+) on the next move,
with a decisive bishop exchange.}) ({Another idea is} 1. b3 $5 Kh5 2. Ke2 Kh4
3. Kf3 $1 ({king first; not} 3. Bxh6 Kg3 $1) 3... f4 4. Kg2 $1 {with drawing
chances.}) 1... Kh5 ({Now if} 1... Bf6 {White has time for} 2. Bf4 $1 {
intending} Bxb2 $6 3. Bxd6 Bd4 4. Kf3 {.}) 2. Kf3 Bf6 3. Bf4 {. White defends.}
*

[Event "Ulan Ude"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Popov, I."]
[Black "Savchenko, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/RK3p1p/6p1/8/6P1/3pkP2/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A quick glance reveals that White will soon have to sacrifice his rook for
the black d-pawn, after which the location of both kings will decide the
outcome of the game. ---} 1. Kc8 $1 {The king approaches the opposite flank
without obstructing the rook.} ({In contrast, after} 1. Kc6 $6 d2 2. Rd7 g5 $1
({gaining space;} 2... Ke2 {loses to} 3. f4 $1 d1=Q 4. Rxd1 Kxd1 5. Kd7 Ke2 6.
Ke7 Kf3 7. f5 {etc}) 3. Rd5 Ke2 4. Kd6 d1=Q 5. Rxd1 Kxd1 6. Ke5 Ke2 7. Kf5 Kxf3
8. Kxg5 Ke4 $1 9. h4 Ke5 10. h5 f6+ 11. Kh6 f5 12. g5 f4 13. Kxh7 f3 14. g6 f2
15. g7 f1=Q 16. g8=Q Kd6 {, it is a theoretical draw, although White would
have some winning chances in practice - Baburin.}) 1... f5 {Trying to gain
some space before queening the pawn.} ({After} 1... d2 2. Rd7 Ke2 3. f4 (3. Kd8
{also works}) 3... d1=Q 4. Rxd1 Kxd1 5. f5 {, followed by Kd7-e7, White wins.})
2. gxf5 gxf5 3. Rd7 f4 4. Kd8 $1 {The point behind 1 Kc8 is revealed: the king
can approach the enemy pawns without getting in the way of the rook.} d2 5. Ke7
Kxf3 ({Or} 5... Ke2 6. Kf6 d1=Q 7. Rxd1 Kxd1 8. Kf5 {- Baburin.}) 6. Rxd2 {
Evidently, without the h-pawns on the board this would be a simple draw.
Incidentally, when explaining the principle "pawn exchanges favour the
defender" (more about this later on in the book), such positions are quite
useful as starting points.} Ke3 7. Rd6 f3 8. Re6+ Kd2 9. h4 ({Avoiding the
last pitfall,} 9. Kf6 $2 f2 $1 {.}) ({After} 9. h4 {Black resigned, in view of}
f2 10. Rf6 Ke1 11. h5 f1=Q 12. Rxf1+ Kxf1 13. Kf7 {etc.}) 1-0

[Event "Polish Championship, Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Socko, B."]
[Black "Wojtaszek, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/4R3/r3p2p/3p2pP/1K1P2P1/4P3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{King raids --- By a "king raid"� I refer to an invasion with the king
behind the enemy pawns. We already came across this idea in a few examples; e.g. Neustadtl's study (the 1 Kf1? subline), and Potkin-Grischuk, where Black's
king again managed to invade via the back rank. Here is one more. ---} 1. Kb5
$1 ({There was nothing wrong with the obvious} 1. Rh7 {, but White has seen
that in the pawn ending arising after the text, his king will be able to enter
decisively via the back rank.}) 1... Kxe7 ({Or} 1... Rd6 2. Rh7 e5 3. Kc5 $1 {
with an easy win" - Socko.}) 2. Kxa6 Kf7 ({After} 2... Ke8 3. Kb6 $1 {(now
Black is lacking the f6-square for his king)} Kd7 4. Kb7 Kd6 5. Kc8 e5 6. Kd8 (
{or} 6. Kb7 {, White wins.})) 3. Kb7 $1 {Distant opposition.} Kg8 4. Kc8 Kg7 5.
Kc7 $1 Kg8 6. Kd6 {At this moment Black resigned; let's make a few more moves:}
Kf7 7. Kd7 Kf6 8. Ke8 $1 {White finally manages to bring his king behind the
enemy pawns.} e5 9. Kd7 {. There follows 10 Kd6 with an easy win" - Socko.} 1-0

[Event "Hallsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Eriksson, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p4p2/p1p2k2/P1P5/1P6/6PK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{I have a pleasant memory of the king raid idea" - it once helped me to win a
last-round game, and indirectly the whole tournament. Despite various errors
from both sides I find it rather instructive. --- This endgame should be drawn,
but White keeps some practical chances due to Black's slightly compromised
pawn structure. ---} 1. Kh3 {Diagonal opposition, which helps White take the
direct opposition the next move.} Kg5 2. Kg3 Kf5 $2 {Interestingly, this
natural move loses the game, something that just shows the complexity of pawn
endings.} ({Correct was} 2... f5 $1 {, gaining some space; e.g.} 3. Kf3 Kg6 4.
Kf4 Kf6 5. g3 {(the fact that White already has to push this pawn is the key
to the draw)} Ke6 6. Kg5 Ke5 7. Kg6 Ke6 $1 8. Kh5 f4 $1 {(a sacrifice on the
theme of obstruction)} 9. gxf4 Kf5 10. Kh6 Kxf4 11. Kg6 Ke5 12. Kf7 Kd4 13. Ke6
Kc3 14. Kd6 Kxb3 15. Kxc5 Kxa4 16. Kb6 Kb4 17. c5 a4 {with a draw.}) 3. Kf3 Ke5
4. Kg4 {At this point I had my plan ready: bring the king behind the f-pawn,
swap the kingside pawns, move over the king to the queenside and capture on c5
before Black captures on b3. Even so, I erred on my next move.} f5+ ({After} 
4... Kd4 $2 5. Kf5 Kc3 6. Kxf6 Kxb3 7. g4 {only White will queen.}) ({As for} 
4... Ke4 {, White wins in similar style as in the main line, starting with} 5.
Kh5 {.}) 5. Kh5 $2 {During the game I thought this move was clever, since
Black can't oppose with his king either on f5 or on d5, but in fact it throws
away half a point!} ({Obviously,} 5. Kg5 {was useless due to} f4 6. Kg4 Ke4 {
and Black holds by opposition.}) ({But by} 5. Kh4 $1 {White could have avoided
Black's drawing trick on move 6 in the main line, with quite an easy win; e.g.}
Kf6 ({or} 5... Kf4 6. Kh5 Kg3 7. Kg5) 6. Kh5 Ke6 7. Kg5 Ke5 8. g3 Ke6 9. Kg6
Ke5 10. Kf7 {, as later happens in the main line.}) 5... Kf6 6. Kh6 Ke5 $2 {
Black returns the favour.} ({By} 6... f4 $1 {he could have temporarily
obstructed the enemy king, while preparing the same pawn sacrifice that we saw
in the 2...f5 line; e.g.} 7. Kh5 Kf5 8. Kh4 f3 $1 9. gxf3 Kf4 10. Kh5 Kxf3 11.
Kg5 Ke4 12. Kf6 Kd4 13. Ke6 Kc3 {and we have in fact transposed to 2...f5
above.}) ({Even} 6... Kf7 $5 {worked; e.g.} 7. g3 Kf6 8. Kh5 f4 $1 9. gxf4 Kf5
{and we already know the idea.}) 7. Kg6 Ke6 8. g3 $1 Ke5 9. Kf7 {White finally
manages to get behind the enemy pawns with his king, and the rest is easy.} Kd4
10. Kf6 Kc3 11. Kxf5 Kxb3 12. g4 Kxc4 13. g5 Kb3 14. g6 c4 15. g7 c3 16. g8=Q+
Kb2 17. Qg7 1-0

[Event "Loja"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brito, D."]
[Black "Ruiz, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p1p/2pk2p1/5PP1/1P1K4/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Many years later, I came across a similar endgame in one of my students'
games. --- Black has just made a huge mistake by playing ...g6-g5? instead of
the correct ...f6-f5. White could now have decided the game in her favour by
applying a king raid. ---} 1. f5 $1 {This advance doesn't just gain the
opposition for White, it also gains space which makes the f-pawn very
dangerous in any passed pawn race.} ({In contrast, the game went} 1. fxg5 $2
hxg5 2. h3 Ke5 3. Ke3 Kd5 {and a draw was agreed.}) 1... Kd6 ({Slightly more
tenacious than} 1... Ke5 $6 2. Kc4 Kd6 3. Kb5 Kd5 4. h3 {, when we have
already reached the position after move 8 in the main line.}) 2. Kc4 Kc6 3. h3
$1 {Again White takes the opposition.} Kd6 ({Or} 3... Kb6 4. Kd5 Kb5 5. Ke6 Kb4
6. Kd6 $1 ({more clear-cut than} 6. Kxf6) 6... Kb5 7. Kd5 Kb6 ({if} 7... Kb4 {
, then} 8. Kc6) 8. Ke6 {and the f-pawn is faster.}) 4. Kb5 Kd5 5. Kb6 Kd6 6.
Ka6 $1 {Thus White gains the opposition two moves later, exploiting the fact
that 6...Ke6 isn't available for Black.} Kc6 7. Ka5 Kd5 ({Black could have
tried} 7... c4 $5 {in similar spirit to 6...f4 of the previous example, though
after} 8. bxc4 Kc5 9. Ka6 Kxc4 10. Kb6 Kd5 11. Kc7 Ke4 12. Kd6 {followed by
Ke6, she would be lost anyway. Compared to the previous game, here White is
heavily favoured by having the potential passed pawn on the fifth rank (f5)
instead of the fourth (c4).}) 8. Kb5 {Now the white king's entry at c7 can't
be prevented.} Kd6 9. Kb6 Kd5 10. Kc7 Ke4 11. Kc6 $1 Kd4 12. Kd6 {. White wins.
} *

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/8/8/8/1PK3k1/2B5/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The king raid idea can be used in other types of endings as well, and not
only by the attacking side. Here are some examples. --- In such bishop endings,
if the weaker side can't put the king in front of the pawn, then its best
place is usually behind it, vis-à-vis the enemy king. ---} 1... Kf4 $1 {
Preparing a king raid.} ({Passive play with this piece would lead to defeat; e.g.} 1... Kf5 $6 2. Kd5 Kg6 $2 ({it is not yet too late for} 2... Kf4) 3. b5 Kf7
4. Kc6 Ke6 5. Bd4 Ba5 6. Bc5 {followed by Bd6-c7.}) 2. b5 Ke4 3. Bd4 Bc7 4. Kc5
Kd3 $1 5. Kc6 Kc4 6. Bb6 Bf4 {Due to the correct location of the black king,
White can't build a "bridge" on c7 without losing the pawn. Had White managed
to bring his king to a6, then Black would have been obliged to transfer his to
a4, thus preventing a bridge on a5.} 7. Ba7 Bc7 1/2-1/2

[Event "La Roda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zubarev, A."]
[Black "Forcen Esteban, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5KN1/3k2P1/8/8/8/1b6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has a rather simple plan at his disposal: Ne8 or Nh5 (threatening Nf6),
then after ...Bh8, return the knight to g7, and finally attack the bishop with
Kg8. In order to prevent this plan Black must play actively with his king. ---
} 1... Ke5 $1 {Preparing a king raid to f5.} ({Also possible is} 1... Kd5 2.
Ne8 Bh8 3. Ng7 Ke5 {in the same spirit - Lalic/Baburin, when} 4. Kg8 {is met by
} Kf6 {.}) ({Instead, the game went} 1... Kd7 $2 2. Ne8 Bh8 3. Kg8 $2 ({we
already know the correct move:} 3. Ng7 $1 {, preparing Kg8}) 3... Bb2 {and a
draw was agreed, although by} 4. Kf7 Bh8 5. Ng7 $1 {White could still have won
the game.}) 2. Ne8 Kf5 {. White can't make progress.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zaragatski, I."]
[Black "Nyback, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/8/2K5/2P1k3/8/8/8/7r b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is lost due to his badly placed king, which should have been located on
the short side of the pawn, i.e. on a7 or a6. However, he came up with a
clever idea in practice: the attempt at a king raid. ---} 1... Kd4 $5 2. Rd8+
$2 {Overlooking the opponent's idea.} ({By} 2. Rg8 {, changing the angle of
his rook, White would have won easily; e.g.} Rh2 ({or} 2... Rh6+ 3. Kb5 {
followed by Rd8}) 3. Rg5 {, cutting off the enemy king - Baburin.}) 2... Kc4 $1
{By now an ideal place for the king, where it limits the movements of its
white counterpart. Obviously, had White played 2 Rg8, he could now have chased
away the king by 3 Rg4+.} 3. Rc8 Rh6+ 4. Kb7 Kb5 $1 5. Rc7 ({Or} 5. c6 Rg6 6.
c7 Rb6+ {with a perpetual.}) 5... Rg6 6. c6 Rh6 7. Rc8 Rg6 8. Rd8 Rxc6 9. Rd5+
Rc5 10. Rxc5+ Kxc5 1/2-1/2

[Event "USSR Championship, Minsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Makarichev, S."]
[Black "Lerner, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/2R5/6k1/3K4/2p5/2P5/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case, where Black is again in trouble due to his remotely
placed king. ---} 1... Kf6 $1 {Preparing a king raid is the only chance for
salvation.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Kf5 $2 2. Rf7+ $1 Kg6 3. Rf4 Ra5+ 4.
Kc6 Ra6+ 5. Kb5 {and White later won.}) 2. Kxc4 Ke5 3. Kc5 ({Or} 3. Rc6 Rb8 $1
{(preventing Kb5)} 4. Kc5 Ke4 {with similar play - Dvoretsky.}) 3... Ke4 $1 {
The key move, which prepares Kd3 in order to tie the enemy pieces to the
defence of the pawn.} 4. c4 Kd3 5. Rd7+ ({After} 5. Kd5 Rd8+) ({or} 5. Kb5 Rb8+
{, Black holds.}) 5... Kc3 6. Kd5 Kb4 7. c5 ({Or} 7. Rb7+ Ka5 8. c5 Ka6 {,
followed by ...Rh8, with similar play.}) 7... Kb5 8. c6 Rh8 $1 {The rook
shifts to the long side of the pawn, thus enabling a side attack. (We will
study such positions quite thoroughly in Chapter Three.) Black defends -
Dvoretsky;} ({e.g.} 8... Rh8 9. Rb7+ Ka6 10. Rb1 Rh5+ 11. Ke6 Rh6+ 12. Kd7 Rh7+
{etc.}) *

[Event "Saltsjöbaden Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotov, A."]
[Black "Eliskases, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/1R6/5P2/4K1p1/8/8/5r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1952.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Shelter --- Sometimes in major piece endings, the stronger side manages to
bring his king to a square where it can't be easily harassed by the enemy
forces. Such a square, typically located in front of a pawn of either colour,
is referred to as a "shelter" in this work. Let's start with an archetypal
example. --- Without the g5-pawn on the board, Black would make an easy draw
by rear checks, but here White wins easily by using the g6-square as a shelter
for his king. ---} 1. Ke6 Re2+ 2. Kf5 g4 ({Or} 2... Rf2+ 3. Kg6 $1 {with
similar play.}) 3. Kg6 $1 {White ignores the g-pawn and installs his king on
the sheltered square.} Rf2 4. f7+ Kf8 5. Rb8+ Ke7 6. Re8+ {. In view of 7 f8Q
coming next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Hungarian Championship, Kazincbarcika"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berkes, F."]
[Black "Horvath, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/5RK1/4p1p1/p3P2p/3P1PrP/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here are two more complex examples on the same topic. --- At first sight it
is not easy to see how White can convert his superior activity into something
more concrete, since the desired 1 Kf6?? runs into 1... Rxf4+. Berkes finds a
great solution: create a shelter for his king by means of a powerful double
pawn sacrifice. ---} 1. d5 $1 ({Less powerful is} 1. Ra7 $2 Rxf4 2. Kxg6 Rxh4
3. Kf6 Rxd4 4. Kxe6 Kf8 $1 {(towards the short side of the enemy pawn)} 5. Rxa5
Re4 ({or} 5... Rb4) 6. Ra8+ Kg7 7. Kd6 Kf7 {with a draw.}) ({Also wrong is} 1.
f5 $6 {due to} gxf5+ $1 2. Kf6 f4 {, when both} 3. Kxe6 $2 ({and} 3. d5 $2 f3)
3... Rg6+ {fail tactically for White.}) 1... exd5 2. e6 $1 d4 ({On} 2... Rxh4)
({or} 2... a4 {, White replies as in the game.}) 3. f5 $1 gxf5+ 4. Kf6 {The
shelter is ready.} Re4 ({There is nothing better; e.g.} 4... d3 5. Re7+ Kd8 ({
or} 5... Kf8 6. Ra7) 6. Rd7+ Ke8 7. Rxd3 Re4 8. Rg3 $1 {(deflecting the black
rook from the e-file)} Rg4 9. Rc3 Rd4 10. Rc8+ Rd8 11. Rxd8+ Kxd8 12. Kf7 {etc.
}) 5. Ra7 ({In view of} 5. Ra7 Kd8 6. e7+ Kc8 7. Ra8+ Kd7 8. Rd8+ Kc6 9. Rxd4
$1 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Granda Zuniga, J."]
[Black "Vladimirov, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/R7/3P3p/4p2P/6PK/8/8/5r2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is a pawn up, but with such a passive king it is difficult for him to
aspire at anything. With his next move Granda addresses this issue. ---} 1. g5
$1 {This advance doesn't just creates a passed pawn on the h-file, it also
clears a path for the king towards the shelter on e6.} Rh1+ ({After} 1... hxg5+
2. Kxg5 Rg1+ ({or} 2... e4 3. h6 {and the h-pawn costs Black a rook}) 3. Kf6 {
, followed by 4 Ke6, White wins at once.}) ({Neither does} 1... Rf4+ {make
sense, in view of} 2. Kg3 hxg5 3. h6 Rh4 4. h7 {and the threat of} -- 5. h8=Q+
Rxh8 6. Ra8+ {again decides.}) 2. Kg4 hxg5 ({Or} 2... Rg1+ 3. Kf5 Rxg5+ 4. Ke6
{, winning - Granda.}) 3. Rh7 $1 {A key move to liberate the king from the
defence of the h-pawn.} ({The immediate} 3. Kf5 $2 {permits} Rxh5 4. Ke6 Rh6+
5. Kd5 Rh1 $1 6. Kc6 (6. Rg7 {, preparing 7 Rg6, is useless as Black can play
the move ...Kd7 once the white rook leaves the seventh rank}) 6... Rc1+ 7. Kd5
Rh1 $1 {, neutralizing the shelter idea.}) ({Probably} 3. Kxg5 {works too:} e4
4. Re7 $1 ({but not} 4. h6 $2 e3 5. Re7 Rg1+ 6. Kf6 Rf1+ 7. Kg7 Rg1+ 8. Kh8 Rg3
9. h7 Kc8 {and White seems unable to progress; e.g.} 10. Rg7 e2 $1 11. Re7 Rg2
{etc}) 4... Rg1+ 5. Kf5 e3 ({or} 5... Rh1 6. Rh7 e3 7. Ke6) 6. Rxe3 Rh1 7. Kg6
Rg1+ 8. Kh7 Kd7 9. Rd3 Rg2 10. h6 Rg1 11. Kh8 Rg2 12. h7 Rg1 13. Ra3 {and
White wins by Ra8-g8 followed by the king's withdrawal. Anyway, Granda's
solution is much more clear-cut.}) 3... e4 ({After} 3... Rd1 4. h6 Rxd6 5. Rh8+
{, followed by 6 h7, White wins by one tempo.}) 4. Kf5 $1 e3 5. Ke6 {The
shelter is ready, and Black can only rely on desperate moves.} Kc8 6. d7+ Kc7
7. Ke7 $1 ({Avoiding the trap} 7. Rh8 Rd1 8. Rc8+ Kb7 9. d8=Q $4 ({although} 9.
Rc2 {wins as well}) 9... Rxd8 10. Rxd8 e2 {.}) 7... Rd1 8. Ke8 {. In view of
the inevitable 9 d8Q, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Krush, I."]
[Black "Akopian, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/p5p1/4P2p/3Q3P/2p5/4q3/6P1/3K4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In queen endings the power of passed pawns increase dramatically, since the
queen is very good at assisting their advance, and other factors such as
material become secondary. Thus in the above position White, despite being a
pawn down, is very close to winning, thanks to her strong e-pawn. ---} 1. Qd8+
Kh7 2. e7 $1 {A very appropriate choice. White doesn't fear a series of enemy
queen checks, aware that her king will have excellent sheltering possibilities
on the queenside. Interestingly, if we take the c4-pawn off the board, Black's
drawing chances would increase greatly.} Qg1+ 3. Kc2 Qxg2+ 4. Kc3 Qf3+ 5. Kb4
$1 {The enemy pawns should of course remain on the board, in order to obstruct
the black queen.} a5+ 6. Kc5 $1 {In the same spirit.} ({After} 6. Kxa5 $2 Qa3+
{, it is far from clear that White can avoid a perpetual.}) 6... Qxh5+ 7. Kc6
Qg6+ 8. Kc7 Qg3+ 9. Kc8 $1 {Thanks to the c-pawn, White's king is safe here;} (
{in view of} 9. Kc8 Qh3+ 10. Qd7 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Ostend"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marshall, F."]
[Black "Tarrasch, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/Q6p/3kp3/8/6P1/P2q4/7K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the next old, but instructive example the stronger side will have more
difficulties to find a shelter for his king, but he finally solves the issue.
--- Material is equal but Black's advanced e-pawn yields him a clear advantage.
---} 1... e4 $1 {Black should advance the passed pawn as far as possible,
without bothering about the enemy queen checks, just like in the previous
example.} 2. Qb5+ Kd4 $1 {We already know that in queen endings, the
sheltering possibilities tend to be higher in enemy territory.} 3. Qb6+ Kd3 4.
Qa6+ Ke3 $1 {The h-pawn doesn't matter, the main thing is to assist the e-pawn.
} ({After} 4... Kc2 $6 5. Qa4+ $1 {, the king would have to return.}) 5. Qxh6+
Ke2 {Thanks to his clever first move, Black can calmly offer a queen exchange.}
6. Qh5+ Ke1 7. g4 {White's checks are over for the moment, so he clears some
space for his queen, and advances his own passed pawn.} e3 8. Qc5 ({In the
event of} 8. g5 e2 9. g6 {, a good plan for Black would be to bring his king
to a shelter square on a1; e.g.} Kf2 ({not} 9... Kd1 $2 10. g7 {and the d-pawn
is pinned}) 10. Qh2+ Kf3 11. Qh3+ Ke4 12. Qg2+ Kd4 13. Qg4+ Kc3 14. Qg3+ Kb2
15. Qe5+ Kb1 16. Qe4+ Ka1 17. Qe5+ Qb2 {and wins.}) 8... Kd1 ({Of course not} 
8... e2 $4 9. Qg1#) 9. Qf5 e2 $1 {Whenever it can, the passed pawn should
advance.} ({In contrast, the game went} 9... Qf2 $2 10. Qb1+ Ke2 11. Qb5+ Kf3
12. Qd5+ {and White later managed a perpetual, now that the black queen can no
longer neutralize the side checks from b1 and b2.}) 10. Qb1+ Qc1 11. Qd3+ Ke1
12. Kg2 ({Obviously,} 12. Qg3+ {runs into} Kd2+ {(with check). After the text
only one step remains for Black to win the game: dislodge the enemy king from
the g-file in order to shelter his own king on g1.}) 12... Qc6+ $1 13. Kg1 Qc5+
14. Kg2 Qf2+ $1 15. Kh3 Kf1 16. g5 Kg1 {. Thanks to the shelter provided by
the g5-pawn, Black's king can no longer be harassed by checks, and the e-pawn
queens on the next move.} *

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6Q1/8/p3p3/P3Pp1p/1PqP3P/1k2K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Usually the shelter works in combination with a passed pawn, but it can also
have other functions, as in the following, thrilling example. --- Black is a
pawn down but his pieces are very active. Kasparov finds a brilliant idea. ---
} 1... Kc3 $1 {Instead of capturing any of the enemy pawns, Black approaches
his king in order to create a mating net. For this idea to work, the d4-pawn
must evidently remain on the board.} 2. Qd8 ({The equally active} 2. b5 $5
Qxd4+ 3. Kf3 Qd5+ 4. Kf2 axb5 5. Qc8+ {, preparing a5-a6, was perhaps a better
practical try" - Stohl.}) 2... Qd3+ 3. Kf4 ({Probably} 3. Kf2 {was better,
although after} f4 $1 4. Qg5 Qxd4+ 5. Ke2 Qd2+ 6. Kf1 Qe3 {, Black should win"
- Stohl.}) 3... Qd2+ ({Kasparov also suggests} 3... Kd2 $5 4. Kg5 f4 $1 {,
when the pawn is immune due to mate and its further advance can't be easily
parried.}) ({Of course} 3... Qxd4+ $4 4. Qxd4+ Kxd4 5. b5 {wasn't Black's idea.
}) 4. Kf3 Qd1+ 5. Ke3 ({Or} 5. Kf2 f4 $1 6. Qc8+ Kd2 {, followed by a check on
either e2 or g3-h4, after which the ...f5-f4-f3 advance decides.}) 5... Qg1+ $1
{The mating net is taking shape.} 6. Ke2 ({Obviously,} 6. Kf4 {fails to} Kd3 {
, e.g.} 7. Kf3 f4 $1 8. Qg5 Qf1#) ({while after} 6. Kf3 Qf1+ 7. Ke3 ({or} 7.
Kg3 f4+ 8. Kh2 Qe2+ 9. Kh1 f3 10. Qg5 f2 {and the passed pawn takes its toll})
7... f4+ 8. Ke4 Kd2 $1 {, Black gives mate on d3-e3" - Stohl.}) 6... Qg2+ 7.
Ke3 ({White is also mated after} 7. Ke1 Kd3 {.}) 7... f4+ $1 ({In view of} 7...
f4+ 8. Kxf4 Kd3 $1 9. Qg5 Qf2# {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. Pawn Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {The passed pawn -- Connected passed pawns -- Separated passed pawns --
Protected passed pawns -- Outside passed pawns -- The breakthrough -- Pawn
majorities -- One pawn stops two -- Passed pawns races} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5r1p/8/p3p1k1/NpR1Pn2/1P2K3/P4P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The passed pawn --- The passed pawn holds a tremendous importance in the
chess battle, and I investigated the subject quite extensively in 'Mastering
Chess Strategy'. Here are some more examples, with focus on the endgame stage.
--- Material is equal but Black has a clear advantage thanks to his more
active pieces (in particular, the enemy knight is very badly placed on a4) and
superior pawn structure. Kasparov proceeds with the most obvious plan in the
position. ---} 1... h5 $1 {Passed pawns should move forward, as the old saying
goes.} 2. Rc5 Ng2+ 3. Ke2 h4 $1 {Forward! The idea of enhancing a passed pawn
at the cost of material is quite typical not only in the endgame, but in the
middlegame as well.} 4. Rxe5+ Kg4 5. Re8 {Opting for a rear attack, usually a
good option in the battle against a passed pawn, but here Black will be able
to neutralize it with simple means.} ({Nevertheless, after} 5. Kf1 Nf4 6. Rf5
Rd7 $1) ({or} 5. f3+ $5 Rxf3 6. Rg5+ Kxg5 7. Kxf3 Ne1+ 8. Kf2 Nd3+ 9. Kf3 Ne5+
$1 10. Kg2 Kg4 {, White is lost anyway; e.g.} 11. Nc5 h3+ 12. Kf2 ({or} 12. Kh2
Kh4) 12... Kh4 13. Ne6 Nd3+ 14. Kf3 Ne1+ 15. Kf2 h2 {- Kasparov.}) ({As for} 5.
Rxa5 {, after} h3 6. f3+ Kh4 7. Kf2 Nf4 8. Ra8 Rh7 $1 9. Kg1 Rg7+ 10. Kh1 Nd3 {
, heading for f2, Black is again winning - Krasenkow.}) 5... Nf4+ 6. Ke3 h3 7.
f3+ ({Or} 7. Rg8+ Kh4 {with the decisive threat of ...Nh5, building a "bridge".
}) 7... Kh4 ({In view of} 7... Kh4 8. Rh8+ Nh5 9. Kf2 Rg7 $1 {, followed by ...h3-h2, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Black "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/p1P2kb1/4p2p/3p4/7P/3N4/P4PP1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A passed pawn has a kind of dual nature - it can be incredibly strong,
exhausting all the enemy resources, but it can also turn into a weakness if
insufficiently protected. --- Black has just played ...Kg8-f7 in order to
approach the c7-pawn, a plan that White must stop by any means. ---} 1. Rc6 $1
Ke7 2. Nc5 $1 {An important triumph for White - the opponent's king cannot get
any closer to the passed pawn.} e5 3. h5 {By this move Vallejo signals the
plan of a new "front" on the kingside which, if successful, is bound to
exhaust Black's defences.} e4 4. Kf1 Bd4 5. g4 $1 ({Another tempting option was
} 5. Na6 {, when} Kd7 {can be met by} 6. Nb8+ {, but Vallejo's solution is
more clear-cut.}) 5... Bxc5 6. Rxc5 Kd6 7. Rc1 Ke5 ({Both} 7... Rxc7 8. Rxc7
Kxc7 9. g5) ({and} 7... d4 8. g5 hxg5 9. h6 d3 10. Ke1 $1 Kd5 11. h7 {win for
White - Finkel.}) 8. g5 $1 hxg5 9. Rc6 $1 {Before pushing the h-pawn, White
cuts off the enemy king from the sixth rank.} d4 10. h6 Kd5 11. Rc1 Kd6 12. h7
Kd7 {By now virtually any move wins for White, since Black will end up in
zugzwang.} 13. Rc4 ({In view of lines like} 13. Rc4 d3 14. Rd4+ Ke7 15. Rd8 {
, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Copenhagen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Fernandez Siles, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/6pk/P2n1p2/5P2/8/7P/5BK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Material is equal but White has a magnificent passed pawn; besides, the
bishop tends to outperform the knight in open positions. ---} 1. a6 {The
further this pawn gets, the stronger.} ({Other moves are less convincing; e.g.
} 1. Bc4 $6 Nc7 2. a6 $2 Nxa6 3. Bxa6 g5 $1 {, simplifying to a theoretical
draw.}) 1... g5 2. a7 Nc7 3. Kf2 {Heading for the queenside to assist the
passed pawn.} ({Of course} 3. Bg2 $6 gxf4 4. a8=Q $2 Nxa8 5. Bxa8 {also had to
be avoided.}) 3... gxf4 4. Kf3 Kg5 5. Bc4 {Due to the knight's inability to
lose tempi, Black will soon end up in zugzwang.} Na8 6. Bd5 Nc7 7. Bc6 Kg6 (
7... h6 8. Bb7 {doesn't change anything.}) 8. Kxf4 Kf6 9. Bb7 h6 10. Ke3 $1 {
Heading for b6, a plan that Black can only prevent temporarily.} Ke5 11. Kd3
Kd6 12. Kc4 Kd7 (12... f4 13. Bf3 {is similar.}) 13. Kc5 Kd8 14. Bc6 Ke7 15.
Kb6 Kd8 16. Kb7 f4 17. Be4 $1 {Losing a tempo.} Kd7 18. Bf3 Kd8 19. Bc6 {.
Finding himself in a fatal zugzwang, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Stockholm match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Andersson, U."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pp1/1Q5p/1P1ppk1P/P7/6P1/2q2P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we discussed in Krush-Akopian, the queen is an excellent companion of the
passed pawn, something that converts the latter into the key factor of many
queen endings. ---} 1. a5 $1 {White pins all his hopes on the passed pawns.} d4
2. Qb7 $1 Qxf2+ ({Or} 2... d3 3. Qxf7+ Ke4 4. b6 {with an easy win.}) 3. Qg2
Qe3 4. b6 $1 ({But not} 4. a6 $2 d3 {and the pawns can't advance any further.})
4... Qb3 $2 {This attempt to control the passed pawns fails fatally to White's
next move.} ({The brave} 4... d3 $1 5. b7 d2 {had to be tried; e.g.} 6. b8=Q ({
or} 6. Qf1+ $6 Kg4 $1 7. b8=Q Qxg3+ 8. Kh1 Qh4+ {with a perpetual}) 6... d1=Q
7. Qh3+ Kf6 8. Qh4+ g5 $5 9. hxg6+ Qg5 10. Qb6+ Kg7 {and Black is still alive.}
) 5. a6 $1 {An elegant sacrifice which secures the promotion of the a-pawn.}
Qxb6 6. Qb7 Qa5 7. a7 ({In view of} 7. a7 Qa2+ 8. Kh3 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2k2/4pp1p/P2p2p1/1prn4/3R1PPP/PK2R3/2P5/5B2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is one more example illustrating the principle that the passed pawn
annuls any other positional factors. ---} 1. Rxd5 $1 {A splendid exchange
sacrifice to support the a6-pawn.} Rxd5 2. Rc3 $1 Rd8 ({After} 2... Ra8 $2 3.
Bg2) ({or} 2... Rxc3+ 3. Kxc3 Rc5+ 4. Kb4 Rc7 5. Bg2 {, White is winning -
Karpov}) ({and} 2... Rdc5 3. Rxc5 dxc5 4. Bg2 $1 {is similar.}) 3. Rc7 $5 {A
flexible choice.} ({Obviously,} 3. Bg2 $2 Rd4 4. a7 d5 $1 {had to be avoided})
({but the straightforward} 3. a7 {was equally strong; e.g.} b4 ({or} 3... Rd1
4. Bxb5 Ra8 5. Rc7 {with similar play to the game}) 4. axb4 Rd1 5. Ba6 Ra1 6.
b5 Ra8 7. Rc7 {, followed by Kb4, c4-c5 etc, with the king entering the enemy
camp sooner or later.}) 3... Rd1 (3... Rd4 {now fails to} 4. Bxb5) ({and} 3...
Rc5 {was still bad due to} 4. Rxc5 dxc5 5. Bg2 {.}) 4. Bxb5 e5 5. a7 $1 {
Enjoying sufficient support, the passed pawn finally advances with decisive
effect.} exf4 6. Rb7 Rb1+ 7. Ka4 Rxb5 8. Rxb5 f3 9. Rb8 f2 10. Rxd8+ 1-0

[Event "Candidates final, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p3pk1/pb4p1/3P4/6P1/1P3N2/P4PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Of course a passed pawn doesn't mean an automatic win. In the example below,
Black, despite being a pawn down, managed to save himself by launching a
direct attack on the d5-pawn. ---} 1... Kf6 $1 {The king should approach the
pawn while it is insufficiently protected, and this is the right route.} ({In
contrast,} 1... Kf8 $6 {permits} 2. Ne5 $1 Bc7 3. f4 {with Kf3-e4 coming up.})
2. Kf1 ({The attempt to create a "barrier" (more on this topic in Chapter Four)
by} 2. Nd2 Bc7 3. Nc4 {fails to} b5 {.}) 2... Ke7 3. Nd2 ({Or} 3. Ke2 Kd6 4.
Ng5 f5 $1 {- Speelman.}) 3... Bc7 $1 ({Some prophylaxis is required, since the
immediate} 3... Kd6 $2 {would fail to} 4. Nc4+ Kc5 5. d6 Kc6 6. d7 Bc7 7. Ne5+
$1 Kd6 8. d8=Q+ $1 Bxd8 9. Nxf7+ Ke7 10. Nxd8 Kxd8 11. f4 {etc - Speelman.}) 4.
Ne4 ({Or} 4. Nc4 b5 5. Ne3 Kd6 {, followed by ...Bb6, and the d-pawn falls
anyway.}) 4... f5 $1 {Preventing 5 g5 with a decisive barrier. Besides, pawn
exchanges tend to help the defender.} 5. gxf5 gxf5 6. Nc5 Kd6 $1 7. Nxb7+ Kxd5
{White remains a pawn up, but he is now forced to weaken his pawn structure in
order to save the badly placed knight.} 8. b4 Kc4 $1 9. Nc5 ({Or} 9. a3 Kb3 10.
Nc5+ Kxa3 11. Nxa6 Bb6 12. Ke2 Ka4 {, followed by ...Kb5 - Speelman.}) 9... Bb6
$1 ({Obviously, both} 9... Kxb4 $4 10. Nxa6+) ({and} 9... a5 $2 10. Ne6 $1 {
had to be avoided.}) 10. Nxa6 Kb5 11. Nc5 Kxb4 12. Nb3 Ka3 ({Draw agreed, in
view of} 12... Ka3 13. Nc1 Kb2 {.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/8/5p2/1p1r4/3k1p2/7P/5KP1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The passed pawn can also be used as a defensive weapon, as in the next
example. --- Black's passed b-pawn is a huge asset; even so, White could have
saved this endgame by accurate defence. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Pinning his hopes on
his own passed pawn.} ({In contrast, the game went} 1. Kf3 $2 b4 2. Kxf4 b3 3.
Rb8 Kc3 $1 {(in order to create a bridge by ...Rd4-b4)} 4. Rc8+ Kb4 5. Rc1 Rh5
$1 ({less convincing is} 5... b2 $2 6. Rb1 Kc3 7. g4 Kc2 8. Rxb2+ Kxb2 9. h4 {
- Gligoric}) 6. Rb1 Kc3 7. Rh1 b2 8. g4 Ra5 $1 {(winning a tempo by the threat
...Ra1)} 9. Rb1 Ra1 10. Rxb2 Kxb2 11. Kf5 Rf1+ 12. Kg6 Kc3 13. h4 Kd4 14. h5
Ke5 15. h6 Rg1 {and in view of} 16. h7 Rxg4+ 17. Kh5 Rg1 {, White resigned.})
1... b4 2. h5 b3 3. h6 b2 ({Or} 3... Rh5 4. h7 b2 5. Rb8 Rxh7 6. Rxb2 {with a
dead draw}) ({whereas after} 3... Rb5 $6 4. h7 b2 5. Rd8+ {, followed by h8Q,
only White is playing for a win, since he will have the first check.}) 4. Rb8
Kc3 5. Rc8+ $1 {Black can't make progress - Gligoric;} ({for example} 5. Rc8+
Kd2 6. Rb8 Kc1 7. Rc8+ Kd1 8. Rb8 {.}) *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Lautier, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/p1q2pbp/2p1n1p1/2P1p2n/2Q1P2P/4BNPB/P4P2/3R2K1 w - - 0 22"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's see a few examples from earlier stages of the game, where the
passed pawn is yet to be created, and by different means. --- Black has just
played ...Ra8-d8, contesting the open file. Salov found an elegant way of
transposing to a superior endgame. ---} 22. Rd6 $1 Rxd6 {It is hard to see any
alternative;} ({e.g.} 22... Nf8 23. Ng5 $1 {, intending} Bf6 24. Rxc6 $1) ({or
} 22... Bf8 23. Rxe6 $1 fxe6 24. Qxe6+ {, followed by 25 Nxe5 with a huge
advantage.}) 23. cxd6 Qxd6 24. Bxe6 $1 {Damaging the enemy pawn structure and
avoiding any tactical pitfalls;} ({such as} 24. Bxa7 $2 Qd1+ 25. Kg2 Nef4+ $1
26. gxf4 Nxf4+ 27. Kg3 Nh5+ {with a draw.}) 24... Qxe6 ({Or} 24... fxe6 25. Ng5
{, followed by Nxe6, and Black will even have problems with his king.}) 25.
Qxe6 fxe6 26. Bxa7 {This is what White was aiming at four moves ago: the
passed a-pawn is a giant, and Black's minor pieces are too remotely placed to
challenge it.} Nf6 27. a4 $1 Nd7 ({Or if} 27... Nxe4 28. a5 Nc3 29. a6 Nd5 30.
Bc5 Nc7 31. a7 e4 32. Ng5 {is winning - Salov.}) 28. a5 Bf8 29. a6 c5 30. Nd2
Kf7 31. Nc4 ({After} 31. Nc4 {, faced with threats like} -- 32. Bb8 Nxb8 33. a7
{, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gallagher, J."]
[Black "Svidler, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b2k2/8/1p1p2pp/pB1Pp3/P2qP3/2NQ2P1/1P1b3P/7K b - - 0 38"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has just offered a queen exchange by 38 Qe2-d3?, hoping that a minor
piece endgame would yield him more chances to neutralize Black's initiative.
But piece exchanges don't always favour the defender. ---} 38... Qxd3 $1 {
Svidler has seen that by simple means he can create a strong outside passed
pawn, just like in the previous example.} 39. Bxd3 Bxc3 40. bxc3 Bd7 $1 41. Bc2
(41. Bb5 $2 {failed to} Bxb5 42. axb5 a4 {.}) 41... b5 $1 42. axb5 Bxb5 {By
now several factors speak in Black's favour: the outside passed pawn, a
potential weakness on e4, and White's distant king.} 43. Kg2 a4 44. c4 ({Or} 
44. Kf3 a3 45. Bb3 Bd3 46. Ba2 Ke7 47. Ke3 Bc2 {with similar play as in the
game.}) 44... a3 $1 {Of course Black rejects the pawn swap. With his next two
moves White avoids instant defeat, but the passed pawn and the "second
weakness" on e4 will soon exhaust his defences.} 45. Bb3 Ba4 46. Ba2 Ke7 47.
Kf3 Bc2 48. Ke3 Kd7 49. Kd2 ({Since} 49. Kf3 Kc7 {, followed by the black
king's entrance, is hopeless for him, Gallagher abandons the e4-pawn.}) 49...
Bxe4 50. Kc3 Bf3 51. Kd3 ({Or} 51. Kb4 e4 {- Svidler.}) 51... Kc7 52. Ke3 Bg4
0-1

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Hansen, Cu"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/r2bk1p1/1rn1pp1p/p1RpP2P/5PP1/1P2KN2/P3B3/2R5 w - - 0 28"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In a typical French endgame, Black has hesitated with the ...f6xe5 capture,
and Sutovsky now manages to create a strong passed pawn on the h-file. ---} 28.
exf6+ $1 gxf6 ({After} 28... Kxf6 $6 29. Bb5 {the weaknesses on e5 and e6 are
quite strongly felt; e.g.} Nb8 30. g5+ Ke7 31. Bxd7 Nxd7 32. Rc6 {, preparing
33 Nd4 with a clear advantage.}) 29. g5 $1 fxg5 30. fxg5 hxg5 31. h6 $1 {Given
the absence of black pieces on the kingside, this move certainly suggests
itself. The g5-pawn can wait.} Ra8 ({On} 31... g4 $5 {there can follow} 32. h7
Ra8 33. Nh4 Kf6 34. Bb5 $1 {and White wins material, although after} Rh8 35.
Bxc6 Bxc6 36. Rxc6 Rxc6 37. Rxc6 Rxh7 {Black might actually have better
drawing chances than in the game - the knight is not very comfortable in such
open positions with pawns on both flanks.}) 32. Bb5 $1 {A typical method for
the side possessing a passed pawn: create a new front on a different part of
the board, in order to exhaust the enemy defences.} Kd6 $6 {After this natural
reply White wins comfortably.} ({The last practical chance was} 32... Nb4 $5
33. Bxd7 Nxa2 {, when White would have to find} 34. Rc8 $1 Rxb3+ 35. Kf2 Nxc1
36. Rxa8 Nd3+ 37. Kg3 {. At this point, both} Ne1 ({and} 37... Ne5 {are
decisively met by} 38. h7 {- Sutovsky.})) 33. h7 d4+ ({After} 33... Ne7 34.
Bxd7 Kxd7 35. Ne5+ Kd6 36. Nf7+) ({or} 33... Rh8 34. Bxc6 Rxc6 35. Nxg5 $1 Rxc5
36. Nf7+ Ke7 37. Nxh8 Rxc1 38. Ng6+ {, White wins - Sutovsky.}) 34. Kd2 $1 {
The most technical way, avoiding any tactical surprises.} e5 35. Nxg5 {The
threat of 36 Nf7+ (or 36 h8Q) proves irresistible.} Rxb5 36. Rxb5 Ke7 37. Rb7
$1 {. In view of the multiple threats, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4rk1/p3pp2/1p3bpp/R1BP4/8/5B2/5PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 23"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In a sharp Grünfeld battle, Black, having just played 22...b6, seems to be
coming out fine from the complications. However, Kramnik has a strong reply
prepared. ---} 23. d6 $1 ({Thanks to the tactical detail} 23. d6 exd6 24. Bxb6
{, White manages to convert his d-pawn into a magnificent passed pawn.}) 23...
Rac8 ({After} 23... bxa5 24. dxe7 Rfe8 25. Bxa8 Rxa8 26. Rd7 {, followed by a
king march via f1-e2-d3-c4, White should be winning.}) 24. d7 Rcd8 {This leads
to a very passive game.} ({Perhaps} 24... bxa5 $5 25. dxc8=Q Rxc8 {was a
lesser evil; e.g.} 26. Bd4 Bxd4 27. Rxd4 {with a clear, but not decisive
advantage - Yusupov.}) 25. Bxe7 $1 Bxe7 ({Obviously,} 25... bxa5 $2 {failed to}
26. Bxf6 {- Ftacnik.}) 26. Rxa7 {Despite material equality and
opposite-coloured bishops, White has a huge edge thanks to his far advanced
passed pawn.} Rb8 {Assigning the blockading task to the bishop means that
Black will be left without active pieces;} ({but after} 26... Bc5 27. Bc6 {,
preparing Re1-e8, Ra8 etc, it is hard to see any defence for him either.}) 27.
Re1 Bd8 28. Re8 $1 {Immobilizing most of the enemy pieces.} b5 29. Ra8 Rxa8 30.
Bxa8 b4 31. Bd5 Kg7 32. Kf1 ({Black resigned, already aware that he can't
prevent a decisive transfer of the white king to c6;} 32. Kf1 f5 33. Ke2 Bc7
34. Kd3 Bd8 35. Kc4 Ba5 36. Kb5 Bc7 37. Kxb4 {, followed by Kb5-c6-b7-c8.}) 1-0

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivkina, O."]
[Black "Lahno, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2N2kp/1p6/3b4/8/2P3K1/1P4P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, let's see two examples where one player overlooked or underestimated
the opponent's passed pawn (existing or potential), and duly paid for it. ---
In the words of Baburin, Black is better, as in open positions with pawns on
both flanks, the bishop is stronger than the knight. Even so, after the
natural 1 Kf2, followed by g2-g3 and Ke3, White would have good drawing
chances thanks to the reduced material. Her next move, in contrast, just helps
Black to create a strong passed pawn. ---} 1. b4 $2 Be6 2. Ne5 a5 $1 {Of
course. From now on, the a-pawn will be a real headache for White.} 3. bxa5
bxa5 4. Nc6 a4 5. Nd4 Kf6 6. Kf4 $6 (6. Nb5 {was more logical, heading for a3
in order to block the passed pawn before it advances even further - Baburin.
Nevertheless, after} Ke5 7. Kf3 ({or} 7. Kf2 Ke4 {, heading for d3}) 7... Bd5+
$1 8. Kf2 Ke4 9. c4 $5 Bc6 $1 10. Na3 Kd4 {with ...Kc3 next, Black is winning.}
) 6... a3 7. Nc2 a2 8. g3 Bf5 {The rest is relatively easy: sooner or later,
Black's king will enter on either of the flanks, in similar fashion to Example
12 (Stoltz-Kashdan).} 9. Na1 Ke6 10. Nb3 Bg6 11. c4 {Abandoning the c-pawn;} ({
but after} 11. Ke3 Kd5 12. Kd2 Kc4 13. Na5+ Kb5 14. Nb3 Ka4 15. Na1 Ka3 16. Kc1
h5 $1 {, Black soon imposes a deadly zugzwang; e.g.} 17. c4 Bf5 18. c5 Be4 {-
Baburin.}) 11... Bd3 12. Na1 ({Or} 12. c5 Bc4 13. Na1 Kd5 {with similar play.})
12... Bxc4 13. Ke4 Kf6 14. Kf4 Be6 15. Nc2 Bb3 16. Na1 Bd1 $1 {By applying the
"magic" distance (more on this topic in Chapter Four), Black limits the range
of the enemy knight, thus helping her king to break through on the kingside.}
17. Ke3 Kg5 18. Kd2 Bf3 19. Ke3 Kg4 20. Kf2 h5 21. Nc2 Bd1 22. Na1 Kh3 {
Zugzwang.} 23. Ke1 Kxg3 24. Kxd1 h4 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kochyev, A."]
[Black "Hansen, Cu"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/p3ppb1/1p2q1p1/7p/Q3R3/1P1PB1P1/2r1PP1P/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has just played Rb4-e4, perhaps awaiting 1...Qd6 when 2 Bf4 e5 3 Rc1!
would let him challenge the active rook on c2. However, Hansen comes up with a
better idea. ---} 1... Qd5 $1 {Sacrificing the e-pawn in order to speed up the
inherent plan in the position: the creation of a powerful passed pawn on the
a-file.} ({Rather than} 1... Qd6 2. Bf4 e5 3. Rc1 $1 {.}) 2. Rxe7 b5 3. Qe4 $6
({With hindsight, White should have contented himself with equality after} 3.
Qa6 Rxe2 4. Rb7 Qxb3 5. Rxb5 {.}) 3... Qxe4 4. dxe4 ({On} 4. Rxe4 {Black could
react as in the game.}) 4... a5 $1 {Simple and strong; the e2-pawn can wait.
Now there is no evident defence against the advance of the a-pawn.} 5. Rb7 a4
6. Rxb5 a3 {As often happens, an advanced passed pawn annuls any other
strategic factors.} 7. e5 f6 $1 {Again the e2-pawn can wait - what matters is
the rapid re-inclusion of the bishop in the battle.} 8. Bd4 {Intending a
blockade with the bishop on a1, but as the remainder of the game will show us,
this idea won't save White in the end.} ({Then again, after} 8. f4 fxe5 9. fxe5
Rxe2 10. Bd4 a2 {, preparing ...Rd8}) ({or} 8. Rc5 Rxe2 9. b4 a2 10. Ra5 Rxa5
11. bxa5 Rb2 $1 12. a6 Rb4 {, heading for a4, White is also doomed.}) 8... fxe5
9. Ba1 ({Or} 9. Bxe5 $2 Bxe5 10. Rxe5 a2 11. Ra1 Rb2 {etc.}) 9... Rxe2 {Black
has finally re-established the material balance, with a huge advantage thanks
to his far-advanced passed pawn.} 10. b4 a2 11. Rb7 Rf8 12. Kg2 Bh8 13. Ra7 e4
$1 {Not just in order to swap the defender on a1, but also with the idea of
exhausting White's first rank defence by ...e4-e3.} 14. Bxh8 Kxh8 15. b5 {
White now loses by one tempo;} ({but on other moves, such as} 15. Ra3 {, there
follows} e3 $1 {anyway.}) 15... e3 16. b6 Rfxf2+ 17. Rxf2 Rxf2+ 18. Kh3 e2 19.
b7 Rf8 20. Ra8 e1=Q 21. Rxf8+ Kg7 22. b8=Q ({Or} 22. Rg8+ Kh6 $1 23. Rh8+ Kg5 {
etc.}) 22... Qe6+ ({In view of} 22... Qe6+ 23. Kg2 a1=Q {with a trivial win,
White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1956.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, L."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7R/7P/6P1/5k2/6r1/1K6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Connected passed pawns --- A pair of connected passed pawns is normally a
huge asset in any endgame. In the position below, White wins by mechanically
moving his kingside pieces forward step by step. ---} 1. Rg6 Ke4 2. h6 $1 ({Not
} 2. g5 $2 Kf5 3. Rf6+ Ke5 $1 {with a draw.}) 2... Rh2 3. g5 Kd3 ({Or} 3... Kf5
4. Rg7 {, just getting on with the plan. With the text Black tries to save
himself by mating threats, but in vain.}) 4. Rg7 Kc3 5. h7 Kb3 6. Rb7+ $1 ({In
view of} 6. Rb7+ Kc4 7. g6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "World Blitz Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, J."]
[Black "Gashimov, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/3r1kp1/1R5p/5K2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "28"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is another rook ending on the same topic. --- When the defender's king
is placed in front of the enemy pawns he tends to be lost, though the stronger
side has to proceed with some care. ---} 1... Kg6 $4 {Gashimov probably wanted
to hide his king on h5, but now White is able to set up a blockade.} ({An easy
win was achieved by} 1... Rd3+ 2. Ke2 Ra3 3. Kf2 h3) ({or even} 1... g4+ $1 {
intending} 2. Rxg4 Rd3+ {- Baburin. Anyway, one shouldn't be too harsh on a
blitz game.}) 2. Kg4 $1 {Suddenly Black is unable to dislodge the white king
without exposing his own king to checks.} Rd6 3. Ra4 Kf6 4. Rb4 Re6 5. Ra4 Re5
6. Ra6+ Ke7 7. Rb6 $1 {Continuing with a waiting game.} ({Of course} 7. Ra7+ $2
Kd6 {would let Black improve his king, thus increasing his practical chances.})
7... Kd7 8. Ra6 Ke7 9. Rb6 Kf7 10. Ra6 Re6 11. Ra5 Rg6 12. Ra7+ Kf6 13. Ra6+
Kg7 14. Ra7+ Kh6 15. Ra5 {. Black can't make progress and the game soon ended
in a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Margate"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Alexander, CH."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kp1/p2r4/8/4P3/3PK3/8/R7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his powerful connected passed pawns White has a huge advantage.
However, Black has a dangerous plan in ...g7-g5! followed by ...Rg6 - Speelman.
So before pushing the passed pawns forward, Alekhine rules out this option. ---
} 1. Ra5 $1 Rb6 2. d4 {White's further play is rather automatic: a gradual
advance of the pawns, accompanied by the king.} Rb3+ 3. Kf4 Rb4 4. d5 ({Of
course not} 4. Ke5 $4 Rb5+ $1 {and Black transposes to a pawn ending where the
separated passed pawns prove much stronger than their connected counterparts.})
4... Rb6 5. Rc5 Rb4 ({After} 5... Rb7 6. e5 Ra7 7. Rc8 a5 8. e6+ {, White wins
easily - Speelman.}) 6. Rc7+ Kf8 7. Ra7 {. In this hopeless position, Black
resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Podebrady"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1936.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Frydman, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p5p/5R2/2k1pP2/4P3/4K3/1PP4r/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1936.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see a few examples where one side succeeds in creating the fearful
connected passed pawns. --- White has an extra pawn but Black is rather active.
Alekhine finds a surprising solution. ---} 1. b4+ $1 {A clever pawn sacrifice
that diverts the black king from the defence of the e5-pawn.} ({In contrast,} 
1. Re6 $2 Rh3+ 2. Ke2 Kd4 {would yield Black excellent drawing chances.}) 1...
Kc4 ({After} 1... Kxb4 $6 2. Re6 {White wins with less effort.}) 2. Rd6 $1 {
Played with the strong idea of Rd5, while simultaneously cutting off the black
king from the d-file.} Rh3+ 3. Ke2 Rh4 ({Or} 3... Rh2+ 4. Kf3 Rh3+ 5. Kg4 $1
Re3 6. f6 Rxe4+ 7. Kf5 Rf4+ 8. Kxe5 {, followed by Rd4-f4.}) 4. Kf3 h5 5. Re6
Rf4+ ({On} 5... Kd4 {White had prepared} 6. c3+ $1 Kxc3 7. Rxe5 {with an easy
win.}) 6. Ke3 h4 7. Rxe5 {The rest is now easy - the lonely h-pawn is no match
for the connected passed pawns.} h3 8. Rd5 Rh4 9. Rd4+ Kc3 10. Rd1 h2 11. Rh1
Rh3+ 12. Kf4 Rh4+ 13. Ke5 Kd2 14. f6 Ke3 15. Kd6 $1 Rxe4 16. Rxh2 Rd4+ 17. Ke5
1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1969.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Stein, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/pBp1k1p1/P6p/1P2PK1P/1b3P2/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1969.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The presence of opposite-coloured bishops often saves the defender even if he
is a pawn down, but here Black is suffering from a bad structure - his
queenside pawns are effectively parried by the opposing minority, whereas
White doesn't have the same problem on the opposite flank. Imagine the c6-pawn
on f7 instead and Black should have no difficulties in making a draw. ---} 1.
g4 $1 {Smyslov opts for the only plan that can threaten Black: the creation of
connected passed pawns on the e- and f-files.} ({Note that} 1. Kg5 Kf7 2. f4 $2
{would let Black blockade the pawns by} Bc2 $1 3. e5 Ke6 {with an easy draw.})
1... hxg4 ({Or} 1... Bd1 2. gxh5 gxh5 3. Ke3 $1 {, followed by f3-f4-f5.}) 2.
Kxg4 $1 (2. fxg4 $2 Bd1 {is less promising; e.g.} 3. Bd4 Be2 4. Kg5 Kf7 $1 5.
h5 gxh5 6. gxh5 Bf3 7. e5 Be4 {with good drawing chances.}) 2... Bd1 3. Kf4 {
The next part of White's plan is to push h4-h5, but first he should improve
his king and bishop.} Kf7 4. Bd4 Kf8 5. Ke3 Kf7 6. Be5 Ke6 7. Bg3 $1 {From
here the bishop will control the black kingside pawn once the h4-h5 sacrifice
is effected.} Kf6 ({After} 7... Kd7 8. h5 $1 gxh5 9. f4 c5 $5 10. bxc5 Kc6 11.
Kd4 Kb5 12. f5 {, White should be winning - Smyslov.}) 8. Bf4 Ke6 ({Or} 8...
Bb3 9. Bg5+ Ke6 10. h5 $1 gxh5 11. f4 {with similar play.}) 9. h5 $1 {The
connected passed pawns are finally created.} gxh5 10. Bg3 ({After} 10. Bg3 {,
Black resigned since further resistance is useless; e.g.} Bc2 ({but let's
notice that if all the pawns were stripped from the board, apart from the ones
on e4 and f3, then Black would draw by} 10... Ba4 {followed by ...Bd7-c8-d7;
as already mentioned, the more pawns on the board, the better (usually) for
the attacker}) 11. f4 Bb1 12. f5+ Kf7 13. Kf4 Bc2 14. e5 Bb3 15. Kg5 ({or} 15.
e6+ {.})) 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timochenko, G."]
[Black "Makarichev, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/5pk1/3p2p1/3Pb3/1P6/3B4/2K3R1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is one more example on this topic. ---} 1... Rh2 $1 {An accurate
decision. Black doesn't worry about entering a pure opposite-coloured bishop
ending, confident about his connected passed pawns.} 2. Rxh2 Bxh2 3. Kb3 {The
most active attempt, trying to assist the b-pawn with the king.} ({Obviously,} 
3. b5 $2 Bg1 {followed by ...Bb6 was useless}) ({while} 3. Kd2 Kf6 4. Bb5 g5 $1
5. Ke3 Ke5 {, followed by ...f7-f5, also leaves White helpless.}) 3... Kf6 4.
Ka4 Ke5 5. Kb5 g5 $1 ({The pawn trade by} 5... Kxd5 $2 6. Bc4+ {would be
highly unfavourable for Black.}) 6. Kc6 g4 7. b5 Bg1 8. Be2 ({After} 8. b6 Bxb6
$1 9. Kxb6 Kxd5 {, Black wins - Shereshevsky.}) 8... f5 9. Bd1 Bc5 10. Be2 Ke4
0-1

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r4k1/1p3pbp/1P1P4/p1P2p2/4p3/8/1P2B1PP/3R3K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, it is worth noticing that the creation of connected passed pawns
sometimes motivates sacrifices. Here is a simple example showing such a motif.
--- White's pawn mass seems impressive, but 1 d7?! Bf6 is not completely clear.
Carlsen found a much better idea. ---} 1. Ba6 $1 Bf6 ({Or} 1... bxa6 2. c6 {
and Black is helpless against White's army of pawns.}) 2. Bxb7 $1 {Insisting
on the sacrifice.} Rxb7 3. c6 ({Also possible was} 3. Rc1 $5 {followed by 4 c6
- Scherbakov.}) 3... Rxb6 4. Rc1 $1 (4. c7 $2 {at once fails to} Rc6 {.}) 4...
Bxb2 5. d7 1-0

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Cordova, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R1p2rpp/2p1p3/2P1P1k1/3P4/4PK2/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this rook ending my opponent has just played ...Kf5-g5+, and now if 1 Kg3
then after 1...Kf5, heading for e4, it is not clear how White can make
progress. After a while I found a better idea, based on a sacrifice to obtain
the connected passed pawns. ---} 1. Ke4 $1 Kg4 {Now the plan of ...Kg3xg2 and ...h7-h5-h4 seems rather dangerous for White, but in fact I have everything
under control.} 2. Ra6 Kg3 ({What then if Black tries} 2... h5 3. Rxc6 Re7 {
instead, so as to keep his king a step closer to the enemy pawns? Well, White
could proceed as in the game, sacrificing his rook on e6; though after} 4. Rxe6
({however, a smoother win can be achieved by applying our main theme in a
different way:} 4. Rd6 $1 cxd6 {(otherwise 5 c6 and 6 Rd7 decides)} 5. exd6 Rd7
6. Ke5 {and one of the pawns promotes}) 4... Rxe6 5. d5 Re8 6. d6 cxd6 7. cxd6
Kg5 {, he would have to find} 8. Kd5 Rd8 9. e4 $1 {, followed by 10 e6 and a
check on e5 if needed;} ({whereas the natural} 9. e6 $2 {only draws after} Ra8
$1 {(to the edge)} 10. d7 Kf6 11. Kd6 Ra6+ 12. Kc7 Ra8 {etc.})) 3. Rxc6 Re7 ({
After} 3... Kxg2 4. Rxe6 {the white pawns are much faster.}) 4. Rxe6 $1 {A
decisive sacrifice that leaves the black rook helpless against the army of
white pawns.} Rxe6 5. d5 {At this point Black resigned. Let's see a possible
conclusion of the game:} Re8 ({After} 5... Ra6 6. e6 Ra4+ 7. Ke5 Ra3 8. e4 $1 {
, the backward e-pawn serves as a shield.}) 6. d6 cxd6 7. cxd6 Kg4 ({Or} 7...
Rd8 8. Kd5 {with a rapid promotion.}) 8. d7 Rd8 9. e6 {. White wins.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 73"]
[Black "Levenfish, Smyslov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1R6/1P4k1/1r4P1/6K1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Separated passed pawns --- Now let's examine some positions with separated
passed pawns. --- When possessing separated passed pawns, a key idea is to
abandon one of them in order to secure the advance of the other one, as in the
present example. ---} 1. Kf3 $1 {White heads at once for the opposite flank.} (
1. Rb8 $2 Rxg4+ 2. Kf3 Rb4 {would let Black escape to a draw; e.g.} 3. b6 Kf6
4. b7 ({or} 4. Ke3 Ke6 5. b7 Kd7) 4... Kg7 $1 {with a draw.}) 1... Rf4+ ({Now} 
1... Rxg4 $2 {fails to} 2. Rg6+ $1 Kxg6 3. Kxg4) ({while} 1... Rb3+ {doesn't
work either due to} 2. Ke4 Kxg4 3. Kd5 Kf5 4. Kc6 Ke6 5. Rb8 {and White wins
with ease. Note that in endings with rook and pawn vs. rook, if the defending
king can't reach its preferred location in front of the pawn, then the
knight's pawn is particularly powerful, since there is no "shorter side"
available for the defending king (more on this subject in Chapter Three).}) 2.
Ke3 Rxg4 3. Kd3 Kf5 4. Kc3 Ke5 5. Rc6 $1 {Cutting the enemy king off from the
c-file.} Kd5 6. Rc8 {White wins quickly;} ({e.g.} 6. Rc8 Rg6 7. Kb4 {followed
by Ka5, b5-b6 etc.}) *

[Event "Rio de Janeiro Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sunye Neto, J."]
[Black "Velimirovic, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/7P/P3P1K1/8/3b4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The further apart, the more powerful are separated passed pawns. Here White
doesn't just possess two rook's pawns, he has also managed to advance them
quite far, yet the win is not trivial. ---} 1. Kf4 $1 {Zugzwang.} ({Other
moves won't work; e.g.} 1. a6 $2 Bxa6 2. e6+ Kg8 $1 3. e7 Bb5) ({or} 1. e6+ $2
Kxe6 2. a6 Kf7 $1 3. a7 Be4 4. h7 Kg7 {and Black has again managed to assign
the defensive tasks in a correct way.}) 1... Bc4 ({Nothing helps; e.g.} 1...
Ke6 2. a6) ({or} 1... Kg6 2. e6 Kxh6 3. e7 Bb5 4. a6 Kg7 5. a7 {.}) 2. Ke4 $1 {
After 2 Ke4 Black's bishop proves overloaded, so he resigned. Let's make a few
more moves:} ({Not} 2. h7 $2 Kg7 {.}) 2... Ba6 3. e6+ Kg6 4. e7 Bb5 5. a6 {.
White wins.} 1-0

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Stojanovic, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/1Pbn4/5P2/5K2/8/3R4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The previous example reminds me of a tragicomical endgame of my own. --- Of
course White is easily winning, and it probably won't take you many seconds to
find 1 f7+. However, in time trouble I decided to carry out the combination
"the other way around". ---} 1. Rxd7 $4 Kxd7 2. Kg6 ({At this point I was just
waiting for} 2. Kg6 Ke8 3. Kg7 Be5 4. b8=Q+ {, but Black wisely assigned his
defensive tasks in a different way.}) 2... Bd6 $1 {. Draw agreed in view of 3...Kc7 next.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 76"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/8/2P5/5P2/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Separated passed pawns are also frequent in pawn endings, and there is even a
rule saying that when they form a square together with their queening squares,
they prove decisive. ---} 1. f5 {Creating a square on c5-c8-f8-f5.} ({White
wins immediately; e.g.} 1. f5 Ke7 ({or} 1... Kc6 2. f6) 2. c6 Kd6 3. f6 {.}) ({
On the other hand,} 1. Kb2 $2 {would be a gross error due to} Kc6 {and Black
draws.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 77"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/5P1P/8/ppp5/8/1K6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{You have probably seen the present, curious example before. The white passed
pawns form a square, but they can't move while the black king remains on g8;
thus White should use his king in a way that makes Black run out of pawn moves.
---} 1. Kb1 $1 a3 ({Similar play arises after} 1... b3 2. Kb2) ({or} 1... c3 2.
Kc2 {.}) 2. Ka2 c3 3. Kb3 {We have reached a case of mutual zugzwang - the one
who moves, loses.} a2 4. Kxa2 c2 5. Kb2 b3 6. Kc1 {. White wins. Incidentally,
note that separated passed pawns often increase their value when pawn endings
are reached, due to the king's limited defensive power.} *

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Hillarp Persson, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k1p1/3p4/3P4/pP2r3/P2R4/1P3K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In exchange for the pawn deficit Black has the more active rook, though he
should evidently be on his guard against a possible rook exchange. Hillarp
found a clever idea. ---} 1... g5 $1 {This passed pawn will soon prove useful.}
({In contrast, approaching the king with} 1... Kf6 $6 {permits} 2. b5 {and the
b-pawn becomes very dangerous.}) 2. Re3 {A tempting choice;} ({but with
hindsight White should probably try} 2. Kf3) ({or} 2. b3 {instead.}) 2... Re5
$1 ({Of course not} 2... Rxe3 $2 3. Kxe3 {, when the protected passed pawn on
b4 decides the game.}) 3. Rxe5+ ({After} 3. Kf3 Kd7 {, Black should also be
able to draw.}) 3... dxe5 {Black's idea becomes clear: his separated passed
pawns will keep the enemy king busy.} 4. b5 Kd6 5. b6 Kd7 $1 {The only move;} (
{since both} 5... e4 $2 6. Ke3) ({and} 5... g4 $2 6. Kg3 {would lose on the
spot.}) 6. Kf3 Kd6 7. Kf2 Kd7 8. Kf3 Kd6 9. Ke3 ({Or} 9. Kg3 e4 $1 {with
similar play.}) 9... g4 $1 {Now the separated passed pawns mutually protect
themselves, just like their white counterparts, by the way.} 10. Ke4 Kd7 11.
Ke3 Kd6 12. Ke4 Kd7 13. Ke3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Abu Dhabi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Velikhanli, F."]
[Black "Nadir, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3R4/p3p3/2p1k3/2P1p3/4r3/1P5P/P4K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a final example, which shows once more that in pawn endings the
separated passed pawns can often prove stronger than their connected
counterparts. ---} 1... Rd4 $2 {A tempting, but fatal choice. By means of the
threat 2...Rd2+ Black manages to "fix" his pawn structure, but he has
overlooked his opponent's active possibilities in the pawn ending that now
arises.} ({Something like} 1... Rf4+ 2. Kg3 ({or} 2. Ke3 Rh4) 2... Rf7 $1 {,
followed by ...e5-e4, ...Ke5 etc, was preferable.}) 2. Rxd4 exd4 3. b4 $1 {
The key move, by which White prepares the creation of a second passed pawn by
b4-b5.} a6 ({Or} 3... Kf5 4. h4 {with similar play.}) 4. h4 Kf5 5. a4 $1 Ke4 ({
Equally useless is} 5... e5 6. h5 Kg5 7. b5 {etc.}) 6. h5 Kf5 ({After} 6... Kd3
7. h6 Kc2 8. h7 d3 9. h8=Q d2 10. Qh7+ Kc1 {, White can win both by} 11. Qh6 {
, approaching with the queen in staircase fashion,} ({and} 11. Qxe7 d1=Q 12.
Qe1 $1 {, followed by b4-b5 after exchanging queens - Hecht.})) 7. h6 Kg6 8. b5
1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 80"]
[Black "Alburt, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2p2k2/pp3Pp1/6P1/PKP5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Protected passed pawns --- A protected passed pawn is a great asset in any
endgame. Here is one simple example. --- Thanks to his protected passed pawn
on f5, and its restricting effect on the enemy king, White is much better.
With his next move he initiates an attack on the black queenside pawns. ---} 1.
a4 $1 ({Also possible is} 1. c4 $5 {in the same spirit; e.g.} Ke5 2. Kc3 Kd6 ({
or} 2... Kf6 3. cxb5 cxb5 4. Kd4 {and the king soon liquidates the enemy pawns}
) 3. cxb5 cxb5 4. Kd4 Kc6 5. Ke5 $1 b4 ({equally hopeless is} 5... a4 6. Kd4
Kd6 7. Kc3 Kc5 8. f6 Kd6 9. Kb4 {etc}) 6. axb4 axb4 7. Kd4 $1 {and wins.}) 1...
Ke5 2. axb5 ({But not} 2. c4 $2 b4 {and Black has created his own protected
passed pawn with a draw - Alburt.}) 2... cxb5 3. c4 a4+ ({Now if} 3... b4 {,
then} 4. c5 {with a decisive square of separated passed pawns.}) 4. Kc3 bxc4 5.
Kxc4 {. Next White eliminates the a-pawn and brings his king to the opposite
flank with a trivial win.} *

[Event "Kislovodsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Fuchs, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/1nB1pp1p/p3P1p1/3P1PPP/P1K5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...g6-g5 to avoid 1 g5 fixing a weakness on g6. Tal
found a simple way of realizing his material advantage. ---} 1. exf6+ $1 {This
and the next two moves produce a strong protected passed pawn on the h-file.}
Kxf6 2. fxg5+ hxg5 3. h5 $1 {From now on this pawn will severely limit Black's
king.} Kg7 4. d5 $1 {The most attractive follow-up, which leaves the knight
helpless against the invasion of the white king.} exd5 5. Kd4 Nc4 6. Bb5 $1 ({
More technical than} 6. a4 Kf6 {, followed by ...Ne5 - Tal.}) 6... Nd6 ({Or} 
6... Nxa3 7. Bd3 $1 {, applying the magic distance, with an easy win after} Nc4
8. Bxc4 dxc4 9. Kxc4 {etc.}) 7. Bd3 Ne8 8. Bf5 Nf6 9. Ke5 ({In view of} 9. Ke5
Kf7 10. h6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Swedish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Danielsson, R."]
[Black "Larsson, Joh"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/4p3/4P1pp/5PkP/6P1/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A protected passed pawn can also play the role of securing a draw. Here Black
has just played ...g5-g4, making a last attempt at squeezing a point out of a
drawish pawn ending. How would you react? ---} 1. fxg4 $1 ({The game went} 1.
hxg4 $2 h3 $1 2. gxh3 Kxf3 $1 {(obstruction)} 3. Ke1 Kg3 4. Ke2 Kxh3 5. Kf3 Kh4
6. g5 fxg5 $1 {and White resigned.}) 1... Kf4 2. Kf2 Kxe4 {Now Black enjoys a
protected passed pawn on e5, but White is just in time to create his own one
on the h-file.} 3. g3 $1 hxg3+ 4. Kxg3 Kd3 5. Kf2 $1 ({Not} 5. h4 $2 e4 {and
Black queens with check.}) 5... e4 6. Ke1 Ke3 7. h4 $1 Kf4 8. h5 Kg5 9. Ke2 f5
{. Draw.} *

[Event "St Petersburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khalifman, A."]
[Black "Shaposhnikov, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/r4pp1/1k5p/1p1p3P/1P1P2P1/1BK2P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here White is trying to survive by means of a fortress, but Black's clever
manoeuvre puts an end to any such illusions. ---} 1... Rc7+ 2. Kb2 Rc4 $1 {
Forcing a pawn ending where the protected passed pawn secures an easy win.} 3.
Bxc4 bxc4 4. f4 ({Or} 4. Ka2 Kb5 5. Ka3 c3 $1 {with similar play to the game.})
4... Kb5 5. Ka3 ({Or} 5. Kc3 Ka4 {and White soon runs out of moves - Hecht.})
5... f6 6. f5 c3 $1 {By trading the b- and c-pawns, Black makes the d4-pawn an
easy target.} 7. Kb3 c2 ({In view of} 7... c2 8. Kxc2 Kxb4 9. Kd3 Kb3 {etc,
White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dearing, E."]
[Black "Erenburg, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/pbn2p2/2p1p3/4P1p1/Nq2P3/1P1Q4/4BPP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of creating a protected passed pawn can take place in earlier stages
of the game as well. Here is one example. --- At this point Black was probably
hoping to activate his position with ... c6-c5, but after the next, strong
opposing move he never gets time for that. ---} 1. Qd6 $1 Qxd6 ({After} 1... a5
2. Nc5) ({or} 1... Qe1+ 2. Bf1 Kb8 ({if} 2... Ba6 {, then} 3. Qf8+ Kb7 4. Nc5+
Kb6 5. Nd7+ Ka5 6. Qa3# {- Erenburg}) 3. Nc5 {, Black is also suffering.}) 2.
exd6 Nb5 3. e5 {The protected passed pawn is a fact, while Black has a really
bad bishop on b7.} Nd4 ({Unfortunately for Black, the desirable} 3... f6 {
fails tactically to} 4. Bxb5 cxb5 5. exf6 {.}) 4. Bc4 c5 ({In the event of
passive defence with} 4... Kd8 5. Nc5 Bc8 {, one attractive plan is} 6. Kh2 {
, followed by Kh3-g4.}) 5. Nxc5 Ba8 (5... Bd5 {was slightly more promising,
although after} 6. Bxd5 exd5 7. Kh2 Nc6 8. Nd3 Kd7 9. Kg3 Ke6 ({both here and
later,} 9... f6 {fails to} 10. Nc5+) 10. f4 $1 {, White is winning - Erenburg.}
) 6. f3 Nc6 7. Nd3 Na5 8. Kf2 {With a healthy extra pawn and more active
pieces, the rest is easy for White.} Kd7 9. Bb5+ Bc6 10. Nc5+ Ke8 11. b4 $1
Bxb5 12. bxa5 Bc6 13. Kg3 Bb5 14. Kg4 Bf1 15. g3 Be2 16. Ne4 Kd7 17. Nxg5 f6
18. exf6 Kxd6 19. Nh7 $1 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 85"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/6p1/1kp2p1p/5P1P/PK4P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Outside passed pawns --- The outside passed pawn is a common feature in
practice, with particular relevance in pawn endings. Here is a typical example.
--- Despite his space disadvantage White is easily winning, since he can use
his outside passed pawn on a2 as bait in order to get his king across to the
other flank first, once the queenside pawns have been exchanged. ---} 1. Kc2
Ka3 ({After} 1... Kc5 2. Kc3 Kb5 3. a3 (3. a4+ {works as well}) 3... Kc5 4. a4
Kd5 5. a5 Kc5 6. a6 $1 Kb6 7. Kxc4 Kxa6 8. Kd5 {, White wins comfortably.}) 2.
Kc3 Kxa2 3. Kxc4 Kb2 4. Kd4 {The white king is first to reach the opposite
flank.} Kc2 5. Ke4 Kd2 6. Kf5 Ke2 7. Kxg5 Kf2 8. Kxf4 Kxg2 9. Kg4 {. White
wins.} *

[Event "Carlsbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schlechter, C."]
[Black "Tartakower, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p3pk1/p3p1pp/4P3/5P2/P7/1P2K1PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this pawn ending Black should be able to hold the balance with 1...Kf8,
bringing the king to the opposite flank. Instead, he came up with a most
unfortunate idea. ---} 1... g5 $2 {Such a space-gaining advance would have
been excellent with more pieces on the board - here it just helps White create
an outside passed pawn on the h-file.} 2. fxg5 hxg5 3. Kf3 Kg6 4. Kg4 $1 {
Preventing ...Kf5.} ({Evidently,} 4. g4 $2 {would be wrong - as we will see
next, the g-pawn is needed for a different purpose.}) 4... f5+ ({Or} 4... Kh6
5. g3 $1 {, preparing h2-h4 as in the game.}) 5. exf6 Kxf6 6. g3 $1 {A key
move. Now h2-h4, creating an outside passed pawn, is inevitable.} a5 ({Or} 6...
Ke5 7. Kxg5 ({of course} 7. h4 {also works}) 7... Kd4 8. h4 {and White queens
with check.}) 7. a4 e5 8. h4 gxh4 9. gxh4 Kg6 10. b3 b6 11. h5+ Kf6 12. h6 Kg6
13. h7 Kxh7 14. Kf5 1-0

[Event "Candidates semi-final, Denver"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/5p2/6p1/B6p/P7/3K2P1/1b5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's see some examples on the topic of transposing to a pawn ending
with a decisive outside passed pawn. ---} 1. Bc3 $1 {Fischer has seen that,
after the exchange of bishops, his outside passed pawn on a4 will decide.} ({
Less convincing was} 1. Bb4+ Ke8 2. a5 Kd7 3. a6 Kc6 4. a7 Kb7 {since Black
could try to reach a theoretical draw by eliminating the kingside pawns; e.g.}
5. Bc5 Be5 $1 6. Ke4 Bc7 {followed by ... h5-h4 and a bishop sacrifice for the
remaining pawn.}) 1... Bxc3 ({Or} 1... Ba3 2. a5 Bc5 3. Bd4 $1 {, insisting on
the plan - Speelman.}) 2. Kxc3 Ke7 3. Kd4 $1 {The white king immediately
starts an attack on the enemy pawns.} Kd6 4. a5 f6 5. a6 $1 Kc6 6. a7 Kb7 7.
Kd5 h4 8. Ke6 ({Black resigned, since} 8. Ke6 f5 9. Kf6 {is hopeless for him.})
1-0

[Event "Dubai Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schmidt, Wl"]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/R4N1p/5np1/p7/3r4/6P1/5P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{"A knight ending is in fact a pawn ending," said Botvinnik - or
something similar - although Speelman disagrees with this statement in his
interesting work 'Analysing the Endgame'. Whoever is right, the following
example shows that the value of an outside passed pawn increases drastically
once the rooks leave the board. ---} 1... Rd7 $1 {Swapping the active enemy
rook, which also tends to be the best piece at controlling outside passed
pawns such as the one on a5.} 2. Rxd7 Nxd7 3. Nd6 Ke7 4. Nc4 a4 5. Kf1 Ke6 6.
Ke2 Kd5 {Without knights on the board this would be a trivial win, similar to
the one arising in the previous example. Here White can still put up some
resistance, counting on the tactical potential of the knight.} 7. Ne3+ ({Or} 7.
Na3 Ne5 $1 {, heading for c4.}) 7... Kd4 8. Kd2 ({After} 8. Nc2+ Kc3 9. Na3 Nf6
10. f4 Ne4 $1 11. g4 Nd6 {, threatening ...Kb2, Black wins - Kasparov.}) 8...
Ne5 9. Kc2 Nd3 10. Nd1 Ne1+ 11. Kb2 Nf3 $1 {After deflecting the enemy pieces
to the queenside, Black proceeds with an attack on the opposite flank.} 12. h4
Ne5 13. Ka3 ({Before the king enters on e4-f3, Black arranges to meet} 13. Ne3
{with} Nc4+ $1 {.}) 13... Ke4 14. h5 ({Seeing that} 14. Kxa4 Kf3 {followed by ...Ng4xf2 is hopeless for him, Schmidt opts for active defence.}) 14... gxh5 15.
Nc3+ ({Or} 15. Kxa4 Kf3 16. Kb3 Nd3 17. Kc2 Nxf2 18. Nc3 Nh1 $1 {and wins -
Kasparov;} ({but not} 18... Ne4 $4 19. Nxe4 Kxe4 20. Kd2 {with a draw.})) 15...
Kf3 16. Nd5 Ng4 $1 {Preventing any attempts at counterplay with 17 Nf6.} 17.
Ne7 ({Or} 17. Nf4 Nf6 18. Nd3 Ke2 {etc - Kasparov.}) 17... Nxf2 18. Nf5 Ne4 {
The rest is easy.} 19. Kxa4 Nxg3 20. Nh4+ Ke4 21. Kb4 Nf5 $1 0-1

[Event "Cappelle la Grande"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chernin, A."]
[Black "Chuchelov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2R3pp/2b1B3/2k1P3/p7/4KPP1/1r6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar example. Black's a-pawn will again become stronger once the
rooks leave the board, so his next move is not difficult to find. ---} 1... Rb7
$1 2. Rxb7 ({The game actually went} 2. Rc8 Re7 $1 3. Bf5 Rxe5+ 4. Be4 Re6 {
and Black won without much difficulty after} 5. Rc7 a3 6. Ra7 Kb4 7. Kd4 Rd6+
$1 {(releasing the obstruction of his king)} 8. Ke5 Rd7 9. Ra6 Ba4 $1 10. Rb6+
Ka5 11. Rb1 Rd1 {.}) 2... Bxb7 3. f4 Bd5 $1 {Another favourable exchange.} ({
Also possible was} 3... a3 4. Kd3 Bd5 5. Bxd5 Kxd5 {, followed by ...g7-g5, in
similar spirit to the main line.}) 4. Bxd5 Kxd5 5. Kd3 g5 $1 {Thus Black
creates a pair of separated passed pawns with decisive effect.} 6. Kc3 ({After
} 6. fxg5 Kxe5 {the black king reaches g2 much earlier than his counterpart
gets to f1.}) 6... gxf4 7. gxf4 h5 {. Black wins - Chuchelov.} *

[Event "Folkestone Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1933.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Andersen, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k1p1p/1p1p2p1/3n4/3N4/8/PP1K1PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1933.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite the material balance, White is clearly better thanks to his potential
outside passed pawn on the queenside. ---} 1. a4 Nc7 {This and Black's next
move might not have been optimal, yet on most other moves White had a
ready-made plan with g2-g3 followed by Kd3-c4.} 2. Kc3 g5 3. Kb4 d5 4. Nf3 f6
5. Nd4 Kd6 $2 {But this is suicide due to White's reply.} ({After} 5... Ke7 6.
a5 bxa5+ 7. Kxa5 Kd7 8. b4 Kc8 9. Kb6 $1 {, followed by Kc6 and b4-b5, White
is also winning}) ({but by} 5... Kc8 {, heading for b7, Black could have
prolonged resistance.}) 6. Nb5+ $1 {One particular feature of knight endings
is that the exchange of these pieces is more easily achieved than that of
their counterparts in, for example, rook or bishop endings. Now the outside
passed pawn will decide the battle.} Nxb5 7. Kxb5 Ke5 $5 ({Since} 7... Kc7 8.
b4 {is hopeless for him, Black makes a last practical try, offering the b-pawn,
but in vain.}) 8. b4 $1 d4 9. Kc4 1-0

[Event "Moscow (analysis variation)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1935.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lisitsin, G."]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k1p2/1q5p/3P1Q2/5K2/6P1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1935.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This position could have occurred in the game, which we will come back to in
Chapter Five (see Example 316). Black is a pawn up, but to which square should
his king go? ---} 1... Kd7 $1 {A clever pawn sacrifice.} ({Less convincing is} 
1... Ke7 2. Qc7+) ({or} 1... Kd5 2. Qf5+ Kc4 3. Qxf6 Qd5+ 4. Ke3 {.}) 2. Qxf6
$2 (2. Qe4 {is objectively better, when Black could try} Qf1+ ({not} 2... Qc6
$6 3. d5) 3. Kg3 Qc4 4. Qf5+ Qe6 5. Qxh5 Qe3+ {, followed by 6...Qxd4, keeping
chances for a win.}) 2... Qc6+ $1 {The point - now Black reaches a pawn ending
where his outside passed pawn will prove to be a huge asset.} 3. Qxc6+ Kxc6 4.
Ke4 Kd6 $1 ({Some accuracy is still required: after} 4... b5 $2 5. Ke5 $1 b4 6.
Ke6 {White draws.}) 5. g3 ({Or} 5. d5 b5 6. Kd4 h4 $1 {with similar play.})
5... b5 6. d5 b4 ({Black wins by one tempo; i.e.} 6... b4 7. Kd4 b3 8. Kc3 Kxd5
9. Kxb3 Ke4 10. Kc3 Kf3 11. Kd2 Kxg3 12. Ke1 Kg2 {.}) 0-1

[Event "Pula"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bareev, E."]
[Black "Chernin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/1qr2pkp/1p2p1p1/3p4/Pp1Pn3/3BP1P1/1PR2PKP/2RQ4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex example. By a precise sequence of moves, White manages
to reach a queen ending where the current theme will be perfectly displayed.
---} 1. Rxc7 $1 Rxc7 2. Rxc7 Qxc7 3. Bxe4 dxe4 4. d5 $1 {Without this key move
the previous exchanges would not have made sense. Now the white queen is
centralized and the black b4-pawn becomes more exposed.} exd5 {Otherwise the
d-pawn keeps on advancing;} ({while on} 4... Qd6 {White replies as in the game.
}) 5. Qd4+ ({But not} 5. Qxd5 $6 Qe7 6. b3 ({or} 6. Qd4+ Qf6 $1 {and} 7. Qxb4 {
fails to} Qf3+) 6... Qf6 7. Qxe4 Qc3 8. Qd4+ Kg8 $1 {with much more
counterplay for Black than in the game.}) 5... f6 6. Qxb4 $1 {The right
capture, creating a potential outside passed pawn, while the d5-pawn remains
as a burden for Black.} (6. Qxd5 $6 Qe5 {is less clear.}) 6... Kf7 7. Qb5 (7.
Qd4 {, followed by b2-b4, was interesting too, but from b5 the queen has an
enticing destiny on e8.}) 7... Ke6 8. b4 Kd6 9. Qe8 $1 ({Instead of entering
complications after} 9. a5 $6 Qc6 $1 {, Bareev improves his queen.}) 9... f5
10. h4 $1 {Creating some kind of zugzwang, since Black is now short of a solid
move.} Qc4 ({Or} 10... Qc6 11. Qd8+ Ke6 12. a5 $1 {etc.}) 11. Qb8+ Kc6 12. b5+
Kd7 ({Unfortunately for Black,} 12... Kc5 {fails to} 13. Qf8# {.}) 13. Qxb6
Qxa4 14. Qc6+ Ke7 15. Qxd5 {With a strong passed pawn and a perfectly
centralized queen, the rest is easy.} Qb4 16. Qe5+ Kf7 17. Qc7+ $1 {An ideal
square in the assistance of the passed pawn.} Kf6 {. Black resigned at the
same time, in view of the imminent march of the b-pawn.} 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Predojevic, B."]
[Black "Oleksienko, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p1p/1p2np2/p2B4/5P2/2P3P1/P6P/2K5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Several factors speak in White's favour: superior minor piece, better pawn
structure and a faster activation route for his king. Probably there was
nothing wrong with the simple 1 Kd2, heading for the opposing queenside pawns,
but Predojevic found a more clear-cut path to victory. ---} 1. Bxe6 $1 {
Transposing to a pawn ending where a potential outside passed pawn on the
kingside will soon decide matters.} fxe6 2. Kd2 Kf7 ({Or} 2... f5 3. Kd3 Kf7 4.
Kc4 {, winning - Predojevic.}) 3. Kd3 Ke7 4. g4 $1 {The key move that speeds
up the creation of the outside passed pawn.} (4. Kc4 Kd6 5. Kb5 {was less
promising due to} e5 $1 {with counterplay.}) 4... Kd6 (4... f5 5. g5 {doesn't
change matters.}) 5. Kd4 b5 6. h4 h6 7. a3 $1 {Ruling out any attempts to
leave White with a rook's pawn once the kingside pawns are exchanged.} e5+ 8.
fxe5+ fxe5+ 9. Ke4 Ke6 10. g5 1-0

[Event "Havana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zambrana, O."]
[Black "Soppe, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4q3/1p3k2/4np1p/2PP1Q2/8/1P6/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this turbulent position White found a clear-cut path to victory, relying
on his potential outside passed pawn on the queenside. ---} 1. Qh5+ $1 {Before
recovering the piece, it makes sense to push the enemy king back.} ({Another
idea was} 1. dxe6+ Qxe6 2. Qh7+ ({but not} 2. Qxe6+ $2 Kxe6 3. Kh2 Kd5) 2...
Ke8 3. Qxb7 Qe1+ 4. Kh2 Qe5+ 5. g3 Qxc5 6. Kg2 {with a technical win, but the
text is more forcing.}) 1... Ke7 2. Qxe8+ Kxe8 3. dxe6 Ke7 4. b4 $1 {Diverting
Black's king to the queenside without leaving any pawns there.} Kxe6 5. b5 $1
Kd5 6. c6 bxc6 7. bxc6 Kxc6 8. Kh2 {This position was well assessed by
Zambrana when opting for 1 Qh5+. Despite the material balance Black is lost
due to his remotely placed king; furthermore, the fact that White's pawns are
still on the second rank means that he will have several waiting moves at his
disposal.} Kd5 9. Kg3 Ke6 10. Kg4 Kf7 11. Kf5 h5 ({Or} 11... Kg7 12. g4 Kf7 13.
f3 $1 Kg7 14. Ke6 Kg6 15. f4 Kg7 16. f5 {and wins.}) 12. g3 $1 Kg7 13. Ke6 Kg6
14. f4 $1 ({In view of} 14. f4 f5 ({or} 14... Kg7 15. f5) 15. Ke5 {, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Spanish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sasikiran, K."]
[Black "Nisipeanu, LD."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p7/1p2rpp1/1P3p2/P7/4P3/5KPP/2R5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, let's see two examples where the idea of creating an outside passed
pawn wasn't properly anticipated by its opponent, a situation we already came
across in Schlechter-Tartakower. --- Thanks to his more active rook White is
better, but after the solid 1...Re7 it would not have been easy for him to
make progress - Deviatkin. In the game Black permitted the transposition to a
pawn ending, where our main theme - the outside passed pawn - will soon play a
key role. ---} 1... Re4 $2 2. Rc8+ Kf7 3. Rc7+ $1 Re7 ({Objectively speaking,
shedding a pawn but keeping the rooks with} 3... Ke6 4. Rxa7 f4 {was Black's
lesser evil, but of course that wasn't what Nisipeanu had in mind.}) 4. Rxe7+
Kxe7 5. Kf3 {In Deviatkin's words: "We are now in a pawn ending - the form of
ending which looks so simple, but which is one of the most complicated!
Material is equal and Black's position looks okay, but in fact Black is
already lost. The spoiled structure on the kingside ruins him, because there
is no way for Black to prevent the creation of an outside passed pawn. And if
Black's king goes to the queenside, White will be faster." In Chapter Seven we
will see further proof of the fact that transpositions to pawn endings usually
imply dangers for the defender.} Kd6 ({Or} 5... Ke6 6. Kf4 g5+ 7. Kf3 Ke5 8. h3
$1 Kd5 9. g3 Ke5 10. h4 {with similar play.}) 6. Kf4 Kd5 ({As Deviatkin
already mentioned, White wins the passed pawn race:} 6... Kc5 7. h4 Kb4 8. e4
fxe4 9. Kxe4 f5+ ({or} 9... Kxa4 10. g4) 10. Ke5 Kxa4 11. Kf6 Kxb5 12. Kxg6 a5
13. h5 {and queens, controlling the a1-square.}) 7. h4 Ke6 8. g3 Ke7 9. e4 $1 (
{Sasikiran continues with the plan of creating an outside passed pawn, without
getting tricked into} 9. h5 $6 Kf7 $1 10. hxg6+ Kxg6 {.}) 9... fxe4 10. Kxe4
Kd6 ({Or} 10... f5+ 11. Ke5 Kf7 12. Kd6 $1 g5 $5 13. hxg5 Kg6 14. Kc7 Kxg5 15.
Kb7 Kg4 16. Kxa7 Kxg3 17. a5 $1 {and White queens with check - Deviatkin.}) 11.
g4 Ke6 12. h5 Kf7 ({After} 12... gxh5 13. gxh5) ({or} 12... f5+ 13. gxf5+ gxf5+
14. Kf4 {, White's win would be even more trivial.}) 13. Kd5 Kg7 14. Ke6 $1 ({
Sidestepping the last trick:} 14. Kc6 $4 f5 $1 15. gxf5 gxh5 {.}) ({After} 14.
Ke6 {Black resigned, in view of} f5 15. gxf5 gxh5 16. Ke7 {.}) 1-0

[Event "Varna Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Unzicker, W."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/2p5/pp2r2p/P4pp1/1PbB4/2P2P1P/6P1/R5K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "28"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Even in endings with opposite-coloured bishops, the outside passed pawn
remains a relevant factor, as in the next example. --- Thanks to his more
active pieces Black is minimally better, but he was suddenly helped by a bad
decision from his opponent. ---} 1. axb6 $6 {As Botvinnik himself stated, this
capture yields Black the possibility of creating an outside passed pawn later
on.} (1. Bf2 {seems simpler, followed by Re1, swapping the active enemy rook.})
1... cxb6 2. Kf2 Kf7 ({After} 2... Re2+ $6 3. Kg1 {the rook would have to
return to e6.}) 3. Re1 Rxe1 4. Kxe1 ({Now after} 4. Kxe1 b5 $6 5. Kf2 {a win
is unlikely, but Botvinnik has other intentions.}) 4... a5 $1 {Creating the
outside passed pawn.} 5. bxa5 ({Unfortunately for White, after} 5. Bxb6 a4 6.
Kd2 f4 {, followed by ...Bf1, Black would soon be able to create a second
passed pawn on the kingside.}) 5... bxa5 6. g3 a4 7. Kd2 $6 (7. Bc5 {was
preferable, controlling the passed pawn as soon as possible - and with the
bishop, so that the king can be used for the defence of the opposite flank.})
7... a3 8. Kc2 h5 9. h4 $2 {A tactical oversight which costs the game.} ({After
} 9. f4 $2 h4 $1 10. gxh4 ({or} 10. Bf2 g4) 10... gxf4 {, Black is also
winning - Botvinnik. His next step would be a king transfer to assist the
advance of the f-pawn.}) ({But} 9. g4 $1 {yielded good drawing chances - Benko,
who explains that White's idea is to swap two pair of pawns on the kingside
and then sacrifice the bishop for the remaining one, so that a theoretical
draw arises on the opposite flank. There can follow} fxg4 ({or} 9... hxg4 10.
fxg4 $1 f4 11. Bf2 {, followed by h3-h4}) 10. hxg4 $1 h4 11. Bf2 Bd5 12. f4 h3
13. Bg3 {and White holds - Benko. Nevertheless, such ideas are much easier to
spot after, rather than during, the game. Thus from a practical point of view,
1 axb6? was White's main mistake.}) 9... f4 $1 {A typical breakthrough to
create a passed pawn.} 10. Be5 ({After} 10. gxf4 gxh4 11. f5 h3 12. Be5 a2 13.
Kb2 h4 {, Black should also be winning, using the c4-square as a junction in
the king's route to the h-pawns.}) ({As for} 10. Bf2 {, Botvinnik suggests}
gxh4 11. gxh4 Ke6 {followed by ...Kf5 and ... Bd5xf3, in order to create a new
passed pawn on the f-file. There can follow} 12. Bc5 a2 13. Kb2 Bd5 14. Bf2 Kf5
$1 15. Be1 Bxf3 16. Kxa2 Ke4 {and the king reaches e2 with decisive effect.})
10... Ke6 $1 {The king wins a tempo on his way to the defence of the f4-pawn.}
11. Bc7 gxh4 12. Bxf4 ({Or} 12. gxh4 Kf5 {followed by ...Bd5, with similar
play as after 10 Bf2.}) 12... h3 13. g4 h4 $1 ({Avoiding} 13... hxg4 $2 14.
fxg4 {and White escapes to a theoretical draw (cf. 9 g4 above).}) 14. Bh2 Be2 (
{There could have followed} 14... Be2 15. Kb3 Bxf3 16. g5 Kf5 17. Kxa3 Kxg5 18.
Kb4 Kf5 19. Kc5 Ke4 {, with ...Be2 and ... Kf3-g2 next - Benko.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 97"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/1P2k1pp/7P/4K1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The breakthrough --- The breakthrough is quite a common idea in practice. By
diverting an enemy pawn, usually by means of a sacrifice, we manage to create
a passed pawn. Here are some examples, starting with an archetypal one. ---} 1.
g4 $1 {A breakthrough that creates a second passed pawn.} ({Just relying on
the outside passed pawn with} 1. b6 Kd6 2. Ke4 $2 {would have failed to} (2. g4
$1 {still works}) 2... gxh4 $1 {(ruling out the breakthrough)} 3. gxh4 Kc6 4.
Kf5 Kxb6 5. Kxf6 Kc7 6. Kg6 Kd8 7. Kxh5 Ke7 8. Kg6 Kf8 {etc.}) 1... gxh4 ({Or} 
1... hxg4 2. h5 f5 3. h6 Kf6 4. b6 {etc.}) 2. gxh5 h3 3. Kf3 f5 4. b6 Kd6 5. h6
{. White wins.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 98"]
[Black "Seirawan, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pp1/4p2p/p3P2P/5PP1/k7/P7/K7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{At first sight White seems to be in trouble, but in fact he wins the game by
launching a breakthrough. ---} 1. f5 Kb4 2. g5 $1 exf5 (2... hxg5 {is met by}
3. f6 gxf6 4. h6) ({or} 2... Kc5 3. f6 gxf6 4. gxh6 {.}) 3. g6 $1 fxg6 4. e6 {
. White wins. --- Note that with the kingside pawns placed one rank below (i.e.
e4, f3, g3 and h4 vs. e5, f6, g6 and h5) the whole operation would have failed
since Black would have queened as well; e.g. after 4...f3 at this very moment.
Usually in the endgame it is favourable to have pushed one's pawns as far as
possible - more about this in the Space section of Chapter Six.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 99"]
[Black "Mullen, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2pp1/4p2p/p1p1P2P/P4P2/2K5/1P4P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar, albeit slightly more complex case. --- Black has just
played ...c6-c5 preventing the creation of an outside passed pawn with b2-b4.
Thus White directs his attention to the opposite flank. ---} 1. g4 $1 {
Preparing a breakthrough.} ({Another move order is} 1. Kc4 Kc6 2. g4 {.}) 1...
Kc6 2. Kc4 Kb6 ({After} 2... g6 3. g5 $1 hxg5 4. h6) ({or} 2... f6 3. exf6 gxf6
4. g5 $1 {, the breakthrough succeeds.}) 3. f5 ({The move order matters: after
} 3. g5 $2 Kc6 4. b3 Kb6 5. f5 exf5 6. g6 fxg6 7. e6 Kc6 {, the black king
arrives in time.}) 3... Kc6 ({Or} 3... exf5 4. gxf5 Kc6 5. b3 $1 Kb6 6. Kd5 {
- Mullen.}) 4. f6 $1 gxf6 5. exf6 Kd6 6. g5 $1 {White wins. --- Evidently,
such dynamics would not have been available had Black managed a pawn structure
with pawns on h5 and g6, yet that isn't always possible - for example in the
main lines of the Classical Caro-Kann (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bf5)
White soon puts his h-pawn on h5.} *

[Event "Lone Pine"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Weinstein, N."]
[Black "Rohde, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k4/5ppp/PPK1p3/6P1/5PP1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his outside passed pawn, White seems to be better. However... ---} 
1... f4 $1 {Preparing a breakthrough.} ({Since this is a rather tactical
operation, the move order should be considered carefully - in the game Black
opted for} 1... h4 $2 {and after} 2. gxh4 gxh4 3. Kd4 Ke6 4. a5 {, he soon had
to admit defeat.}) (1... g4 $2 2. Kd4 {is also bad.}) 2. gxf4 ({Or} 2. a5 bxa5
3. bxa5 h4 4. gxf4 gxf4 5. a6 Kc6 6. Kd4 e3 $1 7. fxe3 f3 {etc.}) 2... gxf4 $1
({Again, precision is required: after} 2... g4 $2 3. Kd4 h4 4. Kxe4 h3 5. gxh3
gxh3 6. Kf3 {, the pawn is caught.}) 3. Kd4 e3 $1 4. fxe3 (4. Kd3 $5 {meets
with the same reply.}) 4... f3 $1 5. gxf3 h4 {. With the white king obstructed
by his fellow pawns, Black wins.} *

[Event "Hoogeveen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Black "Sokolov, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pp1/2k3p1/4P3/1p1K1PPP/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's see an almost identical case with reversed colours. The fact that the
right continuation was again overlooked in the game confirms the complexity
and hiddenness of this idea in practice. ---} 1. f5 $1 {Only thus.} (1. h5 $2 {
failed to} gxh5 2. gxh5 b3 3. Kc3 Kd5 4. Kxb3 Ke4 {etc}) ({while the game went
} 1. Kc4 $2 b3 2. Kxb3 Kd5 3. g5 Ke6 4. Kc4 Ke7 5. Kb5 {and here Black could
have defended by} Ke6 $1 6. Kc5 Ke7 {- I.Rogers.}) 1... gxf5 ({After} 1... b3
2. Kc3 Kd5 3. f6 $1 gxf6 4. h5 {, the h-pawn queens}) ({and} 1... Kd7 2. h5 {
also wins for White - Baburin.}) 2. gxf5 ({But not} 2. g5 $4 g6 3. e6 Kd6 $1 4.
exf7 Ke7 5. Kc4 f4 {and it is Black who wins.}) 2... b3 3. Kc3 Kd5 4. e6 $1
fxe6 5. f6 gxf6 6. h5 {. White wins.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 102"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1p3K1p/1P6/P1P1k3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a breakthrough effected in a slightly different way. ---} 1. c5 $1
bxc5 ({After} 1... Kd5 2. c6 Kd6 3. Kg6 {the protected passed pawn decides
matters; e.g.} a6 4. Kxh6 axb5 5. axb5 Ke6 6. Kg6 Ke7 7. Kf5 Kd6 8. Kf6 Kc7 9.
Ke7 Kc8 10. c7 $1 {etc.}) 2. a5 Kd5 3. a6 $1 {By delaying the second pawn
break White gains a crucial tempo, since the black king can't access the
c6-square.} Kd6 ({Or} 3... c4 4. b6 {and White queens with check.}) 4. b6 Kc6
5. bxa7 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Ulan Ude"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grachev, B."]
[Black "Potkin, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/3k4/1ppp1K2/p4PP1/P1P5/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has played over-aggressively on the kingside and is now punished. ---} 
1... c4 $1 ({Only the "delayed" breakthrough works: after} 1... b4 $2 2. cxb4
c4 3. g5 g6+ 4. Kxg6) ({or} 1... d4 $2 2. cxd4 c4 3. Ke4 b4 4. axb4 c3 5. Kd3
$1 cxb2 6. Kc2 {, White wins - Baburin.}) 2. g5 d4 3. cxd4 ({Or} 3. Ke4 d3 4.
Ke3 Ke6 {and the protected passed pawn decides.}) 3... b4 $1 4. axb4 ({The
game actually went} 4. Kg6 bxa3 5. bxa3 c3 {and White soon resigned.}) 4... c3
5. bxc3 a3 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cramling, P."]
[Black "Seyfried, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2pp1/ppn1p2p/4P3/1PK1BP1P/P7/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As I mentioned earlier in this section, gaining space can have a huge effect
on further queening possibilities. With her next move, Cramling exploits this
fact. ---} 1. h5 $1 f6 $2 {This loses by force.} ({After} 1... Nd8 2. g4 f6 3.
exf6 gxf6 4. Bg6 $1 {, preparing g4-g5, White also wins - Baburin}) ({who
instead suggests a waiting policy with} 1... Ne7 2. g4 Kc8 {.}) 2. exf6 gxf6 3.
Bxc6 $1 Kxc6 4. g4 {Now the g4-g5 break proves inevitable.} ({In view of} 4. g4
Kd6 5. g5 Ke7 6. g6 {, followed by a3-a4-a5, softening up the c5-square for
the king, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Santiago (analysis variation)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Michel Yunis, C."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/6p1/2p1p1Pp/5p2/1P1PpP2/6P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This position could have occurred in the game. White wins in Domino fashion.
---} 1. g4 $1 Kg8 ({Or} 1... fxg4 2. f5 $1 Kg8 ({if} 2... exf5 {, then} 3. d5
cxd5 4. b5) 3. fxe6 Kf8 4. d5 Ke7 5. dxc6 Kxe6 6. Kg3 h5 7. Kf4 Kd6 8. b5 {etc.
}) 2. gxf5 exf5 3. d5 $1 Kf8 ({Obviously,} 3... cxd5 {runs into} 4. b5 {.}) 4.
dxc6 Ke7 5. Kf1 Kd6 6. b5 Kc7 7. Ke2 {From now on, White should just use his
king cleverly.} Kd6 8. Ke3 Kc7 ({Or} 8... h5 9. Ke2 {, followed by
Kf1-g2-g3-h4.}) 9. f3 exf3 10. Kxf3 Kd6 11. Ke3 Kc7 12. Kd3 $1 Kd6 13. Kd4 Kc7
({Again} 13... h5 {is met by} 14. Ke3 {, followed by Kf3-g3-h4.}) 14. Ke5 {.
White wins.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gyimesi, Z."]
[Black "Glek, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/pp5p/2p5/1PP3k1/P2P2P1/4p1K1/6B1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Occasionally the minor pieces can help with the breakthrough, as in the
following examples. ---} 1. Bxc6 $1 ({Obviously,} 1. bxc6 $2 bxc6 {was less
efficient.}) 1... Bxc6 ({Or} 1... bxc6 2. b6) 2. bxc6 bxc6 3. d5 $1 {This
second breakthrough decides matters.} ({In view of} 3. d5 cxd5 ({or} 3... Kf6
4. d6) 4. c6 {, Black resigned - Scherbakov.}) 1-0

[Event "Nice (blindfold rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Karjakin, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/4N1p1/4P3/pb4P1/6K1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is a pawn down, but the reduced number of pawns makes a draw quite
likely. However, the game soon took an unexpected course. ---} 1... Kf7 2. Nf4
$4 (2. Ng5+ Ke7 3. Nf3 {was correct, when} g5 {, preventing 4 Kf4, should lead
to a draw - Baburin. What happens if White tries} 4. Nxg5 {at this point is
well answered by the further course of the game.}) 2... Bc3 $1 {The a-pawn
proves unstoppable.} 3. e6+ ({Black also wins after} 3. bxc3 a3 4. e6+ Ke8) ({
or} 3. Nd3 Bxb2 $1 4. Nxb2 a3 {. The old saying that the rook's pawn is the
knight's worst enemy is well reflected here.}) 3... Ke8 4. Nd5 Bxb2 {With such
a strong passed pawn and the bishop acting on both flanks, the rest is quite
easy for Black.} 5. Kf4 a3 6. Nb4 Ke7 7. Kg5 ({Or} 7. Ke4 Kxe6 8. Na2 Kd6 {and
the black king soon enters on either of the flanks.}) 7... Kxe6 8. Kxg6 Kd6 9.
Kf5 Kc5 10. Nc2 a2 11. g5 Kc4 12. g6 Kb3 0-1

[Event "Haifa Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bonner, G."]
[Black "Medina Garcia, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/6p1/6Pp/ppp5/3pn2P/1P3K2/1PP2P2/3N4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1976.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar example with knights. At first sight this endgame seems
rather unclear, but in fact Black has a forced win! ---} 1... Nc3 $3 {An
ingenious use of the knight in order to create a passed pawn.} 2. bxc3 {There
is nothing better.} a4 3. cxd4 cxd4 $1 ({Of course not} 3... a3 $2 4. Nc3 {.})
4. c3 ({Or} 4. bxa4 bxa4 {and the black pawns co-operate perfectly.}) 4... a3 {
. Unable to stop the a-pawn, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1936.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Yastrebov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1p/1p2pPk1/p1p1P3/P1P1K2b/4B3/1P5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1936.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Smyslov found a nice path to victory, using his bishop to create a
breakthrough. ---} 1. b4 $3 axb4 (1... cxb4 2. Bxb6 b3 {was more tenacious,
although after} 3. Kd3 b2 ({or} 3... Kf5 4. Bd4 {, followed by c4-c5}) 4. Kc2
Kf5 5. Bxa5 Kxe5 6. Kxb2 Kd6 {(obviously, both captures on f6 would fail to
bishop checks)} 7. Bd8 Kc5 8. Kc3 {, White keeps good winning chances thanks
to his extra pawn - Smyslov.}) 2. Bxc5 $1 bxc5 ({Or} 2... b3 3. Kd3 Kf5 4. Bxb6
Kxe5 5. a5 Kd6 6. c5+ Kc6 7. a6 {and Black has no defence against} -- 8. a7 Kb7
9. c6+ {.}) 3. a5 Bxf6 $5 4. a6 $1 ({Black's idea was} 4. exf6 $2 e5 $1 {,
when both sides queen after} 5. Kd3 ({or} 5. a6 b3 6. Kd3 e4+) 5... Kf5 $1 6.
a6 e4+ {.}) 4... b3 5. Kd3 Bxe5 6. a7 {. White soon won.} 1-0

[Event "World Blitz Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kosteniuk, A."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4n3/8/5p2/4pNpp/2k4P/6P1/4KP2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we just saw, even with more pieces on the board the breakthrough remains
an important idea. Here are some further examples. --- White is a pawn down,
but she unexpectedly turned things in her favour by means of a breakthrough.
---} 1. g4 $1 Nc7 {Black must hurry to get her knight round to stop the
ensuing passed h-pawn.} 2. gxh5 Ne6 3. h6 Nf8 4. hxg5 fxg5 5. Kf3 Kd3 6. Kg4
Ke2 7. Kxg5 Kxf2 8. Nd6 $1 {The knight should be brought to g5 in order to
control the crucial h7-square.} ({Instead, the game went} 8. Kf6 $2 e4 $2 ({
missing} 8... Kf3 $1 9. Kxe5 Nh7 {with a draw}) 9. Kf7 Nh7 10. Kg6 Nf8+ 11. Kg7
Ne6+ 12. Kf6 Nf8 13. Nd4 $1 e3 14. Kg7 Ne6+ 15. Nxe6 e2 16. Nf4 {and Black
resigned. As Baburin observes, such subtleties aren't easily grasped in a
blitz game.}) 8... Ke3 9. Kf5 Kd4 10. Ne4 Kd5 11. Ng5 Kd6 12. Kf6 {. White
wins with 13 Kf7 next - Baburin.} *

[Event "Benidorm (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Hillarp Persson, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2P1k3/3ppp1p/p7/B1P2KP1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this tense endgame Black could have decided matters in his favour by a
series of breakthroughs. ---} 1... d3 $1 ({A similar idea is} 1... f3 2. gxf3
e3+ $1 3. Kf1 h3 4. Bc4 {and here any of the pawn pushes to the second rank
decides.}) ({In contrast, the game went} 1... Kf6 $6 2. Bb3 Ke7 3. Bd5 Kd7 4.
Kf1 Kc7 5. Ke2 Kd7 6. Kf1 Kc7 {and a draw was agreed, although White remains
lost due to the imminent breakthrough; e.g.} 7. Ke2 f3+ 8. gxf3 h3 9. Kf1 ({or
} 9. fxe4 h2 10. e5 a2) 9... e3 10. f4 h2 11. Kg2 e2 {.}) 2. cxd3 exd3 3. c6
Kd6 4. Bd5 d2 5. Ke2 f3+ $1 {Releasing the h-pawn.} ({The move order matters:
after} 5... h3 $2 6. gxh3 f3+ 7. Kxd2 Kxd5 8. c7 {, White escapes.}) 6. gxf3 h3
7. f4 h2 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1922.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wahltuch, V."]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/4k3/1p2p3/p1rp1p1p/P2RpP2/1KP1R1PP/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1922.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With a sound extra pawn and more space Black is practically winning, but
Capablanca made his task easier by a neat breakthrough. ---} 1... h4 $1 2. gxh4
e5 $1 {Creating a powerful pair of connected passed pawns.} 3. fxe5 f4 4. Re1
Ke6 $1 {Simple and strong; now the king will back up those pawns.} 5. c4 ({Or} 
5. Kc2 Kxe5 6. Kd2 Rg2+ {, intending} 7. Re2 f3 {.}) 5... Kxe5 6. Rxd5+ Rxd5 7.
cxd5 f3 {. In this hopeless position, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Reggio Emilia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Borgo, G."]
[Black "Iordachescu, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1n6/1pk1pp1p/p5p1/P1K2PP1/1P1NP2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his space advantage Black has the initiative, but victory is still
a long way ahead. However, he was suddenly helped by his opponent. ---} 1. b3
$2 {In his eager to simplify White overlooks a breakthrough motif.} (1. Kd3 {
with a waiting game was called for.}) 1... Nd5+ 2. Kd3 ({Or} 2. Kb2 Kd4 {and
the king enters decisively - Chess Today.}) 2... b4 $1 {A pattern familiar to
us from the first example in this section.} 3. bxa4 ({After} 3. axb4+ Nxb4+ 4.
Kc3 a3 {White is also lost; e.g.} 5. Nc4 Nd5+ 6. Kc2 gxf3 7. exf3 Kb4 {with
some kind of zugzwang, since} 8. Nxe5 {runs into} Ne3+ 9. Kb1 Kxb3 {.}) 3...
bxa3 {Unfortunately for White, he cannot prevent a decisive ...Kb4 next.} 4. e4
Kb4 $1 5. Kc2 Ne3+ 6. Kb1 Nc4 $1 {Creating a second passed pawn on the
opposite flank.} ({Another good option was} 6... gxf3 7. Nxf3 fxe4 {, intending
} 8. Nxe5 Kb3 {.}) 7. Nxc4 Kxc4 8. fxg4 fxe4 {. Black queens with check, so
White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adams, M."]
[Black "Fridman, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/1p3pk1/p7/P2RpKp1/1P4P1/3P4/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case. Despite his pawn deficit White is much better, thanks
to his active pieces, yet Black's next move accelerated the end. ---} 1... b6
$2 {Forgetting about the opponent's breakthrough option.} (1... f6 $2 {
obviously failed to} 2. Rd7+ {, followed by Kxf6}) ({but Black
could have kept up the fight with} 1... Re8 2. Rxe5 Rd8 $1 3. Ke4 Kf6 4. d4 Rh8
{- Baburin.}) 2. b5 $1 {Of course Adams doesn't waste the opportunity to
create a powerful passed pawn.} Ra8 ({After} 2... axb5 3. Rxb5) ({or} 2... bxa5
3. bxa6 {, followed by 4 R(x)a5, the passed pawn takes its toll.}) 3. axb6 a5
4. Kxe5 {Thanks to his active king, White wins comfortably.} a4 5. Kd6 a3 6.
Rxg5+ ({There could have followed} 6. Rxg5+ Kf8 7. b7 Rb8 8. b6 $1 a2 9. Ra5
Rxb7 10. Kc6 {etc.}) 1-0

[Event "European Championship, Aix les Bains"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, J."]
[Black "Edouard, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r3k/5R1p/3p2p1/3Bp1P1/2P4P/8/3b1PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's see an almost identical case on the opposite flank. --- Despite
material equality White has a huge advantage thanks to her active pieces, and
approaching with the king should decide matters sooner or later. However, her
task was made considerably easier by the opponent's next. ---} 1... h6 $2 2. h5
$1 {A timely breakthrough that creates an advanced passed pawn on the g-file.}
Rg8 ({After both} 2... hxg5 3. hxg6) ({and} 2... gxh5 3. g6 {, the double
threat of 4 Rh7+ and 4 g7+ proves decisive.}) 3. Rd7 Rg7 4. Bf7 $1 ({After} 4.
Bf7 Bxg5 5. hxg6 {, the black rook has been curiously imprisoned, and White
wins by just transferring his rook to the eighth rank, so Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Zurich Candidates"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stahlberg, G."]
[Black "Geller, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6bk/4b2p/1p3p2/p1p1p3/P1PqP3/1P3PBP/2Q2NK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White seems to be holding his own; however, a breakthrough could have
destroyed his defences. ---} 1... b4 $1 ({In the game, afflicted by
time-trouble, Geller instead chose} 1... h5 $2 {and after} 2. Ng3 $1 h4 3. Nh5
{, Stahlberg managed to deprive him of the bishop pair, with a draw as a later
result.}) 2. axb4 ({Or} 2. cxb4 Qb3 $1 {, followed by ...Bxb2 and c4-c3-c2.})
2... a3 3. bxa3 Bxc3 4. b5 (4. Ng3 $2 {fails to} Bd2 {, followed by c4-c3-c2})
({while the "active"} 4. f3 {runs into} f4 $1 {, creating a new passed pawn on
the e-file.}) 4... Be5 5. Ng3 Qb3 $1 ({After} 5... c3 6. Bf1 {, preparing
Be2-d1, White might have more chances for a draw.}) 6. Bf1 c3 {. Intending
c3-c2 and ...Qb1. Black wins.} *

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nakamura, H."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k3/1p4p1/1Bb1Bp1p/P1p1bP1P/2Pp2P1/3P4/5K2/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case with reversed colours and flanks. At first sight Black
seems to have created some kind of fortress - 1 Bxc5? Rxa5 would just lead to
the activation of his rook, whereas 1 Ra1 first is met simply by 1...Bd6.
However, Nakamura found a nice breakthrough idea. ---} 1. g5 $1 hxg5 ({
Practically forced, in view of the threat} 1... -- 2. gxh6 gxh6 3. Rg1 {.}) 2.
h6 gxh6 3. Rxe5 $1 fxe5 4. f6 {It transpires that the passed pawn is perfectly
assisted by the bishops.} Bd7 5. f7+ Ke7 6. Bxd7 Kxd7 ({After} 6... Kxf7 7. Bf5
Kf6 8. Be4 Rb8 9. Bxc5 h5 10. Kg3 {, White should also win - Baburin.}) 7. Bxc5
h5 8. f8=Q Rxf8+ 9. Bxf8 {. White soon capitalized on his material advantage.}
1-0

[Event "Sochi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Ionescu, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p1p3p1/PpP3B1/1n2kPPP/8/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here White's kingside majority is waiting to be transformed into a passed
pawn, a task that Gligoric resolved by means of a well-calculated breakthrough.
---} 1. f5 $1 gxf5 2. h5 Nd3 {Evidently, the task of parrying the passed pawn
must be performed by the knight.} 3. h6 Ne5 4. h7 Nf7 ({On} 4... Ng6 {White
can react just like in the game - Gligoric.}) 5. Kg3 $1 {Initiating the key
plan of approaching the h7-pawn with the king. In the battle between passed
pawns that now follows, the bishop will be clearly superior to the knight.} b4
6. Bf6 b3 7. Bb2 f4+ ({Or} 7... fxg4 8. Kxg4 Kd3 9. Kh5 Kc2 10. Kg6 {and wins
- Gligoric.} ({Even the slower} 10. Bf6 b2 11. Bxb2 Kxb2 12. Kg6 {is possible,
giving credit to the saying that the rook's pawn is the knight's worst enemy.})
) 8. Kf2 f3 9. h8=Q ({Black resigned, seeing that after} 9. h8=Q Nxh8 10. Bxh8
Kf4 11. g5 {, White wins comfortably; e.g.} Kxg5 12. Kxf3 Kf5 13. Ke3 Ke6 14.
Ke4 $1 {etc.}) 1-0

[Event "Rome (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tatai, S."]
[Black "Mariotti, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6Q1/8/3p4/2pPk1p1/1p5P/1P4PK/2q5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1972.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black would like to carry out the ...c5-c4 breakthrough, preferably without
queens on the board. With his next little combination, Mariotti addresses the
issue. ---} 1... g4+ $1 ({After} 1... c4 $6 2. Qg7+ ({not} 2. Qxg5+ $2 Qf5+ $1)
2... Kxd5 3. Qxg5+ {, things become more complex; e.g.} Kc6 4. bxc4 Qxc4 5. h5
b3 6. Qf6 $1 {.}) 2. Qxg4 ({Obviously,} 2. Kxg4 {runs into} Qf5# {.}) 2... Qf5
$1 3. h5 ({Or} 3. Qxf5+ Kxf5 4. g4+ Kg6 5. Kg3 c4 {- Neishtadt.}) 3... c4 $1 ({
The move order} 3... Qxg4+ 4. Kxg4 c4 {works as well; e.g.} 5. Kg5 c3 $1 {,
queening with check.}) 4. h6 Qxg4+ 5. Kxg4 Kf6 6. h7 Kg7 ({After} 6... Kg7 7.
bxc4 b3 8. c5 b2 {only Black queens, so White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Groningen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rotstein, A."]
[Black "Sundararajan, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1B6/8/5p2/1P1k1npp/1K5P/6P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this minor piece ending, White hurried to decide things in his favour by
means of a breakthrough. ---} 1. g4 $1 {"Against two passed pawns on different
flanks, Black will be helpless!" - Baburin.} hxg4 ({Or} 1... Nxh4 2. gxh5 Nf5
3. Ka5 $1 {with similar play.}) 2. h5 Nh6 3. Ka5 $1 {King first!} ({After} 3.
b6 $2 Kc6 {, the battle is prolonged.}) 3... f5 4. b6 Nf7 5. Ka6 Ke6 6. Bc7 $1
{. Applying the "magic" distance, an idea that we will come back to in Chapter
Four. Unable to sacrifice his knight for the b-pawn, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Swedish Championship, Linkoping"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Akesson, R."]
[Black "Barkhagen, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp1nk3/2p3p1/2P1p3/1PK1P2p/7P/P3BP2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is another bishop vs. knight ending, this time with the breakthrough
being realized by the knight's side. ---} 1... Nf6 2. Bf3 $6 ({White should
have preferred} 2. Kd3 {, followed by Ke3, avoiding the game scenario.}) 2...
g5 3. Kd3 g4 $1 {Without the minor pieces on the board this breakthrough would
have won on the spot, whereas here it just yields Black a pleasant initiative
in practice.} 4. hxg4 ({Obviously,} 4. Bg2 $2 {failed to} Nh5 {with a fork to
follow.}) 4... Nh7 $1 {There is no hurry with ...h4-h3, and Barkhagen instead
reorganizes his pieces - the king should go to g5 and then the knight back to
f6. Incidentally, "don't hurry" is a good rule of thumb in the endgame, one
that Shereshevsky dedicated a whole chapter to in his great work 'Endgame
Strategy'.} 5. Ke3 Kf6 6. Be2 Kg5 7. Kf3 Nf6 8. Bc4 $6 {This and the next move
are too "active".} ({With} 8. Bf1 {White held the balance - Hecht; as after}
Nxg4 9. Bh3 {, the threat of 10 Bc8 forces Black into} Nh2+ 10. Kg2 Ng4 {with
a repetition.}) 8... h3 9. Be6 $2 (9. Bf1 {was correct, though such a move is
psychologically hard of course. Black could react} Kh4 10. g5 h2 $5 11. Bg2 Nh5
{; e.g.} 12. g6 Kg5 13. g7 Nxg7 14. Kg3 Ne6 15. Kxh2 Kf4 {, keeping some
practical chances.}) 9... Nxe4 $1 {Black wins a pawn and, more importantly,
enables the deflection of the white king from the h-pawn by ...Kh4 and ...Ng5+ (or ...Nd2+).} 10. Bc8 Kh4 $1 11. Bxb7 Ng5+ ({In view of} 11... Ng5+ 12.
Ke3 h2 13. Bxc6 e4 $1 {, White resigned - Atlas.}) 0-1

[Event "European Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Videnova, E."]
[Black "Raznikov, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6p1/2b1pp2/7p/5PkP/1p4P1/1B3K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In endings with opposite-coloured bishops the breakthrough is an important
resource, as we will see in the next example. --- With one extra pawn on each
flank, and the b-pawn severely limiting the enemy bishop, Black is winning.
Nevertheless, the way he achieved his goal is quite instructive. ---} 1... e4
$1 {A breakthrough aimed at creating a second passed pawn... on the h-file!} ({
The methodical} 1... Kf4 {, followed by ...e5-e4, was also possible; e.g.} 2.
Ke2 e4 3. fxe4 fxe4 4. Bc2 g5 5. Bb1 e3 6. Bc2 Kg3 7. Be4 ({or} 7. Kf1 e2+ 8.
Kxe2 Kxg2 {with 9...g4 next}) 7... Bd4 $1 {(heading for d2)} 8. Kf1 Bc3 9. Ke2
Bd2 10. Kf1 g4 $1 11. hxg4 h3 {(a breakthrough that frees the f3-square for
the king)} 12. gxh3 Kf4 13. Bd3 Kf3 {and wins.}) 2. fxe4 f4 $1 3. e5 g5 4. Bf5
({Or} 4. Be4 f3 5. gxf3 Kxh3 {and the h-pawn decides.}) 4... g4 $1 5. e6 ({
Black's point was that after} 5. hxg4 f3 6. gxf3 h3 {, the h-pawn again proves
unstoppable. The text allows White to queen, but to no avail.}) 5... f3 $1 6.
gxf3 gxh3 7. e7 h2 ({Not} 7... Bxe7 $2 8. Kg1 {with a draw.}) 8. e8=Q h1=Q+ 9.
Ke2 Qxf3+ 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 123"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/P5k1/P5p1/5pKp/4bP1P/6P1/5B2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex example analysed by legendary endgame theoretician
Averbakh, on the basis of the game V.Smyslov-Y.Averbakh, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1950. --- Despite the minus pawns Black seems to be defending
comfortably. However... ---} 1. g4 $3 {A strong breakthrough that creates a
passed pawn either on the f- or h-file. I can still remember my fascination
with this example when I first came across it as a youngster.} hxg4 ({After} 
1... fxg4 2. f5 $1 gxf5 3. Kxh5 {, the win is somewhat easier:} Kf6 4. Bg3 Bf3
5. Kh6 Be4 6. h5 Bf3 7. Bh4+ Kf7 ({or} 7... Ke5 8. Kg5 f4 9. h6 {, overloading
the black bishop}) 8. Kg5 Be4 9. Bg3 Kg7 10. Bf4 $1 Kh7 ({after} 10... Kf7 11.
h6 {the h-pawn decides}) 11. Kf6 g3 12. Bxg3 Kh6 13. Ke6 Kxh5 14. Kd6 {etc.
The 1...hxg4 capture is indeed more logical, since it avoids an outside passed
pawn on the h-file.}) 2. h5 gxh5 3. a8=Q $1 Bxa8 4. Kxf5 {White has reached
his goal of creating a second passed pawn, but the further path to victory is
far from trivial.} Kf7 5. Kg5 Bf3 ({More tenacious than} 5... Ke7 6. f5 Kd7 7.
f6 Bd5 8. a7 {, when one of the passed pawns will sacrifice itself for its
colleague.}) 6. a7 Kg7 7. f5 Kf7 8. Bh4 $1 {The following bishop manoeuvre
will enable White to take the h5-pawn without allowing the advance of the
other black pawn.} ({In contrast, after} 8. f6 $2 Bd5 9. Bh4 ({or} 9. Bd4 g3 $1
10. Kxh5 g2 {with similar play}) 9... Bf3 $1 10. Kxh5 g3+ 11. Kg5 g2 12. Bf2
Bd5 {, White can't win, since if he brings his king to b8 and queens, Black,
after taking on a8, would deflect the white bishop from the defence of f6 by
advancing the g-pawn.}) 8... Kg7 9. Bg3 $1 Kf7 10. Be5 Be4 ({Black has to
leave the d1-h5 diagonal, as after} 10... Kf8 11. Kf6 h4 12. Bd6+ Ke8 ({or} 
12... Kg8 13. Ke7) 13. Kg7 {, followed by f5-f6, his bishop again proves
overloaded.}) 11. Kxh5 $1 g3 ({There is nothing better; e.g.} 11... Bf3 12. Kg5
{with similar play to the previous note.}) 12. Bxg3 Kf6 13. Kg4 Bxf5+ 14. Kf4
$1 {. Unfortunately for Black, his bishop can't return to the long diagonal,
so White wins.} *

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sergeev, R."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/4p3/2P1Bp2/p4Kp1/P3P1P1/5PbP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Another complex opposite-coloured bishop ending. Black is two pawns down but
he has managed to block the enemy pawns quite confidently. However, positions
with opposite-coloured bishops contain a lot of dynamics, a fact that I forgot
when making my next, lazy move. ---} 1... Bc6 $2 (1... Be4 {was correct,
avoiding what now follows in the game.}) 2. e4 $3 {An unexpected breakthrough
that creates a powerful passed pawn on the h-file.} Bxe4 ({Obviously,} 2...
fxe4 $2 3. Kxg4 {would make things too easy for White on the kingside.}) 3. f3
$1 gxf3 ({After} 3... Bxf3 $6 4. h4 $1 {, the h-pawn becomes a giant, while
Black's own passed pawns can hardly move. There can follow} Ke7 5. h5 Kf7 6.
Kg5 Be4 7. h6 Kg8 8. Kf6 {, with Ke7-d6 next, and the c-pawn decides. The text
is more resilient due to the advanced passed pawn that emerges on f3.}) 4. Bd4
$1 {White's little endgame combination is concluded, and we can see that the
two pawns were well invested. On the g1-a7 diagonal the bishop doesn't just
control the f3-pawn, it also protects the one on c5; besides, it will parry
the future advance of the pawns on e6 and f5. More on the idea of one single
diagonal in Chapter Four.} Bd5 {Parrying the positional threat of 5 g4.} 5. Ke5
({Another promising, perhaps winning option was} 5. Kg5 $5 e5 6. Bf2 Ke6 7. h4
{- P.Flores.}) 5... Ke7 ({The task of controlling the h-pawn must be assigned
to the king; e.g.} 5... Bc4 6. h4 Be2 {failed to the simple} 7. Bf2 {.}) 6. h4
Ba8 {A waiting move.} ({After} 6... Kf7 $2 7. Kd6 {, followed by 8 c6, White
wins immediately, so it makes sense to postpone the further king transfer
until the h-pawn is more exposed.}) 7. h5 Bd5 8. Be3 $1 {Some useful
prophylaxis, so that a future ...e6-e5 won't be effected with tempo.} Kf7 ({I
couldn't wait any longer, since} 8... Ba8 9. h6 Kf7 10. Kd6 {just leads to a
worse version of the game.}) 9. Kd6 Kf6 $1 {Preparing ...e6-e5, the only
chance for counterplay.} 10. c6 Bxc6 $6 ({I had already spotted the defensive
idea and was eager to carry it out, but} 10... Bc4 {was more tenacious,
postponing the bishop sacrifice. Here White would have to play quite precisely
in order to score the full point:} 11. Kc5 $1 {(heading for the a4-pawn)} ({in
contrast, after} 11. c7 $6 Ba6 12. Kd7 e5 13. c8=Q Bxc8+ 14. Kxc8 f4 $1 15.
gxf4 exf4 16. Bf2 Kg5 17. Kc7 Kxh5 18. Kd6 Kg4 19. Ke5 Kh3 $5 20. Kxf4 Kg2 21.
Ke3 Kf1 $1 {, he can't make progress}) 11... Ba6 12. Kb4 e5 13. Kxa4 f4 14.
gxf4 exf4 15. Bf2 Kg5 16. Ka5 Bc8 17. Kb6 Kxh5 18. a4 {and the white pawns are
faster.}) 11. Kxc6 e5 12. Kb5 f4 13. gxf4 exf4 14. Bf2 $1 {It is essential to
deprive the black king of the g3-square.} ({In the game, Sergeev instead went
for} 14. Bc5 $2 {and after} Kg5 15. Kxa4 Kxh5 16. Kb3 ({or} 16. Kb5 Kg4 17. a4
Kg3 18. a5 f2 19. Bxf2+ Kxf2 20. a6 Kg1 {etc}) 16... Kg4 17. Kc4 Kg3 18. Kd3 f2
19. Ke2 f3+ $1 {(this detail was overlooked by my opponent)} ({though} 19...
f1=Q+ 20. Kxf1 Kf3 21. a4 Ke4 {also worked}) 20. Kf1 Kf4 21. a4 Ke5 22. a5 Kd5
23. a6 Kc6 24. Kxf2 Kc7 25. Ba7 Kc6 {, a draw was agreed.}) 14... Kg5 15. Kxa4
Kxh5 16. Kb4 Kg4 ({Or} 16... Kg6 17. Kc5 Kf7 18. Kd6 Ke8 19. Kc7 $1 {and wins.}
) 17. Kc3 $1 {Defence first;} ({after} 17. a4 $2 Kh3 18. a5 Kg2 19. a6 Kxf2 20.
a7 Kg1 21. a8=Q f2 {, Black draws. But note that with the rear pawn on f6
instead, White would win easily here by bringing his queen to g3.}) 17... Kf5 (
{Obviously,} 17... Kh3 18. Kd2 Kg2 19. Ke1 {is useless for Black.}) 18. Kd4 Ke6
19. Kc5 Kd7 20. Kb6 Kc8 21. Ka7 $1 {Preventing ...Kb8.} ({White now wins by
making waiting moves with his bishop; e.g.} 21. Ka7 Kc7 22. a4 Kc8 23. a5 Kc7
24. a6 Kc8 25. Bb6 f2 26. Bxf2 Kc7 27. Bg1 $1 Kc8 28. Bb6 f3 29. Be3 $1 Kc7 30.
Bf2 Kc8 31. Bb6 ({or} 31. Bg3) 31... f2 32. Bxf2 Kc7 33. Be3 Kc8 34. Bb6 {.}) *

[Event "Munich Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, TV."]
[Black "Kozma, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4rb2/p5k1/3pr1p1/1ppR3p/4NP2/1PP2KP1/P3R2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1958.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Pawn majorities --- In 'Mastering Chess Strategy' I touched upon pawn
majorities quite thoroughly, so here I will limit myself to some shorter
examples. First, let's see a few cases where, for different reasons, one of
the players can't easily mobilize his pawn majority. --- During the opening
and middlegame battle Petrosian did everything possible to maintain the
stronghold on d5, and his efforts are now rewarded. Black's backward d-pawn
makes an advance of his central pawn majority impossible, whereas White has no
such problem on the kingside. ---} 1. h3 $1 {White's pawn majority starts
rolling.} ({In contrast, after} 1. f5 $6 gxf5 2. Rxf5 Re5 {, it would take
much longer for him to create the desired passed pawn.}) 1... a5 $6 {Very
passive.} ({With} 1... Be7 2. g4 hxg4+ 3. hxg4 Rh8 $1 {, Black could have
complicated to some extent, now that} 4. f5 $6 gxf5 5. gxf5 {can be met by}
Rh3+ {, followed by ...Reh6.}) 2. g4 hxg4+ 3. hxg4 Be7 4. f5 $1 {In just three
moves White has succeeded with one of the most fundamental plans in the
endgame: the conversion of a pawn majority into a passed pawn.} Re5 $6 (4...
Rf8 {is met by} 5. Kf4 $1 {, continuing with the plan.}) ({Instead, the brave} 
4... gxf5 5. gxf5 Rh6 $1 {was called for, when} 6. Nxd6 $6 ({anyway, with} 6.
Ng5 {, White keeps a clear initiative}) 6... Rh3+ 7. Kg4 Rh4+ {leaves White
short of a good escape from the rook checks. Of course such tactical ideas are
more easily spotted with a computer engine by your side!}) 5. Rxe5 dxe5 6. Rd2
$1 {This is the main defect of Black's fourth move - now there is no
satisfactory defence against the invasion of the enemy rook.} Rf8 $2 ({Kozma
misses a tactical trick, but he was short of good choices anyway; e.g.} 6...
Rd8 7. Rxd8 Bxd8 8. Nxc5 {.}) 7. Rd7 Rf7 8. Rxe7 $1 ({In view of} 8. Rxe7 Rxe7
9. f6+ {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "US Championship, Cleveland"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1957.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Addison, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/pp3p1p/2pb2k1/6pn/2PP1pN1/2B2P2/PPK3PP/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1957.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again White's pawn majority is clearly the more mobile one, due to Black's
doubled f-pawns. Fischer proceeded with precision. ---} 1. c5 $1 ({The c-pawn
should move first, since} 1. d5 $6 c5 $1 {would let Black blockade the d-pawn
with improved defensive prospects. If now} 2. Nf2 {, heading for e4, then
simply} f5 {.}) 1... Bb8 2. d5 cxd5 $6 {Too co-operative.} (2... Re2+ 3. Kd3
Rxg2 4. d6 $1 {, with ideas like Ne5-d7 and Re1-e8, clearly favours White}) ({
but} 2... f5 $1 {seems stronger, avoiding the knight check on e5 that follows
in the game; e.g.} 3. dxc6 bxc6 $1 4. Nf2 Nf6 5. Bxf6 Kxf6 6. Nd3 Bc7 {with
far better chances of resistance.}) 3. Rxd5 f5 4. Ne5+ Bxe5 5. Rxe5 $1 ({After
} 5. Bxe5 $6 Nf6 $1 6. Bxf6 Kxf6 {, Black achieves the defender's preferred
type of ending - a rook ending - and the win becomes more difficult in
practice.}) 5... Nf6 ({Avoiding the rook exchange would let White seize the
seventh rank with 6 Re7, while} 5... Rxe5 6. Bxe5 {leaves the knight
marginalized from the battle, just like in the game. At this point,} Nf6 {runs
into} ({or similarly} 6... Ng7 7. Bxg7 {etc}) 7. Bxf6 $1 Kxf6 8. Kd3 {and
White wins comfortably.}) 6. Rxe8 Nxe8 7. Be5 $1 {A final accuracy which
leaves the knight immobile, since if it goes to f6 or g7 White will again just
swap it off and then use his pawn majority to win the pawn ending.} Kh5 {This
counterattack is bound to fail;} ({but} 7... Kf7 {was equally hopeless after}
8. Kd3 Ke6 9. Kd4 {, followed by b2-b4, a2-a4 etc.}) 8. Kd3 g4 9. b4 $1 {
Fischer isn't distracted by the f4-pawn, preferring to advance his pawn
majority, aware that he is practically a piece up.} a6 10. a4 gxf3 11. gxf3 Kh4
12. b5 axb5 13. a5 $5 Kh3 14. c6 1-0

[Event "Bermuda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Waitzkin, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr4/pp2bppp/2n1p3/2prP3/P1N2P2/2B1P1P1/1P3K1P/2R4R b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is an excerpt from my own practice. Despite White's space advantage
Black is better in the above position, thanks to his sounder structure - or
more mobile pawn majority, if you prefer. With his next move Waitzkin takes
the first step to the realization of this advantage. ---} 1... b6 $1 {
Preparing ... Kb7, ...a7-a6 and ...b6-b5, with a slow but firm advance of the
pawn majority.} 2. Ke2 Kb7 3. Rhd1 $2 {This is very bad - and just the kind of
move that, many years later, I am trying to get my students to avoid in their
games. When you have a poor structure, don't exchange too many pieces (in
particular, the rooks); instead, look for dynamics and activity.} (3. Rhf1 $1 {
was correct, preparing f4-f5 with some counterplay on the f-file. Obviously,}
g6 {is just met by} 4. g4 {, insisting on the plan.}) 3... a6 4. Be1 Rxd1 5.
Rxd1 Rxd1 6. Kxd1 b5 7. axb5 axb5 8. Nd2 ({Or} 8. Nd6+ Bxd6 9. exd6 Kc8 10. e4
e5 {and the d6-pawn will fall sooner or later.}) 8... Na5 9. b3 Kc6 10. Kc2 $6
({I should rather have played} 10. Ke2 c4 11. bxc4 Nxc4 12. Nb3 $1 {.}) 10...
c4 $1 {Finally, the pawn majority is converted into a passed pawn, whereas
White's extra pawn on the kingside has no real significance.} 11. bxc4 Nxc4 {
As we just discussed, exchanges usually favour the side with the superior pawn
structure.} 12. Nxc4 bxc4 13. e4 Kb5 14. g4 Bc5 15. Bc3 Bf2 16. f5 Kc5 $1 {
With the threat of ...Bd4. In hindsight, the fact that White has a pawn fixed
on the same colour as his bishop plays heavily against him in this endgame.
Remember that with rooks on the board (cf. 3 Rhf1!), there is no such "colour
problem"!} 17. fxe6 fxe6 18. Bb2 Be1 19. h3 Bf2 20. Kd2 Kb4 21. Kc2 Kc5 22. Kd2
Kb4 23. Kc2 Be1 $1 {Preparing a deadly ...c4-c3.} 24. Bd4 c3 25. Bb6 Kc4 26.
Ba7 Bg3 27. Bb8 Kd4 {The rest is easy - Black wins in outside passed pawn
fashion.} 28. Ba7+ Kxe4 29. Kxc3 Bxe5+ 30. Kd2 Kf3 $1 31. Kd3 Bf4 {. In view
of the inevitable ...e6-e5-e4-e3, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Zagreb"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Filip, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p3r2/p1p1pkp1/P1P4p/4P2P/4KP2/6P1/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a final case featuring a "defective" pawn majority on one of the
sides. White is far better thanks to his more active rook and favourable pawn
structure - on the queenside his two pawns stop three, while on the opposite
flank there should, sooner or later, emerge a white passed pawn. ---} 1. Kf4 $1
{A nice piece of provocation - after ...e6-e5 Black's sixth rank will prove
severely weakened; besides, the plan of creating a passed pawn is facilitated.}
e5+ ({Passive defence won't help either:} 1... Rc7 2. e5+ Kg7 3. Kg5 Re7 4. g4
$1 {, creating an outside passed pawn on the h-file with an easy win.}) 2. Ke3
Kg7 3. g3 $1 {The virtue of 1 Kf4 becomes evident: Black can't prevent f3-f4.}
Re7 4. f4 exf4+ 5. gxf4 Kf6 6. Rd6+ Kg7 7. e5 Kf7 8. Ke4 Kg7 9. f5 $1 {Thus
White reaches f5 with his king, which means that e5-e6 can be effected without
worrying about ...Kf6.} gxf5+ 10. Kxf5 {With the simple plan of e5-e6,
followed by Rd7;} ({and} 10. Kxf5 Rf7+ 11. Ke6 {leaves Black helpless against
the threat of 12 Rd7, so he resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Las Palmas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erenburg, S."]
[Black "Murariu, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/1p1bkpp1/4pn1p/8/1PP5/1KN4P/4BPP1/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's see two examples originating from 'Mastering Chess Strategy',
where both sides have sound pawn majorities. --- The queenside pawn majority
is a common feature in some openings, such as the c2-c3 Sicilian, the French
Tarrasch with 3...c5 4 exd5 Qxd5, and others. In the structure above, Black is
usually reluctant to swap too many pieces, since an advance of his central
majority tends to be a bit slower than White's corresponding play on the
queenside. Thus the above position is a kind of dream scenario for White - and
he has even managed to put his king in an ideal place for the looming
queenside expansion. ---} 1. b5 $1 {Erenburg advances his pawn majority and at
the same time restricts the enemy bishop. The fact that he fixes his pawns on
squares of the "wrong" colour and also cedes the c5-square isn't a big deal,
since Black lacks the space to exploit this.} ({In contrast, both} 1. c5 $6 Bc6
2. f3 Nd5 3. b5 Nxc3 4. Kxc3 Bd5) ({and} 1. Bf3 Bc6 $1 2. Bxc6 bxc6 {lead to a
lesser advantage than in the game.}) 1... b6 $2 {This natural move converts
that pawn into a weakness.} (1... Rd8 2. Bf3 Bc8 {was correct, when} 3. Rxd8
Kxd8 4. c5 {yields a clear, but not decisive advantage - Erenburg.}) 2. Bf3 Rb8
({After} 2... Ra7 $2 3. Na4 {, the problem with ...b7-b6 is well displayed.
Thus Black has to surrender the a-file.}) 3. Ra1 $1 {This move comes with two
strong ideas: to seize the seventh rank by Ra7 or attack the b6-pawn by Ra6
and Na4.} Bc8 {Preparing ... Nd7-c5.} 4. Ra7+ Nd7 5. Bc6 $1 {Now White is
ready to exchange the defending knight at any moment.} f5 ({The immediate} 5...
Kd6 {fails to} 6. Ne4+ {, so Black prepares it.}) 6. Na4 Kd6 7. Bxd7 $1 {Just
at the right moment, before the knight escapes to e5.} Bxd7 8. Kb4 $1 {Active
king.} ({After} 8. Kb4 {, the threat of} -- 9. Nxb6 $1 Rxb6 10. c5+ {forces
the black king to move away from the b6-pawn, and the rest is easy.}) 8... Ke7
9. Ra6 e5 10. Rxb6 Rd8 11. Rb7 Kf6 12. Nc5 Be8 13. Rc7 {. In view of b5-b6-b7
next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Pamplona"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bauer, C."]
[Black "Korneev, O."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p1b3p1/1pn3p1/2p2p2/P4P2/2BBP2P/1P4P1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is better here, mainly thanks to his bishop pair, an asset which tends
to become more powerful the further the game goes on. Note that the
light-squared bishop is doing a good job in restricting Black's desired plan
of ...a7-a6 and ...b6-b5. Bauer found a clever way of improving his central
pawn majority. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Clearing the way for the e-pawn. By the way,
this move would have been just as strong in the event of a normal black
structure with pawns on f5-g6-h7.} ({Less constructive is} 1. e4 $6 Bxf4 2.
exf5 gxf5 3. Bxf5 Nd4 {.}) 1... fxg4 $6 {This converts the e-pawn into a
strong passed pawn.} (1... Ne7 {was more stubborn, although after} 2. Kf2 Kf7
3. Kf3 {, it is not easy to suggest a plan for Black, whereas White could
contemplate e3-e4 at a suitable moment.}) 2. hxg4 g5 3. Be4 $1 ({Black intended
} 3. fxg5 $2 Be5 {with a blockade on the dark squares, but White is not
distracted from his original plan.}) 3... Nd8 4. f5 {With the strong idea of
Bd5 and e3-e4-e5.} Nf7 5. Bd5 Kf8 6. Bxf7 $1 {Eliminating the idea of a
blockade on e5.} Kxf7 7. Kf2 g6 8. Kf3 {Of course the pawns should remain
connected. The rest is relatively easy, with the e-pawn asking to be pushed.}
gxf5 9. gxf5 a6 10. e4 b5 11. axb5 axb5 12. e5 b4 13. e6+ Ke7 14. Bd2 Be5 ({Or
} 14... Kf6 15. Bxg5+ $1 {- Deviatkin.}) 15. Bxg5+ Ke8 16. f6 Bxb2 17. f7+ Kf8
18. Ke4 b3 19. Kf5 Bg7 20. Kg6 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 131"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/1p6/5k1p/7P/PP3K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{One pawn stops two --- In Gligoric-Filip we saw how White's two queenside
pawns prevented the advance of the three black pawns on the same flank. Such a
situation - one pawn stops two, two stop three, or even three stop four -
is not uncommon in endgame practice. Here are some further examples. --- There
is an old endgame rule that says "the candidate first!" and it applies rather
well to the above position. In order to realize his pawn majority, White
should start by moving the pawn that has no contender on its file; i.e. the
candidate to become a passed pawn. ---} 1. a3 $1 ({After} 1. b4 $2 Ke4 {, the
fact that one pawn stops two saves Black; e.g.} 2. Ke2 Kd4 ({or even} 2... Kf4
3. Kd3 Kg3 4. a4 $1 bxa4 5. b5 a3 6. Kc3 a2 7. Kb2 a1=Q+ $1 8. Kxa1 Kxh3 {and
draws}) 3. Kf3 Kc4 {with both sides queening in the end.}) ({Even worse is} 1.
b3 $4 b4 {, when the white queenside pawns are halted one rank further back on
the board. Thanks to the opposition, Black actually wins here.}) 1... Ke4 2. b3
Kf4 3. a4 bxa4 4. bxa4 Ke4 5. a5 Kd5 6. Kf3 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Cappelle la Grande"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Akesson, R."]
[Black "Oleksienko, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/8/3p4/7P/2k5/4K1P1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's see a practical ending where Black used the "one pawn stops two" idea
to win the game. ---} 1... d4 $1 {After this move, White resigned; let's see a
possible continuation:} ({The move order matters: the immediate advance} 1...
h5 $2 {allows White to save himself with} 2. g4 $1 hxg4 3. h5 {and both
players queen.}) 2. Kd1 h5 $1 {One pawn stops two.} ({In contrast,} 2... Kd3 $2
{would only draw after} 3. g4 {, since Black is left with a rook's pawn in the
end.}) 3. Kc1 ({Or} 3. g4 hxg4 4. h5 g3 {and Black queens with check - Baburin.
}) 3... d3 4. Kd1 d2 5. g3 Kd3 {. Black wins.} 0-1

[Event "Ambato"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Vaca, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5kpp/3p4/3P1KP1/4P2P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is an example with more pawns. This seems like a dead draw - until Black
forgot about the "one pawn stops two" idea and was duly punished. ---} 1... g5+
$2 ({Correct was} 1... Ke6 {with a waiting game; e.g.} 2. e4 ({or} 2. g5 hxg5+
3. Kxg5 Ke7) 2... dxe4 3. Kxe4 f5+ $1 4. gxf5+ gxf5+ 5. Kf4 Kd5 $1 6. Kxf5 Kxd4
{and the king gets back in time.}) 2. Kf3 Ke6 3. e4 $1 {Converting the d-pawn
into a passed pawn, just before Black achieves ...f7-f5.} Kd6 4. Ke3 Kc6 5.
exd5+ Kxd5 6. Kd3 {By now the defects of 1...g5+ are evident: Black can't
create a passed pawn of his own.} f6 7. Ke3 Kd6 8. Ke4 Ke6 9. d5+ Kd6 10. Kf5
1-0

[Event "World Blitz Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Tkachiev, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1p6/p1p1p2p/3r3P/6P1/P1R5/1P2KP2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this rook ending Black should be okay after the simple 1...Kf7, but he
found a more "active" idea... ---} 1... Rb5 $6 2. b4 a5 $2 3. Rc5 $1 {Giving
rise to a "two pawns stop three" scenario.} Rxc5 ({Obviously,} 3... axb4 4.
Rxb5 cxb5 5. axb4 {is terminal}) ({while after} 3... Rb6 4. Rxa5 {, the badly
placed rook on b6 spells the end for Black - Baburin.}) 4. bxc5 e5 5. f4 {
White, on the other hand, has no problems in converting his pawn majority into
a passed pawn.} exf4 6. Kf3 Kf7 7. Kxf4 Kf6 8. a4 ({After} 8. a4 Ke6 9. g5
hxg5+ 10. Kxg5 {White wins in outside passed pawn fashion, so Black resigned.})
1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1936.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Levenfish, G."]
[Black "Flohr, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2bk4/1pn3p1/p1p2p1p/2N5/PP2PP2/3BK1P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1936.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In a typical Catalan endgame, Levenfish probably didn't think twice about his
next move. ---} 1. a5 $1 {An advance with several virtues: Black's pawn
majority is paralysed, the strong knight on c5 is secured, and the black
bishop remains tied to the b7-pawn. Any other move would have permitted the
freeing 1...b6.} Ke7 ({The attempt to exchange the annoying enemy knight with} 
1... Ne6 {is well met by} 2. f5 $1 {, when} Nxc5 3. bxc5 {, followed by Bc4,
Kf4, e4-e5, g3-g4, h2-h4 and g4-g5 should win for White.}) 2. Bc4 Kd6 3. Kd4
Ne8 4. e5+ {Unlike his opponent, White has an easy task in advancing his own
pawn majority.} fxe5+ 5. fxe5+ Ke7 6. h4 $1 {Levenfish has observed that Black
has no solid move at his disposal, and puts him into some kind of zugzwang.} ({
In contrast, the more straightforward} 6. Ne4 {, preparing Kc5, permits} Bf5 {.
}) 6... Nc7 ({Or} 6... g5 7. hxg5 hxg5 8. Ne4 g4 9. Ke3 {, followed by Kf4,
winning the g4-pawn - Shereshevsky.}) 7. Ne4 Be6 {Now the b7-pawn falls, but
Black had no good alternative;} ({e.g.} 7... Bf5 8. Nd6) ({or} 7... Ne8 8. Kc5
{, followed by Kb6 and Nc5.}) 8. Nd6 Bxc4 9. Kxc4 Ke6 10. Nxb7 ({Black
resigned, in view of} 10. Nxb7 Kxe5 11. Kc5 Nd5 12. Nd8 Ke4 13. Nxc6 Nc3 14.
Nb8 Kf3 15. Nxa6 Kxg3 16. Nc7 {- Shereshevsky.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 136"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/p6p/8/P6k/1PK5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Passed pawns races --- One of the most intriguing endgame situations is when
both sides have a passed pawn ready to "run". Such pawn races sometimes
end up in a queen ending, but the result can also be determined earlier if one
side manages to: a) promote with check; b) promote and control the opponent's
queening square; or c) achieve a queen exchange (or a skewer winning the queen)
after the dual promotion. Obviously, a lot of calculation is required. Let's
see some examples of this topic. --- Here is a simple case. White wins by
queening with check. ---} 1. b4 axb4 2. a4 $1 {So that the pawn queens on a8.}
({After} 2. axb4 $2 h4 3. b5 Kg2 {, it is a draw.}) 2... b3+ 3. Kb1 $1 ({But
not} 3. Kxb3 $2 Kg2 4. a5 h4 5. a6 h3 6. a7 h2 7. a8=Q+ Kg1 {with a draw.})
3... Kg2 ({Or} 3... Kg3 4. a5 h4 5. a6 h3 6. a7 h2 7. a8=Q {and White's new
queen controls the opponent's queening square.}) 4. a5 h4 5. a6 h3 6. a7 h2 7.
a8=Q+ ({White wins due to the b-pawn remaining on the board; i.e.} 7. a8=Q+ Kg1
8. Qg8+ Kf2 9. Qf7+ Kg1 10. Qg6+ Kf2 11. Qf5+ Kg1 12. Qg4+ Kf2 13. Qh3 Kg1 14.
Qg3+ Kh1 15. Qf2 b2 16. Qf1# {.}) *

[Event "Las Palmas (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Uhlmann, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p2n3p/P1B1k3/1P2p3/6K1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{After some careful calculation, Larsen decided to enter the pawn ending. ---} 
1. Bxd6+ $1 Kxd6 2. Kf4 Kd5 3. b5 $1 ({Not} 3. Kf5 $2 h5 $1 4. Kg5 Kc4 {and
Black escapes.}) 3... axb5 4. a6 Kc6 5. Kxe4 {It is the f-pawn's turn to run.}
(5. a7 $2 Kb7 6. Kxe4 Kxa7 7. f4 Kb6 {should obviously be avoided.}) 5... b4 ({
Similar play arises after} 5... Kb6 6. f4) ({or} 5... h5 6. f4 {.}) 6. f4 {.
Here Black resigned; let's see a possible conclusion of the game:} b3 7. Kd3 b2
8. Kc2 h5 9. f5 h4 10. f6 h3 11. a7 Kb7 12. f7 h2 13. a8=Q+ $1 {The point -
White gains a tempo by promoting with check.} ({In contrast,} 13. f8=Q $2 {
would let Black save himself by the same trick:} b1=Q+ $1 14. Kxb1 h1=Q+ {.})
13... Kxa8 14. f8=Q+ {. White wins.} 1-0

[Event "Mar del Plata"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Letelier Martner, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p7/Pppk1K2/6P1/1P6/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1959.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is in some trouble since his king would be checked once the g-pawn
queens. Letelier found the only defence. ---} 1... Kd4 $1 ({The natural} 1...
c4 $2 {loses after} 2. bxc4+ bxc4 ({or} 2... Kxc4 3. g5 {and White queens with
check}) 3. g5 c3 4. g6 c2 5. g7 c1=Q 6. g8=Q+ Kd4 ({or} 6... Kd6 7. Qd8+ {and
8 Qc8+}) 7. Qd8+ $1 Kc3 ({the desired} 7... Ke3 {fails to} 8. Qg5+) 8. Qc7+ Kb2
9. Qxc1+ Kxc1 10. Ke4 $1 Kd2 11. Kd4 {(obstruction)} Ke2 12. Kc5 {.}) ({As for
} 1... b4 $2 2. g5 c4 {, White wins by} 3. g6 $1 {.}) 2. g5 c4 3. bxc4 b4 $1 {
So that the pawn queens with check.} (3... bxc4 $2 4. g6 c3 5. g7 c2 6. g8=Q
c1=Q 7. Qd8+ $1 {returns to 1...c4? above.}) 4. g6 ({In the game Fischer erred
incredibly with} 4. c5 $4 {and had to resign after} b3 5. c6 b2 6. c7 b1=Q+ 7.
Ke6 Qb7 8. Kd7 Kd5 9. g6 Qc6+ 10. Kd8 Qd6+ {.}) 4... b3 5. g7 b2 6. g8=Q b1=Q+
{. Black saves a draw.} *

[Event "America vs. Europe, Mar del Plata"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quinteros, M."]
[Black "Andersson, U."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4Pk2/2p2P1K/pp6/P7/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this tense pawn ending Black has just advanced ...b5-b4, and White must
now play his cards right. ---} 1. axb4 $2 {This capture yields Black an extra
tempo in the pawn race.} ({Correct was} 1. Kh6 $1 c4 2. e7 Kxe7 3. Kg7 c3 4.
bxc3 bxc3 5. f6+ Ke6 6. f7 c2 7. f8=Q c1=Q {with a draw - Andersson.}) 1...
cxb4 2. Kh6 a3 3. e7 Kxe7 4. Kg7 ({Unfortunately for White, after} 4. bxa3 bxa3
5. Kg7 a2 {, Black queens with check.}) 4... axb2 5. f6+ Kd7 6. f7 b1=Q 7. f8=Q
{White had probably pinned his hopes on defending this queen ending a pawn
down; however...} Qg1+ $1 ({After} 7... Qg1+ 8. Kh6 ({and} 8. Kh7 Qh2+ 9. Kg7
Qg3+ 10. Kh7 Qh4+ 11. Kg6 Qe4+ 12. Kh6 Qe6+ {leads to the same thing}) 8...
Qe3+ $1 {Black manages a queen exchange either on e8 or e7, so White resigned.}
) 0-1

[Event "European Team Championship, Oberhausen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1961.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marsalek, J."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pp1/4p2p/1K6/p4P1P/P2P2k1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1961.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has an extra tempo in this pawn race, but how to take advantage of it?
---} 1... Kxf4 $1 ({After} 1... Kxh4 $2 2. Kxa4 {, followed by 3 b4, White
queens as well.}) 2. Kxa4 g5 3. hxg5 hxg5 $1 {The pawn should queen on g1.
Here White resigned; let's see why:} 4. b4 g4 5. b5 Ke5 $1 {By approaching the
b-pawn with his king, Black aims at forcing the white king to a7, so that the
g-pawn queens with check.} 6. b6 Kd6 7. Kb5 g3 8. Ka6 g2 9. b7 Kc7 $1 10. Ka7
g1=Q+ {. Black wins - Smyslov.} 0-1

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Asqui, J."]
[Black "Paredes, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/1p6/1k6/4K2P/5P2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a game between two of my students, in which White could have
triumphed in the pawn race by precise play. ---} 1. Kd5 $1 {Obstruction.} ({In
contrast, the game saw both players err:} 1. f4 $2 Kc5 $2 ({a draw was
achieved by} 1... Kc6 $1 2. Ke5 Kd7 {or 2...b5}) 2. Ke5 Kc6 ({after} 2... b5 3.
f5 b4 4. f6 {, White queens with check}) 3. Ke6 $1 b5 ({or} 3... Kc7 4. f5 Kd8
5. Kf7 $1 {and White again queens with check}) 4. f5 b4 5. f6 b3 6. f7 b2 7.
f8=Q b1=Q 8. Qc8+ {and Black resigned.}) 1... Ka4 2. f4 b5 3. f5 b4 4. Kc4 $1 (
{But not} 4. f6 $2 b3 5. f7 b2 6. f8=Q b1=Q 7. Qa8+ Kb3 8. Qb7+ Ka2 9. Qxb1+
Kxb1 10. Ke6 Kc2 {and the black king reaches the f-file in the end.}) 4... b3
5. Kc3 $1 {Luring the black king to the "mined" a3-square, in similar fashion
to Smyslov's play in the previous example.} Ka3 6. f6 b2 7. f7 b1=Q 8. f8=Q+
Ka4 ({Or} 8... Ka2 9. Qa8# {.}) 9. Qa8+ Kb5 10. Qb8+ {. White wins.} *

[Event "Jurmala (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/p1k5/1p6/1P4P1/8/5K1P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this critical position Black should carefully evaluate the option of 1...
Kb6 and 2...a5, entering a pawn race. ---} 1... Kb6 $1 {Accepting the
challenge.} ({In contrast, the game saw} 1... Kd5 $2 2. h4 Ke4 3. Kg3 $1 Ke5 4.
Kf3 Kd4 5. g5 Ke5 6. Kg4 a5 7. bxa5 b4 ({or} 7... Kd6 8. a6 Kc7 9. a7 Kb7 10.
h5 b4 11. g6 hxg6 12. hxg6 b3 13. g7 b2 14. a8=Q+ $1 {, a theme familiar to us
from Example 137, Larsen-Uhlmann}) 8. a6 b3 9. a7 b2 10. a8=Q b1=Q 11. Qe8+ $1
Kd6 12. Qf8+ Kc7 13. Qe7+ Kc6 14. Qe6+ Kc7 15. Kh5 $1 {and White won.}) 2. Ke3
({More demanding than} 2. g5 a5 3. bxa5+ Kxa5 4. h4 b4 {with a draw.}) 2... a5
3. bxa5+ Kxa5 4. g5 ({After} 4. Kd3 Ka4 5. Kc2 Ka3 6. Kb1 Kb3 $1 ({or} 6... Kb4
$1) 7. h4 Kc4 {, the king catches the enemy pawns.}) 4... Ka4 $1 {King first.}
({The straightforward} 4... b4 $2 {failed to} 5. Kd3 Ka4 6. Kc2 Ka3 7. Kb1) ({
while} 4... Kb6 $2 {also loses to} 5. h4 Kc5 6. h5 Kd5 7. g6 hxg6 8. h6 {-
Müller.}) 5. h4 ({Or} 5. Kd2 Ka3 6. Kc2 Ka2 $1 7. Kc3 Ka3 {, repeating moves.})
5... b4 6. h5 b3 7. Kd2 Ka3 $1 8. g6 hxg6 9. hxg6 b2 10. g7 b1=Q 11. g8=Q {.
Draw.} *

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mas, H."]
[Black "Valdes, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2p5/8/1P2k1p1/p1K3P1/P1P5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The scene is set for a pawn race: Black will take the g3-pawn, and White
should create his own passed pawn on the queenside. But where to put the king?
---} 1. Kd2 $1 {Towards the g-pawn, in order to interfere with Black's race.} (
{After} 1. Kb3 $2 Kf3 2. c4 Kxg3 3. b5 cxb5 4. cxb5 Kf3 5. b6 g3 6. b7 g2 7.
b8=Q g1=Q {, Black should make a draw.}) 1... Kf3 2. c4 Kxg3 3. b5 cxb5 4. cxb5
Kf2 {Stepping into a skewer;} ({but the other squares had their defects as
well:} 4... Kh2 {permits} 5. b6 g3 6. b7 g2 7. b8=Q+ {, queening with check}) (
4... Kh3 {leads to a skewer on the g-file after} 5. b6 g3 6. b7 g2 7. b8=Q g1=Q
8. Qh8+ $1) ({while} 4... Kf3 {fails to} 5. Ke1 $1 g3 6. Kf1 {, which is why
only 1 Kd2! works.}) 5. b6 g3 6. b7 g2 7. b8=Q g1=Q 8. Qb6+ Kg2 9. Qxg1+ Kxg1
10. Kc3 {White wins by one tempo.} Kf2 11. Kb3 Ke3 12. Kxa3 Ke4 13. Kb4 Ke5 14.
Kc5 1-0

[Event "Nuremberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ftacnik, L."]
[Black "Bluvshtein, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pp/p2Kpk2/1p5P/1P3PP1/P7/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With his active king White is obviously better, but how to make progress?
Ftacnik concluded that winning on a single flank is impossible and, after some
calculation, opted for a pawn race. ---} 1. Kc5 $1 e5 2. g5+ ({Simpler was} 2.
fxe5+ Kxe5 3. Kb6 Kf4 4. Kxa6 Kxg4 5. Kxb5 Kxh5 6. Kc4 $1 {(we are already
familiar with this method from the previous examples)} ({in contrast} 6. a4 $2
{would just draw after} g5) 6... g5 7. b5 g4 8. Kd3 Kh4 9. b6 g3 10. Ke2 Kh3
11. b7 g2 12. Kf2 $1 {and wins - as in fact occurred in P.Wells-D.Rogozenco,
Odorheiu Secuiesc 1993 (with White beginning 1 Kc6! and Black resigning after
11 b7).}) 2... Kf5 3. fxe5 Kxe5 4. Kb6 Kf5 5. h6 {In order to delay Black's
race. This must have been White's idea when playing 2 g5+.} ({However,} 5. Kxa6
{was much simpler; i.e.} Kxg5 6. Kxb5 Kxh5 7. Kc4 $1 {and we are back in the
previous note.}) 5... g6 6. Kxa6 Kxg5 7. Kxb5 Kh5 (7... Kh4 {was more
tenacious, when White would have to use his queen very precisely:} 8. Kc4 g5 9.
b5 g4 10. b6 g3 11. b7 g2 12. b8=Q g1=Q 13. Qf4+ $1 Kh3 ({after} 13... Kh5 14.
Qe5+ $1 Kxh6 15. Qf6+ Kh5 16. Qf7+ Kh6 17. Qf8+ $1 Kh5 18. Qc5+ {, the a-pawn
queens, controlling the h1-square}) 14. Qf5+ Kh4 15. Qf6+ Kh3 ({or} 15... Kh5
16. Qe5+ $1 {, transposing to 13...Kh5 etc}) 16. Qc3+ $1 Kh2 17. Qe5+ {and the
exchange of queens proves inevitable.}) 8. Kc4 g5 9. Kd3 Kh4 10. b5 g4 11. b6
g3 12. b7 {Ftacnik has seen that he can force the queen exchange after the
dual promotion.} ({Of course} 12. Ke3 Kh3 13. b7 g2 14. Kf2 $1 {was also
possible.}) 12... g2 13. b8=Q g1=Q 14. Qf4+ Kh5 ({Or} 14... Kh3 15. Qe3+ {.})
15. Qe5+ $1 ({In view of} 15. Qe5+ Kxh6 16. Qe3+ $1 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Manila Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vaganian, R."]
[Black "Lautier, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/2bp1q2/2p2p2/2P2P2/1NQP4/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Relying on an extra pawn Lautier takes the opportunity to transpose to a pawn
ending, perhaps already at this point anticipating a future race of passed
pawns. ---} 1... Ba4 $1 2. d4 {The best try.} ({After} 2. Qa5 Qa1 $1) ({or} 2.
Kd2 Qxc3+ 3. Kxc3 Bxb3 4. Kxb3 Kg6 5. Ka4 Kh5 6. Kb5 Kg4 7. Kc6 Kxf4 8. Kxd6
Ke3 {, followed by 9...f4, Black wins with less effort - Lautier.}) 2... Qxd4
3. Qxd4+ cxd4 4. Kb2 Bxb3 $1 {Setting the scene for a pawn race.} ({Less
convincing is} 4... d3 $6 5. Nd2 Bc6 ({or} 5... Kg6 6. Kc3 Bc2 7. Nf1 {,
heading for e3}) 6. Kc3 Be4 7. Nf1 $1 Kg6 8. Ng3 {with a barrier.}) 5. Kxb3 {
This position has been used as a blindfold exercise in my classes, with Black
to play and win. If you are up for a little challenge, try it out - it is
about one, long line without any subvariations until the very end.} Kg6 6. Kc2
Kh5 7. Kd3 Kg4 8. Kxd4 Kxf4 9. Kd5 Ke3 $1 {As often occurs in pawn races, the
king move releasing the pawn's advance is the key to success.} ({Both} 9... Kg4
$2 10. Kxd6 f4 11. c5 f3 12. c6 f2 13. c7 f1=Q 14. c8=Q+) ({and} 9... Kg3 $2
10. Kxd6 f4 11. c5 f3 12. c6 f2 13. c7 f1=Q 14. c8=Q Qf6+ 15. Kd5 $1 {would
fail the test}) ({but} 9... Kg5 $5 {, with a check on f6 at the end, also
works.}) 10. Kxd6 f4 11. c5 f3 12. c6 f2 13. c7 f1=Q 14. c8=Q Qf6+ $1 {The
final detail.} ({The exchange of queens is inevitable, e.g.} 14... Qf6+ 15. Kd5
Qd4+ 16. Kc6 Qc4+ {, so White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. Rook Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {The three angles -- Intermediate checks -- Bridges -- Cutting the king
off -- The rook behind the passed pawn -- Rook defends pawns -- Files and
ranks -- Exploiting the rook's mobility} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 146"]
[Black "Philidor, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/7R/r2P4/4K3/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The three angles --- When discussing the role of the rook in the endgame, it
makes sense to remember three typical ways this piece works: rear attacks,
side attacks and frontal attacks. The ability to switch the rook's angle
according to the needs of the position, both when fighting for win or a draw,
is imperative for any player aiming at success in the endgame. --- Let's start
with something very simple. Black's task is to prevent 2 Ke6, creating the
threat of 3 Rh8. The only solution is a rear attack with the rook on White's
king. ---} 1... Ra1 $1 {Equally possible is 1...Ra2, 1...Ra3 or even 1...Ra4,
but usually in the endgame, the further we can place our rook from the enemy
forces, the better. The edges of the board (a- and h-files, 1st and 8th ranks)
tend to be the rook's preferred working areas.} 2. Ke6 Re1+ 3. Kd5 Rd1+ {Since
White isn't actually threatening anything, most other moves do as well;} ({
however, leaving the rear angle with} 3... Re8 $2 {would lead to defeat after}
4. Kc6 Rg8 5. Ra7 $1 {. Such a passive defence, with king and rook on the back
rank, only works against rook's pawns and knight's pawns.}) 4. Kc6 Rc1+ {.
White can't make progress: draw.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 147"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r2k3/R7/8/4PK2/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Bearing the previous example in mind, it is not difficult to spot Black's
best defence here. ---} 1... Rb6 $1 {Preventing the advance of the enemy king.}
2. e6 {The only way to try and progress;} ({e.g.} 2. Rg7 Ra6 3. Rg6 {is
useless due to} Rxg6 4. Kxg6 Ke7 {.}) 2... Rb1 $1 {The same procedure as
before - once 3 Kf6 is a threat, the rook prepares a rear attack. This
two-step method, waiting on the sixth rank until the pawn advances and then
launching a rear attack with the rook, was discovered by Philidor. His method
keeps great importance in practice, as we will see in a few later examples in
this section.} 3. Kf6 Rf1+ 4. Ke5 Re1+ 5. Kd6 Rd1+ {. Draw.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 148"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2R5/8/8/8/3k4/2p5/4K3/6r1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a slightly different case. White hasn't managed to maintain an ideal
position with his king in front of the enemy pawn; on the other hand his rook
is well placed on the c-file, controlling the black pawn from the rear. How to
continue? ---} 1. Rc7 $1 {A waiting move which, if possible, tends to be an
excellent choice when the opponent has no real threats.} ({In contrast, the
"active"} 1. Rd8+ $2 {fails to} Kc4 2. Rc8+ ({or} 2. Rb8 c2 3. Rc8+ Kb3 {with
similar play}) 2... Kb3 3. Rb8+ Kc2 {and Black has drastically improved his
king. Then he wins by pushing the pawn to c2 and building a bridge; e.g.} 4.
Rc8 Kb2 5. Rb8+ Kc1 6. Rc8 c2 7. Rb8 Rg7 $1 {(a switch of angle)} 8. Ke1 Re7+
9. Kf2 Re5 $1 10. Rb7 Kd2 11. Rd7+ Kc3 12. Rc7+ Kd3 13. Rd7+ Kc4 14. Rc7+ Rc5 {
, a method discovered by Lucena.}) 1... Rg2+ 2. Kd1 Rg1+ 3. Ke2 {Black can't
make progress: draw.} ({Of course} 3. Kc2 {is fine as well.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 149"]
[Black "Philidor, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r2k3/R7/8/4PK2/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see what happens if the weaker side omits the first step in
Philidor's defence. ---} 1... Rb1 ({As we already know,} 1... Rb6 {is the
optimum choice here.}) 2. Kf6 $1 ({Obviously,} 2. Ke6 Rb6+ {is useless for
White}) ({as is} 2. e6 Rf1+ {.}) 2... Re1 $1 {Tying the white king to the pawn.
} ({In the previous example we saw the successful usage of waiting moves. Here
such an idea is clearly mistaken: after} 2... Rb2 $2 3. Ra8+ Kd7 4. e6+ Kd6 5.
Rd8+ Kc7 6. e7 {, White wins}) ({and} 2... Rb6+ $2 3. e6 {is equally bad.}) (
2... Rf1+ $2 {also loses:} 3. Ke6 Kf8 ({or} 3... Kd8 4. Ra8+ Kc7 5. Ke7 {,
followed by e5-e6, and the black rook lacks the space for a successful side
attack from the h-file}) 4. Ra8+ Kg7 5. Kd7 Rd1+ ({the threat was 6 e6, and} 
5... Rf7+ 6. Kd6 {makes no difference}) 6. Ke7 Rb1 7. e6 {and White wins,
thanks to his rook controlling the edge (the a-file); e.g.} Rb7+ 8. Kd6 Rb6+ 9.
Kd7 Rb7+ 10. Kc6 Re7 11. Kd6 {.}) 3. Ke6 ({Or} 3. e6 Rf1+ {, in Philidor style.
}) 3... Kf8 $1 {To the short side of the pawn, so that the rook will have more
space for a future side attack.} ({Actually} 3... Kd8 {also draws after} 4.
Ra8+ Kc7 5. Re8 Rh1 6. Kf7 Rh7+ 7. Kg6 Kd7 $1 {, an idea discovered by Lasker;
but I wouldn't recommend it since it doesn't work against c- or f-pawns.}) 4.
Ra8+ Kg7 5. Re8 ({Or} 5. Kd6 Kf7 $1 {, preventing e5-e6. The text creates the
threat of 6 Kd7, so Black needs to find a good defence.}) 5... Ra1 $1 {A key
move, preparing a side attack now that the white rook left the edge.} 6. Kd7 ({
After} 6. Rd8 Re1 $1 7. Kd6 Kf7 {, White hasn't gotten anywhere.}) 6... Ra7+ 7.
Kd6 Ra6+ {. Draw. This kind of defensive set-up, with the king on the short
side and the rook on the long side of the pawn, is referred to as "the defence
of the long side" in this book.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 150"]
[Black "Levenfish, Smyslov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3R4/4K1k1/4P3/8/8/8/8/r7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{If the pawn already managed to reach the sixth rank, then the defence becomes
more tricky. ---} 1... Ra7+ {Initiating a side attack.} ({The analogous} 1...
Re1 $2 {from the previous example no longer works due to} 2. Kd7 Rd1+ ({or} 
2... Kf6 3. Rf8+) 3. Ke8 {and the pawn reaches the seventh rank, which means a
win by means of Lucena's bridge, as we saw in Example 148 above.}) 2. Rd7 (2.
Ke8 $2 {runs into} Kf6 3. Rd6 Re7+) ({while after} 2. Kd6 Ra6+ ({not} 2... Kf6
$2 3. Rf8+ Kg7 4. e7) 3. Ke5 Ra5+ 4. Rd5 Ra8 $1 {, White can't make progress;
e. g.} 5. Rb5 Kg6 6. Rb7 ({or} 6. Kd6 Kf6 {, followed by side checks}) 6... Ra1
7. Kd6 Ra6+ 8. Kd7 (8. Ke7 Ra8 {is similar to 3 Rc7 Kg6! in the main line})
8... Ra8 9. e7 Kf7 {with a draw.}) 2... Ra8 $1 {The easiest choice, denying
White of the back rank;} ({though a king raid by} 2... Ra1 3. Ke8+ Kf6 4. e7
Ke6 $1 5. Kf8 Rf1+ $1 6. Ke8 Ra1 {is possible as well.}) 3. Rd6 $1 {An astute
try.} ({After} 3. Kd6+ Kf8 ({or} 3... Kf6 4. Rf7+ Kg6 5. Rf1 Ra6+ $1 {,
followed by more side checks}) 4. e7+ Ke8 5. Ke6 Ra6+ 6. Rd6 Ra8 {, Black
holds more comfortably}) ({while} 3. Rc7 {is well met by the waiting move} Kg6
$1 {as in the main line.}) ({In contrast,} 3. Rc7 Rb8 $2 {permits} 4. Ra7 $1 {
and the black rook becomes short of space; e.g.} Kg6 ({or} 4... Rb1 5. Ra8 Rb7+
6. Kd6 Rb6+ 7. Kd7 Rb7+ 8. Kc6 Re7 9. Kd6 {etc}) 5. Ra1 $1 {(a switch of angle
with the aim of dislodging the enemy king from the g-file, thus liberating
squares for his own king)} Rb7+ 6. Kd6 Rb6+ 7. Kd7 Rb7+ 8. Kd8 Kf6 ({or} 8...
Rb8+ 9. Kc7 Rb2 10. Re1 $1 {and the pawn reaches e7, after which the bridge
decides}) 9. e7 Rb8+ 10. Kc7 Re8 11. Kd6 $1 Rb8 12. Rf1+ Kg7 13. Kc7 Ra8 14.
Ra1 $1 Re8 15. Kd7 {and wins. This variation shows the importance of
controlling the edge with the rook, in this case the a-file.}) 3... Kg6 $1 {
Just as after 3 Rc7 Black should try to maintain the current defensive set-up.}
({In contrast,} 3... Ra7+ $2 {fails to} 4. Ke8 $1 {, intending} Kf6 5. e7+ {
with check. This is the point behind 3 Rd6, and no less than Magnus Carlsen
actually fell victim of such a trap once, against Aronian in Moscow 2006.}) 4.
Rc6 ({As we saw earlier,} 4. Kd7 Kf6 5. e7+ Kf7 {is useless for White.}) 4...
Kg7 $1 {. White can't make progress: draw. --- The defence of the long side is
quite relevant in practice since, for various reasons, Philidor's defence
might not be available. For example, in the aforementioned Aronian-Carlsen
game, the rook and pawn vs. rook ending emerged with the black rook already
placed on f1, unable to reach the sixth rank.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 151"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/Rp2P3/3K1k2/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see a few examples featuring a frontal attack. --- In this very
simple example, White wins if he exploits the mobility of the rook.} 1. Ra1 $1
{Switching to a frontal attack.} ({In contrast, the greedy} 1. Rxb7 $2 {just
draws after} Kf7 2. Ra7 Rb8 $1 {.}) 1... Rxe7 (1... Kf7 {is met by} 2. Rf1+ Kg7
3. Kd7 {.}) 2. Rf1+ {. A decisive piece of deflection. --- Incidentally, White
also wins without the b7-pawn on the board: 1 Ra1! Rb8 (as after 3 Rc7 Rb8? in
the previous example, the black rook runs out of space here) 2 Rf1+ Kg7 3 Kc7!
Ra8 4 Ra1! etc.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 152"]
[Black "Levenfish, Smyslov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/8/4k3/8/2P5/2K5/8/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A frequent situation for a frontal attack is when the defender's king has
been cut off from the pawn's file, as in the next three examples. --- A
typical plan for the attacker in such positions is the following: 1) transfer
the king to a square located at two squares' distance diagonally from the pawn
(here: a6 or e6); 2) once the pawn is attacked, protect the pawn with the rook;
3) advance the pawn, assisted by the king. If the defender can't interfere
with this plan at some moment, he is bound for defeat. ---} 1. Kb4 Rb8+ $1 2.
Ka5 Rc8 $1 {Keeping up the frontal attack. Black's main priority is to prevent
the advance of the pawn;} (2... Ra8+ $2 {would be wrong in view of} 3. Kb6 Rb8+
4. Kc7 {and the pawn is ready to move forward.}) 3. Kb5 Rb8+ 4. Ka6 {The first
step of the plan has been achieved.} Rc8 (4... Ra8+ $2 {again loses after} 5.
Kb7 Ra5 6. Kb6 {and 7 c5.}) 5. Rd4 {The second step.} ({Less critical is} 5.
Rc1 Kd6 {and the black king approaches the pawn; e.g.} 6. Kb7 Rc7+ 7. Kb6 Rc6+
8. Kb5 Kc7 {with a draw in Philidor style.}) 5... Ke5 $1 {The only defence
against the threat of 6 Kb7.} 6. Rd5+ ({If} 6. Rh4 {, then} Kd6 $1 {again
secures the draw; e.g.} 7. Kb7 Rc7+ 8. Kb6 Rc6+ 9. Kb5 Rc5+ 10. Kb4 Rg5 {.})
6... Ke6 7. Kb5 {White tries a new plan.} Rb8+ 8. Ka4 Rc8 9. Kb4 Rb8+ 10. Rb5
Rh8 11. Rb7 {To cut off the black king from the seventh rank. However, White's
own king is too remotely placed for this idea to be successful.} Kd6 12. Kb5
Rh5+ 13. Kb6 Rc5 ({Now the only way to save the pawn is} 13... Rc5 14. Rd7+
Kxd7 15. Kxc5 {, but then follows} Kc7 {with a draw.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 153"]
[Black "Levenfish, Smyslov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/8/4k3/8/2P5/2K5/8/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's try something else for White from the same position: ---} 1. c5 {In
order to avoid the frontal checks, White pushes the pawn at once.} ({Now it
transpires that after} 1. c5 Rc8 $2 2. Kc4 {, followed by 3 Kb5 (or 3 c6, if
Black plays 2...Rb8), the advance of the white pawn and king can't be
prevented. Fortunately for Black, there is another defensive method available.}
) 1... Ke7 $1 2. Kc4 Rd8 $1 {Thus Black creates a bridge for his king towards
the queenside,} ({aware that the pawn ending arising after} 2... Rd8 3. Rxd8
Kxd8 4. Kb5 Kc7 {is drawn.}) 3. Rh1 Kd7 4. Rh7+ Kc6 5. Rh6+ Kc7 {Black draws;}
({e.g.} 5... Kc7 6. Kb5 Rb8+ {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 154"]
[Black "Levenfish, Smyslov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/4k3/8/8/2P5/2K5/8/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{However, if we arrange the same position with the black king on e7 instead of
e6, the outcome is different: ---} 1. Kb4 $1 ({Incidentally, with Black to
move the starting position is a draw:} 1. -- Rd8 $1 2. Rxd8 ({or} 2. Rh1 Kd6 {
and the king reaches the c-file}) 2... Kxd8 3. Kb4 ({or} 3. Kd4) 3... Kc8 $1 {
, taking the opposition next move if White approaches with his king.}) 1...
Rb8+ ({This time a bridge with} 1... Rd8 {no longer works, due to} 2. Rxd8 Kxd8
3. Kb5 {and White wins.}) 2. Ka5 Rc8 3. Kb5 Rb8+ 4. Ka6 Rc8 5. Rd4 {White has
achieved the two initial steps of the plan outlined in Example 152.} Ke6 ({
There is nothing better; e.g.} 5... Rb8 6. c5 {.}) 6. Kb7 $1 Rc5 ({Black has
no time for} 6... Ke5 {, due to} 7. Rd5+ {.}) 7. Kb6 Rc8 8. c5 {. White wins
by Lucena's bridge in the end.} *

[Event "Polish Women's Championship, Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rajlich, I."]
[Black "Szczepkowska, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/1R6/4K3/4P1p1/rp6/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now it is time to see some of these ideas in practice, starting with the rear
attacks. --- In exchange for her pawn deficit White has much the more active
pieces, so Black should be careful. ---} 1... Ra6+ $1 {Initiating Philidor's
defence is the easiest way to a draw.} ({Another practical choice is} 1... b3 {
in order to meet} 2. Kf6 {with} Rf4+) ({or else} 1... Ra1 {with the same idea
of a rear check.}) ({In the game Black instead opted for the careless} 1... g4
$4 {and after} 2. Kf6 Ra8 3. Rxb4 g3 4. e6 g2 5. Rh4 $1 ({a decisive switch of
angle; in contrast} 5. Rg4 {permits the unexpected} Ra7 6. Rxg2 Rf7+ $1) 5...
g1=Q 6. Rh8+ Qg8 7. e7+ {, she had to resign.}) 2. Kf5 ({Or} 2. Kd7 Kf7 3. Rxb4
Ra7+ {with a side attack.}) 2... Rc6 3. e6 Rc1 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Russia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volkov, S."]
[Black "Rublevsky, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pk/7p/R7/7P/5P1K/2r3P1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here are two examples featuring rear attacks with more pawns on the board. ---
} 1... Rf2 $1 {In rook endings with one extra pawn on the same flank, a rear
attack tends to be an excellent idea for the defender.} 2. Rf5 Kg6 3. g4 Kh7 4.
Kg3 Rf1 $1 {The rook keeps its preferred angle.} 5. Ra5 Rg1+ 6. Kf4 Rh1 7. h5
Rh3 8. Ra3 Kg8 9. Ke5 Kh7 10. Ke4 Rg3 11. Rd3 Rg1 12. Rd2 ({Or} 12. Kf5 Rg3 {
and White doesn't make progress.}) 12... Rg3 13. Kf4 Rg1 14. Kf5 Rf1 15. f4 Rg1
16. Rd7 {Preparing g4-g5.} ({The immediate} 16. g5 {permits} hxg5 17. fxg5 g6+
$1 18. hxg6+ Kg7 {with a rapid draw; e.g.} 19. Rd7+ Kg8 20. g7 Ra1 $1 21. Kg6
Ra6+ 22. Kh5 Ra1 {etc.}) 16... Rf1 $1 {Next Black concentrates on preventing
or neutralizing the g4-g5 advance. By the way, in the game L.Stein-M.Tal,
Parnu 1971, Tal defended the same ending in very similar fashion.} 17. Ke4 Rg1
$1 18. Kf3 Rf1+ 19. Kg3 Rg1+ 20. Kh3 Rf1 21. f5 {This doesn't make much sense,
but White had no other way of progressing.} Kg8 ({Another option is} 21... Rf2
{; for example,} 22. Kg3 Rf1 23. Rd8 Re1 24. Kf4 Rf1+ 25. Ke4 Rg1 {.}) 22. Rd6
Kf7 23. Rg6 Rf3+ {The rook stays on the f-file so as to rule out f5-f6.} 24.
Kh2 Rf2+ 25. Kg3 1/2-1/2

[Event "European Championship, Ohrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Acs, P."]
[Black "Zvjaginsev, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5R2/4p3/4P3/6pk/4r3/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{At first sight, White seems to be in big trouble since the e5-pawn can't be
saved. However, a rear attack comes to his avail. ---} 1. Rh7+ Kg5 2. Rg7+ Kf4
3. Rf7+ Kxe5 4. Rg7 {In order to tie Black's pieces to the defence of his
pawns.} Kf5 5. Rg8 $1 {To the edge, increasing the rook's range. It is worth
noticing that if the black g-pawn was still on g5, then the king could have
hidden on g4 at this point.} e5 6. Rf8+ Ke4 7. Rg8 g3 ({Or} 7... Re2+ 8. Kg3 $1
{.} ({But not} 8. Kf1 $2 Ra2 {, when} 9. Rxg4+ {fails to} Kf3 {. Generally
speaking in the endgame, avoid leaving your king cut off on the first (or
eighth) rank.})) 8. Rd8 $1 {Obviously, the g3-pawn was untouchable. Now it
transpires that Black can't make progress easily without losing that pawn.} Ra3
9. Re8 Kd5 10. Rd8+ Ke4 11. Re8 Re3 12. Rd8 Kf5 13. Rf8+ Ke6 14. Re8+ Kd7 15.
Rg8 Kd6 ({Or} 15... e4 16. Rxg3 {with a draw. Note that in the following, Acs
doesn't let his opponent play ...e5-e4, after which the transfer of the black
king to e3 would become dangerous for him.}) 16. Rd8+ Kc5 17. Rc8+ Kd4 18. Rd8+
Ke4 19. Ra8 {Some waiting tactics until the black king defines his next step.}
Rd3 20. Ra7 Kf5 21. Rf7+ $1 ({Passive defence with} 21. Ra8 $2 {permits} e4 $1
22. Rf8+ Ke5 23. Re8+ Kf4 24. Rf8+ Ke3 25. Kxg3 Ra3 $1 {, seizing the edge,
which means that the defence of the long side won't work properly.}) 21... Ke6
22. Ra7 Kd5 ({Now if} 22... e4 {, White was ready with the reply} 23. Ra5 $1 {
, cutting off the king from the fifth rank, when neither} Rd5 ({nor} 23... e3
24. Kxg3) 24. Ra6+ {leads anywhere for Black.}) 23. Rd7+ Kc4 24. Re7 Kd4 25.
Rd7+ Ke3 26. Ra7 $1 Kf4 ({On} 26... e4 27. Kxg3 {the point of White's previous
move becomes clear: his rook now controls the edge, and after} Ke2+ 28. Kg2 e3
29. Ra1 $1 Rd2 30. Kg3 {, the defence of the long side secures a draw.}) 27.
Rf7+ Kg4 28. Rg7+ Kf5 29. Rf7+ Ke6 30. Ra7 Rc3 31. Ra8 Kd5 32. Rd8+ Kc4 33. Re8
Kd4 34. Rd8+ Ke3 35. Ra8 $1 {Again to the edge;} ({so that} 35. Ra8 e4 {can be
met by} 36. Kxg3 Kd2+ 37. Kg2 {.}) 35... Kd2 36. Re8 Re3 37. Ra8 e4 38. Re8 $1
{Restricting the enemy rook.} Kd3 39. Rd8+ Kc4 40. Re8 Kd5 41. Rd8+ Ke6 42.
Re8+ Kd6 43. Rd8+ Ke7 44. Rg8 Kd6 45. Rxg3 Rxg3+ 46. Kxg3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Zagreb"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sax, G."]
[Black "Tseshkovsky, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4KPk1/8/8/6R1/8/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's examine some cases featuring side attacks. --- Black's position
seems difficult, and Tseshkovsky actually resigned at this very moment.
However, he could have saved himself by a side attack. ---} 1... Kh7 $1 {The
king must control g8.} ({After} 1... Kh6 $2 2. f7 Rc8 3. Rg8 {, White wins.})
2. f7 Rc8 $1 {Initiating a side attack.} 3. Kd7 ({Or} 3. Ke7 Rc7+ 4. Ke8 Rc8+ {
and White can't make progress.}) 3... Ra8 $1 {To the edge!} ({It transpires
that White can't do anything against the side checks; e.g.} 3... Ra8 4. Ra3 $5
Rb8 5. Ke7 Rb7+ {with a draw.}) *

[Event "USSR"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Matsukevich, A."]
[Black "Lein, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/1Rp5/8/1K1k4/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we saw in the previous example, a bishop's pawn is less threatening to the
defender than a central pawn since his rook will have one more file to work on.
Even so, White should proceed with some care as the black pawn is about to
reach the second rank. ---} 1. Ka2 $1 {Such retreats from a check in advance
are rather frequent in earlier stages of the battle (I covered the subject in
the Prophylaxis chapter of 'Mastering Chess Strategy'), and they occasionally
appear in the endgame as well.} ({In contrast, the game saw} 1. Rb8 $2 c3+ 2.
Ka2 Rd1 $1 {(creating a haven for the king on c1)} ({perhaps Matsukevich only
counted on} 2... c2 $2 3. Rd8+ {with a successful rear attack}) 3. Rd8+ ({or} 
3. Rh8 c2 {and the pawn queens}) 3... Kc1 4. Rh8 c2 5. Rh2 Rd8 {and White
resigned, in view of} 6. Rh1+ ({or} 6. Kb3 Kb1 7. Rxc2 Rb8+) 6... Kd2 7. Rh2+
Kc3 8. Rh3+ Rd3 {.}) 1... c3 2. Rh4 {Thanks to his prophylactic first move
White gained greater flexibility on his next, and is now ready for a side
attack.} Re1 ({Or} 2... c2 3. Rh2+ {and the black king has nowhere to hide.})
3. Rh2+ Re2 4. Rh1 $1 ({Black can't make progress; e.g.} 4. Rh1 c2 5. Kb2 Re8
6. Rh2+ Kd1 7. Rh1+ {.}) *

[Event "Rijeka"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berke, A."]
[Black "Franciskovic, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1R6/8/8/5p2/6k1/r7/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White was never able to apply Philidor's defence, and so must now rely on the
defence of the long side. ---} 1. Rf7 $1 {A good angle for the rook,} ({
parrying Black's intended} 1. -- Ra1+ 2. Ke2 f3+ {.}) ({In the game White
defended against this threat with} 1. Rb1 $4 {, but after} f3 2. Rc1 Rh2 {she
had to resign. As we already know, such a passive defence only works against
knight's pawns and rook's pawns.}) ({However,} 1. Rg7+ Kf3 2. Kg1 $1 {(to the
short side) is also possible; e.g.} Ra1+ 3. Kh2 Ke3 4. Re7+ Kf2 5. Rb7 $1 f3 6.
Rb2+ {and the bishop's pawn yields White sufficient space for her side attack.}
) 1... Kf3 ({Obviously,} 1... f3 {is now useless due to} 2. Rg7+ {.}) 2. Kg1 $1
{To the short side.} ({Even players with an Elo rating above 2500 can fail in
basic endgames, as the following fragment shows:} 2. Ke1 $4 Ra1+ 3. Kd2 Rf1 $1
{(shepherding the pawn to the second rank)} 4. Rf8 Kg2 5. Rg8+ Kf2 6. Rg7 f3 7.
Rg8 Rg1 8. Rh8 Rg2 9. Rh1 Rg8 {and White resigned, in view of the inevitable ...Kg2 and ...f2 next, Ju Wenjun-T.Grabuzova, Moscow 2010.}) 2... Ra1+ 3. Kh2 Rf1
({After} 3... Ke3 4. Kg2 Ra2+ 5. Kf1 {, Black hasn't progressed - Baburin.}) 4.
Ra7 $1 {Initiating a side attack.} ({Black can't make progress; e.g.} 4. Ra7
Re1 ({or} 4... Ke2 5. Ra2+) 5. Rf7 Ke3 6. Kg2 {.}) *

[Event "World Team Championship, Mardin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pogonina, N."]
[Black "Soumya, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/R7/p4K2/5P2/8/8/6r1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case. The a6-pawn has little relevance for the result -
unless Black hangs on to it as in the game! ---} 1... Rf2 $1 {The same method
as in the previous example, tying the white king to the pawn.} ({In contrast,
the game saw} 1... Ra2 $2 2. Ra8+ Kh7 3. Kf7 a5 $4 ({materialism cost Black
half a point in this game; after} 3... Rb2 $1 4. Rxa6 Rb7+ 5. Ke6 Kg7 6. f6+
Kg6 {, it is a draw}) 4. f6 Rb2 5. Kf8 a4 6. f7 a3 7. Ke7 $1 ({of course not} 
7. Rxa3 $2 Rb8+) 7... Re2+ 8. Kd6 {and Black resigned.}) 2. Rxa6 Rf1 {A
waiting move.} 3. Ra8+ Kh7 4. Ke6 Kg7 5. Ra7+ Kf8 6. Kf6 Kg8 7. Ra8+ Kh7 8. Rf8
Ra1 $1 {In view of the threat Ke7 and f6-f7, the rook switches its angle.} 9.
Re8 Rf1 {. Black draws - Baburin.} *

[Event "Alushta"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khomyakov, V."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R7/8/5r2/4p3/5k1K/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex example. Due to his badly placed king, which should
have been at least on the g-file, White is in big trouble. ---} 1. Ra3+ $1 {
Initiating a side attack, and avoiding the mate on h5.} ({Instead, the game saw
} 1. Kh2 $2 Kxf2 2. Ra2+ Kf3 3. Kg1 {is a more tenacious try, although after} (
3. Ra3+ e3 4. Ra2 e2 {and White resigned.} (4... --)) 3... Rd5 $1 ({not} 3...
e3 $2 4. Kf1 $1 {, preparing the trick Rf2+}) 4. Rf2+ Ke3 5. Rf8 Ra5 $1 6. Kg2
Ra2+ 7. Kg3 Ra1 8. Kg2 ({or} 8. Rb8 Rg1+ 9. Kh2 Rg7 {- Hecht}) 8... Kd3 9. Rb8
e3 {, Black's control of the a-file leaves the white rook short of space for
the side attack.}) 1... Kxf2 2. Kg4 $1 {This is the key move: for the side
attack to work properly the black king must be deprived of the f3-square.} ({
In contrast,} 2. Ra2+ $2 Kf3 {loses similarly as in the game.}) 2... Rf8 ({Or} 
2... Rd5 3. Kf4 $1 {with a draw - Baburin, since} Rd3 {can be met by} 4. Ra2+ {
.}) 3. Ra2+ {Now the black king has nowhere to hide.} Ke3 4. Ra3+ Kd4 5. Ra4+
Kd3 6. Ra3+ Kc2 7. Re3 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moen, A."]
[Black "Ladva, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/k7/P1K1R3/2P5/8/8/8/1r6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The rook with f- and h-pawns vs. rook ending (here on the opposite flank) is
a theoretical draw, and Black defended well up to this point, avoiding his
king being cut off on the back rank. ---} 1... Rh1 $1 {A switch of angle that
enables a future side attack.} ({Also possible is} 1... Rc1 2. Kd6 Rh1 {in the
same spirit; e.g.} 3. c6 Kxa6 4. Kd7 Rh8 $1 {, when neither} 5. Re8 ({nor} 5.
c7+ Kb7) 5... Rh7+ 6. Re7 Rh8 {leads anywhere for White.}) ({In contrast, the
game went} 1... Kxa6 $2 2. Kd7+ Ka7 3. c6 {(now the pawn inevitably reaches
the seventh rank, securing the win)} Rd1+ 4. Rd6 Rc1 5. Rd2 Rh1 6. c7 Rh7+ 7.
Kc6 Rh6+ 8. Rd6 Rh8 9. Rd8 {and Black resigned.}) 2. Kd6 Rh8 {Black makes a
draw - Baburin;} ({e.g.} 2... Rh8 3. Kd7 Rh7+ 4. Re7 Rh8 5. c6 Kxa6 6. c7 Kb7 {
.}) *

[Event "New Jersey"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erenburg, S."]
[Black "Ju, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/2R3p1/8/6K1/2p2P2/6P1/7r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his more active pieces White is better, yet the draw isn't too
difficult to achieve. ---} 1... Ra2 $1 {Initiating a side attack, which will
be sufficient in the rook and two pawns vs. rook and pawn ending that now
emerges.} ({Another option is} 1... Rh1 2. Rxc4 Kf7 {with a waiting game; e.g.}
3. Rc7+ Kf8 4. g4 Rh2 5. f5 Rh1 6. Kg6 Rh6+ $1 {- Baburin}) ({and of course} 
1... Rh6 2. Rxc4 Ra6 {is possible too.}) ({Whereas in the game, Black became
too materialistic:} 1... Rc2 $4 2. Kg6 Kf8 3. Rxg7 c3 4. Rc7 Rc1 5. f5 {and
had to resign.}) 2. Rxc4 ({Obviously,} 2. Kg6 {no longer makes sense due to}
Ra6+ {.}) 2... Ra6 3. f5 Rb6 4. g4 Ra6 5. Kh5 ({Or} 5. Kf4 g6 $1 {, swapping
pawns with an easy draw.}) 5... Rb6 6. g5 g6+ $1 {A typical trick in such
endings, after which the doubled pawns will prove useless.} 7. fxg6 Rb1 $1 {In
Philidor style.} ({Note that, due to White's extra g-pawn, a passive defence
with} 7... Rb8 $2 {no longer works:} 8. Kh6 Ra8 9. Rc6 $1 Rb8 10. g7 Ra8 11.
Rf6 Rb8 12. Rf8+ {wins.}) 8. Rc8+ Kg7 9. Rc7+ Kg8 10. g7 Kh7 {. Draw.} *

[Event "European Team Championship, Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jobava, B."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/6K1/6p1/5rPk/8/4R3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is an example which shows that a side attack can also be used by the
stronger side. ---} 1... Ra3 $1 {Before taking the pawn Black enables a side
check for his rook.} ({After} 1... Kxg3 $2 2. Rg1+) ({or} 1... Rxg3 $2 2. Rh1+
Kg2 3. Ra1 $1 Kh2 4. Kh4 Rg2 5. Ra3 g3 6. Rb3 Rg1 7. Ra3 {, White draws, since
the pawn can't advance further due to mate.}) 2. Kf4 {A waiting move, being
short of better options.} ({After} 2. Re4 Rxg3 {, Black wins easily; e.g.} 3.
Kh5 Rg1 4. Ra4 g3 5. Rh4+ Kg2 {etc.}) ({If} 2. Kh5 {, he should avoid} Kxg3 $2
({preferring} 2... Ra5+ {and only then the capture on g3}) 3. Rg1+ {with a
draw.}) ({No better is} 2. Rb1 Kxg3 3. Rg1+ Kh3 $1 {, when} 4. Rxg4 {loses the
rook after} ({and} 4. Rh1+ {runs into} Kg2) 4... Ra5+ 5. Kf4 Ra4+) ({Finally,} 
2. Rg1 {fails to} Kh2 $1 {.}) 2... Ra4+ 3. Kg5 Kxg3 4. Re3+ ({On} 4. Rg1+ {,
Black again replies} Kh3 $1 ({it is still not too late to err: after} 4... Kf3
$2 5. Kh4 $1 g3+ 6. Kh3 {, White draws}) 5. Rh1+ Kg2 6. Rh4 Kf3 {and wins.})
4... Kf2 {. In view of 5... g3, White resigned.} *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sowray, P."]
[Black "Berry, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p5r/3KPk2/1R6/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see some frontal attacks. --- The rook and pawn vs. rook and pawn
ending is usually a draw, but here is an exception. ---} 1. Rb1 $1 {Of course;
White initiates a frontal attack in order to push away the enemy king.} Rh8 2.
Rf1+ {!} ({But not} 2. Rxb6 $2 Ra8 $1 {, preparing a side attack. As Baburin
mentions, the existence of a black pawn will help White on some occasions.})
2... Kg6 3. e6 Rh2 {The most tenacious.} ({The game went} 3... b5 4. e7 Kg7 5.
Ke6 Ra8 6. Rg1+ {and Black resigned in view of 7 Kf7 next.}) 4. e7 {Preparing
a bridge.} ({Another possibility is} 4. Re1 Rh8 5. Kc6 {, with the plan of
e6-e7 and Kd7; e.g.} Ra8 6. Kd7 Ra7+ 7. Kd6 Ra8 8. e7 Kf7 9. Rf1+ Kg7 10. Ke6 {
(without the b-pawn this would be a draw)} b5 11. Rg1+ {, just like in the
game.}) 4... Rd2+ 5. Kc6 Re2 6. Kd7 Rd2+ 7. Ke8 Kg7 8. Rg1+ Kh7 ({In the rook
vs. pawn ending that follows after} 8... Kf6 9. Kf8 {, the black king won't be
able to protect the pawn.}) 9. Rg4 {White wins by means of a bridge;} ({e.g.} 
9. Rg4 b5 10. Kf7 Rf2+ 11. Ke6 Re2+ 12. Kf6 Rf2+ 13. Ke5 Re2+ 14. Re4 {.}) *

[Event "Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Banikas, U."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4k2/1R1K4/4P3/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite appearances this should be a draw, since the black rook controls the
edge. However, Black made a fatal decision. ---} 1... Re8 $2 {It rarely makes
sense to put the rook next to the king in the endgame.} ({The waiting move} 
1... Kg7 {led to a draw; e.g.} 2. Ke7 ({or} 2. e7 Kf7) 2... Kg6 {etc.}) 2. Rb1
$1 {A switch to a frontal attack. Here Black resigned; let's see a possible
conclusion of the game:} Re7+ ({Or} 2... Ra8 3. e7+ Kf7 4. Rf1+ {.}) 3. Kd6 Ra7
4. Rb8+ Kg7 5. e7 {. White wins.} 1-0

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1883.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Winawer, S."]
[Black "Mackenzie, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/4k3/8/8/1K1R4/2P5/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1883.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The black king has been cut off from the d-file, but a frontal attack still
secures the draw. ---} 1... Rb8+ $1 {By staying on the back rank, the rook
keeps a maximal range.} ({Another drawing option is} 1... Ke6 2. c4 Ke5 $1 {-
Baburin.}) ({In contrast, the game saw} 1... Rc6 $2 2. c4 Rc8 {, and after} 3.
Kb5 Rb8+ 4. Kc6 Rb4 5. Rd7+ Ke8 6. c5 Rc4 7. Rd1 Rc2 8. Kb6 Ke7 9. c6 Rb2+ 10.
Kc7 Re2 11. Rd7+ Ke8 12. Rd5 {, Black had to resign.}) 2. Ka5 Ke6 3. c4 Ke5 $1
{As we discussed earlier in this section, Black must interfere with White's
defence of the pawn.} 4. Rd5+ Ke6 5. Rd1 Rc8 6. Kb5 Rb8+ 7. Ka6 Rc8 8. Rd4 Ke5
$1 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Dutch Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Landa, K."]
[Black "Dambacher, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7p/8/2k2K1R/5P2/6r1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex case. ---} 1... Kd3 $1 {Preparing a frontal attack,
for which the king will be excellently placed behind the enemy pawn.} ({
Instead, after} 1... Kd5 $2 2. Rxh6 {, Black is lost; e.g.} Rg8 3. Kf5 Rf8+ 4.
Rf6 Rh8 5. f4 Rh5+ 6. Kg6 Rh4 7. Kg5 $1 Rh2 8. Ra6 {etc - Baburin.}) ({
Obviously} 1... Rg6 $4 2. Kf5+ {would be even worse.}) 2. Rxh6 Rg8 3. Rf6 ({Or
} 3. Kf5 Rf8+ 4. Rf6 Rxf6+ 5. Kxf6 Ke3 {, when the virtue of Black's king raid
is clearly appreciated.}) 3... Ke2 $1 {Tying the enemy pieces to the defence
of the pawn.} 4. Re6+ Kf2 5. Ke4 Ra8 {Switching to a side attack.} 6. f4 Ra4+
7. Ke5 Kf3 8. f5 Ra5+ 9. Kf6 Kf4 10. Kg6 Rxf5 1/2-1/2

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Popovic, P."]
[Black "Schwalfenberg, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5R2/5pK1/4kP2/6P1/7r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black seems to be on the brink to defeat, but a frontal attack could have
saved him. ---} 1... Rh8 $1 {To the edge;} ({aware that} 1... Rh8 2. Rxf5 $4 {
isn't possible because of} Rg8+ {.}) ({Instead, the game saw} 1... Rg2 $2 2.
Re6+ Kf3 3. Kxf5 Rxg3 4. Ra6 $1 Rg8 5. Ra3+ Kg2 6. Ke6 {and Black resigned.})
2. Re6+ Kf3 3. Kxf5 Kxg3 {We have reached a similar situation to the previous
example - the stronger side is unable to liberate his pieces.} 4. Ke5 ({Or} 4.
Rg6+ Kf3 5. Ra6 Rf8+ 6. Kg5 Rg8+ $1 {and White can't make progress.}) 4... Kg4
5. f5 Kg5 6. Rg6+ Kh5 7. Rg1 Ra8 $1 {Switching to a side attack.} 8. Rd1 Kg5 {
. White can't make progress: draw - Baburin.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fressinet, L."]
[Black "Kraemer, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1r6/8/6kp/8/1P2R1P1/3K4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's plan is evident: help the b-pawn with his king. The fact that Black's
king has been cut off from the queenside means that only a frontal attack can
save him. ---} 1... Rb8 $1 {To the edge, increasing the rook's range as a
preparation for the frontal attack.} 2. Kc3 Rc8+ 3. Kb2 Rb8 $1 4. Re4 {White
renews the threat of b3-b4, but in so doing leaves the third rank, a fact that
Black immediately exploits.} Rf8 $1 5. Re3 ({Obviously,} 5. b4 Rf3 6. b5 Rxg3
7. b6 Rf3 {is nothing for White.}) 5... Rb8 6. Kc3 Rc8+ {In the following
Black just continues with his frontal attack.} 7. Kd4 Rb8 8. Kc5 Rc8+ 9. Kd5
Rb8 10. Kc4 Rc8+ 11. Kd3 Rb8 12. Ke2 Rb7 13. Rd3 Rb8 14. Kd2 Kg4 15. Ke1 Rb7
16. Kf2 Kg5 17. Kf3 Rb8 18. Rc3 Rf8+ 19. Ke4 Rb8 20. Kd3 Kg4 $1 {It is finally
time for some active defence.} ({Note that a larger number of pawns actually
favours the defender in this case: after} 20... h4 $2 21. gxh4+ Kxh4 22. Rc4+ {
, White wins; e.g.} Kg5 23. Rc5+ $1 Kf6 24. Kc4 Ke6 25. b4 Kd7 26. b5 Rc8 27.
b6 $1 {etc.}) 21. Kd4 Kh3 {With the white king unable to step on the c-file
due to the check on c8, Black just waits.} 22. Ke5 Rb4 23. Kd6 Rb6+ ({There
was nothing wrong with} 23... Rb8 24. Kc7 Rb4 25. Kc6 Rb8 {, but the text is
more direct.}) 24. Kc5 Rg6 $1 25. b4 ({Draw, in view of} 25. b4 Rxg3 26. Rxg3+
Kxg3 27. b5 h4 {etc.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Klinova, M."]
[Black "Krush, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3P4/5P2/3p4/3P1kp1/1r6/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, let's see three examples where the rook switched its angle with
great success. ---} 1... g2 $1 {The prelude to a surprising mating attack.} ({
In contrast, the game went} 1... Rg2+ $2 2. Kf1 Rh2 3. Kg1 {and a draw was
soon agreed.}) 2. d7 {There is nothing better.} Rb8 $1 {Black wins - 'Chess
Today';} ({e.g.} 2... Rb8 3. f6 ({or} 3. Re8 Rb1+) 3... Rh8 {with the
inevitable threat of ...Rh1+.}) *

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/7P/8/8/8/1p2p3/1k5r/3K4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the current position, Black's problem is that he can't bring his king out
without permitting a white rook check. However, a clever rook manoeuvre could
have solved this problem. ---} 1... Rd2+ $1 {The rook is transferred to the
seventh rank, to serve as a shield for the king.} ({Instead, the game went} 
1... Kb1 $2 2. Rb8 $1 Rxh7 {and Black accepted a draw without waiting for 3
Rxb3+.}) 2. Ke1 Rd7 3. Ke2 Rc7 ({Similar winning paths are} 3... Ra7 4. Kxe3
Ka2) ({and} 3... Re7 4. Kd1 ({or} 4. Ke1 e2 {with zugzwang}) 4... Ra7 5. Ke2
Ka2 {- Stohl / 'Chess Today'.}) 4. Kxe3 Kc2 {. White is helpless against the
threat of ...b3-b2.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1963.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Titenko, V."]
[Black "Murey, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/8/pRP5/P5pP/3pk1P1/3p4/3K4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This endgame seems difficult for Black, but a clever rook manoeuvre saved his
cause. ---} 1... Rf8 $1 2. c7 Rf2+ 3. Ke1 d2+ 4. Kxf2 ({Not} 4. Kd1 $4 Ke3 $1 {
and Black even wins the game.}) 4... d1=Q 5. Re6+ ({Or} 5. c8=Q Qd2+ {with a
perpetual.}) 5... Kd3 6. c8=Q Qd2+ 7. Kg1 {It seems like White will escape the
perpetual by transferring his king to h3, but Black has a new surprise
prepared...} Qc1+ $3 8. Qxc1 {. Stalemate.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 175"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/4k1p1/6P1/P3KP2/1R6/r7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Intermediate checks --- An intermediate check with the rook is quite a common
method in endgame practice, usually with the aim of displacing the enemy king
before moving the rook to its desired destination. Here are some examples,
starting with a very basic one. ---} 1. Rb6+ $1 {This lets White take the
b-pawn with check.} (1. Rxb7 $2 Rxa4+ {was less to the point.}) 1... Kf7 2.
Rxb7+ Ke6 3. Rb6+ $1 {Again displacing the enemy king before taking further
action.} ({There can follow} 3. Rb6+ Kf7 4. Rf6+ Kg7 5. Ra6 Kf7 6. Kd5 {and
the king helps the a-pawn to queen.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 176"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2R2pp1/8/5PPp/1k1K3P/2p5/8/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again, the kings are opposing each other, albeit horizontally. The same kind
of intermediate check helps White to win. ---} 1. Rb7+ $1 ({The indifferent} 1.
Rxf7 $4 {would let the opponent prevail by the same method:} Rd1+ $1 2. Ke5 c2
3. Rb7+ Ka4 4. Rc7 c1=Q 5. Rxc1 Rxc1 6. f6 gxf6+ 7. gxf6 Rf1 {, and Black wins
by one tempo after} 8. Ke6 Kb5 9. f7 Kc5 10. Ke7 Kd5 11. f8=Q Rxf8 12. Kxf8 Ke6
$1 {.}) 1... Ka3 2. Rxf7 Kb2 ({Or} 2... c2 $2 3. Kc3 $1 {.}) 3. Rb7+ $1 {Once
more the same trick, forcing the enemy king to a worse square before taking
the pawn.} Kc2 4. Rxg7 {White soon wins;} ({e.g.} 4. Rxg7 Rd1+ 5. Ke5 Kd2 6.
Rd7+ Kc1 7. Rc7 c2 8. g6 Kd2 9. g7 Rg1 10. f6 {.}) *

[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1908.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rubinstein, A."]
[Black "Salwe, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2bk1/p4p1p/2p2p1B/8/2R5/6P1/PP3P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1908.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is much better thanks to his sounder pawn structure, and things became
even easier for him after his next, technical choice. ---} 1. Rg4+ $1 ({
Instead of helping the enemy king into the battle by} 1. Bxf8 $6 Kxf8 {, White
displaces him.}) 1... Kh8 2. Bxf8 Rxf8 3. Ra4 $1 Rb8 ({Or} 3... Ra8 4. Ra6 {,
winning a pawn.}) 4. Rxa7 Rxb2 5. Rxf7 Rxa2 6. Rxf6 Rc2 7. Rf7 $1 {Another
accuracy, cutting off the black king from the seventh rank.} ({There followed} 
7. Rf7 Kg8 8. Rc7 c5 9. h4 h6 10. Kg2 c4 11. Kf3 c3 12. h5 Kh8 13. Ke3 Kg8 14.
g4 Kh8 15. f3 Rc1 16. Ke4 c2 17. Kf5 Rf1 18. Rxc2 Rxf3+ 19. Kg6 {and Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Menton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Lazic, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/2p2R2/2Pk4/1P5r/8/8/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White appears to be in trouble, but an intermediate check helped to save the
game. ---} 1. Rd6+ $1 {Before attacking the b7-pawn, White wants to see where
the black king goes.} ({Both} 1. Rf7 $2) ({and} 1. Ke2 $2 {obviously failed to}
Rxb4) ({while} 1. b5 $2 cxb5 2. Ke2 Kxc5 3. Kd3 Rc4 $1 {, cutting off the
enemy king, also wins for Black.}) 1... Kc4 ({After} 1... Ke5 2. b5 $1 {White
manages an improved version of 1 b5 above, since the black king has moved one
file away from the queenside; i.e.} cxb5 3. Rb6 b4 4. Ke2 Kd5 5. Kd3 Rc4 6.
Rxb7 Rc3+ 7. Kd2 Kxc5 8. Rc7+ $1 {, transposing to a drawn pawn ending.}) 2.
Rd7 Kxb4 3. Rxb7+ Kxc5 4. Ke2 Kc4 ({Or} 4... Rd4 5. Rb1 $1 {and the frontal
attack saves a draw; e.g.} Kc4 6. Rc1+ Kd5 7. Rb1 c5 8. Rd1 $1 {.}) 5. Kd2 Rh2+
6. Kc1 Kc3 7. Kb1 $1 {To the short side.} c5 8. Rg7 {. White soon drew,
applying the defence of the long side.} *

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Hort, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/5R1P/2p3p1/1k4p1/3P4/3K4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White plans Rg7-g8, but first it makes sense to displace the enemy king. ---} 
1. Rb7+ $1 ({Less clear is} 1. Rg7 Rh8 2. Ke4 Kc4 {, when Black has an extra
tempo on the game.}) 1... Ka6 2. Rg7 Rh8 {The only defence against 3 Rg8. Now
the white king is ready to invade.} 3. Ke4 Kb5 4. Kf3 $1 ({Simpler than} 4. Ke5
Kc4 5. Rd7 Rf8 $1 {, cutting off the enemy king, at least for the moment.})
4... Kc4 5. Rd7 Kd3 6. Kg4 Rxh7 {There is nothing better.} 7. Rxh7 Kxd4 8. Rd7+
$1 {One more intermediate check to force the enemy king to an inferior square.}
(8. Kxg5 c5 9. Kf4 $1 {was also possible;} ({but not} 9. Kxg6 $2 c4 10. Rd7+
Ke3 {and Black escapes.})) ({After} 8. Rd7+ {, Black resigned, in view of} Kc4
9. Kf3 {, bringing the king towards the most dangerous of the pawns.}) 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tischbierek, R."]
[Black "Schneider, I."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5R1/1p1P4/1P4p1/5kP1/3r4/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Intermediate checks are easy to omit in practice, as the following example
shows. ---} 1. Rxa7 $2 {The most natural move turns out to be a losing one!} ({
White should have hung on to his advanced passed pawn by} 1. Rf7+ Kxg4 2. d7 {
- Baburin. It wouldn't be easy for Black to make progress here, since if he
transfers the king to e6, in order to take the d7-pawn, then the one on g5
becomes undefended.}) ({Even} 1. d7 {at once seems okay.}) 1... Rd2+ $1 {
Perhaps White forgot about this option;} ({considering only} 1... Rxd6 $2 2.
Ra4+ Ke5 3. Ke3 {with complete equality.}) 2. Ke1 Rxd6 3. Rc7 ({Or} 3. Ra4+ Kf3
{, followed by 4...Rd5, with similar play as later on in the game.}) 3... Rd5 (
{Not} 3... Kxg4 $2 4. Rc6 {and White escapes.}) 4. Rc4+ Kf3 5. Rb4 Rd3 $1 {
Zugzwang: White can't move his king, and any rook move leaves one of the pawns
doomed.} 6. Rc4 Rb3 {. After 7...Rxb5 Black wins easily, so White resigned.}
0-1

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Svidler, P."]
[Black "Bruzon Batista, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "K7/5R2/7p/8/6k1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we saw in Karpov-Hort, in rook vs. pawn(s) endings the intermediate check
is a useful weapon for the stronger side. Here is one more example on this
topic. ---} 1. Rg7+ $1 {Before approaching with his king, White forces the
enemy king to a less fortunate square, thus gaining a vital tempo.} ({In
contrast,} 1. Kb7 $2 h5 {leads to a draw, e.g.} 2. Kc6 h4 3. Kd5 h3 4. Ke4 Kg3
5. Ke3 Kg2 $1) ({and} 1. Rh7 $2 h5 {is similar.}) 1... Kf4 {Moving the king to
the h-file would just obstruct the pawn.} 2. Rh7 Kg5 3. Kb7 {Here Black
resigned; let's see a possible conclusion of the game:} h5 4. Kc6 Kg4 5. Kd5 h4
6. Ke4 Kg3 7. Ke3 h3 8. Rg7+ {. White wins.} 1-0

[Event "Russian Women's Championship, Gorodets"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gunina, V."]
[Black "Shadrina, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/r7/6PP/8/4p3/4K3/1k6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the same type of ending, the intermediate check can also be used when the
side with the rook is fighting for a draw. Here is a rather dramatic case. ---
} 1. h6 $2 {A logical move to the human eye - White advances her most remote
passed pawn - but actually it throws away half a point.} ({She could have won
by} 1. g6 Ra2+ 2. Kxe3 Rg2 3. Kf4 Kc2 4. Kf5 {, followed by h5-h6}) ({or} 1.
Kxe3 Ra3+ 2. Kf4 {and the king eventually hides on h6.}) 1... Ra2+ $1 {The
rook switches to a rear attack.} 2. Kxe3 Rh2 3. Kf4 Kc2 4. Kf5 {By now the
difference between 1 h6 and 1 g6 is clearly appreciated: the white king is
protecting the wrong pawn.} Kd3 5. g6 {The best try in practice;} ({since after
} 5. Kf6 Ke4 6. Kg7 Kf5 7. g6 Rg2 ({or} 7... Rh1 {, Black achieves a draw with
less effort.})) 5... Rh5+ $1 {This intermediate check saves Black.} ({In
contrast, after} 5... Rxh6 $2 6. g7 Rh5+ 7. Kf4 Rh4+ 8. Kf3 Rh3+ 9. Kg2 {,
White wins.}) 6. Kf6 ({Draw agreed, in view of} 6. Kf6 Rxh6 7. Kf7 {etc.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "Kavala"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Managadze, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2R5/3P4/4K3/p7/1k6/8/7r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Of course an intermediate check isn't the best choice on every occasion. Here
is one example featuring the misuse of this method. --- It is clear that Black
must soon sacrifice his rook for the d-pawn, but which is the best way to do
it? ---} 1... Re2+ $2 {A fatal decision. Before placing his rook on d2 Black
aims to move the enemy king away from the battle, but the effect of this
intermediate check is just the opposite!} (1... Rd2 $1 {at once led to a draw;
i.e.} 2. d8=Q Rxd8 3. Rxd8 a4 4. Kd5 a3 5. Kd4 Kb3 6. Kd3 Kb2 7. Rb8+ Kc1 {, a
variation that we just saw in Example 181 (Svidler-Bruzón) with reversed
flanks.}) 2. Kf5 $1 Rd2 3. d8=Q Rxd8 4. Rxd8 a4 5. Ke4 Kc3 ({Or} 5... a3 6. Kd3
a2 7. Rb8+ Ka3 8. Kc2 $1 a1=N+ 9. Kc3 Ka2 10. Rb7 {etc.}) 6. Ra8 Kb3 7. Kd3 a3
8. Rb8+ Ka2 9. Kc3 ({In view of} 9. Kc3 Ka1 10. Kb3 a2 11. Rh8 {, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Christiansen, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p1p/6p1/3R4/1P3P2/8/5KPP/1r6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Bridges --- By a "bridge" I refer to the idea of covering the king with a
fellow piece, usually a rook or a bishop, thus cutting the range of an enemy
piece. We have already seen many cases of such bridges (by the way, "curtains"
is another possible expression) in earlier examples, for example Lucena's
bridge at the beginning of the present chapter. Here are a few further
examples. --- In such rook endings with an extra pawn on the queenside, the
location of both rooks play a key role. Despite the fact that Black's rook is
ideally placed behind the pawn (more about this idea later on in this chapter)
White wins rather easily, since he has avoided the worst position for his own
rook - in front of the pawn - and defends it from the side. ---} 1. b5 h5 2.
Ke3 $1 {Andersson doesn't bother about losing a pawn or two on the kingside,
and focuses on assisting his passed pawn with the king.} Rb2 3. Kd4 Rxg2 4. b6
Rb2 5. Kc5 Rc2+ 6. Kb5 Rxh2 7. Rd4 $1 (7. Rd4 {enables a bridge in the event of
} Rb2+ 8. Rb4 {.}) 7... Re2 8. b7 Re8 9. Rc4 Kg7 10. Rc8 Re1 11. b8=Q Rb1+ 12.
Kc4 1-0

[Event "Lubbock"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Herman, MJ."]
[Black "Perelshteyn, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R7/5r2/8/8/4p1K1/8/4k3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd6 $1 {Before pushing the pawn Black should create a bridge on the
d-file.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... e2 $2 2. Ra1+ Kd2 3. Ra2+ Kd3 4. Ra3+
Kd4 5. Ra4+ Kc3 6. Ra3+ {and White's side attack saved a draw.}) 2. Kf3 ({
Obviously,} 2. Ra1+ {made no sense, because of} Rd1 {followed by ...e3-e2,
when a side attack is no longer available for White.}) 2... e2 3. Ra1+ Rd1 4.
Ra2 Rd3+ 5. Kg2 Rd8 $1 {A timely switch of angle, creating the threat of 6...
Rg8+, followed by ...Kf1.} 6. Ra1+ ({Or} 6. Kf3 Kf1 $1 {, and taking on e2
costs White the rook.}) 6... Kd2 7. Ra2+ Ke3 8. Ra3+ Rd3 $1 {The bridge.} 9.
Ra1 Rd1 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "French Championship, Belfort"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Edouard, R."]
[Black "Cornette, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k1K2/R4P2/8/8/p5r1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Without the a-pawn, White would win mechanically by Ra1-d1-d4(d5), creating
Lucena's bridge. whereas here he must proceed with more accuracy. ---} 1. Ra5
$1 {Losing a tempo.} (1. Ra8+ Kd7 2. Ra6 {also does the trick}) ({but} 1. Ra6
$2 Kd7 {leads to mutual zugzwang; e.g.} 2. Ra5 Rf4 {and a bridge on the fifth
rank won't work:} 3. Kg7 Rg4+ 4. Kf6 Rf4+ 5. Rf5 $4 Rxf5+ 6. Kxf5 Ke7 {.}) 1...
Kd7 2. Ra6 $1 {Zugzwang: if the black rook leaves the g-file then 3 Kg7 with a
bridge on the sixth rank decides, while abandoning the fourth rank costs the
a-pawn.} Kd8 3. Rd6+ Kc7 4. Ke7 ({Seeing that} 4. Ke7 Rf4 {runs into} 5. Rf6
Re4+ 6. Re6 {with a decisive bridge, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dunn, A."]
[Black "Aloma Vidal, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/5R2/5P2/1pk2K2/r7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is clear that White will have to sacrifice the rook for the b-pawn, but
which is the right way to do it? ---} 1. Rb5 $2 ({The intermediate check} 1.
Rc5+ $1 {was called for; e.g.} Kb4 ({or} 1... Kd3 2. Rb5 Kc4 3. Rb8 b2 4. Ke4 {
with similar play}) 2. Rc1 b2 3. Rb1 Kc3 4. Ke4 $1 ({king first; in contrast,} 
4. f5 $2 {runs into} Ra4 $1 {, decisively cutting the king off}) 4... Ra1 5.
Rxb2 Kxb2 6. f5 {with a draw - Baburin.}) 1... b2 2. Kg4 ({Perhaps only at
this point White discovered that} 2. Ke4 $2 {runs into} Ra4+ $1 3. Ke5 Rb4 {.})
2... Ra4 $1 {The threat of building a bridge on b4 forces White to sacrifices
his rook much earlier than desired.} 3. Rxb2 Kxb2 4. Kg5 Kc3 5. f5 Kd4 6. f6
Ke5 0-1

[Event "Novy Bydzov"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Klenburg, M."]
[Black "Golod, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/1Bpb4/3k4/8/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In endings with bishops of the same colour, the bridge is a common weapon for
the stronger side, as in the following two examples. ---} 1... Kc2 $1 {Heading
for b3 in order to control the b2-square.} ({Less constructive is} 1... Bc3 2.
Bf8 Ba5 3. Bg7 {etc - the correct bridge is on b2, not on c3, where the bishop
would obstruct the pawn.}) 2. Ke2 Kb3 3. Ba5 Bc3 4. Bd8 Bb4 5. Bf6 Ba3 $1 6.
Be5 Bb2 7. Bf4 c3 {Thus the pawn reaches the second rank, which is enough for
the win in the case of a bishop's pawn, since the c1-a3 diagonal will be too
short for the defending bishop. We saw an almost identical case in Averbakh's
study in Chapter One (see Example 5), with reversed colours and flanks.} 8. Kd3
c2 9. Bg5 Be5 10. Bc1 Bg7 11. Be3 ({Or} 11. Ke2 Ka2 {with similar play.}) 11...
Kb2 $1 12. Kc4 Kb1 {The king is ready to support a new bridge on c1.} 13. Kb3
Bb2 14. Bf4 Bc1 15. Bd6 Bg5 16. Ba3 Bf6 {. Being in zugzwang, White resigned.}
({By the way,} 16... Be7 17. Bb2 Bf8 {was possible as well.}) 0-1

[Event "Havana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Donner, JH."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/6pb/7p/2k3PB/3p1P1P/8/3K4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Sometimes in endings with bishops of the same colour, an extra pawn is
insufficient for victory, but here the fact that Black's d-pawn has made all
the way to d3, together with White's compromised pawn structure (the g-pawn
would have been better off on g2) makes a win probable. Nevertheless, Black
has to play very accurately. ---} 1... Kd4 {Intending 2...Ke3, a threat that
White hurries to parry.} ({The immediate} 1... Kc3 {would have failed because
of} 2. Bf6+ {.}) 2. Bf2+ Kc3 {Thanks to his clever first move Black is now
ready to push ...d3-d2.} 3. Bb6 d2 4. Bf2 Kd3 5. Bb6 Bf4 ({A bridge with} 5...
Be3 {is less efficient due to} 6. Ba5 {.}) 6. Bf2 Be5 ({Here, on the other
hand,} 6... Be3 $5 {was quite interesting; e.g.} 7. Bg3 hxg4 $1 8. hxg4 Bd4 9.
Bf4 Bc3 {, when both} 10. Bg5 ({and} 10. Bh6 {are met by} f6 {, preparing ...
g6-g5 and finishing off White's waiting moves. Instead, Smyslov plans to build
the bridge on d4, so that the king can move instantly to e3 if White declines
the exchange of bishops.})) 7. Bg1 h4 $1 {Fixing a favourable structure.} ({
The immediate} 7... Bd4 {is less effective because of} 8. Bh2 $1 {, when} Ke3
9. Bg1+ Kxf3 10. Bxd4 {leads to a draw - Smyslov.}) 8. Bf2 Bc3 ({Again} 8...
Bd4 {is premature due to} 9. Bxh4 Ke3 10. Bg5+ Kxf3 11. Kxd2 Kg3 12. Ke2 Kxh3
13. Kf3 {etc.}) 9. Bg1 ({After} 9. Bxh4 Ke3 {, Black's king invades decisively}
) ({while} 9. f4 Ke4 10. f5 g5 11. Ke2 Bd4 $1 12. Bxd4 Kxd4 13. Kxd2 f6 {also
wins for him - Smyslov.}) 9... Bd4 $1 {After some careful calculation of the
ensuing pawn ending, Black finally builds his bridge.} 10. Bxd4 ({In the event
of} 10. Bh2 Ke3 11. Bg1+ Kxf3 $1 12. Bxd4 Kg3 {, Black wins by one tempo; e.g.}
13. Kxd2 Kxh3 14. Bf2 g5 15. Be3 Kg2 $1 16. Bxg5 h3 17. Bf4 h2 18. Bxh2 Kxh2
19. Ke3 Kg3 {- Smyslov.}) 10... Kxd4 11. Kxd2 Ke5 12. Ke3 g5 $1 {Gaining the
opposition.} ({After} 12... g5 13. Ke2 Kf4 14. Kf2 f6 {, the story is repeated,
so White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 190"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/7r/3K4/3P4/8/8/6R1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Cutting the king off --- The method of cutting off the enemy king is seen
rather frequently in endgame practice, and it determines the result in several
theoretical rook endings, as in the next example. --- In order to win this
position White must prevent the transfer of the enemy king to the e- or d-file.
---} 1. Re1 $1 {Cutting the king off.} ({Other winning tries are useless; e.g.
} 1. Ra1 $2 Ke7 2. Ra7+ Kd8) ({or} 1. Kc5 $2 Ke7 2. d5 Kd7 {in Philidor style,
with a draw.}) 1... Ra6 ({After} 1... Rh8 {the frontal attack comes one move
too late:} 2. Kc6 Rc8+ 3. Kd7 {and the advance of the d-pawn decides.}) 2. Kc5
Ra5+ 3. Kc6 Ra6+ 4. Kb5 {The black rook has run out of space for its side
attack.} Rd6 5. Kc5 Ra6 6. d5 {. White wins by Lucena's bridge in the end.} *

[Event "Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1956.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Krogius, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2k5/6R1/6K1/2r2P2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a slightly more complex case. ---} 1. Re5 $1 {Before advancing his
pawn Tal cuts off the enemy king.} ({In contrast, after} 1. f4 $2 Kd6 2. Re5
Rc8 $1 {, Black draws by a frontal attack.}) 1... Kd6 2. Re8 $1 {Another
accuracy, in order to interfere with Black's frontal attack.} ({The natural} 2.
Re1 $2 {only draws after} Rc8 $1 3. f4 Rg8+ 4. Kh5 Rf8 5. Kg5 Rg8+ 6. Kh6 Rf8
7. Re4 Kd5 $1 {, a scenario that we are already familiar with from the first
section of this chapter.}) 2... Kd7 3. Re1 Rc8 4. f4 Rg8+ 5. Kh5 Rf8 6. Kg5 {
Here Black resigned, but let's see a possible continuation:} Rg8+ 7. Kh6 Rf8 8.
Re4 $1 {The merit of 2 Re8! becomes evident: Black no longer has ...Kd5 at his
disposal.} Kd6 9. Kg7 Rf5 10. Kg6 Rf8 11. f5 {. White wins.} 1-0

[Event "European Women's Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhukova, N."]
[Black "Pogonina, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1k6/6R1/6Kp/7P/8/5r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{For anybody familiar with the method of cutting off the king, White's next
move is no surprise. ---} 1. Rd6 $1 ({The h5-pawn should wait - after} 1. Kxh5
$2 Kc7 {, the black king gets sufficiently close; e.g.} 2. Re6 Kd7 3. Re1 Rg2
4. Kh6 Rg3 5. h5 Rg2 6. Kh7 Rg3 7. h6 Rg2 8. Kh8 Rg3 9. h7 Rg2 10. Ra1 Ke7 11.
Ra8 Kf7 {with a draw.}) 1... Kc7 2. Rd1 Rg2+ 3. Kxh5 Rg3 {Interestingly, now
both kings are cut off.} 4. Kh6 Rg4 5. h5 Rg2 6. Kh7 Rg5 7. h6 Rg2 8. Kh8 Rg6
9. h7 Rg2 {Many years ago, Levenfish and Smyslov analysed such positions and
concluded that with the defender's king cut off by four files (as in this case)
, the position is won.} 10. Ra1 $1 {Preparing a bridge on g8.} Kd7 11. Ra8 Ke7
({Or} 11... Ke6 12. Rg8 Rh2 13. Kg7 Rg2+ 14. Kf8 Rf2+ 15. Ke8 Rb2 16. Rg6+ Kf5
17. Rf6+ $1 {and wins - Levenfish/Smyslov.}) 12. Rg8 Rf2 13. Kg7 Rg2+ 14. Kh6
Rh2+ 15. Kg6 ({In view of} 15. Kg6 Rg2+ 16. Kf5 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gashimov, V."]
[Black "Jakovenko, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2P1k3/6r1/1K6/8/3R4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Of course having one's king cut off doesn't mean automatic defeat. Here Black
is in trouble, yet by precise defence, and by applying the same theme himself,
he managed to save a draw. ---} 1... Ke6 $1 {Heading for e7 in order to
control the d8-square.} ({Other moves fail; e.g.} 1... Rg8 $2 2. Kc4) ({or} 
1... Rh4 $2 2. Rd8 $1 {(with the threat of c5-c6-c7)} Rh1 3. Kc4 {and Lucena's
bridge decides in the end.}) 2. c6 Ke7 3. Rd7+ ({Or} 3. c7 Rg8 {and the pawn
soon falls.}) 3... Ke8 $1 ({But not} 3... Ke6 $2 4. Rd8 $1 Rg7 5. Kc4 {and
White wins - Baburin.}) 4. Rd3 Ke7 ({White can't make progress, and the game
ended in a draw after} 4... Ke7 5. c7 Rg8 6. Rd8 Rxd8 7. cxd8=Q+ Kxd8 {.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Kazan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Galliamova, A."]
[Black "Hou Yifan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/r4p1p/2k3p1/3p4/6P1/6KP/1R3P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see the same method being applied in positions with more pawns. ---
With a healthy extra pawn and more active pieces, Black is winning. Hou Yifan
found the most technical path to victory. ---} 1... Re7 $1 {Cutting off the
enemy king, which means that the white rook will have to defend against the
d-pawn on its own.} (1... --) 2. Kf4 d4 3. Kg5 Kc5 4. f4 d3 {The rest is easy
- White is not even close to creating threats on the kingside.} 5. f5 Rd7 6.
Rb1 d2 7. Rd1 Kc4 8. f6 Kd3 9. Kh6 Ke2 10. Rxd2+ Kxd2 0-1

[Event "Mondariz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dorfman, J."]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p6p/8/6p1/1KP1k3/P6P/1R4P1/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an extra pawn but Black is quite active. From this point, Dorfman
shows an exemplary handling of the rook. ---} 1. Rd2 $1 {Before advancing the
passed pawn, it makes sense to cut off the enemy king.} (1. c5 $6 {would be
less technical:} Kd5 2. Rd2+ Kc6 3. Rd6+ Kc7 4. Rh6 Rb1+ {and Black keeps some
counterplay.}) 1... h5 {Short of better options, Vallejo looks for counterplay
on the opposite flank.} 2. Rd5 $1 {Complicating Black's further advance, who
is now obliged to move his king away from the c-pawn.} Kf4 3. c5 Rb1+ ({Or} 
3... Rg1 4. c6 Rxg2 5. c7 Rc2 6. Rc5 {and wins - Ribli.}) 4. Kc4 g4 5. hxg4
hxg4 6. Rd3 $1 {Again the rook restricts the movements of the enemy king. Now
everything is ready for the advance of the passed pawn.} Ke5 7. Re3+ $1 {A
clever intermediate check to force away the black king from the passed pawn.}
Kf4 8. Rb3 Rd1 ({Or} 8... Rc1+ 9. Rc3 $1 {with a decisive bridge.}) 9. g3+ Ke4
10. c6 Rd6 11. Kb5 Rd5+ 12. Ka6 ({In view of} 12. Ka6 Rc5 13. Kb7 {, followed
by c6-c7, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Dubai"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Safarli, E."]
[Black "Melkumyan, H."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/5p2/p1p5/2P4K/P1R4P/5r2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his more active rook Black is better here, but things could change
if White manages to activate his king. With his next move, Melkumyan addresses
the issue. ---} 1... Rg2 $1 {Cutting off the enemy king.} 2. Rf3 ({I would
have considered the active} 2. Rg3 {, when} Rc2 3. Kg4 $1 Rxc4+ 4. Kf5 {,
intending Rb3-b7, yields White some compensation for the pawn.}) 2... Ke6 3.
Re3+ Kf5 4. Kh5 ({Or} 4. Rd3 Ke4 5. Rd5 f5 $1 6. Rxc5 f4 {with similar play as
in the game.}) 4... Rg8 5. Rf3+ $6 {Safarli defends against the mating threat,
but also helps the black king to a better square.} ({It seems that} 5. Kh6 $1 {
, preparing h4-h5, was his last chance for counterplay.}) 5... Ke5 6. Rd3 f5 $1
{Activity is everything in rook endings.} ({The passive} 6... Rc8 $2 {would
permit} 7. Rd5+ Ke4 8. Kg6 $1 {and the white king is finally back in business.}
) 7. Rd5+ Ke4 8. Rxc5 f4 {White's cut-off king renders him helpless against
the f-pawn.} 9. Rxa5 f3 10. Ra7 Rf8 $1 {Ruling out any rook sacrifices for the
pawn.} 11. Re7+ ({Or} 11. Rb7 f2 12. Rb1 Rh8+ $1 {, followed by ...Rg8-g1.})
11... Kf5 $1 {With the double threat of 12...Rh8 mate and 12...f2.} 12. Kh6 f2
13. Kg7 Rf6 0-1

[Event "Bled"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1961.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Matanovic, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5r1p/6k1/2R2p2/3P1Rn1/3K4/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1961.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has a clear material advantage here, and could win in different ways.
Gligoric found a technical path to victory, based on the method of cutting the
king off. ---} 1. Rcxf5 $1 Rxf5 2. Rxg4+ Kf6 3. Re4 $1 {This is it - in
similar fashion to Example 194 (Galliamova-Hou Yifan), Black is not allowed to
use his king in the defence against the d-pawn.} h5 ({On} 3... Ra5 {White
could consider the prophylactic} 4. Re2 $1 {, just like in the game; e.g.} Ra4
({or} 4... Kf5 5. Kc4 Ra4+ 6. Kc5 {etc}) 5. d5 h5 6. Re4 $1 {(the bridge)} Ra2
7. d6 Ra6 8. Rd4 Ra8 9. d7 Rd8 10. Ke4 {and the outside passed pawn takes its
toll.}) 4. Re2 $1 {Before initiating the advance of the king and d-pawn, White
secures the g2-pawn.} h4 5. Kc4 Ra5 6. d5 {Black is short of a good plan, so
the rest is easy for Gligoric.} Kf7 7. d6 Ra8 8. Kd5 Ra3 9. d7 Rd3+ 10. Kc6
Rc3+ 11. Kb7 Rb3+ 12. Kc8 Rc3+ 13. Kd8 {. Preparing Rf2+ and Rf4 with Lucena's
bridge, so Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "AVRO Tournament, The Netherlands"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keres, P."]
[Black "Alekhine, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/5p2/2P3p1/1P4R1/4K3/7r/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Both sides possess connected passed pawns but White's are more advanced;
besides, he has the move, so he should be winning. ---} 1. c6 Ke7 ({Or} 1...
Rc2 2. b5 Rc5 3. Rb4 $1 {, when the threat of b5-b6-b7 cannot be parried.}) 2.
Rd4 $1 {Cutting off the black king.} ({In contrast, the game went} 2. b5 $2 Rb2
3. Rc4 Kd8 {, heading for c7, and Alekhine later made a draw without much
effort.}) 2... Rc2 ({After} 2... Rb2 3. Kd3 Rb1 4. Kc2 Ra1 5. c7 Ra8 6. b5) ({
or} 2... Rh3+ 3. Kd2 $1 Rh2+ 4. Kc3 Rh1 5. b5 {, it is equally impossible for
the black rook alone to withstand the enemy pawns.}) 3. b5 Rc5 4. Rb4 $1 {The
rook behind the passed pawn, just as we saw in the 1...Rc2 subline above.} Kd8
5. b6 Kc8 {The king finally arrives on the queenside, but it is too late.} 6.
b7+ Kb8 7. Rb6 f5 ({Black can't prevent White's next with} 7... Ra5 {because of
} 8. c7+ {.}) 8. Ra6 Kc7 9. Ra8 Rb5 10. Rc8+ {. White wins.} *

[Event "Neustadt an der Weinstrasse"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Piasetski, L."]
[Black "Manolache, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1r4k1/7p/4K1p1/2R3P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With the white king on g2 this would be a draw, but with his following,
accurate play Black will never let that happen. ---} 1... h4 $1 {An advance
that liberates the g-pawn.} ({The game actually went} 1... Re6+ $2 2. Kd3 $1 {
(White could have drawn by this study-like idea)} (2. Kf4 $2 Rf6+ 3. Ke4 h4 $1
4. gxh4 Kh5 {and White resigned - we will come back to this kind of position
in the main line.} (4... --)) 2... h4 3. Rc4 $1 h3 ({or} 3... Kh5 4. Rc5+) 4.
Rxg4+ Kh7 5. Ra4 {- Baburin.}) ({As for the tempting} 1... Rf6 $2 {, White has}
2. Rc8 $1 {preparing a rear attack, when} Rf3 {is met by} 3. Rc6+ Kf7 4. Rh6 {
, simplifying to a draw.}) 2. gxh4 ({Or} 2. Ke3 Rf6 $1 {with similar play;} ({
but not} 2... h3 $2 3. Rc8 $1 {, preparing a rear attack.})) 2... Kh5 3. Ke3 ({
As a result of Black's clever first move,} 3. Rc8 {no longer made sense due to}
Kxh4 4. Rh8+ Kg3 {etc.}) 3... Rf6 $1 {A final accuracy, cutting off the enemy
king before taking the pawn.} (3... Kxh4 $2 4. Kf2 {would be a draw.}) ({After
} 3... Rf6 {, Black wins quickly; e.g.} 4. Rc1 Kxh4 5. Rh1+ Kg3 6. Rg1+ Kh3 7.
Rh1+ Kg2 8. Rh8 g3 {, followed by Lucena's bridge.}) 0-1

[Event "European Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kuzubov, Y."]
[Black "Van Beek, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r3k2/R7/6p1/4K2p/8/6PP/5P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the preceding examples, the idea of cutting off the king mostly occurred
on files. Now let's examine some cases where the king is cut off along a rank.
--- A rook ending with three pawns against two on the same flank is often
drawn, but here White's winning chances are increased by the bad location of
the black king, cut off along the seventh rank. Moreover, the g6-pawn is weak
- as Baburin observed, Black would much have preferred to have the h-pawn on
h7 and the king on g8. ---} 1... Rb2 {Active defence.} ({On} 1... Rb6 {White
has the strong} 2. Rd7 $1 {, preparing Rd6; e.g.} Ke8 ({or} 2... Ra6 3. Rd6 Ra2
4. Rxg6 Rxf2 5. Rf6+ $1 {- Baburin}) 3. Rd6 Rb2 4. Rxg6 Rxf2 5. h4 {, when
Black lacks a satisfactory defence of the h5-pawn, e.g.} Kf7 6. Rg5 Rf3 7. Rf5+
{.}) 2. f4 Rb3 3. Kf6 $1 {A key move that produces double threats at a8 and g6.
} Rb6+ ({Or} 3... Ke8 4. g4 Rxh3 5. g5 Rf3 6. Ra4 {with an easy win.}) 4. Kg5
Kg8 5. g4 hxg4 6. hxg4 {Now the impact of Black's cut-off king on the battle
is evident. If we imagine his king on g7 instead and the rooks changing places,
then 6...Ra5+ would have held comfortably. Here, in contrast, he is doomed to
passive defence.} Rc6 7. Kh6 $1 {With the threat of 8 Rg7+.} Rf6 8. Ra4 ({But
not} 8. Rg7+ Kh8 $1 {, when} 9. Rxg6 $2 Rxf4 {leads to a draw.}) 8... Kf7 ({
After} 8... Rb6 9. g5 Rc6 10. Ra7 Kf8 ({or} 10... Rc4 11. Kxg6 Rxf4 12. Ra8+)
11. f5 $1 gxf5+ 12. g6 Rc8 13. Kh7 {, White wins.}) 9. g5 Rb6 10. Kh7 {An
ideal place for the king once the g-pawn becomes a passed pawn.} Rc6 11. Ra7+
Kf8 12. Ra5 Kf7 13. f5 $1 gxf5 14. Rxf5+ 1-0

[Event "Dutch Championship, Eindhoven"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Wely, L."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R3p2/1P1p4/5rP1/8/8/2K5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Cutting off the enemy king along the seventh rank can have decisive tactical
implications, as in the next example. --- Van Wely found a clever way of
realizing his passed pawn. ---} 1. g6 $1 {Simplest;} ({although} 1. Rd7 $5 {
also worked; e.g.} Rb5 2. b7 Kg7 3. Kc3 Kg6 ({or} 3... d5 4. Kd4 Kg6 5. Ke5 {
with similar play}) 4. Kc4 Rb1 5. Kd5 {and wins - Baburin. Let's prolong this
line:} Kxg5 6. Kc6 f5 7. Rd8 f4 8. b8=Q Rxb8 9. Rxb8 f3 10. Kd5 $1 Kg4 11. Ke4
{etc.}) 1... Rb5 ({Obviously,} 1... fxg6 {runs into} 2. Rc7 {, followed by 3
b7, when the b-pawn costs Black a rook due to the bad position of his king.})
2. gxf7+ Kg7 3. Kc3 {The rest is easy - Black can't prevent the invasion of
the enemy king, since his rook must stay on the b-file.} d5 ({Nothing is
changed after} 3... Kf8 4. Kc4 {, as explained in the previous note.}) 4. Kd4
Kf8 5. Ke5 Kg7 6. Ke6 1-0

[Event "Dutch Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Beek, L."]
[Black "Michielsen, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/1k4pp/p1p5/8/P5P1/1PK1Pr2/8/3R1R2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, if possible try to avoid leaving your
king cut off on the eighth (first) rank in the endgame! Here is another
example on the subject. ---} 1. Rd7+ {White of course hurries to seize the
seventh rank, an ideal working area for the rook in most endgames.} Kc8 $2 {
Thus Black keeps the material balance but, more importantly, leaves his king
horribly placed.} ({Correct was} 1... Kb6 $1 2. Rxf3 Rxf3 3. Kd4 g5 4. Rxh7 Rg3
5. e4 Rxg4 {with good drawing chances - Baburin.}) 2. Rxf3 Rxf3 3. Rxg7 Rxe3+
4. Kc4 a5 {In Baburin's words: "Despite material equality and limited pawn
material, White should be winning here as he has various targets to attack,
while the enemy king is too passive."} 5. g5 $1 Re5 ({After} 5... Rh3 6. Kc5
Rxb3 7. Rxh7 {we have reached a similar scenario as in the previous example:
the position of Black's king makes the enemy passed pawn even stronger.}) 6.
Kd4 Rd5+ 7. Ke4 Rd7 $2 {Another bad decision - White's active king makes the
pawn ending winning for him.} ({The last chance was} 7... Kd8 8. Kf4 Rd4+ 9.
Ke5 Rd5+ {- Baburin, who indicates that White should win anyway after} 10. Ke6
$1 Kc8 11. Kf6 Rd6+ 12. Kf5 Rd5+ 13. Kg4 Rd4+ 14. Kh5 Rd3 15. Rxh7 Rh3+ 16. Kg6
Rxb3 17. Kg7 {.}) 8. Rxd7 Kxd7 9. Kd4 ({Another good option was} 9. Kf5 $1 Ke7
10. Ke5 Kf7 11. Kd4 Kg6 12. b4 $1 {- Baburin.}) 9... Kd6 10. Kc4 Kd7 11. b4 $1
{Creating an outside passed pawn.} axb4 12. Kxb4 Kd6 13. a5 Kc7 14. Kc5 Kb7 15.
a6+ Kxa6 16. Kxc6 1-0

[Event "World Team Championship, Lucerne"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bareev, E."]
[Black "Lalic, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/8/3k4/7R/6PK/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Occasionally, it makes sense to cut off the enemy king horizontally from
behind; i.e. so that he can't return to the main battlefield. Here is one such
case. --- We have already seen in several examples that in rook and pawn vs.
rook endings, the knight's pawn becomes very powerful when the defender's king
isn't able to reach its ideal place in front of the pawn. Thus White's
strategy is clear here. ---} 1. Rh7 $1 {Before advancing the pawn, Bareev cuts
the enemy king off along the seventh rank.} ({The immediate} 1. g5 $2 {would
only draw after} Re4+ $1 2. Kg3 Ke6) ({while cutting off the king vertically by
} 1. Rf5 $2 {would fail on this occasion due to} Ke6 2. Rf4 ({or} 2. Kg5 Rg8+ {
with a frontal attack}) 2... Ke5 $1 {and White can't make progress.}) 1... Ke6
2. Kh5 Rf8 3. g5 Kf5 4. g6 Ke6 5. Kg5 (5. g7 {, preparing Kg6, was even faster
- Bareev.}) 5... Rf1 6. Ra7 Rh1 7. g7 Rg1+ 8. Kh6 Kf6 9. Kh7 Rh1+ 10. Kg8 Rg1 (
{Or} 10... Rb1 11. Ra2 $1 {with a decisive switch of angle; e.g.} Kg6 12. Rg2+
Kf6 13. Rh2 {- Bareev.}) 11. Kf8 1-0

[Event "Novi Sad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Popovic, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2r1k2/1p3p2/6p1/2R5/8/4KPP1/4N3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The sixth rank is often used for cutting off the enemy king too, as in the
next two examples. --- White has a slight material advantage, but the knight
isn't particularly strong in such a pawn structure, so he should proceed with
some care. ---} 1. Rc6 $1 {Cutting off Black's king, which means that the
queenside pawns become much less of a concern.} Kg6 ({After} 1... Re7+ 2. Kd2
Re6 3. Rc7+ $1 Re7 4. Rxe7+ Kxe7 5. Kd3 Ke6 6. Kd4 {, White should win without
major efforts, thanks to his centralized king.}) 2. Nc2 g4 ({Unfortunately for
Black, if he advances his queenside pawns these soon turn into targets; e.g.} 
2... b5 3. Ra6 $1 {, with Ra5 and Nb4-c6 as a future plan.}) 3. Ne3 Rd4 4. g3
$1 {Fixing the enemy kingside pawns as future targets.} Kg5 5. Rc7 Ra4 6. Rg7+
Kh5 7. Nd5 ({There could follow} 7. Nd5 f5 8. Nf4+ Kh6 9. Rg6+ Kh7 10. Rf6 Ra5
11. Ke3 Kg7 ({or} 11... Rc5 12. Rf7+) 12. Nh5+ Kh7 13. Kf4 {, followed by Rxf5,
and the knight takes care of the queenside pawns.}) 1-0

[Event "Sao Paulo/Bilbao"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caruana, F."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/8/2r1PP2/4R2p/8/6PK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This position looks difficult for Black, but Anand defended resourcefully. ---
} 1... Rc3 $1 {Cutting off the enemy king, while enabling a rear attack on the
white e- and f-pawns.} 2. e6 ({After} 2. Rxh4 Re3 {, the pawn is recovered at
once, since} 3. f6+ $6 Kg6 {makes no sense for White.}) 2... fxe6 3. fxe6 Kf8
4. Rxh4 Re3 $1 {Initiating a rear attack before the white rook returns to e4.}
5. Rh8+ Kg7 $1 {Forcing the enemy rook to its worst possible angle - in front
of the pawn.} ({After the alternative} 5... Ke7 $2 6. Rh6 {, followed by g2-g3,
Kh3 etc, the white king would later be able to reach the g6-square, in
contrast to the game.}) 6. Re8 Kf6 7. g3 Re4 $1 {Aware that the e-pawn is
poisoned (both here and later), Black opts for waiting tactics.} 8. Kg2 Re3 9.
Kh3 Re4 10. g4 Re1 {By now it is clear that the unfortunate location of
White's rook makes any progress impossible.} 11. Rf8+ Kg7 12. Re8 Kf6 13. e7
Kg7 $1 14. Kh4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chinese Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ding Liren"]
[Black "Zhou Jianchao"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6kp/2K5/r1P5/8/8/8/4R3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of cutting off the king along the fifth rank has a specific role in
rook vs. pawn endings, which is overlooked surprisingly often in practice.
Let's see two examples. --- Clearly, White is much better, but Black could
have transposed into a drawn rook vs. pawn ending, had he proceeded carefully.
---} 1... h5 $2 {Even super grandmasters occasionally miss basic endgame
methods.} ({After} 1... Kf6 $1 {, Black holds; e.g.} 2. Kb6 Ra2 3. Rb1 Kg5 4.
c6 h5 5. c7 Ra8 ({but not} 5... Rc2 $2 6. Rb5+ $1 {with a decisive bridge on
c5 next}) 6. Kb7 Rh8 7. c8=Q Rxc8 8. Kxc8 h4 {etc.}) 2. Re5 $1 {A key move,
which cuts off the enemy king. From now on, any rook vs. pawn ending will be
winning.} Kg6 ({After} 2... Kf6 3. Rxh5 Ke7 4. Kb6 {, both the black king and
rook needed to switch flanks, in order to draw by the defence of the long side.
}) 3. Kb6 Ra8 4. c6 {The rest is easy.} Rb8+ 5. Ka7 Rh8 6. c7 h4 7. Kb7 Kf6 ({
Or} 7... h3 8. c8=Q Rxc8 9. Kxc8 h2 10. Re1 {.}) 8. Rc5 ({After} 8. Rc5 Kg6 9.
c8=Q Rxc8 10. Kxc8 $1 {, Black loses the pawn if he advances it, and there is
not much else to do. Zhou resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Athens"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Atalik, S."]
[Black "Mastrovasilis, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/1p1r2PK/8/8/1R6/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again the rook vs. pawn ending is around the corner, and both players should
prepare carefully for it. ---} 1. Kh7 {Quite a natural move;} ({but} 1. Rb5 $1
{was a swifter route to victory, applying in advance the method of cutting off
the king:} Kc6 2. Rf5 b5 3. Kh7 Kb6 ({or} 3... b4 4. g7 {and, as we already
know, Black's king has been fatally sidelined from the battle}) 4. g7 Rd7 5.
Kh8 Rxg7 6. Kxg7 Ka5 7. Kf6 Kb4 8. Ke5 Kc4 9. Rf4+ Kc3 10. Kd5 {- Atalik.})
1... Kc6 2. g7 Rd7 3. Rf3 $2 {By now Atalik probably wanted to apply the
method that we are investigating, but it no longer works.} ({The obvious} 3.
Kh8 $2 {also fails after} Rd8+ 4. g8=Q Rxg8+ 5. Kxg8 b5 6. Kf7 Kc5 7. Ke6 Kc4
8. Rb1 b4 9. Ke5 Kc3 {with a quick draw.}) ({Instead,} 3. Rc3+ $1 {was correct,
displacing the enemy king before queening. Black has to obstruct his own pawn
with} Kb5 {, and after} ({since the desired} 3... Kd5 {fails to} 4. Rd3+) 4.
Kh8 Rd8+ 5. g8=Q Rxg8+ 6. Kxg8 Ka4 ({or} 6... Kb4 7. Rc8 $1 b5 8. Kf7 Ka3 9.
Ke6 b4 10. Kd5 b3 11. Kc4) 7. Kf7 b5 8. Ke6 b4 9. Rc8 $1 b3 10. Kd5 b2 11. Kc4
$1 {, White wins - Atalik.} (11. Rb8 {works as well.})) 3... b5 $2 {Returning
the favour.} ({Here} 3... Kc5 $1 {was correct, advancing the king first, as in
the previous example. After} 4. Kg6 ({or} 4. Rc3+ Kd4 $1 5. Rb3 Kc5 6. Rb1 b5
7. Rc1+ Kb4 8. Kh8 Rxg7 9. Kxg7 Ka3 {etc}) 4... Rxg7+ 5. Kxg7 b5 6. Kf6 b4 7.
Ke5 Kc4 {, White's pieces are too badly placed to make victory possible.}) 4.
Rf5 $1 {Cutting the enemy king off.} b4 ({After the more tenacious} 4... Kb6 {
, White still wins:} 5. Kh8 Rxg7 6. Kxg7 Ka5 7. Kf6 Kb4 8. Ke5 Kc4 9. Ke4 b4
10. Rf8 $1 Kc3 11. Ke3 b3 12. Rc8+ {etc - Atalik.}) 5. Kh8 ({In view of} 5. Kh8
Rd8+ 6. g8=Q Rxg8+ 7. Kxg8 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "St Petersburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1914.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lasker, Em"]
[Black "Rubinstein, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/8/6p1/1pkp4/5PP1/3K4/1P6/5R2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1914.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The rook behind the passed pawn --- An old endgame principle is to place your
rook behind the passed pawn, no matter whether it's yours or the opponent's.
Leaving out a few exceptions, it remains highly applicable in today's practice.
Let's see some examples on this theme, starting with a few classics. --- The
white rook is ideally placed behind the passed f-pawn, so Lasker starts
pushing it. ---} 1. f5 $1 gxf5 2. gxf5 Rf6 3. Rf4 $1 {Seizing the fourth rank.}
b4 4. b3 {Black is now short of solid moves. Note that this is a consequence
of his rook being awkwardly positioned in front of the passed pawn - he would
very much have liked the two rooks to change places.} Rf7 {This lets the
passed pawn advance one step further;} ({but} 4... Kb5 5. Kd4 Kc6 6. Ke5 {was
equally bad for Black.}) 5. f6 Kd6 6. Kd4 Ke6 7. Rf2 $1 {Preparing a decisive
switch of angle.} Kd6 ({After} 7... Rxf6 8. Rxf6+ Kxf6 9. Kxd5 {, followed by
Kc4xb4-a5, White obviously wins.}) 8. Ra2 $1 Rc7 ({Or} 8... Rxf6 9. Ra6+ {,
transposing to the previous note.}) 9. Ra6+ Kd7 10. Rb6 {. In this desperate
position, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "St Petersburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1914.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Capablanca, JR."]
[Black "Marshall, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p1k1/P7/1r6/2R5/6PK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1914.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case. Anybody with basic endgame skills should find White's
first move here! ---} 1. Ra3 $1 {The rook behind the passed pawn.} ({Obviously,
} 1. a6 $2 Ra4 {would let Black achieve the same thing, with increased drawing
chances.}) 1... Rb7 2. a6 Ra7 3. Ra5 $1 {A move similar to Lasker's 3 Rf4 in
the previous example. Black's king is now restricted, and the rest is easy.}
Kf6 4. g4 Ke7 5. Kg3 Kd6 6. Kf4 Kc7 7. Ke5 Kd7 ({Or} 7... Kb6 8. Ra1 Rg7 9. a7
$1 {and the g-pawn decides.}) 8. g5 Ke7 9. g6 Kf8 10. Kxe6 Ke8 11. g7 Rxg7 12.
a7 Rg6+ 13. Kf5 1-0

[Event "Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berg, E."]
[Black "Bellon Lopez, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/8/5r2/1P4p1/3R4/P1K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's plan is rather obvious: advance his queenside pawns with the help of
his king, while the rook should be sacrificed for the g-pawn at the right
moment. ---} 1... Rf2+ $2 {This check just helps White improve his king.} (1...
Rg5 $1 {was correct, placing the rook behind the passed pawn. There could
follow} 2. Rg3 Kg6 3. Kd3 Kf5 4. a4 Ke5 $1 {(the king should be used in the
battle against the enemy pawns)} 5. Ke3 Rg8 6. b5 Kd5 7. Kf4 Ra8 8. Ra3 Kc5 9.
Kxg4 Kb4 10. Ra1 Ka5 11. Kf5 Re8 {with a theoretical draw - Hecht, now that
the pawns have been confidently blocked.}) 2. Kb3 Kg6 3. a4 Kf5 4. a5 Ke4 ({
After} 4... Rf3 5. Kc4 Rxd3 6. Kxd3 Kf4 7. a6 {, only White queens.}) 5. Rd8 $1
{Unlike his opponent four moves ago, Berg pays attention to the idea of
placing the rook behind the passed pawn.} ({In contrast,} 5. Rc3 $2 Rf3 $1 {
would eventually lead to a queen and pawn vs. queen ending.}) 5... Rf3+ 6. Ka4
Rf1 7. Rg8 Rg1 ({Or} 7... Kf3 8. a6 g3 9. Kb5 g2 10. a7 Ra1 11. Kb6 Kf2 12. b5
g1=Q 13. Rxg1 Kxg1 14. Kb7 {and White wins.}) 8. Kb5 {. Unable to parry the
looming advance of the white pawns, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vasquez Schroder, R."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6kp/p5p1/2R3P1/7r/8/5K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This example is extracted from my book 'Play the Sicilian Kan'. If it was
White to move, then 1 Rc7+, followed by Kg3 and Ra7, placing the rook in its
optimum place behind the passed pawn, would probably suffice for a draw,
despite the two pawn deficit. However, in the game it was Black's turn, and by
a simple rook manoeuvre it was he who managed to put a rook on a7. ---} 1...
Rf4+ $1 2. Kg3 ({On} 2. Ke3 {, Black can proceed as in the game:} Rf5 3. Rc7+
Rf7 4. Rc5 Ra7 5. Ra5 Kf7 6. Kd4 Ke6 {. Now if} 7. Kc5 {, preventing the black
king's walk to b6, then} Rd7 $1 {, starting actions on the opposite flank; e.g.} 8. Rxa6+ Kf5 9. Ra5 Kf4 10. Kc6 Rd1 {, followed by Rh1-h5, winning the
g5-pawn.}) 2... Rf5 {Gaining a tempo.} ({The immediate} 2... Rf7 {should work
too; e.g.} 3. Ra5 Ra7 4. Kf4 Kf7 5. Ke5 Ke7 {with similar play to the previous
note.}) 3. Rc7+ Rf7 4. Rc5 Ra7 {Black has completed the rook manoeuvre and
should now activate his king.} 5. Ra5 Kf7 {Heading for b6.} ({Of course} 5...
h6 $2 {would be completely counter-productive:} 6. gxh6+ Kxh6 7. Kh4 Kg7 8. Kg4
Kf6 9. Kf4 {and White holds. As usually occurs, pawn exchanges favour the
defending side.}) 6. Kf4 Ke6 7. Ke4 Kd6 8. Kd4 Kc6 9. Kc4 Kb6 10. Re5 Rf7 ({
Avoiding the trap} 10... a5 $2 11. Re6+ Kb7 12. Re7+ Kb8 13. Re8+ {with a draw.
}) 11. Kb3 ({Or} 11. Re6+ Ka5 12. Re5+ Ka4 {, followed by 13...Rc7+.}) 11...
Rf3+ 12. Kb4 ({After} 12. Kc4 Rf4+ 13. Kb3 Rf5 {, Black wins in similar
fashion.}) 12... a5+ 13. Ka4 Rf4+ 14. Kb3 Rf5 {Here, Black needs the pawn
exchange in order to create a second passed pawn.} 15. Re7 Rxg5 16. Rxh7 Kc5 {
The king is now directed to the more useful g-pawn.} 17. Rd7 {The white rook
prevents that idea, but it can't stay on the d-file for long.} Rg4 18. Kc3 ({Or
} 18. Ra7 a4+ 19. Ka3 Kd5 20. Ra5+ Ke4 $1 21. Rxa4+ Kf3 {with an easy win.})
18... Rg3+ 19. Kc2 a4 20. Kb2 g5 21. Rd8 g4 22. Rd7 Rf3 23. Rg7 a3+ 24. Ka2 g3
25. Rd7 Kc4 26. Rd8 Rd3 27. Rg8 Kc3 28. Rg7 Kd2 0-1

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Barhudarian, R."]
[Black "Rozentalis, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/5p2/2k3p1/p6p/R1KP4/8/5PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "28"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Material is equal, but strategically Black is much better as he possesses an
outside passed pawn (without rooks on the board, this factor would indeed be
decisive) and, just as important, his rook is ideally placed behind it. ---} 1.
d5+ $2 {White follows the principle "Passed pawns should advance!", but in
this case the pawn will just become exposed on d5. Furhoff outlines a better
plan: 1) fight for the kingside space with h2-h4; 2) take the e4-square from
Black's king by f2-f3; 3) try to assign the blocking task on the a-file to the
king, so that the rook can be used actively.} ({A possible variation:} 1. h4 $1
f6 2. f3 {(apart from controlling the e4-square, this also enables a future
g2-g4 in order to exchange pawns; besides, it makes sense to place the
kingside pawns on different ranks, so that their future liquidation by the
black rook takes more time)} f5 3. Kc3 Kb5 ({or} 3... Kd5 4. Kd3 f4 5. Kc3 {,
continuing the waiting game}) 4. Rc4 a4 5. Rc5+ Kb6 6. Kb2 $1 a3+ 7. Ka2 {(now
that the white rook has been liberated, it is ready to create disorder in the
enemy camp)} Rd8 8. Rc4 Kb5 9. Rc5+ Kb4 10. Rc6 Rxd4 11. Rb6+ $1 ({a clever
intermediate check, avoiding} 11. Rxg6 $6 Rd2+ {and the white king becomes cut
off from the second rank}) 11... Kc3 12. Rxg6 Rxh4 13. Kxa3 {with chances for
a draw - Furhoff.}) 1... Kd6 2. Kd4 h4 $1 {A useful move that grabs some space
and makes the h-pawn more powerful in a potential passed pawn race.} 3. f4 f6
4. h3 Ra7 $1 {Such a zugzwang method is typical when the stronger side has
managed to place his rook behind the passed pawn.} 5. Ke4 ({Obviously, any
rook move, such as} 5. Ra1 {, runs into} a4 {.}) 5... Kc5 6. f5 g5 $1 {
Avoiding pawn exchanges and limiting the enemy king. Now again White finds
himself short of a solid move.} 7. Rd4 Re7+ 8. Kd3 Rd7 9. Ke4 Re7+ 10. Kd3 Kd6
$1 {The d-pawn is neutralized once and for all.} 11. Rc4 ({Or} 11. Ra4 Re5 12.
Rxa5 Rxd5+ $1 13. Rxd5+ Kxd5 {and Black wins thanks to his favourable pawn
structure; e.g.} 14. Ke3 Ke5 15. Kf2 Kxf5 16. Kf3 Ke5 17. Ke3 f5 18. Kf3 Kd4
19. Kf2 Ke4 20. Ke2 f4 21. Kf2 f3 $1 22. gxf3+ Kf4 23. Kg2 Ke3 {- Furhoff.})
11... Kxd5 12. Rd4+ Kc5 13. Rc4+ Kb5 14. Rc8 Re5 {. Seeing that he'll lose a
second pawn, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lipnitsky, I."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/6pp/8/2r2p2/P4P1P/3R2P1/8/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1952.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see some examples where it is the defender's rook that manages to
place itself behind the passed pawn. This is indeed a fundamental defensive
method in the endgame, whose power we recently witnessed in Caruana-Anand. ---
With White to move, 1 Ra3 would be very strong, but Smyslov will never let
that happen. ---} 1... Rc1+ $1 2. Ke2 Ra1 {The rook goes behind the passed
pawn.} 3. Rd4 ({Or} 3. Rd8+ Kf7 4. Ra8 Kg6 {with similar play as in the game,
but with the white rook less efficiently located in front of the pawn.
Generally speaking, if the rook can't be placed behind the pawn, then the side
angle is the lesser evil.}) 3... Ra3 $1 {Cutting the enemy king off from the
third rank, while eyeing the weak g3-pawn. If we compare this endgame to
Example 184 (Andersson-Christiansen), here White's chances are reduced by two
factors: 1) the a4-pawn is more remote to the white king than Andersson's
b5-pawn; 2) Lipnitsky's pawn structure is more vulnerable to an invasion by
the black king.} 4. Kd2 Kf7 {There is no hurry to take the g3-pawn.} 5. Kc2 ({
Incidentally, had White prevented Black's next move by} 5. h5 {, then after}
Ke6 6. Kc2 Rxg3 7. Kb2 g5 $1 {, Black achieves counterplay anyway - Smyslov.})
5... Kg6 $1 {Active defence; the king will be instrumental in Black's kingside
play.} 6. Kb2 Rxg3 7. a5 Kh5 $1 {Thus Black doesn't just attack the h-pawn, he
also prepares the defensive manoeuvre ...Rg6-a6.} 8. a6 Rg6 9. a7 ({Or} 9. Ra4
Rb6+ 10. Kc3 Rb8 11. a7 Ra8 12. Kd4 Kxh4 13. Ke5 Kg4 14. Ra1 g6 {and White
can't really make progress without jeopardizing the full point - Smyslov.})
9... Ra6 10. Rd7 g6 $1 ({Black avoids getting his king cut off after} 10...
Kxh4 11. Rxg7 {.}) 11. Rxh7+ Kg4 12. Kb3 Ra1 13. Kb4 Kxf4 14. Kb5 Kg3 {Black
has managed to organize sufficient counterplay, and the rest is easy.} 15. Kb6
f4 16. h5 gxh5 17. Rxh5 f3 18. Rg5+ Kh2 19. Ra5 Rxa5 20. Kxa5 f2 21. a8=Q f1=Q
1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Mexico City"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grischuk, A."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5k1p/8/R3K1Pr/P4P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is seemingly in big danger, but Anand survived by transferring his rook
to the back of the passed pawn. ---} 1... Rh1 $1 ({Black shouldn't play} 1...
h5 $2 {, as after} 2. Ke3 hxg4 3. Rxg4 $1 {, a symmetric kingside pawn
structure arises, which means he is lost - Anand. This thesis is easy to
understand, since contrary to an asymmetric structure (e.g. pawns on g4 and f7)
, Black can't easily swap off those pawns, nor create a passed pawn.}) 2. Rb4 {
Grischuk opts for protecting the pawn from the side.} ({In the event of} 2. Ra8
{, Black could play} Ra1 {as in the game; e.g.} 3. a4 ({or} 3. f4 Re1+ 4. Kd5
Rg1 $1 5. Rg8 Ra1 {etc}) 3... Kg5 4. a5 Re1+ 5. Kd4 Kf4 6. a6 Ra1 7. Kc5 Kxf3
8. Kb6 ({if} 8. a7 {, then} Kf4 9. Kd6 Ra6+ 10. Ke7 f6 {etc}) 8... Kxg4 9. Rg8+
Kf4 10. a7 h5 {and the h-pawn saves a draw.}) 2... Ra1 3. a4 Kg6 4. Kd5 Ra3 {
A good place for the rook, where it targets both of White's unprotected pawns.}
5. Kc6 ({Or} 5. f4 f5 $1 6. gxf5+ Kxf5 7. Kc4 h5 {and Black holds - Grivas.})
5... Rxf3 6. a5 f5 $1 {A key move, which creates a passed pawn on the h-file.}
7. a6 Ra3 8. gxf5+ ({After} 8. Kb5 fxg4 9. Rxg4+ Kf5 {, similar play occurs; e.g.} 10. Ra4 Rb3+ 11. Kc6 Rb8 12. a7 Ra8 13. Kb7 Rxa7+ 14. Rxa7 h5 {with a draw
- Grivas.}) 8... Kxf5 9. Kb6 h5 {By now it is clear that Black has managed to
create sufficient counterplay on the kingside.} 10. Rb5+ ({Or} 10. a7 Rxa7 $1 {
(a bridge with Rb5-a5 had to be avoided)} 11. Kxa7 Kg5 12. Kb6 h4 {with
similar play.}) 10... Kg4 11. Ra5 Rf3 12. a7 Rf8 13. a8=Q Rxa8 14. Rxa8 h4 15.
Kc5 h3 16. Kd4 h2 17. Rh8 Kg3 18. Ke3 Kg2 19. Rg8+ Kf1 20. Rh8 Kg1 21. Rxh2
Kxh2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Cheliabinsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Riazantsev, A."]
[Black "Dvoirys, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/8/P4p2/5k2/4p3/4P3/r4PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When examining rook endings with an extra pawn on the queenside, special
attention should be paid to the location of that pawn - when it's on the
sixth rank, the attacker's king can hide in front of it, whereas on the
seventh, there is no such possibility - on the other hand, it creates
tactical motifs related to a check with the attacker's rook. Here is one
clarifying example. --- Black's rook is ideally placed on a2; unfortunately,
his king has moved away from the "safety zone" on g7-h7, a fact that White
immediately exploits. ---} 1. a7 $1 {Such an advance would make little sense
if Black's king was on g7 or h7, but here Riazantsev has seen that he will
soon be able to deliver a decisive rook check.} Ra1 2. f3 $1 {Clearing the way
for the e-pawn.} exf3+ 3. Kxf3 Rf1+ 4. Kg2 Ra1 5. Kf2 $1 {White first improves
his king;} ({seeing that} 5. e4+ $6 Kf4 $1 6. e5 Ra2+ {would create
unnecessary complications.}) 5... Ra4 6. Kf3 Ra3 {The only defence against 7
e4+, but not for long.} 7. Ke2 Ra1 ({Or} 7... Ra2+ 8. Kd3 {, approaching the
enemy rook.}) 8. e4+ $1 {With no mating threat or perpetual to worry about,
the time is right for this key move.} Kf4 {Obviously, other replies run into a
rook check.} 9. e5 $1 {Insisting on the exposure of Black's king.} Ra2+ 10. Kd1
Ra1+ 11. Kc2 ({In view of} 11. Kc2 fxe5 (11... Kxe5 12. Re8+) ({or} 11... f5
12. e6) 12. Rf8+ {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Vlissingen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gurevich, M."]
[Black "Glek, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/3r3p/R7/8/6P1/P4P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The previous examples all had in common that one side possessed a passed pawn
on the queenside. Such rook endings are indeed quite frequent in practice, and
they have been extensively analysed within endgame theory. Here is one more
ending of this type. ---} 1... Rd2 {Black hurries to tie the enemy rook to the
pawn, and prepares ...Ra2 whenever White moves the a-pawn.} 2. Kg2 ({The
space-gaining} 2. g4 $5 {was interesting as well, preventing Black from an
ideal kingside structure with pawns on h5, g6 and f7.}) 2... h5 3. a4 ({
Obviously, White does not benefit from the pawn trade after} 3. Rxh5 Rxa2) ({
but} 3. Kf3 {was also interesting, getting the king a bit closer to the a-pawn.
}) 3... Ra2 4. h4 g6 5. Ra8+ Kg7 6. a5 {White's main plan is the transfer of
his king to the opposite flank, but first he advances the a-pawn to a6, since
time will be a big issue once Black initiates his kingside counterplay.} Ra3 7.
a6 Kf6 8. Kf1 Ra2 9. Kg1 Kf5 {In similar style to Example 213 
(Lipnitsky-Smyslov), Black brings his king as close as possible to the white
kingside pawns.} 10. Kg2 Ra3 11. Ra7 $1 Kf6 $1 ({Gurevich's last move was an
astute try in practice, in the sense that if Black continued his kingside
offensive with} 11... f6 $2 {, then White could change plans decisively with}
12. Ra8 Kg4 13. a7 $1 {- Gurevich. In similar spirit to the previous example,
the black king is now far away from the "safety zone" on g7-h7, and any active
attempt would expose it to a rook check; e.g.} g5 $2 ({passive defence is
equally insufficient, e.g.} 13... Kf5 14. f3 Ra2+ 15. Kf1 {and the white king
walks all the way to h6, after which Rb8-b5+ and Kxg6 decides, which actually
occurred in some games, such as W. Unzicker-E.Lundin, Amsterdam Olympiad 1954})
({or} 13... Ra2 14. Rf8 Rxa7 15. Rxf6 {with mate}) 14. hxg5 fxg5 15. f3+ {.})
12. Kf1 Ra2 13. Ke1 Kg7 $6 {Having seen the rest of the game, this seems like
the loss of a vital tempo.} ({After} 13... Ke6 {it is not clear how White
should continue; e.g.} 14. Kd1 $6 Rxf2 15. Rc7 Ra2 16. a7 f6 17. Kc1 Kf5 18.
Kb1 Ra6 {with much better chances of a draw than in the game.}) 14. Kd1 $1 {
Evidently, White can't make progress without sacrificing a kingside pawn.} Kf6
({After} 14... Rxf2 15. Rc7 Ra2 16. a7 Kf6 17. Kc1 Kf5 ({Gurevich suggests} 
17... Ke6 18. Kb1 Ra5 19. Kc2 f5 20. Kb3 Kd6 {as a better option, although
after} 21. Kb4 Ra1 22. Rg7 {, Black is still a long way from the draw}) 18. Kb1
{, it transpires that Black has no adequate square for his rook; e.g.} Ra4 ({or
} 18... Ra5 $2 19. Rc5+ $1) ({while} 18... Ra6 19. Rxf7+ Kg4 $2 {is met by} 20.
Rg7 $1 {, intending} Kxg3 21. Rxg6+ {- Gurevich}) 19. Rxf7+ Kg4 20. Rf4+ $1 {.}
) 15. Kc1 Rxf2 16. Kb1 $5 (16. Rc7 Ra2 17. a7 {was possible, transposing to
the previous note, but Gurevich goes for more.}) 16... Rf5 ({Gurevich gave} 
16... Rf3 $6 17. Kb2 Rxg3 18. Rxf7+ Kxf7 19. a7 {as winning for White,
although after} Rg2+ 20. Kb3 Rg3+ 21. Kb4 Rg4+ 22. Kb5 Rxh4 23. a8=Q Rf4 {, it
is actually a draw according to Nalimov's tablebases. Nevertheless, I suspect
that Black's task remains difficult in practice.}) 17. Rc7 {White finally
switches to a better angle for his rook.} Rb5+ $2 {This just helps the white
king to approach the a-pawn.} ({Correct was} 17... Ra5 18. a7 Ke6 {,
transposing to 14...Rxf2 above;} ({but not} 18... Kf5 $2 19. Rc5+ $1 {-
Gurevich. Such a deflecting check is the reason why the c-file is better than
the b-file for the white rook here, so that Black's recapture doesn't come
with check.})) 18. Kc2 Ra5 19. a7 Kf5 20. Kb3 $1 {Preparing a bridge on a4,
which would force Black to sacrifice his rook for the a-pawn much earlier than
desired; i.e. when the white king is still rather close to the kingside.} ({In
contrast, after the obvious} 20. Rxf7+ $6 Kg4 {, followed by ...Kxg3, Black's
drawing chances are improved.}) 20... Kg4 ({Or} 20... Ra1 21. Rxf7+ Kg4 22.
Rf4+ $1 Kxg3 23. Ra4 {and wins - Gurevich.}) 21. Rc4+ Kxg3 22. Ra4 Rxa7 23.
Rxa7 Kxh4 24. Kc3 $1 {King first;} ({after} 24. Rxf7 $2 Kg3 {, the h-pawn
saves Black.}) 24... Kg3 25. Kd2 g5 ({Or} 25... h4 26. Ke1 Kg2 27. Ra2+ Kg1 28.
Ra4 {etc - Gurevich.}) 26. Rxf7 h4 27. Ke2 g4 28. Kf1 Kh2 29. Rf2+ Kh1 30. Rf4
h3 31. Kf2 h2 32. Re4 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5R2/8/p3k3/8/6K1/r7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As mentioned in the introduction to the current section, exceptions to the
"place your rook behind the passed pawn" principle exist. Here is one. ---} 1.
Rg6 $1 {Preparing a side attack, the correct angle in this particular rook
ending, so as to prevent the black king from hiding on a2.} ({The natural} 1.
Ra6 $2 {would lose after} Kd3 2. Ra8 Kc3 3. Kf2 a3 4. Ra7 ({or} 4. Ke2 a2 5.
Kf2 Rh1 {etc}) 4... Kb3 5. Rb7+ Ka2 6. Ke2 Rb1 7. Ra7 Kb2 8. Rb7+ Ka1 9. Ra7 a2
{, followed by 10...Kb2 - a position we already came across in Example 192 
(Zhukova-Pogonina), with reversed colours and flanks.}) 1... Ke3 ({In contrast,
the black rook can't improve its angle; e.g.} 1... Rb1 $2 2. Rg4+ {.}) 2. Rg4
$1 {Tying the enemy rook to the pawn.} ({Placing the rook on the third rank is
a bad idea:} 2. Rg3+ $6 Kd2 3. Rf3 $2 ({White could still draw by} 3. Rg4 a3 4.
Rg3 Kc2 5. Rf3 a2 6. Rf2+ {etc}) 3... Re1 {, followed by 4...Re4, Kc2-b2 etc.})
2... a3 3. Rg3+ Ke4 ({If the black king approaches by} 3... Kd2 {, then} 4. Rf3
Kc2 5. Kh2 Kb2 6. Rf2+ {again prevents the liberation of the enemy rook.}) 4.
Rb3 Ra2+ (4... a2 5. Ra3) ({or} 4... Kd4 5. Rf3 {are draws.}) 5. Kg3 Kd4 6. Rf3
Ra1 7. Kg2 $1 {. Preventing the check on g1. Unable to make progress, Black
agreed to a draw.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Yerevan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gulko, B."]
[Black "Dvoretsky, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/5pp1/1R2b2p/P1p5/8/4N2P/1P3rPK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of placing the rook behind the passed pawn is also relevant in other
types of endings. Let's see a few examples, both from a defender's and an
attacker's perspective. --- Thanks to his powerful outside passed pawn White
is clearly better here, but Black could have made considerable resistance had
he considered the idea that we are examining. ---} 1... Rf4 $1 {Heading for a4
in order to control the passed pawn from the back.} ({In contrast, the game
went} 1... Re2 $2 2. a6 Rxe3 3. Rb8+ Ke7 4. Rb7+ $1 {and Black resigned, in
view of 5 a7 next.}) 2. Rb5 ({Other attempts are less promising; e.g.} 2. a6
Ra4) ({or} 2. b4 Rxb4 $1) ({while} 2. b3 {can be met by} Rf2 $1 {and the rook
reaches the a-file anyway.}) 2... Ke7 $1 ({But not} 2... Re4 $6 3. Nd1 Re1 4.
Nc3 c4 5. Rb4 $1 Ra1 6. Ra4 {with excellent winning chances - Dvoretsky.}) 3.
Rxc5 Rb4 4. Nd1 ({Black is also okay after} 4. Rc2 Kd6 $1 {, preparing ...Ra4})
({or} 4. a6 Ra4 5. Rc7+ Kd6 6. Ra7 Kc5 {, followed by ...Kb6.}) 4... Kd6 5. Rc3
Ra4 6. Ra3 Rxa3 7. bxa3 Kc5 8. Nc3 f5 {. Intending g7-g5, ...Bc8 and ...Kc4,
with good chances for a draw - Dvoretsky.} *

[Event "Serbian Championship, Pancevo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tadic, B."]
[Black "Miladinovic, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/2b5/8/2k5/3pP3/PR3K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In material terms White's advantage should be decisive, but the far-advanced
d-pawn is a matter of concern. ---} 1. Rb8 $1 {Heading for d8, in order to
control the pawn from behind.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Rb3 $2 d2 2. Ke2
Ba4 3. Kxd2 {and a draw was agreed, in view of} Bxb3 4. axb3+ Kxb3 {.}) 1...
Bd5 ({Or} 1... Be4 2. Ke1 Kc3 3. Rc8+ Kb2 4. a4 Kb3 5. Kd2 a5 6. Rc3+ Kb4 7.
Rxd3 $1 {and wins - Müller. Let's make a few more moves:} Bxd3 8. Kxd3 Kxa4 9.
Kc4 Ka3 10. e4 Kb2 11. e5 ({but not} 11. Kb5 $2 Kb3 $1 {on the king's route
theme, with a draw}) 11... a4 12. e6 a3 13. e7 a2 14. e8=Q a1=Q 15. Qe2+ {with
a quick mate after} Ka3 16. Qd3+ Kb2 17. Qd2+ Kb1 18. Kb3 {etc.}) 2. Rd8 a5 ({
Obviously,} 2... d2 $2 {failed to} 3. Ke2 {.}) 3. Ke1 Bf7 4. Kd2 {White wins;}
({e.g.} 4. Kd2 Kb4 5. Rd4+ Ka3 6. Rxd3+ Kxa2 7. Kc3 Ka3 8. Rd4 {- Müller.}) *

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Zuidema, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k1bp/R5p1/3p4/2p2P2/6P1/7P/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this final example, the white rook did really impressive work. --- Again
White has a material advantage, but Black's connected passed pawns must be
dealt with correctly. ---} 1. Ra7+ $1 {Heading for c7, where the rook will
control the enemy passed pawns, while participating in the battle for the
opposite flank as well.} Kf8 ({The desirable} 1... Kf6 $2 {failed to} 2. Rd7 {.
}) 2. Rc7 c3 3. Ke2 h6 4. Kd3 d4 5. g4 {Having neutralized the enemy pawns,
White is now ready to create a passed pawn of his own on the kingside.} Bf6 (
5... g5 $1 6. f5 Bf6 {was more tenacious - Botvinnik, who also suggests the
improvement 2 g4 (or 3 g4), followed by g4-g5, thus eliminating this defensive
possibility.}) 6. h4 $1 {Gaining space while facilitating the creation of a
passed pawn.} Kg8 ({After} 6... Bxh4 $2 7. Kxd4 Bf6+ 8. Kd5 $1 {, the entrance
of White's king decides.}) 7. Ke4 Bg7 8. g5 hxg5 9. hxg5 Kf8 10. Kd3 ({Since} 
10. f5 $6 gxf5+ 11. Kxf5 $2 {would run into} d3 {, Botvinnik instead prepares
a zugzwang.}) 10... Kg8 11. Rc6 Kf7 12. Ke4 $1 {Unfortunately for Black, he is
now short of a solid move.} Bh8 13. Rc7+ Kg8 14. Rc8+ Kh7 15. f5 $1 {This
advance works here, due to the awkward position of Black's king and bishop.}
gxf5+ ({Or} 15... d3 16. Kxd3 gxf5 17. g6+ $1 Kg7 18. Kxc3 {and White wins
comfortably thanks to the badly placed bishop on h8 - Botvinnik.}) 16. Kxf5 Bg7
({Again} 16... d3 {is of no avail:} 17. g6+ Kh6 ({or} 17... Kg7 18. Rxc3) 18.
Rxh8+ Kg7 19. Rh7+ Kg8 20. Rc7 d2 21. Kf6 {with mate.}) 17. Re8 $1 {A clever
switch of angle to create a mating threat on the h-file.} d3 ({Or} 17... c2 18.
g6+ Kh6 19. Re2 $1 {with similar play.}) (17... Bh8 {is equally insufficient
due to} 18. g6+ Kg7 19. Rc8 $1 {and the pawns fall by themselves.}) 18. g6+ Kh6
19. Re3 $1 Bd4 ({After} 19... Be5 20. Rxe5 Kg7 {(there was the threat of
Re7-h7)} 21. Re7+ Kg8 22. Kf6 {, White gives mate.}) 20. Rxd3 c2 21. Rh3+ $1 {
The rook again heads for c7 in order to control the passed pawn from behind.}
Kg7 22. Rh7+ ({Black resigned. Let's see a possible conclusion:} 22. Rh7+ Kg8
23. Rc7 Bb2 24. Rxc2 Bd4 25. Rc7 Bb2 26. g7 $1 Kh7 (26... Bxg7 27. Kg6 {comes
to the same thing}) 27. Rf7 $1 Bc3 ({or} 27... Bxg7 28. Kg5 {with similar play}
) 28. g8=Q+ Kxg8 29. Kg6 Bd4 30. Rd7 Bc5 31. Rd8+ Bf8 32. Re8 {. But note that
if all the pieces are moved one file to the left (i.e. Ke5, Rb7 and Pf6 vs.
Kf8 and Ba2) it is a theoretical draw, a fact that we will come back to in the
last example of this book.}) 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/7p/P4RpP/6P1/6K1/5P2/r7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Rook defends pawns --- Occasionally in rook endings with pawns on both flanks,
the stronger side manages to protect several of his pawns with the rook, thus
liberating the king from such a task. Let's see an illustrative example. ---
White has reached a dream position: his rook protects the two most exposed of
his pawns, and it can't be expelled from f5. Thus the king can be used
exclusively for active duties, and this is where Leko takes the game with his
next move. ---} 1. Kg2 $1 Re1 ({Or} 1... Ra4 2. f3 Ra2+ 3. Kf1 {and the king
reaches the opposite corner of the board sooner or later.}) 2. f3 {Now all
White's pawns are confidently protected.} Re6 3. Kf2 Kf8 {Black cuts the white
king off from the e-file, but not for long.} 4. Rb5 Kg7 ({Or} 4... Ke7 5. Rb7+
{, followed by 6 Rb6, with similar play.}) 5. Rf5 ({Leko also suggests a
switch of angle with} 5. Rb3 $5 Ra6 6. Ra3 {. There could follow} Kf6 7. Ke3
Ke5 8. Kd3 Kd5 9. Ra1 $1 Kc5 10. Ke4 Kb5 11. Rb1+ $1 Kc5 12. Rb6 {and wins.})
5... Kf8 6. Rc5 {Losing a tempo.} Kg7 7. Rb5 Kf8 8. Rb6 $1 {Just at the right
moment, so that Black will have to lose a tempo protecting the h6-pawn later
on.} Re5 9. a6 Kg7 10. a7 Ra5 11. Rb7 {The rest is easy.} Ra3 12. Ke2 Kf6 13.
Kd2 Ke6 14. Kc2 f6 15. Kb2 Ra4 16. Kb3 Ra1 17. Kb4 Kd6 18. Rh7 Ke5 19. Kb5 Ra2
20. Kb6 {. The king has finally reached the a-pawn, and now 21 Rh8 is a threat.
Black's rook checks can be parried by Kc7-b8, followed by Rb7, so he resigned.}
1-0

[Event "Hallsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Norri, J."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2R2pk1/4p2p/pr6/5P2/8/5PKP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the previous example Leko's rook was already well placed from the
beginning. Here are a few further examples which will show how such a "rook
defends pawns" scenario can be achieved. --- Young players often fail in the
endgame phase, and I myself some twenty years ago was no exception. ---} 1...
Rf5 $1 {By protecting the sensitive f7-pawn with the rook, Black assures that
his king can take an active part in the battle.} ({In the game I played} 1...
Kg6 $2 {instead, and after} 2. Ra7 Rd5 3. Kg3 f6 ({or} 3... Kg7 4. Ra8 $1 Kf6
5. Ra7 {, restricting the black king}) 4. f3 Kf5 5. Ra6 {, things got more
complex, with White later saving a draw.}) ({However,} 1... Kf8 2. Ra7 Ke8 3.
Kf3 Rf5 $1 {was possible as well, with similar play as in the main line.}) 2.
Kg3 Kf8 {Heading for the opposite corner of the board.} 3. Ra7 Ke8 4. h4 h5 {
Fixing an ideal structure, where all the pawns are confidently protected.} 5.
Kf3 Kd8 ({Of course not} 5... e5 $2 6. Ke4 Rxf4+ 7. Kxe5 {and White should
make a draw. Generally speaking, when the pawn structure on the board favours
you, don't alter it.}) 6. Ke4 Kc8 7. Re7 Kb8 {The rest is easy.} 8. Rd7 a4 9.
Rd3 Ra5 $1 10. Ra3 Kb7 {. Black soon wins by approaching with his king. The
f4-f5 advance can be simply ignored.} *

[Event "Monte Carlo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Forintos, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p1k2p2/P7/1KP5/8/3R1P2/r7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an extra pawn, but how to progress? Smyslov found an excellent rook
manoeuvre to leave his pawns with better protection. ---} 1. Rd3 $1 Rb1+ 2. Rb3
Rh1 3. Rf3 Rh6 4. Rf5 {That's it - now the king acquires more mobility.} Kd6 5.
Rd5+ Kc6 6. Rf5 Kd6 7. f3 $1 {Avoiding future checks on the third rank.} Rg6 ({
Or} 7... Ke6 8. Rd5 Rh3 9. f4 Rf3 10. Kc5 Rxf4 11. Rd6+ Ke7 12. Rxa6 Kd7 13.
Ra7+ $1 Kc8 14. a6 {and the poor location of the black king decides.}) 8. Kb3
$1 ({The immediate} 8. Kc3 {would permit} Rh6 9. Kd4 Rh4+ {, intending} 10. f4
$6 Ke6 {. With the text, White aims at moving the king to d4 with Black's rook
on g6 instead of h6, thus avoiding the check on the fourth rank.}) 8... Rh6 9.
Kc3 Kc6 ({Black was in zugzwang; e.g.} 9... Ke6 10. Rd5 Rh1 11. Kb4 $1 Ra1 12.
Rd3 Ke5 13. Ra3 Rb1+ 14. Kc5) ({or} 9... Rg6 10. Kd4 Rh6 11. Rd5+ Kc6 12. Ke4
Rh4+ 13. f4 {, followed by Kf5, in both cases with a win for White - Smyslov.})
10. Kd4 Rg6 ({Or} 10... Rh4+ 11. f4 Rh6 12. Ke4 {, transposing.}) 11. f4 Rh6
12. Ke4 Rg6 ({After} 12... Kd6 13. Rd5+ Ke6 14. f5+ $1 Ke7 15. Kd4 {, the king
enters decisively at c5 - Smyslov.}) 13. Rh5 {The threat of Kf5 spells the end
for Black.} Rg1 14. Rh6 Re1+ 15. Kf5 Ra1 16. Rxf6+ Kb7 17. Rb6+ {A useful
intermediate check to displace the enemy king.} Ka7 18. Re6 Rxa5+ 19. Kg6 Rc5
20. f5 Rxc4 21. f6 Rg4+ 22. Kf5 Rg1 23. f7 1-0

[Event "New York Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morovic Fernandez, I."]
[Black "Gulko, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3R4/5pkp/p5p1/8/7P/1r6/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we saw in the previous section, rook endings of this type offer reasonable
chances for a draw, although Black's case is improved here by the fact that
his rook is not obliged to protect the a-pawn from the front, but can use the
side angle. ---} 1. Ra8 (1. Rd6 $1 {was preferable - Gulko, so that after} a5
2. Ra6 Rb5 3. f3 {, Black's king is rendered less active than in the game.})
1... Rb6 2. g3 $2 {A natural move, but one that lets Black carry out the "rook
defends pawns" idea.} ({For this reason,} 2. g4 $1 {was correct - Gulko.}) 2...
h5 $1 {Black aims at a structure with pawns at f5-g6-h5 which, together with
the rook on the sixth rank, would leave all his pawns protected.} 3. Kg2 Kf6 4.
Ra7 Ke6 5. Kf3 Ke5 $1 6. Re7+ ({Unfortunately for White, after} 6. Rxf7 Rf6+ {
, the outside passed pawn decides in the pawn ending.}) 6... Re6 7. Ra7 f5 {
Black's plan is completed, and he can now use his king for active purposes.} 8.
Ra8 $6 (8. Ke3 Kd5+ 9. Kd3 {was more tenacious, when Black would have to
proceed with some subtlety:} Rc6 $1 10. Ra8 Kd6 $1 11. Ra7 ({or} 11. Kd4 Kc7
12. Kd5 Kb7 13. Rg8 a5 {and White loses control of the a-pawn}) 11... Kc5 $1
12. Rb7 Rb6 13. Ra7 Kb4 {and wins - Gulko.}) 8... Kd5 9. Kf4 Kc5 10. f3 {White
correctly prepares actions on the kingside, but Black is already quite fast on
the opposite flank.} Kb5 11. Kg5 a5 12. g4 fxg4 13. fxg4 hxg4 14. Kxg4 a4 15.
Kg5 Ra6 $1 {A timely bridge, exploiting the fact that only Black would queen
in the pawn ending.} 16. Rb8+ Ka5 17. Re8 a3 18. Re2 Kb4 19. Rf2 Kb3 20. Rf3+
Kc4 21. Rf4+ Kd5 22. Rf1 a2 23. Ra1 Kc4 24. Rc1+ ({Or} 24. Rxa2 Rxa2 25. Kxg6
Rg2+ $1 {in similar fashion to the game;} ({though the slower} 25... Kd5 {
works as well.})) 24... Kd3 25. Ra1 Kc3 26. Rxa2 Rxa2 27. Kxg6 Rg2+ $1 {An
essential intermediate check.} ({In view of} 27... Rg2+ 28. Kf6 Rh2 29. Kg5 Kd4
30. h5 Ke5 {etc, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "USSR"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lerner, K."]
[Black "Mikhalchishin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r3k/2Rb4/2p5/P1R4P/4P1p1/8/rP3PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Files and ranks --- Now we have arrived at the topic of seizing ranks and
files with our rooks. By the way, I touched upon this subject quite thoroughly
from a middlegame perspective in 'Mastering Chess Strategy'. Among all the
ranks, the seventh (for Black - the second) has particular importance in the
endgame, due to the proximity to the enemy pawns, alongside the potential
mating motifs. Often the seizure of the seventh rank is a consequence of the
control of an open file. Here are some related examples. --- Material is about
even, but White's following rook transfer decided the battle. ---} 1. Re5 $1 {
Heading for e7 in order to seize the seventh rank with both rooks.} Be8 ({Or} 
1... Rxb2 2. Re7 Bc8 3. Rh7+ {with similar consequences as in the game.}) 2.
Ree7 Rxa5 ({If} 2... Bxh5 3. Rh7+ Kg8 4. Rxh5 {, White emerges two pawns up in
the ending.}) 3. Rh7+ Kg8 4. Rcg7+ Kf8 5. h6 $1 {. In view of the imminent
mate, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Carlsbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salwe, G."]
[Black "Rubinstein, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k1r4/1p6/p1prnp2/P3p1p1/1PP1P2p/5P2/2R1NKPP/1R6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black controls the only open file and is now ready to use it for an invasion.
---} 1... Rd2 $1 2. Rbb2 {Logically enough, White keeps the crucial second
rank under control.} Rxc2 3. Rxc2 Rd3 $1 {In the endgame, the reduced number
of pieces often makes the third rank a possible working area for the rook.
Note that this move becomes more efficient once one pair of rooks have left
the board, since White will have more difficulties in protecting his pawns.} 4.
Rb2 {Defending against the threat of 4...Rb3.} ({Instead,} 4. Rc3 $2 {permitted
} Rd2 $1 5. Ke3 Rb2 {with the double threat of 6...Rxb4 and 6...Nf4}) ({while
the active} 4. b5 $5 {is well met by} Ra3 $1 5. b6 c5 6. Rd2 Nd4 {.}) 4... Kc7
{A useful move, whereas White can hardly undertake anything.} 5. c5 Kd7 6. g3
$2 (6. Nc1 Rd1 7. Ne2 {was more tenacious, when Black could keep the pressure
by} Nd4 {, intending} 8. Nxd4 exd4 {and ...Ke6-e5.}) 6... hxg3+ 7. hxg3 g4 $1 {
A strong pawn break that soon causes a collapse of White's position.} 8. Ng1 ({
Or} 8. fxg4 Ng5 {, recovering the pawn at once.}) 8... Ng5 9. Ke2 Ra3 10. f4 {
Paramount to suicide, but White was short of good options anyway.} Nxe4 11.
fxe5 fxe5 12. Kf1 Nxg3+ 13. Kg2 Nh5 14. Rf2 Nf4+ 15. Kh1 Ra1 16. Rd2+ Ke7 0-1

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Uhlmann, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rr2k1/1p3ppp/8/pB1p4/P2Pb1P1/8/1P3PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is about to seize the second rank by ...Rc2, but it is White to move,
and he now exploits the e-file in order to seize the seventh rank. ---} 1. f3
$1 Bg6 2. Re7 $1 b6 $6 ({Probably} 2... Rc2 {was better, although after} 3.
Rae1 h6 4. R1e2 $5 Rxe2 5. Bxe2 b6 6. Rc7 {, followed by Kf2, White keeps some
pressure.}) 3. Rae1 h6 ({With} 3... Rc2 $4 {obviously failing to} 4. Re8+ {,
Black has to spend a tempo on yet another pawn move.}) 4. Rb7 $1 {The rook
vacates e7 to its colleague with tempo.} Rd6 ({Or} 4... Rc2 5. Ree7 {, when
both} Rxb2 ({and} 5... Kf8 6. f4 $1) 6. Be8 $1 {let White keep a strong
initiative.}) 5. Ree7 h5 ({This time} 5... Rc2 {permits} 6. Re8+ Kh7 7. Rbb8 $1
{, increasing the pressure - Karpov.}) 6. gxh5 Bxh5 7. g4 $1 {The next step in
White's plan is to advance his kingside pawns to deflect the enemy bishop from
the defence of the f7-pawn.} (7. Be8 $6 Rc1+ 8. Kf2 Rc2+ {was less convincing.}
) 7... Bg6 8. f4 $1 Rc1+ 9. Kf2 Rc2+ 10. Ke3 Be4 ({Or} 10... Re6+ 11. Rxe6 fxe6
12. Rxb6 {and wins - Karpov.}) 11. Rxf7 Rg6 12. g5 Kh7 13. Rfe7 $1 {Preparing
Be8.} (13. Be8 $1 {at once was also strong}) ({but not} 13. f5 $6 Rxg5 14. f6
Rf5 {.}) 13... Rxb2 14. Be8 Rb3+ 15. Ke2 Rb2+ 16. Ke1 Rd6 ({Or} 16... Rb1+ 17.
Kd2 Rb2+ 18. Kc3 Rc2+ 19. Kb3 {etc - Karpov.}) 17. Rxg7+ Kh8 18. Rge7 {. Black
resigned - seeing that, when his checks are over, the retreat of White's
bishop will produce decisive mating threats.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, TV."]
[Black "Balashov, Y."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R3p1p/6p1/2p5/r1P1r3/P3P3/5PPP/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this double rook ending Black had pinned his hopes on the trade of the
queenside pawns, thus reaching a structure with four pawns vs. three on the
kingside. However, Petrosian had other plans. ---} 1. Rd1 $1 {Heading for d7.}
Rxa3 2. g3 Ra8 $2 {Underestimating the danger on the seventh rank.} ({By} 2...
Ra6 $1 3. Rdd7 $6 ({instead, White should prefer} 3. Rc1 Ra4 4. Rc7 Rexc4 5.
Rxc5 {, transposing to the above-mentioned ending}) 3... Rf6 {Black could have
defended the f7-pawn in a more active way - Tal.}) 3. Rdd7 $1 Rf8 4. Rbc7 Rxc4
5. Kg2 {Material is even, but White is much better thanks to his pressure
along the seventh rank and the passive enemy rook on f8. Next, his plan is to
advance e3-e4-e5-e6, creating a mating motif if the black king remains on the
back rank.} h5 6. h3 Kg7 7. Kf3 Kf6 8. h4 Kg7 9. Re7 $1 {Facilitating the
advance of the e-pawn.} Kf6 10. e4 Rd4 11. e5+ Kf5 (11... Kg7 $2 {would run
into} 12. e6 {.}) 12. Rxc5 {The endgame with four vs. three on the kingside is
finally reached, but in quite an unusual version where Black is still
suffering from the pressure at f7. Besides, the double pair of rooks means
that his king is exposed to mating motifs.} Rd3+ 13. Kg2 Ra3 14. Rc6 {Heading
for f6.} ({Equally interesting was} 14. Rc4 $5 g5 {(mate was threatened)} 15.
hxg5 Kxg5 16. Rf4 Kg6 17. Rf6+ Kg7 18. Kh3 {, followed by f2-f4 and Kh4.})
14... Ke4 15. Rf6 Raa8 16. e6 $1 ({Not} 16. Rfxf7 $2 Rxf7 17. Rxf7 Kxe5 {.})
16... Ke5 ({Obviously,} 16... fxe6 $2 17. Rexe6+ {would lead to the loss of
the g6-pawn.}) 17. Rfxf7 Rg8 18. Rb7 $5 {An interesting choice - Petrosian
abandons the e-pawn in exchange for a positional advantage: a cut-off enemy
king.} (18. Rg7 $2 Rxg7 19. Rxg7 Kf6 {was less to the point}) ({though by} 18.
f4+ $5 Kd6 19. Rg7 {, White could improve that variation, with excellent
winning chances; e.g.} Rab8 20. Rb7 $1 Ra8 ({or} 20... Kxe6 21. Rxg6+) 21. Rxg8
Rxg8 22. e7 {, followed by Kf3-e4.}) 18... Kxe6 19. Rbe7+ Kd6 20. Re2 Raf8 21.
Ra7 Ra8 22. Rae7 Rac8 23. R2e6+ {Preparing a curious, but strong plan: Kh3,
f2-f4, Ra6 and Ree6 with a decisive attack at g6.} Kd5 24. Kh3 Rc7 $2 {A grave
error in a difficult position.} 25. Rxg6 $1 {. Seeing that he will end up two
pawns down, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grigorian, L."]
[Black "Tal, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4pkp/4p1p1/8/3r4/5B2/4RPPP/2r1NK2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Exploiting the rook's mobility --- Finally, let's see some examples where the
rook, exploiting its great mobility, excels in the battle against minor pieces.
The next endgame is featured in Marin's interesting work, 'Learn from the
Legends'. --- Black is better, both in material and positional terms - in
particular, his outside passed pawn has a huge impact on the battle. However,
the automatic 1...a5?! would permit 2 Ra2, followed by Ke2, with some chances
of survival for White. Tal comes up with a much stronger idea. ---} 1... Rb4 $1
{With the threat of 2...Rbb1, tying the white rook to the defence of the
knight, which would make the advance of the a-pawn more powerful.} 2. Rc2 {
White is forced to swap rooks, an exchange that rarely favours the side with
the minor pieces in similar endgames. Somehow the absence of the rook is more
strongly felt in the camp of the minor pieces, as there is no other piece
doing the things that rooks do, in contrast to the opponent who has another
rook left on the board.} Rxc2 3. Nxc2 Rb2 {An excellent place for the rook.} ({
Obviously,} 3... Rb1+ $6 4. Ke2 {would only help White to activate his king.})
4. Bd1 a5 {Finally, the time is right to move the passed pawn forward.} 5. Ke2
({Worse is} 5. Ne3 $6 Rb4 6. Ke2 a4 {, when the a-pawn has already become
rather dangerous.}) 5... a4 6. Kd3 Rb3+ 7. Kc4 {Grigorian has managed to
control the a-pawn, at the cost of leaving the opposite flank somewhat
abandoned, a fact that Tal exploits with his next move.} Rb1 $1 8. Be2 Rg1 9.
Bf3 $2 (9. g3 $2 {was equally bad due to} Rg2) ({but} 9. Ne3 {was more
tenacious, when Black could try} Rb1 10. Nc2 e5 {, followed by ...f7-f5 and ...Kf6, with excellent winning chances now that the white king remains cut off
from the a-pawn.}) 9... Rf1 $1 {Winning a pawn, which makes Black's further
task rather simple.} 10. Kd3 Rxf2 11. Be4 e5 12. Ke3 Rf6 13. Kd3 Rb6 $1 {Again
cutting off the white king, while preparing ...f7-f5.} 14. Kc3 f5 15. Bd5 Rb1 {
. Here White resigned. Let's see a possible conclusion:} 16. Bc6 Rg1 17. g3 e4
$1 18. Bxa4 Rg2 19. Ne3 Rxh2 20. Nf1 Rf2 21. Bb5 Kf6 22. Kd4 h5 {, intending ...g6-g5 and ...h5-h4.} 0-1

[Event "European Team Championship, Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dutreeuw, M."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2r5/p4k2/6p1/Np2rpK1/8/PP4P1/5RN1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "28"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more tactical example. Thanks to his better co-ordinated forces
Black has the advantage, but things could change if White is allowed to
activate his knights. ---} 1... Rc2 $1 {Seizing the second rank.} ({Less to
the point was} 1... f3+ $2 2. Kg3 $1 {.}) 2. g3 ({On most other moves, such as
} 2. Rd1 {, Black would play} Re3 {anyway.}) 2... Re3 $1 {!} ({Of course not} 
2... Rg2 $4 3. Kf3 {.}) ({I considered} 2... f3+ $2 {as well, but after} 3.
Kxf3 Ke5 4. Rf2 {, there is no mate.}) 3. Rf3 {The only move;} ({in view of} 3.
gxf4 $2 Rg2+ 4. Kh5 Rh2+ 5. Kg4 Rh4#) ({or} 3. Nf3 $2 Rg2 4. Nxg5 Rexg3+ $1 5.
Kxf4 Rxg5 {.}) 3... Rg2 $1 {Another tactical shot - one that creates a
powerful passed pawn.} 4. Rxe3 fxe3 5. Nf3 Rc2 $1 ({Seeing} 5... e2 $6 {would
permit} 6. Nc5 Rg1 7. Nd3 {, Black first restricts the knight on a4.}) ({
Another good option was} 5... Rd2 $5 {, intending} 6. Nc5 Rxb2 7. Nxa6 Rxa2 8.
Nxb4 Ra4 {.}) 6. b3 ({Or} 6. Nb6 e2 7. Nd5+ Kg6 8. b3 Rd2 $1 9. Nxb4 Rd4+ $1 {
and wins.}) 6... e2 7. Nb6 Rd2 $1 {The rook again! Now the knight on b6 is
denied the d5-square, and the rest is easy.} 8. Kh3 Rd3 9. Ne1 Rd1 10. Nf3 Kf5
11. g4+ Kf4 12. Kg2 e1=Q 13. Nxe1 Rxe1 14. Nd5+ Kxg4 15. Nxb4 ({White resigned,
without waiting for} 15. Nxb4 a5 16. Nd3 Re2+ 17. Kf1 Rxa2 {etc.}) 0-1

[Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Matanovic, A."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1k4/p3p3/1n1p2pp/1P1P4/1P1K2P1/7P/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1958.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is the exchange up, but Black has managed some kind of fortress, with
protected squares at b5 and e4 for his knight, and annoying pressure on the
d4-pawn. ---} 1. Re1 {With the threat of 2 Re5.} ({Less is promised by} 1. Rf1
$6 Ke7 {.}) 1... Nd6 2. b5 $1 {A key advance, in order to clear new space for
the rook.} ({Nothing is achieved after} 2. Re5 Nf5 {.}) 2... axb5 ({Both} 2...
Nxb5 3. Re5) ({and} 2... a5 3. b6 $1 {, followed by Ra1, win for White.}) 3.
Ra1 $1 {The most natural follow-up;} ({though} 3. Kc3 {, heading for b4,
looked interesting too.}) 3... h4 {Trying to swap pawns.} ({In the event of a
passive defence with} 3... b4 4. Ra8 Nc8 {, White wins by} 5. Ke3 {, preparing
f2-f4; e.g.} Kc7 6. h4 $1 gxh4 7. gxh4 Nd6 8. Rf8 $1 {(so as to meet ...Nf5
with Rxf5 at any moment)} Kd7 9. Kf4 Ke7 10. Rh8 Nf5 11. Ke5 Nxh4 12. Rh7+ $1
Kd8 13. Kxe6 {and the d-pawn decides.}) 4. gxh4 ({After} 4. g4 $6 b4 5. Ra8 Ne4
{, Black's defence is made easier.}) 4... gxh4 5. Ra8 b4 6. Ra4 $6 ({More
direct was} 6. Rf8 $1 Nf5 7. Rf7+ Kc6 8. h3 $1 b6 9. Rxf5 {with similar play.})
6... Kc7 7. Ke2 ({Matanovic notes that} 7. Rxb4 $4 b5 $1 {would leave his rook
fatally trapped.}) 7... Kc6 8. Ra8 Nf5 9. Kd3 Kd7 10. Rb8 $1 {A useful
intermediate move, to draw the black king one step away from the kingside.} Kc7
11. Rf8 $1 {Preparing a sacrifice on f5 at the right moment.} Kd6 12. Rf7 b6
13. h3 $1 {Creating a zugzwang.} ({The immediate} 13. Rxf5 $2 {failed to} exf5
14. Ke3 Ke6 15. Kf4 Kf6 16. h3 b5 {etc.}) 13... Nh6 ({Or} 13... Kc6 14. Rxf5 $1
exf5 15. Ke3 Kd6 16. Kf4 Ke6 17. Kg5 {and White wins both enemy pawns on the
kingside. The text allows the rook settle on f4, thus liberating the king from
the defence of the d4-pawn.}) ({As for} 13... b5 {, White could lose a tempo by
} 14. Rb7 Kc6 15. Rh7 $1 Kd6 16. Rf7 {with similar play to the game after} Ng3
17. Rf4 {.}) 14. Rf4 $1 Nf5 15. Ke2 {With the simple, but irresistible plan of
Kf3-g4 and Rxf5 to create a decisive outside passed pawn.} Ke7 16. Kf3 Kf7 17.
Kg4 Kg6 18. Rxf5 $1 exf5+ 19. Kxh4 {The rest is easy.} b5 20. Kg3 Kg5 21. h4+
Kh5 22. Kf4 Kxh4 23. Kxf5 Kg3 24. Ke5 Kf3 25. Kxd5 Ke3 26. Kc5 Kd3 27. Kxb4 1-0

[Event "Lugano"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1970.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/4rp2/p2p1k2/Pp1P1B1p/1Pn1P1pP/5pP1/2R2P2/4R2K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1970.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{To counterbalance the previous examples, in this last one we will see a less
favourable role for the rooks. --- This is a real "knightmare" ending for
White - none of his pieces enjoys any real activity, whereas Black has a great
knight and possibilities of an exchange sacrifice along the e-file. ---} 1...
Re5 {Creating the threat of 2... Rxf5.} 2. Rd1 ({Unfortunately for White,} 2.
Rcc1 {runs into} Nd2 {.}) 2... Rxe4 $1 3. Bxe4 Rxe4 {With the simple plan of ...Ke5 and ...f7-f5-f4. Meanwhile, the lack of open files for the white rooks is
strongly felt.} 4. Kg1 Ke5 5. Kf1 f5 6. Rcc1 ({Or} 6. Re1 Kxd5 7. Rxe4 fxe4 {
- Larsen.}) 6... f4 $1 {This is bound to create a passed pawn, one that will
exhaust White's defences.} 7. Rd3 ({If} 7. gxf4+ Kxf4 8. Re1 {, then} Nd2+ 9.
Kg1 Re2 $1 {, with the strong threat of ...g4-g3}) ({and} 7. Re1 Nd2+ 8. Kg1
Re2 {is similar.}) 7... fxg3 8. fxg3 Ne3+ 9. Kf2 Nxd5 {The rest is easy.} 10.
Re1 Rxe1 11. Kxe1 Nf6 12. Rc3 Ne4 13. Rc6 Kd4 $1 ({In view of} 13... Kd4 14.
Rxa6 Ke3 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4. Minor Piece Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {One single diagonal -- Barrier -- The magic distance -- Fixing pawns --
Provocation -- Blockade -- The team of bishop and knight} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 233"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/b7/P7/1P2k3/2P5/2KP4/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{One single diagonal --- In the endgame, a key function of the bishop is to
perform several tasks on a single diagonal, or "the principle of one
diagonal" if you prefer. Here are some examples on this topic. --- Four
pawns almost always triumph against a lonely bishop, but if the latter can
control all of them along the same diagonal, then there is hope for salvation.
---} 1... Bb6 {A waiting move. Other bishop moves on the g1-a7 diagonal work
as well;} ({but not} 1... Kd6 $2 2. d4 {, of course.}) 2. Kb3 {Setting a
little trap.} (2. Kb4 Kd6 {is less constructive.}) 2... Kd6 $1 ({Avoiding} 2...
Kd4 $2 3. Kb4 {and White wins; e.g.} Ba7 4. Ka5 Kc5 5. d4+ $1 {, followed by 6
b6.}) 3. Kb4 Bc5+ 4. Ka5 Kc7 {White can't make progress;} ({e.g.} 4... Kc7 5.
b6+ Bxb6+ 6. Kb5 Be3 7. c5 Kb8 8. Kb6 Bf2 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 234"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/b7/P7/1P2k3/2P5/2K2P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In contrast, if we move the d3-pawn to f3, then this pawn can no longer be
controlled by the bishop, and White wins. ---} 1... Bb6 ({Or} 1... Bc5 2. Kb3 {
, heading for a5, with similar play.}) 2. Kb4 ({Another possible move order is
} 2. f4+ Kxf4 3. Kb4 {, followed by c4-c5;} ({and even} 3. c5 Bxc5 4. Kc4 {
with Kd5-c6 to follow leads to the goal.})) 2... Kd6 3. f4 {Black's defences
are soon overloaded;} ({e.g.} 3. f4 Bc5+ 4. Ka5 Kc7 5. f5 Bd4 6. c5 Bxc5 7. f6
Bb6+ 8. Kb4 Kd6 9. f7 Ke7 10. Kc4 Kxf7 11. Kd5 {, followed by 12 Kc6.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 235"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/b7/P7/1P3p1P/3p1P2/3K2P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a different scenario of the same subject. Material is about equal,
but the fact that Black's bishop can control the enemy queenside pawns and, at
the same time, defend his own pawn on d4 makes this an easy win. ---} 1. Kc4
Kg7 2. Kb4 Bb6 $1 ({Not} 2... Kh6 $2 3. Ka5 d3 4. b6 {and White escapes. In
contrast, after the text he is helpless against the plan of Kh6xh5-g4 etc.}) *

[Event "Ada Ciganlija"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mozetic, D."]
[Black "Abramovic, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/8/P1B5/7P/1b1p4/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's see this theme being applied in practice. --- Endings with
opposite-coloured bishops often feature the idea of one single diagonal. To
start with, White should deal with the threat of 1...d2. ---} 1. Be3 $1 {An
ideal diagonal for the bishop, where it controls the d3-pawn and will protect
the own h-pawn later on.} ({In contrast, after} 1. Ke3 $2 Bc4 2. Kd2 ({or} 2.
h5 $2 Kg7 {and the h-pawn falls}) 2... Kg6 {, it is Black who carries out the
idea of one single diagonal. There can follow} 3. Be7 Kh5 4. Kc3 Ba6 5. Bg5 Kg4
6. Kb4 d2 $1 7. Bxd2 Kxh4 {with a draw - Mozetic.}) 1... Ke6 {Heading for the
a-pawn.} ({After} 1... Kg6 2. a6 Kh5 3. a7 Bd5 4. Bg5 Kg4 ({or} 4... d2 5. Ke2
$1) 5. Ke3 {, contrary to the previous note, here Black's bishop can't control
the a-pawn and protect the d-pawn at the same time, so he is lost.}) ({As for} 
1... Bc4 {, after} 2. h5 Kf6 3. h6 {, White also wins - Mozetic, by directing
his king to the a-pawn.}) 2. a6 $1 {Another accurate move, preventing Black's
king from dealing with the a-pawn.} ({The natural} 2. h5 $2 {failed to} d2 $1
3. Bxd2 Kd7 {, heading for a8, after which Black achieves a theoretical draw
by sacrificing the bishop for the h-pawn - Mozetic.}) 2... Kf5 ({Or} 2... Kd7
3. a7 Bd5 4. h5 Kc7 5. h6 Be4 6. h7 {.}) 3. a7 Bd5 4. h5 Bc6 5. h6 ({Black
resigned, seeing that after the continuation} 5. h6 Kg6 6. Ke1 {, he can't
prevent the transfer of the white king to the a-pawn.}) 1-0

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keres, P."]
[Black "Westerinen, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/p3b3/1p1p3P/3B4/2P5/PPPK4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar example with more pawns. ---} 1. b4 $1 {Fixing a target on
a6 for the king.} Bf5 {The best diagonal for this bishop.} 2. Be5 Kh7 $6 {The
king has no real future here.} (2... Kf8 3. Ke3 Ke7 4. Kd4 Ke6 {seems more
logical, although after} 5. Bf4 Bxc2 6. h6 $1 {(preventing 6...Kf5)} Bg6 7. Kc5
Kf5 8. Be3 Ke4 9. Bd4 {, White is much faster; e.g.} f5 10. Kb6 Kd3 11. Kxa6
Kc4 12. Ka5 $1 f4 13. a4 bxa4 14. Kxa4 f3 15. b5 {and wins.}) 3. Bf4 $1 {A key
move: White parries the threat of 3...Kh6 and, for the longer term, installs
his bishop on a diagonal where it can defend the h-pawn and control the enemy
f-pawn at the same time. Interestingly, the bishop won't move again in this
example!} Bg4 4. h6 Bf5 5. Ke3 $1 {Keres directs his king to a6, without
bothering about the c2-pawn.} Bxc2 6. Kd4 Bb1 7. a3 {Of course that pawn
should stay on the board.} Ba2 8. Kc5 Kg6 9. Kb6 Bc4 ({Or} 9... Bb3 10. Kxa6
Ba4 11. Kb6 Kh7 12. Kc5 {and, after the capture on d5, one of the advances
c3-c4 and a3-a4 decides.}) 10. Kxa6 Bd3 11. Ka5 $1 {Exploiting the last
dynamic resource in the position, the a3-a4 advance.} Kf6 12. a4 bxa4 13. Kxa4
Ke6 14. Ka5 ({If} 14. Ka5 Kd7 {, one simple option is} 15. b5 {, followed by
Kb6-c5, after which Black will be unable to defend both flanks.}) 1-0

[Event "Quito"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rodriguez Vila, A."]
[Black "Macias Murillo, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/k7/p1b2K2/1p3P2/1P1P4/P7/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The next example shows the idea of one single diagonal in the hands of the
defending side. --- Black's position is unpleasant, but salvation was just
around the corner. ---} 1... Bd5 $1 {Installing the bishop on a diagonal where
it will control both enemy passed pawns.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Kb7 $2
2. Ke6 $1 Be8 3. f6 Kc6 4. d5+ Kc7 5. Ke7 {and, unable to cope with the white
pawns, Black resigned.}) 2. Ke5 ({After} 2. Ke7 Kb6 3. f6 $2 Kc6 {White even
loses, since} 4. f7 {runs into} Bxf7 5. Kxf7 Kd5 {.}) 2... Bg8 3. Kd6 Kb6 4. f6
Kb7 {A waiting move, after which White can't make progress;} ({e.g.} 4... Kb7
5. d5 Bf7 6. Ke7 Bxd5 7. f7 Bxf7 8. Kxf7 Kc7 9. Ke7 Kc6 10. Kd8 Kd6 $1 {etc.})
*

[Event "Calvia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aaberg, A."]
[Black "Tiviakov, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4B3/2k3pp/4p3/3pPp2/5P1P/1b2P3/pK3P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is clearly much better, but in order to progress he must solve the
problem of his weakness on e6, an issue which Tiviakov dealt with perfectly in
the game. ---} 1... Kb6 2. Bd7 d4 $1 3. exd4 Bd5 {It transpires that, on the
a2-g8 diagonal, Black's bishop is confidently defending both of his key pawns.}
4. Ba4 Ka5 {The next step is to invade the enemy camp with the king.} 5. Bd1
Kb4 6. Bc2 h6 $1 {Good technique - in bishop endings it often makes sense to
place one's pawns on squares of the opposite colour of the bishops.} 7. Bd1 ({
Or} 7. Bd3 a1=Q+ $1 8. Kxa1 Kc3 9. Bf1 Kd2 $1 {, followed by ...Ke1xf2-e3 etc.}
) 7... Kc4 {The rest is easy.} 8. Kxa2 Kxd4+ 9. Kb2 Ke4 10. Kc3 Kxf4 11. Kd4 g5
12. hxg5 hxg5 {. Seeing that the plan of ...g5-g4-g3, followed by ...Kxg3 and ...f5-f4, can't be parried in any way, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "World Junior Championships, Menorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vajda, L."]
[Black "Asrian, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5Bp1/5p1p/4b2P/6P1/kp1K4/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is two pawns up, but even so it seems difficult for him to progress.
Asrian found an exquisite solution. ---} 1... g5 $3 2. hxg6 ({Or} 2. Be6 f5 $1
{, when both} 3. Bxf5 ({and} 3. gxf5 Bf6 $1) 3... b2 4. Kc4 Ka2 {win for Black.
There might follow} 5. Kd5 Bf4 6. Ke6 b1=Q 7. Bxb1+ Kxb1 8. Kf6 Kc2 9. Kg6 Kd3
10. Kxh6 Ke4 {with ...Bc1 and ...Kf4 next.}) 2... b2 $1 ({The move order
matters: after} 2... f5 $2 3. Bxb3 $1 Kxb3 ({or} 3... fxg4 4. Bd1 g3 5. Bf3) 4.
gxf5 {, White survives - Baburin.}) 3. Kc2 f5 $1 {A second breakthrough which,
by the way, is a key method for the attacker in endings with opposite-coloured
bishops, as we already discussed in Chapter Two.} 4. gxf5 h5 {The position has
changed drastically - material is even, but Black has managed to create a
powerful second passed pawn, while his bishop proves excellently placed on the
long diagonal, where it controls both enemy pawns and defends the b-pawn at
the same time.} 5. Be6 ({Obviously,} 5. g7 Bxg7 6. Bxh5 {fails to} Ka2 {.})
5... h4 6. Kb1 Bf6 7. Bd5 h3 8. Kc2 h2 (8... h2 {creates the threat} 9. -- h1=Q
10. Bxh1 Ka2 {.}) 9. Kb1 Kb4 {Directing the king to the h-pawn.} ({Another
good option is} 9... Bg7 10. Bb7 Kb3 {in the same spirit.}) 10. Bc6 ({If} 10.
Kc2 {, then} Bg7 $1 {(zugzwang)} 11. Bg2 Ka3 12. Kb1 Kb3 {with similar play -
Baburin.}) 10... Kc3 11. Bh1 Kd2 {. In view of the inevitable arrival of
Black's king at g1, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Bacrot, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/P4k1p/2b5/5PK1/7B/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a final, complex example on the subject of one single diagonal. ---
It is easy to conclude that White's only chance for a win is to transfer his
king to the opposite flank, without losing the f-pawn in the process. In order
to avoid the latter, he should not advance that pawn any further than f5, so
that the bishop can protect it without losing track of the h-pawn. ---} 1. f5 (
{Let's examine two other tries:} 1. Kf3 Ke7 2. Ke4 Kd6 {(preventing Kd5)} 3.
Kf5 ({or} 3. f5 Kc7 4. f6 Kb6 5. Bf1 Bf8 {with similar play}) 3... Kc7 4. Kg6
Kb6 5. Bf1 Bf8 {and, interestingly, it is now Black who applies the idea of
one single diagonal, controlling the f-pawn and defending h6 at the same time.
There can follow} 6. f5 ({or} 6. Kf7 Bd6 7. f5 h5 $1 {and the h-pawn soon
deflects the enemy bishop from the defence of the a6-pawn}) 6... Ka7 7. f6 Kb6
8. f7 Ka7 {and White can't progress without losing track of the h-pawn; e.g.}
9. Kh7 h5 10. Kg8 Bc5 11. f8=Q Bxf8 12. Kxf8 h4 13. Ke7 h3 {with a draw -
Ftacnik/Notkin.}) (1. Bf1 h5+ 2. Kf3 h4 $1 3. Bh3 ({or} 3. Kg4 Bf2 4. Bg2 Ke7
5. Kg5 Kd8 $1 {- again, the task of controlling the a-pawn should be assigned
to the king -} 6. f5 Kc7 7. f6 Kb6 8. f7 Bc5 9. Bf1 h3 {with a draw}) 3... Ke7
4. Kg4 Bf2 5. f5 Kf6 $1 6. Kf3 Ba7 7. Ke4 Ke7 8. Kd5 Kd7 $1 {and White can't
make progress - Ftacnik, since} 9. f6+ Ke8 {would allow Black to liquidate the
f-pawn; e.g.} 10. Be6 Bg1 11. Kc6 h3 $1 12. Bxh3 Kf7 {.}) 1... Ba7 {Curiously,
while making this excellent waiting move, Bacrot resigned! As the following
analysis shows, Black can make a draw as long as he doesn't let White apply
the idea of one single diagonal.} 2. Kf4 h5 $1 {The only move, so as to avoid
a position with the f-pawn on f7 and the white bishop ideally placed on the
h5-e8 diagonal.} ({Let's see this in concrete terms:} 2... Bg1 $2 3. Ke4 Ke7 4.
Kd5 Kd7 5. Bg4 $1 Bf2 6. f6+ Ke8 7. Bh5+ $1 Kd7 8. f7 Ke7 9. Kc6 {and White
wins.}) 3. Ke4 Ke7 4. Kd5 Kd7 $1 {Preventing 5 Kc6.} ({After} 4... Bg1 $2 5.
Kc6 {, followed by Kb7 and a6-a7, White wins thanks to the perfect location of
his bishop, protecting the f-pawn and controlling the h-pawn at the same time.}
) 5. f6+ {This is the only way to make progress, but as we already know, once
the f-pawn leaves f5 it can no longer be comfortably defended by the bishop.}
Ke8 6. Be6 h4 $1 {The pawn gets ready to sacrifice itself once the white king
leaves the centre.} 7. Kc6 ({After} 7. Kd6 Bg1 $1 ({or any other waiting move;
just not} 7... h3 $2 8. Bxh3 Kf7 9. Ke5) 8. Kc6 h3 $1 {, Black draws in
similar fashion to the main line.}) 7... h3 8. Kb7 ({Or} 8. Bxh3 Kf7 {.}) 8...
h2 9. Bd5 Bd4 10. a7 Bxa7 11. Kxa7 h1=Q $1 12. Bxh1 Kf7 {. Black draws -
Ftacnik/Notkin.} *

[Event "European Senior Ch., Courmayeur"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Strutinskaya, G."]
[Black "Chernikov, O."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2k1p2p/1p2P3/1P3KNP/8/8/1b6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Barrier --- By the term "barrier" I refer to a construction where the team of
a knight and a piece that captures diagonally is deployed on squares of the
same colour within short distance, in order to restrict the enemy king. ---
Barriers are quite common in bishop vs. knight endings, as in this simple
example. ---} 1. Nf6 $1 {Creating a barrier in order to prevent the entrance
of the black king.} ({In contrast, after} 1. Nxh6 $6 Kd5 {, Black obtains
counterplay - Baburin. It is worth noting that in most bishop vs. knight
endings, the existence of mutual passed pawns favours the bishop.}) 1... Bc2 2.
Ke3 {Next, the white king should temporarily replace the knight in the task of
controlling d5.} Bf5 3. Kd4 Kb6 ({Or} 3... Bc2 4. Ng8 $1 h5 5. Nf6 Bd1 6. Ke3 {
with similar play - Baburin.}) 4. Ng8 $1 {Provocation - once the h-pawn moves
to h5 it will be easier for White to attack it; besides, the g5-square is
liberated for her king.} h5 5. Ke3 Kc6 6. Nf6 Bg6 7. Kf4 Bc2 8. Kg5 ({Again
there is no reason to go for} 8. Nxh5 $6 Kd5 {, either here or on the
following moves.}) 8... Bd1 9. Kg6 $1 {Heading for the e6-pawn.} Bf3 10. Kf7
Bg4 11. Ke7 {Zugzwang.} Bf5 ({On} 11... Kc7 {White could triangulate by} 12.
Ke8 Kc6 13. Kf7 {, so as to force} Kc7 {, after which} 14. Kg6 Kc6 15. Nxh5 {
wins comfortably now that} Kd5 {fails to} 16. Nf6+ {.}) 12. Nxh5 Kd5 13. Kf6 {
In comparison to the 8 Nxh5 subline, here White's king is much more active,
which secures a swift win.} Kc4 14. Ng7 Bd3 15. Nxe6 Kxb4 16. Nd4 Kc5 17. e6 $1
Kd6 18. e7 Kd7 19. Ne6 Bg6 20. Nf8+ 1-0

[Event "Prague"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vilela, J."]
[Black "Augustin, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1N2kp2/8/P2K2n1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this apparently drawish position, White decided matters by means of a
barrier. ---} 1. Kc5 $1 {King first, denying Black's king the d6-square.} ({
The hasty} 1. a5 $2 {would just draw after} Kd6 $1 ({but not} 1... Ne5 $2 2.
Kc5 $1 {with similar play to the game}) 2. a6 Ne5 {and the knight reaches c6
in time.}) 1... f5 ({Or} 1... Ne5 2. a5 Nd7+ 3. Kc6 $1 {and wins - Dvoretsky.})
2. a5 f4 3. a6 f3 4. Nc4 $1 ({After} 4. a7 $2 f2 5. a8=Q f1=Q 6. Qe8+ Kf5 {,
Black escapes.}) 4... f2 5. Nd2 Nf6 6. Kc6 $1 ({Avoiding the last trap:} 6. a7
$2 Ne4+ $1 {.}) 6... Ne4 7. Nf1 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Sadler, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5ppp/p2bp3/8/8/4P1P1/1P3PKP/2N5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The barrier is also frequently used by the defending side. In the above
position the bishop outranks the knight, but White has a very simple way of
maintaining the balance. ---} 1. Nd3 $1 (1. --) 1... f5 2. f3 Kf7 3. e4 $1 Ke7
4. b3 {The barrier is complete and now prevents the black king from invading
White's territory.} g6 {. Neither player can do much, so a draw was agreed.}
1/2-1/2

[Event "Las Palmas Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Browne, W."]
[Black "Petrosian, TV."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p2r1pp1/1p3n1p/3pR3/1P1P3P/1B3P2/1P3KP1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar, but more complex example. White has a more active game,
and now intends g2-g4-g5, conquering the d5-pawn. Petrosian found a surprising
defence. ---} 1... Ng8 $1 {Deliberately handing over the d5-pawn in order to
set up a barrier.} ({Another option was} 1... Ne8 $5 2. Rxd5 ({while} 2. Ba4 $5
Rd8 3. Bxe8 {can be met by} f6 $1 {and only then 4...Rxe8.}) 2... Rxd5 3. Bxd5
Nd6 {with similar play.}) 2. Rxd5 ({Or} 2. Bxd5 $6 Ne7 {, followed by 3...Rxd4.
}) 2... Rxd5 3. Bxd5 Ne7 $1 {Heading for c8-d6.} 4. Be4 Nc8 5. Ke3 g5 ({The
immediate} 5... Nd6 {was fine as well, but Petrosian prefers to grab some
space.}) 6. hxg5 hxg5 7. f4 gxf4+ 8. Kxf4 f6 9. Bd3 Nd6 {The barrier is
complete, preventing White from making progress.} 10. Kg4 Kg7 11. g3 Kf7 12.
Kh5 Kg7 13. g4 ({Play might have continued} 13. g4 Kf7 14. g5 fxg5 15. Kxg5 Ke7
16. Kf4 Kd7 17. Ke5 Kc7 {, followed by endless knight moves.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 246"]
[Black "Dvoretsky, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "K7/8/8/5N2/8/3k3p/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to its tactical potential (i.e. forks), the knight can sometimes set
up a barrier on its own, as in the next example. --- With the knight on h2
this would be an elementary draw, but that can't be accomplished here.
Fortunately, a different defensive idea is available. ---} 1. Ng3 $1 {Creating
a barrier against the black king.} ({In contrast, going for a fork by} 1. Nh6
$2 h2 2. Ng4 {fails to} h1=Q+ {, queening with check - Dvoretsky.}) 1... h2 ({
The direct} 1... Ke3 {allows} 2. Nf1+ Kf2 3. Nh2 {with a simple draw; e.g.} Kg2
4. Ng4 Kg3 5. Ne3 {etc.}) 2. Kb7 {It transpires that Black's king can't step
on e4 or e2, while e3 and d2 aren't available either due to a fork on f1.} Kd4
({After} 2... Kc2 3. Kc6 Kd1 4. Kd5 Ke1 5. Ke4 Kf2 6. Nh1+ ({or} 6. Kf4) 6...
Kg2 7. Ke3 Kxh1 8. Kf2 {, it is again a draw.}) 3. Kc6 Ke5 4. Kc5 Kf4 5. Nh1 $1
{The knight is sacrificed to leave Black's king trapped in the corner.} Kf3 6.
Kd4 Kg2 7. Ke3 Kxh1 8. Kf2 {. Stalemate.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 247"]
[Black "Dvoretsky, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2N5/8/2p1k3/8/2P5/8/7K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here are two more examples of a knight successfully creating a barrier. ---
How to cope with the enemy plan of ...Ke4-d3, finishing off the c3-pawn? ---} 
1. Na8 $1 {A surprising move, but it turns out that the knight is needed on b6,
and this is the only available route.} ({Both} 1. Kg2 $2 Ke4 2. Kg3 Kd3 3. Nb5
({or} 3. Nd5) 3... Kc4) ({and} 1. Nb5 $2 Kd5 $1 ({not} 1... Ke4 $2 2. c4 Kd3 3.
Nd6 $1 {etc}) 2. Na3 Ke4 3. Kg2 Kd3 4. c4 Kc3 5. Kf3 Kb3 6. Ke4 Kxa3 {lead to
a draw. But note that with the white king starting on h2, he would win in this
line as well, by 7 Kd6 at this moment.}) 1... Kd5 ({Or} 1... Ke4 2. c4 Kd4 3.
Nb6 {, securing the pawn. Incidentally, defending the pawn from the front
tends to be a good idea in knight vs. pawn endings with blocked pawns. In
contrast, without the c5-pawn on the board, the knight should defend the pawn
from the back; e.g. from b2 in this case.}) 2. Nb6+ Kc6 3. Nc4 Kd5 4. Nd2 $1 {
. Completing the barrier, with an easy win.} 1-0

[Event "Baden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tratar, M."]
[Black "Hug, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p2p4/3P1k2/2P5/P3K1b1/3N4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A clever knight manoeuvre helped White to capitalize on his extra pawn. ---} 
1. Nb3 $1 {Heading for c6 in order to create a barrier together with the
d5-pawn.} Ke5 2. Kd3 Bf2 3. Na5 Kf5 4. Nc6 Bb6 5. a4 {Preparing to fix the
a-pawns on squares of the "right" colour in relation to the enemy bishop.} a5 {
Black plays this move voluntarily, without waiting for White to provoke it by
Nb4 or Nb8.} 6. c5 $1 {A strong breakthrough which clears a path for the king
via c4-b5.} ({Alternatively,} 6. Nb8 {, followed by Nd7 and c4-c5, was a more
complex winning procedure - Müller.}) 6... dxc5 ({Or} 6... Bxc5 7. Nxa5 Ke5 8.
Kc4 {with the mortal threat of Nc6+ and a4-a5-a6-a7 - Ribli.}) 7. Kc4 {Thanks
to the barrier, White can use his king for active means.} Kf6 ({If} 7... Ke4 {
, then} 8. d6 {- Ribli.}) 8. Kb5 ({Ribli also suggests} 8. d6 $5 Ke6 9. Kb5 {.}
) 8... c4 ({Seeing that} 8... Bc7 9. Kxc5 {, followed by 10 d6, is hopeless
for him, Black makes a desperate try.}) 9. Kxb6 ({Of course} 9. Kxc4 {was also
fine.}) 9... c3 10. Nxa5 {. Heading for b3, so Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 249"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4K3/1nkP4/8/8/8/3B4/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The magic distance --- In the endgame, the pieces dominate each other in
different ways. For example, a bishop placed at the distance of three squares
from a knight severely restricts the movements of the latter. Such a method
"placing one of our pieces at a particular distance from an enemy piece"
is referred to in this book as the "magic" distance; we already came across it
briefly in Chapter Two (Ivkina-Lahno, Tal-Fuchs, and Rotstein-Sundarajan).
Here are some further examples. ---} 1. Ke7 $1 {Preparing zugzwang.} (1. Be4 $2
{would only draw after} Nd6+ 2. Ke7 Nc8+ $1 {.}) 1... Nd8 2. Be4 $1 {
Preventing the check on c6, which means that Black is left with a single reply.
} Nf7 3. Bf3 {Losing a tempo...} Nd8 4. Bd5 $1 {...and there it is, the magic
distance. White wins.} *

[Event "Zurich Candidates"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boleslavsky, I."]
[Black "Kotov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r2k/6pp/p2B1n2/1p6/8/1PN2b2/1P3PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "38"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...Rf8-e8, saving himself from further material losses.
White reacted very opportunely, bearing in mind the idea of the magic distance.
---} 1. Rxe8+ ({After} 1. Ra1 Bb7 2. f3 {, White has good winning chances due
to his extra pawn, but Boleslavsky's approach is more technical.}) 1... Nxe8 2.
Be5 $1 {A key move, which leaves the knight on e8 restricted for the rest of
the game. We saw an almost identical case in Chapter Two (Example 126,
Fischer-Addison).} ({In contrast, after} 2. gxf3 $6 Nxd6 {, White would suffer
from a bad structure.}) 2... Bc6 3. b4 $1 {Fixing a weakness on a6.} h5 ({
Evidently,} 3... Nf6 {at any moment will be met by} 4. Bxf6 {, and the knight
vs. bishop ending arising after} gxf6 5. f3 {is easily won thanks to the extra
pawn - Bronstein.}) 4. f3 {The rest is relatively easy, as Black is virtually
a piece down.} Kh7 5. Ne2 g5 6. Kf2 h4 7. g3 hxg3+ 8. hxg3 Kg6 9. g4 $1 {A
move with several virtues: the enemy king is restricted, further pawn
exchanges are avoided, and a future target is created on g5.} Bb7 10. Ke3 Bc6
11. Nc3 Bb7 12. Ne4 Bd5 ({Or} 12... Bc8 13. Nc5 {and it is actually the knight
who is dominating the bishop, with a decisive Kd4-d5 next.}) 13. Nc5 Kf7 14.
Nxa6 Ke6 15. Bc3 Ba8 16. Nc5+ Kf7 17. Ne4 Kg6 18. Be5 Bd5 19. Nd2 Kf7 ({Black
resigned at the same time, in view of} 19... Kf7 20. Kd4 Ke6 21. Ne4 {. It is
a striking fact that the knight never left e8.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 251"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/6n1/1P1K3p/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When the king fights against a knight, a good location tends to be at the
distance of two squares diagonally from it - not so much for restrictive
means, as to avoid future checks. Here is a simple example to demonstrate this
point. --- In order to win White must prevent the knight from reaching the
b-file. ---} 1. b6 Nf4+ ({After both} 1... Ne7+ 2. Kc5 $1) ({and} 1... Nf8 2.
Kd6 $1 {, the white king dominates the knight.} ({These are the only winning
moves - in this line, for example,} 2. Kc6 $2 {would only draw after} Ne6 {.}))
2. Kd6 $1 {Applying the magic distance.} ({Both} 2. Kc6 $2 Ne6) ({and} 2. Ke5
$2 Nd3+ {, followed by ...Nb4-a6, would allow Black to draw.}) ({As for} 2. Kc4
$6 {, after} Ng6 $1 {White would have to return to the main line with} 3. Kd5 (
{since} 3. b7 $2 {fails to} Ne5+ 4. Kd5 Nd7) 3... Nf4+ 4. Kd6 $1 {in order to
win.}) 2... h4 3. b7 {. White wins.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eingorn, V."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2N1n1K1/1k6/7P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar example. Anybody acquainted with the magic distance idea
will soon find the solution. ---} 1. Nd4+ $1 {A typical deflection sacrifice.}
Nxd4 2. Kf6 $1 {The magic distance, delaying the knight checks to a maximum.}
Nc2 3. h5 Ne3 4. Kg5 $1 {Again the same theme.} Nc4 5. h6 ({Black resigned, in
view of} 5. h6 Ne5 6. h7 Nf7+ 7. Kf6 Nh8 8. Kg7 {- Eingorn.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 253"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5n2/3R2K1/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With a rook fighting against a knight, the same distance of two squares
diagonally remains highly relevant, as in this simple example. The king and
rook vs. king and knight ending is only rarely won, but here the location of
Black's king proves fatal. ---} 1. Rd5 $1 {The magic distance in order to
limit the knight. Incidentally, changing subject for a moment, two fellow
pieces located at the magic distance from each other (e.g. Kf3 and Qd1) can't
be forked by an enemy knight.} Nh8+ ({Obviously,} 1... Kf8 {runs into} 2. Rf5 {
.}) 2. Kf6 Nf7 3. Rd7 $1 {Compared to the initial position White's king is now
on f6, which means there is no fork on e5.} ({Another winning option is} 3. Rd4
$5 Nh6 4. Rc4 $1 {(zugzwang)} Kh7 5. Rh4 {.}) 3... Nh8 ({Or} 3... Nh6 4. Kg6 $1
{with a decisive double threat.}) 4. Ra7 $1 {Losing a tempo.} Kf8 5. Ra8# *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Krogius, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r1k/7p/8/6p1/3p4/3n2P1/1P3PBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rd1 $1 ({Here Black enjoys some counterplay for the pawn; e.g.} 1. Re7 $6
Rb8 $1 2. Be4 Nc5) ({or} 1. Re2 $6 Rc8 $1 {, when} 2. Rd2 $2 {fails to} Rc1+ 3.
Bf1 Ne1 {. However, Smyslov finds a much better solution, based on the
domination of the enemy knight.}) 1... Nxb2 ({Of course not} 1... Nxf2 $2 2.
Rf1 {.}) 2. Rxd4 {The magic distance. From now on, the knight will be badly
missed in Black's kingside defence; besides which, the knight itself runs
the danger of being trapped.} h6 ({After} 2... Rc8 {, both} 3. Be4 Rc1+ ({and} 
3... Rc7 4. Rd5 $1 h6 5. Rd6 Kg7 6. Rg6+) 4. Kg2 Rd1 5. Rb4 Rd2 6. Kf1 $1 Nd1
7. Rb8+ ({not} 7. Ke1 $2 Rb2 $1) 7... Kg7 8. Rb7+ Kf6 9. Ke1 {win for White}) (
{while} 2... Re8 3. Be4 Nd1 4. Bf5 Rf8 5. Bxh7 $1 Nxf2 6. Bc2 {again leaves
the knight decisively dominated; e.g.} Nh3+ 7. Kg2 Rf2+ 8. Kxh3 Rxc2 9. Rd5 g4+
10. Kxg4 Rxh2 11. Rh5+ {etc - Smyslov.}) 3. Be4 Rf6 4. f3 Kg7 5. Kg2 $1 {
Preparing Kh3-g4-h5 in order to include his majesty in the kingside attack.}
Ra6 ({The restrictive} 5... h5 {now fails to} 6. Rd5 $1 Kh6 7. Rd7 {-
Smyslov.}) 6. Kh3 Na4 7. Rc4 $1 Nb2 ({The knight is denied c5 and c3, while} 
7... Nb6 {would run into} 8. Rc6 {.}) ({Again} 7... h5 {wouldn't work, this
time due to} 8. Rc7+ Kf6 9. Rh7 {, winning a pawn - Smyslov.}) 8. Rc7+ Kf8 9.
Kg4 Nd1 10. Kh5 Ne3 11. Rc3 $1 Nf1 ({After} 11... Nd1 12. Rc1 Ne3 ({or} 12...
Nf2 13. Bg6) 13. Re1 Nc4 14. Bd3 $1 {, Black is lost as well.}) 12. Bd3 ({In
view of} 12. Bd3 Ra1 13. Bxf1 Rxf1 14. Kxh6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "US Championship, Seattle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Benjamin, Joe"]
[Black "Wagener, A."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B30"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{By the way, the magic distance isn't an exclusive endgame subject. Here are
two positions from earlier stages of the game, appearing in 'Mastering Chess
Strategy' and 'Mastering Opening Strategy', respectively. ---} 1. e4 ({J.Hellsten-A.Brkljaca, Belgrade 2002 (analysis variation):} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.
Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. Nf4 c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nbd7 10.
O-O e5 11. Nfe2 Nb6 12. Ba2 exd4 13. Nxd4 c5 14. Nf3 Bg4 15. e4 Qxd1 16. Rxd1
Bxf3 17. gxf3 {. Black would really like to seize the d4-square with one of
his knights, but that will take him considerable time (if it is even possible),
since both knights are on the magic distance from d4. Probably he will have to
adjust his plans - fight for the open file by} Rfd8 {, for instance, when
White keeps a pleasant advantage after} 18. Be3 {, thanks to his bishop pair
and mobile pawn centre.}) 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. Re1 a6 6.
Bf1 d5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. Bd3 Ng6 9. Be4 Qd6 10. c3 Be7 11. d4 O-O 12. Be3 cxd4
13. cxd4 Bd7 14. Nc3 Rad8 15. Rc1 {. A bishop on e4 is not a typical feature
in such IQP structures, but here this idea works very well since both black
knights are located at the "magic" distance from e4, which means that neither
will be able to challenge the bishop in the near future.} ({The game continued
} 15. Rc1 f5 16. Bc2 f4 $6 17. Ne4 Qd5 18. Bd2 $1 {, preparing Bb3, with a
clear advantage for White.}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1947.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tsvetkov, A."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5kp/1p1p2p1/2pP4/2P1b1P1/P1P4P/8/4KB2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1947.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Fixing pawns --- The idea of fixing an enemy pawn on a specific square holds
great importance in the endgame, and we already came across it in several
examples, such as Averbakh-Lilienthal (1 g5), Donner-Smyslov (7...h4),
Gligoric-Popovic (4 g3), Keres-Westerinen (1 b4), and Boleslavsky-Kotov (3 b4).
Often this method is related to the colour of one or more bishops on the board.
Let's see some examples, starting with a few bishop endings. --- In the
position above the pawn structure speaks clearly in Black's favour - various
white pawns are located on light squares, which means that they can be
attacked by the black bishop, whereas Black himself has managed to put almost
all his pawns on dark squares, out of reach for the enemy bishop. ---} 1... g5
$1 {A key move, which fixes White's kingside pawns on light squares. Note that
with White to move, 1 g5! would be a great idea, fixing the g-pawns of both
sides on the "right" colour, and at the same time restricting the enemy king.}
2. Kf2 Kf6 3. Ke3 Ke5 4. Be2 Bc2 {Preparing actions on the queenside.} (4...
Bg2 {is less effective due to} 5. Kf2 {, with the idea} Bxh3 $2 6. Kg3 {.}) 5.
Kd2 Bb1 6. Ke3 h6 $1 {A useful piece of prophylaxis, placing the last pawn on
a dark square, in similar fashion to Example 239 (Aaberg-Tiviakov).} 7. Bf3 ({
Or} 7. Bd1 Be4 $1 {(zugzwang)} 8. Be2 Bc2 {, followed by ...Ba4 - Smyslov, in
similar spirit to the game.}) 7... Bc2 8. Be2 a6 9. Kd2 Ba4 10. Ke3 b5 $1 {
Black couldn't capitalize on either weakness on c4 and h3, so instead he
starts undermining the d5-pawn.} ({After} 10... b5 {, there is the threat of}
11. -- bxc4 12. Bxc4 Bb5 {.}) 11. cxb5 axb5 12. Bf3 ({Or} 12. c4 bxc4 13. Bxc4
Bc2 {, followed by ...Be4 and the d5-pawn falls - Smyslov.}) 12... Bb3 13. Be2
Bc4 $1 14. Bxc4 {The ensuing pawn ending is lost;} ({but after the alternative
} 14. Bf3 Bxd5 {, followed by ... Bc4 and ...d6-d5-d4, Black also wins
comfortably.}) 14... bxc4 15. a4 Kxd5 16. a5 Kc6 17. Ke4 d5+ 18. Ke5 d4 $1 {A
decisive breakthrough, which must have been anticipated by Smyslov far in
advance.} 19. cxd4 c3 20. d5+ Kd7 $1 21. a6 c2 22. a7 c1=Q 23. a8=Q Qf4# 0-1

[Event "European Junior Championships, Arnhem"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Wely, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/5b2/3p1k1p/3P4/1P2K1PP/8/B7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Just like the previous example, the pawn structure determines that Black has
the better bishop, though the weakness on d4 in itself won't be sufficient to
win the game. ---} 1... g5 $1 {With the strong idea of ...g5-g4, fixing the
g-pawns on the "right" colour, before White accomplishes a similar goal by Kf3
and g3-g4.} 2. Kf3 g4+ 3. hxg4+ hxg4+ 4. Ke3 Be7 {The bishop is heading for d6,
where it will attack the fresh weakness on g3 and also deny the white king the
f4-square, which means that the black king can look for new destinies.} 5. Bc3
Bd6 6. Be1 Ke6 7. Kd3 {Passive defence.} ({The idea of bringing the bishop to
f4 won't work:} 7. Kf2 Bc7 $1 {(zugzwang)} 8. Ke2 ({or} 8. Bd2 $2 Kf5 {and the
king enters at e4}) 8... Kd7 9. Kf2 Kc6 10. Bd2 Kb5 11. Bf4 Bb6 12. Ke3 Kb4 {
etc - Müller.}) 7... Kd7 8. Ke2 Kc6 9. Kd3 Kb5 10. Kc2 a5 $1 {Pawn exchanges
usually favour the defender, but there is no rule without exception. Here
Kramnik has seen that he needs to swap the queenside pawns in order to
progress further with his king.} 11. Kd3 a4 12. bxa4+ ({Trying to keep the
enemy king at bay with} 12. Kc2 {fails to} a3 13. Kb1 Bb4 $1 14. Bxb4 ({or} 14.
Bf2 Bd2 {, followed by Kb4-c3}) 14... Kxb4 15. Ka2 Kc3 16. Kxa3 Kxd4 17. Kb2
Kd3 18. b4 Kc4 {- Müller.}) 12... Kxa4 13. Bf2 ({Or} 13. Kc2 Ka3 $1 {(zugzwang)
} 14. Bf2 Kb4 15. Kd3 Kb3 {, transposing to the game.}) 13... Kb3 {Despite the
reduced material, White is doomed due to his two weaknesses.} 14. Be1 Kb2 15.
Bf2 ({Again White can't prevent the enemy king raid; i.e.} 15. Kd2 $2 Bb4+ {.})
15... Kc1 16. Be3+ Kd1 17. Bf2 Ba3 $1 {Heading for the c1-h6 diagonal in order
to leave White without bishop moves.} 18. Ke3 ({Or} 18. Be3 Ke1 19. Bf4 Bb4 20.
Be5 Kf2 {, followed by ...Kf3 and ...Be1, as later occurs in the game.}) 18...
Bc1+ 19. Kd3 Bd2 $1 {A nice piece of zugzwang.} 20. Be3 (20. Bg1 Be1 21. Bh2
Bf2 {is equally hopeless - Müller.}) 20... Be1 21. Bf4 Bf2 22. Be5 Ke1 23. Kc3
Ke2 24. Kb4 Kf3 25. Kc5 Ke4 $1 {. White finally loses one of his pawns, and
duly resigned. In Müller's words: "e4 was a key square right from the start,
but who would have thought that Kramnik's king would come from f3 to get
there?"} 0-1

[Event "European Cup, Saint Vincent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Roiz, M."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp2k1p/3p4/p2P4/2P5/4B2P/Pb4P1/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Material is equal, but with his next move White achieves a very favourable
pawn structure. ---} 1. a4 $1 {A strong advance, that not only fixes the
a-pawns on the right colour, but also neutralizes Black's queenside pawn
majority - compare the section on "One pawn stops two" in Chapter Two.} ({Less
precise was} 1. Ke2 $6 a4 $1 2. Kd3 c6 {with counterplay.}) 1... Kf6 ({Now} 
1... c6 $2 {fails to} 2. dxc6 bxc6 3. Bd2 {- Roiz.}) 2. Ke2 Kf5 3. Kd3 h5 4.
Bd2 $1 {Preparing Ke3-f3, so that the king assists in the creation of a passed
pawn on the kingside. At the same time, Black is forced to put his last
queenside pawn on a dark square.} b6 5. Ke3 Bf6 6. Kf3 Kg6 ({Or} 6... h4 7. Be1
Bg5 8. g3 hxg3 9. Bxg3 Be7 10. h4 Bf6 11. Bf2 Be7 12. h5 $1 {, when both} Bg5 (
{and} 12... Kg5 13. Ke4 Kxh5 14. Kf5 {, followed by Ke6-d7}) 13. Be3 Bxe3 14.
Kxe3 Kg5 15. Ke4 Kxh5 16. Kf5 {win for White - Roiz.}) 7. g4 Bh4 8. gxh5+ Kxh5
9. Ke4 ({Roiz also suggests} 9. Be3 Bf6 10. Kf4 Bg5+ ({or} 10... Kg6 11. Kg4 {
, preparing h4-h5}) 11. Ke4 {and the king enters decisively at f5.}) 9... Kg6
10. Bf4 Bf6 11. Bg3 Kg5 ({After} 11... Kg5 {, Black is ready to meet} 12. h4+ {
by} Kg4 {, but White has a surprise prepared on the opposite flank.}) 12. c5 $1
{A nice breakthrough which inevitably creates a second passed pawn.} dxc5 ({
After} 12... bxc5 13. Be1 {, followed by Bxa5}) ({or} 12... Be7 13. cxb6 cxb6
14. Kd4 Kf5 15. Kc4 Ke4 16. Bf2 Bd8 17. h4 Kf3 18. Bd4 Bxh4 19. Bxb6 Be1 20.
Kb5 Ke4 21. Bxa5 {, White wins - Roiz.}) 13. Bxc7 b5 14. axb5 a4 15. d6 {
Tactically well-founded.} ({The simple} 15. Bf4+ Kh4 16. Bc1 {was strong too;
e.g.} Bd8 17. Ba3 Bb6 18. d6 Kxh3 19. Kd5 {, winning - Roiz.}) 15... a3 16. d7
a2 ({On} 16... Kg6 {there follows the same reply.}) 17. Be5 $1 Bd8 ({After} 
17... Bxe5 18. d8=Q+ {, White soon picks up the a-pawn with check.}) 18. Kd5
Kf5 19. Ba1 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tiviakov, S."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2b2/3r4/pp1pkp1p/3R4/P1P1PB2/1P3K2/7P/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of fixing pawns remains relevant with rooks accompanying the bishops
on the board, as in the next example. --- A brief look reveals that White has
a huge positional advantage, but the weakness on d6 won't be enough by itself
for a win. Thus Tiviakov starts actions on the flanks, with the purpose of
opening a new front. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Preparing h4-h5 in order to fix the
h-pawns on the right colour. Moreover, a stronghold on g6 is created for the
rooks.} Rc6 2. h5 Rb7 3. Be3 Rb8 ({Black is limited to passive defence, since} 
3... b5 $2 {would run into} 4. cxb5 axb5 5. a5 $1 {, creating a powerful
passed pawn - Tiviakov.}) 4. Bd4 Rc7 5. Rg1 $1 {Heading for g6.} Bg7 {
Virtually abandoning the h6-pawn;} ({but} 5... Rg7 6. Rg6 $1 Rxg6 7. hxg6 {
would just be depressing for Black, who faces the threat of Kg4-h5 and Be3,
among other things.}) 6. Rg6 Rf7 7. Be3 Rd7 8. Rf5 {White is in no hurry to
take the h6-pawn, and first improves his pieces.} ({The tactical shot} 8. e5 $5
{was interesting as well.}) 8... Rf7 9. Kg4 Bf8 10. Bxh6 Bxh6 11. Rxh6 {Rook
endings are known for their drawing potential, but with a sound extra pawn, a
powerful passer on h5 and more active pieces, White is clearly winning.} Rg7+ (
{Or} 11... Rg8+ 12. Rg6 Rxg6+ 13. hxg6 Rf8 14. a5 $1 {in similar fashion to
the game - Tiviakov.}) 12. Kf4 Rf8 13. a5 $1 {Opening a new front on the
queenside.} Rg1 {Anand sacrifices a pawn for activity.} ({On} 13... bxa5 {
Tiviakov had prepared} 14. e5 dxe5+ 15. Rxe5+ Kd6 16. Rxa5 Ra7 17. Kf5 {etc.})
14. axb6 Rb1 15. b7 Rxb3 16. e5 $1 {This carefully prepared shot decides the
battle.} dxe5+ 17. Rxe5+ Kd6 ({Or} 17... Kf7 18. Rh7+ Kg8 19. Ree7 {- Tiviakov.
}) 18. Rf5 Ke6 ({Again the seventh rank can't be stepped onto:} 18... Ke7 19.
Rh7+ Rf7 20. Rxf7+ Kxf7 21. Rb5 $1 {.}) 19. Rh7 Rd8 ({Or} 19... Rb8 20. Rc5 $1
Rb6 21. Rcc7 {- Tiviakov.}) 20. Rd5 $1 ({In view of} 20. Rd5 Rxd5 21. cxd5+
Kxd5 22. h6 {, followed by Rg7 and h6-h7, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Sao Paulo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Segal, A."]
[Black "Ivkov, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1p/1p3p2/p2k4/4p1P1/PPn1P3/3N1P1P/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of fixing pawns can also occur in knight endings. Here is one
example of this. --- Black is clearly better here, with the more active king
and a tremendous knight on c3, which paralyses the opponent's play. But how to
make progress? ---} 1... b5 $1 {Preparing ...a5-a4 in order to fix a weakness
on a3, while depriving White's knight of the c4-square.} 2. Kg2 a4 3. b4 ({Or} 
3. bxa4 bxa4 {with the inevitable threat of} 4. -- Nb5 5. Nb1 Kc4 {.}) 3... Ke5
{Amplifying the battle on the kingside.} ({The tactical shot} 3... Na2 $6 4.
Kg3 Nxb4 $4 {would not succeed after} 5. axb4 a3 6. Nb1 $1 {- Ivkov.}) 4. Kg3
f5 5. gxf5 ({Or} 5. g5 f4+ $1 6. exf4+ Kf5 7. h4 Ne2+ 8. Kg2 Kxf4 {, keeping a
huge advantage.}) 5... Kxf5 6. f3 Ke5 {White is starting to run out of solid
moves.} 7. Kf2 f5 8. Kg3 $6 {Abandoning the e3-pawn.} ({After} 8. fxe4 $2 Nxe4+
9. Ke2 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 Ke4 11. Ke2 h6 12. h3 h5 13. h4 f4 {, White is also lost})
({but} 8. f4+ {seems a bit more tenacious. One idea for Black here is} Ke6 9.
Ke1 Kd5 10. Kf2 Nd1+ $1 11. Ke2 Nb2 {(by choosing this route to c4 for his
knight, Black doesn't let White's king reach c2)} 12. Kf2 Nc4 13. Nb1 Ke6 {and
the transfer of the king to h3 should decide.}) 8... Nd1 $1 9. fxe4 ({In the
event of} 9. Nf1 {, one winning line is} Nxe3 $1 10. Nxe3 f4+ 11. Kf2 fxe3+ 12.
Kxe3 exf3 13. Kxf3 Kd4 {.}) 9... Nxe3 {Clearing the long diagonal for the king.
} 10. exf5 Nxf5+ 11. Kf3 Kd4 $1 12. Kf4 Nd6 {. Preparing 13...Nc4, while 13...Kc3 is another dreadful threat.} 0-1

[Event "Las Palmas Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Karlsson, La"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/p6p/1p2p1p1/1P2Np2/P1P1nP2/4K3/6PP/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Let's see another knight ending, this time with rooks on the board. ---
Interestingly, both sides have difficulties in realizing their respective pawn
majority. Smyslov found a clever idea. ---} 1. a5 $1 {Preparing a5-a6 to fix a
weakness on a7. The obvious Ne5-c6 can wait until a more suitable moment.} Nc5
{The most solid reply.} ({Both} 1... bxa5 $6 2. Ra1) ({and} 1... Rd2 $6 2. c5
$1 {are unpleasant for Black; in this line there can follow} bxc5 3. Rxc5 Nxc5
4. Kxd2 Nb3+ 5. Kd3 Nxa5 6. Nc6 $1 {and the b-pawn soon becomes a telling
factor.}) 2. a6 {From now on, the a7-pawn will be a real headache for Black.} (
{A different, interesting idea was} 2. axb6 axb6 3. Ra1 {, intending to invade
with the rook along the seventh rank.}) 2... Kg7 3. Rc2 $1 {Preparing Rd2 in
order to exchange the main defender of the a7-pawn, something that Black can't
allow to happen.} Ne4 4. g4 $1 ({Seeing that} 4. Nc6 Rd7 {is unconstructive,
Smyslov grabs some space on the opposite flank. Meanwhile, Black can only wait.
}) 4... Kf6 5. g5+ Kg7 ({Obviously,} 5... Nxg5 $2 {failed to} 6. Nc6 {.}) 6.
Nc6 Rd7 7. Rg2 $1 {White now aims at opening a new front on the kingside by
h2-h4-h5;} ({but first rules out} 7. Rg2 h5 $2 {on account of} 8. gxh6+ Kxh6 9.
Rxg6+ $1 {.}) ({In contrast, the combination} 7. c5 Nxc5 8. Rxc5 $6 bxc5 9. b6
axb6 10. a7 Rxa7 11. Nxa7 {would permit} h6 $1 12. h4 hxg5 13. hxg5 e5 $1 14.
fxe5 Kf7 {with unclear play - Smyslov.}) 7... Kf8 8. h4 Ke8 9. Rh2 Kf8 10. h5 {
Getting on with the plan.} ({The} 10. c5 $5 {breakthrough was also interesting;
e.g.} Nxc5 ({or} 10... bxc5 11. b6 axb6 12. a7) 11. Rd2 $1 Rc7 12. Rd8+ Kg7 13.
Ra8 Nxa6 14. bxa6 Rxc6 15. Rxa7+ Kg8 16. Rb7 {, followed by a6-a7, when Black
loses his rook due to the badly placed king, in similar fashion to Example 201
(Van Wely-Giri).}) 10... gxh5 ({After} 10... Kg7 $6 11. hxg6 hxg6 12. Rh6 {and
13 Ne5, the g6-pawn is doomed.}) 11. Rxh5 Kg8 12. Rh1 ({Seeing that the
immediate} 12. Rh6 {can be met by} Nc5 {, Smyslov looks for a zugzwang.}) 12...
Kg7 13. Ne5 Rd8 14. Rh6 $1 {Just at the right moment. Now Black's defensive
resources are soon exhausted.} Rd6 (14... Nc5 {was even worse due to} 15. Rf6
$1 {and the rook enters at f7 - Smyslov, now that} Rf8 {fails to} 16. Rxf8 Kxf8
17. Nc6 {.}) 15. Ke2 $1 {A technical choice;} ({avoiding even the slightest
enemy counterplay after} 15. Nc6 $6 Nd2 {.}) 15... Nc3+ ({Or} 15... Rd2+ 16.
Ke1 Rd6 17. Nc6 {with a quick win - Smyslov.}) 16. Ke1 Rd1+ 17. Kf2 Rd4 18. Kf3
{Now Black's pieces have definitely lost track, and the rest is easy.} Rd6 19.
Rf6 $1 Kg8 20. Rf7 Rd3+ 21. Nxd3 ({In view of} 21. Nxd3 Kxf7 22. Ne5+ {,
followed by Nc6xa7, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "European Championship, Aix-les-Bains"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, J."]
[Black "Guseinov, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3bp1kp/p2p2p1/1p1P4/4B1P1/1P1K1P1P/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this position, all White's pawns are on the "wrong" colour, but this is
hardly a big deal since only the one on d5 cannot move on to a dark square. On
the other hand, White's space advantage and more active king are concerning
factors for Black. ---} 1. h4 $1 {In order to fix the g6-pawn on a light
square, before Black plays ...g6-g5 himself.} ({Of course the immediate} 1. g5
$2 {failed to} Bxh3 {.}) 1... h6 ({Unfortunately for Black, the "active"} 1...
Kf6 $6 2. g5+ Ke5 $4 {runs into} 3. Ke3 {with mate, so his king has to stay
back.}) ({However,} 1... b4 $5 {, fixing pawns on the "right" colour, was
worth considering, when Black would avoid the weakness on b5 that soon emerges
in the game; e.g.} 2. Kc4 a5 3. g5 h6 {, followed by ...hxg5 and ...Kf7, when
I see no obvious winning plan for White.}) 2. g5 hxg5 3. hxg5 Kf7 4. a3 $1 {
Just like Smyslov's 6...h6 against Tsvetkov (in Example 256), White puts a
pawn on the right colour in advance.} a5 ({The attempt to gain some space with
} 4... e5 $2 {fails to} 5. dxe6+ Bxe6 6. Kc3 {, and both the white king and
bishop are ready to attack the queenside pawns.}) 5. Kd4 ({There is no hurry
with} 5. b4) ({since after} 5. Kd4 {, Black can't play} b4 $2 {anyway:} 6. axb4
axb4 7. Kc4 {.}) 5... Kg7 6. Bd3 Kf7 7. f4 Kg7 8. Kc3 Kf7 9. b4 $1 {Only now
does Polgar fix the queenside;} ({when Black can't swap pawns with} 9. b4 axb4+
$2 {due to} 10. Kxb4 {.}) 9... a4 10. Kd4 {Compared with the initial position
White has made considerable progress - two weaknesses have been fixed: on g6
and b5; besides, there is the idea of advancing f4-f5 at the right moment,
creating an outside passed pawn.} Kg7 11. Ke3 Kf7 12. Kf3 Kg7 13. Kg3 Kf7 14.
Be2 Kg7 15. Bg4 $5 Bf5 $1 ({Not} 15... Bxg4 $2 16. Kxg4 Kf7 17. f5 {, when the
outside passed pawn on g5 soon decides matters.}) ({Whereas, after} 15... Bf5 {
,} 16. Bxf5 $2 gxf5 17. Kh4 Kg6 {leads to a draw, so White adjusts her plans.})
16. Be2 Bd7 17. Bf1 Kf7 ({Avoiding} 17... Be8 18. Bh3 {, when Black's bishop
is dominated by its counterpart, although Polgar soon finds how to force this
situation anyway.}) 18. Bd3 Kg7 19. Kh4 $1 Be8 ({On} 19... Kf7 {there follows
the same reply.}) 20. Be2 Kf8 ({It turns out that, with the white king on h4,} 
20... Bd7 21. Bg4 Bf5 {no longer works, due to} 22. Bxf5 gxf5 23. Kh5 {.}) 21.
Bg4 Bf7 22. Be6 $1 {A strong reply, avoiding any black counterplay. This would
have followed on 21... Kf8 as well.} Be8 ({After} 22... Bxe6 23. dxe6 {, White
wins by bringing her king to c6 - De Dovitiis.}) 23. Kg4 {After seizing the
h3-c8 diagonal, the next step in White's plan is Bc8-b7-c6, but first it makes
sense to return with the king to the centre. Meanwhile, Black is confined to
passive defence.} Kg7 24. Kf3 Kf8 25. Ke4 Kg7 26. Bc8 Kf7 27. Kd4 Kf8 28. Bb7
Bd7 29. Bc6 $1 Ke8 ({Or} 29... Bxc6 30. dxc6 Ke8 31. f5 {and the separated
passed pawns take their toll.}) 30. f5 $1 {A nice final touch.} ({In view of} 
30. f5 gxf5 31. g6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Leipzig Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uhlmann, W."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p6p/2k1b3/2P3K1/P3N1p1/8/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In bishop vs. knight endings, the idea of fixing pawns is a frequent idea for
both sides. In his ChessBase comments to the game Sokolov-Sutovsky examined
later on in this section, Krasenkow even argued that: "Fixing your rival's
pawns on the squares of your bishop, after which they become weak - this is
the main strategic principle in the bishop vs. knight endgame!" Let's see some
examples. --- Such positions with mutual passed pawns are clearly in the
bishop's favour, though precision is still required. ---} 1... a5 $1 {Fixing
the a4-pawn as a future target, and advancing the potential passed pawn as
well.} ({Obviously,} 1... Bb3 $6 2. a5 {would be less to the point.}) 2. Kf4 ({
Or} 2. Kh6 Bd5 3. Nf6 Bf3 4. Kxh7 Kxc5 5. Kg6 Kb4 6. Kg5 Kxa4 7. Nxg4 Bxg4 $1
8. Kxg4 Kb4 {and wins - Speelman.}) 2... Bb3 3. Ke3 ({After} 3. Kxg4 Bxa4 4.
Kg5 Bc2 {, Black wins even more comfortably.}) 3... Bxa4 4. Kd2 ({Seeing that} 
4. Nf6 {fails to} Bc2 {, White denies the bishop that square.}) 4... h6 $1 {A
useful move, in order to delay White's conquest of that pawn.} 5. Nf6 Kxc5 6.
Nxg4 h5 7. Ne3 ({After} 7. Nf6 h4 8. Ne4+ Kd4 9. Nd6 Bd7 $1 {, the knight is
fatally sidelined from the battle - Speelman.}) 7... Kd4 8. Nf1 Ke5 9. Ke3 Bb3
10. Ng3 {Here White resigned. Let's see a possible conclusion:} a4 11. Kd3 a3
12. Kc3 a2 13. Kb2 h4 14. Ne2 Ke4 {. Black wins - Speelman.} 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1915.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zubarev, N."]
[Black "Aleksandrov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/p3p1b1/1pKpP1pp/8/2P1N1P1/PP5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1915.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's activity is overwhelming, but in order to progress he needs a new
weakness to work on. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Fixing the h-pawns on squares of the
"right" colour.} gxh4 2. gxh4 Be4 {The only move, so as to prevent Ng2-f4.
Nevertheless, by clever knight manoeuvres White soon forces the arrival of
that piece on f4 anyway.} 3. Nf1 ({Even faster was} 3. Nd1 Bd3 4. Nf2 Bf5 5. a3
$1 {, followed by either 6 Nd3 or 6 Nh3 next move - 'EDAMI'.}) 3... Bf3 4. Nd2
Be2 ({After the alternative} 4... Bg2 5. Nb3 Bf3 6. Nd4 Bg4 {, White can
simply throw in} 7. a3 {, losing a tempo, with similar play as in the game.})
5. Nb3 Bg4 ({Another, perhaps not-so-obvious asset for White during this whole
example is his reserve of waiting moves: a2-a3, b2-b3 and b3-b4, whereas Black
doesn't have even one. Thus after} 5... Bd1 6. Nd4 Bg4 {, White can lose a
tempo by} 7. a3 $1 {, again with similar consequences to the game.}) 6. Nd4 $1
{Zugzwang: since the king is busy opposing its white counterpart, Black
finally has to leave the d1-h5 diagonal with his bishop.} Bh3 7. Ne2 Bf5 8. Nf4
Bg4 9. b4 $1 {Again Black is in zugzwang, and now he must give up a pawn.} Kd7
10. Kb6 Bf3 11. Kxa6 Kc6 12. Nxe6 1-0

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Yates, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/p3kp2/6p1/2ppP2p/5P2/3PK1P1/P3N2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...c6-c5 with the obvious intention of ...d5-d4+, after
which his bishop would become great on c6. However, any such aspirations are
effectively crushed by Alekhine's next, strong move. ---} 1. d4 $1 {Fixing the
d5-pawn as a future attacking object, while placing his own d-pawn on a dark
square, out of reach for the enemy bishop. The fact that Black now obtains a
protected passed pawn is irrelevant.} c4 2. f5 $1 {A nice follow-up which
enables 3 Nf4, an idea that Yates hurries to prevent.} g5 3. h4 $1 {In the
same spirit as two moves ago, fixing a weakness on h5 while softening up the
dark squares on the kingside.} f6 4. hxg5 {Alekhine hurries to create a
powerful pair of connected passed pawns.} ({The more restrained} 4. Ng1 {would
allow} gxh4 5. gxh4 Bd7 6. e6 Bc6 7. Ne2 Kd6 8. Nf4 Be8 {with some chances for
a draw.}) 4... fxg5 5. Ng1 $1 {Heading for f3 or h3 in order to soften up the
dark squares even more.} Bd7 $2 ({The active} 5... h4 {was called for,
although after} 6. g4 Ba4 7. Ke2 $5 {, preparing Nh3, White keeps good winning
chances.}) 6. f6+ Ke8 ({Or} 6... Ke6 $2 7. Nh3 {, winning - Primel.}) 7. Nf3 {
Now it turns out that Black has no other choice than to put one more pawn on a
light square, and the rest is child's play for Alekhine.} g4 8. Nh4 Be6 9. Ng6
$1 {The knight finally reaches its desired destiny at f4.} Bf7 10. Nf4 Kd7 11.
Ke2 $1 {Zugzwang.} a5 12. Ke3 Bg8 13. Nxh5 Bf7 14. Nf4 Bg8 15. Ne2 {It is the
king's turn to use the f4-square, in order to invade the enemy camp. Yates
fights on until the bitter end.} Be6 16. Kf4 Ke8 17. Kg5 Kf7 18. Nc3 Kf8 19.
Kg6 Kg8 20. f7+ $1 Kf8 21. Kf6 Bxf7 22. e6 Bh5 23. Nxd5 Be8 24. Nc3 {. In view
of the imminent advance of the d-pawn, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eismont, O."]
[Black "Yandemirov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/2p2pp1/3p3p/p3rP2/1nP1P1PP/1P6/3R2BK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar example, where the presence of rooks doesn't really help
the defender a lot. --- A nightmare position for White: his bishop has no
scope at all, and the pawns on b3 and e4 are easy targets for Black's pieces.
With his next move, Yandemirov increased his advantage. ---} 1... g5 $1 {
Fixing another weakness on g4, while ruling out any ideas of g4-g5 and f5-f6.}
2. Kg3 ({Or} 2. fxg6 fxg6 3. Kg3 g5 $1 {with similar play.}) 2... Kg7 3. hxg5
hxg5 4. Rd1 Na6 {Despite b4 being a protected square, the black knight wasn't
really doing anything there, and is now redirected to the more useful
c5-square.} 5. Re1 ({More stubborn was} 5. Ra1 Nc5 6. Ra3 {, although after} ({
not} 6. Rxa5 $2 Nxe4+) 6... Kf6 {(there is no rush to take the pawn)} 7. Bf3
Nxe4+ 8. Bxe4 Rxe4 9. Rxa5 Re3+ 10. Kf2 Rxb3 {, Black should win. Even so,
rook endings always leave some additional hope for the defender.}) 5... Nc5 6.
Re3 Re8 $1 7. Kf2 {Forgetting about the b3-pawn.} ({Instead, after the more
solid} 7. Bf3 {Black would prevail by} Kf6 {, bringing up the king - Atlas; e.g.} 8. Kf2 Ke5 {, with ...Rb8 and ...Kd4 next, when White inevitably loses
material.}) 7... Rb8 8. e5 dxe5 0-1

[Event "Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Derkach"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/5k2/Pp1p1p1p/1PbPpK1P/2N1PP2/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Usually the opponent's pawn is fixed on the colour of the bishop, as in the
previous examples, but not always. Here are two such exceptions. --- In such
blocked positions the knight tends to be stronger than the bishop, and here
White is favoured by the fact that several pawn pairs are fixed on the "right"
colour, which means that the white pawns cannot be attacked by the bishop. But
how to progress? ---} 1. a6 $1 {A move with several virtues: a weakness is
fixed on a7, a tempo is gained for a future passed pawn race, and the enemy
bishop is tied to the defence of the b5-pawn, now that ...a7-a6 will no longer
be possible.} g6 ({If} 1... exf3 2. gxf3 g6 {, to avoid the zugzwang that
follows in the game, White has the strong} 3. e4 $1 {; e.g.} fxe4 4. fxe4 dxe4
5. Nxe4+ Ke6 6. Nc3 {and the fresh passed pawn takes its toll after} Kf6 7. d5
Bd3 8. Ne4+ $1 Bxe4 ({or} 8... Ke7 9. Ke5) 9. Kxe4 g5 10. hxg5+ Kxg5 11. Ke5 $1
Kg6 12. Ke6 h4 13. d6 {, winning Black's queen in the end - Smyslov.}) 2. fxe4
fxe4 ({Or} 2... dxe4 3. g3 {, followed by a timely d5-d6; e.g.} Bd3 4. d5 Bc4
5. d6 $1 Ke6 6. Kg5 Kxd6 7. Kxg6 Ke5 8. Kxh5 Kf6 9. Kh6 Bd3 10. Nd5+ Ke5 11.
Kg7 $1 Kxd5 12. h5 {and wins - Smyslov.}) 3. g3 $1 {Zugzwang - it is easy to
see that Black has no solid move at his disposal.} Ke6 4. Kg5 Kf7 5. Nd1 $1 {
The knight's ability to touch almost any square on the board means that it
should usually move around a lot in the endgame.} Bf1 6. Nf2 Kg7 7. g4 $1 {The
pawn helps the knight enter Black's camp.} hxg4 ({Or} 7... Be2 8. gxh5 gxh5 9.
Nh3 {, heading for f4.}) 8. Nxg4 Bh3 9. Nf6 Be6 10. Ne8+ {. There follows 11
Nc7 or 11 Nd6 with devastating effect, so Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Benko, P."]
[Black "Parma, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p1n5/1p3ppp/8/2B1KPPP/8/PP6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This position with an open centre is clearly to the bishop's liking, though
Black has achieved a barrier which prevents White's king from invading the
enemy camp. With his next, strong move Benko addresses the issue. ---} 1. h5 $1
{White deliberately fixes the h-pawns on squares of the "wrong" colour in
order to soften up the f5-square for the king.} ({The stereotypical} 1. g5 $6 {
would achieve less after} hxg5 $1 2. hxg5 Ke7 {, intending} 3. -- fxg5 4. fxg5
Ne6 {with excellent drawing chances - Shereshevsky.}) 1... g5 ({The active} 
1... f5+ {backfires after} 2. Ke5 $1) ({while} 1... gxh5 2. gxh5 {, followed
by Kf5, soon forces Black to let the king enter at e6}) ({and} 1... Kg7 2. hxg6
Kxg6 3. Bd3 {is similar.}) 2. fxg5 fxg5 3. Kf5 Kg7 4. Ke5 $1 {A typical ploy:
having diverted the enemy king, White directs his own king to the opposite
flank.} Ne8 5. Be6 Nf6 6. b4 $1 {Before invading with the king it makes sense
to advance the queenside pawns, anticipating a potential passed pawn race.} Ne8
7. b5 Nf6 ({Or} 7... Kf8 8. Bd7 {and the king enters at d6 anyway.}) 8. a4 Ne8
9. Bf5 Nf6 10. Ke6 Ne8 11. Be4 ({Another good option was} 11. Ke7 {and the
king accesses d6 on the next move.}) 11... Nf6 12. Bf3 Ng8 13. Kd6 Kf8 ({Or} 
13... Kf6 14. Bd5 Ne7 15. Be6 $1 {, trapping the knight in curious fashion.})
14. Kc6 Ke7 15. Kb7 Kd6 16. Kxa7 Kc5 17. Ka6 ({Avoiding} 17. a5 bxa5 18. b6 Nf6
{, followed by ...Nd7.}) 17... Nf6 18. Bc6 $1 {The magic distance, preventing
Black's knight from assisting in the queenside defence.} Nxg4 19. a5 bxa5 20.
b6 Ne5 21. Be8 1-0

[Event "Nice (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/1b3ppp/8/2P5/8/1p4PP/5P2/3N1K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The open centre and the existence of pawns on both flanks evidently favour
the bishop. Instead of the routine 1...Ke7, Carlsen found a more long-term
plan. ---} 1... g5 $1 {Realizing the idea of fixing enemy pawns in a slightly
different fashion than in the previous examples. Here White's h-pawn is not
fixed at h3, but a later attack with the bishop will force it to move forward,
and after ...g5xh4, g3xh4, White's split kingside pawns will prove more
vulnerable to Black's king.} ({Less promising was} 1... Ke7 2. Ke2 Ke6 3. Nc3
$1 Ke5 ({or} 3... b2 4. Kd3 {, followed by Kc2}) 4. Kd3 $5 Ba6+ 5. Ke3 {with
f2-f4 next}) ({or} 1... Bf3 2. Nb2 Ke7 3. Ke1 Ke6 4. Kd2 Kd5 5. Kc3 Kxc5 6.
Kxb3 Kd4 7. Kc2 {, when the battle on one single flank is to the knight's
taste.}) 2. Ke2 Bg2 3. h4 gxh4 4. gxh4 Kg7 {Immediately heading for the
kingside pawns;} ({although} 4... Ke7 5. Kd3 Bh3 {was worth considering too -
Baburin.}) 5. Kd3 Kg6 6. Kc4 Kh5 7. Kxb3 Kxh4 {Black has obtained the sort of
position he was looking for, with mutual passed pawns, where the bishop tends
to outperform the knight.} 8. Ne3 Bb7 9. Kc4 h5 10. Kd4 $2 ({The active} 10.
Kb5 $1 {, preparing c5-c6, was called for; e.g.} Kg5 11. c6 Bc8 12. Kc5 h4 13.
Nf1 $1 Kg4 14. Nh2+ Kh3 15. Nf3 $1 {and Black cannot make progress, since} Bg4
{is met by} 16. c7 {with a draw - Baburin. Of course such decisions are more
difficult at the board, so you could say that, although 1...g5 might not win
theoretically, it does make White's task a bit harder in practice.}) 10... Kg5
11. Ke5 h4 12. f4+ Kg6 13. Ng4 {White hurries to block the h-pawn on a dark
square.} h3 14. Nh2 f6+ 15. Ke6 Bg2 16. Ng4 Kh5 ({Correct was} 16... f5 17. Nh2
Be4 $1 {, preparing ...Kh5-h4 - Baburin; e.g.} 18. Ke5 Kh5 19. c6 Bxc6 20. Kxf5
Kh4 21. Ke5 Kg3 22. Nf1+ Kg2 23. Ne3+ Kg1 24. Ng4 Bf3 $1 {and wins.}) 17. Nf2
$2 ({Here} 17. Nh2 $1 {was more tenacious, when Black would have to repeat
moves with} Kg6 {, and if} ({the tempting} 17... Kh4 $2 {only draws after} 18.
Kxf6 Kg3 19. f5 Kxh2 20. Ke5 {- Baburin}) 18. Ng4 {then} f5 {, transposing to
the previous note.}) 17... h2 18. Kxf6 Kh4 19. Ke5 Kg3 0-1

[Event "Hoogeveen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Sutovsky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2n5/pp1k1p2/4p1p1/8/3P2P1/2PB1P2/P2K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is one more bishop vs. knight ending. The reader who has paid attention
so far in this section will have no problem finding White's next, strong move.
---} 1. g5 $1 {Fixing the black kingside pawns on light squares.} ({With Black
to move,} 1. -- g5 $1 {would have been an excellent choice, avoiding the
difficulties he soon faces in the game.}) 1... Ne7 ({In the event of} 1... Kd6
{White should play} 2. c4 {, when the desirable} ({he should avoid} 2. f4 $6 {
due to} Kd5 {, followed by ...Nd6}) 2... e5 {permits} 3. c5+ $1 Kd5 4. dxe5
Kxc5 5. e6 $1 fxe6 6. Bxg6 {with a clear advantage - Krasenkow.}) 2. c4 Nc6 3.
Kc3 b6 $2 {This lets White increase his grip on the dark squares.} ({The time
was right for} 3... e5 $1 {; e.g.} 4. dxe5 Nxe5 5. Be4 b6 {with good drawing
chances - Krasenkow.}) 4. Be4 Ne7 5. f4 $1 {Now Black can forget about the
freeing move ...e6-e5.} Nc8 ({After} 5... Kc7 6. Kb4 Nc6+ 7. Bxc6 Kxc6 8. c5 $1
{, White wins the pawn ending thanks to two pawns stopping three on the
kingside; e.g.} a6 ({or} 8... a5+ 9. Ka4 bxc5 10. dxc5 Kxc5 11. Kxa5 {and the
outside passed pawn decides}) 9. Kc4 $1 Kc7 ({or} 9... b5+ 10. Kb4 Kb7 11. Ka5
Ka7 12. c6 b4 13. Kxb4 Kb6 14. c7 Kxc7 15. Kc5 {etc}) 10. cxb6+ Kxb6 11. d5 $1
exd5+ 12. Kxd5 Kc7 13. Kc5 {- Krasenkow.}) 6. c5 $1 {Creating a passed pawn,
and clearing a route for the king via c4-b5-a6.} Ne7 7. Kc4 Kc7 8. Kb5 Nf5 $2 {
Now White wins in similar fashion to the 5...Kc7 subline above.} ({More
tenacious was} 8... bxc5 9. Kxc5 ({not} 9. dxc5 $6 Nd5 $1 10. Bxd5 exd5 11. c6
d4 12. Kc4 Kxc6 13. Kxd4 Kd6 {with a draw}) 9... Nc8 $1 10. d5 Nd6 {with a
worse, but possibly not lost position - Krasenkow.}) 9. Bxf5 $1 gxf5 10. Kc4
Kc6 11. a4 $1 {A final accuracy;} ({both} 11. cxb6 $2 axb6) ({and} 11. a3 $2
b5+ 12. Kb4 a6 {would let Black save a draw.}) ({In contrast, after} 11. a4 {
, he finds himself in zugzwang; i.e.} Kc7 (11... a6 {is similar}) ({or} 11...
bxc5 12. dxc5 Kb7 13. Kd4 {, followed by Ke5-f6}) 12. cxb6+ Kxb6 13. d5 {and
White wins in all cases. Therefore Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dreev, A."]
[Black "Charbonneau, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/8/1pBP1kp1/p1n4p/8/8/P4PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A quick glance reveals that Black will soon recover the pawn on d6, but in
the process he will have to offer a rook exchange. Considering the potential
bishop vs. knight ending, Dreev hurries to fix the kingside pawns on squares
of the "right" colour. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Creating a long-term target for the
bishop on g6.} Ke6 2. f3 Nd7 ({Black is forced to spend a few vital tempi on
the defence of the g6-pawn, since the straightforward} 2... Rxd6 $2 {fails to}
3. Rxd6+ Kxd6 4. Be8 $1 {- Hazai.}) 3. Bb5 Nf8 4. d7 $1 {By handing over the
pawn in this way, White makes his opponent waste more time in untangling.} Nxd7
5. Kf2 Ke7 6. Ke3 Nf8 7. Rxd8 $1 Kxd8 8. Ke4 {Dreev has reached his goal: a
highly favourable bishop vs. knight ending.} Ne6 9. Ke5 Ke7 10. Bc4 $1 {Before
moving his king over to the queenside, White rules out ...Nf4.} Nd8 11. Kd5 ({
Black resigned. An apparently early decision, but both} 11. Kd5 Kf6 ({and} 
11... Ne6 12. Kc6) ({while after} 11... Kd7 12. Bd3 Ne6 13. Ke5 $1 Nf8 14. Kf6
{, the story is repeated on the opposite flank}) 12. Kd6 {allow the white king
to invade decisively on the queenside - Hazai.}) 1-0

[Event "Santa Clara"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Delgado Ramirez, N."]
[Black "Soppe, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4B3/8/2pk1p1p/8/p1KPP1PP/8/P2b4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In endings with opposite-coloured bishops the idea of fixing pawns is also
rather frequent. Interestingly, the enemy pawns can be fixed on both colours,
as seen in the next two examples. --- White is a healthy pawn up, but how to
progress? Delgado finds a great idea. ---} 1. a3 $1 {Fixing a weakness on a4,
which if captured would yield White a powerful passed pawn.} ({In contrast,
after} 1. Kd3 $6 Bc1 {, Black would have certain drawing chances.}) 1... Bc1 2.
Kb4 Bb2 ({At this point,} 2... Bb2 3. Kxa4 $6 Bxd4 4. Ka5 Bf2 5. h5 Kc7 {isn't
too impressive for White, but Delgado has a surprise prepared.}) 3. e5+ $1 {A
strong breakthrough which provides White with a passed pawn on the kingside as
well.} fxe5 4. dxe5+ Bxe5 5. g5 $1 hxg5 6. hxg5 {Despite the simplifications,
Black's task has become very difficult. As discussed in Chapter Two, the more
space between the separated passed pawns, the more powerful they become.} c5+
7. Kxa4 c4 8. Kb4 c3 9. Ba4 $1 {Heading for c2, on the topic of one single
diagonal.} Ke6 ({Or} 9... Kd5 10. g6 Bg7 11. Bb3+ Kd4 12. a4 {and wins -
Lukacs.}) 10. Bc2 Kd5 11. Kb5 {The king is ready to support either of the
passed pawns, depending on Black's play.} Bd4 12. a4 Be3 13. g6 Bd4 14. Bd3 $1
({Not} 14. a5 $6 Kd6 {, when the a-pawn can no longer be defended by the
bishop, once the king moves over to the opposite flank. With the text White
aims instead at shifting the bishop to the a2-g8 diagonal.}) ({Since} 14. Bb3+
Kd6 {would leave White without a proper move, he first loses a tempo in order
to reach the same position with Black's turn.}) 14... Kd6 15. Bb1 $1 Kd5 16.
Ba2+ Kd6 17. Bb3 {Zugzwang.} Kc7 ({On} 17... Ke7 18. Kc6) ({Or} 17... Be5 18.
Kb6 {, the a-pawn decides.}) 18. Kc4 Bg7 19. Kd5 Kd7 20. Bc2 ({After} 20. Bc2
Bf6 21. Bf5+ {, the white king enters on e6 or c6, so Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "El Vendrell"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cifuentes Parada, R."]
[Black "Langeweg, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/bP6/6Bp/4k1p1/4p2P/4P1P1/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When there are opposite-coloured bishops on the board, one single weakness or
asset often isn't enough for victory. In the position above, White needs to
open a new front alongside with his passed b-pawn in order to exhaust the
enemy defences. ---} 1. h5 $1 {Before activating his king, Cifuentes fixes a
long-term weakness on h6.} ({Less promising was} 1. hxg5 $2 hxg5 2. Kh3 Kd6 $1
3. Bxe4 Kc7) ({Or} 1. Kh3 Kd6 $1 2. Kg4 Kc7 3. h5 Bxe3 4. Bxe4 Bd2 $1 5. Kf5 g4
{, in both cases with a draw - Cifuentes.}) 1... Kd5 $6 ({I think that} 1... g4
$1 {was called for, fixing a weakness on g3 which can be attacked by the
bishop on the same diagonal as it controls the b7-pawn; e.g.} 2. Kf2 Bb8 3. Be8
Ke6 4. Bc6 Kf5 5. Bd7+ Kg5 6. Be8 Kf5 {and it is not clear how to progress
with White.}) 2. g4 $1 {Thus White doesn't just secure his g-pawn (cf. 1... g4
above), he also makes the h6-pawn very difficult to defend. In the words of
Cifuentes: supposing that White manages to place his king on g6 and the bishop
on the a2-g8 diagonal, then the h-pawn would be unstoppable.} Ke5 3. Kf2 {The
white king finally starts its march towards the b-pawn.} Bb8 4. Ke2 Ba7 5. Kd2
Kd5 6. Kc3 Bb8 7. Bf7+ Kc5 8. Bg6 Kd5 9. Kb4 Bg3 10. Kb5 Bc7 11. Ka6 $1 {By
means of the threat 12 Ka7 White gains access to the b6-square. By the way,
king movements on squares of the "enemy" colour often play a key role in
endings with opposite-coloured bishops, as we already saw in Example 241 
(Aronian-Bacrot; 4...Kd7), among others.} Bb8 12. Kb6 Ke5 13. Kc6 Ke6 {In
order to prevent 14 Kd7, Black has to abandon the e4-pawn.} 14. Bxe4 Bg3 15.
Bf5+ Ke7 16. Kb6 Bb8 17. e4 Kd6 18. e5+ $1 Ke7 ({Evidently,} 18... Kxe5 19. Kc6
) ({or} 18... Kd5 19. Bc8 Kxe5 20. Kc6 Kf6 21. Kd7 Kf7 22. Kd8 {, followed by
Bf5 and Kc8, leads to a quicker win - Cifuentes.}) 19. Bc2 $1 {Regrouping the
bishop to the a2-g8 diagonal, so that it won't obstruct a later king transfer
via e4-f5.} Ke6 20. Bb3+ Ke7 ({Again} 20... Kxe5 {permits} 21. Kc6) ({while
after} 20... Kd7 21. Kc5 Bxe5 22. Kd5 {, Black has no satisfactory defence
against the threat of Ke4-f5-g6.}) 21. Ba2 $1 {Zugzwang.} ({Of course} 21. Kc6
$2 Bxe5 22. Kd5 Kf6 {had to be avoided - Cifuentes.}) 21... Kd7 22. Kc5 $1 {
Finally, the invasion with the king via f5-g6 can't be avoided, and the rest
is easy.} Bxe5 23. Kd5 Bf4 24. Ke4 Ke7 ({Or} 24... Kc6 25. Kf5 Kxb7 26. Kg6 Kc6
27. Kxh6 Kd6 28. Kg7 {etc - Cifuentes.}) 25. Kf5 Bc7 26. Kg6 1-0

[Event "Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moberg, K."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3B3p/1p1bpk2/5p2/4p1p1/1P2P3/P3K1PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is one more opposite-coloured bishop ending with an extra pawn. Black
has just played ...Ba3-d6, trying to provoke a concession on the kingside. ---
} 1. g3 $2 {A bad mistake, helping the opponent to fix the h2-pawn as a future
target.} ({After} 1. h3 $1 gxh3 2. gxh3 Ba3 3. Bc6 {, I see no winning plan
for Black, whose e- and f-pawns can be attacked opportunely by the white
bishop.}) 1... Ba3 {Immobilizing the enemy pawn majority. Meanwhile, White can
only wait.} 2. Kf2 h5 {Black's plan is evident: ...h5-h4-h3 to fix the h2-pawn
and create queening scenarios on the h-file.} 3. Be8 Kg5 4. Bf7 e5 5. Bd5 h4 6.
Ke2 ({After} 6. gxh4+ $6 Kxh4 7. Be6 ({or} 7. Kg2 Bc1) 7... f4 8. Bf5 Kh3 {,
Black wins with less effort.}) 6... h3 7. Bc6 Bc5 8. a4 f4 $1 {Creating a pair
of connected passed pawns, and clearing the way for the bishop towards g1.} 9.
Bxe4 Bxe3 10. Kf1 Bc5 11. Bc6 f3 12. Be4 {White is pinning his hopes on a
light-square blockade, but it transpires that Black can make a turn with his
king without bothering about the g4- and h3-pawns.} Kf6 $1 13. Bb7 Ke6 14. Be4
(14. Bc8+ {was more tenacious, when} Kd6 $1 ({less clear is} 14... Kd5 $6 15.
Bxg4 e4 16. Bc8 $1 {, followed by 17 Bb7(+), indirectly controlling the enemy
passed pawns}) 15. Bxg4 (15. Bb7 {leads to the game}) 15... e4 16. Ke1 ({not} 
16. Bxh3 $2 e3) 16... Ke5 17. Bxh3 e3 18. Bf1 Kd4 {should be winning for Black.
One plan at this point is to control the kingside pawns with the bishop,
attack the queenside pawns with the king, and finally transpose to a bishop vs.
pawns ending by ...e3-e2(+).}) 14... Kd6 15. Bb7 ({After} 15. Bf5 Bb4 ({again} 
15... Kd5 $6 16. Bxg4 e4 17. Bc8 $1 {, followed by 18 Bb7(+), is less
convincing}) 16. Bxg4 e4 17. Kf2 Bc5+ 18. Ke1 Ke5 {, we have transposed to the
previous note.}) 15... Bb4 16. Be4 Kc5 {The king finally enters, and the rest
is easy.} 17. Bf5 Kd4 18. Bxg4 e4 19. Kf2 Kd3 20. Bf5 Bc5+ 21. Kf1 Kd4 22. Bg4
Kc3 $1 {White is unable to defend both flanks.} 23. Bxh3 e3 24. Bg4 e2+ 25. Ke1
Kd3 ({In view of} 25... Kd3 26. Bxf3 Bb4+ {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gurevich, M."]
[Black "Sandipan, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b3k1/p3nppp/1p2p3/8/1P2P3/P7/1B2BPPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When one side possesses the bishop pair in the endgame, the idea of fixing
enemy pawns as targets for the bishops is seen rather frequently. Here are a
few examples. --- Thanks to his bishop pair White has a slight but enduring
edge. Gurevich treated the endgame in exemplary fashion. ---} 1. b5 $1 {Fixing
a weakness on a7 for the dark-squared bishop.} f6 {Preventing 2 Be5 and
preparing the co-ordination of the pieces by ...Kf7, ...e6-e5 and ...Be6.} 2.
Bc3 {The bishop gets ready to switch diagonals when necessary.} Kf7 3. Bc4 ({
The straightforward} 3. Bb4 {can be met by} e5 4. Bd6 Be6 5. Bb8 Nc8 {.}) 3...
Ng6 4. Bb4 Ne5 5. Be2 Bb7 {The bishop will prove rather passive here after
White's next.} ({Perhaps} 5... Nd7 {, preparing ...Nc5 and ...Bd7, was more
promising; e.g.} 6. Bd6 Nc5 7. f3 Bd7 8. Bb8 Na4 $1 9. Bxa7 Nc3 10. Bf1 Nxb5 {
with favourable simplifications.}) 6. f3 Nd7 7. Bd6 $1 {Tying the knight to
the defence of the b8-square.} g6 8. Kf2 f5 {Admittedly, this advance opens up
the position for the bishop pair, but Black had no other chance for
counterplay.} 9. exf5 gxf5 ({Or} 9... exf5 10. Bc4+ Kf6 11. Ke3 {with a clear
advantage - Gurevich.}) 10. g4 $1 {Softening up the enemy pawn structure in
order to create targets for the bishops.} fxg4 11. fxg4 Bd5 12. Ke3 Kg6 13. h4
h6 14. h5+ $1 {Fixing a new weakness on h6.} Kg7 15. Bg3 Nf6 ({It is not easy
to find a solid move for Black; for example,} 15... e5 {permits the unpleasant}
16. g5 $5 hxg5 17. Bg4 {- even so, after} Nc5 18. Bxe5+ Kh6 {, he might have
better chances for survival than in the game.}) 16. Be5 Kf7 17. Bf4 Kg7 18. Kd4
$1 {Now that Black's king is tied to the h6-pawn, Gurevich prepares
Ke5-d6-c7-b8.} ({Less promising was} 18. Bb8 Nd7 {, intending} 19. Bxa7 $6 e5 {
- Gurevich.}) 18... Ne4 ({The attempt to keep the barrier intact by} 18... Nd7
{permits} 19. g5 $1 hxg5 20. Bxg5 {, when the h-pawn becomes a giant.}) 19.
Be5+ Kf7 20. Bf4 Kg7 21. Ke5 Nc3 22. Bd3 Bf3 23. Kd6 $1 Na4 ({Obviously,} 23...
Bxg4 {failed to} 24. Be5+ {.}) 24. Be5+ Kg8 25. g5 $1 {It transpires that
White's bishops are perfectly placed for this breakthrough.} Nc5 {The only
defence;} ({since both} 25... hxg5 26. h6) ({and} 25... Bxh5 26. gxh6 {lose at
once.}) 26. Bg6 $1 Ne4+ 27. Kxe6 Nxg5+ 28. Ke7 {Black avoided instant defeat
on the kingside, but now his knight is sorely missed on the other flank.} Be2
29. Bb8 a6 30. bxa6 Bxa6 31. Ba7 Nf3 {Black gives up a pawn;} ({seeing that} 
31... b5 32. Bd3 {is hopeless - Gurevich.}) 32. Bxb6 Ne5 33. Be8 {The magic
distance. The rest is rather easy: White just runs with the a-pawn.} Bc4 34.
Bd4 Nd3 35. Be3 Kg7 36. a4 Nb4 37. Bd4+ Kg8 38. a5 Nd5+ 39. Kd6 Nf4 ({If} 39...
Kf8 {, one good option is} 40. Kc5 Kxe8 41. Kxc4 {and Black can't defend both
flanks; e.g.} Nc7 42. Be3 {.}) 40. Be3 Kf8 41. Bc6 $1 {Preparing a little
piece of simplification.} Nxh5 42. Bxh6+ Kf7 43. Bd5+ $1 Bxd5 44. Kxd5 ({In
view of} 44. Kxd5 Nf6+ 45. Kc6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "French Championship, Belfort"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hamdouchi, H."]
[Black "Bricard, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/3b2pp/1pNb4/p2Bpp2/P7/1PP3P1/5P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Just as in the previous example, the bishops promises a slight but enduring
edge. ---} 1... g5 $1 {A move with several virtues: Black gains space,
mobilizes his pawn majority, and enables ...Kg7-f6, overcoming the barrier of
White's minor pieces. Moreover, White is not allowed to set up an ideal
kingside structure with h2-h4, which means that his h-pawn can later become
fixed on h2 or h3.} ({For the same reason,} 1... h5 $6 2. h4 $1 {would be less
precise.}) 2. b4 Bc7 ({Of course Black isn't tempted by} 2... Bxc6 $2 3. Bxc6
axb4 4. cxb4 Bxb4 5. Bd7 f4 6. Bf5 {, when White holds in the
opposite-coloured bishop ending despite the pawn minus - Baburin.}) 3. f3 Kg7
4. Kf2 Kf6 5. Ke3 h5 $1 {Gaining more space, and preparing to fix a weakness
on h2 by ...h5-h4-h3.} 6. Kd3 h4 7. Ke2 ({It is not easy to give White good
advice; for example,} 7. gxh4 $6 gxh4 {would just yield Black additional ideas
such as ...e5-e4+ and ... Kg5-f4.}) 7... h3 $1 {Fixing the h2-pawn and
creating queening scenarios.} 8. Kf2 Be6 $1 {A well-known merit of the bishop
pair is that one of the bishops can be exchanged at some moment in order to
achieve another advantage. Here such an exchange helps Black to clear the way
for his king towards the enemy queenside, while the potential attacker of the
h2-pawn - the dark-squared bishop - remains on the board.} 9. Bxe6 ({White is
also in big trouble after} 9. c4 Bxd5 10. cxd5 axb4 11. Nxb4 Bd6 {, with ideas
like ...Bc5+ and ... e5-e4 followed by ...Ke5.}) 9... Kxe6 10. Ke3 ({Or} 10. b5
Kd5 11. Ne7+ Kc4 12. Nxf5 Kb3 $1 {and the a-pawn soon takes its toll.}) 10...
b5 $1 {A strong breakthrough that leads to a position with mutual passed pawns,
where the bishop tends to outperform the knight.} ({Another option was} 10...
Kd7 11. b5 e4 $1 {with the threat of 12...Bxg3; e.g.} 12. f4 gxf4+ 13. gxf4 Bd6
{and Black should win - Baburin.}) 11. axb5 ({Or} 11. bxa5 bxa4 12. a6 a3 $1
13. Nb4 (13. a7 {fails to} Bb6+) 13... Bb6+ 14. Kd3 Bg1 15. Kc4 Kd6 {,
followed by ...Kc7, and the h-pawn soon decides - Baburin.}) 11... a4 12. Kd2 {
White is just in time to control the a-pawn, but now his kingside is left
undefended.} Kd7 13. c4 a3 14. Kc2 e4 $1 {The threat of ...Bxg3 seals White's
fate.} 15. fxe4 fxe4 16. Nd4 Bxg3 17. Nb3 Bxh2 18. Nc5+ Kc8 19. Nxe4 Be5 0-1

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Illescas Cordoba, M."]
[Black "Krasenkow, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p1b2k2/Bp3ppp/n2P4/3B1PPP/5K2/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this typical Grünfeld ending, White has several assets, such as the
bishop pair, Black's badly placed knight and the passed d-pawn. But in order
to make progress he needs something more to work on. ---} 1. g5 $1 {Fixing a
weakness on g6 which will reduce the mobility of Black's king.} (1. Bc8 $6 Nc4
2. Be6+ Ke7 {was less productive}) ({but} 1. h5 $5 {also deserved attention,
softening up the light squares for the king in similar fashion to Example 268 
(Benko-Parma).}) 1... hxg5 2. hxg5 fxg5 ({After} 2... f5 3. Be5 $1 Bd8 4. Bb8 {
, White wins - Krasenkow.}) 3. fxg5 Bb8 ({Or} 3... Bd8 4. Kf4 {, followed by 5
Be5.}) 4. Bc3 Bd6 5. Ke4 Ba3 6. Bd2 $1 {Not allowing even the slightest
counterplay with 6...Bc1.} Ke7 7. Ke5 Bd6+ 8. Ke4 Ba3 9. Bf4 b5 {In view of
the threat 10 Bb8, Black decides to sacrifice a pawn to activate his knight.} (
{The desirable} 9... Bd6 {failed to} 10. Bxd6+ Kxd6 11. Kd4 b5 12. Bxb5 Nb7 13.
Bd3 $1 {, when White's first move makes itself remembered - Krasenkow.}) 10.
Bxb5 Nb7 11. Kf3 $1 {Avoiding any forks and getting ready to defend the
g5-pawn if necessary.} Nd6 12. Bd3 Kf7 13. Be3 a5 14. Bd2 $1 {One particular
feature of the bishop pair is that the enemy pawns can be attacked on squares
of either colour.} a4 ({Or} 14... Bb4 15. Bxb4 axb4 16. Kf4 {etc.}) 15. Bc2 Nc4
16. Bf4 Nb6 17. Ke4 $1 ({Avoiding the pawn exchange after} 17. d6 $6 Ke6 18.
Bxg6 Bxd6 {.}) 17... Bc5 18. Be5 Nc4 19. Bf6 Nd6+ 20. Kd3 a3 21. Kc3 $1 {
Unfortunately for Black, his barrier can't be maintained due to zugzwang.} Be3
{Knight moves would let the king enter via c4 - Krasenkow.} 22. Kb4 {The rest
is easy: White soon destroys the blockade on d6 by means of his king and
dark-squared bishop.} Bc1 23. Kc5 Bf4 24. Bd3 Nc8 25. Kc6 Nd6 26. Bd8 Nf5 ({Or
} 26... Nc8 27. Kd7 Nd6 28. Bc7 {etc.}) ({With} 26... Nf5 {Black sets the
little trap} 27. Bc7 $2 Ne7+ {, but Illescas is on his guard.}) 27. Bxf5 $1
gxf5 28. d6 Bd2 29. d7 Kg6 30. Kd5 1-0

[Event "EU Championship, Liverpool"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ris, R."]
[Black "Kotronias, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp5/8/p2Pkppp/2P1r3/PP1K2P1/7P/5R2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Even in rook endings the idea of fixing pawns appears occasionally. Let's see
two examples. --- Material is even, but Black's pieces are more active. With
his next move, Kotronias opens a new front on the kingside. ---} 1... h4 $1 {
Such a majority attack is also quite common in the middlegame, and I touched
upon the subject in 'Mastering Chess Strategy'. From now on, Black can either
turn the opposing minority into a single pawn, or he can fix a weakness on h2
by a further ... h4-h3, which is what actually happened in the game.} 2. Rg1 ({
After} 2. gxh4 Rxh4 {, the lonely h-pawn soon becomes a burden for White; e.g.}
3. Re1+ Kd6 4. Re2 Kc5 $1 {and ...Rh3+ next.}) 2... h3 $1 {Fixing a weakness
on h2 and creating a queening scenario.} ({The alternative} 2... hxg3 3. hxg3
Rd4+ 4. Kc3 ({or} 4. Ke3 a4 $1) 4... Rg4 {was interesting as well.}) 3. Rf1 g4
{Aware that White can't undertake much, Kotronias reinforces his pawn
structure.} 4. b4 $2 {Overlooking a counterstrike on the queenside.} ({Passive
defence with} 4. Rf2 {was called for, when Black could choose between} Re1 {,
preparing ... Rg1-g2,} ({and} 4... f4 5. gxf4+ Rxf4 6. Re2+ Kf5 {, in both
cases keeping a clear initiative.})) 4... axb4 5. axb4 b5 $1 {A strong blow
that leaves White's pawn structure in ruins.} 6. cxb5 Rxb4 7. Rc1 Rb3+ $1 {A
typical intermediate check, by which Black displaces the enemy king before
landing his rook on b2.} 8. Kc4 Rb2 9. Kc5 Rxh2 10. Kc6 Re2 11. b6 ({Equally
hopeless is} 11. Kxc7 Kxd5 12. b6 Rb2 13. b7 f4 $1 {etc.}) 11... cxb6 12. d6
Rd2 13. Re1+ Kf6 14. d7 f4 $1 {This breakthrough decides the game.} 15. Rf1 Ke6
16. Re1+ Kf5 17. Rf1 f3 18. Rb1 ({Or} 18. Kc7 h2 19. d8=Q Rxd8 20. Kxd8 Ke4 {
etc.}) 18... f2 19. Rb2 $5 f1=Q ({In view of} 19... f1=Q 20. Rxd2 Qc1+ {,
White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Havana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekseev, E."]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, I."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/R5p1/1p5p/1P2r3/6P1/5PKP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is about to win a pawn, but first it makes sense to restrict the enemy
pawns. ---} 1... g5 $1 {A strong advance that gains some space and prevents
White from playing h2-h4, establishing an ideal defensive structure;} ({i.e.} 
1... Rxb4 $6 2. h4 $1 {, followed by 3 Rb6 with increased drawing chances.}) 2.
f4 $5 {Alekseev opts for active defence;} ({, aware that after} 2. Rb6 Rxb4 {
, followed by ...f7-f6, Kg6-f5-e5 etc, Black has quite a favourable version of
the typical rook ending with a passed queenside pawn, which we explored in the
previous chapter.}) 2... g4 $1 {Fixing a weakness on h2.} ({On the obvious} 
2... gxf4 $6 {, White had prepared} 3. Rb6 Rxb4 4. gxf4 {- Baburin, when the
split kingside pawns makes it easier for him to create counterplay on that
flank.}) 3. Rd6 Rxb4 4. Rd5 Rb2+ $1 {Cutting off White's king from the second
rank. As we will see next, the bad location of this piece will play a crucial
role in the remainder of the game.} 5. Kg1 b4 $1 {Nepomniachtchi ignores the
threat at h5 and instead prepares the transfer of the king to the opposite
flank. We already know from Chapter Three that, in such positions, it makes
sense to advance the passed pawn to the third rank before activating the king.}
({In contrast, the materialistic} 5... Kg6 6. Rg5+ Kh6 $6 {leads nowhere after}
7. Rf5 {.}) 6. Rxh5 b3 7. Rb5 Kf6 8. Kf1 {A sad necessity, abandoning the
kingside in order to fight against the b-pawn.} ({By the way, if the f-pawn
was still on f2 then} 8. Rb7 {would have made sense, but here this just invites
} Kf5 9. Rxf7+ Ke4 {, with the dual threat of 10...Kf3 and 10...Rc2 followed
by 11...b2.}) 8... Ke7 9. Ke1 Kd6 10. Kd1 Kc6 11. Rb8 Kd5 12. Kc1 Rc2+ 13. Kb1
({Or} 13. Kd1 Kc4 {and the king can hide from the checks on b2.}) 13... Rxh2
14. Rxb3 {White has again managed to restore the material balance, but now the
weakness on g3 takes its toll.} Rf2 $1 15. Kc1 Rf3 16. Rb7 Ke6 (16... Rxg3 17.
Rxf7 Ke4 18. f5 Ra3 19. f6 Ra6 20. Re7+ Kf4 21. f7 Rf6 22. Kd2 g3 {is another
winning line - Baburin.}) 17. Rb6+ Kf5 18. Rb5+ (18. Rb7 f6 {is useless, White
has to help Black's king in improving itself.}) 18... Ke4 19. Re5+ Kd3 20. Rf5
Rxg3 21. Rxf7 Rf3 22. f5 g3 23. Rg7 Ke2 ({In view of} 23... Ke2 24. f6 Kf2 25.
f7 g2 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polugaevsky, L."]
[Black "Tal, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b1r3/pp3pk1/2p4p/4p1p1/6P1/1P2R2P/P1P1PPB1/2KR4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a final example on fixing pawns, which shows that the piece favoured
by such action can even be the king. --- White is slightly more active, but
Black only needs a few tempi to achieve ... Kf6, ...Be6 and ...Rad8 with a
complete mobilization of his forces. Polugaevsky came up with a clever idea.
---} 1. a4 $1 Kf6 $6 {It seems natural to bring up the king, but it was more
relevant to prevent White's queenside expansion.} ({I suspect that during the
rest of the game, Tal regretted not having played} 1... a5 $1 {at this moment,
which also fixes the a-pawns on squares of the "right" colour in relation to
the bishops.}) 2. a5 $1 {Gaining more space and creating the positional threat
of a5-a6.} a6 ({Seeing that} 2... Be6 $6 3. a6) ({or} 2... Rb8 3. a6 {leads to
multiple weaknesses in his camp, Black settles for just one weak pawn on b7.})
3. Kb2 {The beginning of an impressive plan: a king transfer to b6!} Be6 4. Kc3
$1 Rac8 $6 {Perhaps Tal played this in order to meet 5 Kb4 by 5...c5+, but
changed his mind on the next move, which reduces the text to the loss of a
tempo.} ({The natural} 4... Rad8 {seemed okay; e.g.} 5. Rxd8 $5 (5. Red3 Ke7 6.
Kb4 Rxd3 7. Rxd3 f5 $1 ({after} 7... Rd8 $6 8. Kc5 {, the king reaches b6}) 8.
gxf5 Bxf5 9. Rd2 Rd8 10. Rxd8 Kxd8 11. c3 Kc7 {and Black holds the balance.})
5... Rxd8 6. Kb4 {might be more critical, when Black should try} Bd5 (6... Rd2
$6 7. Be4 {leads nowhere}) 7. Rd3 Ke7 {.}) 5. Kb4 h5 {Black makes an attempt
for counterplay;} ({after seeing that} 5... c5+ 6. Kc3 {would leave the
b7-pawn badly exposed; e.g.} Rc7 7. Rd6 Ree7 8. Rb6 {, followed by Red3.}) 6.
Bf3 $1 {A technical choice. White doesn't just keep his pawn structure intact,
he also protects the e2-pawn in advance should Black manage ...Rd2 at some
moment.} hxg4 7. hxg4 Rcd8 8. Rxd8 {Abandoning the d-file so as to hurry up
the king's march to b6.} (8. Red3 $6 {was less promising in view of} Rxd3 9.
Rxd3 e4 $1 10. Bxe4 Bxg4 {.}) 8... Rxd8 9. Kc5 Rd4 {With the double idea of 10.
..Bxg4 and 10 Kb6 Rb4+.} ({The passive} 9... Rd7 {could be met by} 10. Rd3 Re7
11. Rd6 Kg7 12. e4 $1 {, followed by 13 Kb6, with Black completely deprived of
counterplay.}) 10. c4 $1 {Simple and strong - Polugaevsky gives up the g4-pawn
in order to secure the king's arrival at b6.} (10. Rd3 $6 Rf4 {was less
convincing}) ({but} 10. c3 $5 {, preparing b3-b4 and Kb6, also made sense.})
10... Bxg4 11. Bxg4 Rxg4 12. Kb6 {Triumph for White's strategy, although there
is still some work left to do.} Rf4 13. f3 (13. Kxb7 Rxf2 14. Kxa6 {was a more
straightforward path to victory; e.g.} Kf5 15. Kb7 Kf4 16. a6 Kxe3 17. a7 {and
the queen should prevail without much difficulty.}) 13... e4 $1 {Tal finds the
only chance left for counterplay, but it won't be enough.} 14. Kxb7 Ke5 15.
Kxa6 Kd4 16. Rxe4+ Rxe4 17. fxe4 g4 18. Kb7 {White will be a few pawns up in
the queen ending, and the rest is a matter of technique for Polugaevsky.} g3
19. a6 g2 20. a7 g1=Q 21. a8=Q c5 22. Kb6 Kc3 23. Qd5 $1 {Centralization, a
typical idea in queen endings in order to exploit the power of this piece to
the maximum.} Qg8 24. Kxc5 Kxb3 25. Qd3+ Kb2 26. Qd6 $1 {With the strong
threat of 27 Kb6.} Kb3 27. Qb6+ Kc2 28. Kb5 Qg4 ({After} 28... Qe8+ 29. Qc6
Qb8+ 30. Ka6 {, Black's checks come to an end.}) 29. Qd4 Qxe2 30. Kb6 Qh2 31.
e5 $1 Kb3 ({The black queen is denied the b8-square, and insisting with} 31...
Qh8 {makes no sense after} 32. Qd6 {.}) 32. c5 f6 33. c6 $1 {Simplest,
exploiting the fact that Black's pawn on e5 will just obstruct his queen.} fxe5
34. Qd5+ Ka4 35. Qb5+ Ka3 36. c7 1-0

[Event "World Championship, The Netherlands"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp1k3p/2pr1p2/3n4/P1B2P1P/2P2KP1/8/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Provocation --- By provocation I refer to the idea of forcing the opponent to
make undesired moves, typically with his pawns. I touched upon the subject
from a middlegame perspective in 'Mastering Chess Strategy', and here we will
see the role of provocative measures in the final phase of the game. Just like
the method of fixing pawns, provocation usually aims at creating weaknesses in
the enemy camp, but differently to the former, the action is carried out by
the pieces, rather than the pawns. In fact we already came across this idea in
a few earlier examples; e.g. Kramnik-Deep Fritz (6 Nc7!) and Gligoric-Filip (1
Kf4!). --- White is more active, but who would guess that the battle would be
over in just ten moves? A key role was played by Alekhine's next, powerful
move. ---} 1. Bd3 $1 {Provoking the advance of Black's h-pawn, so that it can
be more easily attacked.} h6 {The least of evils.} ({After} 1... Nxc3 $6 2.
Bxh7 {, the white h-pawn becomes a giant}) ({and} 1... h5 2. Bf5+ ({less clear
is} 2. Bg6 Nxc3 3. Bxh5 f5 $1 {, preparing ...Ne4}) 2... Kd8 3. g4 $1 Ne7 4.
Bb1 {has a similar effect.}) 2. Bf5+ Kd8 3. Kg4 $1 {Active king, with focus on
the h6-pawn. White's own pawn on c3 is less of a concern.} Ne7 ({Or} 3... Nxc3
4. Kh5 Nxa4 5. Kxh6 {and the h-pawn decides.}) 4. Bb1 Ke8 $6 (4... Rd5 {was
more stubborn, cutting off the enemy king from the fifth rank. There could
follow} 5. Re6 $5 {(more provocation)} f5+ 6. Kh5 Rd1 7. Ba2 Rd3 8. Kxh6 Rxg3
9. h5 {and White keeps the initiative.}) 5. Kh5 $1 {The plan initiated four
moves ago is completed.} Kf7 6. Ba2+ $1 ({Simpler than} 6. Kxh6 $6 f5+ 7. Kh5
Kf6 {, intending ...Rd8-h8.}) 6... Kf8 ({Obviously,} 6... Nd5 $2 {failed to} 7.
c4 {and 8 c5+ next.}) 7. Kxh6 Rd2 (7... f5+ 8. Kh5 Rd3 {was slightly more
tenacious, although after} 9. g4 fxg4 10. Kxg4 Rxc3 11. h5 {, White should win
anyway.}) 8. Be6 Rd3 9. g4 Rxc3 10. g5 {. In this hopeless position, Black
resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Michel Yunis, C."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pr3ppk/7p/4p3/2R1P3/2N2P2/KP3b1P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his extra pawn and superior minor piece, Black is clearly better.
With my next move, I provoke a concession in the enemy kingside before placing
my bishop on d4. ---} 1... Bg1 $1 {Forcing the white h-pawn to approach
Black's king, in similar fashion to the previous example.} 2. h3 Bd4 ({There
was in fact nothing wrong with the straightforward} 2... Kg6 3. Nd5 Kg5 {, but
I wanted to restrict the enemy knight first.}) 3. b3 Rb6 4. Ne2 Ra6+ 5. Kb1 ({
Or} 5. Ra4 Rxa4+ 6. bxa4 Bf2 {with ...Kg6-g5-h4 next.}) 5... Ra1+ 6. Kc2 Ra2+
7. Kd3 Bb6 8. Rc6 $2 {This won't end well, but on other moves Black decides
the battle by a king transfer to h4.} Rb2 $1 ({Seeing that Black wins a second
pawn after} 8... Rb2 9. Rc3 ({or} 9. Nc1 Rf2) 9... Ba5 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1951.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p3p1p/p1p1k1p1/P1P5/1P2P1PP/4K3/1b1B4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1951.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Sometimes, the provocation has the function of forcing enemy pawns to squares
of the "wrong" colour, as in the next two examples. --- Several factors speak
in Black's favour: sounder pawn structure, superior bishop, and more active
king. Keres realized his advantage in instructive fashion. ---} 1... Bf5 $1 {
Provoking the undesired g3-g4, after which White ends up with even more pawns
on squares of the "wrong" colour.} 2. g4 ({Unfortunately for White,} 2. h4 {
runs into} Bg4+ $1 3. Ke1 Bxd1 4. Kxd1 gxh4 5. gxh4 Kf5 {, followed by ...Kg4.}
) 2... Bb1 3. Kf3 f5 4. gxf5 ({Or} 4. Ke2 f4 5. Kf3 fxe3 6. Kxe3 Be4 $1 {with
a decisive zugzwang - 'EDAMI'. In fact, White's need to control the c2-square
with the bishop is a dominant factor during the whole example.}) 4... Kxf5 (
4... Bxf5 5. Kg3 Ke4 {is less convincing due to} 6. Bc2+ $1 {.}) 5. Kf2 Be4 ({
On} 5... Ke4 {White manages to keep the enemy king out by} 6. Bh5 $1 {,
heading for g6.}) 6. Kg3 Kg6 7. Kf2 ({After} 7. h4 h5 8. Kh3 Bd3 9. Kg3 Bf5 $1
{, Black uses zugzwang to force through} 10. hxg5 Kxg5 {, with a huge
advantage.}) 7... h5 8. Kg3 h4+ 9. Kf2 Bf5 $1 {Tying the enemy king to the
h3-pawn.} 10. Kg2 Kf6 11. Kh2 Ke6 $1 ({More precise than} 11... Ke5 12. Kg2 Bb1
13. Kf2 Ke4 14. Ke2 {and the king can't enter.}) ({After} 11... Ke6 {, Smyslov
resigned, seeing that} 12. Kg2 Ke5 13. Kh2 Bb1 $1 {, followed by ...Ke4, is
hopeless for him; e.g.} 14. Kg2 Ke4 15. Kf2 Kd3 16. Kf3 Kd2 17. Be2 Bf5 {etc -
'EDAMI'.}) 0-1

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Illescas Cordoba, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1rr3k1/6pp/p2p1p2/1p1P3n/4P3/1P1K1P2/PB5P/3R2R1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is easy to see that the c-file will be a key factor in this endgame.
Before starting to work on it, Karpov applied a subtle provocative measure. ---
} 1. Ba3 $1 {Provoking the advance ...b5-b4, so that this pawn settles on a
square of the same colour as White's bishop, while the c4-square is freed for
the white forces.} ({It is important to effect this move before the enemy king
joins the battle; i.e.} 1. Rc1 $6 Kf7 2. Ba3 ({just as after} 2. Rc6 Rxc6 3.
dxc6 Rc8 4. Rc1 Ke6) 2... Ke7 {and Black defends - Karpov.}) 1... b4 {
Practically forced;} ({since} 1... Rd8 $6) ({and} 1... Rb6 $6 {permit} 2. Rc1 {
, seizing the open file.}) 2. Bb2 Kf7 3. Rc1 Nf4+ {Evidently, the knight must
join the battle as well.} 4. Ke3 g5 5. Bd4 $1 {An ideal square for the bishop,
where it controls the whole board.} Ke7 6. Rc6 $1 {Now this is indeed strong -
in contrast to the 1 Rc1?! subline above, White has a target on b4 to work on.}
Rxc6 7. dxc6 Rc8 8. Rc1 Ne6 9. Bb6 $1 {The strong bishop should stay on the
board.} ({After} 9. Rc4 $6 Nc5 $1 10. Bxc5 dxc5 11. Rxc5 Kd6 12. Rf5 Ke6 {,
Black holds - Karpov.}) 9... Nc5 10. c7 Ne6 ({Karpov also indicates the line} 
10... Kd7 11. Kd4 Ne6+ 12. Kd5 Nxc7+ 13. Rxc7+ Rxc7 14. Bxc7 Kxc7 15. Ke6 {and
White wins.}) 11. Rc4 Kd7 12. Rxb4 Nxc7 {The trade of the b- and d-pawns
produced a white pawn majority on the queenside, which could soon turn into an
outside passed pawn. Thus Karpov is happy the more pieces are exchanged off
the board. Besides, this will help him to reduce enemy counterplay.} 13. Rc4 $1
Ne8 ({The more active} 13... Ne6 {permits} 14. Rxc8 Kxc8 15. Bd4 $1 Nxd4 16.
Kxd4 {and the outside passed pawn decides.}) 14. Rxc8 Kxc8 15. Kd4 Kb7 16. Ba5
Kc6 17. Kc4 Kd7 18. Bc3 $1 {Tying the knight to the defence of the f6-pawn.} h5
19. a4 Ke6 20. Bd4 $1 ({The obvious} 20. b4 $6 {would permit} Nc7 21. b5 axb5+
22. axb5 d5+ $1 {with counterplay - Karpov}) ({whereas after} 20. Bd4 {,} Nc7 {
runs into} 21. Bb6 $1 {with the idea} d5+ $2 22. Kd4 {. So Illescas looks for
activity on the opposite flank.}) 20... f5 21. exf5+ Kxf5 22. Kd5 $1 {The king
exploits the moment to get closer to the queenside.} Kf4 23. b4 Kxf3 24. Kc6 $1
{The magic distance. Now the b-pawn becomes unstoppable.} g4 25. b5 axb5 26. a5
$5 (26. axb5 h4 27. b6 g3 28. h3 {was equally strong.}) 26... Ke4 ({The point
behind 26 a5 is revealed after} 26... h4 27. a6 g3 28. a7 ({though} 28. h3 {
works here as well}) 28... gxh2 29. a8=Q h1=Q 30. Kd7+ {.}) 27. a6 1-0

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1951.??.??"]
[Round "23"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Bronstein, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/npn1pk1p/3p4/P2PP3/2K3B1/7P/1B6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1951.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Provocation also becomes an important weapon when possessing the bishop pair,
as can be seen in the next, famous example. --- In exchange for the pawn
deficit White has a powerful bishop pair, while Black is struggling with his
passive knights. Moreover, the fact that there is play on both flanks favours
the bishops, as can be seen by Botvinnik's next, simple move. ---} 1. Bf4 $1 {
Provoking the advance of the h-pawn, so that it becomes more vulnerable.} h5 2.
exd5 $1 {At the right moment, ruling out any attempts at ...d5xe4, followed by
...Ne7-d5 - Botvinnik.} exd5 3. h4 $1 {Fixing the h-pawn for the light-squared
bishop, and creating a stronghold on g5 for its colleague.} Nab8 4. Bg5+ Kf7 5.
Bf5 {Preventing ...Nd7 and eyeing c8.} Na7 ({After} 5... Ne7 6. Bh3 $1 (6. Bxe7
Kxe7 7. Bg6 {is somewhat less technical due to the risk of a theoretical draw
with the h-pawn and the wrong bishop}) 6... Nbc6 7. Bg2 Kg7 8. Bxe7 $1 Nxe7 9.
Kb4 Nc6+ 10. Kb5 Nxd4+ 11. Kxb6 {, the a-pawn soon decides.}) 6. Bf4 Nbc6 7.
Bd3 Nc8 8. Be2 Kg6 9. Bd3+ Kf6 10. Be2 Kg6 11. Bf3 N6e7 ({On} 11... N8e7 {a
good reply is} 12. Bc7 Nf5 13. Bxd5 Nfxd4 14. Bxb6 {- Botvinnik.}) 12. Bg5 $1 {
Finding himself in a fatal zugzwang, Black resigned.} ({If} 12. Bg5 Nc6 {, then
} 13. Bxd5 Nd6 14. Bf3 Kf5 15. Bc1 $1 {(Smyslov) is very strong, avoiding a
fork on e4; e.g.} b5 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. a5 {and White wins.}) 1-0

[Event "Bugojno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, TV."]
[Black "Ivkov, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2n5/1p1n3k/p2p1bp1/3Ppp1p/2N1P3/5P2/PP1BKNPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The knight is another excellent performer of provocation measures. Let's see
some examples. --- White has obtained a dream ending from the King's Indian
Defence, where the absence of light-squared bishops clearly suits him. But how
to make progress? ---} 1. Na5 $1 {Provoking new weaknesses.} (1. Bb4 Be7 {is
less effective.}) 1... b6 2. Nc6 Kg7 3. Be3 Kf7 4. Nd3 Ke8 5. a4 $1 {After
arranging his minor pieces in ideal positions, Petrosian launches a pawn
advance to soften up the enemy queenside.} Bd8 ({After} 5... Nc5 6. Nxc5 bxc5
7. b4 $1 cxb4 8. Nxb4 {, the a-pawn is doomed; and other moves let White
continue his plan by 6 a5, preparing Ndb4.}) 6. Ndb4 $1 {A new provocative
measure, to weaken Black's light squares further.} a5 7. Na2 {The virtues of
White's first and sixth moves become evident: Black's queenside pawns have
both been fixed on squares of the same colour as the bishops, and the white
king can already consider an invasion along the f1-a6 diagonal.} f4 {Without
light-squared bishops on the board such an avalanche won't bring great success,
but it is difficult to suggest anything better.} 8. Bf2 g5 9. Kd3 $1 {On the
way to a6!} Nf8 10. h3 Ng6 11. Nc3 Bf6 12. Kc4 $1 Kd7 13. Kb5 Kc7 14. Ka6 $1 {
The threat of 15 Nb5+ now forces Black to a suicidal attack on the opposite
flank.} g4 15. hxg4 hxg4 16. fxg4 Bh4 17. Nd1 $1 {Limiting the enemy
counterplay.} (17. Nb5+ {would have been less technical - Shereshevsky.}) 17...
Bxf2 ({Or} 17... Bg3 18. Bxg3 fxg3 19. Ne3 {, winning - Petrosian.}) 18. Nxf2
Nce7 ({After} 18... Nh4 19. g5 {, the g2-pawn can't be taken, and White
decides matters by Nh3-g1-f3 - Petrosian.}) 19. Nxe7 Nxe7 20. g5 {With Black
suffering on both flanks, the rest is easy.} Ng6 21. Ng4 Nh4 22. Ka7 Ng6 23.
Nh2 $1 Nh4 24. Nf3 Ng6 25. b3 $1 {Zugzwang.} Nf8 ({Black resigned at the same
time, without waiting for} 25... Nf8 26. Nh4 {.}) 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1969.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Kholmov, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pk1np2/p5p1/2K4p/1P6/P4N2/5PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1969.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his more active king White is better, but this advantage could
quickly evaporate if Black achieves ...b7-b6+, followed by ...Kd6. ---} 1. Ng5
$1 {A key move that softens up Black's kingside pawns for a later attack, by
the knight itself or even by the king.} f6 ({Here or later,} 1... b6+ 2. Kd4 {
makes no great difference.}) 2. Nh7 f5 3. h4 $1 {Fixing a weakness on g6.} ({
It is important to use the h-pawn for this purpose: after} 3. f4 $2 {the king
can no longer use the c1-h6 diagonal, and Black holds after} b6+ 4. Kd4 Kd6 5.
Nf8 Nc6+ 6. Ke3 Ne7 {- Dvoretsky.}) 3... f4 ({Kholmov opts for active defence,
aware that after} 3... b6+ 4. Kd4 Kd6 5. Nf8 Nc6+ 6. Ke3 Ne5 7. Kf4 {, the
g6-pawn can't be saved - Botvinnik.}) 4. Nf8 b6+ ({Perhaps} 4... f3 $5 5. g3
Nf5 6. Nxg6 Nxg3 {offered more practical chances, although after} 7. Kd4 {
White soon ends up with an extra pawn anyway - Botvinnik.}) 5. Kd4 Nf5+ ({It
no longer makes sense to play} 5... f3 6. g3 Nf5+ {in view of} 7. Kd3 $1 {, 
ruling out the ...Nxg3 sacrifice.}) 6. Ke4 Nxh4 ({On this occasion,} 6... f3 {
fails to} 7. Kxf3 Nxh4+ 8. Kg3 {; e.g.} Nf5+ ({or} 8... g5 9. Ne6+) 9. Kf4 {-
Botvinnik.}) 7. Ne6+ Kc6 8. Nxf4 {The threat of 9 g3 has emerged, and Black is
now forced to try his luck on the opposite flank.} Kb5 ({According to
Botvinnik, when playing 4...b6+ Kholmov had overlooked that} 8... g5 {at this
point runs into} 9. g3 $1 gxf4 10. gxh4 {and White wins the pawn ending.}) 9.
g3 Nf5 10. Nxg6 Nh6 11. Ne5 $1 {A final accuracy, assigning the knight to the
queenside defence.} Ka4 12. Nc4 Kb3 {The pawn trade won't favour Black;} ({but
on} 12... Kb5 {, White builds a decisive barrier by} 13. Nb2) ({while after} 
12... b5 13. Ne5 Kxa3 14. Nc6 $1 {, the knight defends the pawn comfortably
from the front, a topic that we came across in Dvoretsky's study earlier in
this chapter (Example 247).}) 13. Nxb6 Kxa3 14. Nd5 Kb3 15. f4 Kc4 16. Nc7 Kxb4
17. Nxa6+ 1-0

[Event "Jakarta (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Seirawan, Y."]
[Black "Adianto, U."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r1r1k1/1p3p1p/p2n2p1/3p4/3N4/1P2P2P/P4PP1/R1R2K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is slightly better in this typical IQP endgame, thanks to the eternal
weakness on d5. On the other hand, a single weakness usually isn't enough for
victory in the endgame; besides, in such a structure Black is happy to have a
knight on the board rather than a bishop. White has just played Kg1-f1,
activating his king; how should Black react? ---} 1... Rxc1+ $2 {Quite a
common endgame mistake: swapping pieces in the belief that the defensive task
is made easier by such action. As we will see next, Black's king will soon be
missing in the battle.} ({For this reason,} 1... Kg7 {, followed by ...Kf6,
was preferable, activating his own king while awaiting the opponent's next
step.}) 2. Rxc1 Rc8 3. Rxc8+ Nxc8 4. Ne2 $1 {The knight hurries to attack the
enemy pawns before Black's king joins the battle.} ({Less promising is} 4. Ke2
$2 Kf8 5. Kd3 Ke7 6. Ne2 Kd6 {, when} 7. Kd4 {(?) can be met by} Ne7 {,
heading for c6 - Seirawan.}) 4... Kg7 ({After} 4... Kf8 $6 5. Nc3 Nb6 6. Ke2 ({
another idea is} 6. a4 $5 a5 7. Ke2 Ke7 8. Kd3 Kd6 9. Kd4 {- Seirawan}) 6...
Ke7 7. Kd3 Kd6 8. Kd4 {, Black is in serious trouble: his knight is badly
placed at the magic distance from the enemy king, and White has a strong plan
with b3-b4 and a2-a4-a5. With the text Adianto plans instead to place his
knight on the more flexible e7-square.}) 5. Nc3 {The right route, approaching
the black queenside pawns.} ({Less promising is} 5. Nf4 $6 Ne7 6. Ke2 Kf6 7.
Kd3 Ke5 {, when the white knight has no interesting prospects from f4.}) 5...
Ne7 6. Na4 $1 {Again Seirawan takes the chance to attack the enemy pawns
before the black king enters the stage. Now the threat of 7 Nc5 forces Black's
reply.} b5 7. Nc5 a5 8. Nb7 $1 {In the spirit of provoking weaknesses.} Nc6 ({
On} 8... a4 {, Seirawan advocates} 9. bxa4 ({instead, White could continue} 9.
Nd6 {as in the game; e.g.} axb3 10. axb3 b4 11. Ne8+ $1 Kf8 12. Nc7 Kg7 13. Ke2
Kf6 14. f4 $1 {, preventing ...Ke5 while preparing g2-g4 and Kd3-d4}) 9... bxa4
10. a3 {, fixing the a4-pawn as a target, though after} Nc8 $5 {, followed by ...Nb6, things might not be completely clear.}) 9. Nd6 $1 {Not so much to
attack the b5-pawn but to reach e8, from where the knight will restrict the
enemy king and also access an excellent post on f6.} b4 10. Ne8+ Kf8 {Black
gives up a pawn in order to get his king to the centre.} ({The odd} 10... Kh6 {
might have been more tenacious, upon which Seirawan suggests} 11. Ke2 Kg5 12.
Nc7 $1 d4 13. Nb5 $1 dxe3 14. Kxe3 {, preparing Ke4, with good winning chances.
}) 11. Nf6 d4 $1 {Active defence.} ({After} 11... Ke7 $6 12. Nxd5+ Ke6 13. Nb6
{, White wins with less effort.}) 12. Nxh7+ Ke7 13. Ng5 $1 {The knight escapes
before it is trapped by ...f7-f6, and completes a journey of ten moves in a
row! As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, in the endgame this piece should
often move around a lot.} dxe3 14. fxe3 Ne5 {A good square for the knight,
where it protects the f7-pawn and temporarily restricts White's king.} ({The
optimistic} 14... Na7 {, heading for b5-c3, fails to} 15. Ke2 Nb5 16. Kd3 Nc3
17. a4 $1 {etc - Seirawan.}) 15. Ke2 Kd6 16. Nf3 $1 {Thus the king gets access
to d3, after which White's extra pawn will start to make itself felt.} Nd7 17.
Kd3 Nb6 18. e4 f6 19. Kd4 {A natural centralization.} ({Seirawan also suggests
} 19. h4 $5 {in order to create an outside passed pawn by g2-g4 and h4-h5.})
19... a4 {It is hard to suggest anything better.} 20. Ne1 ({White now had a
good choice in} 20. e5+ fxe5+ 21. Nxe5 {, but Seirawan prefers a more
technical path.}) 20... axb3 21. axb3 Nd7 22. Nd3 {Establishing a barrier.} ({
Of course not} 22. Kc4 $2 Ke5 $1 {with counterplay - Seirawan.}) 22... Nf8 23.
h4 $1 {Creating some kind of zugzwang.} (23. Nxb4 Ne6+ 24. Ke3 ({or} 24. Kc4
Nf4) 24... Nc5 {would be less technical.}) ({After} 23. h4 {Black resigned, in
view of} Ne6+ 24. Kc4 {and White wins another pawn.}) 1-0

[Event "Carlsbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rubinstein, A."]
[Black "Cohn, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pp/p1r1k3/Pp2p3/4K3/1PPR4/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Provocation is a common guest in rook endings as well. Here are some examples.
--- Thanks to his more active rook and king, White is a bit better, but Black
holds for the moment. Rubinstein finds a great idea. ---} 1. Rh3 $1 {Softening
up Black's kingside.} ({The move order matters: after} 1. Rg3 $6 g6 2. Rh3 Rc7
{, Black defends better than in the game.}) 1... h6 ({After} 1... g6 2. Rxh7
Rxc3 3. Ra7 $1 {, White obtains a big advantage, as demonstrated by Marin's
detailed analysis in 'Learn from the Legends'. One sample line is} Rc6 4. Rg7
$1 Kf6 5. Rb7 Ke6 6. h4 $1 {with 7 Rb6 next.}) 2. Rg3 $1 {In the same
provocative spirit.} Kf6 ({The king has to cede the d5-square to its
counterpart, since both} 2... Rc7 3. Rg6+) ({and} 2... g5 3. Rh3 $1 {lose a
pawn for Black.}) 3. Kd5 Re6 4. Rf3+ Ke7 {Thanks to the previous provocation
White has managed to invade with his king, and Black is evidently on the
defensive. But how to progress?} 5. g3 $1 {Aware of Black's potential
counterplay with ...Rd6(+)-d2, Rubinstein takes prophylactic measures. The
creation of a passed pawn with c3-c4 can wait until a more opportune moment -
the opponent can't undertake anything active anyway.} ({Instead, the tempting} 
5. c4 $6 {permits} bxc4 6. bxc4 Rd6+ $1 7. Kxe5 Rd2 8. Rg3 g5 {with quite some
activity for Black}) ({and} 5. Rf5 $6 Rd6+ $1 6. Kxe5 Rd2) ({or} 5. Re3 $6 Rd6+
$1 6. Kxe5 Rd2 {is similar}) 5... g6 {Preventing 6 Rf5.} ({If} 5... Rf6 {,
with the same purpose, then} 6. Re3 $1 Rf2 7. Rxe5+ Kd7 8. Kc5 $1 {, followed
by Kb6 and the a-pawn soon takes its toll.}) 6. Re3 $1 {Before commencing the
advance of the c-pawn, White eliminates the ...Rd6+ resource by the threat
against e5.} Kf6 7. c4 bxc4 8. bxc4 {The c-pawn has become a giant, and the
rest is child's play for Rubinstein.} Re8 9. Rf3+ {Driving the enemy king away
from the defence of the e-pawn.} Kg5 10. c5 e4 11. h4+ ({The simple} 11. Re3 {
was strong too, both here and on the next move.}) 11... Kg4 12. Rf4+ Kxg3 13.
Rxe4 Ra8 ({Or} 13... Rd8+ 14. Kc6 {, followed by 15 Kb7 - Marin.}) 14. c6 g5
15. hxg5 hxg5 16. c7 Kf3 17. Re1 {. Black resigned, seeing that after the
trade of rooks and passed pawns, the location of White's king decides. Note
that this position would be drawn without the a-pawns - not without reason, a
greater number of pawns on the board tends to favour the attacker.} 1-0

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4k2/1p4p1/6Pp/5P2/1R3PK1/PPr5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an extra pawn, but the enemy rook is quite active on the second
rank. Kramnik found an interesting way of activating his own rook. ---} 1. Ra3
$1 {Softening up Black's queenside pawns.} (1. Rd3 $6 Ke6 {was less effective.}
) 1... Rxb2 {One of several unsatisfactory options.} ({If} 1... a5 {, then} 2.
Rb3 {in similar fashion to Example 289 (Rubinstein-Cohn), when after} Rc6 3.
Rb5 {, preparing f4-f5, White's extra pawn and more active pieces imply a
decisive advantage.}) ({After} 1... Rc7 2. b4 {Black is also in trouble -
Kramnik; e.g.} Rd7 3. Rc3 {, heading for c6.}) 2. Rxa7+ Kg8 ({Unfortunately
for Black, the active} 2... Ke6 {fails to} 3. Rg7 Kf5 4. Rf7+ Ke6 5. Rf6+ {.})
3. f5 $1 {Of course. This advance clears a path for the king via f4-e5 and
creates a strong passed pawn.} Rb5 ({More stubborn than} 3... gxf5 4. Kf4 Rb5
5. g6 {- Kramnik.}) 4. Ra8+ Kf7 ({Or} 4... Kg7 5. f6+ {with the strong plan of
Ra7+, f3-f4 and Rg7.}) 5. fxg6+ Kxg6 6. f4 Rb1 7. Rg8+ Kf5 ({White also wins
after} 7... Kh7 8. Rc8 Rg1+ 9. Kf3 h4 10. Rc6 {- Kramnik.}) 8. Rf8+ Ke4 9. Re8+
Kf5 10. Re5+ Kg6 11. Re6+ Kf5 12. Rf6+ {White has finally got the rook where
he wanted and can now start advancing his pair of connected passed pawns.} Ke4
13. g6 b5 14. Kh4 ({Another good option was} 14. f5 {, preparing Rf7 and g6-g7,
in similar fashion to Example 65 (Szabo-Keres) in Chapter Two. There could
follow} Ra1 15. Rf7 h4+ 16. Kg2 $1 ({not} 16. Kxh4 $2 Kf4 $1) 16... Rxa2+ 17.
Kh3 Ra3+ 18. Kxh4 {and 19 g7 decides next move.}) 14... Rh1+ 15. Kg5 h4 16.
Re6+ Kf3 17. g7 Rg1+ 18. Kf6 h3 ({Or} 18... Kxf4 19. Rb6 h3 20. Rxb5 h2 21. Rh5
{etc.}) 19. Re8 ({In view of} 19. Re8 h2 20. Rh8 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Paglilla, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4R3/pp4r1/2p3k1/2P1R1p1/1P3r1p/P3KP1P/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again White is a pawn up, but two pawns stop three on the kingside. Smyslov
found a hidden opportunity on the opposite flank. ---} 1. Ra8 $1 {Provoking a
weak point on b6, which can be used later on by his majesty.} a6 ({In the
event of} 1... b6 $2 {, one refutation is} 2. Re6+ Rf6 3. Rxf6+ Kxf6 4. Rc8 {.}
) 2. Re6+ {Before reactivating the rook on a8, White centralizes his other
rook again.} Rf6 3. Re5 Rf4 4. Rd8 Rf6 ({On the more active} 4... Rc4 {, White
could reply} 5. Kd2 {, preparing 6 Re4.}) 5. Kd4 $1 {The time is right to send
the king to b6.} Rf4+ 6. Kc3 Kf6 7. Ree8 a5 8. Kb3 $1 {Smyslov sticks to his
plan.} ({In contrast, the alternative} 8. Re4 $2 {was no longer beneficial,
due to} Rxe4 9. fxe4 axb4+ {and ...Ke5 next.}) 8... axb4 9. axb4 Kg6 10. Rd6+
Rf6 11. Rd2 (11. Rxf6+ $6 Kxf6 12. Ka4 {was less technical due to} Kf5 $1 {,
copying the opponent's plan on the opposite flank.}) 11... Kf5 12. Rd4 $1 {A
key move that prevents ...Kf4 and aims at deploying the rook on g4, where it
will defend both of White's more vulnerable pawns. As a consequence, the
exchange of the other rook is no longer a concern for him.} Re6 13. Rxe6 Kxe6
14. Ka4 Ke5 15. Rg4 Kf6 16. f4 $1 ({Black resigned, in view of} 16. f4 gxf4 17.
Rxg7 Kxg7 18. Ka5 {and the king finally reaches b6 with a trivial win -
Smyslov.}) 1-0

[Event "Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Salov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/6p1/4p2p/pk1bP1p1/3R4/2PN2PP/1P2K3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Provocative measures with the rook are often seen in other types of endings
as well. Here is one example. --- Black is slightly more active here and the
bishop outranks the knight. Even so, it is not easy to find a way to progress
at first glance. ---} 1... Rf5 $1 {A clever provocative move. The threat of 2...Bc4 now forces White to play g3-g4, after which his kingside pawns will be
fixed on squares of the same colour as the bishop; besides, the f4-square is
softened up for the black rook.} ({Not} 1... Rf3 $4 2. Rxd5+ {.}) 2. g4 ({
Indeed, most other moves have clear defects; e.g.} 2. Kd2 $6 Rf3 {.}) 2... Rf7
{Suddenly White is short of solid moves.} 3. Ne1 Rf4 $1 {Salov at once
exploits the weakness on f4;} ({aware that} 3... Rf4 4. Rxf4 $6 gxf4 {,
followed by ...Kc4-b3, would just make things worse for White - Ribli.}) 4. Ke3
Rf1 $1 {Looking for new targets.} ({It was no longer beneficial to swap rooks;
i.e.} 4... Rxd4 $2 5. Kxd4 {and White manages to activate his king.}) 5. Nc2 $1
{A good defence;} ({as} 5. Nc2 {creates the threat of} -- 6. c4+ Bxc4 7. Na3+ {
.}) ({Inferior is} 5. Ke2 $2 Rh1 {and White loses a pawn in view of} 6. Rd3 $2
Bc4 {.}) 5... Rf3+ 6. Kd2 ({Not} 6. Ke2 $2 Rxh3 7. c4+ Bxc4+ {with check}) ({
whereas after} 6. Kd2 {, the h3-pawn is untouchable due to} Rxh3 $2 7. c4+ Bxc4
8. Na3+ {again.}) 6... Bb3 $1 7. Rb4+ $1 {By a little combination White
manages to exchange the active enemy rook, thus preserving the material
balance, at least for a few more moves.} axb4 8. Nd4+ Kc4 9. Nxf3 bxc3+ 10.
bxc3 Kd5 {Despite the departure of the rooks, White's task remains difficult
due to the multiple weaknesses on c3, e5 and h3.} 11. Ke3 Bc4 12. h4 ({White
was in zugzwang; e.g.} 12. Kf2 Ke4 13. Nd2+ Kd3 {and the c3-pawn falls}) ({or} 
12. Nd2 Ba6 13. Nf3 Bf1 14. Kf2 Bd3 $1 ({but not} 14... Bxh3 $2 15. Nh2 $1) 15.
Ke3 Bb5 {with a new zugzwang - Hecht.}) 12... gxh4 13. Nxh4 Kxe5 {Black has
finally managed to convert his positional assets into a material advantage,
and the ensuing endgame can be regarded as technically won.} 14. Nf3+ Kd5 15.
Nd2 Bb5 16. Nf3 Ba4 $1 {The bishop has found a new angle on d1.} 17. g5 h5 $1 {
As we discussed several times in the book, pawn exchanges usually favour the
defender.} 18. Kf4 Bc2 19. Ne5 Bf5 20. Nf3 Kc4 21. Nh4 Bg4 $1 ({Salov avoids
both pitfalls:} 21... g6 $2 22. Ke5 Kxc3 23. Kf6 {, heading for a drawn queen
ending}) ({and} 21... Kxc3 $2 22. Nxf5 exf5 23. Kxf5 Kd4 24. g6 $1 {with a
draw - Hecht.}) 22. g6 Kxc3 23. Ke5 Kd3 24. Kd6 Ke4 25. Ke7 Kf4 ({White
resigned, seeing that} 25... Kf4 26. Kf8 Kg5 27. Kxg7 Kxh4 28. Kf7 ({or} 28.
Kh6 e5) 28... Bf5 {lets Black stop the g-pawn with his bishop.}) 0-1

[Event "Asker"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Ostenstad, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k1qn/1p2p3/p1p3p1/P3N1P1/1P3P2/4P1K1/7Q w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On occasion, provocation can also be realized by the queen, as in the next
example. --- White has a huge advantage thanks to his sounder pawn structure
and more active knight. A simple provocation measure helped me to accelerate
the end. ---} 1. Qh2 $1 {By threatening 2 Qc7+ (or 2 Qd6+), White provokes ...e6-e5, thus creating a powerful outpost for the knight on f5 and restricting
the enemy queen.} e5 2. Ng3 Qg6 3. Nf5+ Ke6 4. Qh1 $1 {The queen returns to
the first rank, planning to invade the enemy camp via the d-file or the a2-g8
diagonal.} e4 ({Seeing that the passive} 4... Qg8 5. Qd1 Qf8 6. Qd3 {would be
fatal for him, Ostenstad opts for complications.}) 5. Qh2 $1 {Simplest, in
order to exploit the reopened h2-b8 diagonal.} ({Alternatively,} 5. fxe4 {was
also strong; e.g.} Nf6 6. Qd1 Nxe4 7. Kf3 $1 {, when both} Nf6 ({and} 7... Ke5
8. Qa1+) 8. Qd6+ {lead to an easy win.}) 5... exf3+ 6. exf3 Kd7 7. Kf2 $1 {
Prophylaxis against a potential check on e2.} ({Less convincing was} 7. Qe5 $6
Qf6) ({or} 7. Qb8 Qe6 {.}) 7... Nf8 8. Qe5 Qh7 ({No better is} 8... Ne6 $2 9.
Qd6+) ({or} 8... Qe6 9. Qg7+ Ke8 10. Qxg5 {.}) 9. Ke3 Ng6 ({After} 9... Qf7 10.
Qd6+ Ke8 11. Qb8+ Kd7 12. Qb7+ {, Black loses his queen, as} Ke6 {runs into}
13. Qc6+ Ke5 14. Qd6# {.}) 10. Qd6+ ({In view of his hopeless position after} 
10. Qd6+ Ke8 11. Qxb6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Minev, N."]
[Black "Djukanovic, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/7P/3K1PP1/8/8/1b6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{So far, the provocative measures were carried out exclusively by the stronger
side. The next example shows us that, on occasion, the idea of provocation can
also prove useful for the defender. --- When the bishop fights against three
connected pawns, the weaker side can draw only with precise defence. ---} 1...
Bc1 $1 {Thus Black provokes the advance of the pawns to light squares, where
they can be controlled more easily by the bishop.} ({Instead, the game went} 
1... Bc3 $2 2. h7 $1 Kg7 ({or} 2... Bb2 3. f6) 3. Ke6 $1 Kxh7 ({or} 3... Kh8 4.
f6 {, followed by Kf7-e8 and wins - Dvoretsky}) 4. Kf7 Kh8 5. g6 Bb2 6. f6 {
and Black resigned.}) 2. h7 ({Or} 2. g6+ Ke7 3. h7 Bb2 {and Black has reached
his goal.}) 2... Kg7 3. g6 Bb2 {The bishop now controls all the pawns, though
Black should be on his guard against a sacrifice.} 4. Ke6 Kh8 $1 {The only
move;} ({after} 4... Bc3 $2 5. f6+ $1 Bxf6 6. h8=Q+ $1 Kxh8 7. Kxf6 Kg8 8. g7 {
, White wins - Dvoretsky.}) 5. f6 {There is no other way to progress.} Bxf6 6.
Kxf6 {. Stalemate.} *

[Event "Moscow vs. Budapest match, Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1949.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotov, A."]
[Black "Florian, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/p2r1pp1/bp5p/5N1n/4P3/1B1nBP2/P5PP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1949.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, here are a few examples where provocative measures were realized in
the presence of more pieces on the board. --- White enjoys a strong bishop
pair and his knight has found a nice post on f5, but what to do next? ---} 1.
Ba4 $1 {Kotov provokes ...b6-b5 so that the enemy knight loses its retreat
square on c5; moreover, the g1-a7 diagonal is cleared for the dark-squared
bishop.} ({Equally interesting was} 1. Rd2 $5 Nhf4 2. Ba4 $1 (2. Rad1 Ne6 {
promises less}) 2... b5 3. Bc2 {in the same spirit; e.g.} Ne6 4. Bxd3 Rxd3 5.
Rxd3 Rxd3 6. Bxa7 {, winning a pawn.}) 1... b5 {Practically forced;} ({since
after} 1... Rc7 $6 2. Rd2 $1 {, followed by Rad1, the pin on the d-file spells
trouble for Black - Shereshevsky.}) 2. Bb3 Nhf4 3. Rd2 {Having concluded the
provocative measure Kotov reverts to normal play, fighting for the open file
and preparing to bring the last piece to the battle.} Ne6 4. Rad1 b4 {There
was the threat of 5 Bxa7, winning a pawn.} 5. Bd5 $1 {The knight on d3 is at
last forced to retreat.} Ndc5 6. Nd4 $1 {The exchange of knights will have a
weakening effect on Black's queenside defence;} ({who can't really avoid it
because of the dual threats, after} 6. Nd4 {, of} -- 7. Nc6 ({and} 7. Nxe6 fxe6
8. Bxe6+ {- Shereshevsky.})) 6... Nxd4 7. Rxd4 Rb8 8. Rb1 Nd3 9. Rb3 $1 Rc7 $2
{In a difficult position, Florian blunders.} 10. Rbxd3 $1 Bxd3 11. Bf4 1-0

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, TV."]
[Black "Sax, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5bk1/1ppnqp1p/p3n1p1/4p3/1PN1P1B1/P1PQB2P/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is under serious pressure in this multi-piece ending, and things got
worse after Petrosian's next, powerful move. ---} 1. Na5 $1 {Provoking the
advance of the b7-pawn, which will leave the enemy queenside badly weakened on
the light squares.} b5 ({After} 1... b6 2. Nc6 Qd6 3. Qxd6 Bxd6 4. Be2 {,
White also has a strong initiative, with ideas like} b5 5. c4 $1 {.}) 2. Nc6
Qe8 ({Or} 2... Qd6 3. Qxd6 Bxd6 4. Be2 {, preparing c2-c4, as in the previous
note.}) 3. c4 $1 {Another key move, which clears the f1-a6 diagonal towards
Black's a-pawn.} Nf6 {The trade of the a6- and e4-pawns won't favour Black;} ({
but he was short of better options; e.g.} 3... Nb8 $2 4. Nxe5 {.}) 4. cxb5 axb5
5. Qxb5 Nxe4 6. Qc4 {The passed a-pawn now yields White a decisive advantage.}
Nd6 7. Qd5 h5 ({Equally hopeless is} 7... Nf4 8. Qxe5 Qxc6 9. Bxf4 {etc.}) 8.
Bxe6 fxe6 9. Qc5 Nf5 10. Qc2 Bg7 11. b5 Nd4 12. Qc4 $1 {Simplest - denying
Black any counterplay.} Qd7 13. a4 Nf5 14. Qe2 {. Covering the check on d1
just in case. In view of the imminent advance of the a-pawn, Sax resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karlsson, La"]
[Black "Smith, Ax"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3rn1k1/1p3pp1/4p1b1/p2p4/Pn1N4/1P1P2P1/1BR1PPB1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again White has a stable positional advantage, thanks to his bishop pair and
control of the open file. In order to progress, Karlsson adopts a clever
measure of provocation. ---} 1. Rc5 $1 {Forcing Black to play ...b7-b6, which
will expose the b-pawn to a future attack and leave a weak point on c6.} b6 ({
Perhaps} 1... Ra8 2. Ba3 Nd6 {was more solid, although it is unclear what
should Black do next.}) 2. Rc1 Nf6 3. Nc6 $1 {Not only does White get rid of
the active enemy knight on b4, he also manages to start an attack on b6.} Nxc6
4. Rxc6 Nd7 5. Rd6 ({Here, and on the next move,} 5. Bd4 {also looked strong,
but Karlsson has a different plan in mind.}) 5... Kf8 6. e4 $1 {A strong pawn
break in order to wake up the light-squared bishop, while enabling e4-e5,
reinforcing the rook on d6.} dxe4 7. dxe4 Ke8 8. e5 Bc2 (8... Nc5 9. Rxb6 Rd1+
10. Kh2 Rd2 {seemed more active, although after} 11. Bc3 Rxf2 12. Kg1 Rc2 13.
Bxa5 {, the connected passed pawns should take their toll.}) 9. Bc6 Bxb3 10.
Bb5 $1 {The threat of 11 Rxb6 spells the end.} Ke7 ({Or} 10... Bd5 11. Ba3 {
with a complete paralysis of the enemy forces.}) 11. Ba3 Nc5 12. Rxb6 Rd1+ 13.
Kh2 1-0

[Event "Swedish Championship, Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Agrest, E."]
[Black "Hillarp Persson, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/1n4k1/4B3/1p1K1PP1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Blockade --- The blockade is yet another subject that I investigated quite
thoroughly in 'Mastering Chess Strategy'. Typically, the blockade idea
consists of placing a piece in front of an enemy pawn, in order to prevent its
advance and indirectly restrict its fellow pieces. Here are some examples that
illustrate the role of the blockade in the endgame. --- In this minor piece
ending, Hillarp, a pawn down, found a clear-cut path to a draw, based on a
blockade. ---} 1... b2 $1 {The b-pawn is sacrificed in order to deflect
White's king from the kingside.} 2. Kc2 Nd4+ 3. Kxb2 Ne2 $1 4. g4 Nf4 {Having
provoked the g-pawn to a light square, Black can establish a dark-square
blockade with his knight and king.} 5. Kc3 Nh3 6. Kd4 Kf4 (6... Nf4 {was just
as good, since the knight will never run out of squares. By the way, such a
blockade can fail if deployed at the edge of the board, as we already saw in
Averbakh's study featured earlier in this chapter (see Example 249).}) 7. Kd5
Kg5 ({Changing places with} 7... Ng5 {is also fine, of course.}) 8. Ke5 Nf4 9.
Bf5 Nh3 10. Ke4 Nf4 {Note, too, that if Black's knight was a bishop and
White's bishop was a knight, then the latter would win without much effort,
relying on the knight's ability to touch squares of both colours.} 11. Ke3 Nh3
12. Bd3 Nf4 13. Bc4 Nh3 14. Bf1 {. Seeing that the knight never runs out of
squares, White agreed to a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yermolinsky, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k6/pp5p/3r1np1/2pP1p2/2P2P2/1R2PB2/P6P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his sounder pawn structure and superior minor piece, Black is
better in the above position. ---} 1... Ra6 $1 {The rook starts working on the
weak white a- and c-pawns, while ceding the blocking square on d6 to its
preferred user, the knight.} 2. a3 Ne8 $1 3. e4 {Thus White gets rid of his
backward e-pawn and clears some space for the bishop.} fxe4 4. Bxe4 Nd6 5. Bd3
Ra4 6. Rc3 Kc7 7. Kf2 {Black's pieces were considerably improved over the last
moves, but how to progress further?} b5 $1 {It might appear illogical to open
the position for the enemy bishop, but this advance has several virtues: the
d5-pawn is weakened, a passed pawn is created on the c-file, and Black's king
will be able to cross the sixth rank.} 8. cxb5 Kb6 ({Of course not} 8... Rxf4+
$2 9. Ke3 {, followed by Rxc5+, and Black loses his passed pawn.}) 9. Ke3 c4 $1
{Simplifying to a minor piece ending with an extra pawn.} ({Another good
option was} 9... Rd4 $5 {, followed by ...Rxd5-h5.}) 10. Bc2 Nxb5 11. Bxa4 Nxc3
12. Be8 ({Or} 12. Bc2 Kc5 13. d6 Kxd6 {, when both} 14. f5 ({and} 14. Kd4 Nb5+)
14... g5 $1 {favour Black - Hecht.}) 12... Kc5 $1 {King first!} ({After} 12...
Nxd5+ $6 13. Kd4 c3 14. Ba4 {, White would have more chances for survival,
thanks to his active king.}) 13. d6 Nd5+ $1 ({Less technical is} 13... Kxd6 $6
14. Kd4 {with similar play to the previous note.}) 14. Ke4 Nf6+ 15. Ke3 ({Or} 
15. Ke5 Nxe8 16. d7 Nd6 17. d8=N c3 18. Ne6+ Kc4 19. Nd4 Nb5 {, winning -
Hecht.}) 15... Kxd6 16. Bf7 Kc5 {With a healthy extra pawn and more active
king, the rest is a matter of technique for Black.} 17. h4 Ng4+ 18. Kd2 ({The
desirable} 18. Ke4 {fails to} Nh6 19. Be6 Nf5 $1 20. h5 Ng3+ {etc.}) 18... Kd4
19. h5 gxh5 20. Bxh5 Nf6 {. In view of the imminent advance of the h-pawn,
White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Swedish Championship, Skara"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berg, E."]
[Black "Ernst, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2rk1/1b4p1/pp5p/1p1p4/3Rn3/P1P2N1P/1PB2PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this position Black's active knight on e4 hardly compensates for his
defective pawn structure and bad bishop. Berg found a surprising solution,
based on a blockade. ---} 1. Bxe4 $5 {Aiming at a minor piece ending, where
the problem with Black's bishop will be stronger felt.} ({An obvious
alternative was} 1. Bb3 {- Wedberg, but White perhaps wanted to avoid} Nc5 2.
Bxd5+ Bxd5 3. Rxd5 Na4 {with some slight counterplay for the pawn.}) 1... dxe4
2. Ne5 Rf6 {Covering the weak b6-pawn in advance.} ({After} 2... Rfd8 3. Red1
Rxd4 4. Rxd4 {, White has a big advantage.}) 3. Ng4 $1 {Heading for the great
blockading square on e3.} ({The obvious} 3. Rd7 {could be met by} Re8 $1 4. Ng4
Rf7 5. Rd6 h5 6. Ne3 Rf6 {etc.}) 3... Rg6 4. Red1 h5 5. Ne3 Rf8 6. Rd6 $1 {
Limiting any enemy counterplay.} Rxd6 $6 (6... Rgf6 7. Rxf6 Rxf6 {was more
stubborn, avoiding the minor piece ending.}) 7. Rxd6 Rf6 8. Rxf6 gxf6 9. Kh2 $1
{The king has found an excellent route to the action along the dark squares.}
Kf7 ({The restrictive} 9... h4 {fails to} 10. Nf5 {.}) 10. Kg3 Kg6 11. Kf4 Bc6
12. Nf5 Bd7 13. Ne3 ({There was nothing wrong with} 13. Nh4+ Kf7 14. Kxe4 Bc6+
15. Kf4 {, but Berg has seen that by preparing a zugzwang he can win even more
comfortably.}) 13... Bc6 14. h4 $1 a5 ({Or} 14... Bb7 15. Nf5 {with a similar
effect.}) 15. Nf5 Bd7 16. Nd4 $1 f5 17. Ke5 1-0

[Event "Cannes"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/2pn2pp/2b2p2/p2p1P2/3P2P1/2P1B3/P5BP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an undisputed advantage thanks to his strong bishop pair, and now
threatens 2 Bf4. ---} 1... Nb6 $1 {Korchnoi sacrifices the c7-pawn in order to
establish a light-square blockade.} ({The passive} 1... Bb7 $6 {is well met by}
2. Bf4 c6 3. Bc7 a4 4. Bf1 $1 {, limiting both of Black's minor pieces, while
preparing a king march to the opposite flank.}) 2. Bf4 a4 ({Another possible
move order is} 2... Nc4 3. Bxc7 a4) ({but not} 2... Na4 $2 3. c4 {.}) 3. Bxc7
Nc4 {The blockade is complete. White's extra pawn on the queenside isn't
really felt, so he prepares actions on the opposite flank.} 4. Kf2 Kf7 5. Bf4 {
Perhaps it was better to leave the bishop there, so that it can later attack
the f6-pawn from d8 - Mikhalevski.} h6 $1 {An important detail: once White
decides to play g4-g5, Black assures a maximum number of pawn exchanges, thus
making his defensive area more compact.} 6. h4 Bb7 7. Bc1 Bc6 8. Kg3 Bb7 9. Kf4
Bc6 10. Bf3 Bb7 {White has made all possible piece improvements and now goes
for direct action.} 11. g5 hxg5+ 12. hxg5 g6 $1 {In the same spirit as seven
moves ago.} 13. Bd1 Bc6 14. Bc2 ({Or} 14. fxg6+ Kxg6 15. Bc2+ Kg7 16. g6 Bd7 {
and White can't progress; e.g.} 17. Bf5 Be8 18. Be6 Bc6 {- Mikhalevski.}) 14...
fxg5+ 15. Kxg5 gxf5 16. Bxf5 Nd6 17. Bc2 Ke6 $1 ({Korchnoi is not tempted by
the ending with opposite-coloured bishops arising after} 17... Ne4+ $2 18. Bxe4
dxe4 {, seeing that} 19. Kf5 $1 Bd5 20. a3 {would leave him helpless against
the plan of Ke5, d4-d5, Kd4, c3-c4, Kc5-b4 and Bf4 - Mikhalevski.}) 18. Kf4 {
Here a draw was agreed, although Black would still need to play precisely;} ({
e.g.} 18. Kf4 Bb5 19. Ba3 Ne4 $1 20. Bb4 a3 $1 21. Bb3 ({neither} 21. Bxa3 Nxc3
) ({nor} 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Kxe4 Bc4 {leads anywhere for White}) 21... Nd2 $1
22. Bxa3 Nxb3 23. axb3 Be2 24. Ke3 Bd1 25. b4 Ba4 {and despite having two
extra pawns, White can't make progress.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "US Championship, Oberlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Byrne, R."]
[Black "Grefe, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/p1k1b2p/3p2p1/2p1p3/2P1P2P/PR3NP1/4KP2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A different kind of blockade might occur in pawn endings, when a blocked pawn
structure makes it impossible for either side to enter with the king.
Knowledge of this idea helped the weaker side force a draw in the next example.
--- White's superior minor piece yields him a long-term edge in this position,
and a sensible next step would have been 1 Nd2, heading for b1-c3-d5. However,
Byrne went for a different idea. ---} 1. Ng5 $6 {White tries to force the
exchange on g5, which would strengthen his pawn structure and facilitate a
kingside expansion with f2-f4 later on. We will soon see the flaw to this idea.
} Bxg5 2. hxg5 Rb8 $1 3. Rxb8 ({In the event of} 3. Rf3 {, Black could choose
between the solid} Kc6 ({and the active} 3... Rb2+ $5 {, followed by ...a7-a5})
4. Rf7 Rb7 {.}) 3... Kxb8 4. f4 Kc7 $1 {Perhaps Byrne forgot about this option;
} ({only anticipating} 4... exf4 $2 5. gxf4 Kc7 6. f5 Kd7 7. Ke3 {, when
White's better pawn structure (one stops two on the kingside) should decide
matters.}) 5. f5 Kd7 6. Kd3 a5 $1 {Locking the queenside before White's king
enters.} ({In view of} 6... a5 7. Kc3 a4 {, the players agreed to a draw.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "Bosnian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bologan, V."]
[Black "Miladinovic, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/2k3pp/2p2b2/1r2p3/6B1/1P4P1/P2R1P1P/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is no secret that the typical performer of the blockade is the knight, but
occasionally other pieces can take up this task as well. Here are a few
examples. --- With a healthy extra pawn and a sounder structure, White is much
better, though the presence of opposite-coloured bishops gives Black some hope
of survival. Bologan found a fine manoeuvre. ---} 1. Bf5 $1 {Heading for e4,
where the bishop will immobilize Black's e-pawn and control the whole board.
Moreover, it can't be chased away from there.} g6 ({Or} 1... Rd5 2. Rc2 $1 {
with similar play}) ({but} 1... h6 {might have been a lesser evil, avoiding
the exposure of the kingside pawns.}) 2. Rd7+ Kb6 3. Be4 Rb4 ({The attempt to
reduce material by} 3... Rxa2 4. Rxh7 Rxb3 {fails to} 5. Rc1 {- Bologan.}) 4.
Re1 Rd4 ({On this occasion,} 4... Rxa2 {runs into} 5. Rd6 $1 Bg5 6. Rxc6+ Kb5
7. Re6 {.}) 5. Rxh7 Rxa2 6. Rf7 Rd6 7. Bxg6 {With two extra pawns, the rest is
a matter of technique for Bologan.} Rb2 8. Rb1 $1 Ra2 ({After} 8... Rxb1+ 9.
Bxb1 Rd1+ 10. Kg2 Rxb1 11. Rxf6 Rxb3 {, the enemy pieces aren't well placed
for a battle against the h-pawn.}) 9. Be4 Bd8 10. Rc1 Rb2 11. Rc3 Re2 12. Rc4
$1 ({Bologan doesn't allow even the slightest counterplay after} 12. Bf3 Re1+
13. Kg2 e4 {, and instead reinforces his blockade.}) 12... Rb2 13. Rf3 Be7 14.
Kg2 Rh6 15. h4 Rd2 16. Rfc3 Rdd6 17. Rc2 Rdf6 18. b4 Rd6 19. Kh3 Bf8 20. Kg4 $1
{With the clever plan of h4-h5 and Bg6, further restricting the enemy pieces.}
Be7 21. h5 Bf8 22. Bg6 Bg7 23. Kf3 Rh8 24. g4 Rf8+ 25. Kg3 Rd4 26. Be4 {. In
this hopeless position, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "European Cup, Kallithea"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Savchenko, S."]
[Black "Couso, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/pb3pp1/1p5p/2rpn3/6PP/2N1PP2/PP3K2/3R1B2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In such IQP structures we often see a white knight occupying the blocking
square on d4, as in Example 288 (Seirawan-Adianto) earlier in this chapter.
Here, the knight already enjoys a good post on c3 where it pressurizes the
d5-pawn, thus the d4-square becomes available for its fellow pieces. ---} 1.
Rd4 $1 {Expanding the rook's range while preventing any tactical shot with ...Nxf3 or ...d5-d4.} a6 ({Unfortunately for Black, the desirable} 1... Nc6 $2 {
now fails to} 2. Rxd5 {.}) 2. Be2 b5 $6 {This advance only helps White to open
a new front on the queenside.} (2... Ke7 {was preferable, with just a slight
disadvantage after} 3. f4 {- Ftacnik.}) 3. a4 $1 bxa4 4. Rxa4 a5 5. Rd4 Nc4 $2
{Don't swap your active pieces! In the remainder of the game, the passive
state of the b7-bishop will be strongly felt.} ({The solid} 5... Bc6 {was
better - Ftacnik.}) 6. Bxc4 $1 Rxc4 ({Or} 6... dxc4 7. Rd7 Bc8 8. Ra7 {with a
big advantage, thanks to the excellent rook on a7.}) 7. Rxc4 dxc4 8. e4 $1 {
Preparing Ke3-d4. In Seirawan-Adianto we saw Black pay a high price for the
delay of his king's arrival on the battlefield, and here the story is repeated.
} Ke7 9. Ke3 Kd6 10. Kd4 Ba6 11. f4 $1 {Gaining some space and preparing to
open a new front on the kingside.} g6 ({If} 11... f6 {, then} 12. Nd5 {,
heading for e3 - Ftacnik.}) 12. g5 hxg5 13. hxg5 Ke6 {Black finds himself in
zugzwang.} (13... Kc6 {was no improvement because of} 14. Nd5 Kd6 15. Ne3 c3 $5
16. e5+ $1 Kc6 17. Kxc3 Kc5 18. f5 Bb5 ({on} 18... gxf5 {there follows the
same reply}) 19. e6 $1 Be8 20. e7 gxf5 21. Nxf5 Kc6 22. Kd4 a4 23. Ke5 {and
White wins - Ftacnik.}) 14. Kc5 f6 15. gxf6 Kxf6 16. Nd5+ Kf7 17. Kb6 {White
finally realizes his positional assets, and the rest is easy.} Bc8 18. Kxa5 Bg4
19. Kb4 Be2 20. Kc5 ({Black resigned, a possible conclusion of the game being} 
20. Kc5 Bf3 21. Kd4 g5 22. fxg5 Kg6 23. Ne3 Kxg5 24. Nxc4 {- Ftacnik.}) 1-0

[Event "San Francisco"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baburin, A."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/8/5k2/5P2/6K1/5RP1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, let's not forget that the king can sometimes be a formidable blocker.
In Polgar-Gashimov (in Chapter Two) we saw how a blockade with the king saved
White, despite her being two pawns down in a rook ending; and here is a
similar case. ---} 1. Rf4 $2 {Concerned about a check from the side, White
misplaces his rook.} ({The active} 1. Rb3 $1 {was correct; e.g.} Ra4+ 2. Kh5
Kxf5 3. Rf3+ $1 {, followed by g4-g5, with an easy win - Baburin.}) 1... Rg8+
$1 {Just at the right moment, when the enemy king can't hide on f4.} 2. Kf3 Ra8
3. g4 Kg5 $1 {The blockade is complete, and from now on Black needs only to
make sure that the enemy king can't cross the middle of the board.} 4. Re4 ({
Obviously,} 4. Rd4 Ra3+ 5. Ke4 Kxg4 {makes no sense for White.}) 4... Ra3+ 5.
Ke2 Rb3 6. Rd4 {In the game White actually made a few king moves at this point,
but then returned to the same position.} Ra3 7. Rb4 Rc3 8. Re4 Ra3 9. Kf2 Rb3
10. Re3 Rb2+ {Simplest, ruling out Re3-g3.} 11. Kf3 Rb4 12. Re8 Rf4+ $1 13. Ke3
Rxg4 14. Rg8+ Kxf5 15. Rxg4 Kxg4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kavalek, L."]
[Black "Olafsson, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p5k/p1r1b2p/3N1p2/3B4/1B6/PPP3Kp/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The team of bishop and knight --- To round off this chapter, let's see two
examples where a bishop and a knight fight successfully against a rook. The
first example highlights the power of a passed pawn being supported by the
minor pieces, while the second one focuses on their co-ordination. --- As
sometimes occurs, a sharp middlegame battle has evaporated into a roughly
equal endgame. ---} 1. c3 {Stabilizing the queenside.} ({On the tempting} 1. c4
{, Black could reply} Rd6 {, preparing ...b7-b5 with some counterplay.}) 1...
Rd6 2. Nf4 $1 {Kavalek establishes a barrier against the black king.} Bxb3 3.
axb3 Rd7 {It is time to activate the rook.} ({An alternative in this sense was
} 3... Rd8 $5 4. Kxh2 Rg8 {, heading for g4, when White's king is again
marginalized from the battle.}) 4. Kxh2 Re7 5. b4 $1 {The first step in the
plan of creating a passed pawn.} Re1 6. Kg3 Rb1 7. Nd3 Kg6 8. Nc5 $1 {White is
happy to trade the b-pawns since it will accelerate the creation of a passed
pawn on the c-file.} Rxb2 9. Nxb7 Ra2 {Black defends against 10 Nc5 in advance;
} ({but the active} 9... h5 {might have been better - Chekhov, and only if} 10.
Nc5 {then} Ra2 {.}) 10. c4 $1 {The passed pawn moves forward. Objectively the
position is still balanced, but in practice White's moves are easier to find.}
Ra3+ $2 {A serious mistake, helping White's king to approach the passed pawn.}
(10... Rc2 $6 {is equally unconvincing in view of} 11. Na5 h5 12. b5 $1) ({but
} 10... Ra4 $1 {would have created sufficient interference for a draw; e.g.}
11. Bc5 ({after} 11. Nd6 $6 Rxb4 12. Kf4 h5 13. Ke5 h4 14. c5 h3 {, followed
by ...Rb1-c1, White is even on the brink of defeat}) 11... h5 12. b5 axb5 13.
cxb5 h4+ 14. Kh3 Kh5 15. Nd6 Ra5 $1 16. Be3 ({or} 16. Bb4 Ra4 {and there is
nothing better than} 17. Bc5 {, repeating moves}) 16... Ra3 17. Nxf5 Ra5 $1 {
and White can't make progress, e.g.} 18. Nd4 Ra3 {etc.}) 11. Kf4 Rb3 $6 {A bad
place for the rook, as we will see next.} (11... h5 {is equally unsatisfactory
due to} 12. c5 Rb3 ({or} 12... h4 13. c6 h3 14. c7 h2 15. c8=Q h1=Q 16. Qg8+)
13. c6 Rxb4 14. Ke5 Rc4 15. Nc5 {- Chekhov.}) ({But} 11... Ra4 {, similar to
the 10...Ra4 in the previous note albeit a tempo down, was quite feasible; e.g.
} 12. Ke5 Rxb4 13. Nd6 f4 $1 14. Kxf4 h5 {with drawing chances. Compared with
the position after 10...Ra4 11 Nd6 Rxb4 12 Kf4 h5, here the f-pawn is no
longer on the board, but that might not be too significant.}) 12. b5 $1 {A
strong breakthrough, possibly overlooked by Olafsson.} axb5 13. c5 Rb4 14. Ke5
{It transpires that all White's pieces are excellently placed to assist the
passed pawn.} Rc4 ({Or} 14... f4 15. c6 {and the white passed pawn is the
stronger one - Byrne.}) 15. Nd6 Rc1 16. Nxb5 {The right capture;} ({after} 16.
Nxf5 $6 b4 {, Black would achieve counterplay.}) 16... Kf7 $6 {In an already
difficult position, this might be the losing move.} (16... h5 {was strongly
met by the "curtain"} 17. Nc3) ({but by} 16... f4 $5 17. Kxf4 h5 {Black could
have sold a pawn for a tempo, in similar fashion to the 11...Ra4 subline above.
Here Black has lost the a6-pawn as well, but that might not be too important
either. One idea is that} 18. Nc3 Kf7 19. Ke5 h4 20. c6 h3 21. c7 Re1+ 22. Ne4
{can be met by} Rxe4+ $1 23. Kxe4 h2 {, queening with check.}) 17. Kd6 $1 {In
pawn ending style, the white king assists the c-pawn while obstructing its
black counterpart.} ({In contrast,} 17. Nd6+ $6 Ke7 18. Nxf5+ Kd7 19. Kd5 ({
the materialistic} 19. Nxh6 $2 {fails to} Kc6 {and 20...Rxc5+}) 19... h5 {
yields Black chances for a draw.}) 17... f4 {Now that the c-pawn has become
unstoppable, there is nothing better.} 18. c6 f3 19. c7 h5 20. Nc3 $1 {A
well-calculated final blow.} Rxc3 21. Bxc3 f2 22. c8=Q f1=Q ({Black resigned,
not waiting for} 22... f1=Q 23. Qe6+ Kf8 24. Qe7+ Kg8 25. Qg7# {- Byrne.}) 1-0

[Event "Skopje"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Georgiev, Kir"]
[Black "Mitkov, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p1N2k2/2p2pp1/P7/6P1/3K1P2/1r1B4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This position should be about equal, but Georgiev managed to squeeze a full
point by skilfully co-ordinating his minor pieces. ---} 1. f3 $1 {A small, but
important move that prevents ...g5-g4, fixing White's kingside pawns on dark
squares. Interestingly, in endgames with such a material relation it often
makes sense for the side fighting against the rook to put his pawns on squares
of the same colour as his bishop, in order to facilitate their protection and
create strongholds on squares of that colour, such as e4 later on.} Ke6 ({
Black could have considered the active} 1... c4 {as well; e.g.} 2. Na5 c3+ 3.
Kc2 Ra1 4. Nb3 Rxa4 5. Kxc3 Ke5 {and a draw seems like the most likely result.}
) 2. Na5 {Heading for the protected square at c4.} Ke5 ({Obviously, the
straightforward} 2... Kd5 $6 3. Bb3+ Kd4 $4 {failed to} 4. Nc6# {.}) 3. Nc4+
Kd4 $6 ({Georgiev prefers} 3... Ke6 {, probably because the king will soon
have to retreat anyway. White could reply} 4. Ne3 f4 5. gxf4 gxf4 6. Nc2 {, in
similar style to the game.}) 4. Ne3 f4 5. gxf4 gxf4 6. Nc2+ {The white forces
seem to have been pushed back, but this is temporary.} Kd5 ({Here, the
desirable} 6... Kc4 $4 {obviously fails to} 7. Na3+ {, so the king must move
backwards.}) 7. Be2 $1 {Eyeing the a6-pawn while creating a barrier against
the black king.} ({Besides,} 7. Be2 {gets ready to meet} c4 $2 {by} 8. Bxc4+ {.
}) 7... Rb6 $2 {Very passive. The rook is famous for being a great attacker -
and a lousy defender. Moreover, under this kind of material relation the side
with the rook is required to play actively, exploiting the great mobility of
this piece (compare Grigorian-Tal and Dutreeuw-Hellsten, Examples 229 and 230
in the previous chapter), as otherwise the minor pieces will soon dominate the
board.} ({Perhaps Mitkov discarded} 7... Rb3 8. Bxa6 {in view of} Rxf3 $2 ({but
} 8... c4 $1 {instead would have yielded him sufficient counterplay; e.g.} 9.
Bc8 Kc5 10. Ke2 Rb2 11. Bf5 Ra2) 9. Bb7+ {.}) ({Even} 7... a5 {was better than
the text, as the rook stays in enemy territory.}) 8. Kc3 a5 9. Bd3 $1 {
Georgiev prepares Be4, after which his bishop and f3-pawn will mutually defend
themselves.} ({At the same time, he prevents} 9. Bd3 Rb1 $2 {on account of} 10.
Ne3+ {.}) 9... Rb8 10. Be4+ Ke6 11. Na3 $1 {The knight returns to its
preferred square on c4. By now it is clear that Black will have a hard time
defending his pawns, while White's pawns, conveniently located on light
squares, are much more difficult to get at.} ({Less constructive was} 11. Kc4
$6 Kd6 {.}) 11... Rb4 12. Bc2 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ra8 14. Be4 Ra7 15. Nd2 $1 {Finally,
White gets ready to use his king in the battle, exploiting the fact that the
enemy rook is temporarily out of play.} Kd6 16. Kc4 Rc7 17. Nb3 {Black's
defensive resources are exhausted, and the rest is easy.} Ra7 18. Kb5 ({
Sidestepping a final trap:} 18. Nxc5 $4 Rc7 {.}) 18... Re7 19. Nxa5 Re8 20.
Nc4+ 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5. Queen Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {Mates and perpetuals -- Betting on the passed pawn -- Centralization --
Series of checks -- Exposing the enemy king -- Interference} *

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Ulan Bator"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Zhao Xue"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1KP1q3/8/8/3k4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Mates and perpetuals --- In endings with queens on the board, the
possibilities of a perpetual check, or even a mate, increase considerably. We
already saw a case of the latter in Topalov-Kasparov (in Chapter One), and
here are a few more examples that feature these scenarios. --- With a bishop's
pawn on the seventh rank, White's only matter of concern is a mating net. ---} 
1. Kb8 $4 {A natural, but losing move.} (1. Ka8 $1 {saved a draw - Baburin.})
1... Kc5 2. c8=Q+ ({The game actually went} 2. Ka8 Qd7 3. Kb8 Kb6 {and White
resigned, in view of} 4. c8=Q Qa7# {.}) 2... Kb6 {. Despite the material
balance and reduced number of pieces, mate is inevitable.} *

[Event "Sollentuna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Lindgren, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p1q2p2/2P3pp/1Q6/3p3P/8/5PP1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The fact that Black has an extra pawn isn't too relevant here - as often
occurs in queen endings, what really counts is who has the more advanced
passed pawn. Anyway, his salvation was just around the corner. ---} 1... Qf4 $1
{Preparing a perpetual.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... d3 $2 2. Qb7 Qf4 $2 ({
losing at once, although after} 2... d2 3. Qxc7 d1=Q+ 4. Kh2 {, White should
also win}) 3. c7 Qc1+ 4. Kh2 Qf4+ 5. g3 Qxf2+ 6. Qg2 Qf5 7. Qa8+ Kh7 8. c8=Q {
and Black soon resigned.}) ({Incidentally,} 1... Kf8 $2 2. Qb7 {is just as bad.
}) 2. Qb7 {There is nothing better;} ({e.g.} 2. Qc5 Qc7 $1 3. Qd5 Kf8) ({or} 2.
g3 Qc1+ 3. Kg2 d3) ({while} 2. Qd5 {permits} d3 $1 {, intending} 3. Qxd3 Qc1+ {
.}) 2... Qc1+ 3. Kh2 Qf4+ 4. Kh3 Qf5+ 5. Kg3 Qe5+ {White can't escape the
checks;} ({e.g.} 5... Qe5+ 6. Kf3 Qd5+ 7. Ke2 Qc4+ {.}) *

[Event "Oslo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brynell, S."]
[Black "Tijam, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6kp/Pq3p2/8/5QPK/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's unsafe king makes it difficult to profit on the passed pawn, a fact
that led Brynell into a fatal decision. ---} 1. Qc3 $4 {Saving the pawn, but
abandoning the king!} ({Actually, the queen is unable to protect both of them
in this position; e.g.} 1. Qa3 Qf1+ 2. Kh4 Qc4+ ({not} 2... Qg2 $2 3. Qd6+) 3.
Kh3 Qf1+ {with a perpetual}) ({or} 1. Qa8 Kh5 $1 ({the slower} 1... Qf1+ 2. Qg2
Qc4 3. Qd2 Qf1+ 4. Kh4 Qc4+ 5. Qf4 Qa6 {should also work}) 2. a6 Qe2 {and a
perpetual along g4-e2 again saves Black.}) 1... Qf1+ {Starting to weave a
mating net.} ({The game, haunted by mutual time-trouble at this point, instead
saw} 1... Kh5 $4 2. Qe1 {and White went on to win.}) 2. Kh4 Qg2 $1 {The right
square, in order to threaten mate and prevent the check on c6 at the same time.
} 3. h3 Qe4+ 4. g4 f4 $1 {The mate is inevitable;} ({e.g.} 4... f4 5. Qc5 ({or
} 5. Qb2 Qe7+) 5... Qe1+ {- Brynell.}) *

[Event "San Antonio"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3q4/5p1k/2Q2Pp1/7p/7P/6P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1972.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is a pawn down, but the reduction of the battle to one single flank and
White's exposed f6-pawn makes a draw quite likely. However, the game soon took
an unexpected turn. ---} 1. Qc3 ({Seeing that} 1. Kf3 Qd3+ 2. Kf4 Qd4+) ({or} 
1. f3 Qd2+ 2. Kh3 Qe2 {leads to a perpetual, Larsen moves his queen a bit
closer to the kingside.}) 1... Qd5+ 2. f3 Qa2+ 3. Kh3 Qb1 {The threat of mate
forces White's king to retreat.} 4. Kg2 Qa2+ 5. Kf1 Qa6+ $1 ({It is possible
that} 5... Qh2 6. Qc7 Qh1+ 7. Kf2 Qh2+ 8. Ke3 Qg1+ {ends in a perpetual, but
the text is simpler.}) 6. Ke1 Qe6+ 7. Kf2 ({Thanks to the previous switch of
angle for his queen, Black could now meet} 7. Kd2 $2 {with} Qd6+ {.}) 7... Qa2+
8. Kg1 Qb1+ 9. Kg2 Qa2+ 10. Kh3 Qb1 11. g4 {The last resource, trying to clear
some space on the kingside.} Qh1+ 12. Kg3 Qg1+ 13. Kf4 $6 Qh2+ {While White's
13th move was rather optimistic - he should rather have contented himself with
the perpetual - his next one is suicidal.} 14. Kg5 $4 {A fatal location for
the king, where it will be subject to different mating patterns.} ({After} 14.
Ke4 Qxh4 {, Black recovers the pawn with a slight edge, but this was clearly
White's least of evils - Keres.}) 14... Qg3 $1 {All of a sudden there is no
good reply to the threat of 15...hxg4.} 15. Qe3 (15. Qc6 $2 {runs into} Qe5# {.
}) 15... hxg4 16. Qf4 Qxf3 17. Qxg4 Qe3+ ({After} 17... Qxg4+ 18. Kxg4 Kh6 19.
Kh3 g5 20. hxg5+ Kxg5 21. Kg3 Kxf6 22. Kf4 {, White draws. With the text Black
continues playing for a win, exploiting the exposed enemy king on g5.}) 18. Qf4
Qe2 $1 19. Qg3 ({Black threatened 19...Qh5 mate, and} 19. Qg4 $2 {obviously
failed to} Qe5+ {.}) 19... Qb5+ 20. Kf4 Qf5+ 21. Ke3 Qxf6 {Quite incredibly,
White is already on the verge of losing - his h4-pawn is exposed and his king
can't get much closer to it.} 22. Qg5 Qf1 23. Qg4 Qe1+ $1 24. Kd3 ({The more
desirable} 24. Kf3) ({or} 24. Kf4 {would let Black exchange queens, thus
reaching a winning pawn ending.}) 24... Qe6 25. Qf4 Kg7 26. Qd4+ f6 27. Qb4 ({
Or} 27. Qf4 Qe5 28. Qg4 Kh6 {- Keres.}) 27... Qf5+ 28. Ke2 Kh6 $1 {Black is
finally ready to attack the h-pawn.} 29. Ke1 ({After} 29. Qf8+ Kh5 30. Qh8+ Kg4
31. Qh6 Qh5 $1 {, Black also wins - Keres.}) 29... Kh5 30. Qc4 Qg4 31. Qc5+
Kxh4 ({There followed} 31... Kxh4 32. Qe7 Qf5 33. Qb4+ Kh5 34. Qc4 g5 35. Qf7+
Kh4 36. Qf8 Kg3 37. Qa3+ Qf3 38. Qd6+ Kg2 39. Qd2+ Kh3 40. Qd7+ f5 41. Qg7 g4
42. Qh8+ Kg3 43. Qe5+ f4 44. Qb8 Qe3+ 45. Kd1 Kg2 {and White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Unzicker, W."]
[Black "Taimanov, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/5Q1p/p2p4/4qp2/1P5P/P5PK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Betting on the passed pawn --- As we already saw in Larsen-Andersson and
Bareev-Chernin (in Chapter Two), betting on the passed pawn is a key idea in
queen endings, due to the excellent capacity of the queen to shepherd the pawn
home. Here are some further examples. --- Black is a pawn up, but hanging on
to it with 1...h5?! makes little sense in view of 2 Qg5+. With his next move,
Taimanov instead bets on his main asset, the passed d-pawn. ---} 1... d4 $1 2.
Qxh6 Qe5 $1 {An accurate choice, in order to limit the enemy queen and enable ...f4-f3+.} ({The immediate} 2... d3 $2 {was premature because of} 3. Qg5+ {
with a perpetual.}) 3. Qh4 d3 $1 ({Of course not} 3... f3+ $4 4. Qg3+ $1 {and
White even wins. The well-calculated text-move instead aims at deflecting the
enemy queen with the d-pawn so that the f-pawn can advance to the second rank.}
) 4. Qd8+ Kg7 5. Qxd3 f3+ 6. Kg1 ({Unfortunately for White,} 6. g3 {runs into}
Qe2+ $1 {- Taimanov.}) 6... Qe1+ 7. Kh2 (7. Qf1 {fails to} f2+ {- Taimanov.})
7... f2 {From now on, Black's only concern is to hide his king from the queen
checks.} 8. Qg3+ Kf8 9. Qb8+ Ke7 $1 {The king gets ready to cross the board in
search of shelter. We are already familiar with this idea from Examples 49 and
50 (Krush-Akopian and Marshall-Tarrasch) in Chapter One.} 10. Qc7+ Ke6 11. Qc4+
Ke5 {Seeing that the black king will soon hide on b1, White resigned.} ({There
could have followed} 11... Ke5 12. Qc5+ Ke4 13. Qc4+ Ke3 14. Qc5+ Kd3 15. Qc4+
Kd2 16. Qd4+ Kc1 17. Qf4+ Kb2 18. Qd4+ Kxa2 19. Qa4+ Kb1 {and wins - Taimanov.}
) 0-1

[Event "Arequipa (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Iturry, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/pp2r2p/6p1/2p1Pq2/2pPRp2/5P2/PP1Q2PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White could take a pawn on f4, but I soon found a more tempting possibility,
particularly in a rapidplay game. ---} 1. d5 $1 {Transposing to a queen ending
with a far-advanced passed pawn.} ({On its part Rybka prefers} 1. dxc5 {,
seeing that} Rxe5 {runs into} 2. Rxe5 Rxe5 3. Qd8+ Kf7 4. Qc7+ Kf6 5. Qd6+ Re6
6. Qf8+ Kg5 7. h4+ $1 Kxh4 8. Qh6+ Kg3 9. Qh2# {. Well, for a simple human
plagued by time-trouble, I don't think my solution is bad either.}) 1... Rxe5
2. Rxe5 Rxe5 3. Rxe5 Qxe5 4. d6 Qe8 5. d7 {A passed pawn on the seventh rank
is a huge asset in any queen ending, and Black now faces a difficult task. By
the way, note that if the queens were rooks then the picture would change
completely.} Qd8 6. Qd5+ Kf8 (6... Kg7 7. Qxb7 Kf6 {was more tenacious, when
White could consider the prophylactic} 8. h3 $5 {before taking the c-pawns
with his queen.}) 7. Qxc5+ Kf7 8. Qxc4+ Ke7 9. Qe4+ $1 ({Not} 9. Qxf4 $6 Qb6+ {
, followed by 10...Qxb2.}) 9... Kxd7 10. Qxb7+ Ke6 {Unfortunately for Black he
can't swap queens because of his pawn minus, thus he soon loses another one.}
11. Qe4+ Kf6 12. Qxf4+ Kg7 13. Qe5+ {Centralization. The rest is easy.} Kg8 14.
h3 Qb6+ 15. Kh2 h5 16. f4 $1 {Simplest, in order to expose Black's king.} Qf2
17. f5 $1 g5 {Both captures on f5 led to a lost pawn ending.} 18. Qe8+ Kg7 19.
Qe7+ Kh6 20. Qf6+ {. In view of Qf7xh5 next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caruana, F."]
[Black "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b1k1/8/5Qp1/1p6/4B2P/6P1/3q1P1K/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The strength of a passed pawn in queen endings can also be exploited by the
defender, as in the next example. --- Things look difficult for Black, who is
not just a pawn down but also suffers from an exposed king. And how to cope
with the threat at g6? ---} 1... b4 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} ({The
passive} 1... Qh6 $2 {led to instant defeat after} 2. Bd5+ Kh7 3. Qe7+ {.}) 2.
Bxg6 Bxg6 3. Qxg6+ Kh8 4. Qf6+ Kh7 {Black's idea is clear: the b-pawn will
deflect the enemy queen from the kingside defence.} 5. g4 ({If} 5. Kg2 {, then}
Qd5+ {, followed by 6...b3}) ({whereas} 5. h5 b3 $1 6. Qf7+ Kh8 7. Qxb3 Qxf2+ {
is a theoretical draw - Golubev. There could follow} 8. Kh3 Qf1+ 9. Kg4 Qe2+
10. Qf3 Qe6+ 11. Qf5 Qe3 {and White can't easily progress. Compared with the
similar ending in the final part of Example 311 (Larsen-Keres), here the
stronger side is suffering from the fact that one his pawns is a rook's pawn,
which means that his king has fewer chances to hide from the enemy checks.
Furthermore, stalemate scenarios are enabled.}) 5... b3 6. g5 ({Or} 6. Qf7+ Kh8
7. Qxb3 Qxf2+ 8. Kh3 Qf1+ 9. Kg3 Qe1+ {etc.}) 6... b2 7. Qf7+ ({After} 7. g6+
Kh6 8. g7+ Kh7 9. Qf8 Qxf2+ $1 10. Qxf2 b1=Q {, Black draws.}) 7... Kh8 8. g6
Qh6 $1 {Covering everything.} 9. Qf6+ Kg8 10. Qe6+ ({In the event of} 10. Qxb2
{, one simple path to the draw is} Qf4+ {with a perpetual along g4-d1.}) 10...
Kg7 11. Qf7+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Jermuk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Akopian, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/4pnp1/2q1P3/Q7/6P1/Pr3P1P/4RBK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...Qe7-c5, with some activity for the pawn. Gelfand
makes a technical choice. ---} 1. Re2 $1 {Giving up the e-pawn in order to
swap rooks and reach an endgame with queens and minor pieces, where the passed
a-pawn will become a huge asset.} ({Other options are less clear; e.g.} 1. Re3
Nd5 2. Qe8+ Kh7 3. Rf3 Qc1 $1 {with the threat of ...Rb1.}) 1... Rxe2 2. Bxe2
Qxe5 3. Bf3 g5 $1 4. h3 $1 {Correctly preventing the ...g5-g4 pin-prick, which
could come handy for Black on different occasions;} ({e.g.} 4. Kg2 g4 5. Bxg4
Nxg4 6. Qxg4 Qd5+ {.}) 4... g6 $2 {Very slow.} ({Akopian must have
underestimated White's reply, otherwise he would have preferred the active} 
4... Qe1+ 5. Kg2 e5 $1 {, intending ...e5-e4 - Krasenkow. At this point, White
could choose between} 6. Bd1 {, heading for c2,} ({and} 6. Bd5 $5 Nxd5 7. Qa8+
Kh7 8. Qxd5 {, in both cases keeping some winning chances.})) 5. Qa7 $1 {A key
move - the queen clears the way for the a-pawn, while keeping an eye on the
opposite flank. Such a method is typical in pure queen endings, and we saw a
related case in Example 55 (Larsen-Andersson). Curiously, Black can't do much
to prevent the enemy plan.} Kg7 ({Again} 5... Qe1+ {, preparing ... e5-e4,
seemed more active, although after} 6. Kh2 $1 e5 7. a4 {, things don't change
much compared to the further course of the game - Krasenkow.}) 6. a4 Qa1+ 7.
Kh2 $1 {The g2-square should be available for the bishop once Black plays ...e5-e4.} e5 8. a5 e4 9. Bg2 g4 10. h4 $1 {Very nice, depriving Black of any
checks.} Qe5 11. a6 Qd6 12. Qb7 e3 13. a7 $1 ({Gelfand wisely avoids} 13. fxe3
$2 Nh5 {and instead prepares a mating net.}) 13... e2 14. a8=Q e1=Q 15. Qbc8 ({
In view of} 15. Qbc8 Kh6 16. Qh8+ Nh7 17. Qag8 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1935.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lisitsin, G."]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/1p2pkp1/1P4qp/3P4/5P1P/1Q3KP1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "1935.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Centralization --- Another key idea in endgames with queens on the board is
centralization. Queens, in contrast to rooks, control more squares the more
centrally placed they are, and the fact that usually only one queen can occupy
the centre at a time makes the latter a treasured area. We saw proof of this
idea in Polugaevsky-Tal; here are some more examples. --- Thanks to his active
queen and more compact pawn structure, Black is better. ---} 1... Qd5 $1 {
Centralizing the queen and ruling out any tricks with d4-d5.} 2. Ke3 e5 {This
thrust helps Black to approach with his king;} ({exploiting the fact that} 2...
e5 3. dxe5+ $2 Qxe5+ {would leave the b5-pawn doomed.}) ({An alternative
strategy was} 2... h4 $5 {, followed by ...g6-g5, in order to gain space and
fix a favourable kingside structure.}) 3. f4 ({Perhaps} 3. Qb4 $5 {was a
better choice, preparing to swap the central pawns on the next move.}) 3...
exf4+ ({Of course not} 3... exd4+ $2 4. Qxd4+ Qxd4+ 5. Kxd4 {, when Black is
forced to secure a draw by} Ke6 {.}) 4. Kxf4 Ke6 {The king gets ready to
replace the queen on d5 at some moment.} 5. h4 f6 6. Ke3 ({The attempt to swap
queens by} 6. Qe2+ Kd6 7. Qe4 {runs into} g5+ 8. hxg5 Qxg5+ $1 9. Kf3 Qxb5 10.
Qf4+ Kd7 $1 {, keeping the extra pawn, since} 11. Qxf6 $2 {fails to} Qc6+ {and
the outside passed pawn decides, as we already established in Chapter Two.})
6... Qc4 7. g3 (7. Qb1 $5 Qc3+ 8. Ke2 {was more active; e.g.} f5 9. Qa2+ Kd6
10. Qa8 $1 {with some counterplay.}) 7... g5 $1 {Opening a new front on the
kingside.} (7... Kd5 $6 8. Qg2+ {was less constructive.}) 8. hxg5 fxg5 9. Qh2
$2 {A misguided counterattack.} ({The immediate} 9. Ke4 {was correct; e.g.} g4
10. Kf4 Kf6 11. Ke4 Qe6+ 12. Kd3 Qd5 13. Qf2+ Kg6 {, when Black keeps a clear,
but not decisive advantage.}) 9... Qb3+ 10. Ke4 g4 $1 {By creating a mating
threat on f3, Black finally wins a pawn, and the rest is easy for Capablanca.}
11. Qe2 Qxg3 12. Qc4+ Ke7 13. Qc8 Qf3+ 14. Ke5 Qf6+ $1 15. Kd5 Qd6+ {. In view
of 16...Qe6+, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Santa Fe"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2q5/5kp1/3p3p/8/5PP1/P4QK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The position looks about equal, but White has a small trump in his outside
passed pawn. ---} 1. Qd4+ $1 {Bringing the queen a bit closer to the action.} (
{Less to the point was} 1. a4 $6 Qc4 {, with ...d5-d4 next.}) 1... Ke6 $6 ({
Black should have challenged the opponent's idea by} 1... Qe5 {, as after} 2.
Qxe5+ Kxe5 {, the outside passed pawn is compensated by the active black king;
e.g.} 3. a4 Kd4 4. Kf2 ({or} 4. a5 $2 Kc5 5. Kf2 Kb5 6. Ke3 Kxa5 7. Kd4 g5 $1 {
and so on}) 4... Kc4 5. f4 Kb4 6. Ke3 Kc3 $1 7. Ke2 Kc2 {with a draw by
repetition.}) 2. Qd3 $1 Kf6 {This defence of g6 costs a pawn;} ({but Gligoric
wasn't keen on} 2... Qg7 3. a4 {, when the a-pawn spells big trouble for Black.
}) 3. Qxd5 Qc2+ 4. Kh3 Qc1 $6 {Exposing the queen to an exchange on f4, a fact
that Taimanov exploits.} ({Instead,} 4... Qc8+ $2 {failed to} 5. Kh4 $1) ({but
} 4... g5 $1 {would have put up more resistance - Shipov}) ({while} 4... Qf2 5.
f4 Qf1+ 6. Qg2 Qd1 {also offered him drawing chances - Taimanov.}) 5. Qd4+ $1
Ke6 ({The king is forced to abandon the pawns, since both} 5... Kf7 6. Qf4+) ({
and} 5... Kg5 6. Qe5+ Kh6 7. Qf4+ $1 {let White swap queens. Similarly, the
king can't go to the f-file next move either.}) 6. Qe4+ Kd7 7. Kh4 $1 {Very
nice, parrying the mate and activating the king at the same time.} Qd2 8. Qe5
$1 {Safeguarding the g3-pawn, while indirectly preparing the trade of the
pawns on a2 and g6.} (8. Qxg6 $6 {(or 8 a4?) was less opportune due to} Qh2+ {
and 9...Qxg3+.}) 8... Qxa2 9. Kg5 Qf2 ({Or} 9... Qf7 10. Qf6 {- Taimanov.}) 10.
Qf4 Qb6 11. Qf7+ Kc8 12. Qxg6 Qd8+ ({On} 12... Qe3+ {, Taimanov had planned}
13. Kxh5 Qxf3+ 14. Qg4+ $1 {, and the same situation is reached two moves
later.}) 13. Kxh5 Qd5+ 14. Kh4 Kb8 15. Qg5 Qd1 {The rest is easy, with the
pawns shielding the king.} 16. Qf4+ Ka7 17. Qe3+ Ka6 18. g4 Qd6 19. f4 Qh6+ 20.
Kg3 Kb5 21. Qd3+ Ka4 22. g5 1-0

[Event "US Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Milman, L."]
[Black "Hungaski, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5Q2/pk2p3/2n2p2/2q5/5BP1/5PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The centralization idea can also come handy in the presence of more pieces on
the board. Here Black enjoys a healthy extra pawn, but before starting its
advance he decides to limit the enemy queen. ---} 1... Qd4 $1 {A perfect place
for the queen, where she controls a lot of important squares and even eyes the
f2-pawn.} ({The obvious} 1... a5 {was less practical because of} 2. Qg7 $1 a4
3. Qb2+ {with ideas like} Qb3 4. Qd4 a3 $2 5. Qd6+ Kb5 6. Be2+ Kb4 7. Qb6+ {
and White even wins}) ({while} 1... Ka5 {at once also complicates things, in
view of} 2. Qc7+ Kb4 3. Qb6+ Kc3 4. Qa5+ Qb4 5. Qa1+ {.}) 2. Qf8 {The
following series of checks doesn't really lead White anywhere, but it was
difficult to give him good advice.} Ka5 {King first!} ({Of course} 2... a5 $2
3. Qb8+ Ka6 4. Be2+ {had to be avoided.}) 3. Qb8 Nd3 4. Qc7+ Kb4 5. Qb7+ Kc3 6.
Qc7+ Kb2 $1 ({Less is promised by} 6... Kd2 $6 7. Qa5+ {.}) 7. Qb7+ Kc1 8. Qc7+
Qc5 {Forcing an easily won minor piece ending.} 9. Qc6 Kd2 10. Qxc5 Nxc5 11. g4
fxg4 12. Bxg4 a5 13. f4 a4 14. f5 exf5 15. Bxf5 a3 16. Bb1 Kc1 17. Ba2 Kb2 {.
In view of 18...Nb3 coming next, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Merida (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Hernandez, Gi"]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/pp3p2/4pp1p/8/3P1P2/P5Pq/1P2Q2P/1K6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his more active queen and the chronic weakness on d4, Black is a
bit better. His first priority is to improve the queen. ---} 1... Qf5+ 2. Kc1
Qd5 $1 {The weak d4-pawn is already starting to make itself felt.} 3. Qf2 f5 {
The next step in Black's plan is to open a new front on the kingside by ...h6-h5-h4 and ...Kh7-g6-h5 - Gershon.} 4. Kc2 Qc4+ 5. Kd2 Qb3 6. Kc1 Qd3 {
Korchnoi adjusts his plans slightly and regroups the queen to e4.} 7. Qd2 Qe4
$1 {Here and later, Black has no reason to swap his active queen.} 8. b3 Kg7 {
Resuming the plan indicated in the third note.} 9. a4 Kg6 10. Qd1 ({After} 10.
Kb2 h5 {, it is not clear what should White do next.}) 10... Qe3+ 11. Kc2 h5
12. Qd3 ({Obviously,} 12. d5 $2 {failed to} Qc5+ {.}) 12... Qf2+ 13. Qd2 Qg1
14. Kb2 h4 $1 {Finally, Black's play takes concrete shape.} 15. gxh4 Kh5 16. d5
$1 {Seeing that he is being left with weak pawns on the kingside, Hernandez
looks for counterplay on the rest of the board.} exd5 17. Qxd5 Qxh2+ 18. Ka3
Qxf4 19. Qxb7 (19. Qxf7+ Kxh4 20. Qxb7 {was preferable - Hecht, when Black
could consider} Qd6+ 21. Ka2 Qd2+ 22. Ka3 f4 {, keeping some chances for a win.
}) 19... Qd6+ 20. Ka2 Qd2+ 21. Ka3 Qc1+ 22. Kb4 $6 {This just helps the black
queen to find a better square on e6;} ({so} 22. Ka2 {was preferable - Hecht.})
22... Qe1+ 23. Kb5 ({In the event of} 23. Ka3 Qa1+ 24. Kb4 Qd4+ $1 {, Black
manages to centralize his queen, with definite winning chances after} 25. Ka3
f4 26. Qxf7+ Kxh4 {.}) 23... Qe6 $1 24. b4 $6 ({Or} 24. Qxa7 Qxb3+ 25. Ka5 f4 {
with similar play to the previous note}) ({but} 24. Qf3+ {first was a better
move order; e.g.} Kxh4 25. Qf4+ Kh5 26. b4 {with more resistance than in the
game.}) 24... f4 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} 25. Qf3+ ({After} 25. Qxa7 f3
26. Qa8 Qe2+ 27. Kb6 f2 {, Black wins by using the enemy h-pawn as a shield; e.g.} 28. Qh8+ Kg4 29. Qg7+ Kh3 30. Qc3+ Kh2 31. Qc7+ Kg2 32. Qc6+ Qf3 33. Qc2
Kh1 {- Gershon.}) 25... Qg4 {This resource would not have been possible had
White played 24 Qf3+ first.} 26. Qd5+ Kxh4 27. Qh1+ Kg5 28. Qc1 Qd7+ ({In view
of} 28... Qd7+ 29. Ka5 ({or} 29. Ka6 Qxa4+ 30. Kb7 Qxb4+) 29... Qd8+ 30. Kb5
Qb6+ 31. Kc4 Qc6+ {- Hecht, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Trstenik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marjanovic, S."]
[Black "Schussler, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/Q4p2/4p2p/P5p1/8/4PqPP/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Series of checks --- Another useful endgame idea involving the queen is a
series of checks in order to bring it to a specific square or area of the
board. Such action can have different functions; e.g. support a passed pawn,
limit enemy counterplay, enable mate, etc. Here are a few examples. --- A
series of checks helped White to realize his advantage more comfortably. ---} 
1. Qb8+ $1 ({Another good option was} 1. e4 $5 Qxe4 2. a6 {in similar fashion
to Example 315 (Gelfand-Akopian).}) 1... Kh7 ({Or} 1... Kg7 2. Qb2+ f6 3. a6 {
with similar effect.}) 2. Qb1+ f5 3. Qa2 {An ideal location for the queen.} h5
({After} 3... f4 4. exf4 gxf4 {, White could win by both} 5. a6 ({and} 5. Qc2+
{, followed by a timely Qc7+ and Qxf4 - Marjanovic.})) 4. a6 h4 5. a7 {The
rest is easy.} hxg3+ 6. fxg3 Qa8 7. Qxe6 Qxa7 8. Qxf5+ Kh6 9. Qf6+ Kh7 10. Qxg5
{. Three pawns down is at least one too many, and Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berg, E."]
[Black "Bosboom, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7p/qPQ3p1/6k1/6P1/1KP5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his advanced passed pawn White should be winning, but how to
progress? ---} 1. Qc8+ $1 {Berg initiates a series of checks in order to
improve his queen.} ({Note that the lazy} 1. Qc6 $2 {, preparing b5-b6, would
fail to} Qb4+ {with a perpetual.}) 1... Kh5 ({The king must retreat, since both
} 1... Kf3) ({and} 1... Kxg3 {let White swap queens by} 2. Qc3+ {.}) 2. Qh3+
Kg6 3. Qe6+ Kh5 4. Qe2+ Kg6 ({Or} 4... g4 5. Qe5+ Kg6 6. Qd6+ Kh5 7. Qc5+ Kg6
8. Qc6+ $1 Kg5 9. b6 {with similar play as in the game.}) 5. Qd3+ Kh5 6. Qf3+
Kg6 7. Qc6+ $1 Kh5 {On c6 the queen proves ideally placed, assisting the
passed pawn and protecting the king at the same time. Thus the moment is right
to advance the pawn.} 8. b6 Qe5+ ({Contrary to the 1 Qc6 subline above, here} 
8... Qb4+ {does not lead to a perpetual, in view of} 9. Ka2 Qa5+ 10. Kb3 $1 {
- Berg.}) 9. Ka2 Qxg3 {Now White is allowed to queen;} ({but as just seen,} 
9... Qa5+ 10. Kb3 {doesn't help.}) 10. Qe8+ $1 Kh4 11. b7 Qc7 12. b8=Q Qxc2+
13. Qb2 1-0

[Event "European Championship, Antalya"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4K3/8/4pq2/5k2/8/Q7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Such endings are easier for the attacker to play than the defender, and
theoretically drawn positions often end up being won anyway. ---} 1... Qh6+ $1
{By a series of checks Ivanchuk aims at improving his queen, and only then
advance the pawn.} ({In contrast, the hasty} 1... e3 $6 {permits} 2. Qf1+ Kg3
3. Qg1+ {with some annoying checks. Incidentally, there is a "merry-go-round"
perpetual in queen endings, where the king is skewed by the queen wherever he
moves; e.g. in this case (supposing there was one more file on the right of
the board) 3 Qi1+ Kg4 4 Qi4+ Kg5 5 Qi7+ etc.}) 2. Kd5 ({Or} 2. Kf5 Qh3+ {,
transposing to the game}) ({while} 2. Kf7 {can be met by} Qh5+ 3. Ke7 Qh4+ 4.
Kf7 e3 5. Qf1+ Qf2 {and it is Black who gives check on the next move.}) 2...
Qd2+ 3. Ke5 ({After} 3. Ke6 e3 4. Qf1+ Kg3 5. Qg1+ Kf4 $1 6. Qf1+ Qf2 7. Qc4+
Kg3 {, the pawn's advance is just a question of time; e.g.} 8. Qc7+ Qf4 9. Qc3
Kf2 10. Qc5 Qe4+ 11. Kd6 Kf1 12. Qc1+ Kg2 {, followed by 13...e2.}) 3... Qh2+
4. Kf5 Qh3+ 5. Kg5 e3 $1 {With the queen covering the f1- and h1-squares, the
moment is right for this advance.} 6. Qf6+ Kg3 7. Qe5+ Kf2 8. Qd4 ({After} 8.
Qf4+ Qf3 {, there are no good checks available anymore, so Aronian instead
places his hopes in the pin along the g1-a7 diagonal.}) 8... Qf3 (8... Qg3+ 9.
Kh6 Kg2 10. Qb2+ Kh3 {was simpler - Ivanchuk, a plan that he soon realizes in
the game anyway.}) 9. Kh4 Qh1+ 10. Kg4 Qg2+ 11. Kh5 Qg3 12. Qc5 ({If} 12. Kh6 {
then} Kg2 {, heading for h3, in similar fashion to the game.}) 12... Qf4 $1 {
The king should hide on h3.} 13. Qb6 Kg3 14. Qg6+ Kh3 15. Qd3 Qe5+ 16. Kh6 Kg3
{. Unable to meet the threat of ...Kf2 and e3-e2, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Nice Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jansa, V."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/8/1P3QP1/8/2q4p/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Exposing the enemy king --- An idea closely linked to the previous theme is
the exposure of the enemy king to future checks. Often it is managed by a pawn
advance, as we already saw in Hellsten-Iturry (16 f4). Here are a few more
examples. --- White is about to win a second pawn, but some accuracy is still
required. ---} 1. g6 $1 {Exposing the enemy king.} ({Instead, the game went} 1.
Qf6 $2 Qc7+ $1 2. Kxh3 ({or} 2. f4 Qc2+ 3. Kxh3 Qb3+ {and the b-pawn falls
anyway}) 2... Qd7+ 3. Kh4 Qxb5 4. g6 Qb4+ $1 {(before taking on g6, Black
avoids a queen exchange)} 5. Kg3 Qb3+ 6. f3 fxg6 7. Qxg6+ Kf8 {and a draw was
soon agreed.}) 1... fxg6 ({After} 1... Qc7+ 2. Kxh3 Qc3+ 3. Kg2 fxg6 4. Qxg6+
Kf8 5. Qh6+ $1 {, White soon forces a queen exchange, just as in the main line.
}) 2. Qxg6+ Kf8 ({If} 2... Kh8 {, then} 3. Qh6+ Kg8 4. Qg5+ Kh8 5. Qh4+ Kg8 6.
Qg3+ {.}) 3. Qd6+ Kf7 4. Qf4+ $1 Ke8 ({Or} 4... Kg6 5. Qg3+ {.}) 5. Qe3+ Qxe3
6. fxe3 {. White wins - Jansa.} *

[Event "USSR (analysis variation)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Platonov, I."]
[Black "Gurgenidze, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1Q6/5p2/6k1/1P4p1/1q5p/7P/6P1/7K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is on the verge of losing, but by exposing the enemy king to checks he
can still save a draw. ---} 1... f5 $1 {Heading for f4 in order to create
checking possibilities on g3-e1 before White prevails on the opposite flank.} (
{Less convincing is} 1... g4 $6 2. hxg4 h3 ({not} 2... Qxg4 $4 3. Qg8+) 3. Qg8+
Kf6 4. Qd8+ Kg7 5. Qd3 hxg2+ 6. Kxg2 {and White keeps some chances for a win.})
2. b6 f4 $1 {Simplest;} ({though} 2... g4 {also works - Gufeld; e.g.} 3. hxg4
fxg4 4. b7 Qe1+ 5. Kh2 Qe6 $1 {, preparing 6...g3+.}) 3. b7 ({Or} 3. Kh2 $5 Qb3
$1 {, eyeing the g3-square.}) 3... Qe1+ 4. Kh2 Qg3+ {. Draw.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nikolic, P."]
[Black "Seirawan, Y."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5pkp/1P1Q4/8/3p2P1/4qPK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this tense position Black has the more advanced passed pawn, but even so
he is in trouble due to his unsafe king and the fact that White is to move. ---
} 1. Qg8+ $1 {Before placing his queen on the strong c4-square, Nikolic brings
out the enemy king so as to expose it to future checks.} ({Instead,} 1. b6 $2
d2 {only leads to a draw}) ({while the immediate} 1. Qc4 $6 {is also
unconvincing in view of} Kg7 $1 2. b6 Qb2 {.}) 1... Kf5 2. Qc4 $1 {A typical
pin in queen endings. Now it is difficult for Black to find a good move.} Qc2 (
{After} 2... Kg6 $2 3. b6 {, Black can no longer play} Qb2 {due to} 4. Qxd3+ {
with check}) ({while the pawn ending that emerges after} 2... Qe4+ 3. Qxe4+
Kxe4 {is won for White thanks to his outside passed pawn:} 4. Kf1 $1 Kd4 5. Ke1
Kc5 ({or} 5... Kc3 6. Kd1) 6. Kd2 Kxb5 7. Kxd3 h5 ({if} 7... Kc5 {, then} 8.
Ke4 Kd6 9. Kf5 Ke7 10. Kg6 {etc}) 8. Ke4 Kc4 9. f4 $1 {, followed by Kf5 - L.B.Hansen;} ({but not} 9. Kf5 $2 Kd3 $1 {with a draw soon.})) 3. Qd5+ Kg6 4. b6
Qb1 ({The desirable} 4... d2 {fails to} 5. Qg8+ $1 Kh5 ({or} 5... Kf5 6. Qh7+)
6. Kh3 $1 {with decisive mating threats - Seirawan; e.g.} Qg6 7. g4+ Kg5 8.
Qd5+ f5 9. Qxd2+ {etc.}) 5. b7 d2 6. Qg8+ $1 {The story is repeated.} Kh5 ({Now
} 6... Kf5 7. Qh7+ {costs Black the queen, so he has to expose his king to a
mating attack.}) 7. Qf7+ Kg5 ({In the event of} 7... Qg6 {, White wins by} 8.
g4+ Kg5 9. f4+ $1 Kxf4 10. b8=Q+ {.}) 8. f4+ $1 Kg4 9. Qe6+ Kh5 {Other replies
lead to mate in one.} 10. b8=Q $1 ({In view of} 10. b8=Q d1=Q ({or} 10... Qxb8
11. Qf5#) 11. Qh3+ Kg6 12. Qg8# {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "AVRO Tournament, The Netherlands"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Reshevsky, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/3q1p2/6pp/8/P7/5PP1/Q5KP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Interference --- In any type of ending, interference with the enemy play is
an important idea for the defender, and even more so in queen endings,
considering the power of this piece. Here are some examples. --- Black's task
is difficult, but the fact that White has weakened his kingside with f2-f3
gives hope of a successful defence. ---} 1... Qc6 $1 {Heading for the great
square on a6, from which the queen will control the a-pawn and eye the
opposite flank at the same time.} 2. a5 Qa6 3. g4 {Trying to create a shelter
for the king on g3.} ({After} 3. Qd5 Kg7 4. Qd4+ Kg8 5. Qb6 Qe2+ $1 6. Qf2 Qa6
{, White hasn't made progress - Speelman.}) ({If the queens were rooks, then a
king march to the opposite flank would be White's natural plan, but here the
king will have nowhere to hide from the checks; e.g.} 3. Kf2 Qa7+ 4. Ke2 Qa6+
5. Ke3 Qa7+ 6. Kd3 Qa6+ 7. Kd4 Qa7+ 8. Kc4 Qa6+ 9. Kb4 Qd6+ 10. Ka4 Qc6+ {.})
3... g5 {Denying White further expansion on the kingside.} 4. Kf2 Qd6 $1 {Some
useful interference.} 5. Kf1 Qa6+ 6. Kg2 Kg7 {Marking time, awaiting White's
next step.} 7. Qb2+ Kg8 8. Qb8+ Kg7 9. Qe5+ Kg8 10. Kf2 Qa7+ 11. Ke2 Qa6+ 12.
Kd2 Qc4 $1 {Very clever, obstructing the way for White's king.} 13. Qf5 Qd4+
14. Ke2 Qb2+ 15. Kd3 Qb3+ 16. Ke2 Qb2+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Montpellier Candidates"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ribli, Z."]
[Black "Spassky, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5pk1/3q3p/PQ4pP/6P1/5P2/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here White's king is much better protected than in the previous example, so
Black has to look for alternative ways of interfering with the opponent's play.
---} 1... Qd1+ 2. Kh2 Qc2 3. Qd4 Qc7 {We will soon see that, from here, the
queen has better chances of creating counterplay than on a2, which, by the way,
would be the right angle in a rook ending.} 4. Qe4+ Kg7 5. Qa8 $1 {White is
ready to move the passed pawn forward, in similar fashion to Example 315 
(Gelfand-Akopian).} f5 $1 {The only chance for counterplay lies in exposing
the enemy king by ...f5-f4.} 6. Qd5 ({After} 6. a5 f4 7. gxf4 Qxf4+ 8. Kg2 g3
$1 {, Black keeps chances for a draw.}) 6... Qa7 $1 ({Not} 6... f4 $2 7. Qd4+ (
{or} 7. Qg5+ {. With the text Spassky manages to take the a-pawn, thus
limiting the battle to one single flank.})) 7. Qxf5 Qxa4 8. Qxh5 Qe4 9. Qg5+
Kh7 10. h5 Qf3 $1 {Keeping up the active defence.} 11. Qg6+ Kh8 12. Qh6+ Kg8
13. Qf4 Qd1 14. Qg5+ ({After} 14. h6 Kh7 15. Qg5 ({or} 15. Qf6) 15... Qd7 $1 {
, it won't be easy for White to win, since the pawn ending arising after the
exchange on g7 is drawn unless he already has his king on f1, a scenario that
Black will prevent by means of queen checks.}) 14... Kh7 15. Qf5+ Kg7 16. Qe4 {
Ribli finally opts for a new plan: a timely f2-f4 to liberate his king.} Kh8
17. Kg2 Kg7 18. f4 $5 gxf3+ $1 ({After} 18... Qd2+ 19. Kf1 Qd1+ 20. Kf2 Qd2+
21. Qe2 Qd4+ 22. Qe3 Qb2+ 23. Ke1 Qb1+ {, it is not clear how White can make
progress either. Nevertheless, the text is simpler, leaving the opponent with
the "bad" g- and h-pawns, a kind of theoretical draw that we already came
across within Example 314 (Caruana-Dominguez).}) 19. Qxf3 Qc2+ 20. Kh3 Qd2 21.
Qg4+ Kh8 22. h6 $6 {Tempting, but now Black can start looking for stalemate
motifs.} ({Instead, Ribli recommends} 22. Qe4 {, preparing g3-g4, when} Qc1 23.
g4 Qd2 24. Kh4 Kg7 25. g5 Qf2+ 26. Kg4 Qg1+ 27. Kf5 Qf2+ 28. Qf4 Qc2+ {is one
possible defence - Nalimov's tablebases.}) 22... Qb2 $1 ({Not} 22... Qxh6+ $2
23. Qh4 Qh7 24. Kg4 $1 {and White wins - Ribli.}) 23. Kh4 $6 ({Something like} 
23. Qe6 {would have been more promising in practice; e.g.} Qc3 24. Kh4 Kh7 {
(for some reason, the only move)} 25. g4 {and here Black must find} Qc7 $1 {,
enabling a check on h2 - Nalimov's tablebases.}) 23... Qh2+ 24. Kg5 ({Or} 24.
Qh3 Qd2 $1 {- Ribli, when} 25. Kh5 {can be met by} Qd5+ 26. Kg6 Qe6+ $1 {.})
24... Qxh6+ $1 1/2-1/2

[Event "Gagra"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4q3/8/6k1/p4p2/P2P4/1Q3P2/1P6/1K6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "32"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On this occasion, the defender's task is even more difficult, being two pawns
down and about to lose a third one. However, Keres spots a strong plan in
practice: attack the f3-pawn with both pieces in order to create a passed pawn.
---} 1. Qb6+ Kg5 $1 2. Qxa5 Qe2 ({Of course not} 2... Kf4 $2 3. Qe5+ {.}) 3.
Qc3 f4 4. Ka2 {Now that 4...Qd1+ can no longer be met by 5 Qc1 check, Taimanov
parries this threat in advance.} Kh4 5. d5 Kg3 {Black has improved his pieces
to a maximum, and further actions now depends on White's play.} 6. Ka3 $6 ({So
far White has played well, but here he misses an easier win:} 6. Qd4 $1 Kxf3 7.
d6 {- Taimanov. At the cost of just one pawn White has centralized his queen,
which now limits the enemy checks and provides the passed d-pawn with
excellent support.}) 6... Qd1 {Obviously, the f3-pawn cannot be taken.} 7. Qb3
Qd2 8. Ka2 $6 (8. Qc4 $1 {was stronger, with the idea} Kxf3 9. Qc3+ {-
Taimanov. After} Qxc3+ 10. bxc3 Ke2 11. d6 f3 12. d7 f2 13. d8=Q f1=Q 14. Qd5
$1 {(centralization first), Black is unlikely to save himself.}) 8... Qd4 $1 {
Centralizing the queen and tying White to the defence of his pawns.} 9. Kb1 $6
({Taimanov might have discarded} 9. a5 {in view of} Qc5 {and Black wins a pawn
back, although after} 10. Qc3 Qxd5+ 11. Ka3 {, White keeps excellent winning
chances.}) 9... Qg1+ 10. Kc2 Qc5+ 11. Kd2 Qd4+ 12. Ke2 ({The last chance for a
win was probably} 12. Kc2 {, followed by Kb1-a2, reverting to the previous
note.}) 12... Kg2 $1 ({Seeing that} 12... Qf2+ 13. Kd3 Qxf3+ 14. Kc4 {leads to
a bad ending after} Qxb3+ 15. Kxb3 f3 16. d6 f2 17. d7 f1=Q 18. d8=Q Qf7+ 19.
Ka3 {, Keres avoids the pin along the third rank in advance, while awaiting
the opponent's next step.}) 13. a5 Qf2+ 14. Kd1 ({Or} 14. Kd3 Qxf3+ 15. Kc4
Qe4+ $1 {(compare the previous note)} 16. Kc5 f3 {and Black won't lose.}) 14...
Qd4+ 15. Kc1 Qe3+ $1 16. Kc2 Qc5+ $2 {A strange error - or perhaps a misprint.}
(16... Qe2+ {maintained the perpetual, since} 17. Kb1 Qe1+ 18. Ka2 {fails to}
Qxa5+ {.}) ({Instead, after} 16... Qc5+ {, a draw was agreed, though here} 17.
Qc3 $1 Qxd5 18. Qd2+ {led to a win - Taimanov. Beyond the turbulent conclusion
of the battle, Black's defence was truly heroic in this game.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Krasnoturyinsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mkrtchian, L."]
[Black "Cmilyte, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/3Q2p1/3P4/4q3/7P/6PK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the next example, a drawish outcome seems even more remote than in the
previous one, but Black was finally rewarded for her stubborn defence. This
example, alongside some of the previous ones in the present chapter, also
highlights the fact that, in queen endings, a transposition to a pawn ending
is always around the corner, due to the ease with which the queens can be
exchanged. --- With two healthy extra pawns, it is time for White to look for
the most technical path to victory. ---} 1. Qd7+ $6 ({Among all types of
endings, the one where an extra pawn is most strongly felt is the pawn ending.
Here} 1. Qe6+ $1 Qxe6 2. dxe6+ Kxe6 3. Kg3 {led to a trivial win, as long as
White improves her king before advancing the pawns. There could follow} Kf5 4.
Kf3 (4. Kh4 {also works - Baburin}) 4... g5 5. Kg3 $1 ({but not} 5. g3 $2 g4+
$1) 5... Kf6 6. Kg4 Kg6 7. g3 Kf6 8. Kh5 Kf5 9. g4+ Kf6 10. Kh6 {and wins.})
1... Kf6 2. Qd8+ Kf5 3. Qf8+ Kg5 4. Qf3 Qd4 $1 {Obviously, Black could not
swap queens, so instead keeps her majesty in the centre.} 5. Qg3+ $6 ({Again,
the idea of sacrificing one of the pawns to reach a pawn ending was available:
} 5. Qg4+ $1 Qxg4 6. hxg4 Kf6 7. Kg3 g5 $1 8. d6 Ke6 9. Kf3 Kxd6 10. Ke4 Ke6
11. g3 $1 Kf6 12. Kd5 {and White soon wins, e.g. by a later waiting move with
the g3-pawn - Baburin.}) 5... Kf6 6. Qd6+ Kg5 7. Qe7+ Kh6 8. Qf8+ Kh7 9. Qf7+
Kh6 10. Qf8+ Kh7 11. Qe7+ Kh6 12. d6 $1 {Correct, betting on the passed pawn
without worrying about the enemy queen checks.} Qf4+ 13. Kg1 Qc1+ 14. Kf2 Qd2+
15. Kg3 g5 ({After} 15... Qd3+ 16. Kh2 {, the king escapes, so Cmilyte prefers
to create a mating threat.}) 16. Qf6+ Kh5 17. Qf7+ Kh6 18. Qe6+ Kh5 19. Qe5 $1
{Centralization.} Kh6 20. Kh2 $6 ({An excellent alternative was} 20. h4 $1 {,
exposing the enemy king to future checks; e.g.} Qd3+ ({not} 20... gxh4+ 21.
Kxh4 Qxg2 $2 22. Qh8+ $1) 21. Kh2 gxh4 22. Qf6+ {and the exchange of queens is
imminent - Baburin.}) 20... Kh5 21. Qh8+ Kg6 22. Qe8+ Kh6 23. Qe6+ Kh5 24. Qg4+
Kh6 25. Qe6+ Kh5 26. Qe8+ $6 {This doesn't spoil anything yet, but it is a
step in the wrong direction - Baburin.} ({Correct was} 26. d7 $1 Qf4+ 27. Kg1
Qc1+ 28. Kf2 Qf4+ ({or} 28... Qd2+ 29. Qe2+ {check}) 29. Ke2 {, when the
threat of Qe8+ and d8Q decides, as the white queen covers the crucial
c4-square.}) 26... Kh6 27. d7 $2 {A fatal misevaluation; with the queen on e8,
the king won't be able to escape the checks.} ({Again} 27. Qe6+ {, followed by
d6-d7, was called for.}) 27... Qf4+ 28. Kg1 Qc1+ 29. Kf2 Qd2+ {The rest is
rather obvious, with the white king being short of shelter.} 30. Kf3 Qd3+ 31.
Kg4 Qd4+ 32. Kf5 Qf4+ 33. Ke6 Qe4+ 34. Kd6 Qd4+ 35. Ke6 Qe4+ 36. Kf6 Qf4+ 37.
Ke6 Qe4+ 38. Kd6 Qd4+ 39. Kc6 Qc4+ 40. Kb6 Qb4+ 41. Ka6 Qa4+ 42. Kb7 Qb5+ 43.
Kc7 Qc5+ 44. Kd8 Qa5+ $1 ({But not} 44... Qb6+ $2 45. Ke7 Qc5+ 46. Kf6 $1 Qf2+
{(the queen should have been on f4 at this moment)} 47. Ke6 Qb6+ 48. Kf7 Qg6+
49. Ke7 Qe4+ 50. Kf8 {and White wins - Baburin.}) 45. Kc8 Qc5+ 46. Kb7 Qb5+ 47.
Kc8 Qc5+ 48. Kd8 Qa5+ 49. Ke7 Qe5+ 50. Kf7 Qf5+ 51. Ke7 ({There was even a way
to lose to the game:} 51. Kg8 $4 Qh7+ 52. Kf8 Qg7# {.}) 51... Qe5+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6. Miscellaneous Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {Zugzwang -- Space -- Restriction} *

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pelletier, Y."]
[Black "Galkin, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p3/3kb3/6PP/8/5PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Zugzwang --- The importance of zugzwang in the final phase of the game can
hardly be exaggerated. For example, if it wasn't for the obligation to move,
endings such as king and rook vs. king would always be drawn, and concepts
such as opposition would lose their sense. In the earlier chapters we saw many
cases of zugzwang; e.g. Averbakh-Matanovic, Sunye-Velimirovic,
Barhudarian-Rozentalis and Van Wely-Kramnik. Here are some more. --- In such
endings with a bishop against pawns on the same flank, a main weapon for the
stronger side is the gradual use of zugzwang. Of course he should also be on
his guard against pawn exchanges. ---} 1... Ke4 $1 {King first!} (1... Bf6 $6
2. g5 {would be less technical.}) 2. f3+ ({Or} 2. g5 Kf4 3. g6 Kg4 {and the
pawns fall by themselves.}) 2... Ke3 3. g5 {Lacking better options, White has
to expose his pawns.} Kf4 4. Kf2 ({Again,} 4. g6 Kf5 5. h5 Kg5 {makes no sense
for White.}) 4... Bh8 $1 {The bishop is an excellent executer of the zugzwang,
as we already saw in Example 54 (Hellsten-Fernandez), among others.} 5. Ke2 ({
Or} 5. Kg2 Bd4 $1 6. g6 Kf5 7. Kh3 Kxg6 8. Kg4 Bf6 {and Black wins comfortably;
e.g.} 9. h5+ Kh6 10. f4 Be7 11. f5 e5 {.}) 5... Kg3 ({There could have followed
} 5... Kg3 6. Ke3 Kxh4 7. f4 Kg4 8. Ke4 Bg7 $1 {(zugzwang)} 9. Ke3 Kf5 10. Kf3
Bf8 {, followed by ...Bd6xf4.}) 0-1

[Event "Hungary"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1969.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pytel, B."]
[Black "Mozna Hojdarova, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/8/p6p/1p1pk3/1P4pP/P1PBK1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1969.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite Black's active king, White has a serious advantage here thanks to her
superior bishop. Pytel now starts some subtle manoeuvring with this piece, in
which zugzwang plays a key role. We saw a similar endgame in Example 22 
(Averbakh-Matanovic) in Chapter One. ---} 1. Be2 Bd7 ({On} 1... h5 {there
would follow} 2. Bd3 Bf7 3. Bh7 $1 {(losing a tempo)} Be8 4. Bc2 Bf7 5. a4 $1 {
with similar play as in the game.}) 2. Bd1 $1 {An initial zugzwang - Black has
to allow a3-a4.} Be6 (2... h5 {is much the same thing as the previous note.})
3. a4 $1 {A new weakness is established on b5.} Bd7 ({After} 3... bxa4 4. Bxa4
{, the a6-pawn becomes a decisive weakness; e.g.} Bf5 5. Bd1 Bd7 6. Be2 Bc8 7.
h5 $1 {(zugzwang)} Kf5 8. Kd4 Bb7 9. Bf1 {(again)} Kg5 10. Ke5 {and wins -
Müller, since} Kxh5 11. Kf6 {and 12 Bd3 is terminal.}) 4. axb5 axb5 5. Be2 $1 {
Again zugzwang, this time with the purpose of provoking ...h6-h5.} h5 6. Bf1
Bc6 7. Bd3 Be8 8. Bc2 Bf7 9. Bh7 $1 {Losing a tempo, one of the bishop's
specialties in the endgame.} Be8 10. Bd3 {Another zugzwang. With the bishop
tied to both b5 and g6, Black finally has to move her king.} Ke6 ({Or} 10...
d4+ 11. cxd4+ Kd5 12. Bf1 Bd7 13. Kd3 Bf5+ 14. Kc3 Bd7 15. Bg2+ Ke6 16. Be4 {
and wins - Müller.}) 11. Kd4 Kd6 12. Bf5 Bf7 13. Bh7 $1 {The idea is repeated.}
Be8 ({If} 13... Ke6 {, then} 14. Kc5 Ke5 15. Bd3 $1 {- Müller.}) 14. Bg8 $1 ({
In view of} 14. Bg8 Bc6 15. Bf7 {, Black resigned.}) ({By the way,} 14. Bd3 {
with a fourth zugzwang was possible too.}) 1-0

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Pelletier, Y."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/8/1p4p1/bKpB1p2/P4P1P/1P4P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{An extra pawn often doesn't suffice for victory when there are
opposite-coloured bishops, but here Black has been forced to misplace his
bishop to save the b6-pawn. Carlsen proceeded with subtlety. ---} 1. Bc4 $1 {
Looking for zugzwang.} ({In contrast, the tempting} 1. b4 $6 cxb4 2. Bb3 Ke7 3.
Kc6 Kf6 4. Kd6 Kg7 5. Ke7 {fails to} b5 $1 6. axb5 Bb6 {- Baburin, when the
bishop manages to capture the pawns on g3 and f4 before sacrificing itself for
the b-pawn, with a theoretical draw.}) 1... Ke7 2. Kc6 Kf6 3. Bd3 $1 {Zugzwang
- any black move now has a clear defect.} Kf7 ({If} 3... Ke6 {, then} 4. g4 $1
fxg4 ({or} 4... Kf6 5. gxf5 gxf5 6. h5 {etc}) 5. Bxg6 Kf6 ({after} 5... g3 6.
Be4 Kf6 7. h5 Kg7 8. f5 Kg8 9. Bd5+ Kg7 10. Kb7 {, Black is in zugzwang}) 6.
Be4 Kg7 7. Kb5 $1 {(zugzwang)} Kh6 8. f5 g3 9. Kc6 Kh5 10. Bf3+ $1 Kh6 11. Kb5
Kh7 12. h5 Kg7 13. Bd5 $1 {with a final, decisive zugzwang - Baburin. With the
text move 3...Kf7 Black avoids such a breakthrough, but allows a different one.
}) 4. h5 $1 gxh5 5. Bxf5 Kf6 6. Be4 {At this point, the black bishop must have
been dreaming of changing places with the c5-pawn.} Kg7 7. Bf3 Kh6 8. Kb5 Kg6
9. Bd1 $1 ({Seeing that} 9. Bc6 $6 {permits} Kf5 {, intending ...h5-h4,
Carlsen loses a tempo in order to reach the same position with Black to move.})
9... Kh6 10. Be2 Kg6 11. Bf3 Kh6 12. Bc6 $1 ({After} 12. Bc6 Kg6 13. Be8+ Kh6
14. Bf7 {, the fate of the h5-pawn is sealed, so Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Byrne, R."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/8/p4RN1/r4P1P/5K2/3b4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Due to its particular way of moving the knight can't lose a tempo, a fact
that prevented the stronger side from winning in the next example. --- Here
White should have played 1 Ne4 with a decisive advantage - Salov; however, he
forgot about the singular nature of the knight, and allowed a drawing
combination. ---} 1. h5 $2 Rxf4+ $1 2. Rxf4 Bxf4 3. Kxf4 a4 4. Ne4 a3 5. Nc3
Kh7 6. Kg5 Kg7 7. h6+ Kg8 $1 ({Of course not} 7... Kh8 $4 8. Kg6 Kg8 9. h7+ Kh8
10. Ne4 a2 11. Ng5 a1=Q 12. Nf7# {.}) ({After} 7... Kg8 {White instead agreed
to a draw, seeing that} 8. Kg6 Kh8 {reaches a position of mutual zugzwang -
Black to play loses, while White to play only draws, and unfortunately there
is no way that he can lose that tempo. Incidentally, the whole example also
shows the knight's limitations when there is a battle on two flanks.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Goletiani, R."]
[Black "Klinova, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/8/5K2/8/4R2p/7P/5b2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Just like the bishop, the rook is excellent at making waiting moves, a fact
highlighted when giving mate with king and rook vs. king, for instance. Here
are some further examples. ---} 1. Re2 $1 ({Black to move loses, since} 1. --
Bg3 ({and} 1... Kg8 {fails to} 2. Kg6 Kf8 3. Rf4+) 2. Kg6 {leaves her without
good moves. Thus White should just lose a tempo.}) 1... Bg3 2. Re3 Bf2 3. Re4 {
Mission accomplished.} Bg3 ({Or} 3... Bc5 4. Ra4 Be7+ 5. Ke6 Bc5 6. Rxh4 {and
wins - Baburin.}) 4. Kg6 1-0

[Event "Zurich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lestari, B."]
[Black "Kharashuta, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4pk2/8/1r2P2R/1p6/1K6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black found an elegant way of converting her material and positional pluses
into victory. ---} 1... Ke5 ({Also possible is} 1... Kg5 2. Rh1 Kf4 $1 {with
similar play.}) 2. Rh5+ Kd4 {The e4-pawn is obviously poisoned, both here and
later.} 3. Rh6 ({Or} 3. e5 Rb6 4. Rg5 Ke4 5. Rh5 Kf4 {with zugzwang; e.g.} 6.
Kc1 b2+ 7. Kb1 Rb8 $1 {and White finally loses the pawn - Baburin.}) 3... e5 4.
Rh5 Rb8 5. Rh4 Rb6 $1 {A waiting move to force the enemy rook to come closer.}
6. Rg4 Ke3 $1 {The king will put an end to White's waiting moves with the rook.
} 7. Rh4 Kf3 8. Kc1 b2+ 9. Kb1 Rb7 $1 {A final zugzwang, forcing White to give
up the pawn.} 10. Rh2 Kxe4 11. Re2+ Kd4 12. Rd2+ Ke3 0-1

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pinter, G."]
[Black "Singleton, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/r5p1/P3pk2/R7/1K4P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As seen in Barhudarian-Rozentalis, among others, one virtue of placing one's
rook behind the passed pawn is the ability to make waiting moves with it,
while the opponent can't do the same thing. Here is another case. ---} 1. Kc4
$1 {White's plan is clear: bring the king to e3 and then wait for Black to run
out of moves.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. g4+ $2 Kg5 {(now the black king
has a clear target - Baburin)} 2. Kc4 e4 3. Kb5 Re6 4. a6 e3 5. a7 Re5+ 6. Kc6
Re8 7. a8=Q Rxa8 8. Rxa8 Kxg4 {and was soon drawn.}) 1... e4 2. Kd4 $1 ({After
} 2. Kb5 $2 Ra8 3. a6 e3 {, Black again has counterplay.}) 2... g5 ({Or} 2...
Rd6+ 3. Ke3 Ra6 4. h3 {in similar fashion.}) 3. Ke3 g4 ({In the event of} 3...
h5 {one possible reply is} 4. h3 {, avoiding pawn exchanges.}) 4. Ra1 $1 {From
now on, White just makes waiting moves with the rook until zugzwang is reached.
} Ke5 5. Ra2 Kd5 6. Ra4 h6 {Evidently, any king move would lose the e4-pawn,
while rook moves just make things worse by allowing a5-a6.} 7. Ra1 Ke5 8. Ra2
Kd5 9. Ra4 {Repeating the process.} h5 10. Ra1 Ke5 11. Ra2 Kd5 12. Ra4 {. A
final zugzwang, forcing Black to abandon the e4-pawn. White wins - Baburin.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 337"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6K1/5P2/6Q1/8/1k6/8/q7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Even the queen can make waiting moves, as in the next two examples. ---} 1.
Qc6 $1 {Zugzwang - any king move allows White to swap queens} -- ({as does} 
1... Qb3 {, and Black has no other good queen move.}) *

[Event "Dushanbe"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Goldin, A."]
[Black "Korzubov, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/3p2p1/kppN1pP1/2Pq1P2/1PR2K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The idea of provoking zugzwang with the queen is also frequently used when
fighting against fortresses. In the above position, despite a material deficit
White has everything defended, and it is not easy to see how Black can make
progress. ---} 1... Qd1 $1 {Initiating a sequence of queen moves with the
purpose of creating zugzwang.} ({Of course} 1... b3 $2 2. Re2 {was of no use
for Black}) ({while in the game he went for the straightforward} 1... Qxc2+ $2
2. Nxc2 bxc3 3. bxc3 Kb3 {, and after} 4. Nb4 $1 d4 5. cxd4 Kxb4 6. Ke2 c3 7.
d5 Kb3 8. d6 c2 9. d7 c1=Q 10. d8=Q Qe3+ 11. Kd1 Qxf3+ {, White could have
saved himself by} 12. Ke1 $1 {- Shereshevsky; e.g.} ({the game saw} 12. Kd2 $2
Qe3+ $1 13. Kd1 Qe5 {and Black later won by crossing the board with his king})
12... Qxg4 13. Qd3+ {and Black is unlikely to escape the perpetual without
dropping the g5-pawn.}) 2. Re2 Qc1 $1 3. Rc2 Qa1 {A first zugzwang is reached.
If White moves his knight then 4...Kb3(-a2) follows;} ({while} 3... Qa1 4. Ke2
{permits the strong} Qg1 $1 {with the rook soon running out of space. Thus the
white king has to move a step away from the action.}) 4. Kg2 Qe1 $1 {Another
waiting move which forces the rook to leave c2.} 5. Re2 ({Or} 5. Kh2 Qf1 $1 {
with similar effect.}) 5... Qc1 $1 {Black's idea is clear: compared with the
game continuation, White's king has been displaced on g2, which makes the
queen sacrifice work out much better.} 6. Rc2 Qxc2+ $1 7. Nxc2 bxc3 8. bxc3 Kb3
9. Nb4 d4 {Black wins - Shereshevsky;} ({e.g.} 9... d4 10. cxd4 ({or} 10. Nc6
dxc3 11. Na5+ Ka2) 10... Kxb4 11. Kf2 c3 12. Ke2 Kb3 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 339"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/8/4kpp1/8/4K1PP/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Waiting moves with the king are not to be forgotten either. Let's see some
examples. --- I recently came across this position in a local open. White is
minimally worse due to the active black king, but it is no big deal, of course.
---} 1. Kd3 $1 {A solid choice, exploiting the fact that waiting moves with
the king never end, contrary to those with pawns.} ({Instead, the game saw} 1.
f4+ $4 gxf4+ 2. gxf4+ Kd5 3. Kd3 h6 $1 4. h4 h5 {and the black king soon
entered enemy territory, with an easy win. Curiously, the "active" 1 f4+ is
one of few losing options in the initial position.}) 1... f4 ({On most other
moves the king could just go back to e3; e.g.} 1... Kd5 2. Ke3 Kc4 $6 3. f4 {.}
) 2. g4 {This and the next pawn move are indeed advisable, in order to prevent
the entry of Black's king.} Kd5 3. f3 h6 4. Kc3 Kc5 5. Kd3 Kd5 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Chinese Championship, Xinghua"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wang Yue"]
[Black "Liu Qingnan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1p/8/4kPK1/6P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kh5 $1 {A clever waiting move, so as to see where Black's king goes
before taking further action.} ({In contrast, the natural} 1. Kh6 $2 {only
draws after} Kf4 2. f6 Kxg4 3. Kg7 h5 4. Kxf7 h4 {- Baburin.}) 1... Kf4 ({Or
} 1... Kf6 2. Kh6 {.}) 2. f6 $1 ({In view of} 2. f6 Ke5 3. g5 {, followed by
Kh6, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "McNab, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2q2p1k/1p3Q1p/p2B2p1/P3P3/1P5P/2b2KP1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is more active, but how to make progress? ---} 1. Ke2 $1 {A great
waiting move, emblematic of Andersson's patient style in the endgame.} ({The
alternatives were all worse:} 1. Bxf7 $6 {permits} Bxe4) ({and} 1. Kf3 $6 {
runs into} Bd1+) ({while} 1. g3 $6 {can be met by} Bb1 2. Kf3 Bc2 3. Bxf7 ({or
} 3. Qxf7+ Qxf7+ 4. Bxf7 Kg7 {, preparing ...Kf6-e5, and Black won't lose})
3... Bd1+ 4. Kg2 Qc2+ 5. Kg1 Qxe4 {with equality - Andersson.}) 1... Bb1 {Any
other move loses material;} ({e.g.} 1... Kg8 2. Qg6+) ({or} 1... Qd7 2. Qc3 $1
{.}) 2. Kf3 $1 {That's it - with the bishop having been deflected from the
d1-a4 diagonal, Black can no longer give check on d1, thus the f7-pawn is
doomed.} Bc2 3. Bxf7 Bd1+ 4. Kf2 Qc2+ 5. Kg1 ({Of course not} 5. Ke3 $4 Qe2+ 6.
Kd4 Qb2+ {. The text lets Black recover the pawn, but his unsafe king remains
a telling factor.}) 5... Qxe4 6. Be6 $1 {With the double threat of 7 Bf5+ and
7 Qf7+.} Qe3+ 7. Kh1 Qf4 8. Bf5+ Kg8 9. Qg6+ Kf8 10. Qxh6+ Kf7 {There follows
a precise sequence of queen checks in order to pick up the bishop on d1.} 11.
Qe6+ Kf8 12. Qc8+ $1 Kg7 13. Qd7+ Kf6 14. Qe6+ $1 ({In view of} 14. Qe6+ Kg7
15. Qe7+ Kg8 16. Be6+ Kh8 17. Qd8+ Kg7 18. Qxd1 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7k/7P/p1K5/1r6/1P5R/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite his extra pawn, White can't really improve his position, so Black
should just lose a tempo. ---} 1... Kg7 $1 {The king takes up that task.} ({
Interestingly, in the later game I.Kurnosov-B.Lalic, British League 2009,
there followed instead} 1... Rb8 $2 2. Kc3 Rb3+ 3. Kc2 $1 {(preparing a turn
around b1-a2)} Rg3 4. Rh1 Rf3 5. Rh4 a3 6. b3 $1 Rf1 7. Ra4 Kxh5 8. Rxa3 Kg6 9.
b4 Rf2+ ({or} 9... Kf6 10. Re3 $1 {- Baburin}) 10. Kb3 Kf7 11. Ka4 Ke7 12. Rd3
$1 Ra2+ 13. Kb5 Ra8 14. Kc6 {and Black resigned.}) 2. h6+ ({Or} 2. Re2 Kh6 3.
Re6+ Kh7 $1 ({more practical than} 3... Kxh5 4. Re5+ Kg6 5. Rb5) 4. Re2 Kh6 5.
Rh2 Kg7 {and White hasn't achieved anything - Baburin.}) 2... Kh7 ({Draw
agreed as White can't make progress; e.g.} 2... Kh7 3. Kc5 a3 {.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Hungarian Championship, Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1969.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Barczay, L."]
[Black "Farago, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/kp6/6p1/1PK4p/5P1P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1969.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On occasion, the king can lose a tempo by moving in a triangle, supposing
that the enemy king can't do likewise. We saw a related case already in
Moreno-Suba (in Chapter One); here are some more examples of such a
triangulation. --- A quick glance reveals that White would very much like to
reach this position with the opponent to move, so that he can play Kd6 without
bothering about ... Kb6. ---} 1. Kc4 $1 {Starting a triangulation.} ({In
contrast, the game went} 1. Kd6 $6 Kb6 2. Ke5 Kxb5 3. Kf6 Ka4 4. Kxg6 b5 5. f5
b4 6. f6 b3 7. f7 b2 8. f8=Q b1=Q+ {with decent drawing chances for Black in
the queen ending, although he lost it many moves later.}) ({Not all triangles
are the same; e.g.} 1. Kb4 $4 Kb6 2. Kc4 Ka5 3. Kc5 {and White has admittedly
achieved one, but after} Ka4 $1 4. Kb6 Kb4 5. Kxb7 Kxb5 {, it is Black who
arrives first at the enemy pawns.}) 1... Kb6 ({Or} 1... Kb8 2. Kd5 Kc7 3. Ke5
Kb6 4. Kf6 Kxb5 5. Kxg6 {and the f-pawn decides.}) 2. Kb4 $1 Kc7 ({White's
task is even easier after} 2... Ka7 3. Kc5 Kb8 4. Kd6 Kc8 5. Ke6 {etc - Eszik.}
) 3. Kc5 b6+ (3... Kd7 4. Kd5 Ke7 5. Ke5 b6 6. f5 $1 {transposes to the main
line.}) 4. Kd5 Kd7 5. Ke5 Ke7 6. f5 $1 {This breakthrough wins a decisive pawn.
} gxf5 7. Kxf5 Kf7 ({Or} 7... Kd6 8. Kg5 Kc5 9. Kxh5 Kxb5 10. Kg5 {and only
White queens.}) 8. Kg5 Kg7 9. Kxh5 Kh7 10. Kg5 Kg7 11. Kf5 {. With a quick win.
} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 344"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5b2/5P2/2K5/3Bk3/2P5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Triangulation can also occur in other types of endings, as in the next few
examples. --- In order to win White should hand over the turn to the opponent.
---} 1. Kb6 $1 {Initiating some kind of triangulation.} ({Evidently,} 1. c5 $2
{was premature due to} Kd4) ({and} 1. Kd7 Kf6 2. Ke8 $6 Kg7 {isn't productive
either.}) ({But another triangle with} 1. Kb5 $5 Kd4 ({or} 1... Be7 2. c5 $1
Kxd5 3. c6 Kd6 4. Kb6 {etc}) 2. Kb6 $1 Ke5 3. Kc6 {also works}) ({as does} 1.
Kd7 Kf6 2. Kc7 $1 Ke5 3. Kc6 {.}) 1... Kd4 {The most tenacious reply.} ({Both} 
1... Kd6) ({and} 1... Be7 {run into the sacrifice} 2. c5 $1 Kxd5 3. c6 {and
one of the pawns queens.}) 2. Kc7 Ke5 3. Kc6 {The triangulation is completed,
and Black now lacks a solid move.} Kf6 ({If} 3... Kd4 {, then} 4. Kd7 Ke5 5.
Ke8) ({and} 3... Be7 4. Kd7 $1 Kf6 5. Ke8) ({or} 3... Bd6 4. Kd7 {is similar.})
({Finally,} 3... Ba3 {fails to} 4. c5 {.}) 4. c5 Ke5 5. Kb6 $1 {Clearing the
way for the c-pawn, without bothering about the bishop.} (5. Kb5 Kxd5 6. c6 Kd6
7. Kb6 {is just as good.}) 5... Kxd5 6. c6 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Irish Championship, Dublin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Astaneh Lopez, A."]
[Black "Griffiths, RR."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1K6/3kP1P1/3Pb1P1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar, but more complex case. ---} 1. Ka7 $1 {The first step of a
decisive triangulation.} ({The tempting} 1. Kc8 $6 Ke7 2. g7 $2 {proves less
successful after} Bxg7 3. Kc7 Be5+ 4. Kc6 Bg3 5. g6 Be5 6. d6+ Kxe6 $1 7. d7
Bf6 8. g7 Kf7 {, a similar finish to Example 75 (Hellsten-Stojanovic) in
Chapter Two.}) 1... Bg7 2. Kb8 Be5 3. Kb7 {It transpires that with Black to
move, he can no longer defend both flanks.} Bg7 ({Or} 3... Ke7 4. Kc6 {and
wins - Baburin.}) 4. Kc8 Ke7 5. Kc7 Bc3 6. Kc6 $1 {To a light square;} ({
avoiding} 6. d6+ $2 Kxe6 7. d7 Ba5+ 8. Kc8 Ke7 {.}) 6... Be5 7. d6+ Kd8 ({If} 
7... Kxe6 {, then} 8. d7 Ke7 9. g7 Bxg7 10. Kc7 {.}) 8. Kb7 Bc3 9. g7 Bxg7 10.
e7+ ({In view of} 10. e7+ Kd7 11. e8=Q+ Kxe8 12. Kc8 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Candidates final, Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Spassky, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2p2r1p/2P4R/3k1p1P/5K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Observing that White to move loses, Spassky found a simple, yet effective
solution: triangulation. ---} 1... Kd2 $1 (1... --) 2. Re4 Kc3 3. Rh4 Kd3 {.
Finding himself in a lethal zugzwang, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Menton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Voiska, M."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/6p1/p5Qp/1p2r2P/1Pq3P1/P2R1P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Far from being an everyday issue, zugzwang can also occur in earlier stages
of the game. Here are two examples. --- Black has a minimal initiative, but
even so it is hard to believe that the game won't end with a draw. However,
the battle took an unusual turn. ---} 1. Qd5 $2 {A pseudo-active move, one
that cost White dearly in the game.} ({Correct was} 1. Kg2 $1 {, reinforcing
the kingside; e.g.} Re5 2. Qf4 Rf5 3. Qd4+ {with a drawish rook ending.}) 1...
Qf3 $1 {Black doesn't threaten anything, but it is White's turn, and each of
her possible replies has a clear drawback. If the queen leaves the long
diagonal, then 2...Re1 leads to mate, while queen moves along it cause her
departure after 2...Rxh4+. As for the rook, if it leaves the d-file then 2...Rxh4+ again decides, nor can it leave the second rank due to 2...Qxf2+.
Finally, none of the king or pawn moves are appealing. Voiska found the least
of evils.} 2. Qd3 {Now there is no time for 2...Re1, but Black has a different
piece of tactics at his disposal.} Qxd3 3. Rxd3 Re2 $1 4. Kg2 Rxa2 {Black has
achieved the same kind of rook ending, with an extra pawn on the queenside,
that we examined in Chapter Three. This version is rather favourable for him,
since the exchange of the a5- and b3-pawns can be carried out at his leisure.}
5. Rd5 Ra3 {Preventing 6 Kf3 and enabling a capture on b3 at the right moment.
Note that the natural winning plan in such positions - a king march to the
opposite flank - gains weight here due to the fact that when White's rook
starts an attack on the enemy kingside pawns, it will lose track of the
a5-pawn, and thus the capture on b3 will yield Black connected passed pawns.}
6. f3 f5 {Avoiding pawn exchanges.} 7. Rd3 ({If} 7. f4 Kf6 8. Re5 {,
restricting the enemy king, Black could change plans with} Rxb3 $1 9. Rxa5 Rd3
{, when the rigid kingside pawn structure plays against White; e.g.} 10. Ra6+
Kf7 11. Ra7+ Ke6 12. Rg7 b3 13. Rxg6+ Kd5 14. Rb6 Kc4 {with an easy win.}) 7...
Kf7 8. Kf2 $2 {A gross error in a difficult position.} ({More tenacious was} 8.
Rd5 Ke6 9. Rb5 Kd6 10. Rb6+ Kc5 11. Rxg6 Rxb3 12. g4 $5 {, although after} fxg4
13. fxg4 hxg4 14. Rg5+ ({or} 14. h5 Rh3) 14... Kb6 15. Rg6+ Kc7 16. Rxg4 a4 {
, Black is faster.}) 8... a4 {. Seeing that she will lose another pawn, White
resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Terrassa"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Adams, Mi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1b3r1k/6p1/p1p4p/1p1n4/3P2P1/2P4P/PP1R1BQ1/1q3NK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A sharp duel in the Spanish Marshall produced the above middlegame, where
Black's activity more than compensates for the pawn minus. Adams found an
original solution. ---} 1... Kg8 $1 {A clever waiting move.} ({Instead,} 1...
Qxa2 $6 2. Bg3 {would yield White some slight relief.}) 2. b3 {This weakening
of the c3-pawn was hardly in Ivanchuk's plans, but what else to do?} ({As
Adams indicates,} 2. Re2 Nf4) (2. Qh1 Ne3 $1) ({or} 2. Kh1 Ne3 $1 {lose on the
spot}) ({while} 2. a3 Kh8 $1 3. a4 Kg8 {just renews the zugzwang.}) 2... Bf4 3.
Re2 Nxc3 {White's position is in ruins already.} 4. Re6 Qxa2 5. Rxc6 Qxb3 6.
Rxa6 Ne2+ 7. Kh1 Bb8 $1 {Ceding the f4-square to the knight.} 8. Be1 Qd1 {. In
this hopeless position, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 349"]
[Black "Mullen, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/6p1/5p1p/8/6PK/5P1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's examine the subject of waiting moves with the pawns. In pawn
endings the availability of such moves can often determine the final result;
thus one should use them with care. Here are some examples. --- White wins by
the opportune use of waiting moves with the pawns. ---} 1. Kh4 $1 {King first!}
Ke6 2. Kg5 Kf7 3. f4 {Given that White still has two spare tempi left with the
h-pawn, he can afford to use up those with the f-pawn, in order to prevent any
counterplay with ...f5-f4.} ({Nevertheless, the move orders} 3. f3 Kg7 4. f4
Kf7 5. Kh6 Kf6 6. h4 $1) ({and} 3. Kh6 $5 Kf6 ({or} 3... f4 4. gxf4 Kf6 5. h4
$1 Kf5 6. f3 Kf6 7. Kh7 Kf7 8. f5 $1 gxf5 9. f4) 4. h4 ({or} 4. f4 Kf7 5. h3) (
{but not} 4. Kh7 $6 f4 $1) 4... Kf7 5. Kh7 Kf6 6. f3 $1 ({not} 6. Kg8 $2 f4 $1
7. gxf4 Kf5 8. Kf7 Kxf4 9. Kxg6 Kg4) 6... Kf7 7. f4 {work as well.}) 3... Kg7
4. h3 $1 ({Seeing that} 4. h4 $2 Kf7 5. Kh6 Kf6 {just draws, White keeps a
last waiting move in reserve.}) 4... Kh7 ({Or} 4... Kf7 5. Kh6 Kf6 6. h4 Kf7 7.
Kh7 {with similar effect.}) 5. Kf6 Kh6 ({If} 5... h4 {, then} 6. gxh4 Kh6 7.
Kf7 Kh7 8. h5 {etc.}) 6. h4 $1 {White finally uses up his last waiting move in
order to gain the opposition.} Kh7 7. Kf7 Kh6 8. Kg8 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Swedish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lundvik, J."]
[Black "Mohammadi, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p3pkp1/1p6/1P2KP2/8/P6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{By a proper use of waiting moves, White gradually realized his advantage. ---
} 1. h3 $1 {Gaining the e5-square for the king.} (1. a3 {also works.}) 1... Kf7
({After} 1... g5 $2 2. fxg5+ Kxg5 3. Ke5 {, the outside passed pawn decides.})
2. Ke5 Ke7 3. h4 Kf7 4. Kd6 Kf6 5. a3 $1 {Gaining the opposition, which will
permit a king raid along the eighth rank.} Kf7 ({Or} 5... Kf5 6. Ke7 Kxf4 7.
Kxe6 {with a transposition.}) 6. Kd7 Kf6 7. Ke8 $1 Kf5 (7... e5 8. fxe5+ Kxe5
9. Ke7 $1 Kf5 10. Kf7 {is just as hopeless.}) 8. Kf7 Kxf4 {The most tenacious.}
({Instead, the game saw} 8... Kg4 9. Kxg6 {, and Black resigned in view of} (9.
Kxe6 $5 Kxh4 10. f5 $1 {is another winning line}) 9... Kxh4 10. Kf6 Kg4 11.
Kxe6 Kxf4 12. Kd6 {- Furhoff.}) 9. Kxe6 $1 ({Not} 9. Kxg6 $2 e5 10. h5 e4 11.
h6 e3 12. h7 e2 13. h8=Q e1=Q {and Black escapes.}) 9... Kg4 10. Kf6 {The
outside passed pawn means the white king arrives first at the opposite flank;}
({e.g.} 10. Kf6 Kxh4 11. Kxg6 Kg4 12. Kf6 Kf4 13. Ke6 Ke4 14. Kd6 Kd4 15. Kc6
Kc4 16. Kb6 Kb3 17. Kxa6 Kxa3 18. Kxb5 {- Furhoff.}) *

[Event "Chinese Women's Championship, Xinghua"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gu Xiaobing"]
[Black "Tan Zhongyi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/5kpp/p7/5KPP/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is under pressure and should calculate the tempi with care. ---} 1. a3
$1 {Simplest, so as to eliminate the opponent's waiting move ...a4-a3.} ({In
contrast, the game went} 1. g4+ $2 hxg4+ 2. hxg4+ Ke5 3. Ke3 a3 $1 {and it was
Black who successfully used a waiting move, gaining the opposition. There
followed} 4. Kf3 Kd4 5. Kg2 ({or} 5. Ke2 Ke4) 5... Kc3 6. Kf2 Kb2 {and White
resigned.}) 1... g4+ 2. hxg4+ hxg4+ 3. Kf2 $1 {In order to take the opposition
on the next move.} ({Instead,} 3. Ke2 $2 Ke4) ({or} 3. Ke3 $2 Ke5 4. Kd3 Kd5 {
loses.}) 3... Ke4 4. Ke2 {. Draw - Baburin.} *

[Event "Bansko"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nabaty, T."]
[Black "Arnaudov, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/1k3pp1/7p/PK3P2/8/6PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar situation with reversed colours. With his next move Black
forgot about the importance of economizing waiting moves with the pawns, and
paid duly for it. ---} 1... f5 $2 {A horrible move, which yields White several
spare tempi on the kingside.} ({For this reason,} 1... h4 {was much better}) ({
and even} 1... Ka6 {works - Baburin; e.g.} 2. a5 ({or} 2. Kc5 $2 Ka5) 2... b6 {
.}) 2. g3 $1 {Of course. White eliminates Black's last waiting move, while
keeping two of his own with the h-pawn.} Ka6 3. a5 b6 ({Or} 3... Ka7 4. Kb5 Kb8
5. Kb6 Kc8 6. a6 bxa6 7. Kxa6 Kc7 8. Kb5 Kd6 9. Kc4 Kc6 10. Kd4 Kd6 11. h3 {,
transposing - Baburin.}) 4. axb6 Kxb6 {With a normal kingside structure this
would be drawn, but here White's reserve of waiting moves makes the difference,
in similar fashion to Mullen's example earlier in this section.} 5. Kc4 Kc6 6.
Kd4 Kd6 7. h3 $1 {Gaining the opposition.} Ke6 8. Kc5 Ke7 ({White also wins
after} 8... Kd7 9. Kd5 Ke7 10. Ke5 Kf7 11. Kd6 h4 (11... Kf6 12. h4 {leads to
the game}) 12. gxh4 Kf6 13. Kd5 Ke7 14. Ke5 Kf7 15. h5 {- Baburin.}) 9. Kc6 Ke6
10. h4 $1 {A second zugzwang, or renewed opposition, name it as you like.} Ke7
11. Kc7 Kf6 ({If} 11... Ke6 {, then} 12. Kd8 {with similar play.}) 12. Kd6 {
Here Black resigned. Let's see a possible conclusion:} Kf7 13. Kd7 Kf6 14. Ke8
Ke6 15. Kf8 Kf6 16. Kg8 {. White wins with 17 Kg7 next.} 1-0

[Event "Oslo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Guttulsrud, O."]
[Black "Moor, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/2k3p1/8/1pPK4/7P/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is in trouble, but precise defence would have saved him. ---} 1. h4 $1 {
Economizing with the waiting moves - in such situations it is often preferable
to use the pawn that has already moved.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Kd3 $2
Kc5 2. h4 h6 $1 3. g4 g5 4. h5 b3 5. Kc3 b2 6. Kxb2 Kxc4 7. Kc2 Kd4 {and White
resigned.}) 1... h6 ({Or} 1... h5 2. g3 {with similar play to the main line.})
2. g4 g5 3. h5 ({Also possible is} 3. hxg5 hxg5 4. Ke4 Kc5 5. Kd3 b3 6. Kc3 b2
7. Kxb2 Kxc4 8. Kc2 {- Baburin.}) 3... Kb6 ({Or} 3... Kd6 4. c5+ Kc6 5. Kc4 b3
6. Kxb3 Kxc5 7. Kc3 {.}) 4. c5+ Kc6 ({After} 4... Kb5 5. Kd5 {, White will
have few problems in the ensuing queen ending.}) 5. Kc4 b3 6. Kxb3 Kxc5 7. Kc3
{. Draw.} *

[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ilyin Zhenevsky, A."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kp1/7p/4Pp1P/8/6K1/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A combination of waiting moves with the king and pawns can also prove
effective, as in the next two examples. ---} 1. Kf3 $1 {Before placing the
king on f4, White wants to see Black's next move.} ({In contrast, the game went
} 1. Kf4 $2 g6 $1 {and a draw was agreed on account of} 2. hxg6+ Kxg6 3. g3 h5
4. e6 Kf6 5. e7 Kxe7 6. Kxf5 h4 $1 {.}) 1... g5 ({Or} 1... Ke7 2. Kf4 Ke6 3. g3
{with a decisive zugzwang.}) 2. hxg6+ Kxg6 3. Kf4 h5 4. g3 {. Zugzwang, and
White wins - Baburin.} *

[Event "Hallsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Jepson, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3p1k1p/6pP/8/3P1K2/8/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With Black to move, 1...Ke6 would lead to a draw, but it is White's turn and
he immediately improves his king. ---} 1. Ke5 Ke7 2. Kd5 $1 {A clever waiting
move. By using the king for this purpose, White keeps the waiting moves with
the pawns for a later occasion.} ({In contrast,} 2. d5 d6+ 3. Kf4 Kf6) ({or} 2.
g3 d6+ 3. Kd5 Kd7 4. g4 g5 {would only draw.}) 2... g5 {Now Black loses the
g-pawn, but he was short of good options anyway;} ({e.g.} 2... d6 3. Kc6 $1 Ke6
4. d5+ Ke5 5. g3 $1 g5 6. g4) ({or} 2... Kf7 3. Kd6 Ke8 4. Kc7 Ke7 5. d5 g5 6.
d6+ Ke6 7. g4 {and White wins in both cases.}) 3. Ke5 g4 4. g3 $1 ({More
technical than} 4. Kf4 $6 Kf6 5. Kxg4 Kg6 {etc.}) 4... d6+ 5. Kf5 Kf7 6. d5 $1
{Black's king is forced to move one step away from g6;} ({although} 6. Kxg4 Kg6
({or} 6... Ke6 7. Kf4 Kd5 8. g4) 7. Kf4 Kxh6 (7... Kf6 8. d5 {transposes to
the game}) 8. Kf5 Kh5 9. d5 {wins as well.}) 6... Ke7 7. Kxg4 Kf6 8. Kf4 Kg6 9.
g4 Kf6 ({Or} 9... Kxh6 10. Kf5 Kg7 11. Ke6 {etc.}) 10. g5+ Ke7 11. g6 Kf8 12.
gxh7 1-0

[Event "Loja"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Castro, D."]
[Black "Pino, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/1pp1pp1p/p1k5/P3PP2/1PPK2P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a final pawn ending, in which the waiting moves with the pawns played
a crucial role, not only in the actual course of the game, but also in several
of its subvariations. Thanks to her more active king Black is a bit better. In
order to keep the king on d3, White now desires to make a waiting move with a
pawn, but which one? ---} 1. h4 $2 {A bad choice, since after the opponent's
reply, White will be short of spare tempi on the kingside.} ({For this reason,
} 1. g4 $1 {was much better; e.g.} g5 2. fxg5 hxg5 3. Ke3 b5 4. Kd3 {, and if
now} bxa4 5. bxa4 e5 $2 {, then White's spare tempo even leads her to a full
point:} (5... Kd6 {is correct, with a draw}) 6. h3 $1 Kb6 7. Kc4 Kb7 8. Kc5 Kc7
9. c4 $1 {and wins.}) 1... h5 $1 2. Ke3 {Now a waiting move with the king is
the most solid choice.} ({If instead} 2. f5 $2 {, then} exf5 3. exf5 Kd5 {and
the f5-pawn falls}) ({while} 2. c4 $2 {fails to} Kb4 3. Kc2 Ka3 4. Kc3 c5 $1 5.
Kc2 Ka2 6. f5 e5 7. Kc3 Kb1 {and Black wins, a variation similar to Example
352 (Nabaty-Arnaudov) with reversed colours and flanks.}) 2... b5 $1 {This
advance either creates an outside passed pawn, or softens up the c4-square for
the king.} 3. Kd3 ({After} 3. axb5 cxb5 4. Kd3 a4 5. b4+ Kc6 6. Kc2 f5 $1 {,
the king enters via d5 with great effect.}) 3... bxa4 4. bxa4 {Now Black just
needs to lose a tempo in order to make the white king step back, but how to do
it?} g6 $2 {This natural move has a surprising flaw.} ({Instead,} 4... f5 $1 {
first was correct; for example} 5. e5 g6 6. Kd2 Kc4 7. Kc2 c5 {and Black wins.
Incidentally, we came across a similar variation in the 1 g4 subline, with
reversed colours.}) 5. c4 $2 {An early surrender.} ({The unexpected
breakthrough} 5. g4 $1 {led to a draw:} hxg4 ({after} 5... f5 $2 6. g5 $1 {,
White even wins; e.g.} Kd6 7. exf5 exf5 8. Kc4 Kd7 9. Kc5 Kc7 10. c4 {etc}) 6.
f5 exf5 7. exf5 Kd6 $1 8. fxg6 Ke7 {etc, on the topic of mutual protected
passed pawns.}) 5... Kb4 6. Kd4 ({It is already too late for} 6. g4 {because of
} f5 $1 {.}) 6... c5+ {The rest is easy.} 7. Kd3 Kxa4 8. Kc3 Ka3 9. e5 f5 10.
Kd3 Kb4 0-1

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Ree, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/pp3K2/3k2P1/1P5n/P5N1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1984.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Occasionally, waiting moves with pawns can take place in other types of
endings, as in the next example. --- White seems to be completely winning, but
some accuracy is still required due to the proximity of Black's king to the
queenside. Timman found a technical solution. ---} 1. a4 $1 {A clever waiting
move.} ({The impatient} 1. g6 $2 {would only draw after} Nxg6 2. Kxg6 Kc4) ({
while after} 1. Nf5 $6 Ng2 $1 {, White would have to find} 2. Ne7+ $1 ({both} 
2. Ne3+ $2 Nxe3 3. g6 Kd6 $1 {, followed by Nd5-e7}) ({and} 2. g6 $6 Nf4 3. g7
Nh5+ {, with ...Nxg7 and ...Kc4 next, let Black escape}) 2... Kd6 3. g6 Nf4 4.
a4 $1 {in similar fashion to the initial move of this example. There can follow
} Nxg6 ({nothing is changed after} 4... b5 5. a5) (4... a5 5. b5) ({or} 4...
Kd7 5. Kf7) 5. Nxg6 Kd5 6. Ne5 $1 {, when} Kd4 7. Ke6 Kc3 {is met by} 8. Nc6 {
with an easy win.}) 1... b5 ({Or} 1... a5 2. b5 {with the same effect.}) 2. a5
{Black is in zugzwang - knight moves fail to 3g6;} ({while} 2. a5 Kd6 ({runs
into} 2... Kd4 3. Nf5+ {.}) ({As for the defect of} 2... Kc4 {, we will soon
see that.})) 2... Kc4 3. Nf5 Ng2 4. Ke5 $1 {The point: Black can no longer
reach the g-pawn with his knight, and duly resigned.} ({But not} 4. Ne3+ $2
Nxe3 5. g6 Nd5+ 6. Kf7 Ne3 $1 {with a draw, since} 7. g7 $4 {runs into} Nf5 {.}
) 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Lukin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3Q4/5pk1/4q1p1/4P2p/7P/4K1P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's see two examples where the stronger side decided to transpose
into a pawn ending, anticipating a later usage of waiting moves with pawns.
--- Black has just played ...Kg8-g7, but he should have placed his king on h7
instead. The difference becomes evident with White's reply. ---} 1. Qf6+ $1 {
Korchnoi has observed that in the pawn ending that now arises, despite the
material balance he will be winning thanks to his spare tempi with the f-pawn.}
Qxf6 2. exf6+ Kxf6 3. Kf4 $1 {Opposition, and a first zugzwang.} Ke6 ({After} 
3... Kg7 4. Ke5 Kg8 ({or} 4... f6+ 5. Ke6 g5 6. f4 $1 {with zugzwang to come})
5. Kf6 Kf8 6. f4 $1 {, followed by f4-f5, White soon wins a decisive pawn -
Furhoff.}) 4. Kg5 Ke5 ({Or} 4... Ke7 5. f3 $1 {with similar effect.}) 5. f3 $1
{A second zugzwang.} ({In contrast,} 5. f4+ $2 Ke6 {is just a draw; e.g.} ({or
} 5... Ke4) 6. f5+ gxf5 7. Kxh5 f4 $1 {. However, with Black to move again
after 5...Ke6 the outcome is different, as we will see next.}) 5... Ke6 6. f4 (
{In view of} 6. f4 Ke7 7. f5 $1 gxf5 8. Kxf5 f6 9. Kg6 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Georgiev, Kir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p1nk1p2/1p1B1P1p/3P3P/2K5/PP6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White found a clear-cut solution to the realization of his extra pawn. ---} 1.
Bxc6 $1 Kxc6 2. b4 $1 {A key advance that secures a spare tempo with a2-a3,
and leaves Black with none.} Kd6 3. Kd2 $1 {Heading for e4, while applying
some kind of distant opposition.} ({The straightforward} 3. Kd3 Kd5 4. Ke3 {
also works, since} ({of course not} 4. a3 $2 {, wasting the spare move, with
a draw after} Kc6 5. Ke4 Kd6 6. d5 Kd7 {etc}) 4... Kc4 {can be met by} 5. Ke4
Kxb4 6. Kd5 $1 Ka3 7. Kc5 {with 8 d5 next.}) 3... Kc6 ({Or} 3... Kd5 4. Kd3 {
, transposing.}) 4. Ke3 Kd5 ({If} 4... Kd7 {, then} 5. Ke4 Kd6 6. d5 Kd7 7. Kd4
Kd6 8. a3 $1 {etc.}) 5. Kd3 {Here Black resigned. Let's see a possible
continuation:} Kd6 6. Ke4 Kc6 7. d5+ Kd7 8. Kd4 Kd6 9. a3 $1 {The spare tempo
comes in very handy at this point.} Kd7 10. Kc5 Kc7 11. d6+ Kd7 12. Kd5 {.
White wins.} 1-0

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k2p/1R2r1p1/p7/P4p2/3K1P2/5P1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this final example, the transposition to a pawn ending favours the
defender instead, but for the same reason as before: a future usage of waiting
moves with the pawns. --- Despite the doubled f-pawns White is better here,
thanks to his more active rook and king, along with the weakness on a5. ---} 1.
Rxe6+ $2 {A tempting, but wrong choice.} ({White should have preferred either} 
1. Rb7+ Kf6 2. Rxh7 Rd6+ 3. Ke4 Rb6 4. Rd7) ({or} 1. Rb5 $5 {, keeping some
winning chances.}) 1... Kxe6 2. Kc4 {Evidently, the a5-pawn is doomed, but
Black has one last trump available.} g5 $1 {Fixing the kingside structure so
as to secure two extra tempi with the h-pawn later on.} ({In contrast, after} 
2... Kd6 3. Kb5 Kd5 $2 ({it is not yet too late for} 3... g5 $1) 4. Kxa5 Kc5 5.
h4 $1 {, Black's waiting moves soon end, which lets the white king return to
the battle:} h6 6. Ka6 Kc6 7. a5 h5 ({or} 7... g5 8. hxg5 hxg5 9. Ka7 Kc7 10.
a6) 8. Ka7 Kc7 9. a6 Kc8 10. Kb6 {and White wins.}) 3. Kb5 Kd5 4. Kxa5 Kc5 5.
h3 ({Or} 5. Ka6 Kc6 6. a5 h6 $1 7. h3 h5 {, transposing.}) 5... h6 $1 {
Economizing with the spare tempi.} 6. Ka6 Kc6 7. a5 h5 8. Ka7 Kc7 9. a6 h4 {It
transpires that White can't liberate his king.} 10. Ka8 Kc8 11. Ka7 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 361"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p5k1/8/P5P1/6K1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Space --- Space is a fundamental aspect of the battle in any of its stages,
but in the endgame its implications become more specific - the further the
advance of a pawn, the closer its queening square. Here are two simple
examples on this topic. --- White's plan is clear: use the g-pawn as bait in
order to arrive first with his king on the opposite flank. However, only one
move will make it work in practice. ---} 1. a5 $1 {Gaining space.} ({Any other
move, such as} 1. Kf4 $2 {, would fail to} a5 $1 {with Black applying the same
idea. There can follow} 2. Ke5 Kg5 3. Kd5 Kxg4 4. Kc5 Kf5 5. Kb5 Ke6 6. Kxa5
Kd7 7. Kb6 Kc8 {with a draw.}) 1... Kg5 2. Kf3 Kg6 3. Ke4 {White soon wins;} ({
e.g.} 3. Ke4 Kg5 4. Kd5 Kxg4 5. Kc6 Kf5 6. Kb6 Ke6 7. Kxa6 Kd7 8. Kb7 {. Note
that with Black to move in the initial position, 1...a5! draws, as you might
already have guessed.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 362"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/8/7p/8/1p1k3P/1P6/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A pawn race is about to start, and its outcome will depend on the space
factor. ---} 1... h5 $1 ({Seeing that the obvious} 1... Kc3 $2 {would allow} 2.
h5 $1 ({not} 2. Kg7 $2 h5) 2... Kxb3 3. Kg7 Kc4 4. Kxh6 b3 5. Kg7 b2 6. h6 b1=Q
7. h7 {with a draw, Black first gains some space, or prevents the opponent
from gaining space, if you prefer.}) 2. Kg7 Kc3 3. Kg6 Kxb3 4. Kxh5 Kc4 {Black
wins;} ({e.g.} 4... Kc4 5. Kg6 b3 6. h5 b2 7. h6 b1=Q+ {.}) *

[Event "Guayaquil"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brito, D."]
[Black "Orejuela, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2P5/2N1b2p/1p3p2/k4P1P/8/1K6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In positions with more pieces on the board the same concept keeps its
relevance, as we already saw in a few earlier examples, such as
Cramling-Seyfried (1 h5!), Smyslov-Karlsson (1 a5!) and Polugaevsky-Tal (1 a4!)
. Here are some further examples. --- White is on the verge of winning, but
Black's active king is a concern. ---} 1. h5 $1 {Gaining some vital space
before transposing to the knight vs. pawns ending.} ({Instead, the game went} 
1. Ne7 $2 Kb4 $1 2. c8=Q Bxc8 3. Nxc8 Kc4 4. Nd6+ ({if} 4. Ne7 Kd3 5. Ng6 {,
then} Ke4 {, followed by ...Kf3-g4-h5}) 4... Kd4 5. Nxf5+ Ke4 6. Nxh6 Kxf4 7.
Kc3 Kg3 {and draw.}) 1... b4 {With the king deprived of the b4-square, there
is hardly anything better.} 2. Ne7 Kb5 3. c8=Q Bxc8 4. Nxc8 Kc4 5. Nd6+ Kd4 6.
Nxf5+ Ke4 7. Nxh6 Kxf4 8. Ng4 $1 {With the h-pawn already on h5, this little
trick becomes possible.} Kg5 9. h6 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Dhaka"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Al Rakib, A."]
[Black "Bin Sattar, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/4b3/p2k4/7P/P2K1PP1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This is technically won for Black, but he must avoid the scenario of a
theoretical draw with an a-pawn and wrong bishop. ---} 1... a4 $1 {Preparing
the sacrifice of the bishop for White's kingside pawns, after which the space
gained by ...a5-a4 will prove essential.} ({Another, completely different idea
was} 1... Bf5+ $5 2. Kc3 Bg6 $1 {, aiming at zugzwang; e.g.} 3. g4 Ke5 {,
heading for f4.}) 2. g4 Bf7 3. f4 ({If} 3. h5 {then} Be8 $1 {, heading for b5;
e.g.} 4. f4 ({neither} 4. Kc3 Ke5) ({nor} 4. Ke3 Kc4 {is any better}) 4... Bb5+
5. Ke3 ({or} 5. Kc3 Be2 $1) 5... Bd7 6. Kf3 ({the attempt at a theoretical
draw by} 6. f5 Ke5 7. g5 Bxf5 8. h6 {fails to} gxh6 9. gxh6 Bh7 {, followed by
...Kd4-c3-b2}) 6... Kd4 7. f5 Ke5 8. Ke3 Bxf5 $1 9. gxf5 Kxf5 {in similar
fashion to the game - Roiz.}) 3... Be6 4. f5 Bd7 5. Ke3 Ke5 ({Not} 5... Kc4 $6
6. h5 {with the dreadful threat of 7 f6.}) 6. Kf3 Bc6+ ({It is too early for} 
6... Bxf5 $2 {in view of} 7. gxf5 Kxf5 8. Kg3 {, so Black first forces h4-h5
by means of zugzwang.}) 7. Kg3 ({Or} 7. Ke3 Be4 {with similar effect - Roiz.})
7... Be4 8. h5 Bxf5 $1 {By now this sacrifice is no surprise for us, and White
actually resigned at this moment. Let's see a possible continuation:} 9. gxf5
Kxf5 10. Kh4 Kf4 $1 11. h6 gxh6 12. Kh5 Ke4 13. Kxh6 Kd3 14. Kg5 Kc3 15. Kf4
Kb3 16. Ke3 Kxa3 17. Kd2 Kb2 {. Black wins. Note that with the a-pawns located
one file upwards on the board, i.e. a4 vs. a5, the position after 9... Kxf5
would be a draw.} 0-1

[Event "Bajmok"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jansa, V."]
[Black "Suba, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/p7/1p1kpp2/8/4K3/PPP3PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his more active king Black is a bit better, but there is a long way
to the full point, of course. ---} 1. g3 $2 {After this lazy move, White's
queenside pawn majority never becomes a significant asset.} ({For that reason,
} 1. c3 $1 {was much better - Suba;} f4+ ({e.g.} 1... Kc4 2. g3 b4 ({or} 2...
e4 3. Kd2 {, preparing b2-b3}) 3. cxb4 Kxb4 4. Kd3 {and White holds}) 2. Kf3 b4
({while} 2... Kc4 $2 3. Ke4 {even loses}) 3. cxb4 e4+ {is aggressive but leads
nowhere after} 4. Ke2 $1 Kc4 5. a3 Kb3 6. Kd2 {etc.}) 1... b4 $1 {Gaining
important space.} 2. Kd3 {A waiting move.} ({After} 2. c3 bxc3 3. bxc3 Kc4 4.
Kd2 e4 {, White soon runs out of moves, since here or later,} 5. Kc2 {will be
met by} e3 {.}) 2... e4+ 3. Ke3 h5 {Ruling out any tricks based on the advance
g3-g4.} 4. h4 $2 {Perhaps Jansa thought that he should prevent ...h5-h4, but
that would never work for Black as the separated passed pawns on the c- and
h-file would become too strong. Thus the main effect of 4 h4 is that White
wastes two valuable spare tempi.} ({In contrast, after} 4. Ke2 {it is not
clear how to win with Black; e.g.} Kd4 5. Kd2 a5 6. Ke2 a4 7. Kd2 a3 8. bxa3
bxa3 9. c3+ Kc4 10. Kc2 e3 11. h4 $1 ({but not} 11. h3 $2 h4 $1 12. gxh4 f4 {
etc}) 11... e2 12. Kd2 e1=Q+ 13. Kxe1 Kxc3 14. Ke2 Kb2 ({or} 14... Kd4 15. Kf3
Kd3 16. Kf4 Kc2 17. Ke3 $1) 15. Kd2 Kxa2 16. Kc2 {with a draw.}) 4... Kc4 {The
rest is rather easy - Black prepares ...a6-a5-a4-a3 in order to create a fatal
weakness on c3, whereas White is confined to passive defence.} 5. Kd2 a5 $1 6.
Ke2 ({Obviously,} 6. b3+ {runs into} Kd4 {with ...Kc3 next.}) 6... a4 7. Ke3 a3
8. bxa3 bxa3 9. Kd2 Kd4 ({White resigned, in view of the continuation} 9... Kd4
10. Kd1 ({or} 10. c3+ Kc4 11. Kc2 e3) 10... Kc3 11. Kc1 e3 12. Kd1 Kb2 13. c4
Kxa2 14. c5 Kb2 15. c6 a2 {- Suba.}) 0-1

[Event "Reggio Emilia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hort, V."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1k2p1/2p4p/p1p1K3/2P2PPP/2P5/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As seen within the initial example of this section, the idea of gaining space
can also be used for defensive means. Here is another example. --- Black is
under pressure, but Smyslov came up with a clever solution. ---} 1... a4 $1 {
Enhancing any further action on the queenside.} (1... b5 $2 {is less flexible,
in view of} 2. cxb5 cxb5 3. Kd5 $1 b4 4. cxb4 cxb4 5. Kc5 {and wins - Smyslov.}
) 2. h5 ({Or} 2. f5 Ke7 $1 3. g5 hxg5 4. hxg5 b5 {and the board is left
without pawns after} 5. cxb5 cxb5 6. Kd5 b4 7. cxb4 cxb4 8. Kc4 b3 9. axb3 axb3
10. Kxb3 Kd6 11. Kc4 Ke5 {etc.}) 2... Ke7 ({It was still too early for} 2... b5
$2 {due to} 3. cxb5 cxb5 4. Kd5 b4 5. cxb4 cxb4 6. Kc4 b3 7. axb3 axb3 8. Kxb3
Kd6 9. Kc4 {- Smyslov.}) 3. Kf5 b5 $1 {Now the white king has moved away, the
time is right for this counterstrike.} 4. cxb5 cxb5 5. Ke5 b4 6. cxb4 cxb4 7.
Kd4 Ke6 8. Kc4 b3 9. axb3 axb3 10. Kxb3 Kd5 11. g5 Ke4 12. gxh6 gxh6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Montreal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Harikrishna, P."]
[Black "Sutovsky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p7/4pPp1/4p2p/4P3/8/P4KPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On occasion, a pawn advance can have the effect of clearing vital space for
the king. Here are some examples on this topic. --- At first sight, Black
seems to be on his way towards a safe draw by ...Kf7xf6, but there is a move
that changes everything. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Clearing a path for the king.} ({The
alternatives won't work; e.g.} 1. Kg3 $2 g5) ({or} 1. Kf3 $2 Kf7 2. g4 Kxf6 {.}
) 1... hxg4 ({Obviously,} 1... h4 {fails to} 2. g5 {.}) 2. Kg3 Kf7 3. Kxg4 Kxf6
{From now on, White wins by means of a proper use of waiting moves.} 4. Kh4 $1
{As mentioned in the previous section, if possible waiting moves with the king
are often preferable to ones with the pawns, which are better saved for later.}
a5 ({Obviously,} 4... a6 {would have been met by} 5. a3 {.}) 5. a4 $1 {The
idea of "copying" the opponent's waiting moves is often useful on such
occasions.} Ke7 ({Or} 5... Kf7 6. Kg5 Kg7 7. h3 $1 Kf7 8. Kh6 Kf6 9. h4 {,
transposing - Baburin.}) 6. Kg5 Kf7 7. Kh6 $1 {King first!} ({Neither} 7. h3 $2
Kg7) ({nor} 7. h4 $2 Kg7 8. h5 gxh5 9. Kxh5 Kh7 {leads anywhere for White.})
7... Kf6 8. h4 $1 {A final accuracy.} (8. h3 $2 Kf7 {just leads to a draw.})
8... Kf7 9. Kh7 Kf6 10. Kg8 ({In view of} 10. Kg8 g5 11. h5 g4 12. h6 g3 13. h7
g2 14. h8=Q+ {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berbatov, K."]
[Black "Chatterjee, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1p3pp1/6p1/pp1p4/3P4/1P6/P1K2PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case on the opposite flank. White is a pawn down, but with
some help from the opponent he actually managed to win the game, twice
applying our main theme. ---} 1. b4 $1 {Clearing some space for the king.} b6
$2 ({Black has obviously seen that} 1... axb4 $4 2. Kb3 {would be fatal for
him, and tries to keep the b4-square under control. However, there is a
surprise awaiting.}) ({Instead, the solid} 1... a4 {was called for, when} 2. g4
f5 3. f3 Kf7 4. h4 {is a draw - Baburin. At this point, Black could try} g5 $5
{in the spirit of our main theme, but after} 5. h5 $1 {White achieves a
full-board blockade of the kind seen at the end of Chapter Four.}) 2. a4 $3 {
A fantastic move - no matter how Black replies, the white king enters.} bxa4 ({
Or} 2... axb4 3. Kb3 $1 {with similar effect.}) 3. bxa5 bxa5 4. Kb2 {The
following moves are obvious - after capturing the a-pawns White will attack
the d5-pawn, and Black must defend it.} Kf8 5. Ka3 Ke7 6. Kxa4 Kd7 ({Or} 6...
Ke6 7. Kxa5 Kf5 8. Kb4 Ke4 9. Kc5 {and 10 f3+ next.}) 7. Kxa5 Kc6 8. h4 {
Putting an end to Black's waiting moves.} (8. Ka6 {was also possible.}) 8... f6
9. g4 g5 10. hxg5 ({In view of} 10. hxg5 fxg5 11. Ka6 g6 12. Ka5 {, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Klatovy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jirman, P."]
[Black "Stluka, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p4p2/1p2p1p1/4P3/PR3P2/r5P1/6K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The same idea keeps its relevance in other types of endings too, as shown by
the following examples. --- With an extra pawn and active rook, Black should
have good winning chances. However, his king is absent in the battle, a
problem that Stluka solved by a clever pawn sacrifice. ---} 1... g5 $1 {
Clearing a path for the king, and hitting White's pawn chain.} (1... Kg7 2. Kh3
g5 {was less precise due to} 3. Kg4 $1 {, opposing the enemy king.}) 2. fxg5 ({
Now} 2. Kh3 {fails to} gxf4 3. Rxf4 Re3 {.}) 2... Kg7 3. Kh3 Kg6 4. Kh4 ({If} 
4. Kg4 {, then} Re3 5. Kf4 Re1 {, intending ...Rf1-f5.}) 4... Re3 5. a5 $1 {
Active defence.} bxa5 6. Rb5 Ra3 ({Less is promised by} 6... a4 7. Ra5 a3 8.
Rxa7 Rxe5 9. Rxa3 Rxg5 10. Ra8 {.}) 7. Rb8 $1 ({After} 7. Rb7 $6 a6 8. Ra7 Re3
9. Rxa6 Rxe5 {, Black should win without difficulty.}) 7... Ra4+ {I'm not sure
that provoking g3-g4 really favours Black;} ({but after} 7... Rd3 8. g4 Rd5 9.
Rg8+ $1 Kh7 10. Ra8 {, White also has decent counterplay; e.g.} Rxe5 11. Kh5 $1
Re1 12. g6+ $1 fxg6+ 13. Kg5 {.}) 8. g4 Rb4 ({Interestingly,} 8... Ra1 9. Ra8
a4 10. Rxa7 a3 {fails to} 11. Rxa3 $1 {.}) 9. Rg8+ $1 {A useful intermediate
check, displacing Black's king.} Kh7 10. Ra8 Rb7 11. Kh5 $2 {So far Jirman's
active defence has been excellent, but here he goes astray.} ({After} 11. Rc8 {
, I can't see an obvious win for Black; e.g.} Rb5 ({or} 11... a4 12. Rc4 {, followed by Ra4}) 12. Kh5 $1 Rxe5 13. Rc7 Kg7 14. Rxa7 {with
g5-g6 as a resource at some moment.}) 11... a4 12. Rc8 a3 13. Rc1 ({Perhaps
White had prepared} 13. Rc3 {and only now saw the reply} a2 14. Ra3 Rb3 $1 ({or
} 14... Rb1 $1 {, exploiting the mating motif on the h-file.})) 13... a2 {The
rest is easy.} 14. g6+ fxg6+ 15. Kg5 Rb1 16. Rc7+ Kg8 17. Kxg6 Kf8 18. Rxa7
a1=Q 19. Rxa1 Rxa1 20. Kf6 Ra6 21. g5 Rb6 22. Kg6 Ke7 23. Kh7 Rb5 0-1

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moreno Carnero, J."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/pp3ppn/2p4p/3p3P/3P2P1/5P2/PPPB4/4K3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{At first sight the position looks about equal - White has fixed his kingside
pawns on squares of the "right" colour, while the black knight feels quite
comfortable in such a semi-closed structure. However, Ivanchuk has a surprise
prepared. ---} 1... f5 $1 {A strong advance that clears a path for the king
and softens up White's kingside pawns.} 2. gxf5 ({Or} 2. Kf2 Nf6 {, when} 3.
Kg3 {fails to} fxg4 4. fxg4 Ne4+ {- Ivanchuk.}) 2... Kf7 3. Bf4 Kf6 ({Another
option was} 3... Nf6 {, but Black prefers to improve his king first.}) 4. Be5+
Kxf5 5. Bxg7 Kg5 6. Be5 ({Perhaps} 6. Kf2 Kxh5 7. Kg3 Kg5 8. Be5 {was a lesser
evil - Ivanchuk.}) 6... Kxh5 7. Bb8 a6 {The previous pawn trade definitely
favoured Black, who can now enter any pawn ending with confidence, thanks to
the outside passed pawn on the h-file.} 8. Kf2 Ng5 9. Kg3 Ne6 10. c3 Kg5 11.
Bd6 Kf5 12. a4 $6 (12. Bb8 {was more tenacious, when} c5 ({while} 12... b6 {,
trying to enhance ...c6-c5, can be met by} 13. Ba7) 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Bf4 $1 h5
15. Be3 {is just slightly worse for White - Ivanchuk.}) 12... b6 {Trying to
open a new front by ...c6-c5.} 13. b4 $6 {In his eagerness to prevent ...c6-c5,
White creates a target for the opponent on c3.} ({More solid was} 13. Bb8 {,
intending to meet} c5 14. Ba7 $1 cxd4 15. Bxb6 {, although after} dxc3 $1 16.
bxc3 Nf4 {, Black keeps the advantage - Ivanchuk.}) 13... h5 $1 {Black's
actions on the queenside have been limited, so he now resumes play on the
opposite flank.} 14. Kf2 ({Worse is} 14. Kh4 Ng5 15. Kxh5 Nxf3 {, followed by
Ke4-d3}) ({or} 14. Bb8 Nf4 $1 {, intending} 15. Bxf4 h4+ 16. Kxh4 Kxf4 {.})
14... h4 15. Be7 h3 $1 {The typical function of the outside passed pawn:
deflection of the enemy king.} 16. Bd6 $6 ({The last chance was probably} 16.
Kg3 Nf4 17. Bd8 {, trying to swap pawns; e.g.} b5 18. axb5 cxb5 19. Bc7 $1 Ne2+
20. Kxh3 Nxc3 21. Kg2 {, when the bishop prevents the entry of Black's king
via f4-e3.}) 16... Nf4 {The weakness on c3 finally takes its toll.} 17. Kg3
Ne2+ 18. Kxh3 Nxc3 19. Kg3 ({Or} 19. a5 Nb5 $1 20. Be5 bxa5 21. bxa5 c5 {and
wins - Ivanchuk.}) 19... Nxa4 20. Bc7 Ke6 21. Kf2 Kd7 22. Bf4 Nc3 23. Ke3 {Now
Black wins a second pawn;} ({though after} 23. Bd2 Nb5 {, preparing ...Nd6-c4,
...Ke6-f5 and ...a6-a5, the victory should only be a question of time.}) 23...
Na2 0-1

[Event "Helsingborg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stromberg, P."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/p1p3p1/3pPb1p/1BpP3P/P1P3K1/4R1P1/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is better, both positionally and materially, but he can't really aspire
to victory as long as his king remains marginalized from the battle. Attentive
readers of the previous examples will have no problem predicting my next move.
---} 1... g5 $1 ({Less productive is} 1... Kh6 $6 2. Bf8+ {.}) 2. hxg5 Kg6 3.
Kf2 {White resorts to passive defence;} ({seeing that} 3. Kf4 Rf1+) ({or} 3.
Kh4 Rh1+ {would be useless.}) 3... Bg4 4. Rb2 Kxg5 5. Kg3 Be6 (5... h4+ {was
more obvious, but the text doesn't spoil anything.}) 6. Re2 h4+ 7. Kf2 Kf4 8.
Re3 (8. Re1 {was more tenacious, with a pure opposite-coloured bishop ending
arising from} Rxe1 9. Kxe1 {. Nevertheless, after} Ke3 $1 {, White would
hardly have any defence against the plan of ...Kd3, ...Bf5-e4 and ... c6-c5; e.g.} 10. a4 Kd3 11. a5 Bf5 12. Kf2 Be4 13. Kg1 c5 $1 14. dxc5 d4 15. cxd4 c3 {
etc.}) 8... Bg4 {Now White's pieces are inevitably pushed back.} (8... Rf1+ 9.
Kxf1 Kxe3 {was also possible, with similar play as in the previous note.}) 9.
Re1 Rc2+ 10. Kg1 Be2 $1 {Heading for e4, without allowing the check on f1. The
rest is easy.} 11. Kh2 Bf3 12. Rg1 Kg4 13. Kh1 Be4 14. Kh2 h3 15. Ba5 hxg2 16.
Re1 Rf2 17. Rg1 Rf5 18. Rxg2+ Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Kf4 20. Kf2 Ke4+ 21. Ke2 Rh5 22.
Kd2 Rh2+ 23. Kc1 Kd3 24. Bb4 Rc2+ {. With ...Rxc3 in the air, White resigned.}
0-1

[Event "Belgrade (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Ljubojevic, L."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2k2/2p1nbp1/p4p1p/1pp5/4P1PP/2N1NPK1/PPPR4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In a typical ending of the Spanish Exchange Variation, White has a pleasant
edge, but how to progress? Ljubojevic found a nice solution. ---} 1. g5 $1 {
Clearing a path for the king towards g5.} hxg5 2. hxg5 fxg5 ({Other moves,
such as} 2... Nc6 $6 {, would just lead to a problem with the f6-pawn after} 3.
gxf6 gxf6 4. Ncd5 {.}) 3. Kg4 Nc6 4. Kxg5 {As a result of the previous
operation White now possesses a passed pawn on the e-file and a long-term
target on g7.} Nd4 5. Rf2 Re8 6. Kf4 Re6 {Perhaps a bit bothered by the active
enemy king, Gligoric tries to chase him away; unfortunately, the f6-square
will never become available to the rook.} ({Instead,} 6... Ne6+ {is well met by
} 7. Kg4 $1 {, keeping the "magic" distance}) ({but the simple} 6... c6 {,
depriving the enemy knights of the d5-square, seems like a better choice.}) 7.
Ng4 Bh5 8. Nd5 $1 {Not just attacking the c7-pawn, also regrouping the knight
to a more comfortable square on e3.} c6 9. Nde3 b4 $6 {This merely creates
targets for White on the queenside.} ({Instead, Black could have considered
the pragmatic} 9... Re8 {, preparing to meet} 10. c3 {by} Ne6+) ({or even} 9...
Bxg4 $5 {, getting rid of a piece that soon becomes a problem child.}) 10. c3
bxc3 11. bxc3 Nb5 12. c4 Nd4 13. Rb2 $1 {Interestingly, Ljubojevic had the
possibility of Rh2 for several moves, but finally his rook finds a more useful
working area.} Be8 14. Nf5 $1 {Swapping Black's most active piece.} ({The
tempting} 14. Rb8 $6 {promised less due to} Ne2+ 15. Kg5 Nd4 $1 {.}) 14... Nxf5
15. Kxf5 Bd7 16. Ne5 $1 Bc8 17. f4 $1 {White is not scared by the discovered
attacks, and just keeps improving his position.} (17. Rb8 {was also strong.})
17... Ke7 18. Rb8 Rf6+ 19. Kg5 Kd8 20. f5 Kc7 21. Rb2 $1 {Preparing a shift of
angle with Rh2-h7.} ({Seeing that} 21. Rb2 Rh6 {is no real defence, in view of}
22. Ng4 Rh3 23. Rh2 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Palma de Mallorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Penrose, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/pp2rpp1/7p/3p1b2/3P4/1PR3PP/P4PB1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1972.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Apart from approaching a pawn to its queening square and clearing the way for
its fellow king, the space gained by a pawn advance can also have more general
benefits, such as restriction of the enemy forces and creation of weaknesses.
Here are some examples. --- Thanks to his control of the c-file and superior
bishop, White is a bit better. However, the direct 1 Rc7?! does not really
yield anything. Larsen finds a more long-term idea. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Gaining
space and limiting the enemy bishop. Two additional observations about this
move: 1) placing our pawns on squares of the same colour as an enemy bishop,
often has a restrictive effect upon that piece; 2) pawn moves that would
jeopardize our king's safety in the middlegame (for example, imagine a black
queen on d6 and a bishop on b8) sometimes transform into useful advances once
the endgame has been reached.} (1. Rc7 $6 {can be met by} Rdd7 {; e.g.} 2. Rc8+
Kh7 3. g4 Be4 4. f3 Bd3 5. R1c3 Ba6 {, preparing ...Re2.}) 1... Be6 ({Or} 1...
Be4 2. f3 Bg6 3. Kf2 {with similar play.}) 2. f4 $1 {In the same spirit as the
previous move.} f6 3. Kf2 {The king gets a bit closer to the action, and
covers the sensitive spot on e2.} Bf7 4. Bf3 Kf8 5. a4 $1 {If I am not
mistaken, Larsen once said that "when you don't know what to do, push a rook's
pawn!", and here he gives good evidence to his statement. The concrete
benefits of the queenside expansion are yet to be seen, but it will be never
be in vain to have those pawns located a bit further up on the board.} ({Again,
} 5. Rc7 Rdd7 {was less productive.}) 5... Rde8 ({With his following moves
Penrose opts for a waiting game, seeing that the restrictive} 5... a5 $6 {
would just create a target for the opponent after} 6. Rc5 $1 b6 7. Rc6 {.}) ({
However,} 5... g5 $5 {might have been better, gaining some space himself -
Larsen.}) 6. a5 Rd7 7. b4 Red8 8. Be2 $1 {The bishop was not doing anything
particular on f3, and it is now redirected to the more useful b1-h7 diagonal,
while a pin-prick with Bb5 also becomes possible.} Be8 ({If} 8... Bg6 {then} 9.
Bb5 {, when both} Re7 ({and} 9... Rd6 10. Rc7) 10. Rc8 {lead to trouble for
Black.}) 9. Bd3 Re7 10. Rc8 $1 {Just at the right moment, when Black can't
keep both the back ranks under control;} ({e.g.} 10. Rc8 Red7 11. f5 Rd6 12.
R1c7 {.}) 10... Rxc8 11. Rxc8 Kf7 12. b5 $1 {Gaining more space, and further
restricting Black's forces.} b6 $2 {This loses by force.} (12... Rd7 {was more
tenacious, intending to meet} 13. Ra8 ({but White could instead try} 13. h4 $1
{, when I see no defence against the threat of h4-h5 and Bg6; e.g.} Re7 14. Ra8
b6 15. axb6 axb6 16. Rb8 Re6 17. Bg6+ $1 {in similar fashion to the game})
13... b6 14. axb6 axb6 15. Rb8 {with} Rd6 {.}) 13. axb6 axb6 14. Rb8 Re6 15.
Bg6+ $1 Kf8 {Black now finds himself in complete passivity;} ({but} 15... Kxg6
{obviously failed to} 16. f5+ {.}) 16. h4 Re7 17. g5 $1 {Black resigned, in
view of the imminent invasion of White's king;} ({e.g.} 17. g5 fxg5 18. fxg5
Re6 19. h5 hxg5 20. Kg3 {, followed by Kg4xg5, a double exchange on e8 and
Kf5-e5.}) 1-0

[Event "Holguin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moskalenko, V."]
[Black "Arencibia Rodriguez, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2kn1pp/1p1p4/8/P1PPK3/4N3/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With a sounder pawn structure and more active pieces White is better, but
Black defends for the moment. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Gaining space and preparing to
soften up the enemy kingside pawns.} Ng8 {Quite a passive choice.} ({Perhaps
Black should have tried} 1... h5 $5 {, preventing the further course of the
game; e. g.} 2. Kf4 ({not} 2. Nf5 $2 d5+ $1 3. cxd5 Nxf5 4. Kxf5 a6 {etc}) 2...
Ke6 3. Kg5 g6 {, followed by ...Kf7. White, on his part, could have eliminated
this option by playing 1 g4!? on the first move instead.}) 2. g4 Nf6+ 3. Kf4
Ke6 ({In the event of} 3... Kc6 {, White should try something like} 4. Kf5 ({
and avoid} 4. d5+ $2 Kc5) 4... Kd7 5. d5 {with similar play as in the game.})
4. d5+ $1 Kf7 5. Nf5 {The d4-d5 thrust didn't just eliminate the ...d6-d5
break and fix a weakness on d6, it also opened a path for the knight via d4-c6
(b5).} Ne8 6. Nd4 Nc7 7. h5 $1 {Gaining more space. As with Larsen's 5 a4! in
the previous example, when making such a move you can't predict its concrete
benefits, you just know that it will favour you in some way later on.} Kf6 8.
Nc6 a5 ({On} 8... a6 {White would proceed just like in the game.}) 9. g5+ Kf7
10. Na7 $1 {In knight endings, the knight should usually move around a lot, as
we discussed in Chapter Four.} Na6 $1 {Black follows the same recipe.} 11. Nc8
Nc5 12. Nxd6+ $1 {Activity above material.} ({After} 12. Nxb6 $6 Ke7 {, it is
not clear how to progress with White.}) 12... Kf8 13. Ke5 Nxa4 14. Ne4 $1 {
Betting on the passed pawn.} Nb2 ({Or instead} 14... Ke7 15. d6+ Kd8 16. Kd5
Nb2 17. c5 $1 bxc5 18. Nxc5 a4 19. Ke6 {and wins.}) 15. d6 $1 Nxc4+ ({In the
event of} 15... Nd3+ {, Moskalenko gives a nice variation:} 16. Ke6 Ke8 17. d7+
Kd8 18. Kd6 a4 ({or} 18... g6 19. Nf6 Nf4 20. h6 {etc}) 19. g6 h6 20. Ng5 $1 {
and wins.}) 16. Ke6 Ke8 17. Nf6+ $1 {A nice touch, one that neatly shows the
potential benefits of pushing your pawns as far as possible in the endgame.} ({
In contrast, after} 17. d7+ $2 Kd8 18. g6 hxg6 19. hxg6 ({or} 19. Ng5 Ne5 $1)
19... Ne5 $1 20. Kxe5 Kxd7 {, Black draws - Moskalenko.}) 17... Kd8 ({If
instead} 17... gxf6 {, then} 18. d7+ Kd8 19. g6 {etc.}) 18. Nxh7 Nxd6 19. Kxd6
Ke8 20. Ke6 a4 21. g6 $1 ({In view of the continuation} 21. g6 a3 22. h6 a2 23.
hxg7 a1=Q 24. g8=Q# {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Varadero"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Oral, T."]
[Black "Slobodjan, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/2p3p1/ppknrp1p/2pR4/4P1P1/1P2NP2/P1P2K1P/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Just like Example 372 (Ljubojevic-Gligoric), this ending was produced by the
Spanish Exchange Variation. Theoretically, White counts on a more mobile pawn
majority, but practice often finds him struggling to make it advance, as in
the present case. After scanning the rest of the board for other opportunities,
Oral came up with a clever idea. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Preparing h4-h5 to soften up
the light squares in Black's kingside.} (1. Nf5 $6 g6 {was less productive.})
1... b5 {Slobodjan looks for counterplay on "his" flank;} ({but in hindsight} 
1... g6 {seems a better choice, so as to meet} 2. h5 {with} g5 {, making it
more difficult for White to progress on the kingside.}) 2. h5 $1 Rb8 3. Kg3 {
With ...g7-g5 being out of the question, White brings his king to a great
square on f4, from where it could even move on to f5 and g6 one day.} a5 4. Kf4
Re7 (4... -- {Parrying in advance the enemy plan of} 5. Nf5 Nxf5 6. Kxf5 $1 Re7
7. Rd8 {, followed by Rg8 and Kg6.}) 5. Nf5 Rd7 6. e5 $1 {White has seen an
unusual, but strong idea: double the rooks on the fifth rank.} fxe5+ 7. Rxe5 a4
{This drops a pawn;} ({though Black was also in trouble after} 7... Nxf5 8.
Rxd7 Kxd7 9. Rxf5 Kd6 10. Rf7 Rg8 11. Kf5) ({or} 7... b4 8. Rdd5 Rb5 9. Re7 $1
Rxe7 10. Nxe7+ Kb7 11. Nf5 Kc6 12. Re5 Nxf5 13. Kxf5 {, in both cases
preparing Kg6.}) 8. Rdd5 $1 c4 9. Rc5+ Kb6 10. Nxd6 cxd6 11. Rxb5+ {Having a
sound extra pawn, the rest is a matter of technique for Oral.} Kc7 12. Rf5 axb3
13. axb3 cxb3 14. cxb3 Re8 15. Ra5 Kb6 16. b4 Rc8 17. Rab5+ Ka6 18. Kg3 $1 {A
prophylactic retreat that yields White additional options later on, in similar
fashion to 1 Ka2! in Example 159 (Matsukevich-Lein) in Chapter Three.} Rc4 19.
Ra5+ Kb7 20. Rfb5+ Kc6 ({Or} 20... Kc7 21. Ra7+ Kd8 22. Rbb7 $1 {, eyeing g7.})
21. Rb8 $1 {By means of the threat of 22 Rc8+, White forces the exchange of
the rook on d7, after which the g7-pawn becomes easy prey.} Rd4 (21... Kc7 22.
Ra7+) ({or} 21... d5 22. Ra6+ Kc7 23. Ra7+ {was equally hopeless.}) 22. b5+ ({
In view of} 22. b5+ Kc7 ({or} 22... Kd5 23. b6+ Kc6 24. Ra7) 23. Ra7+ Kxb8 24.
Rxd7 {, Black resigned - Donev.}) 1-0

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Astrakhan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Radjabov, T."]
[Black "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k3r2/2p1nppp/pp6/2pN2q1/4P3/5QP1/PPP2P1P/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has some initiative, but how to make progress? ---} 1. a4 $5 {Another
abstract space-gainer, with echoes of Larsen.} Nxd5 ({Having seen the rest of
the game, it is easy to suggest} 1... a5 {as a possible improvement. Perhaps
Mamedyarov didn't like the look of} 2. Nc3 {, heading for b5, although after}
Nc6 3. Nb5 Rd8 {Black should be okay.}) 2. exd5 Rd8 ({Now there is no time for
} 2... a5 {because of} 3. d6 $1 {.}) 3. a5 $1 b5 4. d6 $1 {Anyway! Radjabov
has seen that the trade of the d5- and a6-pawns will yield him a dangerous
passer on the a-file.} Rxd6 5. Rxd6 cxd6 6. Qc6 Qd8 7. Qxa6 b4 {Black appears
to be holding his own, but Radjabov now launches the same idea on the opposite
flank.} 8. h4 $1 {Whatever happens next, this advance is bound to create new
opportunities. Besides, the h2-square might become useful for the king.} Qc7 ({
In the event of} 8... h5 $5 {, White could continue} 9. c3 {just like in the
game, with the hope that the h5-pawn becomes exposed in some future variation.}
) 9. h5 $1 Qd8 10. c3 {Preparing c3-c4, so that one pawn stops two.} bxc3 11.
bxc3 Qc7 12. c4 $1 Qd8 13. Qc6 Qc7 ({After} 13... Qxa5 $6 14. Qxd6+ Kb7 15.
Qe7+ Kb6 ({or} 15... Qc7 16. Qe4+) 16. Qxf7 Qe1+ 17. Kg2 Qe4+ 18. f3 Qe2+ 19.
Kh3 {, White has excellent winning chances.}) 14. Qe8+ Kb7 $2 {A tactical
oversight.} ({Black had to play} 14... Ka7 {, though after} 15. Qe4 h6 ({or} 
15... g6 16. h6 $1) 16. Kh2 $1 {, preparing 17 Qg4 and a future invasion of
the king along the light squares, White keeps a clear advantage.}) 15. Qe4+ ({
Black resigned, in view of} 15. Qe4+ Ka7 16. Qxh7 Qxa5 17. Qxg7 Qe1+ 18. Kg2
Qe4+ 19. Kh3 {etc.}) 1-0

[Event "Sao Paulo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vescovi, G."]
[Black "Van Riemsdijk, H."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5ppk/7p/R7/8/P5P1/r4P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In positions where both sides have castled short, a pawn chain on f2-g3-h4 is
often the most solid kingside formation once the endgame arrives. This is
particularly true for the defender, who will only have one undefended pawn to
worry about. As a result, a timely g2(g3)-g4 advance - or for Black, ...g7
(g6)-g5 - can make a lot of sense, in order to gain space and prevent the
opponent from achieving the aforementioned structure. We already saw a related
case in Alekseev-Nepomniachtchi (in Chapter Four); here are some additional
examples, featuring different types of endings and pawn structures. --- With
White to move, 1 h4, followed by Kg2 and the advance of the a-pawn, would be
an excellent choice, with similar play to Example 216 (Gurevich-Glek) in
Chapter Three. However it is Black's turn, and he takes appropriate action. ---
} 1... g5 $1 {Gaining space and neutralizing the plan outlined in the previous
note.} 2. h3 (2. Kg2 g4 {was less productive.}) 2... Kg6 3. Ra6+ f6 4. a4 h5 $1
{Renewing the idea of ...g5-g4, cramping the enemy kingside.} 5. a5 ({If} 5.
Kf1 {, then} g4 {anyway}) ({while} 5. g4 hxg4 ({by the way, another good
option is} 5... h4 $5 {and 6...Ra3, targeting the h3-pawn}) 6. hxg4 Kg7 {is
also fine for Black - once the enemy king moves over to the opposite flank,
the space gained by ...g7-g5 will prove useful in the kingside counterplay; e.g.} 7. Ra8 Kg6 8. a5 Kg7 9. a6 Kg6 10. Kg2 Kg7 11. Kf3 Kg6 12. Ke3 Kh7 13. f3
Ra3+ 14. Ke4 Kg7 15. Kd5 Rxf3 16. Rb8 ({or} 16. Kc6 Ra3 17. Kb7 Rb3+ 18. Ka7
Rb4 {etc}) 16... Ra3 17. Rb6 f5 $1 18. gxf5 g4 19. Kc6 Kf6 20. Kb7+ Kxf5 {with
a draw.}) 5... g4 $1 {With this and the next move, Black leaves White's king
sidelined.} 6. hxg4 Ra1+ $1 7. Kg2 hxg4 8. Ra8 Kg7 9. a6 Kg6 10. f4 $5 Ra2+ 11.
Kf1 Kf5 $1 12. a7 ({After} 12. Ke1 $2 Ke4 $1 {, it is Black who is playing for
a win.}) 12... Ra1+ 13. Ke2 Ra2+ 14. Kd3 Ra3+ 15. Kd2 Ra2+ 16. Kc3 Ra3+ 17. Kb4
Ra1 18. Kc5 Ra3 19. Kb4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kacheishvili, G."]
[Black "Atakisi, U."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rr1k2/pp1bpp1p/2n3p1/1B6/4P3/2R1KN2/PP3PPP/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has a more active game, but Black is solid. Kacheishvili found a
profound way of making progress. ---} 1. Bxc6 $1 Rxc6 2. Rxc6 Bxc6 3. Nd4 Ke8 {
Indirectly protecting the pawn.} (3... Bd7 $6 4. Rc7 {is less appealing.}) 4.
Nxc6 Rc8 5. g4 $1 {The key move of the game - White hurries to gain space on
the kingside, aware that only one weakness on c6 won't be enough to win the
game.} ({Less constructive was} 5. b4 $6 bxc6 6. b5 Kd7 {.}) 5... bxc6 ({After
} 5... Rxc6 $6 6. Rxc6 bxc6 {, the pawn ending is very pleasant for White, who
could consider} 7. f4 $5 {, gaining more space; e.g.} Kd7 8. Kd4 Kd6 9. e5+ Ke6
10. b4 {with a long-term edge;} ({but not} 10. Kc5 $2 g5 $1 {.})) 6. Rc5 $1 {
In Rubinstein style, White ties the enemy rook to the defence of the weak
pawns before taking further action.} Kd7 7. Ra5 Rc7 8. b4 $1 Rb7 9. a3 Kc7 10.
h4 {The time is right to continue the kingside expansion.} Kb6 {Black's play
is logical too - the king takes care of the queenside pawns, so that the rook
can be used for active means.} 11. h5 Rd7 12. f4 $1 {Gaining more space, and
avoiding a target on the second rank.} Rd1 13. Re5 e6 14. h6 $1 {From now on,
this pawn will be excellently placed in a potential race of passed pawns.} ({
Anyway} 14. f5 $5 {, clearing some space for the rook also looked strong; e.g.
} exf5 15. gxf5 $1 {, preparing 16 Re7.}) 14... Ra1 ({Or} 14... Rh1 15. g5 Rh3+
16. Kd4 Rh4 17. Rc5 $1 Rxf4 18. Ke5 Rf3 19. Kd6 Kb7 20. Ke7 $1 {, with the
devastating threat of Kf8-g7.}) 15. Ra5 f6 {Preventing the entrance of the
white king, but only temporarily.} 16. g5 $1 {Securing the h-pawn and
softening up the dark squares for the king. Note the "rook defends pawns" idea
performed by the rook on a5.} fxg5 17. fxg5 a6 ({After} 17... c5 18. Rxc5 Rxa3+
19. Kf4 Rb3 20. Rc8 Rxb4 21. Rh8 {, White is winning.}) 18. Kf4 Rg1 19. a4 ({
The immediate} 19. Re5 {was also strong, but first White advances his position
on the queenside.}) 19... Rb1 20. Re5 Rf1+ ({Or} 20... Rxb4 21. a5+ Kc7 22.
Rxe6 Kd7 23. Rf6 {with similar play.}) 21. Ke3 Rg1 22. a5+ Kc7 23. Rxe6 Kd7 24.
Rf6 Rxg5 25. Rf7+ Ke6 26. Rxh7 {With Black helpless against the duo of the h-
and e-pawns, the rest is easy.} Ke5 27. Re7+ Kf6 ({After} 27... Kd6 28. Re8 Rh5
29. Rh8 Kc7 30. h7 Kb7 31. Kf4 {, the e-pawn decides.}) 28. Rc7 Ke5 29. Rxc6
Rg3+ 30. Kf2 Rb3 31. Rxg6 Kxe4 32. Rg4+ $1 Kf5 33. Rh4 Rb2+ 34. Ke3 Rb3+ 35.
Kd2 1-0

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Naiditsch, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/3R1ppp/p3p3/p7/P7/1P2PN2/1b3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his active rook White is a bit better. Ivanchuk now found a
multi-purpose move, one that many elite players would effect without much
thinking, as a product of patternized memory, perhaps. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Avoiding
any first-rank mates, grabbing space, preventing the ideal enemy structure
with pawns on f7-g6-h5, and clearing a path for the king.} h6 ({Black has the
same need to avoid a back-rank mate, and decides to put a pawn on the "wrong"
colour, since} 1... g6 2. g5 {would leave his kingside rather cramped.}) 2. Kg2
Bc3 3. g5 ({Possibly} 3. Rb7 $1 {was more technical, securing the b-pawn while
keeping the rook on the seventh rank; e.g.} g6 4. Rb6 Kg7 5. h4 $1 Rc7 6. Kg3 {
, keeping a slight edge - Ivanchuk.}) 3... Rb8 4. Rd3 Rc8 ({After} 4... Rxb3 $6
5. gxh6 gxh6 6. Nd4 {, the pin is very annoying for Black; e.g.} Ra3 7. Nc2 Rb3
8. e4 $1 Kg7 9. Ne3 Ra3 10. Nc4 Rb3 11. Nxa5 Ra3 12. Nc4 Rb3 13. Kf3 {,
preparing Ke2-d1-c2 - Krasenkow.}) 5. h4 hxg5 $6 (5... Kh7 6. Kg3 Kg6 {was
preferable, so that} 7. Kg4 {can be met by} h5+ $1 8. Kg3 f6 {- Ivanchuk, with
White's king being less active than in the game.}) 6. hxg5 Kh7 7. Kg3 ({
Ivanchuk also suggests} 7. Rd7 Kg6 8. Rb7 f6 9. Rb6 $1 {, in similar spirit to
the 3 Rb7 subline above.}) 7... Kg6 8. Kf4 Rc6 9. e4 f6 10. Kg4 fxg5 $6 {
Another dubious capture, which leaves Black's kingside broken and yields White
more space in which to operate.} ({More sound was} 10... Bb2 11. Nh4+ Kf7 12.
f4 {with just a slight edge for White - Ivanchuk.}) 11. Nxg5 e5 {Virtually
forced, in order to prevent f2-f4-f5.} 12. Nf3 $1 {Some kind of zugzwang has
emerged: rook moves along the c-file permit 13 Rd6+, while bishop moves to b2
or a1 run into 13 Rd5, winning a pawn. Thus Black is forced to allow White's
king to invade, in pawn ending fashion.} Kf6 13. Kh5 $1 Ke7 ({Active defence
with} 13... Ke6 14. Kg6 Bd4 {fails to} 15. Nxd4+ exd4 16. f4 $1 {- Ivanchuk.})
14. Nh4 {The knight finally gets closer to the light square weaknesses in the
enemy camp.} ({Another option was} 14. Kg5 $5 {with a similar zugzwang as two
moves ago; e.g.} Ke6 15. Kg6 $1 Rc7 16. Nh4 {, followed by Nf5.}) 14... Kf6 15.
Rf3+ Ke6 16. Nf5 Kd7 $6 ({The cold-blooded} 16... Kf7 {was better, when} 17.
Nd6+ Ke7 18. Nc4 {keeps the pressure, but at least material equality remains
intact.}) 17. Rd3+ Kc7 18. Nxg7 Be1 19. f3 {For a player of Ivanchuk's calibre,
the rest is a matter of technique, though the coming exchange of rooks
probably helped him a bit.} Rc3 $6 20. Ne6+ $1 {Creating a barrier for Black's
king before swapping the rooks.} Kc6 21. Rxc3+ Bxc3 22. Kg6 Kd6 23. Kf5 Kc6 24.
f4 exf4 25. Kxf4 {If the bishop was a knight and the knight a bishop, then
Black would have reasonable hopes of a blockade, but here the white knight is
too strong.} Bf6 ({Or} 25... Kd6 26. Kf5 Ba1 27. Nf4 Kc5 28. Nd3+ Kd4 29. e5 $1
{etc.}) 26. e5 Be7 27. Ke4 Bh4 28. Kd4 Bg3 29. Ng5 $1 Bf4 30. Nf3 Bg3 31. Kc4 {
. In this hopeless position, Black resigned. One further plan for White is
Nd4+, Kd5 and Ne6-c5, winning the a6-pawn - Baburin.} 1-0

[Event "Sao Paulo/Bilbao"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r1r1k1/2b2p2/1p4pp/p7/P2BR3/2P2KPP/5P2/1R6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we already discussed in Chapter Four, once there are bishops on the board,
the colour of the squares on which the pawns of both sides are located becomes
a key factor. Here the queenside structure is already in White's favour, but
this fact alone won't be sufficient for victory, and Carlsen now turns his
attention to the opposite flank. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Gaining space, preventing ...h6-h5 with an ideal defensive structure for Black, and fixing the h6-pawn as a
target.} ({Of course} 1. Rxe8+ $6 Rxe8 2. Bxb6 $4 {failed to} Rb8 {.}) 1... Kf8
2. h4 Rxe4 ({Here and later,} 2... h5 {is strongly met by} 3. gxh5 gxh5 4. Rb5
$1 {.}) 3. Kxe4 Re8+ 4. Kd3 Re6 5. Be3 $1 Kg7 6. Rb5 {A useful preparation for
the further expansion on the kingside. Deprived of any counterplay, Black can
expect a long evening.} Bd8 7. h5 $1 Rd6+ 8. Kc4 Rc6+ ({If} 8... f5 {, then} 9.
f3 $1 fxg4 10. fxg4 gxh5 11. gxh5 {and Black is still a long way from a draw -
Carlsen.}) 9. Kd5 Re6 10. Bd4+ Kf8 11. f4 $1 {More space. In Carlsen's own
words: "With the pawn coming to f5, I felt pretty sure that I was winning.
White just gains more and more ground, and eventually Black cannot hold on to
everything."} Bc7 12. f5 Rd6+ 13. Ke4 Rc6 14. Rb1 $1 {A timely shift of angle,
in order to attack the h6-pawn.} Ke8 ({Black could have prevented the further
course of the game with the ugly} 14... g5 {, but the invasion of White's king
on the queenside and the permanent risk of Bd4-g7 would make his task
difficult anyway; e.g.} 15. Kd5 Rd6+ 16. Kc4 Ke7 17. Kb5 Kd7 18. Ka6 Rc6 19.
Kb7 Rc4 20. Bg7 $1 Bd6 21. Bxh6 Rxg4 22. Bg7 Rh4 23. Rd1 Ke7 24. Kc6 $1 Rc4+
25. Kxb6 Rxa4 26. Rh1 {and the h-pawn decides - Carlsen.}) ({Carlsen also
indicates that} 14... gxh5 15. gxh5 Rc4 {, so as to keep the h-file closed,
would run into} 16. Ra1 Rc6 17. Rg1 Rd6 ({or} 17... Rc4 18. Kd5 Rxa4 19. Rg4 $1
Ra1 20. Kc6 Bh2 21. Bg7+ Ke8 22. Re4+ Kd8 23. Bf6+ {etc}) 18. Be5 $1 Rc6 19.
Bg7+ Ke7 20. Bd4 Kf8 21. Rg7 {and the rook invades with decisive effect.}) 15.
hxg6 fxg6 16. Rh1 Kf7 $6 (16... gxf5+ 17. gxf5 Bd8 {was more tenacious,
although after} 18. f6 $1 Bxf6 19. Rxh6 Rxc3 $1 20. Bxf6 $1 {, the ensuing
rook and bishop vs. rook ending is won due to Black's cut-off king and White's
well-placed king and bishop; e.g.} Ra3 ({or} 20... Rc4+ 21. Kd5 Rxa4 22. Ke6
Re4+ 23. Be5) 21. Rh7 $1 Rxa4+ 22. Kd5 Ra2 23. Ke6 Re2+ 24. Be5 Rf2 25. Rb7 Rd2
26. Rxb6 {- Carlsen.}) 17. Kd5 {Just like in the 14...g5 subline above, White
directs his king to the opposite flank, while enabling the threat of 18 Rxh6.}
Rd6+ 18. Kc4 gxf5 ({After} 18... g5 19. Kb5 Bd8 20. Ka6 Rc6 21. Rh3 $1 ({a
first zugzwang, avoiding} 21. Kb7 Rc7+) 21... Rd6 ({or} 21... Kg8 22. f6 $1)
22. Kb7 $1 Ke8 23. Rh1 Kf7 24. Kc8 {, a second zugzwang puts an end to Black's
defence - Carlsen.}) 19. gxf5 Bd8 20. f6 $1 {By now this advance is of no
surprise to us. Here it helps White to swap the rooks, after which Black's
queenside pawns are easy prey.} Bxf6 ({Or} 20... Kg6 21. Rg1+ Kf7 22. Rg7+ Ke8
23. Rg6 Kf7 24. Rxh6 {etc - Carlsen.}) 21. Rxh6 Be7 22. Rxd6 Bxd6 23. Kb5 Ke6
24. Bxb6 Kd7 25. c4 Kc8 26. Bxa5 ({White must of course avoid} 26. c5 $2 Bxc5
$1 {with a theoretical draw. In the following, he realizes his advantage by
means of bridges with the bishop. Interestingly, Carlsen mentions that he
already knew of the winning method from the game R.J.Fischer-P.Keres, Zürich
1959, where an identical ending was reached on the opposite flank.}) 26... Kb7
27. Bb4 $1 Bf4 28. c5 Ka7 29. c6 Kb8 30. a5 Ka7 31. a6 Ka8 32. Bc5 $1 {White
should transfer his king to d7 in order to create a new bridge on the a5-d8
diagonal, but first he must prevent ...Ka7.} Bb8 33. Kc4 Bc7 34. Kd5 Bd8 35.
Ke6 Bc7 36. Kd7 Ba5 37. Be7 $1 {. In view of 38 Bd8 next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Cap d'Agde (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pelletier, Y."]
[Black "Dreev, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p1n1kppp/1p2p3/8/b2P4/P3NP1P/1P3KP1/4N3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The isolated d4-pawn implies a slight but enduring edge for Black in this
endgame. On the other hand, as I think Baburin mentioned on some occasion,
knights often prove more useful than bishops in the IQP structure. Before
taking any other action, Dreev hurries to make a useful move on the kingside.
---} 1... g5 $1 {Thus Black gains some space and prevents a desirable h3-h4.
Moreover, the fact that the enemy kingside pawns are temporarily fixed on the
same colour as his bishop favours him too.} 2. g3 Bb5 3. Nd1 {Pelletier starts
improving his knights.} ({In contrast, after} 3. h4 $6 gxh4 4. gxh4 {, his f-
and h-pawns would just become exposed to the enemy pieces.}) 3... Ne8 $1 4. Nc3
Bc6 5. Nd3 Nd6 {A good post for the knight, from where it has further
interesting destinies such as b5, c4 and f5.} 6. f4 {Getting rid of a weakness,
at the cost of somewhat opening the position for the bishop.} ({As for the
advance of the IQP by} 6. Nb4 Bb7 7. d5 {, Black keeps the advantage after the
simple} exd5 8. Nbxd5+ Ke6 {.}) 6... h6 $1 {Maintaining the restrictive pawn
on g5.} 7. g4 {Denying the black knight the f5-square, but also fixing pawns
on the "wrong" colour.} ({Then again, it is hard to suggest anything better; e.g. the active} 7. fxg5 $6 hxg5 8. h4 {backfires after} gxh4 9. gxh4 Nf5 {-
Lukacs.}) 7... Bb7 $1 8. Kg3 Nc4 {Thanks to his previous, prophylactic move,
Black does not have to worry about 9 Ne5.} 9. h4 f6 {In the same spirit as
three moves ago.} (9... gxh4+ $5 10. Kxh4 Ne3 {was also interesting, intending
...Nc2 at the right moment.}) 10. hxg5 hxg5 11. fxg5 fxg5 12. Kf2 a6 13. a4 $6
{Pelletier aims to chase away the knight by b2-b3, but now more pawns are
fixed on squares of the "wrong" colour - Lukacs;} ({who suggests} 13. Nd1 {
instead.}) 13... Kd6 14. b3 Nd2 15. Nc1 $6 ({In view of Black's strong reply,
active defence with} 15. Ne5 Nxb3 16. Ke3 {was a lesser evil - Lukacs.}) 15...
e5 $1 {Usually pawn exchanges favour the defender, but here Black is correct
in clearing some space for his king. We saw a similar case in Example 257 (Van
Wely-Kramnik) in Chapter Four.} 16. dxe5+ ({Or} 16. Ke3 Nf1+ {, heading for h2,
just like in the game.}) 16... Kxe5 17. Ke3 Nf1+ 18. Kf2 Nh2 19. Kg3 Nf3 20.
N1e2 {Undefending the b3-pawn, but otherwise 20...Kd4 was a threat.} Nd2 $1 21.
b4 Bc8 {With weaknesses on both flanks and Black's king dominating the board,
the rest is a nightmare for White.} 22. b5 a5 $1 {Avoiding any further pawn
exchanges, while fixing a target on a4.} 23. Ng1 ({White was short of solid
moves; e.g.} 23. Nd1 Be6 24. Nb2 Ke4 {and the black king enters anyway.}) 23...
Kd4 $1 24. Nce2+ Kd3 25. Nc1+ Ke3 26. Nce2 Ne4+ ({If} 26... Ne4+ 27. Kh3 {,
then} Kf2 $1 {is one of several good replies, completely paralysing the enemy
forces.}) 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Championship, Las Vegas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Sokolov, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/1ppk2pp/p2p1pn1/3P4/2P2P2/1P3KP1/1P5P/R3B3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When establishing that one side has a space advantage, we usually refer to
the location of the central pawns of both players. Interestingly, one common
strategy for the side with such an advantage is to conquer even more space on
the flanks. Here are two examples on this topic. --- White enjoys a space
advantage, but Black has no tangible weaknesses. Shirov decides to open a new
front on the kingside. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Gaining space and preventing Black from
playing a useful ...h7-h5. Moreover, the fact that White has a dark-squared
bishop makes it desirable for him to place his pawns on light squares.} ({In
contrast,} 1. f5 $2 {would just invite to} Ne5+ {, with Black securing a
stronghold for his knight, something that he will be missing in the game}) ({
while} 1. h4 h5 2. g4 Rh8 3. gxh5 Rxh5 4. Kg4 Rh8 5. h5 Ne7 {, with ideas like
...Ng8-h6-f5, also yields Black more counterplay than after the text.}) 1...
Rh8 2. Bc3 h6 $6 ({It is not clear to me why Sokolov refrained from the
consequent} 2... h5 {, when} 3. gxh5 Rxh5 4. Rg1 Nh4+ 5. Kg4 Rh6 {looks quite
okay for him; e.g.} 6. f5 g6 $1 {.}) 3. Rh1 Ne7 {Replying in advance to a
potential h4-h5;} ({but again} 3... h5 {seemed more active.}) 4. Rg1 $1 {Thus
White complicates the ...h6-h5 thrust, or applying a "mysterious" rook move,
to use Nimzowitsch's terminology.} Ke8 5. h3 Kf7 6. f5 $1 {Exploiting the fact
that the knight can no longer easily reach e5, Shirov grabs some additional
space and fixes a few more pawns on squares of the "right" colour.} Nc8 $6 {
Intending ...Nb6-d7-e5, but it is not difficult for White to prevent that plan.
} ({Again Black could have considered} 6... h5 {, giving his rook some
prospects of activity.}) 7. Bd4 a5 ({Or} 7... Nb6 $6 8. Bxb6 cxb6 9. Re1 Re8
10. Re6 $1 {with a very uncomfortable ending for Black. Instead, Sokolov
establishes a solid pawn structure, but at the same time makes it easier for
White to open the a-file later on.}) ({Perhaps} 7... Re8 {with a waiting game
was the least of evils.}) 8. Bc3 b6 9. b4 $1 {The time is right for queenside
expansion. Incidentally, one virtue of doubled pawns is that when the front
pawn advances, the one behind can cover any possible weaknesses, i.e. the
c5-square here.} axb4 10. Bxb4 Ne7 11. Ra1 h5 ({Black could have considered} 
11... Nc8 {, preventing Ra7 - Wedberg.}) 12. Ra7 hxg4+ 13. hxg4 Rc8 14. Bc3 $1
{With the strong plan of b2-b4 and c4-c5, softening up the enemy pawn chain.
Meanwhile, Black is confined to passive defence.} Ke8 15. Bd4 Kf8 16. Ke4 ({
Seeing that the immediate} 16. b4 {permits} b5 $1 {with some activity, Shirov
prepares it.}) 16... Kf7 17. b4 Ke8 18. Be3 Kf7 19. c5 bxc5 20. bxc5 dxc5 21.
Bxc5 g6 $2 {Now Black ends up in a lost pawn ending.} ({Unpinning the knight
with} 21... Ke8 {was called for - Wedberg, when White, despite his huge
advantage, has no immediate path to victory.}) 22. d6 $1 gxf5+ 23. gxf5 cxd6
24. Bxd6 Re8 25. Kd4 $1 Kf8 26. Rxe7 Rxe7 27. Kd5 Kf7 28. Bxe7 Kxe7 {Black
resigned at the same time;} ({without waiting for} 28... Kxe7 29. Kc6 {.}) 1-0

[Event "Veterans vs. Women, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, B."]
[Black "Cramling, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2rk1/pp3npp/4p3/n2pPp2/3P1B2/5PP1/PP2BK1P/2RR4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again White enjoys more space and, despite the closed centre, his bishop pair
can be considered superior to Black's knights, which don't have a stronghold
on any part on the board. ---} 1... Rxc1 2. Bxc1 $1 {A surprising recapture,
but Spassky wants to defend the vulnerable d4-pawn with his king, so that the
rook and dark-squared bishop can take upon more active tasks.} Rc8 3. Bd2 Nc6 (
{An alternative was} 3... Nc4 4. Rc1 Nb6 $1 5. Rxc8+ Nxc8 {in order to swap
the white rook, which will play an important role in the further course of the
game.}) 4. Ke3 Kf8 5. b4 $1 {In Curt Hansen's words, White aims to advance his
queenside pawns to a5 and b5 in order to deprive Black's knights of the c6-
and b6-squares, and indirectly limit any counterplay on that part of the board.
} Nb8 ({After} 5... a6 $6 6. a4 {, followed by b4-b5, Black would have an
additional problem with the defence of the a-file. Note, too, that Spassky is
never interested in swapping rooks with Rc1, as this piece will be useful for
him as soon as a new file is opened on any of the flanks; besides, his bishop
pair has an easy task controlling the entry squares on c3 and c2.}) ({As for
the unexpected} 5... f4+ $5 {, White would reply} 6. Kd3 $1 {, when the
opening of files on the kingside is in his favour;} ({rather than} 6. gxf4 Nh6
{, followed by ...Nf5.})) 6. a4 Nd7 7. a5 $1 {Of course this pawn goes first,
in order to prevent ...Nb6-c4.} Nd8 {This makes little sense after White's
reply;} ({but Black was rather short of active options, with} 7... Rc2 8. Bd3
Rb2 $2 {backfiring after} 9. Rc1 {.}) 8. b5 Nf7 9. Bd3 g5 ({Thus Black
prepares to meet} 9... g5 10. g4 {with} f4+ {, followed by ...Kg7 and ...Nf8-g6, but White finds a more efficient way of softening up the enemy
kingside.}) 10. h4 $1 h6 11. Rh1 Kg7 12. Ke2 $1 {Spassky assures that once he
is ready for g3-g4, the possible reply ...f5-f4 won't come with check.} Nf8 13.
Bb4 $1 {Ever since 8 b5 this move has been in the air, but only now White
executes it, when the threat 14 Bc5 practically forces the return of the
knight to d7.} Nd7 14. Kd2 Rc7 15. hxg5 Nxg5 {This leads to a bad structure;} (
{but opening the h-file with} 15... hxg5 {was risky in view of} 16. g4 $1 {; e.g.} fxg4 17. fxg4 Kg8 18. Bd6 $1 (18. Rh7 {, with zugzwang motifs, is
interesting too}) 18... Rc8 ({or} 18... Nxd6 19. exd6 Rc8 20. Rh7) 19. Be7 Re8
20. Bf6 Nxf6 21. exf6 e5 22. Bh7+ Kf8 23. Bg6 {with a decisive 24 Rh7 next -
Hansen.}) 16. Ke2 Rc8 17. Bd2 {White's plan now is to break with g3-g4 at the
most suitable moment.} Nf8 18. Rg1 Ng6 19. Rb1 {No hurry;} ({though} 19. g4 $5
{was interesting too; e.g.} Nh3 20. Rg3 $1 Nhf4+ 21. Bxf4 Nxf4+ 22. Ke3 Nxd3
23. gxf5+ Kf8 24. Kxd3 exf5 25. Rg6 {with a horrible rook ending for Black.})
19... Nf8 20. Bb4 Nd7 21. Ke3 Kg8 22. Rh1 Kg7 23. Kf4 Nf8 {How to progress?
Well, as we already saw in Example 276 (Hamdouchi-Bricard) in Chapter Four,
one of the virtues of the bishop pair is the possibility to exchange one of
them in return for a different advantage.} ({After} 23... Rc7 24. g4 fxg4 25.
Kxg4 $1 {, with ideas like Bd2 and f4-f5, Black is again in trouble.}) ({With} 
23... Nf8 {Cramling prepares to meet} 24. g4 {with} Ng6+ {, but runs into a
new problem.}) 24. Bxf8+ $1 Rxf8 {From now on Black will suffer heavily along
the c-file;} ({but} 24... Kxf8 $2 {obviously failed to} 25. Rxh6 {.}) 25. Rc1
b6 {Cramling avoids an unpleasant b5-b6, with ideas like Rc7 and B(x)a6.} 26.
a6 $1 {Fixing a target on a7;} ({while avoiding even the slightest glimpse of
counterplay after} 26. axb6 axb6 27. Rc6 Ra8 {.}) 26... Rf7 27. Ke3 $1 h5 {
This pawn soon becomes a new weakness;} ({but after} 27... Nh7 28. Rc8 Nf8 29.
f4 {, Black's task was difficult anyway; e.g.} Re7 ({or} 29... Kg6 30. g4) 30.
Be2 $1 Rf7 31. Bh5 Re7 32. Rb8 Kg8 ({if} 32... Rd7 {, then} 33. Be8 Re7 34. Rb7
$1) 33. g4 fxg4 34. Bxg4 {with a decisive zugzwang.}) 28. Rc8 Nh7 ({Or} 28...
Rf8 29. Rc6 {with the threat of f3-f4 - Hansen.}) 29. f4 Nf8 30. Be2 Kh6 31.
Re8 Kg6 32. Kf2 $1 {The king's march to h4 will finally break down Black's
defences.} Kh6 33. Bf3 Kg6 34. Kg2 h4 (34... Kh6 35. Kh3 Kg6 36. Kh4 {is
equally hopeless.}) 35. gxh4 Kg7 36. h5 Kh6 37. Kh3 Kg7 38. Kh4 Kh6 39. Bxd5 $1
({In view of} 39. Bxd5 exd5 40. e6 Rf6 41. e7 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 384"]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/6K1/8/4prk1/8/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Restriction --- Restriction is a fundamental part of chess strategy, and in
my earlier works 'Mastering Opening Strategy' and 'Mastering Chess Strategy',
I covered its role quite thoroughly during the two first stages of the game.
The way it works in the endgame isn't much different, and basically comes down
to three general ideas: 1) prevent the opponent's intentions; 2) limit
specific enemy pieces; 3) limit enemy activity as a whole. The examples in
this section are structured around these ideas. --- White's king is badly
placed, but fortunately, so is the black rook. As long as White anticipates
the opponent's intentions, he can draw. ---} 1. Re2 $1 {Preventing the lethal
threat of 1...Kf2.} Kh3 2. Ra2 {A waiting move.} ({Both} 2. Re1 $2 {
(liberating the black king)} Kg2 {, heading for f2(f1)}) ({and} 2. Kh5 $2 {
(displacing White's own king)} Rg3 $1 3. Ra2 ({or} 3. Kh6 Kg4 {and 4...Kf3})
3... Rg2 4. Ra3 Re2 5. Kg5 Kg3 {, followed by 6...Kf3 and 7...Rb2, were losing
for White.}) 2... Rf2 ({Or} 2... Rf8 3. Re2 Re8 4. Kf4 $1 {.}) ({In contrast,
after} 2... Rf2 {, the threat of 3...e2 must be parried, and for that there is
only one move.}) 3. Ra3 $1 Rf3 ({Or} 3... Re2 4. Kf4 {. The text creates the
threat of 4...Kg2, explaining White's reply.}) 4. Ra2 $1 Kg3 5. Re2 $1 {.
Neutralizing the threat of 5...Rf2, and reverting to the initial position.
Draw.} *

[Event "Campinas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "El Debs, F."]
[Black "Saldano Dayer, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4R3/2r1p1k1/4P3/5PK1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this theoretically drawn position, White decided to give it a last try. ---
} 1. Re8 ({Nothing is achieved by} 1. Rxe6+ Rxe6 2. f5+ Kf7 3. fxe6+ Kxe6 {.
After the text it was time for Black to ask himself a well-known question:
"What does my opponent have in mind?"}) 1... Kf7 $1 {The threat of Rf8-f6 must
be prevented.} ({Instead, the game saw} 1... Rb6 $2 2. Rf8 $1 Kg7 3. Rf6 Ra6 4.
Kg5 $1 Rb6 5. f5 {and White went on to win.}) 2. Ra8 {Creating a new threat: 3
Kg5 and 4 Ra7+.} Rc1 $1 {A timely shift of angle;} ({preparing to meet} 2...
Rc1 3. Kg5 {with} Rg1+ {.}) 3. Ra7+ Kg6 4. Re7 Rc6 {. Black defends - Baburin;
we are in fact back in the initial position.} *

[Event "Cheliabinsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ulibin, M."]
[Black "Bashkov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7R/6p1/6k1/8/r7/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A common restriction method, particularly in inferior positions, is to tie an
enemy piece to the defence of a fellow pawn. We already saw some related cases
in earlier chapters; e.g. Acs-Zvjaginsev, Kamsky-Karpov and Taimanov-Keres. In
fact, the whole concept of placing one's rook behind an enemy pawn, covered in
Chapter Three, is related to this idea. Here are some more examples. ---
Evidently, ...Kg3 is in the air, but how to react against this threat? ---} 1.
Rg6 $1 {The only move, in order to tie the black king to the g5-pawn.} ({
Instead, the game went} 1. Rb6 Kg3 2. Rb3+ Kh2 $1 3. Rb4 Rg2 $1 4. Rc4 g4 5.
Rc8 Rg1+ 6. Ke2 g3 {and White resigned. As I mentioned in Chapter Two, in such
endings a knight's pawn becomes very powerful when the defending king can't be
placed in front of it.}) 1... Kf4 ({Or} 1... Kh4 2. Kg1 g4 3. Rf6 Kh3 4. Rf1 {
and White just makes it to form the passive defence.}) 2. Kg1 g4 3. Rf6+ Kg3 4.
Rf1 {. Draw - Panchenko.} *

[Event "European Championship, Aix les Bains"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Black "Postny, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/5p2/1R2p2p/p7/P7/6P1/4PPKP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With an extra pawn and a more active rook, White should be winning.
Nevertheless, his task was facilitated by the next, typical move. ---} 1. Rb5
$1 {Tying the black rook to the a5-pawn.} Kg7 2. g4 Kg6 3. e3 Kf6 4. Kf3 Ra7 {
Black can only wait, while White advance his positions on the kingside step by
step.} 5. h3 Ra8 6. Kg3 Kg6 7. Rc5 Kf6 8. h4 Kg6 9. Rb5 Kf6 10. f4 Ra7 11. Kf3
Kg6 12. Rc5 Kf6 13. Ke4 $1 {The king gets ready to move over to the queenside.}
Ra8 14. Kd4 Ke7 ({On} 14... Ra7 {White could indeed play} 15. Kc4 {, heading
for b5.}) 15. Ke5 $1 {By means of the threat 16 Rc7+ Vallejo provokes ...f7-f6
in order to weaken the seventh rank and the black kingside pawns.} ({Less
technical was} 15. Rh5 Kd6 16. Rxh6 $6 Rb8) ({or} 15. Kc4 Kd6 16. Kb5 $4 Rb8+ {
.}) 15... f6+ ({Or} 15... Ra7 16. g5 {with zugzwang.}) 16. Ke4 Kf7 17. Rc7+ Kg8
({Obviously,} 17... Kg6 {failed to} 18. h5# {.}) 18. Re7 Ra6 19. f5 $1 exf5+ ({
If} 19... e5 {, then} 20. Re6 $1 {- De Dovitiis.}) 20. Kxf5 Rc6 21. Kg6 1-0

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sanaguano, J."]
[Black "Morales, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/5k2/p1p2p2/1pp2Pp1/6P1/PP1P2K1/2P5/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has the sounder pawn structure, but more significant is the fact that,
in one strike, he can leave both the black rook and king restricted for the
rest of the game. ---} 1. Re6 $1 {Tying the enemy rook to the c6-pawn, and the
king to the f6-pawn.} ({In contrast, the game saw} 1. Re4 $6 Re8 $1 {and Black
had fewer worries.}) 1... Rc8 2. a4 $1 {A useful move that gains some space,
whereas Black can't undertake anything active.} ({The natural} 2. Kf3 Rc7 3.
Ke4 $6 {was less promising due to} Re7 $1 {.}) 2... Rc7 ({After} 2... a5 3.
axb5 cxb5 4. Ra6 {White wins a pawn, although} c4 $1 5. Rxa5 cxd3 6. cxd3 Rc3
7. Rxb5 Rxd3+ {may give Black greater saving chances than in the main line.})
3. a5 Rc8 4. Kf3 Rc7 5. d4 $1 ({Seeing that} 5. Ke4 $6 Re7 6. Rxe7+ Kxe7 7. d4
{is successfully met by} Kd6 $1 {, White adjusts his move order.}) 5... cxd4 6.
Ke4 Re7 ({Or} 6... c5 7. Rxa6 {with an easy win thanks to White's superior
activity and the powerful a-pawn.}) 7. Rxe7+ Kxe7 8. Kxd4 Kd6 9. b4 $1 Kd7 10.
Kc5 Kc7 11. c3 $1 {. Creating a second zugzwang, with a quick win.} *

[Event "British Championship, Sheffield"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eggleston, D."]
[Black "MacQueen, C."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4kp1R/2P5/4P3/3K4/8/6r1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite the pawn minus Black should be able to save himself here, thanks to
his active rook. ---} 1. Kc4 ({Seeing that} 1. c6 $2 {runs into} Rc1 {, White
takes preparative action.}) 1... Re1 $1 {Tying either of the enemy pieces to
the defence of the e4-pawn.} ({Instead, the game saw} 1... Rb1 $2 {, upon
which White could have won by} 2. c6 Ke5 3. Kc5 Rc1+ 4. Kb6 Rb1+ 5. Kc7 Rb4 6.
Rh8 Ke6 7. Re8+ Kf7 8. Rb8 Rxe4 9. Kd6 {etc - Baburin.}) 2. c6 ({After} 2. Rh4
Kd7 $1 {, White won't progress; e.g.} 3. Kd5 ({or} 3. Kb5 Rb1+) 3... Rd1+ {.})
2... Rxe4+ 3. Kc5 Re1 4. Kb6 ({Or} 4. c7 Kd7 {.}) 4... Rb1+ 5. Kc7 Ke5 {Black
just draws;} ({e.g.} 5... Ke5 6. Kd7 Rd1+ 7. Ke7 f5 8. Re6+ $5 Kf4 9. c7 Rc1
10. Kd7 Rxc7+ $1 {(avoiding the bridge on c6)} 11. Kxc7 Kg3 12. Rg6+ Kf3 13.
Kd6 f4 14. Ke5 Ke3 {etc, promoting to a knight if necessary.}) *

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nielsen, PH."]
[Black "Sutovsky, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2b1p2p/6p1/3k2P1/P5P1/3K1N2/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black's position seems difficult, but Sutovsky came up with a clever idea. ---
} 1... Bf4 $1 {Tying the knight to the g5-pawn.} ({In contrast,} 1... e5 $2 {
is strongly met by} 2. Nd2 {, heading for e4.}) 2. h4 ({Or} 2. a5 e5 3. Nd2
Bxg5 4. a6 Kc6 {with similar play as in the game.}) 2... Bg3 $1 {In the same
spirit.} 3. a5 ({More critical was} 3. h5 {, gaining some space before
proceeding as in the game, although after} Bf4 4. a5 e5 5. Nd2 gxh5 6. gxh5
Bxg5 7. a6 Kc6 8. Nc4 Kc7 $1 {, Black should still draw; e.g.} 9. Ke4 Kb8 10.
Kf5 Bc1 11. Nxe5 Ka7 12. Ng4 Kxa6 13. Nf6 Kb5 14. Nxh7 Kc6 15. Ng5 Kd6 16. h6
Bb2 17. Kg6 Ke7 {- Shipov.}) 3... e5 {After the restriction of the enemy
knight, Black is ready for active measures.} 4. Nd2 {Nielsen gives up a pawn
in exchange for some activity;} ({seeing that after} 4. a6 e4+ 5. Ke3 Bb8 6.
Nd2 Ba7+ 7. Ke2 Ke5 {, White is far from victory.}) 4... Bxh4 5. Ne4 Kc6 $1 {
Parrying the threat of 6 Nf6+, while getting a bit closer to the a-pawn.} 6.
Kc4 Be1 7. a6 Bh4 $1 {Restriction again!} 8. a7 Kb7 9. Kd5 Bxg5 $1 {A little
combination on the motif of a theoretical draw.} 10. Nxg5 h5 11. gxh5 gxh5 12.
Kxe5 Kxa7 {. A draw was soon agreed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "East Berlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zinn, L."]
[Black "Bronstein, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1R4p1/4rk1p/4p2P/4K1P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has reasonable activity for the pawn minus, with the rook tying Black's
king to the g6-pawn. With his next move Bronstein tries to change this
situation. ---} 1... g5 2. Rh6 $1 {White switches the focus of his restriction
to the h5-pawn.} ({Instead, the game went} 2. hxg5 $6 Kxg5 3. Rb8 Kg4 4. Rg8+
Rg5 $1 5. Ra8 ({or} 5. Rxg5+ Kxg5 6. Kxe4 Kg4 {etc}) 5... Kxg3 6. Kxe4 h4 7.
Ra3+ Kg4 8. Ra1 $2 ({the decisive mistake, with} 8. Ke3 Rf5 9. Ra8 $1 {still
being a draw}) 8... h3 9. Ke3 h2 10. Kf2 Ra5 $1 11. Rxa5 h1=Q {and Black went
on to win.}) 2... Kg4 ({Or} 2... gxh4 3. Rxh5+ {.}) 3. Rg6 $1 {And again back
to the g-pawn.} Rb5 ({At this point, Black could even lose the game by} 3...
Kxg3 $4 4. Rxg5+ {.}) 4. Kxe4 Rb4+ 5. Ke3 Kxg3 6. Rxg5+ Kxh4 7. Rg8 {. In
contrast to Example 192 (Zhukova-Pogonina) in Chapter Three, here the
defender's king is sufficiently close to the pawn, so it is a draw.} *

[Event "Serbian Championship, Kragujevac"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tadic, B."]
[Black "Perunovic, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/2pk1p2/p6p/P3P1pP/1PR1K1P1/1r3P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a similar case with reversed colours. Thanks to his active rook,
which is tying both the enemy rook and king to the defence of their fellow
pawns, Black is a bit better. ---} 1. f3 $2 {A logical move to try and
liberate the king, but the effect will be just the opposite after Black's
strong reply.} ({Correct was} 1. f4 {in the same spirit.}) 1... Rg2 $1 2. Kf4 (
{After} 2. fxg4 $2 Rxg3+ {White loses a pawn for nothing.}) 2... Rf2 $1 {
Completely paralysing the enemy forces.} 3. Rd3+ Ke6 4. Rc3 Rf1 {Losing a
tempo in order to create a passed pawn on the next move.} 5. Re3 b5 $1 6. Rc3
bxa4 7. bxa4 c5 ({There could have followed} 7... c5 8. Rb3 Rxf3+ 9. Rxf3 gxf3
10. Kxf3 c4 11. Kf4 c3 12. Ke3 Ke5 13. Kd3 c2 14. Kxc2 Kxe4 {and 15...Kf3 next
- Baburin.}) 0-1

[Event "Miskolc (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6r1/1PP5/1K6/7k/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Nobody would like to be in Black's shoes here, but Carlsen found an
unexpected salvation, based on the idea of tying the enemy king to his fellow
pawns. ---} 1... Rg4+ $1 ({Any other move, such as} 1... Rg1 $2) ({or} 1... Kg4
$2 {, is met by} 2. b6 {and the connected passed pawns take their toll.}) 2.
Ka5 ({Or} 2. Kb3 Rg5 3. Kc4 Rg4+ 4. Kd5 Rb4 $1 {with similar play as in the
game; e. g.} 5. Kc6 Kg4 6. b6 Kf5 7. Kc7 Ke6 8. c6 Kd5 {with a draw soon.})
2... Rc4 $1 {A key move in order to prevent the advance b5-b6, while also
controlling the c-pawn.} 3. Kb6 ({Or} 3. c6 Kg4 4. b6 Rxc6 5. b7 Rc1 $1 6. b8=Q
Ra1+ {etc.}) 3... Kg4 4. Kc6 ({Black also draws after} 4. c6 Kf5 5. c7 Ke6 6.
Kb7 Kd7 7. b6 Rc1 {.}) 4... Kf5 5. Kd5 Rc1 6. b6 Rd1+ $1 {A useful
intermediate check to release White's obstruction.} 7. Kc6 Ke6 8. b7 Rb1 9. Kc7
Kd5 $1 {Cleverly tying White's king to the c6-pawn.} 10. c6 Rb2 11. Kd7 ({Or} 
11. b8=Q Rxb8 12. Kxb8 Kxc6 {.}) 11... Rb6 12. c7 Rxb7 13. Kd8 Rxc7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Training game"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolmatov, S."]
[Black "Panchenko, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/1p1p1p2/3BpP1P/P1P1P2P/5K2/8/2b5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h6 $1 ({Seeing that} 1. Kg4 {is met by} Bh6 $1 {, confidently blocking the
kingside, White makes a more constructive try.}) 1... Bxh6 2. Kg4 {Now the
threat of Kh5-g6 seems decisive, but Black has a way of interfering with that
plan.} Bd2 $1 {Intending ...Be1 in order to tie White's king to the defence
of the h-pawn.} ({Also good is} 2... Be3 $1) ({or} 2... Bf4 $1 {in the same
spirit}) ({whereas any other move loses; e.g.} 2... Kd7 $2 3. Kh5 Bd2 4. Kg6
Ke7 5. Kg7 {and the h-pawn costs Black his bishop.}) 3. Kh5 Be1 $1 {. White
can't make progress: draw - Panchenko.} *

[Event "Dresden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Slobodjan, R."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p5p1/1p6/6K1/4BP1P/2b3P1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a more complex endgame, which features a similar restriction
technique. Thanks to Black's passive king, White has real chances of obtaining
two far advanced passed pawns on the kingside. But how should that plan be
initiated? ---} 1. h5 $2 {We will soon see the defect of this move.} (1. Kg6 $2
{was also bad in view of} Be1) ({while} 1. g4 $2 Bd2 $1 {is similar to the
game.}) ({The correct choice was} 1. f5 $1 {, moving that pawn before it is
pinned by ...Bd2. There can follow} Bd2+ 2. Kh5 b5 3. g4 Be1 4. Kg5 $1 {
(before the pawns keep on rolling, the king should be placed on g6)} b4 5. h5
a5 6. Bc2 $1 {(avoiding any pawn exchanges and, indirectly, the scenario of a
theoretical draw)} Bc3 7. Kg6 Bd4 8. g5 Ke7 9. Bb3 Bc3 10. h6 $1 gxh6 11. f6+
Kf8 12. gxh6 {and with Black's bishop being obstructed by the f6-pawn, the one
on the h-file decides matters.}) 1... Be1 2. g4 Bd2 $1 {The key move of the
game, which ties the enemy king to the f4-pawn, thus preventing its walk to g6.
} 3. Bd5 Bc1 4. Bc4 Bd2 ({Theoretically speaking,} 4... a5 {was preferable in
order to avoid a weakness on a7, but here this isn't a big deal.}) 5. Kf5 Bc1
6. Ba6 Bd2 7. Ke5 Ke7 8. Bc4 Bc1 9. g5 Bd2 10. Kf5 ({After} 10. h6 gxh6 11.
gxh6 Bc3+ 12. Kf5 Bb2 {, Black manages to control both passed pawns; e.g.} 13.
Kg6 Bc3 14. Kh7 Kf8 $1 {etc.}) 10... Kf8 11. a4 Bc1 12. Bb5 Bd2 13. Ke5 Ke7 14.
Ba6 Bc1 15. Ke4 Bd2 16. Kf3 Bc1 17. Kg4 Bd2 18. f5 Bc3 $1 {Having completed
its duty on the c1-h6 diagonal, the bishop returns to the long diagonal in
order to control the crucial f6-square.} ({Also possible was} 18... Kd6 19. h6
gxh6 20. g6 Bc3 21. Kh5 Bg7 {, when} 22. f6 Bxf6 23. Kxh6 Kc5 24. g7 Bxg7+ 25.
Kxg7 Kb4 26. Bb5 a6 27. Be8 b5 {forces a draw. Nevertheless, the text is much
simpler and, as we will see next, it would draw even if Black had a pawn less
on the queenside.}) 19. Bc4 Kf8 $1 ({But not} 19... Bd4 $2 20. f6+ $1 gxf6 21.
g6 f5+ 22. Kxf5 Bg7 23. Kg5 Bf6+ 24. Kh6 Kf8 25. Kh7 {and White wins.}) 20. Kf3
({After} 20. h6 gxh6 21. gxh6 Ke7 {, Black successfully applies the idea of
one single diagonal, just as in the 10 h6 subline.}) 20... Bd2 21. Kg4 Bc3 22.
Bd3 Bb2 23. f6 {This advance makes little sense, but White had no method of
realizing his advantage anyway.} gxf6 24. g6 Kg7 25. Kf5 Bc1 1/2-1/2

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hector, J."]
[Black "Volokitin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5b2/8/2K3P1/8/1k1N4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Now let's move over to restriction of specific enemy pieces, or domination,
if you prefer. In the section on "magic" distances in Chapter Four we came
across a few related examples, and here are some more. --- Thanks to Black's
remotely placed king, White can win this. ---} 1. Nf5 $1 {Limiting the enemy
bishop before approaching the king.} ({Less precise is} 1. Ne6 $6 Bh6 2. Kd5
Kb5 {, when White would have to revert to the right idea by} 3. Nd4+ $1 {, followed by Nf5}) ({while} 1. Kd7 $2 Bg7 2. Nf5 ({or} 2. Ne6 Bh8)
2... Bh8 {is a theoretical draw, now that the bishop is controlling the passed
pawn on a much longer diagonal. In fact we already came across such an endgame
in Example 43 (Zubarev-Forcen) in Chapter One.}) 1... Kc4 2. Kd7 Kd5 3. Ke8 1-0

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1954.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/p2n1ppp/np1B4/3p3P/8/P7/1P3P2/2R2K1R w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1954.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this endgame with unbalanced material, Black has just played ...Nb8-a6,
parrying the threats of Rc8+ and Rc7. ---} 1. b4 $1 {Simple and strong -
Smyslov will never get a chance to activate his knight on a6, which
incidentally happens to be at the "magic" distance from White's bishop.} ({
Most other moves, such as} 1. Rh3 $6 {, would allow} Nac5 $1 {and Black is
back in the battle.}) 1... h6 2. Rh3 $1 Kh7 3. Rd3 {Black now loses a pawn,
and the rest is easy for Botvinnik.} Nf6 4. b5 Nc5 5. Bxc5 bxc5 6. Rxc5 Rb8 7.
a4 Rb7 8. Rdc3 ({In view of} 8. Rdc3 Ne4 9. Rc7 $1 {, Black resigned -
Kasparov.}) 1-0

[Event "Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hort, V."]
[Black "Ciocaltea, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4n3/1b3k1p/p2p2p1/3Pp3/2P3P1/6PP/2BB4/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's bishop pair is a big asset, but if Black manages to get his knight to
d7, the worst should be over for him. ---} 1. g5 $1 {Limiting the enemy knight.
} (1. Kf2 Nf6 2. Bb4 Ke7 {was less effective; e.g.} 3. g5 Nd7 4. h4 Nb6 5. Bd3
Bc8 $1 {, preparing ...Bf5.}) 1... Bc8 2. g4 $1 {Neither is Black allowed to
activate his bishop by 2...Bf5, and he can also forget about ...Ng7-f5.} Bd7 3.
Kf2 Ke7 4. Ba5 $1 {Yet another restrictive measure. Now Black practically has
a piece less, due to the sorry state of the knight on e8.} Bc8 5. Ke3 Bd7 6.
Bb6 Bc8 7. Ke4 Bd7 8. Bb3 Bc8 9. c5 $1 {A decisive breakthrough.} Bd7 ({
Obviously,} 9... dxc5 10. Bxc5+ {and 11 Kxe5 is terminal.}) 10. c6 Bc8 11. Bc4
Ng7 12. Kd3 $1 Ne8 13. Kc3 {. In view of Kb4-a5 and Bxa6, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Stary Smokovec"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vogt, L."]
[Black "Franzen, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6nk/n1P3p1/1p2ppp1/6P1/1P4NP/5PB1/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his strong passed pawn and powerful bishop, White is a bit better,
though things might change if Black manages to activate his king. ---} 1. Bd5
$1 {Preventing 1...Kg8.} Ne8 ({Seeing that} 1... Nc7 2. Bf7 $1 {would leave
his pieces hopelessly restricted, Black gives up a pawn.}) 2. gxf5 gxf5 3. Nxf5
Kg6 4. Ne3 Kf6 5. Kd2 Ng7 ({Or} 5... Ke7 6. Nf5+ Kf6 7. Ng3 $1 {, followed by
Ne4 - Vogt.}) 6. Bg2 Ke6 7. Nd5 $1 {The knight has found a great destiny on c3.
} Nh5 (7... Kd6 8. Nc3 Nc7 {was marginally better, although after} 9. Ne4+ Kxc6
10. Nxg5+ {, the h-pawn should decide.}) 8. Nc3 ({Both players must have
overlooked} 8. c7 Kd7 9. Bf3 $1 {and White wins on the spot. Anyway, nothing
is ruined by the text.}) 8... Nc7 9. Bf1 Nf4 10. Nxb5 Nxb5 11. Bxb5 Kd6 12. Bf1
Kxc6 13. Ke3 {The rest is easy.} Kd5 14. Kf3 e4+ 15. Kg4 Nd3 16. Kxg5 Nxf2 17.
h4 Ke5 18. h5 e3 19. h6 Ne4+ 20. Kg6 Nf6 21. b4 1-0

[Event "USSR Army Championship, Tashkent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kharitonov, A."]
[Black "Pigusov, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4k2/p4pp1/1p2pn1p/4N3/4b3/4P3/PP2BPPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite a symmetrical pawn structure, White has some advantage here thanks to
his more active pieces. ---} 1. Ba6 $1 {Preventing 1...Rc8.} Re8 $2 {Too
passive.} ({Black should have tried} 1... Bd5 {in order to liberate himself by
...Ne4-c5 and ...f7-f6, although after} 2. f3 $1 Bxa2 3. Ra1 Bb3 ({or} 3... Bd5
4. e4) 4. Ra3 Bc2 5. Nc6 Nd5 6. e4 Ne7 7. Bb7 Re8 8. Nd4 {, followed by Rxa7,
White is still better - Kharitonov.}) 2. f3 $1 {With this and his next move,
White prevents the enemy plan outlined in the previous note.} Ba8 ({Or} 2...
Bd5 3. b3 {, followed by e3-e4 with similar play - Kharitonov.}) 3. e4 Ke7 4.
Kf2 g5 {Unfortunately for Black, the knight can't move either here or later
due to Rd7+, while ...Rd8 obviously leads to the loss of the f7-pawn. Thus he
is left without a constructive plan, and his position can be considered as
lost already.} 5. Ke3 Rf8 6. b4 $1 {With the powerful idea of b4-b5 and Nc6+.}
Rb8 ({A tactical try with} 6... b5 7. Bxb5 Rb8 {fails to} 8. Bc6 $1 {-
Kharitonov.}) 7. b5 Re8 ({Perhaps Pigusov only realized at this point that} 
7... Bb7 {fails to} 8. Nc6+ Bxc6 9. bxc6 Ne8 10. Rd7+ Kf6 11. c7 {etc.}) 8.
Nc6+ Kf8 ({After} 8... Bxc6 9. bxc6 {, the c-pawn decides - Kharitonov.}) 9.
Nxa7 {. In view of 10 Nc8 next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "New York Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaked, T."]
[Black "Benjamin, Joe"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b4r/pkp1np2/1pp2p2/8/4PP2/2N1K1P1/PPP1B2r/5RR1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has a long-term asset in his more mobile pawn majority. Shaked now
makes an interesting choice, with echoes of the famous game Em.Lasker-J.R.Capablanca, St. Petersburg 1914. ---} 1. f5 $1 {Gaining some space but, more
importantly, restricting Black's minor pieces. Incidentally, the idea of
limiting a bishop by placing one's pawns on squares of the same colour is
familiar to us from Example 373 (Larsen-Penrose).} ({In contrast,} 1. Rf2 $6 f5
$1 2. e5 Be6 {yields Black freer play than in the game, despite the fact that
his kingside pawns are fixed on the "wrong" colour.}) 1... c5 {Logically
enough, Benjamin prepares ...Nc6-e5 in order to exploit the fresh weakness on
e5.} 2. Rf2 Nc6 3. Nd5 R2h6 4. Kf4 $1 {The squares vacated by a pawn advance
are often of immediate interest to its fellow pieces, a fact that I
highlighted several times in 'Mastering Chess Strategy'. Here White aims at
further activating his king (what a contrast with its black counterpart!) and
clearing the e3-g4 route for the knight.} Kb8 ({Or} 4... Nd4 5. c3 Nxe2+ 6.
Rxe2 {, keeping a pleasant advantage.}) 5. Ne3 Ne5 6. Ng4 $1 {Swapping the
prominent knight on e5, after which an advance of the pawn majority will be
easier to achieve.} Nxg4 7. Bxg4 Bb7 8. Rd2 Bc6 9. Bf3 Kb7 10. g4 $1 {White is
finally ready to convert his pawn majority into a passed pawn.} Rh2 $6 {This
exchange merely seems to reduce Black's potential for counterplay.} ({I guess
that either} 10... Rh4 {, interfering with the enemy plan}) ({or} 10... a5 {,
creating some play on the queenside, was more promising.}) 11. Rxh2 Rxh2 12.
Rg2 Rh1 13. g5 $1 fxg5+ ({Obviously,} 13... Rh4+ {is met by} 14. Rg4 {.}) 14.
Kxg5 Rf1 {Otherwise White plays 15 Kf6.} 15. Kf4 Rb1 16. b3 Rb2 $6 {This won't
end well, but Black's position was already difficult.} 17. e5 $1 {Of course;
White exploits the absence of Black's king in the defence.} Rxa2 18. e6 fxe6
19. f6 $1 Bxf3 20. Kxf3 e5 21. f7 1-0

[Event "Ashdod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mikhalevski, V."]
[Black "Kaganskiy, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "b4nk1/2R2ppp/8/pp1p2P1/3P4/8/PP3P1P/2K5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The king is a common object for the restrictive measures, as we saw, for
example, in the section on cutting off the enemy king in Chapter Three. Here
are two further examples. --- In this tense position, Black is preparing ...g7-g6 and ...Kg7 in order to liberate his knight and king. Mikhalevski finds a
surprising antidote. ---} 1. g6 $1 fxg6 ({Obviously,} 1... Nxg6 $2 {loses a
piece to} 2. Rc8+) ({while} 1... hxg6 2. f4 $1 {is similar to the game; e.g.}
b4 3. b3 f6 4. Kd2 f5 5. Ke3 g5 6. fxg5 f4+ 7. Kf3 g6 8. h4 $1 {with a
decisive zugzwang - Mikhalevski.}) 2. f4 $1 {Further restricting the enemy
kingside. Now it becomes clear that Black won't be able to move either his
king or his minor pieces in the near future.} h5 3. Kd2 h4 4. Ke3 h3 5. b3 b4 (
{Or} 5... a4 6. bxa4 bxa4 7. a3 {with zugzwang - Mikhalevski.}) 6. Kf3 $1 {
Black has run out of moves, and must now rely on a sacrifice.} Ne6 7. Rc8+ Kf7
8. Rxa8 Nxd4+ 9. Kg4 Ne2 10. Rxa5 {The rest is rather easy, with the rook
clearly outstripping the knight.} Nc3 11. Ra7+ Ke6 12. Ra6+ $1 {A useful
intermediate check to keep Black's king cut off from the sixth rank.} Ke7 13.
Kf3 d4 14. Rxg6 Nxa2 15. Ke4 Kf7 16. Rb6 $1 {Yet another typical restriction
measure.} Nc1 17. Rxb4 d3 18. Ke3 Kg6 19. Kd2 Ne2 20. Kxd3 Ng3 21. hxg3 h2 22.
f5+ $1 {. With 23 Rh4 coming up, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Honolulu"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Psakhis, L."]
[Black "Saidy, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/1R4p1/p6p/r3p3/4K3/4P1PP/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Material is equal, but White's activity is overwhelming. Seeing that Black
might be about to play ...Kh7-g6, Psakhis takes restrictive measures. ---} 1.
h4 $1 Kh7 ({After} 1... g6 $6 {, Black's cut-off king soon becomes a decisive
factor; e.g.} 2. b4 Ra3 3. g4 $1 Rb3 ({or} 3... a5 4. b5 Ra4+ 5. Kxe5 Rxg4 6.
b6 {and the b-pawn decides - Psakhis}) 4. h5 $5 {(it isn't yet necessary to
swap the e-pawns)} gxh5 5. gxh5 a5 6. b5 a4 7. Kd5 $1 Rxe3 8. Ra7 Rb3 9. Kc5 {
with b6-b7 and Ra8+ next. Imagine the final position with the black king on f6
instead - in that case} e4 10. Rxa4 {and 10...Ke5 would be just one
comfortable way to the draw, whereas here the passed e-pawn is clearly missing
the support of the king.}) 2. h5 Rc5 ({Or} 2... Ra1 3. g4 Rg1 4. Kf5 {-
Psakhis.}) 3. g4 ({Not} 3. Kf5 $2 e4+ $1 {. With the text Psakhis secures the
h5-pawn and gains some additional space.}) 3... a5 4. Kf5 a4 {This loses a
pawn, but White was ready to pick up one anyway by e3-e4 and Ke6-d6.} 5. Ra7
Rb5 6. Rxa4 Rxb2 7. Kxe5 {Rook endings with three pawns against two on one
single flank are often drawn, but here the passed e-pawn and White's space
advantage are telling factors.} Rg2 8. Rf4 Ra2 9. e4 Ra5+ ({The last chance was
} 9... g5 $1 10. Rf7+ Kg8 11. Rb7 Rf2 {- Psakhis, although after} 12. Ke6 Rf4
13. e5 Rxg4 14. Kf6 Rf4+ 15. Kg6 {, I suspect that Black is in big trouble
anyway.}) 10. Ke6 Ra6+ 11. Kf5 Rf6+ 12. Ke5 Ra6 13. Rf8 $1 {A good place for
the rook, where it restricts the enemy king and enhances a future advance of
the e-pawn.} Ra5+ 14. Kf4 Ra1 15. Rb8 Rf1+ 16. Ke3 $1 {The e-pawn is finally
ready to move forward.} Rg1 ({If} 16... Re1+ {, then} 17. Kd4 Rd1+ 18. Kc5 {
with similar play as in the game.}) 17. e5 $1 Re1+ ({Or} 17... Rxg4 18. e6 Rg5
19. Kf4 Rg1 20. e7 {and wins - Psakhis.}) 18. Kd4 Rd1+ 19. Kc5 Rc1+ 20. Kd6 {
The rest is easy.} Rd1+ 21. Ke7 Rg1 22. e6 Rxg4 23. Kd6 Rd4+ 24. Ke5 Rd1 25. e7
Re1+ 26. Kd6 Rd1+ 27. Kc5 Rc1+ 28. Kd4 1-0

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Ahlander, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p3k2/3Bn3/Pr6/1P6/4K1P1/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{An extreme form of restriction occurs when a piece, typically a rook, is
imprisoned by the enemy forces, thus losing its normal functionality. Here are
a few cases of such isolation. --- With two sound extra pawns White is winning.
Black's last move, ...b7-b6, motivated me to play for a little trick. ---} 1.
Rf1+ $1 Ke7 ({Objectively} 1... Kg5 {was better, when} 2. Ke3 {, preparing
Rd1-d4, is just one idea.}) 2. Rf5 Kd6 3. Rxe5 $1 Kxe5 4. Bc4 {Material is now
even, but Black's rook is no longer a normal rook, of course.} Kd4 5. g4 ({In
view of} 5. g4 Rxc4 ({or} 5... Ke4 6. g5 Kf5 7. Kd2 Kxg5 8. Kc3) 6. bxc4 Kxc4
7. g5 Kd5 8. Kd3 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Teesside"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adorjan, A."]
[Black "Eley, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k4r/1pp3pp/p1p5/2nrNb2/8/4BP2/PPP3PP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this innocent-looking position White found a way to apply the idea of
isolation. ---} 1. Bxc5 $1 Rxc5 2. c4 {Suddenly the rook on c5 is short of
breathing space.} Re8 3. f4 a5 {Obviously, the threat of b2-b4 had to parried.}
({If} 3... Ra5 {, then} 4. g4 $1 Be6 ({or} 4... Bg6 5. b4 $1 Ra4 6. f5 {with
material gains}) 5. a4 c5 6. b3 $1 {with a decisive advantage - Adorjan. In
effect, Black is a rook down here.}) 4. g4 $1 Bg6 5. h4 {Gaining more space.} (
{In contrast, after} 5. Nxg6 $6 Rxe1+ 6. Rxe1 hxg6 7. b3 b5 {, Black might
soon be able to liberate his rook, with increased chances of survival.}) 5...
Rd8 ({Or} 5... Rexe5 6. Rxe5 Rxc4 7. Rf1 {and White's kingside initiative
should take its toll.}) 6. b3 b5 ({The optimistic} 6... Rd2 {fails to the
simple} 7. Rad1 $1 {, intending} Rxa2 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. Re8# {.}) 7. h5 Be8 ({On
} 7... Bd3 {Adorjan had prepared} 8. Rad1 bxc4 9. bxc4 Bc2 ({or} 9... Bxc4 10.
Rxd8+ Kxd8 11. Rc1) 10. Rxd8+ Kxd8 11. Rc1 {with inevitable material losses
for Black; e.g.} Be4 12. Kf2 $1 a4 13. Ke3 Bg2 14. Rg1 Bh3 15. Kd4 Ra5 16.
Nxc6+ {.}) 8. a4 $1 {Very nice, ruling out any attempts at ...d5xc4 followed
by ...a5-a4 and ...Ra5. By now the rook on c5 resembles a statue.} bxc4 9. bxc4
Rd4 10. Kh2 $1 g6 ({Or} 10... Rxf4 11. Nd3 {with decisive material gains -
Adorjan.}) 11. hxg6 hxg6 12. Rad1 ({Black resigned, in view of} 12. Rad1 Rxe5 (
{or} 12... Rxd1 13. Rxd1 g5 14. Kg3 $1) 13. fxe5 Rxc4 14. e6 Rc5 15. Rd2 Rd5
16. Red1 {- Adorjan.}) 1-0

[Event "Canaries Junior Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Einarsson, B."]
[Black "Shengelia, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2rk1/1p3ppp/2p5/P2p4/1p1P4/1P2PP2/6PP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{This would be a typical endgame in the Carlsbad structure, was it not for the
curious pawn on b4. Albeit weak, exactly that pawn caused White's downfall in
the game! ---} 1. Ra1 Ra8 {This and Black's next move are forced in order to
maintain the material balance.} 2. Ra4 Rfb8 3. Rea1 $6 {A natural follow-up;} (
{but with hindsight} 3. Rc1 $1 g6 $5 {might be tried; e.g.} ({intending} 3...
-- 4. Rxb4 Rxa5 5. Rxc6 {, was a better way of preparing the capture on b4.} (
5. --)) ({At this point,} 3... b5 4. Rxb4 Ra6 5. e4 $1 {isn't fully convincing
for Black}) 4. Rxb4 Rxa5 5. Rxc6 Ra2 $1 {, preparing ...Re8, with some
activity for the pawn.}) 3... f5 $1 {In the particular kind of position that
now arises, prevention of e3-e4 will play an important role.} 4. Rxb4 $6 {
Consequent, but risky.} ({Instead, after} 4. a6 {, White would have kept some
initiative thanks to his sounder pawn structure.}) 4... b5 $1 {Of course! With
5 axb6 out of the question, White has to live with a rather comical rook on b4.
} 5. Rc1 (5. e4 $1 fxe4 6. fxe4 {was a good alternative, when} Rd8 {can be met
by} 7. exd5 Rxd5 8. Rc1 Ra6 9. Rc5 $1 Rxc5 ({or} 9... Rd6 10. d5 $1) 10. dxc5
Rxa5 11. Rd4 Ra3 12. Rd6 {and a draw is in the air.}) 5... Ra6 6. Rc5 $2 {
After this indifferent move, the rook is buried alive on b4.} ({Again} 6. e4 {
was called for, with similar play as in the previous note.}) 6... Re8 $1 {
Preventing the the e3-e4 advance.} 7. Kf2 Re6 8. h3 Kf7 $1 {Very clever.} ({On
the obvious} 8... Rxa5 $2 {White had prepared} 9. Ra4 $1 {, reverting to a
normal endgame; e.g.} bxa4 10. Rxa5 axb3 11. Ra3 {etc. With the text Shengelia
instead prepares to defend the c6-pawn with the king, so that the rooks can be
used for active means.}) 9. g4 g6 10. Ke2 Ke7 11. Kd3 Kd6 12. Kd2 ({Einarsson
would have liked to activate his "healthy" rook, but unfortunately for him,} 
12. Rc2 Rxa5) ({or} 12. Rc1 {at any moment permits} Rxa5 {.}) 12... Re8 13. Kd3
Re7 $1 {With the strong plan of ...Ra8-e8, which finally forces White to
abandon the a-pawn.} 14. gxf5 gxf5 15. h4 Ra8 16. Rc2 Rxa5 17. Re2 Ra1 18. e4
fxe4+ 19. fxe4 Rxe4 {A simple piece of technique, swapping the opponent's good
pieces.} 20. Rxe4 dxe4+ 21. Kxe4 Rh1 0-1

[Event "European Junior Championships, Albena"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ten Hertog, H."]
[Black "Kanarek, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/1bP1k3/p3pp2/P7/3B1K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Finally, let's see some examples where restriction, in the sense of limiting
enemy counterplay, had an important role in the process of realizing an
advantage. By the way, such a direction of play is often referred to as
technique, and we came across several related examples in the previous
chapters; e.g. Rubinstein-Salwe, Dorfman-Vallejo, Gligoric-Matanovic and
Petrosian-Ivkov. --- With just the e- and f-pawns on the board this would be a
draw, but here the greater number of pawns decides the battle in Black's
favour. All the same, he must pay attention to White's possibilities of
reaching a theoretical draw. ---} 1... Bd7 $1 ({Seeing that} 1... e3+ $2 {
fails to} 2. Bxe3 fxe3+ 3. Kxe3 Kd5 4. Kd2 {and Kc2-b2(b1)-a1, Black first
regroups his bishop to the b1-h7 diagonal, where it will limit the enemy king.}
) 2. Bc1 {There is nothing better.} e3+ 3. Bxe3 fxe3+ 4. Kxe3 Bf5 $1 5. Kd2 ({
Or} 5. c6 Kd5 6. c7 Kc4 7. Kd2 Kb3 {with a transposition.}) 5... Kd4 6. c6 Kc4
7. c7 Kb3 8. Kc1 Ka2 $1 ({But not} 8... Kxa3 $2 9. c8=Q $1 Bxc8 10. Kb1 {with
a draw.}) 0-1

[Event "Gothenburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brynell, S."]
[Black "Moberg, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/4k1pp/p1n5/1pp1pP2/2p1N1P1/4KN2/PPP4P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this endgame, which featured in 'Mastering Chess Strategy', the pawn
structure speaks heavily in White's favour, who could even capture the weak
c5-pawn at this moment. However, Brynell first pays attention to the
opponent's plans. ---} 1. c3 $1 {Directed at Black's only resources for
counterplay, ...Nc6-b4 and ...Nc6-d4.} ({In contrast,} 1. Nxc5 $6 Nb4 {would
be less technical.}) 1... a5 2. h4 {White is ready to carry on with his own
play, in this case the advance of the pawn majority so as to create a passed
pawn. As for the c5-pawn, it won't run away.} h5 3. g5 $1 g6 $2 {Black
deliberately gives the opponent a protected passed pawn, but he had no good
defence against 4 f6+ anyway.} 4. f6+ Ke6 5. a4 $1 {Before taking on c5, White
softens up the c4-pawn.} b4 6. Nxc5+ Kd5 7. Nb7 $1 {Tying the black knight to
the defence of the a-pawn.} Bf7 8. Nd2 bxc3 9. bxc3 Nd8 $2 ({Black resigned
without waiting for} 9... Nd8 10. Nxd8 {. Anyway, even without this
time-trouble blunder he was lost in view of the inevitable Ne4(xc4)-d6.}) 1-0

[Event "Polish Championship, Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Socko, B."]
[Black "Piorun, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R6p/2p1r1pk/2Pp4/3P4/5P1P/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite the material balance White has the initiative thanks to his active
rook. However, if Black manages to achieve ...g6-g5 and ...Kg6 his problems
would probably be over. ---} 1. h4 $1 {Complicating the plan outlined in the
previous note.} Rf6 $6 ({Active defence with} 1... g5 $1 2. hxg5+ Kxg5 3. Rxh7
Kg6 {was called for - Socko, who also mentions that a similar endgame was held
by Black in M.Tal-M.Botvinnik, World Championship (20th matchgame), Moscow
1961.}) 2. Kg3 Rf5 $2 {This passive defence will soon prove fatal for Black.} (
{Again he should have resorted to} 2... g5 {.}) 3. Rc7 Rf6 4. Kg4 {Zugzwang -
Black has to let the enemy king get closer.} Re6 5. Kf4 Rf6+ 6. Ke5 $1 {The
c6-pawn is much more valuable than the one on f3.} Rf5+ ({Or} 6... Rxf3 7. Rxc6
Kh5 8. Rb6 Kxh4 9. c6 Rf8 10. c7 Rc8 11. Kd6 {and the d-pawn decides in the
end - Socko.}) 7. Kd6 Rf4 8. Rxc6 Rxd4 9. Rb6 Rc4 ({After} 9... Rxh4 10. c6 Rc4
11. c7 Rxc7 {(otherwise 12 Rc6)} 12. Kxc7 Kg5 13. Kd6 Kf4 14. Kxd5 Kxf3 15. Ke5
h5 16. Rf6+ $1 ({but not} 16. Rxg6 $2 h4 {with a draw}) 16... Kg3 17. Rxg6+ {
, White wins - Socko.}) 10. Kxd5 Rc3 11. c6 Rd3+ ({Or} 11... Kh5 12. Rb4 $1 {
in the same spirit of denying enemy counterplay; e.g.} Rd3+ 13. Ke6 Rxf3 14. c7
Rc3 15. Kd6 Rxc7 16. Kxc7 g5 17. hxg5 Kxg5 18. Kd6 {etc - Socko.}) 12. Kc4 Rxf3
13. c7 Rf4+ 14. Kd5 Rf5+ 15. Kc6 Rf6+ 16. Kb7 Rf7 17. Rb5 $1 {. A final piece
of restriction, cutting off the black king. As for the obvious Kb8, it can
wait until the next move.} 1-0

[Event "Neisse"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Van Elst, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b3k1/1p1r1n1p/p1pp1r2/5pp1/2PN4/1P2P1P1/P2R1PBP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is an example with more pieces on the board. --- White has a slight but
pleasant advantage thanks to the weak d6-pawn and the passive bishop on c8. At
this point, a natural plan for him is b3-b4, a2-a4 and b4-b5, softening up the
enemy queenside, but Taimanov first asks himself what might the opponent have
in mind, and takes restrictive measures. ---} 1. f4 $1 {Preventing any enemy
activity associated with ...Ne5 or ...f5-f4, while fixing the f-pawns on the
"right" colour.} h6 2. b4 Re7 3. Kf2 Bd7 4. Rb1 $1 ({The immediate} 4. a4 {
would run into} c5 {.}) 4... Kg7 5. a4 {White continues his queenside advance,
and at the same time sets a little trap.} c5 $6 {Black falls right into it.
Anyway, his position was quite difficult, with no active plans at hand.} 6. Ne2
$1 Bxa4 $2 ({After} 6... b6 7. Nc3 Be6 8. Bd5 {, White is also much better,
but now he wins outright.}) 7. b5 $1 {With the decisive threat of 8 Nc3.} Rfe6
({Or} 7... axb5 8. Nc3 {, followed by c4xb5 - Taimanov.}) 8. Nc3 axb5 9. cxb5
Rxe3 10. Nd5 $1 {The most technical finish.} gxf4 11. gxf4 ({In view of} 11.
gxf4 R3e6 12. Nxe7 Rxe7 13. Ra2 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1949.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Aronin, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p4p1/2p1k2p/2P5/1P2P3/4nRP1/rB5P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1949.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an extra pawn, but the enemy pieces radiate considerable activity.
---} 1. Bd4 $1 {Instead of taking another pawn, Taimanov gives priority to the
restriction of Black's counterplay.} ({Obviously,} 1. Rxe3 $2 Rxb2 {, followed
by ...Rxb4, would just favour Black}) ({while} 1. Bxg7 $6 Rg2+ 2. Kh1 Re2 $1 {
is also unconvincing for White; e.g.} 3. h3 ({or} 3. Bc3 Nd1 $1) 3... h5 4. Bd4
Nc2 5. Bc3 Rxe4 {- Taimanov.}) 1... Ng4 2. Bxg7 Nxh2 ({Of course not} 2... Rxh2
$2 3. Rf4 {.}) 3. Rf6+ $1 {Such intermediate checks are familiar to us from
Chapter Three.} Ke7 4. Rf2 $1 Rxf2 5. Kxf2 {Evidently, the exchange of the
active black rook has made White's task easier.} h5 6. Ke3 Ke6 7. Kf4 {Next
White should try to create a new front, as the e-pawn won't win the game by
itself.} Ng4 8. Bd4 $1 {Restricting the knight by means of the "magic"
distance.} ({The endgame arising after} 8. Kg5 $6 Nf2 9. Kxh5 Nxe4 10. g4 {is
less clear - Taimanov. Whereas now 9 Kg5 is a threat, which explains Aronin's
next move.}) 8... Nh2 9. Bf2 $1 Kf6 ({In the event of} 9... Ng4 {, Taimanov
had planned} 10. Bg1 $1 {with some kind of zugzwang; e.g.} Ne5 11. Bd4 Nf7 12.
Bg7 $1 {, when Black can no longer prevent the entrance of the white king.})
10. Bg1 Nf1 {In view of the threat 11 Bd4+, releasing the opposition, Black
ties the enemy king to the g3-pawn.} 11. Bd4+ Kf7 ({After} 11... Ke6 12. Bc3
Kf7 13. Be1 $1 Kf6 14. e5+ Ke6 ({or} 14... Kg6 15. Bf2 $1 Nd2 16. Bd4 {in
similar fashion to the game}) 15. Kg5 $1 Kxe5 16. Kxh5 {, the g-pawn decides.})
12. Bf2 Kg6 (12... Ke6 13. Kg5) ({or} 12... Kf6 13. Be1 $1 {is no better.}) 13.
e5 Nh2 14. Bd4 $1 {Preparing e5-e6.} Kf7 15. Kf5 {The rest is easy.} Ke7 16.
Be3 Ng4 17. Bf4 Nf2 18. e6 Nd3 19. Bd6+ Ke8 20. Kg6 Nxb4 21. Kxh5 Nd5 22. g4 b5
23. cxb6 Nxb6 24. g5 Nd5 25. g6 c5 26. g7 ({Of course not} 26. Bxc5 $2 Nf4+ {.}
) 26... Nf6+ 27. Kg6 Ng8 28. Bxc5 1-0

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Ribli, Z."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rr4k1/p3ppbp/1p4p1/1R6/8/3PB1P1/1P2PP1P/R5K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Karpov was a true maestro in the field of restriction, and it is no wonder
that he won many endgames excelling in the use of this weapon. A good case is
Karpov-Illescas (in Chapter Four), and here is another one. ---} 1. Ra6 $1 {
Restricting the enemy queenside.} ({In contrast, the lazy} 1. Kg2 $6 {would
permit} a6 $1 2. Rxb6 Rxb6 3. Bxb6 Bxb2 {with excellent drawing chances.}) 1...
Kf8 ({In the event of} 1... Rb7 2. Rbxb6 $1 Rxb6 3. Bxb6 {, White wins a pawn.
Nevertheless, after} Bxb2 4. Rxa7 Rxa7 5. Bxa7 {, the compact pawn formations
yield Black some hope for salvation - Karpov, and this possibility returns on
the next move.}) 2. Rb4 Be5 3. Rba4 ({The desirable} 3. b3 {permits} Bc7 $1 4.
Rba4 Rb7 {and Black liberates himself to some extent.}) 3... b5 $2 {Black
insists on keeping the material balance, but the passivity of his pieces will
be a striking factor for the rest of the battle.} ({The endgame a pawn down
that emerges after} 3... Bxb2 4. Bxb6 Rb7 5. Bxa7 Rc8 {was a lesser evil -
Karpov.}) 4. Ra2 Rb7 5. b3 $1 {An excellent move so as to keep pawns on both
flanks.} ({Instead, after} 5. Bxa7 $6 Bxb2 6. Rxb2 Raxa7 7. Rxa7 Rxa7 8. Rxb5
h5 $1 {, Black's drawing chances again increase despite the pawn minus.}) 5...
Bb8 $2 {Positional surrender.} ({The active} 5... Rc8 {was called for, when
after} 6. Rxa7 Rxa7 7. Rxa7 Rc2 8. Rb7 Rxe2 9. Rxb5 Bd6 {, White's task would
be more difficult than in the game.}) 6. Bc5 Ke8 7. d4 $1 {Karpov starts
exploiting his central majority.} Kd7 8. e4 e6 9. b4 $1 {Before pushing d4-d5,
it makes sense to rule out any counterplay with ...b5-b4 and ...Rb5.} Kc8 10.
d5 exd5 11. exd5 Rd7 ({The liberating attempt} 11... Be5 $2 {failed to} 12. Re2
{- Karpov.}) 12. d6 $1 {Further locking up Black's pieces.} Rd8 13. Kg2 {The
beginning of the end: once White's king enters the battle, Black's defences
will prove exhausted.} Kd7 ({Seeing that} 13... Re8 {runs into the unpleasant}
14. d7+ $1 Kxd7 15. Rf6 {, Ribli prepares it.}) ({As for} 13... Kb7 {, Karpov
indicates} 14. Kf3 Re8 15. Kf4 h6 16. h4 $1 {with g3-g4 and h4-h5 next,
softening up the light squares for the king.}) 14. Re2 $1 {More restriction.}
Kc8 ({Now Black can forget about} 14... Re8 {in view of} 15. Rxe8 Kxe8 16. Kf3
{, followed by Ke4-d5, with a complete paralysis of the enemy forces.}) 15. Re7
Rd7 16. Ra2 $1 {A decisive shift of angle. Evidently, the rook needed a very
good reason to leave its restrictive post on a6, where it had stayed for 15
moves!} ({In contrast, the greedy} 16. Rc6+ $2 Kb7 17. Rxd7+ Kxc6 18. Rxf7 {
would have left all the previous efforts in vain after} a5 $1 {.}) 16... a5 ({
White also wins after} 16... Bxd6 17. Rxd7 Kxd7 18. Rd2) ({or} 16... Kd8 17.
Bb6+ $1 Kc8 18. Rc2+ {- Karpov.}) 17. Rc2 {. With 18 Bb6+ coming, Black
resigned.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7. Exchanges"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {Simplification -- Transpositions -- Piece exchanges -- Pawn exchanges} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 413"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/6b1/7p/7P/4KBP1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Simplification --- At any moment of the game, piece exchanges usually have a
great impact on the battle, and I dedicated one chapter to this subject in
'Mastering Chess Strategy'. In the endgame, exchanges become an even more
delicate issue, as they dictate what type of ending (pawn ending, rook ending,
etc) will appear on the board. As the old saying goes, when assessing an
exchange don't look too much on what leaves the board, but what stays there.
--- Let's start with some positions where one player enjoys a material
advantage. In such cases, swapping pieces is generally a good idea, especially
if a pawn ending can be reached. Such a direction of play is often referred to
as "simplification". --- Black to move wouldn't lose, but it is White's turn,
and he exploits the moment to reach a pawn ending. ---} 1. Be4 $1 (1. g4 $2 {
would be horrible, when} hxg4 2. Bxg4 {is a draw even without the black bishop.
Later on in this chapter we will come back to the subject of exchanging pawns.}
) 1... Kg7 ({Or} 1... Bxe4 2. Kxe4 Kg6 3. Ke5 {etc.}) 2. Bxg6 Kxg6 3. Ke4 $1 {
Taking the diagonal opposition.} Kf6 4. Kf4 {. White wins.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "example 414"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5n2/5k2/1p4p1/8/P4KPP/4N3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Knight endings can be filled with tricks, but here White has a direct path to
victory. ---} 1. Nc3 $1 {Forcing the exchange of knights.} (1. Ke4 Nd6+ 2. Kd4
$1 {is also possible, as} ({but not} 2. Kd5 $2 Nc4 3. a4 Nb6+ {and Black
achieves a valuable pawn exchange}) 2... Nc4 {fails to} 3. a4 {.}) 1... Nd6 ({
After} 1... Ne5+ 2. Ke4 {, the b5-pawn falls.}) 2. Ne4+ $1 {In a pawn ending
White's extra material will be felt more strongly.} ({In contrast, the
creation of a passed pawn by} 2. h4 $2 gxh4 3. gxh4 {would be a bad idea here:
with the knights still on the board, Black can organize decent counterplay,
one specific idea being a timely sacrifice of the knight; e.g.} Kg6 4. Kg4 Kh6
5. h5 Kg7 6. Kg5 Nf7+ 7. Kf5 Nd6+ 8. Ke6 Nc4 9. Nxb5 Nxa3 $1 10. Nxa3 Kh6 {.})
2... Nxe4 3. Kxe4 Ke6 4. h4 gxh4 5. gxh4 Kf6 6. Kd5 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Caldas Novas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Perez, E."]
[Black "Inciso, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4R3/6rk/1Q4pp/3q1p2/8/6P1/4PP1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is interesting to reflect upon the weight of an extra pawn in different
types of endings. Under normal circumstances, the extra pawn is most strongly
felt in pure pawn endings, possibly followed by knight endings. In contrast,
rook endings usually offer good drawing chances despite a pawn minus - see
Volkov-Rublevsky, Lipnitsky-Smyslov and Caruana-Anand earlier in the book;
while in Polgar-Gashimov and Acs-Zvjaginsev, even two pawns were not enough
for a win. Obviously, even greater drawing chances are offered by
opposite-coloured bishops. In the middle of the scale we would find queen
endings and endings with bishops of the same colour, in which the extra pawn
is sometimes enough for victory, and sometimes not. --- As we will see later
on, the above thesis is not without exceptions, but it could be used as a
general guideline at the moment of deciding upon one or another exchange. ---
White is a pawn up, but a battle on one single flank usually favours the
defence. Anyway, the next move forces the transposition to the stronger side's
preferred type of ending - a pawn ending. ---} 1. Qb8 $1 Rg8 ({Or} 1... g5 2.
Rh8+ Kg6 3. Qb6+ Kf7 4. Rxh6 {with an easy win.}) 2. Rxg8 $1 ({The game
actually went} 2. Re7+ $6 Rg7 3. Re8 Rg8 4. Qa7+ Rg7 5. Qa3 Qf7 6. Rf8 Qe7 7.
Qxe7 $2 Rxe7 {and the defender's preferred type of ending was reached - a rook
ending, in which a four vs. three majority on one flank often ends up in a
draw, even if the f-pawn would probably have been better off on f7.}) 2... Qxg8
3. Qxg8+ $1 Kxg8 4. Kg2 {White wins comfortably;} ({e.g.} 4. Kg2 Kf7 5. Kf3 Ke6
6. Ke3 Ke5 7. f4+ Kd5 8. Kd3 h5 9. h3 Kc5 10. e4 fxe4+ 11. Kxe4 Kd6 12. f5 g5
13. g4 {etc.}) *

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Black "Akobian, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2K5/q7/8/P2Q1Pk1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A typical idea for the side with extra material is to hand over a pawn in
order to effect the simplification. --- White found the simplest way to
victory. ---} 1. f6+ $1 Kxf6 ({Or} 1... Kg6 2. f7 Kg7 3. f8=Q+ Kxf8 4. Qd8+ Kf7
{etc.} 5. Qd7+) 2. Qd8+ $1 {. A queen exchange is inevitable on the next move,
so Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Monaco (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5Qpk/8/3Pq2p/7P/5P2/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again, the winning process is somewhat complicated by the presence of queens.
Anand made a practical choice. ---} 1. Qe6 $1 Qxe6 ({There is nothing better;
e.g.} 1... Qf4 2. Qe4+ {.}) 2. dxe6 Kg6 3. f4 ({Black resigned, in view of} 3.
f4 Kf6 4. f5 g6 5. fxg6 Kxe6 6. Kf3 Kf6 7. Kf4 Kxg6 8. Ke5 {etc.}) ({Note that
} 3. Kg3 Kf6 4. Kf4 Kxe6 5. Kg5 {was just as good.}) 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Heinatz, T."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p2R/4kp2/8/4KP1p/2r1B1b1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{By returning one of the pawns, Black secured a transposition to a pawn ending.
---} 1... h2 $1 2. f4+ ({Or if instead} 2. Rxh2 Bf1 3. Rf2 Bxe2 4. Rxe2 Rxe2+
5. Kxe2 Kf4 6. Kf2 e5 {and Black wins.}) 2... Kd6 3. Bd3 ({On this occasion} 3.
Rxh2 {is met by} Bf1 4. Rf2 Bxe2 5. Rxe2 Rxe2+ 6. Kxe2 Kc5 $1 {, again winning.
}) 3... Rc3 4. Rxh2 Be4 5. Rd2 Rxd3+ ({In view of} 5... Rxd3+ 6. Rxd3+ Bxd3 7.
Kxd3 Kd5 {, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "British Championship, North Shields"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hanley, C."]
[Black "Townsend, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/p3kpr1/P4R2/5PP1/1P6/1KP5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has two extra pawns, but the pressure against g4 is annoying. Hanley
found an elegant solution. ---} 1. Rg5 $1 ({The similar} 1. Rb5 $1 {also works
- Baburin.}) 1... Rxg5 ({Or} 1... fxg5 2. f5+ Kf6 3. fxg6 Kxg6 4. Kc3 {etc.})
2. fxg5 fxg5 3. c4 $1 {Preparing a decisive breakthrough.} Ke5 4. b4 Kf4 5. b5
Kxg4 6. c5 $1 1-0

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Holst, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/4Q3/5pp1/5q1p/1P5P/6P1/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On occasion, the stronger side can even consider re-establishing the material
balance if the simplification can bring him other benefits. --- In order to
realize his extra pawn White needs a square for his queen where it will assist
the b-pawn and at the same time protect the kingside. ---} 1. Qc5 $1 Qxc5 $2 {
Despite the rapid recovery of the pawn Black will be lost in the ensuing pawn
ending;} ({so} 1... Qf3 {was a better choice, when} 2. b5 {keeps good winning
chances.}) 2. bxc5 Kf7 3. g4 $1 {This space-clearer had to be anticipated when
offering the exchange of queens.} ({After} 3. Kg2 $2 Ke6 4. Kf3 Kd5 5. g4 hxg4+
6. Kxg4 Kxc5 {, Black makes a draw.}) 3... hxg4 4. Kg3 f5 5. Kf4 Ke6 6. c6 ({
Also good is} 6. Kg5 Kd5 7. h5 $1 gxh5 8. Kxh5 Kxc5 9. Kg5 {and after taking
the second pawn, White's king will find itself on a key square.}) 6... Kd6 7.
h5 $1 gxh5 8. Kxf5 Kxc6 9. Kg5 Kd6 10. Kxh5 g3 ({Or} 10... Ke5 11. Kxg4 Kf6 12.
Kf4 {etc.}) 11. fxg3 Ke6 12. Kg6 1-0

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schiller, P."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/p5p1/1k6/2p2QP1/Pq6/1P6/K7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... c3 $1 {This drops a pawn but makes a queen exchange more likely, after
which Black's active king should take its toll.} 2. Qe5+ Kb6 3. Qd4+ ({Or} 3.
Qd6+ Ka5 4. Qc7+ b6 5. Qe5+ b5 6. Qc7+ Ka4 7. Qf4+ b4 {etc.}) 3... Ka5 4. Qxc3+
$6 ({More tenacious was} 4. Qc5+ b5 5. bxc3 $1 {, staying in a queen ending; e.g.} Ka4 6. Qd4+ Qc4 7. Qd1+ Kxa3 8. Qc1+ Ka4 9. Qc2+ Qb3 10. Qxg6 Qxc3+ 11. Kb1
{.}) 4... Qxc3 5. bxc3 Kb5 6. Kb2 Kc4 7. a4 b5 (7... Kd3 8. Kb3 Ke4 {was also
good.}) 8. axb5 ({If} 8. a5 {, then} b4 {.}) 8... Kxb5 $1 {Creating a decisive
outside passed pawn.} 9. Kb3 g5 10. c4+ Kc5 ({In view of} 10... Kc5 11. Kc3 a5
12. Kb3 Kd4 {etc, White resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "Corsica (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Grigoryan, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/6k1/P7/6p1/r4pPp/5K1P/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "38"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{We are familiar with such positions from Chapter Three, where the stronger
side usually undertook a king transfer to the queenside. However, Anand is
about to show us that, in such a kingside structure with a weak pawn on g5, a
completely different plan is available: the transposition to a pawn ending. ---
} 1. a7 $1 Kh7 2. Ke2 Kg7 3. Kd3 Kh7 4. Kc3 Kg7 5. Kb3 Ra1 6. Kc4 Ra5 7. Kb4
Ra1 8. Kb5 Rb1+ 9. Kc6 Ra1 10. Kd6 Ra6+ 11. Kc7 Ra2 12. Kb6 Rb2+ 13. Kc6 $1 Ra2
({After} 13... Rc2+ 14. Kd6 $1 Ra2 ({a further rear attack with} 14... Rd2+ 15.
Ke6 Re2+ {fails to} 16. Kf5) 15. Rc8 $1 ({not} 15. Rd8 $2 Ra6+ $1 {, a move which can now be met by Rc6}) 15... Rxa7 16. Rc7+ Rxc7 17. Kxc7 {
, White wins in similar fashion - Golubev.}) 14. Rd8 $1 {The pawn is abandoned
in order to force the exchange of rooks, after which the weak g5-pawn will
decide matters.} Rxa7 15. Rd7+ Rxd7 16. Kxd7 Kf7 17. Kd6 ({Also good was} 17.
f3 Kf6 18. Kd6 {etc.}) 17... Kf6 18. Kd5 f3 19. Kd6 Kf7 ({Black resigned at
the same time, without waiting for} 19... Kf7 20. Ke5 {.}) 1-0

[Event "USSR Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Spassky, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5ppp/1p2r3/8/5Q2/4n1P1/PP5P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Obviously, the simplifying measures don't solely have to produce pawn endings
in order to be effective. Here are two examples where more pieces remained on
the board after the simplification. --- To facilitate the winning process,
Karpov starts looking for the exchange of rooks. ---} 1. Qd4 $1 {Tactics at
the service of strategy.} Rde8 (1... Ree8 {obviously failed to} 2. Qxb6) (1...
Rf8 {while after} 2. Qd7 Ree8 3. Qb5 Re6 4. Rc6 $1 {, White would reach his
goal anyway.}) 2. Qd7 Ng4 3. Rc8 Nf6 ({Or} 3... Re1+ 4. Kg2 R1e2+ 5. Kh3 Nf2+
6. Kh4 R2e4+ 7. g4 Rxg4+ 8. Qxg4 {and wins - Karpov.}) 4. Rxe8+ Rxe8 5. Qb7 Re6
6. Qb8+ Ne8 7. a4 {White starts working on his pawn majority, whereas Black
doesn't have even a trace of counterplay.} g6 8. b4 Kg7 9. Qb7 h5 10. h3 Kf6
11. Kg2 Rd6 12. a5 bxa5 13. bxa5 Re6 14. a6 Nc7 15. a7 Re7 16. Qc6+ $1 ({
Instead of giving Black some hopes of a fortress after} 16. Qxc7 $6 Rxc7 17.
a8=Q Kg7 {, Karpov goes for zugzwang.}) 16... Ke5 17. Kf3 {. Seeing that any
move loses material, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Montreal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/2n3p1/7p/2p5/PQ6/1B1q2PP/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...c6-c5 in order to prevent 1 Qf8+. ---} 1. Qc4 $1 {By
means of the threat 2 Qg8+ and 3 Qxg7+, Timman swaps the active enemy queen.} (
1. Qb8+ $6 Kd7 2. Qg8 Kc6 {was less technical.}) 1... Qxc4 2. Bxc4 Ne8 3. Kf3
Kc7 4. a5 Nd6 5. Bd5 Kb8 ({After} 5... g5 6. Kg4 c4 7. Kh5 c3 8. Bb3 Ne4 9.
Kxh6 Nxf2 10. h4 {, White should also win.}) 6. Kf4 Ka7 7. Ke5 Nb5 8. Bc4 Ka6
9. Kd5 ({Another good option was} 9. Bxb5+ Kxb5 10. Kd5 c4 11. a6 c3 12. a7 c2
13. a8=Q c1=Q 14. Qb7+ {etc - 'ChessBase'.}) 9... Kxa5 10. Kxc5 Nc3 11. Bd5 Nd1
12. f4 Nf2 13. Kd4 $1 {Preparing to trap the knight.} Kb4 ({If} 13... Kb6 {,
then} 14. Ke3 Nd1+ 15. Kd2 Nb2 16. Bb3 {and Kc2 next - 'ChessBase'.}) 14. Bf3
Nxh3 15. Ke3 g5 {The only defence against the threat of Bg4 and Kf2.} 16. f5 g4
({Or} 16... Kc5 17. Bg4 Ng1 18. Kf2 h5 19. Bxh5 Nh3+ 20. Kf3 $1 {and wins -
'ChessBase'.}) 17. Bxg4 Ng5 18. Kd4 $1 {Obstruction.} Kb3 19. Bh5 Kc2 20. f6
Kd2 21. f7 Ne6+ 22. Ke5 Nf8 23. Kd6 {. In view of Ke7 and Bg6 next, Black
resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Ambato"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bohorquez, M."]
[Black "Bejar, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4pk2/3r2p1/6P1/2R5/4K2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Transpositions --- Due to their concrete nature, pawn endings are delicate
terrain. Don't enter them without some careful calculation beforehand, in
particular if you are on the defending side! Here are some illustrative
examples. --- Black is slightly better due to his sounder pawn structure - one
pawn stops two - but White should be able to hold without much effort. ---} 1.
Re3 $2 {This is not a losing move, but a step in the wrong direction, since
any structural deficiencies will be more strongly felt in a pawn ending.} ({
The active} 1. Rc8 {was just one alternative, staying in the safer waters of a
rook ending.}) 1... Re5 $1 2. Rxe5 $6 {There was no reason to help Black in
activating his king.} ({Correct was} 2. Kf3 Rxe3+ 3. Kxe3 Ke5 4. Kf3 Kd4 5. h4
$1 {, securing a draw after} gxh4 6. g5 Ke5 7. Kg4 {.}) 2... Kxe5 3. Ke3 $2 {
Despite its natural appearance, this move loses as the king is displaced in
relation to the plan with h2-h4 that we just saw.} ({Thus} 3. Kf3 $1 Kd4 4. h4
$1 {was called for, transposing to the previous line. Note that the importance
of precise calculation grows once the pawn ending is reached.}) 3... Kd5 4. h4
({Or} 4. Kf3 e5 $1 5. Kg3 e4 6. h4 gxh4+ 7. Kxh4 e3 8. Kg3 Kd4 9. Kg2 Kd3 $1 {
and wins.}) 4... gxh4 5. g5 (5. Kf4 {doesn't help either in view of} e5+ {.})
5... Ke5 6. g6 Kf6 7. Kf4 Kxg6 0-1

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brito, D."]
[Black "Llamuca, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1p3pp1/p2qp2p/8/3Pp3/P1Q1P2P/1P3PP1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is minimally better thanks to her sounder pawn structure and control of
the open file. Even so, after 1...Qd5, say, Black's defensive task should not
be too difficult - but he fell for a different idea. ---} 1... Qc6 $2 2. Qxc6
bxc6 3. Kf1 $1 {In "king first" fashion, White sends her king to b4 in order
to exploit the fresh weaknesses on the enemy queenside. Needless to say, the
absence of queens (and rooks) on the board makes such a plan easier to achieve.
} Kf8 4. Ke1 Ke7 5. Kd2 Kd6 6. Kc3 Kc7 7. Kc4 Kb6 8. Kb4 $1 {White starts
losing tempi with the king, so that the enemy reserve of waiting moves is
exhausted.} ({The game took quite a different turn:} 8. b4 $2 h5 9. h4 f6 10.
g3 g6 11. a4 g5 12. a5+ $2 ({this natural move in fact seems to be losing, so
waiting with} 12. Kc3 {is preferable}) 12... Kb7 13. Kc5 Kc7 14. Kc4 Kd6 15.
Kb3 Kd5 16. Kc3 g4 17. Kb3 e5 $1 18. dxe5 fxe5 19. Kc3 c5 $1 20. Kb3 cxb4 21.
Kxb4 Kd6 {and White resigned in view of} 22. Kc4 Kc6 {.}) 8... a5+ {Taking the
b4-square from the enemy king.} ({On other moves, such as} 8... h5 {, White
could respond with} 9. h4 {, preventing any breakthrough scenarios, followed
by king moves along c4-b4.}) 9. Kc4 g6 10. a4 $1 {Preparing the creation of an
outside passed pawn.} (10. b4 $6 a4 {is less convincing.}) 10... f5 11. b4 {
White wins by using the a-pawn as a bait;} ({e.g.} 11. b4 axb4 12. Kxb4 g5 13.
a5+ Ka6 14. Kc5 Kxa5 15. Kxc6 {etc.}) *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Trent, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p2k4/5r2/2R3K1/2P5/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In exchange for the pawn minus, Black enjoys reasonable activity - that is,
as long as he stays in the rook ending! ---} 1... Rc5 $2 {A tempting, but
fatal decision.} ({Correct was} 1... Ra5 $1 2. h4 Ra1 3. h5 a5 4. h6 a4 {with
excellent drawing chances - Baburin.}) 2. Rxc5 Kxc5 3. Kf3 $1 {A key move, in
order to approach the a-pawn with the king.} ({In contrast, after} 3. h4 $2 a5
{, both sides queen.}) 3... a5 4. Ke2 Kc4 ({Or} 4... a4 5. Kd2 {with similar
play.}) 5. Kd2 Kb3 6. h4 a4 ({After} 6... Kb2 7. h5 {, White swaps the queens
in the end.}) 7. Kc1 $1 Ka2 8. h5 a3 9. h6 Ka1 10. h7 a2 11. Kd2 $1 ({In view
of} 11. Kd2 Kb1 12. h8=Q a1=Q 13. Qh1+ {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Llamuca, A."]
[Black "Bejar, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp6/4k1p1/8/1P2n1P1/P3B3/3pK3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the above position, it is easy to see that White can re-establish the
material balance in two different ways. By now you can probably guess which
one should be avoided. ---} 1. Bxd2 $2 {Due to Black's more active king, the
ensuing pawn ending is lost.} ({Instead,} 1. Bxa7 $1 {was correct, staying in
the minor piece ending; e.g.} Kd5 2. Be3 Nc3+ 3. Kxd2 Nb1+ 4. Kd3 Nxa3 5. Bd4 {
and White holds.}) 1... Nxd2 2. Kxd2 Ke5 3. Ke3 b5 $1 {Putting an end to the
opponent's waiting moves.} ({In contrast,} 3... g5 $2 {permits} 4. a4 $1 {with
a draw after} b6 ({or} 4... a6 5. a5) 5. b5 {.}) 4. Kf3 g5 $1 ({Of course not} 
4... Kd4 $4 5. Kf4 {.}) 5. Ke3 a6 $1 6. Kf3 Kd4 {. Black soon won.} 0-1

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Teske, H."]
[Black "Fressinet, L."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/5kpp/p7/1p3p2/1bp5/4P1P1/PPRN1P1P/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has the initiative, though White should be able to defend after 1 Nf3,
followed by Ke2. However, the battle took quite a different turn after the
move chosen by him in the game. ---} 1. Ke2 $2 Bxd2 $1 {Of course; in the
ensuing pawn ending Black will have every reason to believe in victory, thanks
to his more active king and his queenside pawn majority - Baburin.} 2. Rxd2
Rxd2+ 3. Kxd2 Ke6 4. Kc3 Kd5 {Note, too, that the space already gained by
Black's queenside pawns will make any pawn race advantageous for him.} 5. f3 {
Covering the e4-square.} ({After} 5. Kb4 $2 Ke4 6. a4 bxa4 7. Kxc4 Kf3 8. Kb4
Kxf2 9. Kxa4 Kxe3 10. Ka5 g5 11. Kxa6 f4 {, Black wins - Baburin.}) 5... a5 6.
Kd2 ({The alternatives were no better; e.g.} 6. a3 g5 7. h3 h5 8. Kd2 b4 9.
axb4 axb4 10. Kc2 g4 $1 11. hxg4 fxg4 12. fxg4 hxg4 13. Kd2 Ke4 14. Ke2 c3) ({
or} 6. h4 b4+ 7. Kd2 g6 8. Ke2 h6 9. Kd2 g5 {and Black wins in both cases -
Baburin. In this line, there could follow} 10. hxg5 hxg5 11. Ke2 g4 {with a
decisive ... Ke4 next.}) 6... g5 7. h3 h5 8. Ke2 b4 {With the opponent
confined to passive defence, Black takes the moment to gain some extra space.}
9. h4 g4 10. e4+ Ke5 $1 ({White resigned, in view of} 10... Ke5 11. exf5 gxf3+
$1 ({but not} 11... Kxf5 $2 12. f4 $1 {with a draw due to the protected passed
pawn}) 12. Kxf3 Kxf5 {and the black king enters decisively at g4.}) 0-1

[Event "Tromso"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Welling, G."]
[Black "Porrasmaa, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5n2/1K2k3/p4p2/P7/3N1P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is evidently better here, but the reduced number of pawns aids the
defender, given that he stays in the knight ending! ---} 1... Ne5 $2 {A badly
calculated transposition to a pawn ending.} ({Correct was} 1... Kd5 $1 {,
improving the king; e.g.} 2. Kxa5 Kd4 3. Nf4 Kc5 {with excellent chances for a
draw - Baburin.}) 2. Nxe5 Kxe5 3. Kxa5 Kf4 4. Kb4 $1 {Only this retreat leads
to the goal, for reasons that will soon become clear.} Kxf3 5. a5 f4 6. a6 Ke2
({Or} 6... Kg2 7. a7 f3 8. a8=Q {and the f-pawn will never make it to the
second rank.}) 7. a7 f3 8. a8=Q f2 9. Qg2 Ke1 10. Kc3 $1 ({In view of} 10. Kc3
f1=Q 11. Qd2# {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Sollentuna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Adler, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pr5/1R2k3/2P1P3/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In a rather unusual pawn structure, White has just played Rb4-b5+ to improve
his rook. ---} 1... Rc5 $2 {Black falls for a little trick.} ({Correct was} 
1... Ke6 {, staying in a rook ending; e.g.} 2. Kd4 Ke7 3. e5 Rh6 4. Kd5 Kd7 5.
Rb1 Ke7 {in Philidor style. At this point,} 6. Rg1 Rh2 7. Rg7+ Kd8 8. Kd6 {is
tempting, but after} Rd2+ 9. Ke6 Rd4 10. Rg8+ Kc7 11. Kf7 Rf4+ 12. Ke7 Rxc4 13.
e6 b5 {, Black should be able to save himself in the ensuing rook vs. pawn
ending. White's play can probably be improved somewhere; even so, 1...Ke6
remains Black's best chance.}) 2. Kd3 $1 {White accepts the transposition to a
pawn ending - under his own conditions.} ({Probably Adler only expected} 2.
Rxc5+ $2 bxc5 {with a draw after} 3. Kf3 Kd4 4. Kf4 Kxc4 5. e5 Kb3 $1 6. e6 c4
7. e7 c3 8. e8=Q c2 {etc.}) 2... Rxb5 ({The game in fact went} 2... Kd6 3.
Rxb6+ Kd7 4. Rb5 Rc6 5. Kd4 Rh6 6. c5 {and White realized his material
advantage without much difficulty.}) 3. cxb5 Ke6 4. Kd4 Kd6 5. e5+ Ke6 6. Ke4 {
. White wins.} *

[Event "European Cup, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Teterev, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2n5/2B4p/1Pk3p1/8/5P2/5K1P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Of course a transposition to a pawn ending doesn't lead the defender into
defeat on every occasion. We already saw a related case in Brynell-Sokolov (in
Chapter One); here are a few further examples. --- After some careful
calculation, Shirov settled for the "risky" pawn ending. ---} 1... Nxb5 $1 2.
Bxb5 Kxb5 3. Kg3 Kc5 4. Kg4 Kd4 5. Kh5 Ke5 6. Kxh6 Kf5 $1 {This detail had to
be anticipated when taking on g5.} ({In contrast, after} 6... Kf6 $2 7. h3 Kf5
8. Kg7 $1 {, White wins - Golubev.}) 7. Kh5 Kf4 8. h3 ({Or} 8. Kg6 g4 $1 {.})
8... Kf5 9. Kh6 Kf6 10. Kh7 Kf7 11. Kh6 Kf6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Balaton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balog, I."]
[Black "Vajda, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/1P1R4/6k1/8/1r6/3K4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is suffering due to his remote king, but he found a precise defence,
based on the transposition to a pawn ending. ---} 1... Kf4 $1 2. Kc1 Ke4 $1 {
Instead, after 2...Ke4, a draw was agreed. Let's see a possible continuation:}
({But not} 2... Rb4 $2 3. Kc2 Ke4 4. Kc3 $1 Rb1 5. Rh5 {, when the black king
remains cut off from the fifth rank, while White's will soon approach the pawn.
}) (2... Rh2 $2 {is also bad:} 3. b6 Rh8 4. b7 Rb8 5. Rb5 Ke4 6. Kc2 Kd4 7. Kb3
{etc.}) 3. Kxb2 ({Or} 3. Rh5 Rg2 4. b6 Kd4 5. Rb5 Rg8 {etc.}) 3... Kxd5 4. Kb3
Kc5 5. Ka4 Kb6 {. Draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Seattle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schnabel, R."]
[Black "Orlov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/8/5k2/5p2/4pR2/4K1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this difficult position, White managed to save himself in study-like
fashion. ---} 1. g4 $1 ({The natural} 1. Kf2 $2 {loses to} Rg4 $1 2. Rxg4 fxg4
3. Ke2 Ke5 4. Ke3 Kd5 {etc.}) 1... Rxg4 2. Rxg4 fxg4 3. Kf4 $1 ({But not} 3.
Kxe4 $2 Kg5 4. Ke3 Kh4 5. Kf2 Kh3 {etc.}) 3... g3 4. Kxg3 ({Draw agreed, in
view of} 4. Kxg3 Ke5 5. Kf2 Kd4 6. Ke2 {.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Arica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paez, G."]
[Black "Adasme, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1r1k2pp/1PR2p2/3K4/6P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On the basis of the previous examples, we can presume that a transposition to
a pawn ending won't always lead the attacker to victory either. Here is one
example. --- White has a trump in his outside passed pawn, but how to exploit
this advantage? ---} 1. Rc6+ $2 {Tempting, but wrong.} ({A better try was} 1.
h4 $1 {, gaining some space. Then if} Ke6 $2 ({Black should stay in an
inferior rook ending with} 1... Kd7) 2. Rc6+ Rxc6 3. bxc6 Kd6 ({or} 3... g5 4.
hxg5 hxg5 5. Kc5 f4 6. gxf4 gxf4 7. Kb6) 4. c7 Kxc7 5. Ke5 {, White wins.})
1... Rxc6 2. bxc6 g5 $1 ({Instead of} 2... Kxc6 $2 3. Ke5 {, Black hurries to
swap pawns on the kingside.}) 3. c7 Kxc7 4. Ke5 f4 $1 5. gxf4 gxf4 6. Kxf4 Kd6
7. Kf5 Ke7 8. Kg6 Kf8 {. A draw was soon agreed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Rapid Championship, Astana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Karjakin, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/4bkBp/p1r4P/8/4KP2/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we discussed earlier in this section, a transposition to a rook ending
tends to be an excellent idea for the defender. Here are some examples. ---
Despite the reduced material White has a definite initiative here, and 1...
Kg6? won't do in view of 2 f5+. How to defend? ---} 1... Bf6 $1 {Sacrificing
the h7-pawn in order to reach a rook ending.} ({Instead, the game went} 1...
Rc4+ $2 2. Kf5 Rc5+ 3. Be5 Bf8 4. Rxh7+ Kg8 5. Rh8+ Kf7 6. Rxf8+ $1 {and Black
resigned.}) 2. Bxf6 ({After} 2. Rxh7 Kg6 {, Black recovers the pawn at once.})
2... Kxf6 3. Rxh7 Rc4+ ({A reversed move order with} 3... Kg6 4. Rh8 Rc4+ {is
also fine, since} 5. Ke5 Rc5+ 6. Ke6 Rc6+ {leads nowhere for White.}) 4. Kf3
Kg6 5. Rh8 Rc1 $1 {. Preparing a rear attack. White can't progress.} *

[Event "European Championship, Istanbul"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erdogan, H."]
[Black "Markowski, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2B5/r4p1p/3k2p1/p1pP1n2/P4P2/1PRK3P/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is in some trouble due to the weak d-pawn and the passive rook on c3.
Besides, the knight seems a bit more useful than the bishop in this structure.
---} 1. Bxf5 $1 {Heading for a rook ending, never mind the d5-pawn.} ({Instead,
the game went} 1. Kc4 $2 Ne7 2. Bg4 Rb7 $1 3. Rf3 $2 {and White resigned
without waiting for} f5 {.}) 1... gxf5 2. Kd2 {Activating the rook.} ({In
contrast,} 2. Kc4 $2 {would run into} Rb7 {and 3...Rb4+.}) 2... Re7 ({Or} 2...
Kxd5 3. Re3 $1 f6 4. Re8 {with considerable activity.}) 3. Rg3 $1 {With
counterplay - Huzman.} ({For example,} 3. Rg3 Re4 ({in effect, after} 3... Kxd5
4. Rg7 Ke4 5. Rxh7 Kxf4 6. h4 {, the h-pawn is annoying for Black}) 4. Rg7 Rxf4
5. Rxh7 Rd4+ ({after} 5... Kxd5 6. Rxf7 {, White's task is easier}) 6. Ke3 $5
Rb4 ({or} 6... Ke7 7. Rh6 Rxd5 8. Ra6 {, working on the opposite flank}) 7.
Rxf7 Rxb3+ 8. Kd2 Rxh3 9. Rxf5 {leads to the theoretically drawn endgame with
rook, f- and h-pawns vs. rook.}) *

[Event "Bulgarian Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Radulski, J."]
[Black "Petkov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1R4pk/3B1b1p/1p3K1P/6P1/8/1r6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Again White is in evident danger, but a timely transposition to a rook ending
could have saved him. ---} 1. Be5 $1 {Removing the main enemy - Black's bishop.
} ({In contrast, the game went} 1. Ke6 $6 Bc3 2. Kf5 b4 3. Ke4 b3 4. Kd3 Bf6 5.
Kc4 $6 ({it wasn't yet too late for} 5. Be7 $1 {- Baburin}) 5... Rc2+ 6. Kd3
Rc3+ 7. Ke4 Rc4+ 8. Kf5 b2 {, when Black's practical chances had increased
considerably, and he later squeezed a win out of a drawn rook and pawn vs.
bishop and pawn ending.}) ({Note, too, that a defence in rook ending style
won't work:} 1. Rb8 Bc3 2. Ke4 b4 3. Kf3 b3 4. Ba3 Rb1 5. Kg2 b2 {with ...Rd1-d2+ next. Evidently, with bishops on the board it is easier for Black to
assist the passed pawn.}) 1... Bxe5 ({Or} 1... Rf2+ 2. Ke6 Re2 $2 3. Rxb5 {-
Baburin.}) 2. Kxe5 b4 ({If} 2... Kg8 {, trying to activate the king, then} 3.
Kf5 $1 {with the strong threat of 4 Kg6.}) 3. Rb8 $1 {Restricting the enemy
king.} b3 4. Ke4 $1 {Heading for the "safety zone" on g2-h2.} Rb1 5. Kf3 g5 ({
Obviously,} 5... g6 {failed to} 6. Rb7+ Kg8 7. hxg6) ({while after} 5... b2 6.
Kg2 g5 7. hxg6+ Kxg6 8. Kh2 {, White draws even without the g4-pawn.}) 6. hxg6+
$1 {Reducing the number of pawns.} Kxg6 7. Rb6+ {Immediately tying Black's
king to the h6-pawn.} Kg5 8. Rb5+ Kf6 9. Rb6+ Ke5 10. Kg2 $1 {Preparing to
take on h6 and then look for salvation in a rook vs. pawn ending, a scenario
familiar to us from Example 214 (Grischuk-Anand), among others.} Kd4 11. Rxh6
Rc1 12. Rb6 Kc3 ({After} 12... Rc3 13. g5 {, despite White's cut-off king,
Black can't progress properly.}) 13. Kf3 b2 14. g5 b1=Q 15. Rxb1 Rxb1 16. Ke4
$1 {A draw is inevitable} ({e.g.} 16. Ke4 Kc4 17. g6 Rg1 18. Kf5 Kd5 19. Kf6
Rf1+ 20. Ke7 $1 {etc.}) *

[Event "Palma de Mallorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Matulovic, M."]
[Black "Donner, JH."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/1PB1p3/5p1p/2Rn2pP/1r4P1/5P2/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The previous examples showed that a transposition to a rook ending tends to
make the defender's task a bit easier. From this follows that the stronger
side often does right in avoiding that type of ending. Here is one
illustrative example. --- Black is about to win a pawn, but first he should
have reflected about which type of ending suits him best. ---} 1... Rxb6 $2 {
Now White manages to reach a rook ending, in which an extra pawn on one single
flank often doesn't suffice for victory; besides, here the defender has
already achieved the ideal f2-g3-h4 structure.} ({Instead,} 1... e5 $1 2. b7
Kd6 {was called for - Ivkov; e.g.} 3. Be8 ({both} 3. Bg2) ({and} 3. Bh1 {fail
to} Rb1+) 3... Rxb7 4. Rc1 ({by the way,} 4. Bxh5 $2 {loses outright to} Rb1+
5. Kg2 Ra1 $1 {, when zugzwang rules out the idea of a sacrifice on g4, and} 6.
Rb4 Kc5 7. Rb8 Nf3 {leads to a quick mate}) 4... Rh7 {with excellent winning
chances in the presence of the minor pieces.}) 2. Rxd4 Rxc6 3. Ra4 $1 {
Preparing a rear attack.} e5 4. Ra7+ Kf6 5. Rh7 Kg6 6. Re7 f4 $6 {Black loses
his patience.} (6... Rc5 {was better, preparing the same advance, although
after} 7. Kg2 f4 8. gxf4 exf4 9. Re6+ Kf5 10. Re8 Rc2 11. Rf8+ Ke4 12. Re8+ Kd3
13. Rf8 {, White holds.}) 7. Rxe5 f3 8. Kg1 $1 Rc1+ ({Draw agreed, in view of} 
8... Rc1+ 9. Kh2 Rf1 10. Rg5+ Kh6 11. Rg6+ $1 {etc - Ivkov.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Austrian Championship, Zwettl"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frank, E."]
[Black "Ernst, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2R5/8/5kp1/r4bN1/8/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Of course a transposition to a rook ending isn't the best choice for the
defender on every occasion, and conversely, sometimes it can represent a good
option for the stronger side. Here are two related examples. --- White is
under pressure, and must now make a choice regarding his knight. ---} 1. Ne2+
$2 {In the ensuing rook ending, the defender's king won't be able to return to
its correct post in front of the pawn.} ({Thus} 1. Nh5+ {was called for; e.g.}
Kg5 2. Rc5+ Kh4 3. Kf2 {and White defends - Baburin, who also mentions that
the best Black can hope for here is a rook and bishop vs. rook ending. That is
a theoretical draw (albeit not without difficulty in practice) except in some
specific positions, one of which we saw in the 16...gxf5+ subline of Example
380 (Carlsen-Caruana).}) 1... Bxe2+ 2. Kxe2 Kg3 $1 {The rest is easy.} 3. Kf1
Ra1+ 4. Ke2 Kg2 5. Rc2 Rf1 6. Ke3+ Kg1 7. Rc8 g3 8. Ke2 ({After} 8. Ke2 {,
Black played} Rf7 ({however, much simpler was} 8... g2 9. Rh8 Rf7 10. Ke1 Re7+
11. Kd2 Re5 {, followed by a bridge}) 9. Rc1+ Kg2 10. Ra1 Re7+ {and went on to
win.}) 0-1

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Valerga, D."]
[Black "Real de Azua, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p1p/8/pB1p4/2nr4/P5P1/1PR2K1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{With a superior pawn structure and more active king, there is not doubt as to
White's advantage, but how to progress? ---} 1. Bxc4 $1 {A good exchange in
order to help the king approach the battlefield.} dxc4 2. Ke3 Rd3+ ({Or} 2...
Rg4 3. Rf2 $1 {with the threat of Rf4 - De Dovitiis.}) 3. Ke4 Kg7 4. Rxc4 Rd2
5. b4 $1 {Of course - betting on the passed pawn.} axb4 6. axb4 Rxh2 7. Kd5 {
Already at this point, White should prepare himself for a future rook vs. pawn
(s) ending - Valerga.} Rg2 8. Rg4+ (8. Rc3 {was more practical - De Dovitiis.})
8... Kf6 9. b5 h5 10. Rf4+ Ke7 11. Rf3 Rb2 ({Or} 11... Kd8 12. Kc6 Kc8 13. Rxf7
Rc2+ 14. Kb6 Rc3 15. Rg7 {with 16 Rg8+ next, in similar fashion to the
previous example.}) 12. Kc6 Rc2+ 13. Kb7 Ke6 (13... Rc4 $1 {was more tenacious,
preparing h5-h4, when White would have to find} 14. b6 h4 15. gxh4 Rxh4 16. Rf5
$1 {, cutting off the king from the fifth rank in advance; e.g.} Ke6 17. Ra5 f5
18. Ka7 {etc.}) 14. b6 f5 15. Ra3 $1 {Creating a shelter for the king on a7.}
Rb2 16. Ka7 f4 17. gxf4 Kf5 18. Ra5+ ({After} 18. Ra5+ Kg4 19. Rg5+ {, Black's
counterplay is over, so he resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Saint John (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Salov, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/p1r1qkp1/2p1b3/P2pPp2/3Q1P2/2R1B1KP/6P1/2R5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Given the high drawing tendency in endings with opposite-coloured bishops, a
transposition to such a type of ending can sometimes be used as a defensive
weapon. --- Black is under pressure, but Salov came up with a simple solution.
---} 1... c5 $1 {Sacrificing a pawn in order to reach an ending with
opposite-coloured bishops.} ({Other moves, such as} 1... g6 {, might run into}
2. Qc5 $5 Qxc5 3. Bxc5 Rb7 4. a6 $1 {with a clear advantage for White, who
could prepare an invasion with the rooks down the b-file.}) 2. Rxc5 Rxc5 3.
Rxc5 Rxc5 4. Qxc5 Qxc5 5. Bxc5 a6 {Now it is difficult to see how White can
capitalize on his extra pawn.} 6. Bb6 Bd7 7. Bd4 g6 8. Kh4 Be6 9. Kg5 Bd7 10.
Kh6 ({If} 10. g4 {, then simply} Be6 {.}) 10... Be6 11. Bc5 Bd7 {. The game
later ended in a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Azogues"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lozano, G."]
[Black "Sanaguano, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/pp6/2p4p/4B3/1P5P/P1P2bP1/4Nb2/1K6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this ending with a pawn less, Black has just played ...Bg2-f3, setting a
little positional trap. ---} 1. Nd4 $6 (1. Nc1 Be4+ 2. Kb2 Kd7 {should also
give Black good chances for a draw, but after the text he manages to determine
the result almost immediately.}) 1... Bxd4 $1 {A timely transposition to an
ending with opposite-coloured bishops.} 2. Bxd4 a6 $1 {In the following Black
arranges his pawns on squares of the same colour as his bishop, which tends to
be a good defensive idea in this type of ending.} 3. Kc2 h5 4. c4 b5 5. Kc3 Kd7
6. Be5 Be2 {. A draw was soon agreed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Cuenca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uquillas, G."]
[Black "Matute, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6kp/p5p1/1p6/3p4/1P2rpPP/PP1R1K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Piece exchanges --- Next, let's examine some specific objectives supported by
exchanges. To start with, if one player has a bad structure, his opponent will
generally be happy to swap pieces, making the structural deficits more
strongly felt with every exchange. We already saw this strategy being
successfully applied in Fischer-Addison and Hellsten-Waitzkin (in Chapter Two),
among others. Here are two further examples. --- In this rook ending, Black is
about to lose her extra pawn. Having observed White's defective pawn majority
on the queenside, she finds a clever way to return the pawn. ---} 1... Re2+ $1
(1... --) 2. Rxe2 fxe2 3. Kxe2 Kf6 {Despite material equality, White is
completely lost.} 4. Kd3 Ke5 5. b4 g5 6. b3 h5 7. a3 Kd5 8. a4 Ke5 {As
discussed in Chapter Six, waiting moves with the king never end.} 9. axb5 axb5
10. h4 g4 11. Kd2 Ke4 {. Black soon won.} 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolovs, A."]
[Black "Baikov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4rbp1/p1k2p1p/2p2P2/1pp1PKPP/P3N3/1PP5/3R4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Just like any other strategic idea, the exchange also applies in reversed
form - if your opponent is favoured by an exchange, avoid it! ---} 1... Rd7
$2 {A fatal decision, as the presence of rooks was vital counterweight to the
inferior pawn structure.} ({Black had to rely on either} 1... Kb5) ({or} 1...
c3 {, getting on with the queenside counterplay.}) 2. Rxd7 Kxd7 3. c3 $1 {A
key move to immobilize the enemy pawn majority.} bxa3 4. bxa3 Kd6 5. Nf1 $1 ({
Of course not} 5. g5 $2 hxg5+ 6. hxg5 fxg5+ 7. Kxg5 Ke5 {etc.}) 5... Kc6 ({Or} 
5... Be8 6. Nd2 Bf7 7. Nf3 {, followed by e4-e5.}) 6. e5 fxe5+ 7. Kxe5 a5 8.
Ne3 Kb5 9. Kd6 $1 ({In view of} 9. Kd6 Ka4 10. Ke7 Bg8 11. Kf8 {, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "World Rapid Cup, Cannes"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grischuk, A."]
[Black "Bauer, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/pp1b4/3kp3/1P1p2p1/3P3P/3B2P1/P4R2/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{When one side possesses an outside passed pawn, piece exchanges almost
invariably favour him, as we saw several times in Chapter Two, starting with
Fischer-Larsen. Here is one additional example. --- White has just played
Rc2-f2, offering the exchange of rooks. ---} 1... Rxf2 $2 {The ensuing bishop
ending is bad for Black due to White's outside passed pawn - Lukacs;} ({who
instead recommends} 1... Rh8 $1 {, keeping the "drawish" rooks on the board.
Admittedly White could try to construct a scenario similar to the game by} 2.
hxg5 Rg8 3. g6 Be8 4. Rf6 Ke7 5. Rf4 Bxg6 6. Rg4 {, but after} Bf7 ({in
contrast,} 6... Kf7 $2 {would lead the battle right into White's preferred
endgame type - a pawn ending - after} 7. Bxg6+ Rxg6 8. Rxg6 Kxg6 9. Kf2 {,
when the outside passed pawn means an almost automatic win}) 7. Rxg8 Bxg8 {,
followed by ...Kf6 and ...e6-e5, Black's counterplay should be sufficient to
hold the balance.}) ({By the way,} 1... Rg8 $6 {is less precise due to} 2. h5 {
.}) 2. Kxf2 gxh4 3. gxh4 e5 $6 (3... Be8 {was preferable, trying to prevent
h4-h5, when after} 4. Ke3 e5 5. Be2 {White keeps a clear, but not decisive
advantage - Lukacs.}) 4. dxe5+ Kxe5 5. h5 $1 Kf6 6. h6 {Now that it has
managed to get that far, the h-pawn will keep the enemy king occupied for the
rest of the game. Meanwhile, White can use his king on the opposite flank.} a6
({After} 6... d4 7. Kf3 {, the d4-pawn just becomes exposed.}) 7. bxa6 ({An
alternative was} 7. b6 {, keeping more pawns on the board, but the text also
works fine.}) 7... bxa6 8. Ke3 a5 9. Kd4 a4 10. a3 $1 {Of course - fixing the
a-pawns on squares of the "right" colour.} Bc6 11. Kc5 Bd7 ({After} 11... Bb7
12. Kb5 {, the end is accelerated.}) 12. Kxd5 Be8 13. Kc5 Bf7 14. Kb4 Bb3 15.
Kc3 Bd5 16. Bc2 Bc6 17. Kb4 Bd7 18. Bxa4 {From now on, White only needs to
avoid a bishop sacrifice for the a-pawn.} Bf5 19. Bb5 ({The game actually went
} 19. Kc3 {, but later the position after 18... Bf5 was reached again.}) 19...
Bc2 20. Kc3 Bd1 21. Be8 $1 {Zugzwang.} Be2 22. a4 Ba6 23. a5 Bb7 24. Kd4 Bc8
25. Kc5 Ba6 26. Kb6 Bc8 27. Bc6 Kg6 28. Bb7 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gleizerov, E."]
[Black "Grandelius, N."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6kp/p1p2nb1/1p2q1N1/7Q/1P4NP/P5PK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Another positional asset which tends to grow with every exchange is the
queenside pawn majority, at least when both sides have castled short. We saw
proof of this fact in Erenburg-Murariu and Teske-Fressinet, and here is
another one. --- Two factors speak in Black's favour here: the superiority of
the bishop in open positions, and the queenside pawn majority. Thus his next
move comes with no surprise for us. ---} 1... Nh5 $1 2. b4 {Being short of
better options, White fixes the queenside pawns on the "right" colour, but
only with temporary effect.} Nxg3 3. Qxg3 Kf6 $1 {A timely activation of the
king.} 4. Nf3 Qxg3+ 5. Kxg3 Ke6 6. Kf4 Kd5 7. g4 c5 $1 {Of course - in the
ensuing battle with mutual passed pawns, the bishop will feel very comfortable.
} 8. bxc5 Kxc5 9. h4 b4 10. h5 Bf7 11. Ke3 a5 ({The simple} 11... Bxa2 {was
also possible, but Black probably wanted to avoid any breakthrough ideas on
the kingside.}) 12. Ne5 a4 $1 13. Kd2 ({Or} 13. Nxf7 b3 14. axb3 a3 {etc.})
13... a3 14. Nd3+ Kb5 {The rest is easy.} 15. Kc2 Bxa2 16. g5 Bf7 17. Nf4 b3+
18. Kc3 b2 19. Kc2 Ba2 0-1

[Event "Cienfuegos"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vogt, L."]
[Black "Andersson, U."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r4k1/5p2/p3pbp1/3n4/P4P1p/1P5P/R2B2P1/2N4K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{It is usually believed that queen and knight make a good team, as we already
saw in Milman-Hungaski. On the other hand, the bishop is often well
complemented by a rook, a fact illustrated in Alekhine-Euwe and Onischuk-Salov
(in Chapter Four), among others. Here are two further examples related to
these phenomena. --- Black is clearly better here thanks to White's multiple
weaknesses. Andersson made an accurate choice. ---} 1... Nb4 $1 {The knight
was great on d5, but exchanging it for White's bishop will make it easier for
Black to attack the f4-pawn.} ({Less efficient was} 1... Be7 2. Rc2 Bd6 3. Rc4
{.}) 2. Bxb4 Rxb4 3. Rf2 Be7 $1 {From now on, the team of rook and bishop
takes over the board.} 4. Rf3 Bd6 5. Ne2 Re4 $1 6. Rd3 Bc5 7. Rc3 ({Or} 7. Rd2
Kg7 {with similar play.}) 7... Bf2 8. Rc2 Kg7 {Before taking concrete action,
it makes sense to improve the king. Meanwhile, White remains completely tied
up.} 9. Ng1 {Desperation;} ({but after} 9. Rb2 a5 10. Rc2 Kf6 11. Rb2 Rb4 {,
Black wins with little effort.}) 9... Rxf4 ({Andersson probably didn't even
consider the rook ending after arising} 9... Bxg1 $6 10. Kxg1 Rxf4 11. Rc6 {.})
10. Nf3 Bg3 11. Kg1 Re4 12. Kf1 Re3 13. Rb2 e5 14. Rb1 e4 {. In this hopeless
position, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Hallsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Sammalvuo, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r4k/1r2bpp1/3p3p/2q1p3/2P5/3QP2P/R2N1PP1/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In view of Black's slightly compromised pawn structure and passive bishop on
e7, White is minimally better. ---} 1. Rfa1 {Intending Ra8 in order to
exchange all the rooks, which would leave White with the team of queen and
knight; besides, the c4-pawn would become less vulnerable.} Kg8 ({Obviously,} 
1... Rbb8 {would just invite to} 2. Ra7) ({but} 1... g6 $5 2. Ra8 Rxa8 3. Rxa8+
Kg7 {was quite logical, keeping one rook for the sake of counterplay.}) 2. Ra8
Rbc7 3. R1a5 Rxa8 (3... Qc6 {was more accurate, although after} 4. Rxc8+ Rxc8
5. Ra7 {, Black would probably have to accept the second exchange of rooks by}
Rc7 {anyway.}) 4. Rxa8+ Rc8 5. Ne4 $1 {This intermediate move would not have
worked if Black had chosen 3...Qc6 instead.} Qc6 6. Rxc8+ Qxc8 7. Qd5 $5 ({
Theoretically speaking, the materialistic} 7. Nxd6 Bxd6 8. Qxd6 Qxc4 9. Qxe5 {
would have been stronger. On the other hand, I think that the text makes
Black's defensive task more unpleasant in practice.}) 7... Qc7 ({From a
structural perspective} 7... h5 {deserved attention, but Black gives higher
priority to maintaining the material balance.}) 8. g4 $1 {Gaining space and
fixing pawns on squares of the "right" colour.} Bf8 $6 ({Here and later,} 8...
g6 {and ...Kg7 was more productive.}) 9. Kg2 Be7 10. Kf3 Bf8 11. h4 $1 {White
starts working on a new front.} Qe7 12. Kg3 Kh7 (12... Qe6 {was a lesser evil,
when White has several interesting options such as} 13. h5 (13. g5) ({and} 13.
Nc3 {. Nevertheless, the minor piece endings that emerge after those moves
would be less depressing than the one that Black finally obtains in the actual
game.})) 13. Qa8 g6 ({After} 13... Kg8 14. Nc3 $1 {, heading for d5, White
keeps the pressure.}) 14. g5 $1 {Fixing a weakness on f6.} Kg7 15. Nf6 h5 ({Of
course not} 15... hxg5 $2 16. hxg5 {with the dreadful threat of} -- 17. Qh1 {.}
) 16. Qc8 Qe6 {This leads to a difficult minor piece ending;} ({but after} 
16... Qa7 17. Qe8 {, intending 18 Nd7, Black is in trouble anyway.}) 17. Qxe6
fxe6 18. Kf3 Kf7 19. c5 $1 {This breakthrough either ruins Black's pawn
structure or creates a strong passed pawn.} d5 $6 ({White should prevail after
} 19... dxc5 20. Nd7 Bd6 21. Nb6 {, followed by Ke4 and Nc4xe5, but now he
wins practically on the spot.}) 20. Nd7 e4+ ({Or} 20... Bg7 21. e4 $1 Ke7 22.
c6 Kd6 23. Nc5 $1 Kxc6 24. Nxe6 Bh8 25. Nf8 {etc.}) 21. Kf4 Be7 22. Ke5 Bd8 23.
Kd6 Be7+ 24. Kc6 {. In view of the forthcoming Kb7 and c6-c7, Black resigned.}
1-0

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uhlmann, W."]
[Black "Olafsson, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/pp3p1p/3p2p1/2nP4/3b1PP1/1P3B1P/P2B2K1/1R6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we saw in several examples in Chapter Four, the bishop pair is usually a
great asset in any ending. Therefore the opponent is often happy to swap one
of them, as in the following example. --- Of White's two bishops, the one on
d2 is more valuable, so Olafsson prepares its elimination. ---} 1... Nd3 $1 {
A great square for the knight, where it denies the enemy rook the e1-square,
among other things.} ({Of course} 1... Be3 $2 {at once failed to} 2. Re1 {.})
2. Rf1 ({On} 2. Rd1 {, Black can reply in the same way.}) 2... Be3 $1 {Because
of the attack on the f4-pawn, White can't avoid the exchange of his "good"
bishop.} 3. Bxe3 Rxe3 4. Bd1 f6 $1 {A small but powerful move, which prepares ...g6-g5 in order to create strongholds on e5 and f4.} 5. a3 Kg7 6. b4 $2 (6.
Rf3 $1 {was preferable in order to swap the active enemy rook. Then Black
should consider} Rxf3 ({instead,} 6... Ne1+ 7. Kf2 {doesn't really lead
anywhere}) 7. Kxf3 g5 $1 {with a superior minor piece ending thanks to White's
multiple weaknesses.}) 6... g5 $1 7. fxg5 fxg5 8. Bf3 $2 {A tactical oversight
in a difficult position.} Ne1+ $1 9. Kf2 Rxf3+ 10. Kxe1 Rxf1+ 11. Kxf1 Kf6 {.
Seeing that the d5-pawn soon falls, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ehlvest, J."]
[Black "Rausis, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1k4/p2np1p1/3nBp1p/1P5P/P2KP1P1/5PB1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{On the other hand, sometimes it is the side with the bishop pair who
deliberately swaps one of them in exchange for another advantage. We already
witnessed this idea in Hamdouchi-Bricard and Spassky-Cramling, and here are
two more. --- Black's position appears to be solid, but White found a simple
path to victory. ---} 1. Bxd5 $1 exd5 2. Bxd6 $1 Kxd6 3. Kd4 {In this pawn
ending, several factors speak in White's favour: a more active king, a sounder
pawn structure, and a greater reserve of waiting moves.} b6 4. a4 Ke6 5. f3 Kd6
6. a5 $1 ({The game actually saw some manoeuvring at this point:} 6. Kc3 Ke5 7.
Kd3 Ke6 8. Kc3 Ke5 9. Kd3 Ke6 10. Kd4 Kd6 {and only now} 11. a5 $1 {.}) 6...
bxa5 ({On} 6... b5 {, White takes the opposition by} 7. f4 {with an easy win.})
7. bxa5 Kc6 8. Ke5 Kb5 ({Or} 8... Kc5 9. Kf6 Kb5 10. Kxg6 Kxa5 11. Kxh5 Kb5 12.
Kg6 a5 13. h5 {etc - Chekhov.}) 9. Kxd5 Kxa5 10. Kc5 $1 {Obstruction.} ({In
view of} 10. Kc5 Ka4 11. e4 fxe4 12. fxe4 a5 13. e5 Kb3 14. e6 {, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Zurich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kuzubov, Y."]
[Black "Haas, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/1p1kn2p/4b3/1P3pPP/P2K4/B4P2/2B5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is better with his bishop pair, but having observed a very favourable
bishop ending on the horizon, Kuzubov gives one of them away. ---} 1. Bxe6 $1
Kxe6 2. Ke4 {Black is forced to put another pawn on a dark square.} g5 3. hxg5
(3. h5 $6 {is less convincing due to} b5 $1 {and Black secures a healthy
queenside structure.}) 3... hxg5 4. a4 $1 {Preparing b4-b5 in order to fix
more pawns. By now the virtues of White's initial decision become evident: in
this bishop ending, the fact that all the enemy pawns finish up on squares of
the "wrong" colour will make Black's task very difficult.} ({By the way, the
immediate} 4. b5 {was also okay.}) 4... Bc3 ({Or} 4... a6 5. b5 $1 {with Ba3
next.}) 5. b5 Bf6 6. Bd2 {Kuzubov starts looking for a zugzwang.} Bd8 7. Bc3
Bc7 8. Bd4 Bb8 9. f3 Bc7 10. Bc3 Bb8 ({If} 10... Bd8 {, then} 11. Be5 {.}) 11.
a5 $1 {This advance creates another target on b6.} Bc7 ({After} 11... bxa5 12.
Bxa5 {, the threat of 13 Bd8 decides.}) 12. axb6 ({But not} 12. a6 $6 Bb8 13.
Bd4 Bc7 {.}) 12... axb6 13. Bd4 Bd8 14. Be5 $1 {Zugzwang.} Be7 15. Bc7 ({In
view of} 15. Bc7 Bc5 16. Bd8 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Michel Yunis, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1b1n2pp/1qp1p3/3p1p2/1P1PnP2/Q1N2N2/4BPPP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{At any moment of the battle, it is common sense that we should keep our
active pieces on the board, and welcome the exchanges of active enemy pieces.
The latter recommendation was successfully followed in several previous
examples, such as Schmidt-Kasparov (1...Rd7), Kotov-Florian (6 Nd4),
Ljubojevic-Gligoric (14 Nf5), Shaked-Benjamin (6 Ng4) and Taimanov-Aronin (4
Rf2). --- On the other hand, in Savchenko-Couso we saw Black infringing the
former one by swapping his active knight (5...Nc4) for no obvious reason. Here
are a few further examples on this topic. --- In this Stonewall structure,
Black's structural deficits are well compensated by the active knight on e4.
This was a good moment for some prophylactic measures like 1...h6, followed by
...Kh7, or perhaps ...Bc8, but my opponent came up with quite a different idea.
---} 1... Nxc3 $2 2. Qxc3 Ba6 {Having diverted the enemy queen from the a-file,
Black manages to activate his "bad" bishop. However, even without bishops on
the board, White keeps a stable plus in view of the weak points on e6, e5 and
c6.} 3. Qe3 $1 {A timely intermediate move that forces the enemy knight to a
passive square. Now the absence of the active e4-knight from the board is
strongly felt.} Nf8 4. Bxa6 Qxa6 5. h4 $1 {Making a shelter for the king on h2
while creating new opportunities on the kingside.} Qa1+ {Transferring the
queen to a more active destiny on b2.} 6. Kh2 Qb2 7. Qe1 h6 8. g3 Kh7 9. Kg2
Qc2 10. Ne5 {After the reinforcement of the kingside, White starts looking for
a larger advantage.} Kg8 11. h5 {Preparing Ne5-g6 with an indirect attack on
e6.} Kh7 ({After} 11... Nh7 12. Ng6 Qe4+ ({not} 12... Kf7 $2 13. Qa1 $1) 13.
Qxe4 dxe4 14. Ne7+ Kf8 15. Nxc6 Ke8 16. Nb8 $1 Nf6 17. b5 Nxh5 18. b6 Kd8 19.
Na6 Kc8 20. Nc5 {, White should be winning once the king joins the battle.})
12. Qe3 $1 {A clever waiting move, based on the observation that Black has no
solid reply at his disposal.} Kh8 {Probably the least of evils, so that the
e6-pawn won't fall with check.} ({Bad was} 12... Qa4 $2 13. Qc3) ({or} 12...
Kg8 $2 13. Ng6 $1 Qc4 14. Qa3 $1 Qb5 ({the point was} 14... Qxd4 15. b5) 15.
Qa8 Qxb4 16. Qe8 $1 {with the threat of 17 Ne7+.}) 13. Nf7+ {Regrouping the
knight to d8.} ({With the black king on h8,} 13. Ng6+ {proves less effective
due to} Nxg6 14. hxg6 Qe4+ 15. Qxe4 fxe4 $1 ({not} 15... dxe4 $2 16. g4 $1 {as
we already saw in Chapter Two}) 16. g4 Kg8 {with a balanced pawn ending.})
13... Kg8 ({After} 13... Kh7 14. Nd8 Qc4 15. Nxe6 Nxe6 ({or} 15... Qxb4 16. Nd8
$1 Qd6 17. Qe8 {etc}) 16. Qxe6 Qxb4 17. Qxf5+ Kh8 18. Qe5 {, preparing f5-f6,
White should win.}) 14. Nd8 Qc4 15. Qe1 $6 ({Stronger was} 15. Nxe6 Qxb4 16.
Nd8 $1 Qd6 17. Qe8 Qd7 ({or} 17... c5 18. Nc6 $1 {, heading for e7}) 18. Qxd7
Nxd7 19. Nxc6 {, followed by f2-f3, Kh3 and g3-g4, when White's extra pawn
should decide the outcome.}) 15... Kh8 $2 {In time-trouble Black returns the
favour.} (15... Qxd4 {was preferable, when} 16. Nxc6 Qb6 17. Qc3 {yields White
a clear advantage thanks to the outside passed pawn, but not a decisive one.})
16. Nxe6 Nd7 $2 ({After} 16... Nxe6 17. Qxe6 Qxb4 18. Qc8+ Kh7 19. Qxf5+ Kh8
20. Qe5 {, White should also prevail, as we established in the 13...Kh7
subline above; whereas now the battle finishes on the spot.}) 17. Nxg7 $1 Kxg7
18. Qe7+ Kg8 19. Qe6+ Kf8 20. Qxd7 Qxd4 21. Qxf5+ ({If} 21. Qxf5+ Kg8 {, then}
22. Qg6+ {wins another pawn, while other king moves run into 22 Qe5+
transposing to an easily won pawn ending, so Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Llamuca, H."]
[Black "Morales, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r4k/p7/1pn4p/2p5/3bBN2/6P1/P1P3KP/1R6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has some initiative and should now think about how to include the rook
in the battle. ---} 1. Bxc6 $2 ({Seeing that} 1. Re1 $6 {runs into} Re8 {,
White prepares it. However, he also parts with a bishop that was rather
powerful in such an open position.}) (1. Rf1 {was preferable, with ideas like
Ne6(g6) and Rf7, working on the light squares.}) 1... Rxc6 2. Re1 Rc7 3. Re8+
Kh7 4. Ne6 Rc6 5. Nxd4 $2 {Another bad exchange, as the knight was quite
useful on e6; besides, Black's rook now becomes very active.} ({Instead, the
simple} 5. Kf3 {suggested itself; e.g.} Kg6 6. Nf4+ Kf7 7. Ra8 Rc7 8. Nd5 Rd7
9. Ke4 {and White keeps the initiative.}) 5... cxd4 6. Re7+ Kg6 7. Rxa7 Rxc2+
8. Kh3 $2 {For the sake of just a single pawn, White displaces his king.} ({
Much better was} 8. Kf3 $1 Rxh2 9. Rb7 Rb2 10. Ke4 {with a picture familiar
from earlier examples in this chapter - despite being a pawn down, the
defender has good drawing chances in the rook ending.}) 8... d3 9. Rd7 d2 10.
a4 $2 {This second strike of materialism costs White the game.} ({Correct was} 
10. Kg4 Rxa2 11. Rd6+ $1 Kf7 12. Kf3 {, followed by Ke2, keeping some chances
for a draw.}) 10... Kf5 $1 {The king hurries to assist the passed pawn.} 11.
g4+ ({Unfortunately for White,} 11. Kg2 $2 {in the same spirit now fails to}
d1=Q+ {.}) 11... Kf4 12. Rd8 Ke4 13. Kg3 Rc3+ $1 {Creating a bridge.} 14. Kf2
Rd3 15. Re8+ Kd4 16. Rd8+ Kc4 17. Rc8+ Kb4 0-1

[Event "Tromso"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andreassen, L."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5pk/1p1nppq1/3p3p/P2P3P/1P2PNP1/2Q2P2/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Needless to say, the exchange of queens has a particular effect on the battle.
From my experience, swapping one's active queen is quite a common endgame
mistake in practice, and it seems to appear with more frequency when facing
stronger players, perhaps because of a false belief that the absence of queens
makes a peaceful result more probable. Here is one example. --- Black has a
slight initiative, but there are no obvious weaknesses in White's camp just
yet. ---} 1. Qxg6+ $2 {A bad choice, as the queen had an active future on c6
or c7.} ({In effect,} 1. Qc6 $1 {practically forced a draw since} Qd3+ 2. Kg2
Ne4 3. Qxe6 Qc2 {is met by} 4. Qf5+ g6 5. Ng5+ $1 fxg5 6. Qf7+ {with perpetual.
}) ({Equally possible was} 1. Qc7 {; e.g.} Qd3+ 2. Kg2 Ne4 3. Qf7 Kh6 4. Qe8 {
with a perpetual again coming up.}) 1... Kxg6 2. Nd2 ({Perhaps} 2. Ng1 $5 Kf5
3. Ne2 g5 4. f3 {was more tenacious - Akesson.}) 2... Kf5 {Evidently, such a
king manoeuvre would have been a bit more difficult to realize in the presence
of queens.} 3. f3 g5 $1 {Preparing ...g5-g4 to soften up the e4-square.} 4. Ke2
$2 {Very passive.} ({It made sense to clear some space for the defence by} 4.
hxg5 fxg5 5. Ke2 {; e.g.} g4 ({or} 5... h4 6. Kf2) 6. b4 $5 {, when} gxf3+ 7.
Kxf3 Ne4 $6 {leads nowhere after} 8. Nxe4 dxe4+ 9. Kg2 Kg4 10. b5 {etc.}) 4...
g4 5. f4 {An ugly move;} ({but after} 5. b4 gxf3+ 6. Kxf3 Ne4 {, White would
be in trouble anyway; e.g.} 7. Nxe4 $2 dxe4+ 8. Kg2 Kg4 9. b5 {and, in
contrast to the previous note, here Black has a decisive spare tempo in} f5 {.}
) 5... Ne4 $1 6. Nf1 ({In view of} 6. Nxe4 Kxe4 7. b4 a6 {etc, White is forced
to displace his knight for the rest of the game.}) 6... a6 7. Kd3 {Black has
achieved a great deal in just seven moves, but how to progress further?} a5 $1
{With the strong plan of a king march to c6, followed by ...b6-b5 to open up a
new front. Meanwhile, White can only wait.} 8. Ke2 Kg6 9. Kd3 Kf7 10. Kc2 Ke7
11. Kd3 Kd6 12. Kc2 Kc6 13. Kd3 b5 14. Kc2 ({If} 14. axb5+ Kxb5 15. Kc2 {, then
} Kb4 16. Kb2 f5 {with a decisive zugzwang - Akesson.}) 14... bxa4 15. bxa4 Kd6
$1 {The king returns, now that a new weakness has been established on a4.} 16.
Kd3 ({Or} 16. Kb2 e5 17. Kb3 Ke6 18. Kc2 Nd6 $1 19. Kd3 Nc4 {- Akesson, when}
20. Kc2 exd4 21. exd4 Kf5 {is similar to the game.}) 16... e5 {Apart from
clearing the e6-f5 route for the king, this advance will help Black soften up
the d4-pawn later on.} 17. Kc2 Ke6 18. Kd3 Kf5 {Zugzwang.} 19. Kc2 ({After} 19.
Ke2 Nc3+) ({or} 19. dxe5 fxe5 20. fxe5 Kxe5 21. Kc2 Nc5 {, Black also wins.})
19... exf4 20. exf4 Nf2 $1 {Clearing the way for his majesty.} 21. Kd2 Ke4 22.
Ke2 Nh1 23. Nd2+ Kxd4 24. Nb3+ Kc3 0-1

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ruiz, F."]
[Black "Cardenas, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5rk1/p1qn1p1p/1p4p1/2pn4/3P4/1P2P3/P3QPPP/2RR2K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The material relation of rook and pawn vs. two minor pieces has different
implications in the three stages of the game. In the opening, the minor pieces
almost always outperform the rook and the pawn, due to the usually discrete
role of the rooks in that phase. In the middlegame, the team of minor pieces
tends to keep some superiority, particularly in the scenario of an attack on
the enemy king. In the endgame, however, the rook and pawn team often proves
stronger, partly because the rook has more space to work with, partly because
the value of the pawns increases in the final phase of the game. Here is one
illustrative example. --- Such a middlegame position is quite pleasant for the
side with rook and pawn, thanks to the existence of open files. Moreover, in
view of the open centre Black would have preferred a bishop and knight team
instead of a pair of knights, not to mention a bishop pair. Even so he could
have held the balance with accurate play. ---} 1... Qb7 $2 {This lets White
transpose to a very favourable ending.} ({The prophylactic} 1... N5f6 $1 {was
called for; e.g.} 2. dxc5 bxc5 3. b4 Qb6 4. bxc5 Nxc5 {with roughly equal
chances.}) 2. dxc5 Nxc5 $6 ({The last chance was} 2... bxc5 3. Qf3 N7b6 4. Rxc5
Rc8 $1 {, when Black has lost a pawn but at least manages to keep the queens
on the board.}) 3. Qf3 $1 Nb4 ({Obviously,} 3... Rd8 $2 {failed to} 4. e4 {.})
4. Qxb7 Nxb7 5. a3 Na6 6. b4 $1 {A useful piece of restriction, in similar
fashion to Example 397 (Botvinnik-Smyslov) in Chapter Six.} Kg7 7. Rd7 $1 Rb8
8. Rcd1 Kf6 9. f4 $1 {Opening a new front, whereas Black is confined to
passive defence.} Ke6 10. g4 f5 11. gxf5+ Kxf5 12. Rxh7 Ke4 13. Rdd7 ({In view
of} 13. Rdd7 Nd8 14. Rxa7 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bejar, B."]
[Black "Ruiz, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p1r2p2/2P1p1bp/2q3p1/Q7/6P1/P4PBP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As we discussed in Chapter Five, the queen tends to be an excellent companion
to the passed pawn. Thus on many occasions the side possessing a passed pawn
is favoured by the presence of queens on the board. Here is one related
example. --- Despite the material balance, White is clearly better thanks to
his powerful passed pawn. ---} 1. Qd4 $2 {A bad exchange, since the best
assistant of the passed pawn leaves the board; besides, it will now be easier
for Black's king to approach it.} (1. Qb3 $1 {was much better, heading for b8
in order to fight against the enemy blockade; e.g.} Kg7 2. Qb8 Qe7 ({the
desirable} 2... Qb6 $2 {fails to} 3. Qxb6 $1 axb6 4. Rd7 {etc}) 3. Rd8 {with a
strong initiative.}) ({Incidentally,} 1. Rd7 $2 {would have been good, were it
not for} Qc1+ 2. Bf1 Qxc6 {.}) 1... Qxd4 $1 2. Rxd4 Kf8 3. Rd7 $2 {With the
black king so close, this exchange makes no sense.} (3. f4 gxf4 4. gxf4 {was
preferable, in order to activate the king.}) 3... Rxd7 4. cxd7 Ke7 5. Bc6 e5 {
Preparing ...Bf5xd7. In just a few moves the picture has changed completely,
and now White must fight for a draw.} 6. Kg2 Bf5 7. Kf3 Bxd7 $2 {A natural
choice, but badly timed.} ({Correct was} 7... g4+ $1 8. Ke3 Bxd7 {, avoiding
White's additional resource on move 9, with good winning chances in the bishop
ending.}) 8. Bxd7 $1 {In principle this is a bad exchange since it produces a
pawn ending with a pawn less, but in concrete terms it actually saves a draw.}
Kxd7 9. Ke4 $2 ({White stumbles when the draw was not far away: after the brave
} 9. Kg4 $1 Ke6 10. Kh5 f5 11. Kxh6 Kf6 12. Kh5 $1 {, Black seems unable to
progress; e.g.} g4 ({or} 12... e4 $2 13. h3 $1 f4 14. gxf4 gxf4 15. Kg4 Ke5 16.
h4 {etc}) 13. Kh4 Kg6 14. h3 {etc.}) 9... Ke6 10. g4 f6 {The rest is easy.} 11.
f3 a6 12. a3 a5 13. a4 f5+ $1 14. gxf5+ Kf6 15. Kd3 Kxf5 16. Kc4 Kf4 17. Kb5
Kxf3 18. Kxa5 e4 0-1

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Skripchenko, A."]
[Black "Vasilevich, I."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/6p1/4P2p/5P2/6P1/4r2P/5R1K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Pawn exchanges --- While piece exchanges generally favour the stronger side,
with pawn exchanges it is the other way around - the fewer number of pawns on
the board, the higher the probability of a draw. One way to explain this
phenomenon is that the attacker has fewer fronts to work on; another that
theoretical draws (rook and knight vs. rook, for example) are more likely to
emerge when there are few pawns left on the board. As a consequence, swapping
pawns is an excellent defensive idea on most occasions, one that we are
already acquainted with from Karpov-Korchnoi (4...f5) and Ponomariov-Korchnoi 
(5...h6), among others. --- Conversely, the attacker should usually avoid pawn
exchanges, a principle that we saw being applied in Barhudarian-Rozentalis (6...g5), Onischuk-Salov (17...h5), Karpov-Ribli (5 b3), and others. Even so,
there do exist cases where the attacker is happy to realize a specific pawn
exchange, seeing that its benefits outweigh the fact that fewer pawns remain.
We saw two such cases in Van Wely-Kramnik (10...a5) and Pelletier-Dreev (15...
e5). Likewise, the defender could - on rare occasions - avoid a pawn
exchange if there exists a good reason for doing so, as we saw in
Fressinet-Krämer (20...Kg4). Here are some further examples which feature all
four cases. --- If Black stays passive, then White could improve her position
by Kg1, Rf2, Kg2, Re2, Kf2, Re3 and so on. Even then Black would have
excellent drawing chances, but Vasilevich found a much simpler solution. ---
} 1... f6 $1 {Swapping pawns.} (1... --) 2. exf6+ Kxf6 3. Kg1 g5 $1 {In the
same spirit.} 4. Rf2 Re1+ 5. Kg2 h4 $1 {This isn't the only way to the draw,
but it's the simplest one.} 6. gxh4 gxf4 $1 7. Rxf4+ Kg6 {Obviously, the
doubled rook's pawns are useless here.} 8. Ra4 Re3 9. Ra5 Kh6 10. Rg5 Ra3 11.
Rg3 Ra4 12. Kh3 1/2-1/2

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spirin, O."]
[Black "Mista, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/1P1kp3/1R4P1/3K4/6r1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{At first sight Black's task doesn't seem that easy, but Mista finds a way to
force a relieving pawn exchange. ---} 1... e4+ $1 ({Not} 1... Kc5 $2 2. b6 $1)
({or} 1... Rg3+ $2 2. Kc2 Rg2+ 3. Kb3 Rg3+ 4. Ka4 {.}) 2. Rxe4 ({Or} 2. Kc3
Rxg4 3. b6 Rg8 {etc.}) 2... Rg3+ 3. Re3 Rxg4 4. Kc3 Kc5 5. Re5+ Kb6 6. Kb3
1/2-1/2

[Event "French Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lautier, J."]
[Black "Gurevich, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5pp/1r3k2/8/8/5P1P/1P1R2PK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{A pawn down in a position with play on both flanks is usually a matter of
concern. How can Black change this scenario? ---} 1... a5 $1 {Preparing ...Rb3
and ...a5-a4-a3 in order to swap pawns and reduce the battle to one single
flank. Due to his passively placed king, White can't prevent this plan.} 2. g4
a4 3. Kg3 Rb3 4. h4 h6 5. h5 a3 $1 6. bxa3 Rxa3 7. Rd6+ Kf7 8. Kf4 {We saw a
similar ending in Example 156 (Volkov-Rublevsky) in Chapter Three, where Black
successfully applied a rear attack with his rook. In this game Gurevich will
show an alternative defensive plan.} Rb3 9. Ke4 Rb4+ 10. Ke5 Rb5+ 11. Rd5 Rb7
$1 {A typical method. Black keeps the the vital seventh rank controlled by his
rook, so that the king can stay on f7. Only when White's king moves away from
his fellow pawns will the rook switch angle.} 12. f4 Re7+ 13. Kf5 Ra7 14. Rb5 (
{Here or later, the advance} 14. g5 {can be met by} hxg5 15. fxg5 g6+ $1 16.
hxg6+ Kg7 {, just like later on in the game.}) 14... Re7 15. Rc5 Ra7 16. Rd5
Rb7 17. Ke4 Ke6 18. Re5+ Kf7 19. g5 {There is nothing better.} Rb4+ 20. Kf5
hxg5 21. fxg5 g6+ $1 {A nice defensive trick, one that is familiar to us from
Example 164 (Erenburg-Ju).} 22. hxg6+ Kg7 23. Re7+ Kg8 24. g7 Rb6 25. Ra7 Rc6
26. Kg4 Rb6 27. Kh5 Rc6 28. g6 Rc7 $1 29. Rxc7 {. Stalemate.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Baden-Baden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1r2p1p1/7p/4k3/6PK/7P/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is in evident danger - Black's extra pawn on e6 is ready to move
forward, supported by his active king. ---} 1. g4 $1 {Freeing the king and
reducing the number of pawns on the board.} Rb3+ ({Less is achieved by} 1...
Kf4 2. Rf1+ {.}) 2. Kh4 hxg4 3. Kxg4 e5 4. h4 $1 {White starts fighting for a
passed pawn of his own.} Rb2 5. Re1+ Kd5 6. Kg5 Rb6 ({Or} 6... Rg2+ 7. Kf6 e4
8. Rd1+ Kc4 9. Ke5 $1 e3 10. Ke4 e2 11. Rc1+ {with a draw - Miles. After the
text White no longer has the f6-square for the king, but Korchnoi finds
another solution.}) 7. h5 $1 {A great move, in order to swap the h-pawn for...
the e-pawn!} gxh5 8. Kf5 $1 Rb5 9. Rxe5+ Kc4 10. Rxb5 Kxb5 11. Kg5 Ka5 12. Kxh5
1/2-1/2

[Event "Ashdod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Rozentalis, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4kpp1/7p/1p2PP2/2r3P1/2PRK2P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Thanks to his active rook Black is quite safe here, despite being a pawn down.
However, it is not easy to find a solid move for him. ---} 1... g6 $1 {Looking
for pawn exchanges on the kingside.} ({If} 1... Ra4 $6 2. Rd5) ({or} 1... Ke8
2. f6 $1 gxf6 3. exf6 Rc6 4. Ke4 Rxf6 5. Rd5 {and White keeps the pressure.
Rozentalis comes up with a better solution.}) ({Interestingly, going for pawn
exchanges on the opposite flank with} 1... b4 $6 {is less advisable here,
since Black would lose his target on c3 and let White's rook activate itself
after} 2. cxb4 Rxb4 3. Ra3 {. In such a rook ending with a four vs. three
pawns on one flank, the current black kingside structure is far from the ideal
f7-g6-h5 chain that we saw in Example 458 (Skripchenko-Vasilevich), among
others.}) 2. fxg6 ({Or} 2. Kf3 h5 $1 {, insisting on the idea; e.g.} 3. Kg3
hxg4 4. hxg4 gxf5 5. gxf5 Re4 6. Rd5 b4 {and Black should make a draw -
Sutovsky.}) 2... fxg6 3. Kd2 b4 $1 {Now that White's pawn structure has
deteriorated, the moment is right for a battle on one single flank.} 4. cxb4
Rxb4 5. Rd6 h5 $1 {In the same spirit as before, reducing the number of pawns
on the board.} 6. Rxg6 hxg4 7. hxg4 ({Obviously,} 7. Rxg4 Rxg4 8. hxg4 Ke6 {is
nothing.}) 7... Re4 $1 8. Rg5 Ke6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Bulgarian Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Iotov, V."]
[Black "Nikolov, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/6p1/1R5p/5P2/7P/8/1p1r1PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite the material balance Black is better here due to his dangerous passed
pawn, and now plans to assist it with his king. White's next move suggests
itself. ---} 1. f6 $1 {Swapping pawns and creating a passed pawn of his own on
f2.} gxf6 ({Obviously, after} 1... g6 $2 2. Rb7 {, Black's king becomes too
restricted.}) 2. Rxf6+ Ke7 3. Rb6 Kd7 4. Kf3 $1 {The king initiates a direct
attack on the b2-pawn.} ({Instead, the game went} 4. Kg3 $2 Kc7 5. Rb4 Kc6 6.
f4 Kc5 7. Rb8 Kc4 8. Rc8+ Kd3 9. Rb8 Kc2 10. Rc8+ Kd1 11. Rb8 Kc1 12. Kg4 b1=Q
13. Rxb1+ Kxb1 {(note that without the h-pawns on the board, this would be a
draw)} 14. f5 Rd6 $1 ({not} 14... Rf2 $2 15. Kh5 $1) 15. Kf4 Rd4+ {and White
resigned.}) 4... Kc7 5. Rb4 ({Of course not} 5. Rb3 $2 Rd3+ {.}) 5... Kc6 6.
Ke3 Rc2 7. Kd3 $1 Rxf2 8. Kc3 Kd5 9. Rxb2 Rxb2 10. Kxb2 {. Draw - Baburin. On
the other hand, note that if there was another pair of pawns left on the
kingside in the final position, Black would win automatically. In Baburin's
words: "reducing pawn material always helps the defender!"} *

[Event "World Junior Championships, Halle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Vescovi, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2p4k/p2p2pp/2PP4/1P6/5r2/7P/1R5K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is a pawn down, but it is easy to see that if the queenside pawns leave
the board, then the ensuing rook and two pawns vs. rook and pawn ending should
be an elementary draw. Thus his next move suggests itself. ---} 1. cxd6 $1 {
Speeding up the pawn exchanges before Black's king enters the battle.} ({In
the game I opted instead for the over-optimistic} 1. c6 $2 {, completely
missing the strong reply} Kg7 $1 {. Now Black's active king tips the balance
in his favour. There followed} 2. Ra1 Kf6 $1 3. Rxa6 Ke5 4. Ra7 Rf7 5. Ra5 {
(very passive)} ({but} 5. b5 Kxd5 6. b6 {failed to} Kxc6 7. b7 Rf1+ $1 8. Kg2
Rb1 {etc}) 5... Kd4 $1 {(the king continues his raid on the enemy pawns)} 6.
Kg2 Kc4 7. Ra8 Kxd5 8. b5 Kc5 9. Rd8 Kxb5 10. Rd7 Rf6 11. Rxc7 d5 12. Rh7 Kxc6
13. Rxh6 d4 {(despite the reduced material Black wins easily, thanks to the
cut-off enemy king)} 14. Rh8 d3 15. Rd8 Rd6 16. Rc8+ Kb5 17. Rb8+ Kc4 18. Rc8+
Kb3 19. Rb8+ Kc2 20. Rc8+ Kd1 21. Kf2 d2 22. Rc7 Rf6+ 23. Kg2 Rf5 $1 {and
White resigned in view of the imminent bridge. Indeed, impressive work by
Black's king, and we will see more of the active king theme in the next
chapter.}) ({On the other hand,} 1. Ra1 {is also possible; e.g.} Rd3 2. Rxa6
dxc5 3. Rc6 $1 cxb4 4. Rxc7+ Kg8 5. Rb7 b3 6. d6 Kf8 7. Rb8+ Kf7 8. d7 Ke7 9.
d8=Q+ Rxd8 10. Rxb3 {with similar play as in the main line.}) 1... cxd6 2. Ra1
{Continuing with the policy of pawn exchanges.} Rd3 3. Rxa6 Rxd5 4. b5 {
Simplest, in order to exchange the last pair of queenside pawns before Black's
king manages to protect the d-pawn, as occurred in the game.} Kg7 5. b6 Rb5 6.
b7 d5 7. Rd6 Rxb7 8. Rxd5 {Such a rook ending is drawn without too much effort,
and we just saw a similar case with an extra pair of pawns in Example 460 
(Lautier-Gurevich). Note that the mutual rook's pawns favour White's cause,
since the black king has only one side from which he can assist the pawns;
besides, a future passed pawn on the g- or h-file would be less powerful than
a similar one on the f- or e-file.} Rb2 {Otherwise White could play 9 Rd2 and
10 Kg2, similar to Lautier-Gurevich.} 9. Kg1 {. With a waiting game. White
holds.} *

[Event "World Championship, London/Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r1nb3/1p2kpp1/p3p2p/4N3/1P2B3/P1R3P1/3KPP1P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Naturally, the idea of swapping pawns isn't limited to rook endings. Here is
an example that features a different type of ending. --- White has a slight
initiative, and next he could consider Nd3-c5, stepping up the pressure on the
queenside. ---} 1... a5 $1 {A timely pawn exchange in order to create activity
and get rid of a possible weakness.} ({In contrast, the game went} 1... f6 $6
2. Nd3 Bc6 3. Bxc6 Nxc6 4. Nc5 Ne5 5. f4 Nd7 6. Nb3 $1 {(avoiding a rook
ending)} Kd6 7. e4 g5 8. Ke3 {with some advantage for White, although the game
was drawn in the end.}) 2. f4 $5 ({After} 2. bxa5 Ra8 3. Rc5 ({or} 3. Nc4 Bb5)
3... Kd6 4. Nd3 Bc6 $1 {, the a5-pawn soon falls - Kasparov.}) 2... axb4 3.
axb4 Nc6 $1 {In the same spirit of reducing the number of pawns.} 4. Bxc6 $1 ({
Or} 4. Nxc6+ Bxc6 5. Bxc6 bxc6 {and the game gets even closer to a draw.}) 4...
bxc6 ({Of course not} 4... Bxc6 $4 5. Rxc6 $1 {.}) 5. Nd3 {White is slightly
better - Kasparov;} ({although after} 5. Nd3 Ra8 {, with an active rook and
few weaknesses to worry about, Black should still have excellent chances for a
draw.}) *

[Event "Cappelle la Grande"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sandipan, C."]
[Black "Hebert, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2K1P3/8/6pp/b7/6Pk/1B5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Next, let's see two examples where the stronger side avoided pawn exchanges
and was duly favoured by the greater number of pawns on the board. --- White
should be winning, but how to neutralize Black's counterattack on the
kingside? ---} 1. Be5 $1 {Indirectly avoiding the exchange of the last
kingside pawn. After the text Black instead resigned; let's see a possible
continuation:} ({In contrast, the straightforward} 1. Kd8 $2 Kxh2 2. Be5 Kh3
3. e8=Q Bxe8 4. Kxe8 h4 {.}) 1... g4 ({Obviously,} 1... Kxh2 {runs into} 2. g4+
{- Baburin.}) 2. Bf6 $1 Kxh2 3. Bh4 {. The g3-pawn is now protected against
exchanges, so White wins easily by 4 Kd8 next.} 1-0

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/8/P4k1p/K5p1/R6P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is on the verge of winning, but a correct decision at this moment is
essential. ---} 1. h5 $1 {A greater number of pawns will slow down Black's
kingside counterplay.} ({In contrast,} 1. hxg5+ $2 hxg5) ({or} 1. a7 $2 Ra8 2.
Kb6 gxh4 {would lead to a draw - Baburin.}) 1... Rg8 2. a7 g4 3. Kb6 $1 ({
Ponomariov avoids a fortress scenario after} 3. Rxg4 $6 Rxg4 4. a8=Q Rg5+ 5.
Kb6 Rxh5 {.}) 3... Kg5 ({Or} 3... g3 4. a8=Q Rxa8 5. Rxa8 Kg5 6. Rg8+ Kf4 7.
Rg6 {and wins - Postny.}) 4. a8=Q Rxa8 5. Rxa8 Kxh5 6. Kc5 $1 {King first.} Kg5
7. Kd4 Kf4 8. Kd3 Kf3 9. Rf8+ Kg2 10. Ke2 g3 (10... h5 11. Rh8 {is just as
hopeless.}) 11. Rh8 Kg1 12. Kf3 1-0

[Event "Turkish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Atalik, E."]
[Black "Guramishvili, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1r4k1/6p1/1p2R1P1/1P2K3/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is one of those rare cases where the exchange of pawns doesn't favour
the defender, but the attacker. --- An extra pawn, play on two flanks, and a
more active rook - White should be winning, but how to progress? ---} 1. f4 $1
{Unworried about the reduced number of pawns, Atalik creates a passed pawn and
gets rid of a target on f2.} ({Less practical was} 1. Kd4 Rf6 {; e.g.} 2. Kc5
Rxf2 3. Rxb4 Rf3 {and White still has some work to do.}) 1... gxf4+ 2. Kxf4 Kf6
3. Ke3 Rd6 ({Black gives up the pawn, seeing that} 3... Kg5 4. Kd4 Rc6 5. Kd5
Rb6 6. Kc5 {would be terminal.}) 4. Rxb4 Kg5 5. Rd4 $1 {This bridge will help
the king to assist the b-pawn.} Rb6 6. b4 Rb7 7. Kd3 Rc7 8. b5 Rc1 9. Rb4 Rd1+
10. Kc4 Kxg4 11. b6 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/8/6k1/1p1R2pp/8/1P3pPP/P4K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the previous example Black had no choice but to accept the exchange of
pawns proposed by the opponent. Here, in contrast, he rejects it - an
unusual decision but essential on this occasion. ---} 1. g4 $1 ({White is
about to win a pawn; however,} 1. Rxb5 {is strongly met by} g4 $1 2. hxg4 hxg4
{with ideas like ...Re8-e2 and ...Rh8-h2. Thus Kotronias first isolates the
f3-pawn.}) 1... b4 $1 {One pawn stops two.} ({Less precise was} 1... hxg4 $6 2.
hxg4 b4 3. Rd6+ Kg7 4. Rd4 {, when White obtains an improved version of the
game.}) 2. Rd6+ Kg7 3. Rd4 Ra8 $1 {Active defence.} 4. Rxb4 Rxa2+ 5. Kxf3 h4 $1
{The key move of this endgame, which secures a future target on h3.} ({In
contrast, accepting the pawn exchange with} 5... hxg4+ $6 {would make Black's
task more difficult after} 6. hxg4 {, followed by a king's transfer to the
opposite flank - Furhoff.}) 6. Ke4 Rh2 7. Kf5 Rxh3 8. Kxg5 {A pawn exchange
was effected after all - but rather in Black's favour, thanks to the
counterplay provided by the passed h-pawn.} Rh1 9. Rb7+ Kf8 10. Kg6 Re1 $1 {
Berg intends to swap the h-pawn for White's b-pawn in order to save himself in
a rook and pawn vs. rook ending.} ({Inferior was} 10... h3 $2 11. g5 h2 12.
Rb8+ Ke7 13. Rh8 $1 Kd6 14. Rh5 Kc5 15. Kh6 Kb4 16. g6 {etc.}) 11. Rf7+ ({After
} 11. Rh7 Re6+ 12. Kg5 Rb6) ({or} 11. g5 Re7 $1 12. Rb4 Re6+ $1 13. Kf5 Re3 14.
Rxh4 Rxb3 15. Kg6 Kg8 {, Black achieves his goal.}) 11... Kg8 12. Rf3 Rg1 $1
13. Kg5 ({On} 13. g5 {, Black had} Rg3 $1 {prepared.}) 13... Rh1 $1 {With the
king temporarily out of danger, the moment is right to bet on the passed pawn.}
14. Kh5 ({Or} 14. b4 h3 15. b5 h2 16. Rh3 Rb1 17. Rxh2 Rxb5+ {.}) 14... h3 15.
Kh4 h2 16. Kh3 Rg1 $1 17. Kxh2 Rxg4 18. Kh3 ({After} 18. Rg3 Rxg3 19. Kxg3 Kf7
({and} 19... Kg7 {with distant opposition is possible too}) 20. Kf3 Ke7 21. Ke3
Kd7 22. Kd3 Kc7 23. Kc3 Kb7 $1 {, Black draws - Furhoff.}) 18... Rg7 {
Interestingly, both kings are now cut off.} 19. Rf4 Rb7 $1 {Anticipating a
pawn ending, Berg provokes b3-b4, which will leave the related key squares at
a greater distance from White's king.} 20. b4 Rf7 $1 {We are familiar with
such bridges from Chapter Three.} 21. Rc4 ({Or} 21. Kg4 Rxf4+ 22. Kxf4 Kf8 $1 {
with a draw, now that the b-pawn has left b3.}) 21... Kf8 22. Kg4 Ke8 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "8. Classical Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {Active king -- Active defence -- Activity above material -- Opening a
new front -- Fortresses -- Theoretical draws} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkp/p2N1p2/1p2pP2/1P1b4/P4P1P/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Active king --- Once the endgame phase is reached, the king usually leaves
the role of being an object of attack behind and becomes a great attacking
piece himself. Moreover, with the number of pieces being reduced, his
contributions to the battle will be essential for either side. Throughout the
book we have seen many examples highlighting the importance of an active king
in the endgame; e.g. Kramnik-Deep Fritz, Polugaevsky-Tal, Alekhine-Euwe and
Ljubojevic-Gligoric, just to name a few. Moreover, the King first! section in
Chapter One showed some related ideas. Here we examine a few further examples.
--- Black has an extra pawn, but White is reasonably active. Smyslov found a
great solution, based on the use of his king as an attacking piece. ---} 1...
Kh6 $1 {Heading for the weak enemy pawns at h3 and f3, without worrying about
the f7-pawn.} ({In contrast,} 1... Kf8 $6 {would be a step in the wrong
direction, when} 2. Kb3 Ke7 3. Ne4 {, preparing a3-a4, yields White some
counterplay.}) 2. Ne4 ({Or} 2. Nxf7+ Kh5 {, with the strong plan of ...Kh4xh3.}
) 2... Kh5 $1 {In the same spirit of activity above material.} 3. Nxf6+ Kg5 4.
Nxh7+ Kxf5 5. h4 Be3 {With the threat of 6...Bh6, trapping the knight.} 6. Nf8
{The sealed move, although White resigned without resuming. Let's see a
possible continuation:} Kf4 7. Nd7 Bd4 8. Nf6 ({After} 8. h5 Kxf3 9. Kd3 f5 10.
h6 Ba1 11. h7 e4+ {, the connected passed pawns decide - Smyslov.}) 8... Kxf3
9. Kd3 Kf4 10. Nd5+ Kg4 11. Nc7 f5 12. Nxa6 f4 13. Nc7 f3 14. Nxb5 Kh3 $1 {.
The f-pawn soon queens - Smyslov.} 0-1

[Event "Poikovsky"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Malakhov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r2n1k1/1q3ppp/2Qbp3/p2p4/1p1PP3/1P3P1P/PB2N1P1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has some initiative thanks to his control of the open file, though the
passive state of his minor pieces makes it difficult to capitalize on it at
this moment. Onischuk instead opts for a useful move, while awaiting the
opponent's next step. ---} 1. Kf2 $1 {Approaching with the king is rarely in
vain when the endgame is around the corner.} dxe4 $6 {Malakhov prepares a
little positional combination, but we will soon see its defects.} ({Onischuk
instead suggests} 1... Kf8 $5 {, copying White's idea.}) 2. Qxb7 ({After} 2.
fxe4 Qa7 {, Black would have some counterplay against the enemy pawn centre.})
2... e3+ {The point: White is left with an isolated pawn on d4.} ({Instead,
after} 2... Rxb7 3. fxe4 {, Black is clearly worse - Onischuk; even so, I
suspect that this was the least of his evils.}) 3. Kxe3 Rxb7 {In structural
terms Black is fine here, but note the difference in activity between the two
kings! With his following moves Onischuk exploits this factor in energetic
fashion.} 4. Rc8 $1 Rb8 ({Or} 4... Kf8 5. d5 $1 exd5 6. Bxg7+ Kxg7 7. Rxe8 {
with a clear advantage - Onischuk.}) 5. Rxb8 Bxb8 6. d5 $1 {A key move that
clears a path for the king. In the absence of rooks, Black won't be able to
resist the invasion of this piece.} ({Less was promised by} 6. Kd3 Bd6 {,
preparing 7...Nc7 with a barrier.}) 6... e5 ({After} 6... exd5 7. Kd4 Nc7 8.
Kc5 $1 Kf8 9. Kb6 {, Black's task is just as hopeless.}) 7. Kd3 $1 Kf8 ({Or} 
7... Bd6 8. Kc4 Nc7 9. Ng3 $1 {with a crushing 10 Ne4 next.}) 8. Kc4 Ke7 9. Kb5
Bd6 10. Kc6 $1 {Restricting the enemy plan of ...Nc7 and ...Kd7, while
situating the king at the "magic" distance from the black knight.} (10. Kxa5 $6
Nc7 {was less technical.}) 10... g6 (10... g6 {prepares to meet} 11. Ng3 {by}
f5 {, but now White hurries to improve his bishop instead.}) 11. Bc1 $1 f5 ({
Just as bad is} 11... Nf6 12. Bg5) ({or} 11... Kd8 12. Be3 {, heading for b6.})
12. Bg5+ Kf7 13. Bd8 e4 14. fxe4 fxe4 15. Bxa5 Ke7 16. Bb6 g5 17. Nd4 {. In
this hopeless position, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Buenos Aires Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Miles, A."]
[Black "Gonzalez, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "n5k1/4nppp/2p1p3/1pPp2P1/1P1P2B1/8/3BPP1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{As in any endgame the pair of bishops is an asset, but the closed pawn
structure helps the knights to some extent. ---} 1. Bf4 {Before anything else,
it makes sense to restrict the knight on a8.} Kf8 2. Kg2 {Both sides hurry to
bring their kings into the battle.} Ke8 3. Be5 g6 $6 ({This was a good moment
for active defence with} 3... Kd7 $1 4. Bxg7 Nc7 {, followed by ...Na6xb4 -
Miles.}) 4. Kf3 Kd7 5. Kf4 Nc7 $2 {Black's play is very consistent, but he
forgets about the opponent's possibilities.} (5... Ng8 {first was correct, when
} 6. h4 Nc7 7. Bxc7 $1 Kxc7 8. Ke5 Kd7 9. h5 {keeps some winning chances -
Miles.}) 6. Bxc7 $1 {This exchange doesn't just eliminate the ...Na6
possibility, it also opens a further path for White's king.} Kxc7 7. Ke5 Ng8 {
Black seems to have everything under control; however...} 8. Bxe6 $1 {A great
sacrifice that opens the gates for White's king.} ({Less was promised by} 8. h4
Kd7 9. f3 {- Miles.}) 8... fxe6 9. Kxe6 Kd8 10. Kd6 $1 ({Not} 10. Kf7 $6 Ne7 {
. With the text White ties the knight to the c6-pawn, and the enemy king to
the knight.}) 10... Ne7 11. e3 {Prophylaxis against ...Nf5 and, at the same
time, intending to drive away Black's king from the key square on d7.} Ke8 12.
Kc7 Kf7 13. Kd7 Kf8 14. f3 $1 {Creating a passed pawn, a plan that Black can't
parry in any way.} Nf5 ({Or} 14... Kf7 15. e4 dxe4 16. fxe4 Kf8 17. h3 $1 Kf7
18. e5 Kf8 19. e6 {(zugzwang)} Nd5 20. Kxc6 Nxb4+ 21. Kxb5 {and wins - Miles.})
15. Kxc6 Nxe3 16. Kd7 $1 {Back to the key square on d7. White's king is a real
monster in this example.} Nc4 17. c6 Nb6+ 18. Kd8 ({In view of} 18. Kd8 Kf7 19.
c7 Ke6 20. c8=Q+ Nxc8 21. Kxc8 Kf5 22. Kd7 {, followed by Kd6xd5, Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Calcutta"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yakovich, Y."]
[Black "Hodgson, Ju"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R6/5pp1/8/4P2p/2P1K1rP/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{So far we have seen the active king theme mainly from an attacker's
perspective; needless to say, the defender can obtain just as great benefits
from the same idea. We saw a related case in Lipnitsky-Smyslov (in Chapter
Three), and here is another example. --- Black has just given check on g3,
preparing to take on h3 next move, which will yield him a dangerous pair of
connected passed pawns. White comes up with a unusual solution: abandon all
his pawns in order to approach the enemy pawns with his king. ---} 1. Kf4 $1 ({
After} 1. Kd4 $6 Rxh3 2. c4 Rh1 3. c5 Rd1+ 4. Kc4 h3 5. Rb2 g5 {, the
connected passed pawns take their toll.}) 1... Rxh3 2. e5 $1 fxe5+ ({Or} 2...
g5+ 3. Kf5 Rf3+ 4. Kg6 $1 fxe5 5. Rb8+ Rf8 6. Rb2 g4 7. Kg5 {with an easy draw.
}) 3. Kg5 $1 {Yakovich makes another accurate choice.} ({After} 3. Kxe5 $2 Rf3
$1 {, White's king is decisively cut off}) ({while} 3. Kg4 Rxc3 4. Kxh4 Kf8 $1
{(preventing 5 Re7)} 5. Kg5 Rc6 {, followed by ...Re6, should also win for
Black - Panchenko.}) 3... Rxc3 ({Or} 3... Rh1 4. Kxg6 Rg1+ 5. Kf5 h3 6. Rb2 Rh1
7. Kxe5 h2 8. Re2 $1 Kg7 9. c4 {etc.}) 4. Kxg6 {Thanks to his active king,
White now has sufficient counterplay for a draw.} Rg3+ 5. Kf5 h3 6. Rb4 $1 {
Enabling a rear attack with Rh4.} Re3 ({After} 6... Rg1 $5 7. Rh4 Rh1 8. Kg4
Kf7 9. Rh6 $1 {, White awaits} e4 ({or} 9... Kg7 {before playing} 10. Rxh3) ({
while} 9... Ke7 {can be met by} 10. Kf3 {with a waiting game.})) 7. Rh4 Kg7 8.
Rh5 $1 {Another waiting move, now that the pieces are already well placed.} Kf7
(8... Ra3 9. Rh4 {gets nowhere - Panchenko.}) 9. Rh7+ Kg8 10. Rh4 Kf8 11. Rh7
Ke8 12. Kg4 {. On the next move White can play 13 Rxh3 without fearing the
pawn ending, so the players agreed to a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Koszalin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McNab, C."]
[Black "Rozentalis, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k2r/pp3ppp/4p3/2n5/4P3/5BPP/PP3P2/R4RK1 b kq - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Sometimes the endgame phase arrives earlier than expected, for example when
one of the sides hasn't yet castled. On such occasions it is worth considering
the idea of keeping the king in the centre, thus saving a few tempi on its
activation - compare the g1-g2-g3-f4 and g8-f8-e8-d7 routes used for this
purpose in Miles-Gonzalez earlier in this section. Here is one related case.
--- The battle has reached the endgame, so Rozentalis keeps his king in the
centre. ---} 1... Ke7 $1 {From now on, the difference in activity between the
two kings will be an important factor, just like in Example 471 
(Onischuk-Malakhov) .} 2. b4 ({If} 2. e5 {, then} Rac8 3. Rac1 b6 {-
Rozentalis, when Black is a bit more comfortable - and note that the bishop is
not very powerful in this particular pawn structure.}) ({But the simple} 2.
Rfd1 Rhd8 3. Kf1 {might have been preferable, avoiding further weaknesses
while activating the king.}) 2... Nd3 3. Be2 Rhd8 4. Rfd1 Ne5 $1 ({Not} 4...
Nxb4 $6 5. Rdb1 {, when White regains the pawn with increased activity.}) 5. a3
Rxd1+ 6. Rxd1 Rc8 {Now the absence of White's king from the battle is strongly
felt, whereas Black's is doing an important job in denying the enemy rook the
d6- and d7-squares.} 7. f4 {The threat of 7...Rc3 forces White to play
actively.} Rc2 $1 {A strong intermediate move which definitely hands over the
initiative to Black.} ({In contrast, after} 7... Nc6 $6 8. Kf2 {, followed by
Ke3, White manages to activate his king with roughly equal play.}) 8. fxe5 {
McNab tries his luck in a rook ending.} (8. Bb5 Nf3+) ({or} 8. Kf2 Nc4 {was
less challenging for Black - Rozentalis.}) 8... Rxe2 9. Rc1 Kd7 10. Rf1 Ke8 11.
Rc1 Re3 $1 {The a3-pawn is more important than the doubled ones on the e-file,
which can be picked up later.} ({After} 11... Rxe4 $6 12. Rc8+ Kd7 13. Rf8 Ke7
14. Rb8 {, White's counterplay should suffice for a draw.}) 12. Kf2 Rxa3 13.
Rc8+ Kd7 14. Rf8 Ke7 15. Rb8 g5 $1 {The key move of this endgame, which
creates a route for the king via f8-g7-g6 and at the same time fixes White's
kingside pawns.} 16. Rxb7+ Kf8 17. Rb8+ Kg7 18. Ra8 h5 19. h4 (19. b5 Ra5 20.
Ke3 Rxb5 21. Rxa7 Rxe5 22. Kf3 {was more tenacious, although after} Rb5 23. Ra3
Kf6 24. Rc3 Rb2 {, the threat of 25...Rh2 forces White to weaken himself by
h3-h4 or g3-g4 anyway - Rozentalis.}) 19... g4 $1 {Avoiding pawn exchanges,
while fixing weak points on g3 and f3.} 20. b5 Rf3+ 21. Ke2 Rb3 22. Rxa7 Rxb5
23. Ke3 Rb3+ $1 {Before capitalizing on the doubled e-pawns, Black aims to
displace the enemy king.} 24. Kf2 ({Or} 24. Kf4 Rf3+ $1 ({but not} 24... Kg6 $2
25. Ra3 $1 Rb2 26. Rd3 {- Rozentalis}) 25. Kg5 Rxg3 26. Kxh5 Re3 27. Kxg4 Rxe4+
28. Kg3 Rxe5 {with a type of rook ending that is usually won in practice,
thanks to the connected passed pawns.}) 24... Rb2+ 25. Kf1 ({After} 25. Ke3 Rg2
26. Kf4 Kg6 {, the threat of ...Rf2-f3 decides - Rozentalis.}) 25... Rb4 26.
Kf2 Rxe4 27. Ra5 {At first sight it is not evident how to progress with Black,
but Rozentalis soon finds the winning plan: a rook transfer to f5.} Kg6 28. Rb5
Ra4 (28... Kf5 29. Rb7 {is less productive.}) 29. Rc5 Ra2+ 30. Kf1 Ra3 31. Kg2
Rf3 $1 32. Rc7 ({Or} 32. Rc2 Rf5 33. Re2 Kg7 {and a king march to d5 decides -
Rozentalis.}) 32... Rf5 33. Rc5 f6 {. White resigned as he will lose a second
pawn.} 0-1

[Event "Merida (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Hernandez, Gi"]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr2n1/3r2pR/p4p2/1p2pP2/2p1P1P1/P1P2B2/1P6/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Here is a tense endgame which is difficult to assess immediately. White's
pressure at g7 restricts the enemy pieces to a considerable extent, but Black
controls the open d-file and, in the long run, his knight is superior to the
bishop in this structure. Seeing that White probably aims to increase the
pressure by Rf2-g2 and g4-g5, Korchnoi hurries to launch a counterattack on
the opposite flank... with the king alone! ---} 1... Kc7 $1 {The first step of
a long journey. It also makes tactical sense to remove the king from the two
back ranks, in order to avoid any pins.} ({Less productive was} 1... Rd2 $6 2.
Rf2) ({though} 1... Nh6 $5 {, heading for f7-g5, was also interesting.}) 2. Rf2
({An alternative was} 2. a4 $5 {, in order to clear the a-file for the rook,
thus preventing the further course of the game. There could follow} Kb6 ({not} 
2... bxa4 $6 3. Ra1) 3. axb5 axb5 4. Ra1 Rd3 $5 5. Be2 $1 Re3 6. Kf1 Rd2 7.
Rxg7 $1 {, when both captures on e2 permit 8 Raa7! with a perpetual along the
seventh rank.}) 2... Kb6 $1 {By now Black's intentions are clear: ...
Ka5-a4-b3 attacking the enemy pawns.} 3. Rg2 Ka5 4. g5 Ka4 $1 {Korchnoi
sacrifices a pawn so as to speed up his "king's attack".} 5. gxf6 Nxf6 6. Rhxg7
Rxg7 7. Rxg7 Kb3 ({Of course not} 7... Rg8 $2 8. Bd1+ $1 {and the king would
have to retreat.}) ({After} 7... Kb3 {, in contrast, both} 8. Rg6 $2 ({and} 8.
Rg2 $2 {run into} Rg8 $1 {, with a hopeless minor piece ending for White.
However, Hernandez has a much better move prepared.})) 8. Re7 $1 {The e5-pawn
is the key to White's potential success.} Kxb2 $1 {Again Korchnoi plays with
maximum consequence.} ({After} 8... Nd7 $6 9. Re6 Kxb2 10. Rxa6 Kxc3 11. Rd6 $1
{, White achieves unnecessary counterplay.}) 9. Rxe5 Kxc3 10. Re6 Nd7 11. Rxa6
$2 {That pawn will cost White dearly.} ({After} 11. f6 Kb2 12. Rd6 c3 13. Bd1
Rg8+ 14. Kf1 ({or} 14. Kf2 $2 Nxf6 $1 15. Rxf6 Rd8 16. Ke1 Rxd1+ $1) 14... Nxf6
$1 15. Rxf6 Rd8 16. Rf2+ Kxa3 17. Ke2 b4 {, Black should also win.}) ({Instead,
the restrictive} 11. Rd6 $1 {was worth a shot; e.g.} Kb2 ({perhaps Black
should try} 11... Rg8+ $5 12. Kf2 Ne5 {in similar spirit to the game, though}
13. Be2 {sees White much better co-ordinated than after the text}) 12. Kf2 c3
13. Bd1 Kxa3 14. f6 {and the battle is far from over.}) 11... Ne5 $1 {A move
with several virtues: the enemy passed pawns are blockaded, the d-file is
cleared for the rook, the white rook is deprived of the c6-square, everything
with a gain of tempo.} 12. Kf2 $2 {A natural move, but tactically inadequate
due to Black's checking possibility on d3.} ({Also bad is} 12. Be2 $2 {in view
of} Kd2 13. Re6 Kxe2 14. Rxe5 Rc8 $1 {and the passed pawn decides; e.g.} 15.
Rxb5 c3 16. f6 c2 17. Rb2 Ke3 18. Rxc2 Rxc2 19. e5 Rf2 {, followed by ...
Rf5xe5-e8.}) ({But} 12. Bg2 {was possible, hiding the bishop from Black's king.
After} Kd2 13. Re6 Nd3 14. Bf1 $1 {, White aims to swap the minor pieces and
then try to save himself in a rook vs. pawns ending. Nevertheless, I think
that Black wins by precise play. Here is one sample line:} c3 15. Bxd3 Rxd3 16.
Rc6 c2 17. Kf2 Rc3 $1 18. Rd6+ Kc1 19. Rh6 Kb2 20. Rh1 Rd3 $1 21. Ke2 Rd4 $1
22. Ke3 Rd1 23. Rh2 Rf1 $1 {. Black has managed the best angle for his rook -
behind the passed pawns. There can follow} 24. Rxc2+ ({or} 24. Kd4 Kb1 25. Rxc2
Kxc2 26. Kc5 Kd3 $1 27. Kxb5 Kxe4 28. a4 Kd5 $1 {in "king first!" spirit})
24... Kxc2 25. Ke2 Rd1 $1 26. Ke3 ({both} 26. e5 Rd5) ({and} 26. f6 Rd6 27. e5
Re6 {fail for White}) 26... Kc3 27. f6 Re1+ 28. Kf4 Kd4 29. Kf5 Rxe4 30. f7 Re1
31. Kg6 Rf1 32. Kg7 Kc3 {and wins.}) 12... Kd2 $1 {The king clears the way for
the c-pawn and at the same time obstructs its white colleague.} 13. Re6 Nd3+ {
. After 14...c3 on the next move, White would have to give up the rook for the
c-pawn, and duly resigned.} 0-1

[Event "San Sebastian"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1911.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tarrasch, S."]
[Black "Rubinstein, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/7p/Rp4k1/5p2/4p3/2P5/PP3P1P/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1911.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Active defence --- Throughout the book we have seen several cases of active
defence, such as Salov-Gligoric, Fressinet-Krämer, Ribli-Spassky and
Kotronias-Berg, just to name a few. Here are some more. The fact that they are
all rook endings is no coincidence - in precisely this type of ending, the
difference between active and passive defence can be extraordinarily great.
--- Black is a pawn down, and there is another one in danger on b6. ---} 1...
Rd2 $1 {Seizing the second rank, which doesn't just help Black to attack the
enemy pawns, it also enhances his future counterplay on the kingside.} ({In
contrast, passive defence with} 1... Rd6 $6 {is strongly met by} 2. Ke2 Kf6 3.
a4 $1 Ke5 4. a5 bxa5 5. Rxa5+ Kf4 6. b4 {, with the plan of Ra3-b3 and b4-b5.})
2. Rxb6+ Kg5 {Of course the king must be used actively as well for Black's
counterattack to work.} 3. Ke1 (3. a4 {seems more critical, when} Kg4 $5 4. Ke1
Rc2 5. a5 Kf3 6. a6 Re2+ 7. Kd1 Kxf2 8. Rf6 ({or} 8. a7 Re1+ 9. Kc2 Ra1 10. Rf6
Rxa7 11. Rxf5+ Ke2 {with counterplay}) 8... Rxb2 9. Rxf5+ Ke3 10. Ra5 Kd3 11.
Kc1 Rb8 {keeps chances for a draw.}) 3... Rc2 4. Rb5 Kg4 $1 5. h3+ ({White
opts for pawn exchanges, seeing that} 5. a4 $6 f4 {, with ...Kf3 next, would
even be dangerous for him.}) 5... Kxh3 6. Rxf5 Rxb2 7. Rf4 ({Or} 7. a4 Ra2 8.
a5 Kg4 9. Re5 Kf3 {and Black holds - Panchenko.}) 7... Rxa2 8. Rxe4 h5 $1 {
Exploiting the last resource of activity.} 9. c4 Kg2 10. Rf4 Rc2 11. Rh4 ({Or} 
11. Kd1 Rxf2 12. Rxf2+ Kxf2 13. c5 h4 {and both sides queen.}) 11... Kf3 $1 ({
Rubinstein avoids the trap} 11... Rxf2 $2 12. Rh2+ $1 Kxh2 13. Kxf2 {.}) 12.
Kd1 Rxf2 13. c5 Ke3 14. Rxh5 Kd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, K."]
[Black "Kotronias, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1p4/p2Pp3/P3P2k/1P2RK2/7r/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black has just played ...Rc2-h2, creating the threat of 1...Rh3+ with a
transposition to a pawn ending where the active king would decide. How should
White react? ---} 1. Re1 $1 {With the active plan of Rg1-g6, never mind the
loss of the b3-pawn.} ({In contrast, the passive} 1. Rd3 $6 {is met by} Rh3+ 2.
Ke2 Rg3 $1 {, when White must play} ({not} 2... Rxd3 3. Kxd3 Kg4 4. Kc4 $1 {
and the d-pawn saves a draw}) 3. Rd1 ({since} 3. Rxg3 $2 {loses after} Kxg3 4.
Ke3 Kg4 5. Kd3 Kf3 {- Furhoff}) 3... Rxb3 4. Rg1 $1 {, returning to the game.})
1... Rh3+ 2. Ke2 Rxb3 3. Rg1 $1 ({The route to d6 matters: after} 3. Rc1 $2 Kg4
$1 4. Rc6 Kf4 5. Rxd6 Kxe4 {, Black's active king decides the outcome.}) 3...
Rb4 ({If instead} 3... Kh5 {then} 4. Rg8 {, followed by Rd8, and White
achieves an attack on d6 anyway.}) 4. Ke3 Rxa4 {White is now two pawns down,
but after the capture on d6, his d-pawn will become a great asset.} 5. Rg6 Ra3+
6. Ke2 Rb3 7. Rxd6 $1 {The most consequent choice.} ({Instead, the game saw
the hesitant} 7. Rg1 $2 Rb4 {and Black went on to win.}) 7... a4 ({If} 7... Kg5
{, trying to save the e5-pawn, then} 8. Rc6 a4 ({after} 8... Kf4 $2 9. d6 Rb4
10. Rc3 $1 {, Black is even in danger of losing}) 9. Rc8 $1 Rb4 ({or} 9... Kf6
10. Re8 {, heading for e6}) 10. Ke3 a3 11. d6 Rd4 12. Rg8+ $1 Kf6 13. Ra8 Rxd6
14. Rxa3 {, followed by 15 Ra8 with good drawing chances.}) 8. Re6 a3 ({Or} 
8... Rb4 9. Rxe5 a3 10. d6 a2 11. d7 Rd4 12. Rd5 {etc.}) 9. d6 a2 10. d7 Rb2+ (
{White is first to check after} 10... a1=Q $6 11. d8=Q+ {.}) 11. Ke3 Rb3+ {.
Draw by perpetual.} *

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tkachiev, V."]
[Black "Grigoriants, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1k/r5p1/P4p2/7P/R7/5PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Active defence doesn't necessarily mean the surrender of material, as we will
see in the next two examples. --- Despite the material balance, Black is in
some trouble here because of his passive rook and the strong enemy passed pawn.
---} 1... f6 $1 {Preparing ...g6-g5 in order to swap pawns and speed up the
creation of a passed pawn of his own.} ({In contrast, after the passive} 1...
Kg7 $6 2. Kf3 Kf6 3. Kf4 Ke6 4. Kg5 {, White keeps some chances for a win.}) 2.
Kf3 ({The seemingly restrictive} 2. f4 $6 {just helps the opponent's case after
} g5 $1 {.}) 2... g5 $1 3. hxg5 fxg5 4. Ke3 Kg6 5. Kd4 g4 {Black's plan is
simple: a timely sacrifice with the rook for the enemy passed pawn, and then
force White to do the same thing on the opposite flank.} 6. Kc5 Kg5 7. Kb5 Ra8
8. Kb6 ({Or} 8. a6 f4 9. Kb6 Kh4 10. Ra4 $5 f3 11. Kb7 Rxa6 12. Kxa6 Kh3 {etc
- Baburin.}) 8... f4 9. Kb7 Rf8 ({The straightforward} 9... Rxa5 10. Rxa5+ Kh4
11. Kc6 g3 {works as well.}) 10. a6 g3 $1 11. fxg3 f3 12. a7 f2 13. Ra1 Kg4 14.
a8=Q Rxa8 15. Kxa8 Kxg3 1/2-1/2

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volokitin, A."]
[Black "Nielsen, PH."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p5p1/1pR4p/3Pr1p1/1PP5/8/3K3P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Despite being a pawn down White is better, thanks to his active pieces and
the dangerous passed pawn on d5. ---} 1... b5 $1 {Active defence, and an
invitation to exchange pawns.} ({Instead, the game saw the passive} 1... Kf8 $2
{, permitting} 2. Rc8+ Re8 3. Rc7 $1 Rd8 ({or} 3... Re7 $2 4. d6) 4. b5 Ra8 {
(such moves usually indicate that something has gone wrong)} 5. Kd3 a6 6. bxa6
Rxa6 7. Rb7 $1 g4 8. Kd4 Ke8 9. Ke5 Kd8 10. Rxg7 h5 11. Ke6 {and Black
resigned.}) 2. Kd3 ({Or} 2. d6 bxc4 $1 3. Rc5 ({of course} 3. d7 $2 {fails to}
Rd5+) 3... Re6 4. Rc6 ({after} 4. Rd5 Re8 {, Black's king is finally ready to
join the battle}) 4... Re5 {, repeating moves - Korchnoi.}) 2... bxc4+ 3. Kxc4
Re2 $1 {Preparing a rear attack on the d-pawn, while eyeing the h2-pawn at the
same time.} 4. Ra6 ({If} 4. h3 {, then} h5 5. Rg6 g4 $1 6. hxg4 h4 {with
counterchances.}) 4... Rxh2 5. Rxa7 g4 {Black has sufficient counterplay for a
draw;} ({e.g.} 5... g4 6. d6 Rc2+ 7. Kd5 g3 8. d7 Rd2+ 9. Kc6 g2 10. Ra1 Rc2+ {
and the rook alternates between d2 and the checking squares.}) *

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Krasenkow, M."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k6/2R5/pPp5/2Pp4/3r4/8/8/4K3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's pawn minus is well compensated by his advanced protected passed pawn
and the active rook. Having just played Rh7-c7, he is now threatening 2 Rxc6,
giving rise to a pair of connected passed pawns. What should Black do in
response? ---} 1... Re4+ $2 {I made this move almost without any thinking,
since it is the only one that keeps the c6-pawn on the board. However, on the
sixth rank the rook becomes passive and no longer restricts the movements of
the enemy king.} ({Let's see the game continuation:} 1... Re4+ 2. Kd2 Re6 3.
Kc3 Rh6 4. Kb4 Rh4+ 5. Ka5 Rc4 6. Rxc6 d4 7. Kxa6 d3 8. Rh6 Rxc5 9. b7 Rc6+ 10.
Rxc6 {and Black resigned. Where did I go wrong? Was this perhaps a logical
conclusion of a lost endgame? Of course that is not so. In this endgame Black
draws, and quite comfortably, as long as he applies an active defence.}) ({In
contrast, the active defence was realized by} 1... Rc4 $1 2. Rxc6 a5 {. The
white rook is now tied to the c-pawn, so it won't be able to switch angles.
After} 3. Rc7 a4 4. c6 a3 {, White can't progress anymore, while the a-pawn
has become a threat, thus he has to settle for} 5. Rb7+ Kc8 ({of course not} 
5... Ka8 $4 6. Ra7+ Kb8 7. c7+ Kc8 8. Ra8+ Kd7 9. Rd8+ {etc}) 6. Rc7+ Kb8 {
with a perpetual.}) (1... a5 2. Rxc6 Rc4 $1 {is just as good}) 2. Kd2 Re6 $2 {
A logical follow-up to the previous move.} ({Evidently, the active} 2... Rc4 $1
{was still available; e.g.} 3. Rxc6 a5 {with similar play as in the last note.}
) ({If you prefer a more complex way of making a draw, there is also} 2... a5
3. Rxc6 a4 $5 ({of course} 3... Rc4 {is much simpler}) 4. Rd6 Rb4 $1 {
(preventing c5-c6)} 5. Rxd5 ({or} 5. Kc3 Rc4+) 5... a3 6. Rd3 a2 7. Ra3 Rc4 ({
or} 7... Rb5 {and Black holds.})) 3. Kc3 Rh6 $2 {While Black's two previous
moves at least carried an idea - defend the c-pawn - this move can only be
classified as indifferent. Here I should have asked myself what would happen
if the white king reaches a6 - would I be in danger, or would everything still
be under control?} ({Having replied to that question, you quickly come up with
the right idea:} 3... Re4 $1 4. Rxc6 Rc4+ 5. Kb3 a5 {, in similar style to the
previous two notes. White's improved king doesn't make much difference; e.g.}
6. Rc7 a4+ 7. Ka3 d4 8. c6 d3 {, when a perpetual with} 9. Rb7+ Kc8 10. Rc7+
Kb8 {is again called for.}) 4. Kb4 {The king is now close to arriving at a6,
after which White would win by force;} ({e.g.} 4. Kb4 Rg6 {(?)} 5. Ka5 Rh6 6.
Kxa6 Rg6 7. Rb7+ Ka8 8. Ra7+ Kb8 9. b7 {, followed by 10 Ra8+. This could be
considered as the refutation of the passive defence applied in the game.
Curiously, even at this moment Black can still save a draw, by a precise
active defence.}) 4... Rh4+ $2 {This check wastes a crucial tempo.} ({The
active} 4... Rh1 {, preparing a rear attack combined with an advance of the
a-pawn, also loses after} 5. Rxc6 Rb1+ 6. Kc3 a5 7. Kd4 a4 8. Rc7 $1 {and on
the next move 9 Ra7 decides, now that White's king supports the passed pawns,
and can hide on c6 if necessary.}) ({But the same plan can be performed with a
different move order, first pushing the pawns:} 4... d4 $1 5. Kc4 ({neither} 5.
Rd7 Rh1 6. Rxd4 Rh7 $1 {, followed by 7...Kb7 and waiting moves with the rook
along the seventh rank}) ({nor} 5. Ka5 Rh1 6. Rxc6 d3 7. Rd6 Ra1+ 8. Kb4 Rb1+ {
, intending} 9. Kc4 ({or} 9. Ka3 Rb5) 9... Rc1+ {, leads anywhere for White.})
5... a5 $1 6. Kxd4 a4 7. Kc3 a3 8. Kb3 ({or} 8. Ra7 Rh3+ 9. Kb4 Rh4+ 10. Kxa3
Rc4 $1 11. Ra5 Kb7 {and White can't make progress due to his badly placed rook;
e.g.} 12. Kb3 Rc1 13. Kb4 Rb1+ 14. Kc3 Rc1+ 15. Kd2 Rc4 16. Ke3 Rc1 17. Kd3 Kb8
$1 18. Kd4 Rd1+ 19. Ke5 Rd5+ 20. Ke6 Kb7 {etc}) 8... Rh3+ 9. Ka2 {. At this
point, mutual zugzwangs are around the corner, so Black must be careful:} Rg3
$1 ({rook moves to f3, e3 or d3 also work, as well as} 9... Rc3 10. Rxc6 Kb7
11. Rc7+ Ka8 $1 {, only not 11...Kb8? 12 c6 with zugzwang}) 10. Rxc6 Rc3 11.
Rc7 Ka8 $1 {.} 12. Ra7+ {(attempting to liberate the rook)} ({Now if} 12. c6 {
, then} Kb8 {and the previous zugzwang is applied upon White, who can't
progress; e.g.} 13. Kb1 Rc4 14. Ka1 Rc1+ 15. Ka2 Rc3 {.} (15... --)) 12... Kb8
13. Ra5 {, Black could reply} Kb7 14. Rb5 Kc8 $1 ({avoiding} 14... Kb8 $2 15.
b7 {with zugzwang}) 15. b7+ Kb8 {with yet another zugzwang; e.g.} 16. Kb1 Rc4
17. Ka1 Rc1+ 18. Ka2 Rc3 {and nothing has changed. Evidently, such variations
are much easier to work out after than during the game. From a practical
perspective, Black's main mistakes were committed earlier.}) 5. Ka5 Rc4 {
Ironically, Black applies the correct idea when it is already late.} ({In any
case he was short of a proper defence; e.g.} 5... Rh1 6. Rxc6 Ra1+ 7. Kb4 Rb1+
({or} 7... a5+ 8. Kb5 {, heading for a6}) 8. Kc3 a5 9. Kd4 a4 10. Rc7 $1 {,
heading for a7, a position that we are familiar with from the note to Black's
fourth move.} ({Incidentally,} 10. Rg6 a3 11. Kxd5 a2 12. Kc6 {also works for
White.})) 6. Rxc6 d4 7. Kxa6 d3 8. Rh6 $1 {A decisive switch of angle.} Rxc5 9.
b7 Rc6+ {A joke in a lost position.} 10. Rxc6 1-0

[Event "Pasadena"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1932.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kashdan, I."]
[Black "Steiner, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/6pk/2n4p/pNP5/8/4P1PP/2R3K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1932.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Activity above material --- As we saw more than once in the previous section,
sometimes the defender should be ready to give up material in exchange for
activity, and the same goes for the stronger side. We came across several
related cases earlier in the book, such as Berkes-Horvath, Karpov-Miles,
Kochyev-Hansen, Safarli-Melkumyan and Moskalenko-Arencibia. Here are some more.
--- White has an extra pawn, but his passed pawn on c5 is firmly blocked by
the enemy knight. Kashdan found a strong idea, in the spirit of "activity
above material". ---} 1. Nd4 $1 {It is worth a pawn to eliminate that knight.}
({In contrast,} 1. Kf3 $6 Kg6 {, followed by ...Kf6, would increase Black's
chances of survival.}) 1... Nxd4 ({Or} 1... Rc8 2. Nxc6 Rxc6 3. Kf3 {,
followed by Ke4-d5.}) 2. exd4 Rxd4 3. c6 Rd8 4. Kf3 $1 {King first!} ({The
impulsive} 4. c7 $2 {fails after} Rc8 5. Kf3 a4 $1 6. Ke4 a3 7. Kd5 a2 {with a
draw.}) 4... a4 ({Or} 4... Kg6 5. Ke4 Kf6 6. c7 Rc8 7. Kd5 {and the king
reaches c6.}) 5. Ke4 a3 6. Ke5 {The king is finally ready to assist the passed
pawn.} Rd3 {The threat of 7 c7 and Kd6-d7 next forces Black to desperate
action.} 7. c7 a2 8. Rxa2 Rc3 9. Kd6 Rd3+ 10. Kc6 Rc3+ 11. Kb7 Rb3+ 12. Ka8 Rc3
13. Ra7 $1 {. Preparing a bridge. In view of 14 Kb8 next, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Meulders, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/R7/6p1/4P2p/4P3/6PK/4r2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In view of the weak e-pawns and Black's ideally placed rook on e2, White
seems to be a long way from victory. However... ---} 1. Kh4 $1 {A key move,
sacrificing any of the pawns in order to activate the king.} Rxe4+ ({After} 
1... Rxh2+ $6 2. Kg5 Rg2 3. Kf6 {, White's task is even easier.}) 2. Kg5 Rxe5+
3. Kxg6 Re2 4. Rf7+ Ke8 ({If} 4... Kg8 {, then} 5. Rg7+ Kf8 6. h4 $1 {and wins
- Timman, since the h5-pawn won't survive for long; e.g.} Re3 7. Kh6 Re6+ 8.
Rg6 Re5 9. Rg5 {.}) 5. h3 $1 ({Not} 5. h4 $2 Re3 {, followed by 6...Rxg3, and
Black draws comfortably thanks to the "bad" rook's pawn. After the text, White
will keep a knight's pawn instead.}) 5... Rg2 ({Or} 5... Re3 6. g4 Rxh3 7. g5
h4 8. Rf4 {and wins - Timman. In fact we will soon reach the same position in
the game.}) 6. Rf3 h4 7. g4 Rg3 8. Rf4 $1 Rxh3 9. g5 Ke7 {Thanks to the
cut-off enemy king, White is easily winning.} 10. Kg7 Ke6 11. g6 Ke5 12. Rf1
Rg3 13. Kf7 1-0

[Event "Candidates semi-final, Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/5p1k/4bPpp/3pN3/2pP3P/r1P5/5PPK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this delicate position, White correctly opted for active means. ---} 1. f4
$1 {Preparing h4-h5 and f4-f5 in breakthrough fashion, so that the f7-pawn can
be captured without entering a rook ending.} ({Instead, after} 1. Rf8 $6 Rxc3
2. Nxf7 Bxf7 3. Rxf7+ Kg8 4. Rg7+ ({or} 4. Rd7 Rd3 5. Rxd5 Kf7 {and Black holds
}) 4... Kf8 5. Rxg6 Rd3 {, White is hardly any better - Carlsen.}) 1... Rxc3 ({
The restrictive} 1... h5 $2 {fails to} 2. Nf3 {and 3 Ng5+.}) 2. h5 $1 gxh5 ({
After} 2... g5 $2 3. f5 Bxf5 4. Nxf7 {, Black is mated}) ({while} 2... Rb3 3.
hxg6+ fxg6 4. Re8 Rb6 5. Re7+ Kg8 6. Rg7+ $1 Kf8 7. Nxg6+ Ke8 8. Ne5 {,
followed by f4-f5, also wins for White - Carlsen.}) 3. Rf8 {With the
inevitable threat of f4-f5.} Ra3 4. f5 Bxf5 5. Rxf7+ Kg8 6. Rg7+ Kf8 7. Rb7 Ra8
{At first sight it is far from clear how White can make progress, but Carlsen
finds the key to the position.} 8. Kg3 $1 {Active king. Once the bishop is
chased away from f5, the knight will gain access to either g6 or d7, and mate
will be in the air.} Rd8 ({Aronian enables an exchange sacrifice on d7, seeing
that} 8... c3 9. Kf4 c2 10. Kxf5 $1 c1=Q 11. Ng6+ {leads to mate after} Ke8 ({
or} 11... Kg8 12. Rg7#) 12. f7+ Kd8 13. f8=Q# {- Carlsen.}) 9. Kf4 Be4 10. g3 {
Avoiding any scenarios of a theoretical draw.} ({Another path to victory was} 
10. Nf7 {, followed by Nxh6 and Rg7-g8 in computer style - Carlsen.}) 10... c3
11. Rf7+ Kg8 12. Rg7+ Kf8 13. Nd7+ Rxd7 14. Rxd7 ({In view of his desperate
position after} 14. Rxd7 c2 15. Rc7 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Nanjing"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dzagnidze, N."]
[Black "Ju Wenjun"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/8/3p4/P1p1k3/2P1P3/4K3/8/r7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White has an extra pawn, but Black is very active. Dzagnidze found the only
practical chance. ---} 1. Re8+ Kf6 2. e5+ $1 dxe5 $6 ({The unexpected} 2... Kf5
$1 {was called for, when White would have to settle for a draw; e.g.} 3. a6 ({
the point is that} 3. exd6 $4 {fails to} Re1+) 3... Ra3+ 4. Kd2 Rxa6 5. exd6
Rxd6+ 6. Kc3 {.}) 3. Ke4 {By this point the kings have definitely changed
roles.} Rxa5 $2 {It is hard to believe, but Black is now lost despite the
extra pawn!} (3... Rd1 $1 {was essential, cutting off the white king from the
d-file; e.g.} 4. a6 Rd4+ 5. Ke3 Rd7 6. Rf8+ Ke7 7. Rb8 Ke6 8. Rb1 Rh7 9. Ra1
Rh3+ 10. Kf2 Rh8 11. a7 Ra8 12. Ke3 Kd6 13. Ke4 Kc6 14. Kxe5 Re8+ 15. Kf5 Kb7
16. Ra5 Ra8 {with a draw - Baburin.}) 4. Kd5 $1 {In the same spirit of
activity above material.} ({In contrast,} 4. Rxe5 $2 Ra1 ({or} 4... Ra4) 5.
Rxc5 Ke6 {is a draw.}) 4... Ra7 5. Re6+ $1 {The e5-pawn is White's first
priority.} ({On} 5. Kxc5 $2 {, Black can draw in several ways; e.g.} Re7 ({or} 
5... Kf5 {.})) 5... Kf7 6. Rxe5 {Black's king has been fatally cut off.} Ra8 7.
Re1 Rc8 8. Kd6 Kf8 9. Kd7 Ra8 10. Rf1+ $1 {Good technique, further displacing
the enemy king.} Kg7 11. Kc6 Rc8+ 12. Kb7 Rd8 13. Rf5 Rd4 14. Rxc5 Kf6 15. Rc8
Ke6 {Black's king finally manages to get closer, but as we already know from
Chapter Three, when the defender's king is placed on the long side of the pawn,
salvation is not possible.} 16. c5 Kd5 17. c6 Rb4+ 18. Kc7 Rh4 19. Rg8 Ke6 20.
Rd8 Ra4 21. Kb7 1-0

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1963.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Petrosian, TV."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3k2p/1p2p1p1/bP6/P1K5/2N1P3/2R2PPP/3r4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rh1 $2 ({Despite being a pawn down, Black would have had reasonable
drawing chances in the rook ending arising after} 1... Bxc3 $1 2. Kxc3 Rh1 (
2... Ra1 {is also possible}) 3. h3 Kd7 {. Instead, Botvinnik opts for a
different move order, which yields White a golden opportunity.}) 2. Ne4 $1 {
Petrosian exploits the moment to improve his knight and king, unworried about
the loss of the h-pawn.} Rxh2 3. Kd4 Kd7 ({Or} 3... Rxg2 4. Rc7+ Kd8 5. Rxh7 {
, followed by Ke5, with a huge advantage - 'Bulletin'.}) 4. g3 $1 ({Avoiding
} 4. g4 $6 h5 $1 5. g5 h4 {with counterplay.}) 4... Bb4 5. Ke5 $1 {The king
has found a path along f6-g7.} Rh5+ ({Obviously, the restrictive} 5... Be7 {
now fails to} 6. Rd2+ {and 7 Kxe6.}) 6. Kf6 Be7+ 7. Kg7 $1 e5 {The picture has
changed completely since the initial diagram - material is equal, but
White's activity is overwhelming.} 8. Rc6 $1 {Preparing Kf7 and Re6 in order
to deflect the bishop from either of the crucial d6- and f6-squares.} Rh1 9.
Kf7 Ra1 ({The passive} 9... Rh5 {can be met by} 10. g4 (10. a5 $5 {, opening
a new front on the queenside, is interesting as well}) 10... Rh4 11. Re6 Bd8
12. Rd6+ {- 'Bulletin'.}) 10. Re6 $1 Bd8 {Very passive;} ({but the rook
ending arising after} 10... Bc5 11. Nxc5+ bxc5 12. Rxe5 Rxa4 13. Rxc5 {should
also win for White, whose king remains extraordinarily placed on f7.}) ({On
the other hand,} 10... Bb4 {permits} 11. Nf6+ Kc8 12. Rxe5 {, when} Rxa4 {
unfortunately runs into} 13. Re4 $1 {with 14 Nd5 next - 'Bulletin'.}) 11.
Rd6+ ({The materialistic} 11. Rxe5 Rxa4 12. Kg7 {was possible too, but
Petrosian prefers a different plan, based on the gradual restriction of the
enemy pieces.}) 11... Kc8 ({If} 11... Kc7 $2 {, then} 12. Ke8 {and the bishop
is trapped.}) 12. Ke8 $1 Bc7 13. Rc6 Rd1 {On the defensive.} (13... Rxa4 $2 {
was impossible due to} 14. Nc3 {followed by 15 Nd5 - 'Bulletin'}) ({while
after} 13... Kb7 14. Ng5 $1 {, Black still can't play} Rxa4 {in view of} 15.
Ne6 Bb8 16. Nd8+ Ka8 17. Rc8 {, followed by Nc6, with a tragicomical position.}
) 14. Ng5 Rd8+ 15. Kf7 Rd7+ {There was the threat of 15 Rxc7+.} 16. Kg8 {. In
view of the rapid collapse of his kingside, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eljanov, P."]
[Black "Kosic, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1n3kpp/1Bb1pp2/pp6/3KPP2/PP6/4B1PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Opening a new front --- In the later stages of the game, it is often
difficult to realize a positional advantage if the opponent has only one
weakness, or in wider terms, one single burden. In the endgame this is
particularly evident, as the reduced material tends to have a relieving effect
upon the defence. Thus a key idea for the attacker is to create an additional
burden, such as a weak enemy pawn, an entry square, an open file, or a passed
pawn of his own, in order to exhaust the opponent's defences. --- When
starting such action we often aren't sure about what kind of burden will
appear in the end, and this is the reason why I prefer the more general term
"new front" to the usual "the principle of two weaknesses". By the way,
note that the number of burdens (two, three, four, etc) isn't the main point
here - what counts is the effect caused upon the defender. --- Throughout
the book we came across many cases of opening a new front; e.g. in
Averbakh-Matanovic, Tiviakov-Anand, Smyslov-Karlsson, Savchenko-Couso,
Kacheishvili-Atakisi, and others. In fact, the whole section on fixing pawns
in Chapter Four involved this idea. Here are some further examples. --- Thanks
to his bishop pair and more active king White is much better, but Black has
managed, using a barrier, to set up a fortress on the queenside. ---} 1. h4 $1
{Opening a new front on the opposite flank.} ({Less was promised by} 1. e5 f5
2. g4 fxg4 3. Bxg4 g6) ({or} 1. Bf3 Ke7 2. e5 Bxf3 3. gxf3 f5 4. a4 bxa4 5.
bxa4 Kd7 {with 6...Kc6 next.}) 1... Ke7 2. g4 Kd6 3. e5+ {Avoiding 3...e5+
while clearing the b1-h7 diagonal for the bishop.} fxe5+ 4. fxe5+ Ke7 5. Bd3 g6
({Or} 5... h6 6. h5 Kf7 7. Ke3 $1 Ke7 8. Kf4 Kf7 9. g5 {with similar play.}) 6.
h5 $1 {Such pawn breaks, with the purpose of creating new weaknesses, are
typical when possessing the bishop pair in the endgame. We saw some related
cases in Examples 275 (Gurevich-Sandipan) and 277 (Illescas-Krasenkow).} gxh5
7. gxh5 h6 8. Be2 Kf7 9. Kc3 Kg7 10. Bd3 Kf7 11. b4 {Finally fixing the
b5-pawn. This means that White will no longer be able to enter with the king
via b4-a5 but, as we will see next, he has other plans.} a4 12. Be3 Kg7 13. Kd4
Be8 14. Be2 ({A good alternative was} 14. Be4 $1 Nd8 15. Kc5 Bxh5 16. Kxb5 {
with similar play as after White's 20th move in the game.}) 14... Bc6 15. Bf4
Kh7 16. Bf1 $1 {Losing a tempo.} Kg7 17. Bd3 {Zugzwang - one of Black's
various burdens (the b5-pawn, the entry square on c5, the h6-pawn and the
h1-a8 diagonal) can no longer be carried on his shoulders.} Be8 18. Be4 {
Destroying the enemy barrier.} Nd8 19. Kc5 Bxh5 20. Kxb5 {Such positions with
mutual passed pawns are much to the liking of the bishop pair.} Be8+ ({After} 
20... Bg6 21. Bg2 Bc2 22. Kb6 Kg6 23. Kc7 Kf5 24. Bh2 Nf7 25. b5 {, White also
wins - Müller.}) 21. Kc5 h5 22. Bg5 Nf7 23. Bf6+ {. Helpless against the
looming advance of the b-pawn, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kharlov, A."]
[Black "Petukhov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/1prkn2p/p1bp1pp1/P2p1p2/1N1P4/1P2PB2/2PK1PPP/R6R w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In view of the chronic weakness on d5 White is better, but how to progress?
---} 1. h3 $1 {Preparing g2-g4 with a new front on the kingside.} Ke6 ({If} 
1... h5 {, then} 2. g4 $1 {anyway, when at least one file is cleared for the
rooks.}) 2. g4 Rh8 3. Rag1 fxg4 4. hxg4 ({Another option was} 4. Bxg4+ $5 f5 5.
Bf3 {, with h4-h5 next, in order to create a weakness on g6 - Roiz.}) 4... g5
$6 {Black enables ...Be8-g6, but "don't move your pawns where you are weaker"
goes an old saying.} ({A safer choice was} 4... h6 {, followed by ... Kf7-g7 -
Roiz.}) 5. Rh6 Be8 6. Bh1 $1 {Preparing f2-f4 with increased pressure on Black.
} (6. e4 dxe4 7. Bxe4 Bg6 8. Bxg6 Nxg6 9. Re1+ Kf7 10. Nd5 Rcc8 {and Black
keeps the material balance.}) 6... Bg6 7. f4 Be4 $2 {A tactical slip.} ({
Correct was} 7... Kf7 $1 8. c3 ({not} 8. f5 $6 Kg7 {and 9... Bf7}) 8... Kg7 9.
Rh3 Be4 10. Bxe4 dxe4 {with an inferior, but materially balanced position.}) 8.
fxg5 Ng8 9. Bxe4 dxe4 10. d5+ Kf7 ({Or} 10... Ke5 11. Rf1 $1 Nxh6 12. gxh6 {
with mate - Roiz.}) 11. g6+ $1 {Perhaps Black had overlooked this intermediate
check, which preserves White's extra pawn.} Kg7 12. Rxh7+ Rxh7 13. gxh7 Kxh7
14. c4 $1 {Kharlov clears a path for his knight along c2-d4, and takes a first
step in the future advance of the queenside pawn majority.} Kg6 15. Nc2 Nh6 16.
Kc3 Nf7 ({Or} 16... Rg7 17. Nd4 Kf7 18. Rh1 $1 {, when both} Rg6 ({and} 18...
Nxg4 19. Nf5) 19. Nf5 Nxf5 20. gxf5 {, followed by Kd4, are terminal for Black
- Roiz.}) 17. Nd4 Ne5 18. g5 $1 {A clever temporary sacrifice to activate the
rook.} f5 ({If} 18... fxg5 {, then} 19. Ne6 Re7 ({or} 19... Nf3 20. Rxg5+ $1
Nxg5 21. Nxc7 Kf5 22. Ne6 $1 {, heading for d8}) 20. Rxg5+ Kf6 21. Rg8 {with
an overwhelming advantage.}) 19. Rh1 Ng4 20. Ne6 Rc8 ({Or} 20... Re7 21. Rh8
Nxe3 22. Rh6+ Kf7 23. Rh7+ Ke8 24. g6 {etc - Roiz.}) 21. Rh3 Rb8 22. b4 b6 23.
axb6 Rxb6 24. Rh8 Ne5 ({If} 24... Nxe3 {, then} 25. Rh6+ Kf7 26. g6+ {etc.})
25. Rh6+ Kf7 26. Rf6+ ({In view of his hopeless position after} 26. Rf6+ Ke7
27. Nd4 {, Black resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Salov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r1r4/4kp2/3p2p1/pPpBpb1p/P1P5/4PPP1/3R1KP1/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this endgame, the pawn structure speaks clearly in White's favour: the
protected passed pawn on b5 is a constant headache for Black, who also suffers
from weak points at d5 and d6. However, for the moment Salov has everything
defended, and it is evident that White should try to add some complexity to
the position. ---} 1. Rf1 $1 {Preparing the opening of a new front on the
f-file.} Rb6 ({Here and later} 1... Be6 {was possible in order to swap the
active enemy bishop, although after} 2. e4 Bxd5 3. Rxd5 {, followed by Ke3 and
f3-f4 or g3-g4, White keeps a clear initiative. Interestingly, Salov had
declined the exchange of bishops on d5 a few moves earlier, whereas Sokolov in
his 'Chess Informant' notes suggested it.}) 2. Ke1 (2. e4) ({or} 2. Ke2 {
seemed more natural, but Sokolov is not in a hurry, aware that the opponent
can't undertake anything active.}) 2... Rf8 3. Ke2 Rbb8 4. e4 Bc8 5. Ke3 Rb6 6.
Rdf2 $1 {White has deployed his forces in an ideal way, and now waits for the
right moment to clear the f-file.} Bd7 ({In the event of} 6... f6 {, Dautov
indicates the sacrifice} 7. g4 $1 hxg4 8. Rh1 {, when both} gxf3 ({and} 8...
Be6 9. fxg4 Bxd5 10. cxd5 {, followed by Kd3-c4}) 9. Rh7+ Kd8 10. gxf3 Bd7 11.
Rfh2 {, preparing Rg7 and Rhh7, clearly favour White.}) 7. g4 $1 {The right
pawn, so as to clear two files in one strike.} (7. f4 $6 f6 {is less
convincing; e.g.} 8. f5 g5 9. Rh1 Rh8 10. g4 Be8 11. g3 Rh6 12. Rfh2 Rh8 13.
gxh5 Rh6 14. g4 Bf7 15. Bxf7 Kxf7 16. Rd2 Ke7 17. Rhd1 Rh8 18. Rh1 Rh6 {and
Black holds - Dautov.}) 7... hxg4 ({Or} 7... h4 8. g5 {with ideas like 9 f4
and 9 Rh1 - Sokolov.}) 8. fxg4 Be6 ({Seeing that} 8... f6 $6 9. g5 f5 10. Rh1 {
would be very unpleasant for him, Salov finally accepts the exchange of
bishops.}) 9. g5 {Fixing a target on f7.} Rbb8 10. Rf6 $1 {Provoking the
capture on d5.} Bxd5 ({In the event of} 10... Rbc8 {, White increases the
pressure by} 11. Rh1 $1 {, heading for h7; e.g.} Rh8 12. Rxh8 Rxh8 13. Bxe6
fxe6 14. Rxg6 {and wins - Dautov.}) 11. cxd5 $1 {The correct recapture so as
to enable a future entrance of the king on the queenside.} Rb7 12. Kd3 Rd7 13.
Kc4 Rb7 14. R1f3 ({The immediate} 14. Rh1 {was also strong.}) 14... Rbb8 15.
Rh3 $1 {The last straw - in order to resist the invasion of the enemy rook,
Black will have to abandon defensive tasks on other parts of the board. This
is indeed the essence of the "new front" theme.} Rh8 ({Or} 15... Rb6 16. Rh7
Ke8 17. g3 $1 {with a decisive zugzwang - Sokolov; e.g.} Ke7 18. Rxg6 {.}) 16.
Rxh8 Rxh8 17. b6 $1 {Of course; with credit to White's 11th move.} Rh1 18. Kb5
c4 ({Seeing that} 18... Rb1+ 19. Ka6 {is hopeless for him, Salov opts for
drastic measures.}) 19. b7 ({Evidently,} 19. Kxc4 $4 Rb1 {would ruin all
White's previous efforts - Dautov.}) 19... c3 20. Ka6 Rb1 ({Or} 20... c2 21.
b8=Q c1=Q 22. Qb7+ {with a quick mate.}) 21. Rf3 c2 22. Rc3 {. With Ka7 and
b7-b8Q coming up, Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Heinatz, T."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1b3p1p/p3p1p1/8/4P3/r2B3P/P2R1PP1/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Black is better thanks to his more active rook and bishop, but obviously it
is no big advantage. To win such positions you usually need some mistakes from
your opponent, so your task is to create the opportunities for him! ---} 1...
g5 $1 {Fixing the h3-pawn as a future target while preparing ...Kg7-f6-e5.} ({
Less precise was} 1... Kg7 $6 2. h4 $1 {.}) 2. Ke2 Kg7 3. g3 $6 {A natural
choice;} ({so as to meet} 3. g3 Kf6 {with the restrictive} 4. f4 {, but now
the kingside structure becomes less stable.}) ({Active defence with} 3. Rb2 Bc6
4. Rb6 $1 {was preferable; e.g.} Be8 ({or} 4... Rxa2+ 5. Ke3 {, recovering the
pawn at once}) 5. Bc4 $1 {(both here and on the next move, the a6-pawn is
poisoned)} Kf6 6. Kd2 $1 {, heading for c2-b2, when Black has nothing better
than} Bb5 {, simplifying to a draw.}) 3... Bc6 $1 4. Rb2 ({Due to Black's
previous move,} 4. f4 $2 {fails here to} gxf4 5. gxf4 Bb5 $1 6. Bxb5 axb5 7. h4
Rh3 {.}) ({But the active} 4. Rc2 $5 {was possible; e.g.} Ba4 5. Rc5 $1 Rxa2+
6. Ke3 h6 7. Ra5 {with an impending draw.}) 4... Kf6 {Now how should White
cope with the threat of ...Ke5 - ?} 5. Kd2 $2 {A useless move provoked by time
trouble.} (5. f4 $2 {was equally bad due to} gxf4 6. gxf4 Bb5 7. Bxb5 Rxh3 $1 {
and Black wins a pawn.}) ({On the other hand,} 5. Ke3 {seems rather natural.
However, Black could lose a tempo by} Bd7 $1 {, exploiting the fact that White
has no solid reply. There could follow} (5... Bb5 6. Rb3 {is unconvincing}) ({
while} 5... Ke5 {can be met by} 6. f4+) 6. Kd2 ({not} 6. Rc2 $2 Bb5) 6... h5 $1
{(working on a new front)} 7. Ke3 ({or} 7. h4 $6 g4) 7... h4 8. gxh4 gxh4 9. f4
e5 $1 10. f5 Bb5 11. Rb3 Rxa2 12. Bxb5 axb5 13. Kf3 Kg5 $1 14. Rxb5 Ra3+ {and
15...Kf4 next, with good winning prospects.}) ({Thus White's best chance is
probably} 5. Rb6 {, when Black could reply} Be8 $1 6. Bc4 a5 {, followed by
h7-h5, just as before. Contrary to the 3 Rb2 subline, here} 7. Kd2 Ke5 8. Kc2
$2 {runs into} Rf3 $1 {, when the defects of 3 g3 make themselves remembered.})
5... Ke5 6. Rb6 ({Or} 6. f3 f5 $1 7. exf5 exf5 {with strong pressure.}) 6...
Bxe4 7. Bxa6 Rxa2+ 8. Ke3 {In a pure rook ending or bishop ending, White would
have good drawing chances in such a structure; but with both of them on the
board, he won't be able to parry the attack on the h3-pawn.} Ra3+ 9. Ke2 Bf3+ (
{Another good option was} 9... Bf5 {, softening up that pawn for the rook.})
10. Kd2 Bg2 11. Bd3 h5 $1 {Pawn trades usually favour the defender, and this
is no exception.} 12. h4 gxh4 13. gxh4 Ra4 {Conquering the h-pawn, with an
easy win.} ({There followed} 13... Ra4 14. Rb5+ Bd5 15. Rb8 Rxh4 16. Be2 Rh1
17. Ke3 h4 18. Rh8 Bg2 19. Rh5+ f5 20. f3 h3 21. Rh6 Rc1 22. Kd2 Rc6 23. Ke3
Rc3+ 24. Kf2 Rc2 25. Ke3 {and the rest of this endgame was covered in Example
418 at the beginning of Chapter Seven.}) 0-1

[Event "Polanica Zdroj"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nikolic, P."]
[Black "Movsesian, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/r6p/p1pk1pp1/R3p3/8/1P2K1P1/P3PP1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is evidently better in this rook ending, but the weak pawns on a6 and
c6 alone won't be enough for victory. ---} 1. g4 $1 {A key advance in order to
open a new front on the kingside. Note that on most other moves Black could
reply 1...h5!, gaining some space and avoiding a future target on the h-file,
an idea that we are familiar with from the "Space" section in Chapter Six.} h6
({The active} 1... c5 $2 {backfires after} 2. Kd3 Kc6 3. Kc4 {- Stohl}) ({while
} 1... h5 $5 {is well met by} 2. gxh5 gxh5 3. f4 $1 {, intending f4xe5+ and
Ke4.}) 2. h4 Ra8 {Awaiting White's next step.} ({Instead, active defence with} 
2... f5 $2 {would just help the opponent after} 3. gxf5 gxf5 4. f4 $1 {, when
the f5-pawn turns into a target.}) 3. b4 Ra7 4. a3 {An ideal structure in such
positions, reinforcing White's control of the a5- and c5-squares.} Ra8 5. Kd3
Ra7 6. e3 Ra8 7. f4 $1 {Nikolic resumes the work on the new front.} ({After} 7.
f4 {, there is now the threat of} -- 8. fxe5+ fxe5 9. Ke4 {.}) 7... exf4 8.
exf4 Kc7 {Black prepares ...Kb6 and ...Rd8+ in order to activate his rook, but
White is first to create new threats on the kingside.} 9. h5 $1 {This advance
is bound to create some weakness in the enemy camp. Note that, from a5, the
rook is able to act on both flanks at the same time.} gxh5 ({After} 9... g5 10.
Ke4 {, the king invades via f5-g6 with decisive effect}) ({while the sacrifice
} 9... Rg8 {makes little sense after} 10. Rxa6 gxh5 11. gxh5 Rg4 12. Ke4 Rh4
13. Ra5 {and White defends everything - Stohl.}) 10. Rxh5 ({Less promising is} 
10. gxh5 $6 Kd6 11. Ke4 Ke6 12. Rc5 Rc8 13. a4 Kd6 14. Kf5 Rb8 $1 {with
counterplay for Black.}) 10... Rg8 11. Rh4 $1 ({Nikolic avoids} 11. Rxh6 $6
Rxg4 12. Rxf6 Rg3+ 13. Ke4 Rxa3 {, when the draw is not far away.}) 11... Kd7 (
{A counterstrike with} 11... f5 {permits} 12. gxf5 Rg3+ 13. Ke4 Rxa3 14. f6 $1
{, followed by Kf5, when the f6-pawn becomes very dangerous.}) 12. Ke4 Ke6 13.
Kf3 $1 {Liberating the rook from the defence of the g4-pawn. Thus White
doesn't just renew the threat to h6, he also prepares to return the rook to
the queenside, where Black's pawns have been rather abandoned by the ...
Kc7-d7-e6 manoeuvre.} Rh8 14. Rh5 Rh7 15. Kg3 $1 {A useful move before
switching flank with the rook. Once it reaches h5, the king will become a
powerful attacking piece.} Rd7 16. Ra5 Ra7 17. Kh4 Kf7 18. Kh5 Kg7 19. f5 $1 ({
Seeing that} 19. Rc5 Rc7 20. a4 $6 {runs into} Rb7 21. Rxc6 Rxb4 22. Rxa6 Rxf4
{, Nikolic secures the f-pawn in advance. Meanwhile, Black has no
corresponding prophylaxis at his disposal, and must shed a vital tempo.}) 19...
Kh7 20. Rc5 Rc7 21. a4 $1 Kg7 22. b5 {White's positional assets are finally
converted into material gains. Note the impact of a second front - with the
kings on, say, d4 and d7 instead, the plan with b4-b5 wouldn't have been
nearly as effective.} axb5 23. axb5 Rb7 24. bxc6 Rc7 25. Rc1 $1 {Zugzwang.} Rc8
({If} 25... Kh7 {, then} 26. Rd1 $1 {is the simplest way to victory; e.g.} Rxc6
27. Rd7+ Kg8 28. Kg6 {(winning a tempo thanks to the mating threat - this is
the reason why 25 Rc1 was more precise than 25 Rd5)} Kf8 29. Rf7+ Ke8 30. Rxf6
Rc4 31. Kh5 {, followed by 32 Rxh6 - Stohl.}) 26. c7 Kf7 27. Rc6 ({Nikolic of
course avoids} 27. Kxh6 $4 Rh8# {.}) 27... Kg7 28. Kh4 $1 {Heading for the
opposite flank.} Kf7 29. Kg3 ({After} 29. Kg3 Ke7 30. Kf4 Kf7 31. Ke4 Ke7 32.
Kd5 {, both} Kf7 ({and} 32... Kd7 33. Rxf6) 33. Kd6 {are terminal, so Black
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Munich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lobron, E."]
[Black "Gurevich, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2b4/8/3pk1p1/1P4P1/2K1PB2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{The next, complex example highlights the usage of zugzwang when working on
multiple fronts. --- Thanks to his more active king and the weak pawn on g4,
Black has a clear advantage in this bishop ending. Note that the d5-pawn is
hardly a weakness, since it will be ready to advance as soon as the white king
leaves the third rank. ---} 1. Kd3 {Lobron makes a waiting move with the king,
so that the bishop keeps controlling both the g4-pawn and the entry square on
e4.} Bb5+ 2. Kd2 ({After} 2. Kc3 Ba6 {, a first zugzwang emerges. The bishop
should keep the e4-square under control, but if it moves to g2 or h1, then 3...Be2 follows. Thus White must move his king; e.g.} 3. Kd2 {, and after} d4 {,
similar play arises as in the game.}) 2... d4 {A small triumph for Black - the
opponent is further pushed back and a future path along d5-c4 is cleared for
the king.} 3. Bb7 {Another waiting move.} ({Here and later,} 3. exd4+ $2 Kxd4 {
clearly favours Black, whose king now occupies a dominant position, with the
b4-pawn in sight.}) ({On the other hand, after} 3. Bb7 {, Black does not
benefit from} dxe3+ $6 4. Kxe3 {at any moment. As a result, the tension is
likely to remain for a while.}) ({But} 3. Bd1 $5 {was a good alternative, so
as to keep the bishop close to the f3-square, and at the same time enable
checks at c2 or b3 if Black's king moves to e4 or d5 respectively. There can
follow} Ke4 4. Bc2+ d3 5. Bb3 Bd7 6. Bd1 $1 Be6 7. Ba4 {(thanks to the
previous move, the bishop reaches a more active diagonal)} Kf3 8. Kxd3 Bxg4 9.
e4 {. White's idea is simple: sacrifice the bishop for the g-pawn in order to
leave the opponent with a rook's pawn and the "wrong" bishop. Black would like
avoid this scenario by shepherding the g-pawn with the bishop, but in that
case White's e-pawn will be ready to advance; e.g.} Kf2 ({or} 9... Be6 10. Bd1+
$1 Kf4 11. Kd4 g4 12. Bxg4 $1 Bxg4 13. Kc3 {, followed by Kb2-a1 and White
achieves his goal, the pawns on b4 and e4 having no relevance}) 10. e5 Bf5+ 11.
Kd4 g4 12. Bc6 g3 13. Kc5 Bg4 14. Kd6 Bf3 15. Bxf3 Kxf3 16. e6 {will lead to a
draw.}) 3... Be8 $1 {Gurevich prepares the following plan: 1) chase away the
white bishop from the long diagonal by ...Bg6-e4; 2) transfer his own bishop
to the h3-c8 diagonal in order to tie its white colleague to the g4-pawn; 3)
place the king on d5. As we will see next, if this plan succeeds then White
might end up in zugzwang.} 4. Bf3 Bg6 5. Bb7 $2 {This lazy move seems like the
decisive mistake.} ({Again} 5. Bd1 $1 {was called for; e.g.} Be4 ({or} 5... Bb1
6. Bf3 Ba2 7. Kd3) 6. Ke2 $1 Bc6 7. Kd2 Bb5 ({if} 7... Ke4 {, then} 8. Bc2+ Kf3
9. Bd1+) 8. Bf3 {and Black has not progressed.}) 5... Be4 $1 6. Bc8 ({The pawn
ending arising after} 6. Bxe4 $2 Kxe4 7. exd4 Kxd4 {is easily won for Black}) (
{but} 6. Ba6 {was more tenacious. There can follow} Bc6 7. Be2 ({if} 7. Bd3 {
, then} Bd7 8. Be2 Kd5 $1 {with the same zugzwang that later emerges in the
game}) ({on the other hand,} 7. Kd3 dxe3 8. Kxe3 Bd7 9. Be2 Kd5 10. Bf1 $1 Bxg4
11. Ba6 {might yield some slight hope of survival, related to a bishop
sacrifice for the g-pawn as in the 3 Bd1 subline}) 7... Ke4 8. Bd3+ Kd5 9. Ke2
{. White seems to be holding his own, but after} ({on} 9. Be2 {, there follows
the same reply}) 9... Bd7 $1 {, Black achieves a similar zugzwang as later on
in the game;} 10. Bf5 {, then} ({e.g.} 10. e4+ Ke5 11. Kf3 Bc6 12. b5 ({it is
unpleasant to place all the pawns on the "wrong" colour, but} 12. Bc2 Bb5 13.
Bb1 {failed to} Bc4 $1 {, followed by d4-d3, and the king enters via d4}) 12...
Bd7 13. Bc4 Kd6 {and the weakness on b5 decides matters after} 14. Bd3 Kc5 15.
e5 Bxb5 16. Bxb5 Kxb5 17. Ke4 Kc5 18. e6 Kd6 {.}) (10. Kf3 $2 dxe3 {drops a
pawn}) 10... Bb5+ $1 ({but not} 10... Bxf5 $2 11. gxf5 dxe3 12. b5 $1 {,
gaining space with a draw}) 11. Kd2 Kc4 $1 {and Black should win; e.g.} 12.
Bd3+ Kxb4 13. exd4 Bxd3 14. Kxd3 a5 15. Ke4 a4 16. d5 Kc5 $1 {and the a-pawn
queens with check.}) 6... Bc6 7. Ba6 ({After} 7. Kd3 Bb5+ 8. Kd2 Kd5 {,
Black's king enters decisively via c4 - Gurevich}) ({while} 7. Bf5 Kd5 8. Bd3
Bd7 9. Be2 {runs into} Bc8 $1 {, repeating the zugzwang.}) 7... Bd7 8. Be2 Kd5
$1 {Gurevich has reached his goal. The white bishop must cover both weaknesses:
the g4-pawn and the entry square on c4. As it is already performing that task,
a waiting move is needed for White. However, there is none available, with the
king tied to the e3-pawn.} 9. Bf3+ {The least of evils - Lobron lets the enemy
king enter via c4, in exchange for the d4-pawn.} (9. Kd3 {failed to} Bb5+ {
with an easily won pawn ending. The pawn moves aren't advisable either.}) 9...
Kc4 10. Be2+ Kxb4 11. exd4 a5 {Black's plan is now simple: advance the a-pawn
in order to deflect the white king, and then eliminate the enemy pawns with
his own king.} (11... Bc6 $6 {was less convincing due to} 12. Ba6 $1 {,
obstructing the a-pawn.}) 12. Kc2 ({After} 12. Bf3 Kb3 13. d5 ({or} 13. Kc1 Kc4
14. d5 Kd3 $1 {, heading for e4, and the white pawns will soon fall}) 13... Kb2
14. Bd1 a4 15. Bxa4 Bxa4 {, Black wins by 16...Bd7 on the next move.}) 12...
Bc6 $1 {Heading for the great blockading square on d5.} 13. Kb2 Bd5 14. Bd3 {
Lobron resigned at the same time.} ({There could have followed} 14. Bd3 a4 15.
Kc2 a3 16. Bf5 Bb3+ 17. Kb1 Kc3 {and Black wins comfortably - Gurevich.}) 0-1

[Event "Porec (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/3b2p1/3K1b2/7p/7P/5QP1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Fortresses --- A "fortress" could be defined as a defensive set-up which,
despite a material deficit and without much need of active defence, prevents
the stronger side from making progress. We saw a few attempts at a fortress in
Khalifman-Shaposhnikov, Matanovic-Larsen and Goldin-Korzubov, while the next,
simple example should also help to illustrate the idea. --- Two minor pieces
rarely compensate for a whole queen, but here we have an exception. ---} 1...
Bg4 $1 {. The fortress is complete - the bishops and the pawns defend
themselves mutually, while White's king won't be able to enter the e5-e8-h8-h5
square. Thus mate is not a concern for Black, neither is zugzwang, as he can
always move the king. In fact Larsen accepted a draw already in this position.
By the way, note that a fortress is more easily arranged when there is play on
one flank only.} (1... --) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Rostov on Don"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Psakhis, L."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3b1k2/1R4p1/5p2/1P1K1P1P/6n1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In the endgame, the team of rook and pawn often outperforms two minor pieces,
a subject that we touched upon at the end of Chapter Seven. In the above
position Black's task is further complicated by the strong passed pawn on b4,
supported by White's active pieces. Moreover, the g6-pawn is weak. ---} 1. b5 {
The most straightforward choice.} ({In the event of} 1. Ke5 {, Black could
reply} Nh5 2. Rb7 Ke8 3. Kd6 Ba4 {and the bishop stays on the a4-e8 diagonal,
ready to sacrifice itself for the b-pawn, just like in the game. Attempts to
chase it away make no sense; e.g.} 4. Ra7 Bb5 5. Ra5 Bf1 {and the bishop
switches to an even longer diagonal.}) 1... Bxb5 $1 {The most practical, and
perhaps only solution.} ({In contrast, after} 1... Ne4 $6 2. Rb8 {, followed
by b4-b5, the position remains very unpleasant for Black. If he sends his king
to the queenside, he probably loses the g6-pawn, after which the h-pawn turns
into a new concern for him. It is not really necessary to investigate whether
Black can save a draw here - you will soon see that the kind of static
inferiority faced by him in the game is much easier to deal with.}) 2. Rxb5 Kg7
3. Ke5 Nh5 $1 {The idea behind this fortress is simple. The only way for White
to make progress is to try to win the g6-pawn. In the process, both his king
and rook should attack it, which means that the f4-pawn becomes undefended.
The latter fact is exploited by the knight which, in the case of capturing on
f4, also protects the g6-pawn.} 4. Rb4 Kh7 5. Ke6 Kg7 6. Ra4 Ng3 {Let's see a
more critical continuation:} ({At this point, Psakhis continued} 6... Ng3 7.
Ra8 {and after} Nh5 8. Ke5 Ng3 {, a draw was agreed.}) 7. Ra7+ Kh6 8. Kf7 Nh5
9. Kg8 {The best try.} ({Both} 9. Ra8) ({and} 9. Ra4 {would be met by} Kh7 {,
when White hasn't achieved anything. Note that thanks to his spare move with
the king, Black never ends up in zugzwang.}) 9... Nf6+ 10. Kh8 {At this moment,
the knight can't move due to the mate on h7, so the king must leave the
fortress. Fortunately, the pawns on h4 and f4 are too exposed for White to
aspire to anything real.} Kh5 11. Kg7 Nd5 12. Ra4 Ne3 ({Another solution is} 
12... Kxh4 13. Rd4 ({or} 13. Kxg6 Kg4) 13... Nxf4 $1 14. Rxf4+ Kg3 {and the
advance of the f-pawn secures the draw.}) 13. Ra6 Nd5 $1 14. Rxg6 Kxh4 15. Rg5
Nxf4 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Russian Cup, Sochi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Voitsekhovsky, S."]
[Black "Yandemirov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pk1/3K1p2/1R3Pn1/6Pp/7P/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Two main weapons in the fight against a fortress are zugzwang and sacrifices.
We saw good proof of their use in Matanovic-Larsen and Goldin-Korzubov, and
here is another one. --- With precise play White can take this fortress. ---} 
1. Rb3 Kf8 2. Re3 Nh7 3. Kd7 Ng5 4. Kd8 Kg7 ({Black has to let the enemy king
come closer, since} 4... Nh7 {would just worsen things after} 5. Re8+ Kg7 6.
Ke7 Ng5 7. Rf8 $1 {(zugzwang)} Nxh3 8. Rxf7+ {and White wins - Finkel.}) 5. Ke7
Nh7 6. Ra3 Ng5 7. Rc3 $1 {Losing a tempo.} (7. Ra6 $6 Nxh3 8. Rxf6 Ng5 {is
less convincing.}) 7... Nh7 ({On} 7... Ne4 {, there follows the same reply.})
8. Rc6 {Black is finally in zugzwang.} Ng5 ({Or} 8... Kg8 9. Rxf6 $1 Nxf6 10.
Kxf6 {with an easy win.}) 9. Rxf6 Nxh3 10. Rxf7+ Kh6 11. Rf6+ Kh7 12. Rg6 Nf4
13. Kf7 $1 1-0

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Egin, V."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4pbk/4p1p1/1p2P2p/1P6/P1q2P2/4QPKP/4R3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In Psakhis-Smyslov we saw the creation of a fortress as a good defensive
option in practice; here are two further examples on this theme. --- Black is
a whole exchange down, but White's bad kingside structure provides some slight
compensation. Around this point I started working on a fortress, convinced
that it was the best defensive idea available. ---} 1... a5 $1 {To have any
chance of salvation Black needs to swap the queenside pawns, thus reducing the
number of possible targets in his camp, or enemy fronts, if you prefer. With
the battle limited to a single flank and just one weak pawn on f7, the
fortress will be more viable.} 2. bxa5 Qxa5 3. Rb1 ({White couldn't prevent
the second exchange of pawns; e.g.} 3. Qe3 b4 $1 {.}) 3... Qxa3 4. Rxb5 Qc1 5.
Qe3 Qc6 ({Of course not} 5... Qxe3 $2 6. fxe3 {and White's pawn structure has
been considerably improved, after which the plan of f3-f4, e3-e4 and f4-f5 in
order to split the black pawns, should suffice for victory.}) ({As for} 5...
Bh6 $5 6. Qxc1 Bxc1 {, White would keep some winning chances related to the
f3-f4-f5 breakthrough. In the game a similar position is reached, albeit with
the white h-pawn on h4, which evidently favours Black.}) 6. Ra5 {Heading for
the seventh rank.} Bh6 $2 {A careless move.} (6... Qc2 7. Qf4 Qc7 {was
essential, supervising the seventh rank.}) 7. Qd4 $2 ({In time-trouble both
players missed} 7. Qa7 Kg7 8. Qe7 $1 {, when the dual threats of 9 Ra7 and 9
Qf6+ cannot be parried properly; e.g.} Qc8 9. Ra7 Qf8 10. Qxe6 {with an easy
win.}) 7... Qc1 8. h4 $6 {Egin aims at preventing an annoying queen check on
g5, but from now on the h4-pawn turns into a target for the bishop.} ({
Nevertheless, it was not obvious how to make progress with White; e.g.} 8. Qd8
Qf4 9. Ra8 Bg7 {and Black holds.}) 8... Qf4 $1 {Supposedly we shouldn't
exchange pieces when behind in material, but I am confident about my fortress
idea.} 9. Ra4 ({If} 9. Qe4 Kg7 10. Ra7 {, then} g5 $5 {and Black should be
okay; e.g.} 11. Qxf4 ({after} 11. hxg5 $6 Qxg5+ {, the black queen is quite
annoying}) 11... gxf4 12. Kh3 ({or} 12. Kf1 Kg6 13. Ke2 Bg7 14. Ra5 Kf5 {etc})
12... Kg6 13. Ra1 Bg7 14. Rg1+ Kh6 {, when neither} 15. Rg5 ({nor} 15. Re1 Kg6)
15... Bf8 {leads anywhere.}) 9... Qxd4 10. Rxd4 {In this endgame White has two
main ideas: a) place the rook on the seventh rank and transfer the king to e8
so as to attack the f7-pawn; b) sacrifice a pawn with f3-f4-f5 in order to
weaken the h5-pawn (in the event of ...g6xf5) or enable an invasion with the
king by Kd5 and e5-e6 (if Black replies ...e6xf5).} Bf8 {It is time to use the
bishop for interfering purposes.} 11. Rd7 Kg7 12. Kg3 Bc5 13. f4 ({If} 13. Rd8
{, denying the bishop the h4-d8 diagonal, Black could reply} Be7 14. Re8 Bc5
15. f4 Bb6 {, when White can't easily activate his king without dropping a
pawn; e.g.} 16. Kf3 Bc5 17. Ke2 Bb6 18. f3 Bc5 19. Kd3 Bf2 {, while if the
rook leaves e8, then the bishop can return to e7.}) 13... Kf8 14. Rb7 Ke8 15.
f3 Be7 {The bishop's preferred diagonal, where it hits the most valuable of
the enemy pawns.} ({In contrast, after} 15... Bf8 $6 16. Rb8+ Ke7 17. Kf2 Bh6 {
, White could try} 18. Ke3 Bg7 19. Ke4 Bh6 20. Ra8 Bg7 21. f5 $1 {in
accordance with plan "b" outlined above; e.g.} gxf5+ ({or} 21... exf5+ 22. Kd5
{, preparing Ra7+ and e5-e6}) 22. Kd4 {and the h5-pawn is in trouble.}) 16. Kh3
Bd8 17. Ra7 Be7 18. Kg3 Bd8 19. Ra4 Be7 20. Rd4 Bd8 21. Rd1 Be7 22. Rh1 Bc5 {
Simplest, in order to restrict the enemy king.} 23. Rc1 ({If} 23. Kg2 {, then}
Be3 $1 {.}) 23... Be7 24. Rc4 Bd8 25. Kg2 Be7 ({Of course not} 25... Bxh4 $2
26. f5 {, followed by 27 f6, and the f7-pawn becomes a problem.}) 26. Kg3 ({
More critical was} 26. Kf1 {, trying to activate the king. I was planning to
reply} f5 $5 {in order to win the h4-pawn, although after} 27. exf6 Bxf6 28.
Re4 $1 Kf7 29. Ke2 {, a waiting game with} Be7 {is preferable ; e. g.} ({Black
should avoid} 29... Bxh4 $2 30. f5 {, when White obtains a strong passed pawn})
30. Kd3 Bf6 31. Kc4 Be7 32. Kb5 Kf6 $1 {(heading for f5)} 33. Re5 Bd6 ({or} 
33... Kf7 {and a draw is inevitable.})) 26... Bd8 27. Ra4 Be7 28. Ra8+ Kd7 29.
Ra7+ Ke8 30. Rb7 Bd8 31. Rb8 ({In the event of} 31. f5 {, the simplest reply is
} exf5 {, when} 32. e6 $6 fxe6 33. Rg7 Bf6 34. Rxg6 $4 Kf7 35. Rh6 Kg7 36. Rxh5
Kg6 {ends in disaster for White. In any case, it is evident that the f4-f5
advance becomes less powerful when the white king is not actively placed.})
31... Kd7 32. Ra8 Be7 33. Ra1 Ke8 34. Rh1 Bc5 35. Rh2 Bb6 36. Rh1 Bc5 37. Kg2
Be3 38. Kg3 Bc5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Minsk (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Sokolov, A."]
[Black "Vaganian, R."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/5p2/1Rn3p1/8/1p2PP2/3pN1P1/2r3P1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White's position seems difficult in view of Black's advanced passed pawns.
The immediate threat is 1...d2, followed by 2...Kd7, liberating the rook from
the defence of the knight. Then ideas like ...Rc1+ and ...d1Q would be in the
air. ---} 1. Nxc2 $1 {At first sight this looks like a miscalculation, but it
is actually White's best option.} ({The natural} 1. Kf1 $6 {could be met by}
Kd7 2. Rb5 Kc7 3. Nd5+ Kd6 4. e5+ ({or} 4. Nxb4 $2 Nxb4 5. Rxb4 Rc1+ 6. Kf2 Kc5
{and the threat of 7...d2 can't be parried; e.g.} 7. Rb2 Rc2+) 4... Ke6 5. Ne3
Re2 {and White remains in difficulties.}) 1... dxc2 2. Rxc6 b3 {Evidently, one
of the passed pawns will soon queen. But the fact that the further battle will
be reduced to one single flank, alongside the secure location of White's king,
protecting (and protected by!) his fellow pawns, makes the thought of a
fortress quite realistic. Incidentally, there exist many fortresses within
queen vs. rook and pawn(s) endgames - for example, Kg1, Rg3 and Pf2 vs. Kf6
and Qe5 is a draw.} 3. Kh2 b2 {The further course of the game will show us
that, once White freezes the pawn structure by e4-e5, his defensive task is
made easier.} ({Thus} 3... f6 $5 {was an interesting alternative, upon which
White should probably reply} 4. e5 $1 {anyway, getting rid of a future
weakness. There could follow} fxe5 ({after} 4... f5 $6 5. Rc3 b2 6. Rxc2 b1=Q
7. Rf2 Kf7 8. Rf3 {, we have reached the first of several fortresses within
this example, one that Black is unlikely to destroy, e.g.} g5 9. fxg5 Kg6 10.
Rf4 Qe1 11. Rh4 Qxe5 12. Rf4 Kxg5 13. Rh4 {and the rook keeps alternating
between f4 and h4}) ({while the fortress arising after} 4... b2 5. Rxc2 b1=Q 6.
Re2 {seems just as resistant, e.g.} Qd3 7. Re1 Qd2 8. Re4 Kf7 9. exf6 Kxf6 10.
Re5 {and this time the rook alternates between g5 and e5}) 5. fxe5 Kd7 6. Rc3
Ke6 ({or} 6... b2 7. Rxc2 b1=Q 8. Rf2 $1 {with similar play}) 7. Rxb3 c1=Q {.
In order for White's fortress to work, he must deploy his rook in such a way
that Black won't be able to approach the white g-pawns with his king, nor
create zugzwang. For this purpose it makes sense to use the f-file:} 8. Rf3 $1
Kxe5 9. Rf4 g5 {(otherwise the rook keeps alternating between f3 and f4)} 10.
Rf3 Ke4 11. Rf7 (11. Rb3 {seems just as possible; e.g.} Qd1 12. Rf3 Qd2 13. Ra3
g4 14. Ra4+ {, followed by Rf4}) 11... Ke3 12. Rf3+ Ke2 13. Rf7
Qc5 14. Rf3 Qe7 ({here and later,} 14... g4 15. Rf4 {, when the safe square on
f3 is replaced with f4}) 15. Kg1 $1 Qa7+ 16. Kh2 {and as far as I can see,
Black is unable to progress. By the way, note that White's extra pawn rules
out a queen sacrifice for the rook; e.g. 9...Qxf4! would have been winning
were it not for the g2-pawn.}) 4. Rc8+ $1 {By driving the enemy king away,
Sokolov facilitates the e4-e5 advance, something that will be more evident on
move 7.} ({Less accurate is} 4. Rxc2 $6 b1=Q 5. Re2 ({or} 5. Rc4 Qb5) 5... Qd3
6. Re1 Ke7 {and Black should win - Vaganian.}) 4... Ke7 ({After} 4... Kd7 {,
Black's king is exposed to a vertical check, which yields White the necessary
tempo to realize e4-e5; i.e.} 5. Rxc2 b1=Q 6. Rd2+ $1 {, followed by 7 e5 and
the fortress is complete - Vaganian.}) 5. Rc7+ Kf8 ({Or} 5... Kf6 6. Rxc2 b1=Q
7. e5+ Kf5 8. Rf2 {with the same fortress that later emerges in the game.}) 6.
Rxc2 b1=Q 7. Rc8+ $1 {With Black unable to reply 7...Kd7, White wins a tempo
for the realization of e4-e5.} Ke7 8. e5 Qd3 9. Rc6 {Temporarily restricting
the enemy king.} (9. Ra8 {was possible too, heading for the f-file; e.g.} Ke6
10. Ra2 Qe3 {(preventing Rf2-f3)} 11. Ra1 Qe2 12. Ra3 $1 {, followed by 13 Rf3.
}) 9... Qe3 10. Ra6 {Sokolov performs the rook transfer mentioned in the
previous note.} Qc5 11. Ra1 Ke6 12. Rf1 Kd5 13. Rf3 {The defensive plan that
was initialized by the first diagram is finally complete. White's next task is
to maintain the fortress.} Kc4 14. Kh1 Qd4 15. Kh2 Qd1 16. Rf2 Kd4 17. Rf3 Ke4
18. Rc3 ({Another option is} 18. Rf2 Ke3 19. Rf3+ Ke2 20. Rc3 {, when the rook
has a sufficient number of squares on the third rank. If Black's king moves to
f2 or f1, it will be expelled by Rf3+.}) ({In contrast,} 18. Ra3 $6 {runs into}
f6 $1 {, complicating White's defence, now that} 19. exf6 $2 {fails to} Qh5+
20. Kg1 Qc5+ {- Vaganian.}) 18... Kf5 19. Rf3 {The remainder of the game isn't
very thrilling - Sokolov maintains the fortress by king moves or, when
necessary, by rook moves in the proximity of the f3-square.} Qd8 20. Kg1 Qd5
21. Kh2 Kg4 ({On} 21... g5 {, White replies} 22. fxg5+ $1 Kxg5 23. Rf4 Qxe5 24.
Rh4 {, followed by Rf4-h4, a kind of fortress that we already came across in
the 3...f6!? subline.}) 22. Rc3 Qd4 23. Rf3 Kf5 24. Kh1 f6 25. exf6 Qxf6 26.
Kh2 Qh8+ 27. Kg1 Ke4 28. Rb3 $1 ({Not} 28. Kf2 $2 Qd4+ 29. Kf1 Kf5 {and the
fortress has been destroyed; e.g.} 30. Ke2 Qg1 {.}) 28... Qh5 29. Rf3 Qf5 30.
Kh2 Kd4 31. Kg1 Qc5 32. Kh2 Qh5+ 33. Kg1 Kc4 34. Rf1 $1 ({Sokolov obviously
avoids} 34. Rf2 $2 Qc5 $1 35. Kf1 Qe3 36. Rf3 Qc1+ 37. Kf2 Kd4 {and, just like
in the previous note, the bad position of White's king means that the fortress
is no longer viable.}) 34... Qc5+ 35. Kh2 Kd3 36. Rf3+ Ke2 37. Kh1 Qc1+ 38. Kh2
Qb1 39. Rc3 {. The rook has at least one safe square at its disposal, so a
draw was agreed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "European Women's Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Galojan, L."]
[Black "Tsiganova, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/1r2n3/2p3P1/p3RPB1/K7/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Theoretical draws --- By a "theoretical draw" I refer specifically to an
endgame which is drawn according to "the books", despite a certain material
deficit. Some well-known cases are: a) king and two knights vs. king; b) king,
"wrong" bishop and rook's pawn vs. king. While in these cases the defence is
elementary, the same thing cannot be said about some other theoretical draws
such as: c) rook and bishop vs. rook; d) rook, f- and h-pawns vs. rook. In the
middle of the scale we would find: e) rook vs. bishop; f) rook and knight vs.
rook, and many others. --- In the previous section we saw that the fortress
idea required a certain degree of creativity and ingenuity from its
constructor. On the other hand, the theoretical draw concept obviously has
more to do with our theoretical knowledge. Aware that a certain, potential
endgame is drawn, the player can take practical decisions in critical
situations. Indeed, an important part of this concept is the transposition
required to get there. --- This book is in fact replete with theoretical draws,
just one case being the transposition to a drawn rook vs. pawn ending featured
in Browne-Gulko and Grischuk-Anand, among others. Here are some further
examples. --- Black is in trouble, but a little combination based on the motif
of a theoretical draw saved her. ---} 1... Nxf4 $1 ({Not} 1... Rb4 $2 2. Rxe6
Rxf4 3. Bh5 Rf5 4. Rg6+ Kh7 5. Kxa4 {etc}) ({while} 1... Nxg5 $6 2. fxg5 Kg6 3.
Bd1 ({if} 3. Re5 {, then} Rb3+ 4. Ka2 Rg3) 3... Kxg5 {would soon have produced
a different case of a theoretical draw: rook and bishop vs. rook - Baburin.
However, as I mentioned earlier, the defence in such an ending is far from
trivial, and even very strong players sometimes go wrong there.}) 2. Rxf4 Rb4
$1 {The point - White is soon left with a lonely bishop.} 3. Rxb4 cxb4+ 4. Kxb4
Kg6 {. Draw agreed. Incidentally, such an extreme application of the
theoretical draw idea, sweeping the mating material from the board, is
familiar to us from Example 390 (Nielsen-Sutovsky).} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Seirawan, Y."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2n4B/1pP2k2/8/1P4p1/8/7P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{White is a pawn up and his bishop outranks the knight, but even so Black
saved himself without much effort, exploiting the motif of a theoretical draw
with the "wrong" bishop and rook's pawn. ---} 1... Ke5 $1 {Gelfand prepares to
take the c6-pawn with the king, then return it to the corner, and finally
sacrifice his knight for the b-pawn - Golod.} 2. Kf2 Kd5 3. Kg3 Kxc6 4. Kxg4
Kd6 $1 5. Bd3 ({After} 5. Kf5 Ke7 6. Kg6 Kf8 {, the bishop becomes misplaced
on h7.}) 5... Ke7 6. Kf5 Kf8 7. Ke5 b5 $1 {Just in time, enabling ...Na6
before White plays 8 Kd6.} 8. Kd4 Na6 9. Kc3 Nxb4 $1 10. Kxb4 Kg7 11. Kxb5 Kh8
12. Kc5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/1p2q2p/p2n2p1/2NQ2P1/P3p3/2b4P/4R3/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In this early endgame the initiative is definitely with White, whose
immediate threat of Nxe4 can't be parried by simple means. Morozevich found a
practical solution. ---} 1... Qf7+ $1 ({After} 1... e3 $6 2. Nxb7 $1 {, both}
Nxb7 ({and} 2... Qxb7 3. Rxe3+) 3. Qc6+ {lead to increased difficulties for
Black.}) 2. Qxf7+ Kxf7 3. Nxe4 Nxe4 4. Rxe4 {The picture has changed
completely - White is no longer attacking but instead enjoys a material
advantage. The reason why Morozevich wanted to reach this ending is simple: if
we remove the queenside pawns from the board, then the ensuing position with
rook and two pawns against bishop and two pawns is inside the boundaries of a
theoretical draw.} b5 $1 {Forcing the exchange of the dangerous a4-pawn.} 5.
Ke2 bxa4 6. Rxa4 a5 7. Rc4 Bg7 {The reason for this particular retreat will
become evident two moves later.} 8. Rc7+ Kg8 9. Ra7 {Timman now plans Kf3-g4,
followed by h3-h4-h5 with an unpleasant situation for Black: if he permits
h5-h6, then the h7-pawn is fixed as a weakness; besides, a back-rank mate will
be in the air once the white king arrives at e6. On the other hand, if he
replies ...g6xh5, then after Kxh5 and g5-g6 at the right moment, White would
have winning chances in the ensuing rook vs. bishop ending, considering that
Black's king is located in one of the "wrong" corners.} h6 $1 {A key decision.
By giving up the a-pawn, which has no relevance anyway for the theoretical
draw involved, Morozevich finishes off the enemy plan in advance.} 10. gxh6 ({
After} 10. h4 hxg5 11. hxg5 {, the deployment of the bishop on the long
diagonal will prevent the white king from reaching the crucial f6-square; e.g.}
Bc3 12. Kd3 Bg7 13. Rxa5 Kf7 14. Ke4 Bc3 15. Ra7+ Kg8 16. Kd5 Bg7 17. Ke6 Bc3 {
with an easy draw, since the bishop will never run out of squares on the long
diagonal. The attempt to sacrifice the rook by} 18. Rf7 Bb2 19. Rf6 {is simply
met by} Kg7 {.}) 10... Bxh6 11. Rxa5 Bg7 12. Kf3 Bc3 13. Ra7 Bb2 14. Ke4 ({If} 
14. Kg4 {, then} Bf6 15. h4 ({or} 15. Rb7 Kf8 $1 {, losing a tempo}) 15... Kf8
$1 16. h5 gxh5+ 17. Kxh5 Ke8 {and the king moves over to one of the "right"
corners on a8.}) 14... Bc3 15. Kd5 Bb2 16. Ke6 Bc3 17. Rd7 {Timman prepares a
frontal attack at g6, but this will let Black's king approach the h4-pawn.
Nevertheless, there was no other way of making progress.} Bb2 18. Rd2 Bc3 19.
Rg2 Kg7 20. Rg4 Bb2 $1 {After the text Timman instead agreed to a draw. Let's
make a few more moves:} ({Morozevich of course avoids} 20... Kh6 $2 21. Kf7 {
with increased winning chances for White.}) 21. h4 Kh6 $1 {Now it is right to
activate the king, in view of the threat of 22 h5.} 22. Kf7 Kh5 23. Rxg6 Kxh4
24. Ke6 Kh3 {This time the king is heading for the other safe corner on h1.}
25. Kd5 Kh2 26. Ke4 Kh1 27. Rg5 ({After} 27. Kf3 Be5 {, the bishop assists
successfully in the defence; e.g.} 28. Kf2 Bc7 29. Rg1+ (29. Rh6+ Bh2 {makes
no sense}) 29... Kh2 30. Rg7 Bb6+ {.}) 27... Ba3 $1 {Having been denied the
e5-square, the bishop instead tries to reach the h2-b8 diagonal via d6.} 28.
Kf3 (28. Rd5 Kg2 {doesn't achieve much; e.g.} 29. Rd2+ Kh1 30. Kf3 Bc5 $1 {and
the bishop finds the corresponding diagonal.}) 28... Bd6 29. Kf2 Bc7 {. We saw
a similar position in the 27 Kf3 subline. Thanks to the location of the king
in one of the safe corners and the deployment of the bishop on the h2-b8
diagonal, Black draws.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Santa Cruz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Granda Zuniga, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5k1p/8/5PP1/1Bp5/4K3/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "32"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{In endings with pawns on both flanks, an extra exchange tends to be decisive.
The defensive efforts of the minor piece are usually surpassed by the rook's
mobility and attacking ability, a fact of which we saw proof in Example 231 
(Matanovic-Larsen). However, on occasion the defender can look for a
transposition to a theoretical draw, and this is what the above position is
about. ---} 1... Rg1 $2 {A natural move in order to win a pawn, but it has a
big flaw.} (1... c2 $2 {is equally bad due to} 2. Kd3 Rg1 3. g5+ $1 Ke7 ({or} 
3... hxg5 4. fxg5+ Kxg5 5. Bxc2 {with a kind of theoretical draw that we
recognize from the previous example}) 4. Bxc2 h5 5. Ke3 h4 6. Kf2 {,
neutralizing the h-pawn after both} Rg4 ({and} 6... Ra1 7. Bf5) 7. Kf3 Rg3+ 8.
Kf2 {.}) ({Instead, the prophylactic} 1... Ke7 $1 {was called for, avoiding
g4-g5 with check. There can follow} 2. Kd3 ({here and on the next move,} 2. g5
{is strongly met by} h5 $1) 2... Rg1 3. Kxc3 Rxg4 4. Kd4 Rxf4+ 5. Ke3 {.
Interestingly, there do exist theoretical draws where a bishop fights against
a rook and a rook's pawn, but for that to happen the (black) pawn should
already be on the third rank (occasionally the fourth is enough); besides, the
defender should have the "right" bishop. Here neither condition is met as the
colour of White's bishop makes h1 a "wrong" corner for the king. Thus Black
could win in several ways, for example by cutting off the enemy king before
pushing the pawn:} Rf5 6. Bc2 ({or} 6. Bd1 h5 7. Bf3 Rg5 8. Kf4 Kf6 {with
similar play}) 6... Rg5 7. Kf4 Kf6 8. Bd1 h5 9. Be2 h4 10. Bg4 Rg8 $1 {(the
rook is waiting to settle on g3)} 11. Bh3 ({or} 11. Kf3 Ke5 12. Bd7 Rg3+ 13.
Kf2 Kf4 {with h4-h3-h2 and ...Rg1 to follow}) 11... Rg3 12. Bg4 Ra3 13. Bf3 h3
14. Bd5 ({if} 14. Kg3 {, then} h2) 14... h2 15. Bc6 Ra1 {.}) 2. g5+ $1 {White
of course exploits the moment to take the black h-pawn off the board.} hxg5 3.
fxg5+ Rxg5 {The rook prepares to defend the pawn from behind.} ({After} 3...
Kxg5 $6 4. Kd3 Rg3+ 5. Kd4 {, followed by Bc2-d3, White draws on the spot.}) 4.
Kd3 Rc5 ({Thanks to} 4... Rc5 5. Bc4 $2 Rxc4 ({or} 5... c2 {, the pawn has
been secured.})) 5. Bc2 (5. Kc2 {was perfectly possible, placing the king on
the correct square right from the beginning - more about this soon.}) 5... Ke5
6. Bb3 Kd6 {The only way for the king to approach the pawn.} 7. Bc2 Kc6 {Tired
after a long fight (we were already beyond move 80), while supposing, as did
my opponent, that the battle would be over once Black's king replaces the rook
in the defence of the pawn, here I resigned! A few weeks later I discovered,
to my horror, the similarities between this endgame and the old encounter L.Szabo-M.Botvinnik, Budapest 1952, which I had recently touched upon in my
endgame classes. Let's make a few more moves to familiarize ourselves with the
defensive plan:} 8. Ba4+ Kb6 9. Kc2 {The king should stay here until Black
gives check on the second rank, upon which it retreats to c1.} Ka5 10. Be8 Kb4
11. Bg6 $1 {The right place for the bishop, on the long diagonal of the pawn.}
Rg5 12. Be4 $1 {Temporarily preventing 12... Rg2+.} ({In contrast, after} 12.
Bh7 $2 Rg2+ 13. Kc1 Kb3 {, Black wins. A must for the defence is to give check
when the black king settles on b3 - here the bad move 12 Bh7? made that
impossible.}) 12... Rh5 ({Or} 12... Kc4 13. Bd3+ Kd4 14. Bh7 Rg2+ 15. Kc1 Kc4
16. Bf5 $1 Kb3 17. Be6+ {etc.}) 13. Bg6 ({Not} 13. Bd3 $2 Rh2+ 14. Kc1 Kb3 {.})
13... Rh2+ 14. Kc1 c2 ({Seeing that} 14... Kb3 15. Bf7+ {leads nowhere, Black
makes a more astute try.}) 15. Kb2 $1 {A key reply.} ({In contrast,} 15. Bxc2
$2 {loses to} Kc3 {; e.g.} 16. Be4 Re2 17. Bf3 Re1+ 18. Bd1 Rf1 {.}) 15...
c1=Q+ {There is nothing better.} 16. Kxc1 Kc3 17. Kb1 $1 {Heading for the safe
corner on a1. A draw is inevitable;} ({e.g.} 17. Kb1 Rb2+ 18. Ka1 Rg2 19. Bf5
Kb3 20. Be6+ Ka3 21. Bf5 {. --- Incidentally, note that this theoretical draw
wouldn't have worked if the pawn had not yet advanced to the third (sixth for
a white pawn) rank - in that case, the stronger side wins in "king first!"
fashion, transferring the king to c3 and expelling White's king with the rook
before advancing the pawn. Neither would White be able to draw if he had a
dark-squared bishop instead - that bishop only works against the f-pawn, as
you can find out yourself.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Exercises"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{The following exercises are presented in approximate order of difficulty.
Many of them are rather simple, but solving them will prove useful in the
process of mastering the involved strategic ideas, and their subsequent
application over the board. In most cases I ask for a concrete continuation,
while on occasion you should detect the flaw of a specific move, or indicate
an initial move together with an associated plan or intention. Note that a
"plan" can be simply "avoid the exchange of rooks", "prevent
e6-e5" etc, referring to some key action supported by the move in question.
The time needed to solve these exercises should vary between 5 and 20 minutes,
depending on the difficulty of the exercise and the level of the reader.} 1. --
{1. King Themes (exercises 1-24) --- 2. Pawn Themes (exercises 25-60) --- 3.
Rook Themes (exercises 61-96) --- 4. Minor Piece Themes (exercises 97-120) ---
5. Queen Themes (exercises 121-132) --- 6. Miscellaneous Themes (exercises
133-168) --- 7. Exchanges (exercises 169-204) --- 8. Classical Themes 
(exercises 205-240)} *

[Event "Ybbs"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zwettler, M."]
[Black "Loidl, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2B5/8/2K5/5p2/4k1p1/6P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 1 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zwettler, M."]
[Black "Loidl, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2B5/8/2K5/5p2/4k1p1/6P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd6 $1 {King first!} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Bxf5+ $2 Kf3 $1 2. Kd5
Kxf2 {and a draw was agreed.}) 1... Kf3 ({Or} 1... f4 2. Bxg4 {.}) 2. Ke5 Kxf2
3. Kf4 {. White wins - Müller.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gashimov, V."]
[Black "Postny, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1k6/8/1PKR2r1/8/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 2 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rxd4+ here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gashimov, V."]
[Black "Postny, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1k6/8/1PKR2r1/8/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxd4+ $4 {Forgetting about a later opposition trick.} ({Any rook move,
such as} 1... Rg2 {, made a draw.}) 2. Kxd4 Kb5 3. Kc3 Ka4 4. b5 $1 ({In view
of} 4. b5 $1 Kxb5 5. Kb3 {, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "Sofia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wang Yue"]
[Black "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/4R3/1PK3p1/8/4pk2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 3 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wang Yue"]
[Black "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/4R3/1PK3p1/8/4pk2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd3 $1 {Preparing the obstruction of Black's king.} ({Instead, the game
went} 1. b5 $2 e1=Q 2. Rxe1 {and draw agreed, in view of} Kxe1 3. b6 g3 {etc.})
1... e1=Q 2. Rxe1 Kxe1 3. Ke3 $1 Kf1 4. Kf4 {. White wins - Baburin.
} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1K6/8/3p4/2k5/P7/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 4 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1K6/8/3p4/2k5/P7/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a4 $1 {On the theme of the king's route.} Kb4 2. Kb6 Kxa4 ({After} 2... d4
3. a5 {, both players queen.}) 3. Kc5 {. Draw.} *

[Event "New York Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Damljanovic, B."]
[Black "Byrne, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1K6/8/1R4pk/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 5 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Damljanovic, B."]
[Black "Byrne, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1K6/8/1R4pk/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kg4 $1 {Preparing the obstruction of White's king.} ({Instead, the game
went} 1... Kh4 $2 2. Kc6 g4 3. Kd5 g3 4. Ke4 g2 5. Rb1 Kg3 6. Ke3 {and Black
resigned, in view of} Kh2 7. Kf2 {.}) 2. Kc6 Kf4 3. Kd5 g4 $1 {Draw;} ({e.g.} 
3... g4 4. Kd4 g3 5. Kd3 g2 6. Rb1 Kf3 $1 {- Benko.}) *

[Event "USSR Army Championship, Khabarovsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Graf, A."]
[Black "Semeniuk, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/1R6/5K1p/p4P2/6P1/8/4r3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 6 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Graf, A."]
[Black "Semeniuk, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/1R6/5K1p/p4P2/6P1/8/4r3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g5 $1 {Creating a shelter.} ({Obviously,} 1. Kg7 $4 Rg2 {was less to the
point.}) 1... hxg5 2. Kg7 {The threat of f6-f7 proves decisive.} Rf2 3. f6 g4
4. f7+ Kd8 5. f8=Q+ Rxf8 6. Kxf8 g3 7. Rg7 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Austrian Championship, Zwettl"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Titz, H."]
[Black "Zsifkovits, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/4K2p/1R3p2/6k1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 7 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Titz, H."]
[Black "Zsifkovits, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/4K2p/1R3p2/6k1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke4 $1 {King first!} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Rxf4 $2 h4 2. Ke4 h3 3.
Rf3+ Kg2 4. Ke3 h2 5. Rf2+ Kg1 {and a draw was agreed.}) 1... f3 ({Or} 1... h4
2. Rb3+ f3 3. Rxf3+ Kg2 4. Kf4 h3 5. Rg3+ {etc - Baburin.}) 2. Ke3 f2 3. Rf4
h4 4. Rf3+ $1 Kg2 5. Rxf2+ Kg3 6. Rf8 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Tromso"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Turner, M."]
[Black "Tjoelsen, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/5P1r/8/2p2R2/8/3PK3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 8 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rxf7 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Turner, M."]
[Black "Tjoelsen, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/5P1r/8/2p2R2/8/3PK3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxf7 $1 {Black agrees to a pawn ending, seeing that she can soon take the
opposition.} 2. Ke4 Rxf5 3. Kxf5 Kf7 $1 ({Of course not} 3... Ke7 $2 4. Ke5 {
and White wins.}) 4. Ke5 c4 $1 ({Draw agreed, in view of} 4... c4 5. dxc4 Ke7 {
.}) ({But not} 4... Ke7 $2 5. Kd5 c4 6. Kxc4 $1 {- Baburin.}) *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Ni Hua"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k4/8/1P6/2PK4/r3R3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 9 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rxe2 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Ni Hua"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k4/8/1P6/2PK4/r3R3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxe2 $1 {Black accepts the pawn ending, seeing that he can defend himself
by opposition.} 2. Kxe2 b5 3. Kd2 Ke6 $1 4. Kd1 ({Black's previous move had
the merit of preparing to meet} 4. Kd3 {by} Kd5) ({and} 4. Ke3 {with} Ke5 {.})
4... Kd5 5. Kc2 Kd6 6. Kd2 Ke6 7. Ke3 Ke5 8. Kd3 Kd5 9. c4+ bxc4+ 10. Kc3 Kc6
11. Kxc4 Kb6 {. A draw was soon agreed.)}
*

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Berczes, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/2k5/5K2/8/8/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 10 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Berczes, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/2k5/5K2/8/8/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd6 $1 {On the topic of the king's route.} ({In contrast,} 1... Kd5 $2
2. h4) ({or} 1... Kd7 $2 2. Kg6 {wins for White - Baburin.}) 2. Kg6 Ke5 $1 ({
But not} 2... Ke6 $2 3. h4 $1 {.}) 3. Kxg7 ({Draw agreed, in view of} 3. Kxg7
Kf5 4. h4 Kg4 {.)}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Al Modiahki, M."]
[Black "Bartel, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/R4pkp/8/1r4P1/7K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 11 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Al Modiahki, M."]
[Black "Bartel, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/R4pkp/8/1r4P1/7K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h3 $1 {Creating a shelter for the king on g3.} ({The immediate} 1... Kg3
$6 2. Ra3+ {is less convincing.}) 2. gxh3+ ({Or} 2. Kh2 Rxg2+ 3. Kh1 Re2 4. Ra8
f3 5. Rg8+ Kf4 6. Rf8+ Ke3 7. Rh8 Re1+ 8. Kh2 f2 {and wins - Müller.}) 2...
Kg3 $1 3. Ra1 ({Now, in contrast,} 3. Ra3+ {fails to} f3 {, so White hurries
to prevent the mate.}) 3... Rh2+ $1 {An intermediate check that prevents a
check on g1.} ({Also possible is} 3... f3 4. Rg1+ Kxh3 5. Ra1 Rh2+ 6. Kg1 Kg3 {
.}) 4. Kg1 f3 5. Ra3 $1 Rb2 $1 ({Side-stepping the trick} 5... Rxh3 $2 6. Ra2
$1 Rh8 7. Rg2+ Kf4 8. Rg7 {etc.}) 6. Ra1 Rg2+ 7. Kh1 Rh2+ ({In view of} 7...
Rh2+ 8. Kg1 f2+ 9. Kf1 Rh1+ 10. Ke2 Rxa1 {, White resigned.}) *

[Event "Lund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mikkelsen, N."]
[Black "Nithander, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/P5P1/8/1k4KP/8/3r4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 12 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mikkelsen, N."]
[Black "Nithander, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/P5P1/8/1k4KP/8/3r4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kc4 $1 {Heading for the key battlefield: the kingside.} ({Also good is} 
1... Rg1+ 2. Kf4 Kc4 3. h4 Rh1 $1 4. Kg4 Kd5 5. h5 Ke5 {in similar fashion.}) (
{In contrast,} 1... Kb4 $6 2. h4 Kxa5 3. h5 Kb4 4. g6 a5 5. Kf4 {is less
convincing.}) 2. Kf4 Kd5 $1 {In the same spirit of "king first".} ({
Instead, the game went} 2... Kb5 $2 3. h4 Kxa5 $2 ({Black could still win with
} 3... Rh1 4. Kg4 Kc5 5. h5 Kd6) 4. h5 Rd4+ 5. Ke5 Rg4 $2 ({this even loses,
whereas} 5... Rh4 6. h6 Kb6 7. Kf6 a5 {led to a draw}) 6. g6 Kb4 7. Kf5 $1 Rg1
8. h6 a5 9. g7 a4 10. h7 Rxg7 11. h8=Q {and White was winning.}) 3. Kf5 Rf1+ $1
{A good intermediate check to release White's obstruction.} 4. Kg6 Rh1 5. Kf7
Rxh3 6. g6 Rf3+ 7. Ke7 Rg3 8. Kf7 Kc5 9. g7 Kb5 10. g8=Q Rxg8 11. Kxg8 Kxa5 {
. Black wins.} *

[Event "Macas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Orejuela, P."]
[Black "Jaramillo, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p2p/3k2p1/4p1P1/4K2P/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 13 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Orejuela, P."]
[Black "Jaramillo, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4p2p/3k2p1/4p1P1/4K2P/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke2 $1 {The right square in order to gain the opposition later on.} ({
Instead, the game went} 1. Kd2 $2 Kd4 2. Ke2 e3 $1 3. fxe3+ Ke4 4. Kd2 Kf3 5.
Kd3 e5 6. Kd2 e4 7. Ke1 Kxe3 {and White resigned.}) 1... Kd4 2. Kd2 e3+ 3.
fxe3+ Ke4 4. Ke2 e5 5. Kd2 Kf3 6. Kd3 Kg3 ({Of course not} 6... e4+ $2 7. Kd4 {
.}) 7. Ke4 Kxh3 8. Kxe5 Kxg4 9. e4 h5 ({Or} 9... Kf3 10. Kd5 $1 ({but not} 10.
Kf5 $2 g4 11. e5 g3 12. e6 g2 13. e7 g1=Q 14. e8=Q Qg5+ {, forcing the
exchange of queens.})) 10. Kf6 h4 11. e5 h3 12. e6 h2 13. e7 h1=Q 14. e8=Q {.
With good drawing chances.} *

[Event "Foros"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Areshchenko, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p3k2/pB6/Pr3P2/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 14 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rxb5 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Areshchenko, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p3k2/pB6/Pr3P2/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxb5 $2 {A bad choice, since the ensuing pawn ending is drawn by
opposition.} ({Instead, after} 1... Ke7 2. Bc6 Kd6 3. Be8 Rb1 {, Black was
winning - Baburin.}) 2. axb5 Kf5 3. Kd3 $1 Kxf4 4. Kd4 {From now on, White
holds by applying different types of opposition.} Kg5 5. Ke5 Kh6 6. Kd4 $1 Kh7
7. Kd5 Kh8 8. Kd4 Kg8 9. Ke4 Kf8 10. Kd4 Kf7 11. Kd5 Kg7 12. Ke5 Kh6 13. Kd4
Kh7 14. Kd5 ({Equally possible is} 14. Kd3 {- Baburin. Note the movements of
White's king to squares of the same colour as Black's.}) 14... Kg8 15. Ke4
Kf8 16. Kd4 Kf7 17. Kd5 Kf6 18. Kd4 Kg5 19. Ke5 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1951.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Bronstein, D."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3N4/1p6/8/p7/2P2k2/2P1p3/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1951.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 15 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bronstein, D."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3N4/1p6/8/p7/2P2k2/2P1p3/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kg3 $1 {The right route to f2.} ({In contrast, after} 1... Kf3 $2 2. Nf7
e2 3. Ne5+ Kf2 4. Nd3+ Kf1 5. Kb3 {, White makes a draw.}) 2. Ne6 e2 {It
transpires that, with the king on g2, there are no knight checks.} 3. Kd2 Kf2 {
. Black wins. In fact Bronstein already resigned after 1...Kg3.} *

[Event "Golden Sands (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ipatov, A."]
[Black "Vajda, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2k2P2/R1P5/4K3/p4r2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 16 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rxf6 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ipatov, A."]
[Black "Vajda, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2k2P2/R1P5/4K3/p4r2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxf6 $1 {A good choice - in the ensuing rook vs. pawn ending Black
defends by means of obstruction.} 2. Ra6+ Kxc5 3. Rxf6 Kc4 $1 {The key move.} (
{Of course not} 3... a2 $2 4. Ra6 {.}) 4. Ra6 Kb3 5. Kd3 Kb2 $1 6. Rb6+ Kc1 {
. Draw - Baburin.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 17"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5BK1/8/8/4pkp1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 17 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 17"]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5BK1/8/8/4pkp1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg7 $1 {King first!} ({In contrast, after} 1. Bc5 $2 g4 2. Kh7 g3 3. Kh6 Kg4
$1 4. Kg6 e4 {, Black wins.}) 1... g4 2. Kh6 $1 g3 3. Kh5 g2 4. Bc5 Kf4 5. Kh4
Kf3 6. Kh3 e4 7. Kh2 {. Draw.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 18"]
[Black "Pogosiants, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3Pk3/8/1K3P2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 18 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 18"]
[Black "Pogosiants, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3Pk3/8/1K3P2/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kc6 $1 {Preparing to give up a pawn in order to obtain the opposition.} Kd8
2. Kd5 $1 Kxd7 3. f6 {White wins;} ({e.g.} 3. f6 Kd8 4. Kd6 Ke8 5. Ke6 Kf8 6.
f7 {.)}) *

[Event "Guayaquil"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brito, D."]
[Black "Pasto, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/4p1pp/4P2P/3k1PPK/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 19 (Black to play). Here Black played 1...gxh5. To what result
does 2 gxh5 lead? Or 2 Kxh5 - ? And was there anything better than 1...gxh5 -
?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brito, D."]
[Black "Pasto, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/4p1pp/4P2P/3k1PPK/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... gxh5 $2 {This exchange vacates the g4-square for White's king.} ({
Correct was} 1... Ke4 $1 2. Kg3 ({or} 2. g5 hxg5+ 3. Kxg5 gxh5 {etc}) 2... gxh5
3. gxh5 Ke3 {and the opposition decides; e.g.} 4. Kg4 Kf2 5. f5 Ke3 {.}) 2.
gxh5 $1 ({Instead, the game saw} 2. Kxh5 $2 Ke4 3. g5 hxg5 4. Kxg5 Kf3 $1 {and
the king's raid proved decisive after} 5. f5 Ke4 $1 6. fxe6 fxe6 7. Kf6 Kd5 {
.}) 2... Ke4 ({Or} 2... Ke3 3. Kg3 {.}) 3. Kg4 Ke3 4. Kg3 {White keeps the
opposition: draw.} ({But not} 4. f5 $2 Ke4 $1 {and Black wins.}) *

[Event "German Cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Voekler, B."]
[Black "Tischbierek, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2b5/R5p1/5k1p/5P1P/1r4B1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 20 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Voekler, B."]
[Black "Tischbierek, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2b5/R5p1/5k1p/5P1P/1r4B1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g4 $1 {Creating a shelter for the king.} 2. hxg4 ({Instead, the game went
} 2. Rc5 Rb1+ 3. Bf1 Bxf3 4. hxg4 Kg3 5. Rc2 h3 6. g5 Bg2 {and White resigned.}
) 2... Kg3 3. Bf1 Bxf3 4. Ra3 Rb1 5. g5 h3 6. Ra2 Bd5 ({Also good is} 6... Bg2
7. Ra3+ Kh4 {- Baburin.}) 7. Rc2 Rc1 $1 {Securing the c4-square for the
bishop.} 8. Rd2 Bc4 9. Rf2 h2+ 10. Rxh2 Rxf1# {.} *

[Event "Sarajevo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bologan, V."]
[Black "Dizdarevic, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3k3/P1p5/2P1K3/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 21 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bologan, V."]
[Black "Dizdarevic, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3k3/P1p5/2P1K3/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd7 $1 {Preparing a later opposition.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Ke8
$2 2. Ke6 $1 {and Black resigned in view of} Kd8 3. Kd6 Kc8 4. Kxc6 Kb8 5. Kd7
{- Müller.}) (1... Kd8 $2 2. Kd6 {is just as bad.}) 2. Kf6 Kd8 3. Ke6 Kc7 4.
Ke7 Kc8 $1 5. Kd6 Kd8 6. Kxc6 Kc8 {The opposition saves Black.} 7. Kd6 Kd8 8.
c6 Kc8 9. c7 {. Stalemate. Note that without the a-pawns on the board, the
initial position would be an easy win for White.} *

[Event "Hungarian Championship, Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Barcza, G."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/7p/8/3P3p/1NK5/p5P1/2k5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 22 (Black to play). Here Black played 1...Kd2 and, after 2 Kb3!,
the game later ended in a draw. Would 1...Kb2 have won?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Barcza, G."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/7p/8/3P3p/1NK5/p5P1/2k5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kb2 $1 {Black has calculated that he can win by obstruction later on.} 2.
d6 (2. --) 2... a2 3. Nxa2 Kxa2 4. Kd5 Kb3 5. Ke6 Kc4 6. d7 Bxd7+ 7. Kxd7 Kd5
$1 {The key move, in similar style to Example 26 (Pritchett-Kagan).} 8. Ke7 Ke5
9. Kf7 Kf5 $1 10. Kg7 h4 $1 11. gxh4 h5 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "World Women's Ch., Georgia (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Chiburdanidze, M."]
[Black "Alexandria, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/5p2/2K1kP2/1P6/3B4/8/4b3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 23 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (7-8 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chiburdanidze, M."]
[Black "Alexandria, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/5p2/2K1kP2/1P6/3B4/8/4b3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bf2+ $1 {Preparing a king's raid.} 2. Kc6 Kd4 $1 3. Bb1 Kc4 4. b5 Kb4 5.
b6 Ka5 6. b7 Bg3 7. Bd3 Bh2 {Draw;} ({e.g.} 7... Bh2 8. Kd7 Kb6 9. Kc8 Ka7 {
etc - Dvoretsky.)}) *

[Event "Zurich Candidates (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/7p/4KP1P/8/5P2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 24 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (9-10 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/7p/4KP1P/8/5P2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd7 $1 {Aiming at a king's raid via e8-f8, with the upper f-pawn as a
bait for Black's king.} Kf7 2. Kd8 Kf8 ({Or} 2... Kxf6 3. Ke8 {, transposing.
}) 3. f7 $1 Kxf7 4. Kd7 $1 {Opposition. Incidentally, with White to move again
it is a draw.} Kf6 ({White also wins after} 4... Kg6 5. Ke6 Kxh6 6. f5) ({or} 
4... Kf8 5. Ke6 Ke8 6. Kf6 Kf8 7. f5 $1 {.}) 5. Ke8 Ke6 ({Or} 5... Kf5 6. Kf7
Kxf4 7. Kg7 {etc.}) 6. Kf8 Kf6 7. Kg8 Kg6 8. f5+ $1 Kf6 ({Obviously,} 8... Kxf5
9. Kxh7) ({or} 8... Kxh6 9. f6 {is just as bad for Black.}) 9. Kxh7 Kf7 10. f6
$1 {. A final sacrifice. White wins. (End of Chapter One.)} *

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix, Tashkent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, S."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1r4/PR6/1P4kp/2K3p1/6P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 25 (Black to play). Between 1...Rc7+ and 1...bxa6, which one is
bad and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, S."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1r4/PR6/1P4kp/2K3p1/6P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rc7+ $2 {This lets White decide the battle by creating a powerful pair of
connected passed pawns.} ({Correct was} 1... bxa6 2. bxa6 Ra7 $1 3. Rb5+ Kh6 4.
Ra5 h4 5. gxh4 g3 6. Kb5 g2 7. Ra1 Kh5 {with a draw - Baburin.}) 2. Rc6 $1
bxc6 3. b6 Rc8 4. b7 Rb8 5. Kc5 h4 6. a7 Rxb7 7. a8=Q Rh7 8. Qg8+ Kh6 9. gxh4 {
. White soon won.} *

[Event "Al-Ain"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tzermiadianos, A."]
[Black "Iuldachev, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pk2p2/2p4p/p3n1p1/PP6/2P2BPP/5P2/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 26 (White to play). Why was 1 Ke2 a mistake?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tzermiadianos, A."]
[Black "Iuldachev, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pk2p2/2p4p/p3n1p1/PP6/2P2BPP/5P2/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke2 $4 (1. --) 1... Nxf3 2. Kxf3 b5 $1 {A decisive breakthrough.} 3. Ke4
bxa4 4. Kd3 axb4 5. cxb4 Kb6 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p3qp2/1p3Rrp/8/3Q2p1/P3P3/1P4PP/1K6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 27 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/p3qp2/1p3Rrp/8/3Q2p1/P3P3/1P4PP/1K6 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxg6 (1. --) 1... fxg6 2. Qh8+ $1 {Transposing to a pawn ending where
Black's deficient pawn majority implies an easy win for White.} Kf7 3. Qh7+
Kf6 4. Qxe7+ Kxe7 5. Kc2 Kd6 6. Kd3 Ke5 7. e4 h5 8. g3 {. Black resigned.
} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 28"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/1p1k2p1/1P6/2PK4/7P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 28 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 28"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/1p1k2p1/1P6/2PK4/7P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {The candidate first.} ({In contrast, after} 1... h5 $4 2. h4 $1 Ke6
3. c5 {, White even wins; e.g.} bxc5+ 4. Kxc5 g5 5. b6 Kd7 6. hxg5 h4 7. b7 Kc7
8. g6 h3 9. g7 h2 10. b8=Q+ $1 Kxb8 11. g8=Q+ {.}) 2. Ke4 h5 ({But not} 2...
Kc5 $2 3. Kf5 Kxc4 4. Kxg5 Kxb5 5. Kh6 Kc4 6. Kxh7 b5 7. h4 b4 8. h5 b3 9. h6
b2 10. Kg8 b1=Q 11. h7 {with a draw.}) 3. Kf5 g4 4. hxg4 hxg4 5. Kxg4 Kc5 {
Black wins;} ({e.g.} 5... Kc5 6. Kf3 Kxc4 7. Ke3 Kxb5 8. Kd3 Ka4 {.}) *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lema, A."]
[Black "Adriano, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp6/2p1kppp/3p4/3P1PP1/2P1K2P/PP6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 29 (Black to play). Between 1...f5 and 1...h5, which one is bad
and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lema, A."]
[Black "Adriano, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp6/2p1kppp/3p4/3P1PP1/2P1K2P/PP6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h5 $2 {This permits a decisive breakthrough.} (1... f5 {was much better,
securing a draw.}) 2. f5+ $1 ({Instead, the game went} 2. gxh5 $2 gxh5 3. h4 $2
({correct was} 3. Kf3 {, followed by Ke3-f3}) 3... Kf5 4. Kf3 a6 5. a3 b6 6. b3
a5 7. c4 ({or} 7. a4 b5) 7... a4 $1 8. cxd5 axb3 {and Black soon prevailed.})
2... Kf7 ({Even worse is} 2... gxf5 3. gxh5 {, followed by 4 Kf4.}) 3. fxg6+
Kxg6 4. gxh5+ Kxh5 ({Or} 4... Kg5 $5 5. h6 Kxh6 6. Kf4 {etc.}) 5. Kf4 Kg6 6. h4
{. The outside passed pawn decides.} *

[Event "Morelia/Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k1pp1/3P4/4P1p1/2p5/7P/5PP1/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 30 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k1pp1/3P4/4P1p1/2p5/7P/5PP1/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g3 $1 {With the simple idea of f2-f4, securing the protected passed pawn on
d6. Here Black resigned; let's see a possible continuation:} Ke6 2. f4 gxf4
3. gxf4 f6 4. Ke2 fxe5 ({Or} 4... g5 5. fxg5 fxe5 6. g6 {etc.}) 5. fxe5 {.
White wins.} *

[Event "Denmark vs. Sweden, Skaenninge"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hoi, C."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/7p/1NK1p1p1/4Pp2/5P2/6PP/5n2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 31 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hoi, C."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/7p/1NK1p1p1/4Pp2/5P2/6PP/5n2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ne4 $1 {Preparing the creation of a passed pawn.} (1... Nxh3 $2 2. Kd6 {
was less to the point.}) 2. g4 fxg4 3. hxg4 h5 $1 4. f5 ({After} 4. gxh5 gxh5 {
, the h-pawn becomes very dangerous, so White opts for counterplay.}) 4... exf5
$1 ({In the game I erred with} 4... h4 $2 {and after} 5. fxg6 Ke8 6. Nc4 $1 Ng5
({or} 6... h3 7. Nd6+ $1) 7. Nd2 Kf8 8. Kd7 {, White later saved a draw.}) 5.
gxf5 gxf5 6. Nd5 h4 7. Nf4 Ng5 $1 {Black wins;} ({e.g.} 7... Ng5 8. Nd3 ({or} 
8. e6 h3 9. Kd6 Ne4+ 10. Ke5 h2) 8... h3 9. Nf2 h2 10. Kd5 Ne4 $1 11. Nh1 Ke7
12. Kd4 Ke6 13. Ke3 Kxe5 14. Kf3 f4 15. Kg2 Ng3 {- Hecht.}) *

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Sadler, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pp1k3/p3Pp1p/2K2P1P/1P6/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 32 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Sadler, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pp1k3/p3Pp1p/2K2P1P/1P6/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a4 $1 {Softening up Black's queenside pawns, after which the protected
passed pawn on e5 should take its toll.} (1. b4 {first is also okay.}) 1... Ke7
2. b4 axb4 ({Or} 2... Ke6 3. bxa5 bxa5 4. Kc5 Kd7 5. Kb6 {etc - Ftacnik.}) 3.
Kxb4 Ke6 4. a5 ({In view of} 4. a5 bxa5+ 5. Kxa5 Kd5 6. Kb4 c5+ 7. Kb3 $1 c4+
8. Kc3 Kc5 9. e6 Kd6 10. Kxc4 Kxe6 11. Kc5 {etc, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Bebchuk, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p4p1/5p1p/1k3P2/6PP/3KP3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 33 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Bebchuk, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p4p1/5p1p/1k3P2/6PP/3KP3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. e4 $1 {Preparing a decisive breakthrough.} Kc6 2. e5 fxe5 ({Or} 2... Kd5 3.
e6 {and the protected passed pawn decides.}) 3. g5 hxg5 ({If} 3... Kd6 {, then}
4. f6 $1 {anyway.}) 4. f6 $1 ({In view of} 4. f6 gxf6 5. h5 {, Black resigned.
. }) *

[Event "Tel Aviv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Smirin, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k1p/4n1p1/3K2P1/p7/8/8/2B5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 34 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Smirin, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k1p/4n1p1/3K2P1/p7/8/8/2B5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Nxg5 $1 {A clever move which leaves the bishop helpless against the three
passed pawns.} 2. Bxg5 a3 3. Bd2 a2 4. Bc3 h5 $1 ({In view of} 4... h5 5. Ke5
h4 6. Kf4 g5+ 7. Kxg5 ({or} 7. Kg4 Ke6 {, heading for b1}) 7... h3 8. Be5 h2 {
, White resigned.)}) *

[Event "Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vachev, V."]
[Black "Radulski, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/4p2p/1b1p4/1p3PP1/pPqPP1KP/P3Q3/5B2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 35 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vachev, V."]
[Black "Radulski, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/4p2p/1b1p4/1p3PP1/pPqPP1KP/P3Q3/5B2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ba4 $1 {The bishop helps in a decisive breakthrough.} 2. bxa4 ({Or} 2. Qd1
Bxb3 {and the a-pawn decides.}) 2... b3 ({In view of} 2... b3 3. axb3 Qb2 {,
White resigned - 'Chess Today'.)}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 36"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/5K2/4p1P1/4k3/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 36 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 36"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/5K2/4p1P1/4k3/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd4 $1 {The right square in view of the coming pawn race.} ({In contrast,
} 1... Kf3 $2 2. g5 e3 3. g6 e2 4. g7 e1=Q 5. g8=Q Qe4+ 6. Kf6 Qh4+ 7. Ke5 Qf4+
8. Kd5 {leads to a draw.}) 2. g5 e3 3. g6 e2 4. g7 e1=Q 5. g8=Q Qf1+ 6. Kg6 ({
Or} 6. Ke6 Qc4+ {.}) 6... Qg2+ 7. Kh7 Qxg8+ 8. Kxg8 Kc3 {Black wins;} ({e.g.} 
8... Kc3 9. Kf7 Kb2 10. a4 Ka3 11. a5 Ka4 12. a6 Ka5 13. Ke6 Kxa6 14. Kd5 Kb5 {
.)}) *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, S."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1k/p5qp/1p6/5P2/1P1Q1Kp1/P1P5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 37 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, S."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1k/p5qp/1p6/5P2/1P1Q1Kp1/P1P5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g2 $1 {Transposing to a pawn ending where two pawns will stop three.} (
1... b4 $2 2. f5 $1 {was less to the point.}) 2. Qxg6+ Kxg6 3. Kxg2 b4 $1 ({In
view of} 3... b4 4. Kf3 Kf5 {, followed by ...h6-h5-h4, White resigned.
}) *

[Event "European Team Championship, Skara"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Vukic, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p3pp1/p1krpn1p/P6P/2P2PP1/2B5/1PK5/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 38 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Vukic, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p3pp1/p1krpn1p/P6P/2P2PP1/2B5/1PK5/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bxf6 $1 {Launching a little breakthrough combination.} gxf6 2. Rd1 $1 ({In
view of} 2. Rd1 Rxd1 3. Kxd1 Kc5 ({or} 3... Kd6 4. g5 fxg5 5. fxg5 Ke7 6. gxh6
Kf8 7. b4 Kg8 8. b5 Kh7 9. bxa6 bxa6 10. c5 {etc}) 4. g5 $1 fxg5 5. fxg5 hxg5
6. h6 {, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 39"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp5/3p4/p2P1k2/P1P4p/1P2K2P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 39 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (7-8 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 39"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp5/3p4/p2P1k2/P1P4p/1P2K2P/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ke5 $1 {Black accepts the pawn race.} 2. Kf3 Kd4 3. Kg4 Kc3 4. Kxh4 Kxb3
5. Kg5 Kxc4 $1 {The key move, which prepares a breakthrough with the b-pawn in
order to queen on b1 instead of a1.} ({After} 5... Kxa4 $4 6. h4 {, only White
queens.}) 6. h4 b5 7. h5 ({After} 7. axb5 $2 a4 {, only Black queens.}) 7... b4
$1 8. h6 b3 9. h7 b2 10. h8=Q b1=Q {. With a sound extra pawn and more active
pieces, Black is winning.} *

[Event "Azogues"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Esquivel, E."]
[Black "Llamuca, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp2r3/2p1k2p/4p3/6P1/7P/PPP5/2K2R2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 40 (Black to play). Between 1...Rf7 and 1...Rd7, which one is bad
and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Esquivel, E."]
[Black "Llamuca, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp2r3/2p1k2p/4p3/6P1/7P/PPP5/2K2R2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rf7 $2 {A bad choice, since in the ensuing pawn ending, White's outside
passed pawn will play a decisive role.} ({Much better was} 1... Rd7 {, cutting
off the enemy king; e.g.} 2. Rf5 $6 e4 3. Rh5 e3 $1 4. Rxh6+ Ke5 {etc.}) 2.
Rxf7 Kxf7 3. Kd2 Kg6 4. h4 $1 b5 5. Ke3 Kf6 6. Ke4 c5 7. g5+ hxg5 8. hxg5+ {.
Black resigned.} *

[Event "Lvov"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Makarichev, S."]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2p2Bp1/5p1p/2p1bPkP/6P1/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 41 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Makarichev, S."]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2p2Bp1/5p1p/2p1bPkP/6P1/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g4 $1 {A decisive breakthrough.} 2. hxg4 ({Or} 2. fxg4 f3 $1 3. gxf3 Kxh3
4. g5+ Kg3 5. g6 Bd4 {and the h-pawn decides.}) 2... h3 3. gxh3 Kxf3 4. g5 Kg3
5. g6 Bd4 6. h4 f3 7. h5 Bg7 8. Ke1 f2+ ({In view of} 8... f2+ 9. Kf1 Kf3 {,
followed by ...Ke3-d2, White resigned.)})
*

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Benalcazar, D."]
[Black "Ruiz, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/1p4pp/3P4/2k5/1pp2K2/P7/1P1R2PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 42 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Benalcazar, D."]
[Black "Ruiz, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/1p4pp/3P4/2k5/1pp2K2/P7/1P1R2PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... bxa3 $1 {Preparing the creation of a passed pawn.} ({Instead, the game saw
} 1... c3 $2 2. axb4+ $1 Kxb4 3. bxc3+ Kxc3 4. d7 Rd8 5. Rd6 {and White went
on to win.}) 2. bxa3 c3 3. Rd1 c2 ({Even} 3... Kc4 $5 {seems playable.}) 4. Rc1
Kxd6 5. Rxc2 {. With an equal game.} *

[Event "European Team Championship, Heraklio"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/pp6/4p1K1/3pP3/3k4/6P1/PP5r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 43 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/pp6/4p1K1/3pP3/3k4/6P1/PP5r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kxe5 $1 {Creating a powerful pair of connected passed pawns.} (1... Rxb2
$2 2. Kf6 $1 {would have been a big mistake - Berg.}) 2. Rxb7 d4 3. g4 ({Or} 
3. Rxa7 Rxb2 {with similar play.}) 3... Kf4 $1 4. g5 e5 5. Rf7+ Ke3 6. Rxa7 d3
7. Kf5 e4 8. g6 Rxb2 9. g7 Rf2+ $1 10. Ke6 Rg2 11. Kf7 d2 {. Black soon won.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 44"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/4kp2/p1Pp4/5P2/P2K3p/1P5P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 44 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 44"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/4kp2/p1Pp4/5P2/P2K3p/1P5P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... a4 $1 {One pawn stops two.} ({In contrast, after} 1... Kf5 $2 2. b4 $1
axb4 3. axb4 Kxf4 4. b5 Ke5 5. b6 $1 {, White wins.}) 2. Kd4 ({After} 2. Kc3
Kf5 3. b4 ({or} 3. Kb4 d4 $1) 3... axb3 4. Kxb3 d4 5. a4 Ke4 6. c6 bxc6 7. a5
d3 8. a6 Ke3 {, the ensuing queen ending is won for Black}) ({while} 2. Ke3 Kf5
3. Kf3 d4 4. Kg3 Ke4 {also wins for him.}) 2... Kf5 3. Kxd5 Kxf4 4. Kd6 Ke4 $1
5. Kc7 Kd5 {. The f-pawn decides matters.)
} *

[Event "West German Championship, Berlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1950.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Diemer, EJ."]
[Black "Pfeiffer, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/1p1kb3/3N2p1/2P3P1/4K2P/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1950.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 45 (White to play). Between 1 Kd4 and 1 Nc3, which one is bad and
for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Diemer, EJ."]
[Black "Pfeiffer, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p5p1/1p1kb3/3N2p1/2P3P1/4K2P/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd4 $2 {A bad choice as Black is allowed to transpose to a pawn ending
where the outside passed pawn will be great asset.} ({Correct was} 1. Nc3 Bxc4
2. Ne4+ {, followed by 3 Nxg5, with chances of a draw - 'Schach'.}) 1... Bxd5
2. cxd5 a6 $1 {An accurate waiting move.} ({In the same spirit,} 2... g6 {also
works}) ({but not} 2... a5 $2 3. Kc4 a4 4. Kb4 {with a draw.}) 3. b3 ({Both} 3.
b4 a5) ({and} 3. Ke4 a5 4. Kd4 b5 {lead to similar consequences.}) 3... g6 4.
Kc4 ({Or} 4. b4 a5 $1 {.}) 4... Ke5 $1 5. b4 Kd6 6. Kd4 a5 $1 {. Black soon
wins.} *

[Event "British Championship, Great Yarmouth"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rowson, J."]
[Black "Knott, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/6K1/7p/3Bp2P/2P3P1/4bP2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 46 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rowson, J."]
[Black "Knott, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/6K1/7p/3Bp2P/2P3P1/4bP2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. f4 $1 {Creating a second passed pawn.} ({Both} 1. f3 $2 Bxf3) ({and} 1. c4
$6 Bf3 {were less productive.}) 1... exf3 2. Bf2 $1 {. There follows 3 Kxh5,
with an easy win.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pasto, J."]
[Black "Parra, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5P1p/4k1p1/6P1/1K6/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 47 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pasto, J."]
[Black "Parra, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5P1p/4k1p1/6P1/1K6/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kc4 $1 {Heading for the opposite flank in outside passed pawn fashion.} ({
Instead, the game went} 1. Ka4 $2 Kxf6 2. b4 {, when} h5 $1 {would have
yielded Black good winning chances.}) 1... Kxf6 ({Now, in contrast,} 1... h5 {
fails to} 2. gxh5 g4 3. Kd3 {. As a result, Black has to accept the fact that
one pawn stops three.}) 2. Kd5 Ke7 3. b4 Kd7 4. b5 Kc7 5. Kc5 $1 ({The tempting
} 5. Ke5 {fails to} Kb6 6. Kf6 Kxb5 7. Kxf7 h5 $1 {and draws.}) 5... Kb7 6. b6
Kb8 7. Kc6 Kc8 8. b7+ Kb8 9. Kb6 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Stockholm (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4Rpk1/3p4/3P2pp/3KP3/3P2P1/5r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 48 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4Rpk1/3p4/3P2pp/3KP3/3P2P1/5r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. e5 $1 {White hurries to create a passed pawn.} ({Less clear is} 1. Rd7 $6 g4
$1 2. Rxd6 h4 {etc.}) 1... h4 $1 ({More tenacious than} 1... dxe5+ 2. Rxe5 {
with twin threats of Rxg5 and d5-d6.}) 2. gxh4 Rf4+ 3. Ke3 Rxh4 4. exd6 Rh6 5.
Kd4 $1 ({Also possible is} 5. d7 Rd6 6. Kd4 Kf6 7. Re3 Rxd7 8. Kc5 {.}) 5...
Rxd6 6. Kc5 Rd8 7. d6 Kf6 8. Kc6 g4 9. Re3 Kg5 10. d7 f5 11. Re8 Rxd7 12. Kxd7
f4 13. Ke6 f3 14. Rf8 Kh4 15. Rf4 $1 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaposhnikov, E."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/1pk1pPp1/2p1P1Pp/2P2K1P/5P2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 49 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaposhnikov, E."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/1pk1pPp1/2p1P1Pp/2P2K1P/5P2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke3 $1 {Preparing a timely breakthrough with f3-f4-f5.} b5 ({Passive
defence also fails; e.g.} 1... Kc7 2. Kd3 Kc6 3. Kc3 Kc7 4. Kb3 Kb7 5. Ka4 Kc6
6. f4 Kc7 7. Kb5 Kb7 8. f5 $1 {and White wins.}) 2. cxb5+ Kxb5 3. f4 $1 Kc6 4.
f5 $1 ({In view of} 4. f5 Kd7 ({neither would} 4... gxf5 5. g6) ({or} 4... exf5
5. e6 {have saved him}) 5. fxg6 fxg6 6. Kd3 {, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponce, A."]
[Black "Calderon, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr4/pppr1ppp/8/4P3/3b1P2/1P3K1P/P5P1/1RBR4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 50 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponce, A."]
[Black "Calderon, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr4/pppr1ppp/8/4P3/3b1P2/1P3K1P/P5P1/1RBR4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... c5 $1 {Intending ...Kc7-c6 and ...b7-b5 in order to realize the pawn
majority.} 2. Ba3 Kc7 3. Rbc1 Kc6 4. Rc2 ({If} 4. b4 {, then} b5 $1 5. bxc5 a5
{, followed by ...b5-b4.}) 4... a5 5. g4 Rd5 6. Re2 b5 7. e6 fxe6 8. Rxe6+ R8d6
9. Rde1 Bc3 $1 10. Rxd6+ Rxd6 11. Re2 Rd3+ 12. Kg2 Bd4 {. Preparing ...Kd5 and
c5-c4. Black went on to win.} *

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Almasi, Z."]
[Black "Petrik, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/6p1/3R3p/3PpK2/8/6PP/4r3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 51 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Almasi, Z."]
[Black "Petrik, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/6p1/3R3p/3PpK2/8/6PP/4r3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... e4 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} ({Instead, the game saw} 1... Re3 $2
2. Ke6 Rxg3 3. Rc6 Rf3 4. d6 Rf6+ 5. Kxe5 Kf7 6. Rc8 {, preparing d6-d7, and
White went on to win.}) 2. Rd7 Kh7 ({But not} 2... e3 $2 3. Kg6 Kf8 4. d6 {-
Baburin.}) 3. d6 e3 4. Ke4 Kg6 5. Kf3 Re1 6. Ra7 Kf6 7. d7 Rd1 (7... Ke7 8.
d8=Q+ $1 Kxd8 9. Rxg7 {is less convincing.}) 8. Kxe3 g6 {. Black is okay -
Baburin.} *

[Event "Sollentuna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Adler, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/3R4/2P1K3/4P3/8/8/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 52 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Adler, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/3R4/2P1K3/4P3/8/8/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke6 $1 {One of the passed pawns is sacrificed to enhance the advance of its
colleague.} ({In the same spirit,} 1. Kd5 Rd1+ 2. Ke6 Rc1 3. e5 $1 {is also
good.}) 1... Rxc5 2. e5 Rc1 3. Rd2 Rh1 4. Kf7 {With Black's king on the long
side of the pawn, the rest is easy.} Rh7+ 5. Kg6 Rh1 6. e6 Rf1 7. e7 Re1 8. Kf7
Rf1+ 9. Ke8 Re1 10. Rc2+ ({In view of the bridge after} 10. Rc2+ Kb7 11. Rc4 {
, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1895.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pillsbury, H."]
[Black "Gunsberg, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1n6/4k2p/4pp2/ppPp1Pp1/1N1P2P1/4P3/P3K2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1895.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 53 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pillsbury, H."]
[Black "Gunsberg, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1n6/4k2p/4pp2/ppPp1Pp1/1N1P2P1/4P3/P3K2P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. c6 $1 Kd6 2. fxe6 $1 Nxc6 ({Or} 2... axb4 3. e7 $1 Kxe7 4. c7 {.}) 3. Nxc6
Kxc6 4. e4 $1 {The key move, which creates a decisive protected passed pawn.}
dxe4 5. d5+ Kd6 6. Ke3 b4 7. Kxe4 a4 8. Kd4 h5 9. gxh5 a3 10. Kc4 f5 11. h6 f4
12. h7 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Macas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rezabala, J."]
[Black "Cardenas, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/p4p2/1p4p1/2p2bPp/2PrNK1P/PP3P2/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 54 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Ke4 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rezabala, J."]
[Black "Cardenas, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/p4p2/1p4p1/2p2bPp/2PrNK1P/PP3P2/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke4 $2 f5+ $1 {An unexpected breakthrough.} ({Instead, the game went} 1...
Rxd1 $2 2. Nxd1 {and was later drawn}) ({while} 1... Bxe3 $4 2. Rxd3 cxd3 3.
Kxe3 f5 4. f3 $1 {even wins for White.}) 2. gxf5 ({Both} 2. Kxf5 Bxe3) ({and} 
2. Kf3 Bxe3 3. Rxd3 fxg4+ 4. hxg4 cxd3 5. Kxe3 h3 {win for Black.}) 2... Bxe3
3. Rxd3 cxd3 4. Kxe3 g4 $1 5. f6 Kd6 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nepomniachtchi, I."]
[Black "Iordachescu, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6k1/P7/7r/K6p/1P6/7R b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 55 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nepomniachtchi, I."]
[Black "Iordachescu, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6k1/P7/7r/K6p/1P6/7R b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kf7 $1 {Heading for the queenside to fight against the passed pawns.} ({
In contrast, after} 1... Kf5 2. b4 Kg4 $2 3. b5 Kg3 4. a6 {, White wins
comfortably.}) 2. b4 ({Black also draws after} 2. a6 Rh6 3. a7 Ra6+ 4. Kb4 Rxa7
5. Rxh3 Rb7+ 6. Kc3 Ke6 {- Baburin.}) 2... Ke7 3. b5 Kd7 4. b6 Kc6 5. Rb1 Rh5
$1 6. Rc1+ Kb7 7. Kb4 Rh4+ 8. Kb5 Rh5+ 9. Kb4 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yusupov, A."]
[Black "Malaniuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/8/8/6p1/PR4P1/6k1/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1983.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 56 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Rf4 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yusupov, A."]
[Black "Malaniuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r2/8/8/6p1/PR4P1/6k1/2K5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rf4 $2 {A bad choice, since the ensuing pawn race will work out in
White's favour.} ({Correct was} 1... Ra8 $1 2. Kb3 Kf3 {, keeping some
chances of a draw.}) 2. Rxf4 gxf4 3. g5 f3 4. g6 f2 5. g7 f1=Q 6. g8=Q+ Kh4 ({
After both} 6... Kh3 7. Qc8+ $1 Kg3 8. Qc7+ Kg4 9. Qd7+) ({and} 6... Kh2 7.
Qh7+ Kg2 8. Qg6+ Kh2 9. Qd6+ $1 {, White manages to exchange queens -
Malaniuk.}) 7. Qd8+ ({In view of} 7. Qd8+ Kh3 ({or} 7... Kh5 8. Qd1+) 8. Qd3+ {
, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wade, R."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp3k1/1p2Qqp1/3Pp3/4P2p/8/PP2KP1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 57 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Qxf6+ here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wade, R."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pp3k1/1p2Qqp1/3Pp3/4P2p/8/PP2KP1P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qxf6+ $1 Kxf6 2. Kf3 {In this pawn ending, White wins by tying the black
king to kingside defence and then preparing a breakthrough on the queenside.}
Kg5 ({Or} 2... g5 3. Kg4 Kg6 4. a4 {in similar fashion.}) 3. a4 $1 ({The move
order matters - not} 3. b4 $2 b5 {.}) 3... Kh5 ({White also wins after} 3...
c6 4. dxc6 bxc6 5. b4 Kf6 6. a5) ({or} 3... b5 $5 4. axb5 b6 5. h3 Kh5 6. Ke3
Kg5 7. f4+ $1 {.}) 4. b4 Kg5 5. b5 Kh5 6. a5 ({In view of} 6. a5 bxa5 7. b6 {
, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Antwerp"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ramesh, R."]
[Black "Hillarp Persson, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/4p3/5pk1/P7/8/r6P/6P1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 58 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ramesh, R."]
[Black "Hillarp Persson, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/4p3/5pk1/P7/8/r6P/6P1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... e5 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn as a defensive weapon.} ({Instead, the
game went} 1... Kg7 $2 2. a6 Kh7 3. h4 Kg7 4. h5 Kh7 5. a7 {and White later
prevailed by a king march to d7.}) 2. a6 Kf5 3. h4 ({Or} 3. a7 e4 4. Kf2 Ra2+
$1 {in similar style; e.g.} 5. Ke3 Ra3+ 6. Kd4 Kf4 7. h4 e3 8. h5 Ra4+ {with a
draw - Hillarp.}) 3... e4 4. h5 Ra1+ 5. Kf2 Ra2+ {The king should be driven
away from the e-pawn.} 6. Kg3 Ra3+ 7. Kh2 Kg5 $1 ({But not} 7... e3 $2 8. Kg3
$1 {.}) 8. a7 Kf4 9. h6 Ra5 $1 10. g4 $1 ({Less is promised by} 10. Kg1 Ra1+
11. Kf2 e3+ 12. Ke2 Ra2+ {.}) 10... Ra2+ 11. Kh3 Ra1 {With good drawing
chances;} ({e.g.} 11... Ra1 12. Rf8 Rxa7 13. Kh4 $5 Ke5 14. Kh5 e3 15. Re8+ Kf4
16. Kg6 Kxg4 17. Rxe3 f5 {etc.)}) *

[Event "Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schlosser, P."]
[Black "Tseitlin, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1P4R1/1r6/8/2K1k3/5p1P/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 59 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schlosser, P."]
[Black "Tseitlin, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1P4R1/1r6/8/2K1k3/5p1P/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kc5 $1 {Preparing Rg4-b4 with a favourable pawn race.} Rb1 ({After} 1... f2
2. Re7+ Kd3 3. Rd7+ Kc3 4. Kxb6 f1=Q 5. b8=Q {, White wins - Tseitlin.}) 2.
Rg4+ Ke3 ({Or} 2... Kd3 3. Rb4 Rxb4 4. Kxb4 f2 5. b8=Q f1=Q 6. Qb5+ {.}) 3. Rb4
$1 Rxb4 4. Kxb4 f2 5. b8=Q f1=Q 6. Qe5+ $1 ({In view of} 6. Qe5+ Kd2 7. Qc3+
Ke2 8. Qc4+ {, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Titograd"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Zapata, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/4k3/p1bp1p1p/4pB2/2P1P1P1/1P5R/3K2P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1984.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 60 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Zapata, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/4k3/p1bp1p1p/4pB2/2P1P1P1/1P5R/3K2P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxh6 $1 {Starting a little combination that will create a strong passed
pawn.} ({Less is promised by} 1. Kc2 Rh8 2. b4 Bd7 {.}) 1... Rxb3 2. c5 $1 {
Tal's suggestion.} ({Instead, the game saw} 2. g5 $6 fxg5 3. c5 {, when} Rb4
$1 4. cxd6+ Kf7 {, followed by ...Rd4, would have yielded drawing chances -
Tal.}) 2... dxc5 3. g5 Rb2+ ({Or} 3... Bb5 4. gxf6+ Kf7 5. Bg4 {, preparing 6
Bh5+ and g2-g4-g5.}) 4. Kc3 Rxg2 5. gxf6+ Kf7 6. Rh7+ ({In view of} 6. Rh7+
Kxf6 ({or} 6... Kf8 7. Be6) 7. Rh6+ {, White wins. (End of Chapter Two.)}) *

[Event "Irish Championship, Dublin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "O'Rourke, R."]
[Black "Redmond, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/3p3R/4k3/6P1/6r1/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 61 (White to play). Show the simplest way to make a draw. (2-3
moves)} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "O'Rourke, R."]
[Black "Redmond, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/3p3R/4k3/6P1/6r1/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {Giving up the pawn in order to apply Philidor's defence.} ({
Instead, the game went} 1. Rg5 $6 d4 2. Rg8 Ke3 3. Re8+ Kd3 4. Rg8 $6 Re2+ 5.
Kf1 Kd2 6. Ra8 Re7 7. Ra2+ Kc3 {with practical difficulties for White, who
ended up losing.}) 1... Rxg4 ({Or} 1... d4 2. Rh3 {with similar play -
Baburin.}) 2. Rh3 d4 3. Ra3 Rg2 4. Rb3 d3 5. Rb8 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Hungarian Championship, Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, L."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5rpp/1p6/p1p5/4R3/2P1P3/6PP/R5K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1959.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 62 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, L."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5rpp/1p6/p1p5/4R3/2P1P3/6PP/R5K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd2 $1 {Preparing to double the rooks on the second rank.} 2. Rb1 Rff2 3.
Rxb6 ({Or} 3. Rg4 Rb2 4. Rd1 Rfd2 5. Rf1 a4 {etc.}) 3... Rxg2+ 4. Kf1 Rxh2 5.
Rb8+ Kf7 6. Rb7+ Kf6 7. Rb6+ Kg5 8. Kg1 Rdg2+ 9. Kf1 Rc2 $1 10. Kg1 Rhd2 {.
White resigned.} *

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bronstein, D."]
[Black "Rantanen, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4n1k1/3rbp1p/pp2p1p1/2r3P1/P1PN1B1P/1P1R1K2/5P2/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 63 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bronstein, D."]
[Black "Rantanen, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4n1k1/3rbp1p/pp2p1p1/2r3P1/P1PN1B1P/1P1R1K2/5P2/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ne2 $1 {Simple and strong, in order to seize the open file.} Rxd3+ 2. Rxd3
b5 $6 {Badly timed due to White's strong fifth move.} (2... Rc8 3. Rd7 Bc5 {
was a lesser evil.}) 3. cxb5 axb5 4. Rd7 Kf8 5. a5 $1 Rc6 6. Rb7 b4 7. Rb8 $1
Bc5 8. Ng3 {. In view of 9 Ne4 with inevitable material losses, Black resigned.
. } *

[Event "Havana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bruzon Batista, L."]
[Black "Navara, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/8/8/8/6P1/1p3K2/1kr5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 64 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bruzon Batista, L."]
[Black "Navara, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "R7/8/8/8/6P1/1p3K2/1kr5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rc4 $1 {Cutting the enemy king off and enabling a bridge with ...Kc3 and ...Rb4.} 2. Kg3 Kc3 3. Rf8 b2 4. Rf1 Kb3 5. g5 (5. Rb1 {was more tenacious, when
} Rc1 6. Rxb2+ Kxb2 7. Kf4 Kc3 8. g5 Kd4 9. Kf5 Kd5 10. Kf6 Kd6 {is one
winning path.}) 5... Rc1 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gullaksen, E."]
[Black "McDonald, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/4k3/R4N2/5K1p/8/P7/1nP5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 65 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gullaksen, E."]
[Black "McDonald, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7r/4k3/R4N2/5K1p/8/P7/1nP5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Re6+ $1 {A clever intermediate check.} Kf7 ({Or} 1... Kd8 2. Rb6 {with a
decisive double threat.}) 2. Rb6 ({In view of} 2. Rb6 Nc4 3. Rb7+ Kf8 4. Ke6 {
, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Yaroslavl"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vaganian, R."]
[Black "Khasin, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rr2k1/pn3p1p/1p4p1/3P4/4P3/3B3P/P2K1P2/1RR5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 66 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vaganian, R."]
[Black "Khasin, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rr2k1/pn3p1p/1p4p1/3P4/4P3/3B3P/P2K1P2/1RR5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxc8 {This and the following moves enable White to seize the c-file.} (1.
Ba6 $2 Rxc1 2. Rxc1 Nc5 {was less to the point.}) 1... Rxc8 2. Ba6 $1 Rc7 3.
Bxb7 Rxb7 4. Rc1 $1 {With a huge advantage.} Kf8 5. Kd3 Ke7 6. Kd4 Kd7 7. Ke5
Ke7 8. Rc6 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Borovo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szuhanek, R."]
[Black "Kovacevic, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5R2/8/4p1r1/4k3/8/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 67 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szuhanek, R."]
[Black "Kovacevic, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5R2/8/4p1r1/4k3/8/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kf1 $1 {To the short side of the pawn, preparing the defence of the long
side.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Rf1 $2 Rg2 2. Rh1 Kd3 3. Rh8 Ra2 4. Rb8
Ra1+ 5. Kf2 e3+ 6. Kf3 Rf1+ 7. Kg2 e2 8. Rd8+ Kc4 {and White resigned.}) 1...
Rh4 ({Obviously,} 1... Rf4+ 2. Rxf4 Kxf4 3. Kf2 {is a draw.}) 2. Ra6 $1 {. To
the edge. White draws.} *

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adams, Mi"]
[Black "Gurevich, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kp1/R7/8/Pr1b4/4B3/4KP2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 68 (Black to play). In the event of 1...Bxe3, how would you
recapture, and why?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adams, Mi"]
[Black "Gurevich, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kp1/R7/8/Pr1b4/4B3/4KP2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bxe3 2. fxe3 $1 {The right recapture so as to create a second passed pawn.
From now on, White wins comfortably by pushing the a-pawn to a7 and then using
the e-pawn as a bait to deflect Black's king.} ({Instead,} 2. Kxe3 $2 g5 {
leads to a draw; e.g.} 3. a5 Ra4 4. Ra8 Kg6 5. a6 Ra2 6. a7 Kg7 $1 {-
Baburin.}) 2... g5 3. a5 Ra4 4. Ra8 ({In view of} 4. Ra8 g4 5. a6 Ra2+ 6. Kf1
g3 7. a7 Kg7 8. e4 $1 {, followed by e4-e5-e6-e7, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "French Championship, Val d'Isere"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, A."]
[Black "Fressinet, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/2R3p1/8/5r1p/1P6/8/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 69 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, A."]
[Black "Fressinet, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/2R3p1/8/5r1p/1P6/8/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rf4 $1 {Preparing to place the rook behind the passed pawn.} 2. b5 Rb4 3.
Rc5 h4 4. Kf2 Rb2+ $1 {Sokolov's suggestion.} ({Instead, the game saw} 4...
Kh7 $2 5. Ke3 Rb2 6. Kd4 Kh6 ({or} 6... Rxg2 7. Rh5+ Kg6 8. Rxh4) 7. Kc3 Rxg2
8. b6 Rg6 9. Rb5 Rc6+ 10. Kb4 Rc8 11. b7 Rb8 12. Ka5 {and Black resigned.}) 5.
Ke3 ({Or} 5. Kf3 Kh7 6. h3 g6 7. Kg4 Rxg2+ 8. Kxh4 Kh6 9. Rc6 Rb2 10. b6 Rb4+
11. Kg3 Kh5 12. Kf3 Rb3+ {with a draw - Sokolov.}) 5... Rxg2 6. Rh5+ Kg8 7.
Rxh4 Rb2 8. Rh5 g6 9. Rg5 Rxh2 10. Rxg6+ Kf7 {. Black makes a draw.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Vachier Lagrave, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4R3/6r1/1p3k2/1P3p2/2K5/2P5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 70 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Vachier Lagrave, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4R3/6r1/1p3k2/1P3p2/2K5/2P5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd6 $1 {Cutting off White's king before advancing the passed pawn.} ({
Less is promised by} 1... f3 2. Kd3 Kf4 3. Rf7+ Kg3 4. c4 $1 bxc4+ 5. Kxc4 f2
6. Rxf2 $1 Kxf2 7. b5 {etc.}) 2. Rb7 Rd5 ({Baburin showed that} 2... f3 3.
Rxb5+ Kg6 {also works, but the text is more practical.}) 3. Kb2 f3 4. c4 bxc4
5. Kc3 Ke4 6. Rh7 Rf5 $1 7. Rh1 f2 8. Rf1 Kd5 9. b5 Kc5 10. b6 Rf3+ {. With 11.
..Kxb6 next, Black soon won.} *

[Event "Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/7R/4P1p1/p1P5/5p1P/r7/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 71 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/7R/4P1p1/p1P5/5p1P/r7/5K2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra6 $1 {Placing the rook behind the most dangerous of the enemy pawns.} ({
Instead, the game saw} 1. Rf6 $2 Ra1+ $1 2. Kf2 a3 3. Ra6 a2 {and White
resigned.}) 1... a3 2. c5 $1 {White hurries to create counterplay.} Ra1+ 3. Kf2
a2 4. c6 Rh1 5. c7 Kd7 6. Ra7 {White holds;} ({e.g.} 6. Ra7 a1=Q $6 7. e6+ Kc8
8. Rxa1 {, when} Rxa1 $2 9. e7 $1 {even loses for Black - Baburin.
}) *

[Event "World Junior Championships, Maribor"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ochsner, B."]
[Black "Predke, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p5k1/3R2p1/P5P1/5PK1/2r5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 72 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ochsner, B."]
[Black "Predke, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p5k1/3R2p1/P5P1/5PK1/2r5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ra2 $1 {Placing the rook behind the passed pawn, and never mind the
a6-pawn.} 2. Rd6+ Kg7 3. Rxa6 Kf7 {It transpires that White's king has been
marginalized from the battle.} 4. Ra7+ ({Obviously,} 4. f4 {at any moment runs
into} Ra3+ {.}) 4... Kf6 5. Ra8 Kg7 6. a5 Kf7 7. a6 Kg7 8. Ra7+ Kg6 9. Ra8 Kg7
10. a7 Kh7 11. f4 Ra3+ $1 12. Kf2 gxf4 {. Even without the f-pawn Black
wouldn't lose this, and a draw was soon agreed.} *

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fernandez, DH."]
[Black "Illingworth, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3K4/8/4P3/1k6/8/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 73 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fernandez, DH."]
[Black "Illingworth, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3K4/8/4P3/1k6/8/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd1+ $1 {This intermediate check displaces White's king, thus yielding
Black a vital tempo.} (1... --) 2. Kc6 Re1 3. Kd5 Kb4 4. e5 Kb5 5. Kd6 Kb6 6.
e6 Rd1+ 7. Ke7 Kc7 8. Kf7 Rf1+ 9. Ke8 Kd6 10. e7 Re1 {. White resigned.
} *

[Event "Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beliavsky, A."]
[Black "Ree, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/8/4k3/3p4/1P1R4/1KP5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 74 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beliavsky, A."]
[Black "Ree, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r6/8/4k3/3p4/1P1R4/1KP5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. c4 $1 {This advance will leave Black's king decisively cut off from the
queenside.} dxc4+ 2. Kxc4 Rc8+ 3. Kb5 Ke5 4. Rd7 $1 {Cutting Black's king
off horizontally.} (4. Rd1 $2 Rb8+ {was less to the point.}) 4... Ke6 5. Rb7
Kd6 6. Ka6 Rc1 7. b5 Ra1+ 8. Kb6 Rb1 9. Rh7 Rb2 10. Ka6 {. Black resigned.
} *

[Event "Khanty-Mansiysk (modified)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Potkin, V."]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4pk1/2Pp4/1p3R2/r7/3K2P1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 75 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Potkin, V."]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p4pk1/2Pp4/1p3R2/r7/3K2P1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rf2 $1 {With the idea of 2 Rc2 in order to place the rook behind the passed
pawn.} ({Instead,} 1. Rxb5 Ra6 2. c7 Rc6) ({or} 1. Rc5 dxc5 2. c7 Rxa2 3. c8=Q
Ra3+ 4. Ke4 Rxg3 {, followed by 5...Rg6, lets Black defend himself.}) 1... Ra3+
({Or} 1... Rc4 2. Rc2 {etc.}) 2. Kd4 Ra4+ 3. Kd5 Rc4 4. Kxd6 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/2R5/3p1P2/3P4/p3K3/7r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 76 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/2R5/3p1P2/3P4/p3K3/7r/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rh6 $1 {Preparing ...Ra6 in order to place the rook behind the passed
pawn.} ({Instead, after} 1... a2 $2 2. Ra6 {, White achieves the same thing
with a draw.}) 2. Rc1 $2 ({The only chance was} 2. Rc7+ Kf6 3. Rc5 $1 {-
Baburin; e.g.} Rh1 4. Ra5 Ra1 5. Kf2 a2 6. Kg2 Kxf5 7. Rxd5+ Ke4 8. Ra5 Kxd4 9.
Ra8 {etc.}) 2... Ra6 3. Kd3 a2 4. Ra1 Kf6 {Thanks to the passive enemy rook,
Black wins comfortably.} 5. Kc3 Kxf5 6. Kb2 Ke4 7. Re1+ Kxd4 8. Ka1 Kc3 9. Rc1+
Kd2 10. Rc2+ $5 Kd3 $1 11. Rc3+ Ke4 12. Rh3 d4 ({The game concluded} 12... d4
13. Rh4+ Kd3 14. Rh3+ Kc4 15. Rc3+ Kd5 16. Rh3 Rb6 $1 17. Kxa2 Kc4 18. Rh1 Kc3
{and White resigned.)}) *

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Svidler, P."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/p2R2Pk/1pK4P/1P6/8/1P3r2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 77 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Svidler, P."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/p2R2Pk/1pK4P/1P6/8/1P3r2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rc2+ $1 {A timely intermediate check.} ({Instead, after} 1... Rxb2 $2 2.
Rxa6) ({or} 1... Rf5+ $2 2. Kb6 Rf4 3. Ka5 Kxh5 4. Rxa6 Rf5 5. Rb6 {, White
should win.}) 2. Kb6 Rxb2 3. Kxa6 ({If} 3. Ka5 {, then} Ra2+ {.}) 3... Rxb4 4.
Rd7 ({In view of} 4. Rd7 Rb1 5. Ka5 b4 6. Ka4 {etc, a draw was agreed.
}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 78"]
[Black "Sozin, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "K7/2k5/R7/8/5p2/6p1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 78 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 78"]
[Black "Sozin, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "K7/2k5/R7/8/5p2/6p1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rg6 $1 {The rook behind the passed pawn(s).} Kd7 2. Rg4 g2 ({Or} 2... Ke6 3.
Rxf4 Ke5 4. Rg4 {.}) 3. Rxg2 Ke6 4. Rg5 $1 {Cutting the king off.} f3 5. Rg3 f2
6. Rf3 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Zaitsev, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6pk/1R6/4r3/2K5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 79 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Zaitsev, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/6pk/1R6/4r3/2K5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rb1 $1 {Preparing a frontal attack.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Kd3 $2 Re1
$1 {(forcing White's king to move away)} 2. Kd2 Re8 3. Rb1 g5 4. Rh1+ Kg6 5.
Rg1 Re5 $1 {(now the move 6 Kd4 is impossible)} 6. Kd3 Kf5 7. Kd4 Re4+ 8. Kd3
g4 {and White resigned.}) 1... g5 2. Kd3 Re8 3. Rh1+ Kg6 4. Rg1 Re5 5. Kd4 $1 {
. White draws - Panchenko.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fish, G."]
[Black "Dinstuhl, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5kp1/R6p/5K1P/P4PP1/4r3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 80 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fish, G."]
[Black "Dinstuhl, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/5kp1/R6p/5K1P/P4PP1/4r3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra6+ $1 {Preparing Rd6-d3 in order to keep all the pawns defended, in
similar style to Example 224 (Morovic-Gulko).} Kg7 ({Or} 1... Ke7 2. Ra4 {,
preparing Re4 in similar fashion.}) 2. Rd6 Ra2 3. Rd3 Kf6 4. Re3 Ra1 5. Ke4 Rg1
6. f4 $1 Ra1 ({Or} 6... Rd1 7. Rd3 {, building a bridge.}) 7. Kd4 Kf5 8. Kc4
Kg4 9. Kb4 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Norwegian Championship, Tonsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Thomassen, J."]
[Black "Tjomsland, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7R/8/8/3p4/1K1kr3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 81 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Thomassen, J."]
[Black "Tjomsland, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7R/8/8/3p4/1K1kr3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rh1 $1 {Simplest, so as to prevent 1...Kd1+.} ({White could also play} 1.
Kb3 {; e.g.} Kd1 ({or} 1... Kc1 2. Rh1+) 2. Kc3 d2 3. Kd3 $1 {.}) ({Instead,
the game went} 1. Rh3 $2 Kd1+ 2. Kc3 d2 3. Rh1+ ({or} 3. Kd3 Kc1 $1 {, when
White is missing a rear check}) 3... Re1 4. Rh2 Re3+ 5. Kb2 {, upon which} Rd3
$1 {, followed by the king's escape, would have won for Black.}) 1... Re1 ({
Or} 1... Rg2 2. Kb3 $1 {with a waiting game.}) 2. Rh2+ Ke3 3. Rh3+ {An
annoying side attack.} Ke2 4. Rh2+ Kf3 5. Rh3+ {. White draws - Baburin.
} *

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ljubojevic, L."]
[Black "Smeets, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1R6/2pK3r/2P5/2k5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 82 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ljubojevic, L."]
[Black "Smeets, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1R6/2pK3r/2P5/2k5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd7 $1 {Preparing a frontal attack.} (1. Kc7 Kxc5 2. Rb1 $1 Rh7+ 3. Kc8 {,
followed by frontal checks, worked as well}) ({whereas the game saw} 1. Ke5 $2
Kxc5 2. Ke4 ({or} 2. Rb1 Rh4 3. Rc1+ Rc4 4. Rb1 Rb4 5. Rc1+ Kb5 {and wins
thanks to White's cut-off king}) 2... Kc4 $1 3. Ke3 Kc3 4. Rc7 Re6+ 5. Kf4
Kc4 $1 6. Kf5 Rh6 7. Ke4 c5 8. Ke3 Rd6 $1 {and Black soon won.}) 1... Kxc5 2.
Rb1 Rh7+ 3. Ke6 Rh6+ ({Or} 3... Rh4 4. Kd7 $1 Rc4 5. Rh1 {.}) 4. Kd7 $1 {.
Black can't progress - Baburin.} *

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rosberg, S."]
[Black "Al Sayed, MN."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/8/4k3/7R/KP6/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 83 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rosberg, S."]
[Black "Al Sayed, MN."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/8/4k3/7R/KP6/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rh7 $1 {Cutting the king off from the seventh rank.} ({Instead, the game
went} 1. Rc5 $2 Kd6 2. Kb5 Rb8+ $1 {(Black is just in time to launch a frontal
attack)} 3. Kc4 Rh8 4. Kb5 Rb8+ $1 5. Ka4 Ra8+ 6. Ra5 Rg8 7. Ra6+ Kc7 {with a
draw later on.}) 1... Kd6 2. Ka5 Ra8+ 3. Kb6 Rb8+ 4. Rb7 $1 Rc8 5. b5 {. White
wins - Baburin. Indeed, there is no defence against the plan of Rh7, Kb7,
b5-b6 etc.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morales, M."]
[Black "Pino, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R3p1p/p3p1p1/P3P3/1P3PP1/r7/6K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 84 (Black to play). Black played 1...Rb3 here - why was that a
mistake? What should she have played instead?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morales, M."]
[Black "Pino, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R3p1p/p3p1p1/P3P3/1P3PP1/r7/6K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rb3 $2 {This allows White to create a duo of passed pawns by means of a
little combination.} (1... Kg7 $6 {is also bad due to} 2. g5 $1 {, followed by
a king march to the opposite flank.}) ({The active} 1... h5 $1 {was called for;
e.g.} 2. gxh5 gxh5 3. Rb6 Rb3 4. Rxa6 Rxb4 {and with a passed pawn of her own,
Black shouldn't lose.}) 2. b5 $1 axb5 3. a6 Ra3 4. a7 Kg7 5. f5 $1 ({Instead,
the game saw} 5. Kf2 $2 {, when} b4 $1 6. f5 gxf5 7. gxf5 b3 8. fxe6 b2 9. e7
Rxa7 $1 10. e8=Q Rxb7 {would have forced White to play} 11. Qd8 b1=Q 12. Qg5+ {
with a perpetual.}) 5... gxf5 6. gxf5 Kh6 7. Rxf7 exf5 8. e6 Kg6 9. Rb7 {.
White wins with e6-e7 and Rb8 next.} *

[Event "Pan-American Junior Ch., Camboriu"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Flores Rios, M."]
[Black "Lemos, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/4k3/8/8/1PKR4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 85 (White to play). What result is produced by: a) 1 b5 - ?; b) 1
Kc5 - ?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Flores Rios, M."]
[Black "Lemos, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6r1/4k3/8/8/1PKR4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. b5 $2 {This lets Black save himself by a bridge.} ({Correct was} 1. Kc5 $1
Rc8+ 2. Kb6 Rb8+ 3. Kc7 {and White wins.}) 1... Rd8 $1 {Enabling Philidor's
defence.} 2. Rh4 Kd6 3. Rh7 Rd7 {Enabling Philidor's defence.} 4. Rh8 Rg7 5.
Kb4 Kc7 6. Ka5 Kb7 {. A draw was soon agreed.} *

[Event "Golden Sands"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ipatov, A."]
[Black "Vajda, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/R4P2/8/2Pk4/8/p5r1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 86 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ipatov, A."]
[Black "Vajda, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/R4P2/8/2Pk4/8/p5r1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra6 $1 {Building a bridge.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Ke7 $2 Re3+ 2. Kf6
Rf3+ 3. Kg7 Rg3+ 4. Kh6 Rf3 {and was later drawn.}) 1... Kxc5 2. Ke7 Re3+ 3.
Re6 Rf3 {Here and on the next move, an exchange of rooks lets White queen with
check.} 4. Rf6 a2 5. Rxf3 a1=Q 6. f8=Q {. White wins - Baburin.} *

[Event "Cappelle la Grande"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Oleksienko, M."]
[Black "Grigoriants, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R6/8/5K2/P7/8/r6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 87 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Oleksienko, M."]
[Black "Grigoriants, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R6/8/5K2/P7/8/r6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rb4 $1 {White prefers a side angle for his rook, so as to keep it active.} (
{Instead, the game went} 1. Ra7 $2 Rxh2 2. a5 Kf8 3. a6 Rh6 $1 {(tying the
enemy rook to the pawn)} 4. Ke5 Kg8 5. Kd5 Rf6 6. Ra8+ Kg7 7. Kc5 Rf5+ 8. Kb6 {
and a draw was agreed.}) 1... Rxh2 ({Or} 1... Kf7 2. h4 Ra1 3. h5 Kg7 4. Ke5 {
, heading for the opposite flank.}) 2. Ke6 Kf8 3. a5 {. White wins by again
transferring his king to the opposite flank - Baburin.} *

[Event "Bangkok"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Amonatov, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R7/6k1/P5r1/8/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 88 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Amonatov, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/R7/6k1/P5r1/8/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kh6 $1 {In such positions the pawn should be controlled from the side, as
we saw in Example 217 (Kamsky-Karpov).} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Kf6 $6
2. a6 Ra5 $2 ({the last chance was} 2... Rd5 {- Baburin}) 3. Ra8 Ra4 4. Kd3
Kg7 5. Kc3 Rf4 6. Ra7+ Kg6 7. Rb7 Ra4 8. a7 Kf6 9. Kb3 Ra1 10. Kc4 Ke6 11. Kc5
{and Black resigned.}) 2. a6 Rg6 {. Black defends - Baburin.} *

[Event "Zurich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/4b1BP/6K1/5P2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1959.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 89 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Keres, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/4b1BP/6K1/5P2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bh5 $1 {Preparing a bridge on g4 in order to enable f5-f6. Later on, a
further bridge on the a2-g8 diagonal will help the pawn continue its advance.}
Kh7 2. Bg4 Bc4 ({Or} 2... Bxg4 3. Kxg4 Kxh6 4. Kf5 {- 'Bulletin'.}) 3. f5 Bf7
4. Bh5 Bc4 5. Bg6+ Kg8 6. f6 {Here Black resigned; let's see a possible
continuation:} Bb3 ({Or} 6... Kh8 7. Kf4 Bg8 8. Ke5 Ba2 9. Kd6 Bg8 10. Ke7 Bd5
11. Bh5 $1 Kh7 12. Bg4 Kxh6 13. Be6 {and wins - Barcza.}) 7. Kf4 Kh8 8. Ke5
Bc4 9. Kd6 Bb3 10. Ke7 Bc4 11. Bf7 Bd3 12. Be8 $1 {Preparing a bridge on e6.}
Bc4 13. Bd7 Bg8 14. Be6 $1 Bh7 15. f7 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Candidates semi-final, Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p4p1p/1p3p1P/3PpP2/8/2r3P1/P4PK1/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 90 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p4p1p/1p3p1P/3PpP2/8/2r3P1/P4PK1/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Re4 $1 {Heading for the seventh rank.} ({Less convincing was} 1. Rd1 $6 Kf8)
({or} 1. d6 $2 Kf8 2. Rd1 Ke8 3. d7+ Kd8 4. Rd6 Rc7 {- Marin.}) 1... Kf8 ({
After} 1... Rc7 2. Rg4+ Kh8 (2... Kf8 3. Rg7 {leads to the game}) 3. d6 Rd7 4.
Rc4 Rd8 5. d7) ({or} 1... Rc8 2. Rg4+ Kh8 3. d6 Rd8 4. Rc4 Kg8 5. Kf3 Kf8 6.
Rc6 {, preparing Ke4-d5, White wins.}) 2. Rg4 Rc7 3. Rg7 b5 4. Rxh7 Kg8 5. Rg7+
Kh8 ({After} 5... Kf8 6. Rg4 {, the h-pawn decides.}) 6. d6 Rd7 7. Kf3 $1 b4 8.
Ke4 Rxd6 {Forced, because of the threat of Kd5-c6.} 9. Rxf7 Ra6 10. g4 $1 {
Creating a second passed pawn.} Kg8 11. h7+ Kh8 12. g5 $1 fxg5 13. f6 {. In
view of Kf5-g6 next, Black resigned.} *

[Event "European Team Championship, Heraklio"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lie, K."]
[Black "Sepp, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2p2k2/2K5/1P6/2R5/4r3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 91 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lie, K."]
[Black "Sepp, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2p2k2/2K5/1P6/2R5/4r3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Re3 $1 {By tying the white king to the b-pawn in this way, Black prevents
his own king from being cut off later on.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Rb1
$2 2. Rc3 $1 Ke6 3. Kxc5 Kd7 4. Kb5 $1 Rg1 5. b4 Rg6 6. Ka5 {and White soon
won.}) ({Incidentally,} 1... Re5 $2 {would lose as well after} 2. Kb5 Ke6 3.
Rxc5 Re1 4. b4 {.}) 2. Rb2 Ke6 $1 3. Kxc5 Kd7 4. Kb6 Kc8 5. b4 ({Or} 5. Ka7
Re7+ {.}) 5... Kb8 {. Black defends.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Novikov, S."]
[Black "Jakovenko, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/1P6/4p3/7p/4k1p1/1r4P1/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 92 (White to play). Between 1 Re8 and 1 Kg2, which one is bad and
for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Novikov, S."]
[Black "Jakovenko, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1R6/1P6/4p3/7p/4k1p1/1r4P1/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Re8 $2 {This lets Black decide the battle by an intermediate check.} ({
Instead, the game went} 1. Kg2 $1 Rb2+ 2. Kf1 e5 3. Kg1 Ke3 4. Kh1 e4 5. Kg1
Ke2 6. Kg2 e3 7. Kg1 Rb6 8. Kh2 Rb5 9. Kg2 Rb3 10. Kg1 Rb2 11. Kh1 Ke1 12. Re8
Rxb7 13. Rxe3+ Kf2 14. Ra3 {and was later drawn.}) 1... Rb2+ $1 ({But not} 1...
Rxb7 $2 2. Rxe6+ {with a draw.}) 2. Kg1 Rxb7 3. Rxe6+ Kf3 {. Black wins -
Deviatkin.} *

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Xu Jun"]
[Black "Cao Sang"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7k/3P4/7r/6R1/4K3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 93 (Black to play). Black played 1...Rd4 here - why was that a
mistake? What was preferable?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Xu Jun"]
[Black "Cao Sang"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/7k/3P4/7r/6R1/4K3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd4 $2 {A natural move, but now White is able to decide matters by a
bridge.} ({Correct was} 1... Ra4 $1 {with a waiting game; e.g.} 2. d6 ({or} 2.
Rd3 Kg6 3. d6 Ra8 4. Rf3 Rd8 {etc}) 2... Ra2+ 3. Kd1 Ra1+ 4. Kc2 Ra2+ {and
White can't progress - Baburin.}) 2. Rd3 Re4+ 3. Kf3 Re8 4. Re3 $1 {The
key move, which helps the king to get closer to the pawn.} Rd8 5. Ke4 Kg6 6.
Rf3 $1 {Cutting the enemy king off.} Kg7 7. Ke5 Ra8 8. Ke6 {Black resigned.} (
8. d6 Rf8 9. Rxf8 Kxf8 10. Kf6 $1 {was also possible.}) *

[Event "Stockholm Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/2r5/4R3/3K4/2P5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 94 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/2r5/4R3/3K4/2P5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rd6+ $1 ({Exploiting the fact that} 1. Rd6+ Kc8 $2 {fails to} 2. Rc6 {,
White forces the enemy king to the wrong side of the pawn.}) ({In contrast,} 1.
c5 Rh7) ({or} 1. Rc6 Rh7 {leads to a draw - Panchenko.}) 1... Ke7 2. c5 Rc8 (
{White also wins after} 2... Rd7 3. Kc6 Ra7 4. Kb6 Ra1 5. Rd2 {.}) 3. c6 Rc7 4.
Rh6 Kd8 5. Rh8+ Ke7 6. Ra8 $1 {. Finding himself in zugzwang, Black resigned. 
. } *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 95"]
[Black "Kasparian, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1K6/3k4/4R3/3PP3/8/8/8/r7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 95 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 95"]
[Black "Kasparian, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1K6/3k4/4R3/3PP3/8/8/8/r7 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rb1+ $1 {A timely intermediate check to displace the enemy king before
attacking his pawns.} ({Instead, after} 1... Ra5 $2 2. Rd6+ Ke7 3. Kc7 $1 {,
followed by 4 Kb6 and 5 Rh6, White wins.}) 2. Ka7 Rb5 3. Rd6+ Kc7 $1 ({
Avoiding both} 3... Kc8 $2 4. e6) ({and} 3... Ke7 $2 4. Ka6 Rc5 5. Kb6 {.}) 4.
Rc6+ Kd8 $1 ({But not} 4... Kd7 $2 5. e6+ $1 Ke7 6. Rc7+ {and 7 Rd7(+) next
- Panchenko.}) 5. Rd6+ Kc7 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Vienna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1922.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Tartakower, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/2b5/pp6/4p3/1P4P1/1KP2p2/1P1R4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1922.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 96 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Tartakower, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/2b5/pp6/4p3/1P4P1/1KP2p2/1P1R4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rd5 $1 {An ingenious move in order to place the rook behind the enemy
passed pawns.} ({Other tries are less convincing; e.g.} 1. Kc2 e4 2. Rd4 e3 3.
Kd1 e2+ 4. Kd2 Bg3 5. Re4 Bh4 $1) ({or} 1. g5 e4 2. Rf2 Kd7 3. g6 Be5 4. Kc2
Ke6) ({while} 1. Rh2 e4 2. Rh8+ Kd7 3. Rf8 {leads to a worse version of the
game.}) 1... e4 ({Or} 1... f2 2. Rd1 e4 3. Kc2 Bf4 4. Rf1 e3 5. Kd3 {etc.}) 2.
Rf5 Bg3 3. g5 Kd7 ({A sacrifice with} 3... e3 {fails to} 4. Rxf3 e2 5. Re3 e1=Q
6. Rxe1 Bxe1 7. g6 {.}) 4. g6 Ke6 5. g7 $1 Kxf5 6. g8=Q Bf4 7. Qf7+ Kg4 8. Qg6+
Bg5 9. Qxe4+ Kg3 10. Qg6 Kg4 11. Qxb6 {. Black resigned. (End of Chapter
Three.)} *

[Event "Russian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pugachov, A."]
[Black "Notkin, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7B/5k2/2pp3P/5p2/8/8/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 97 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pugachov, A."]
[Black "Notkin, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7B/5k2/2pp3P/5p2/8/8/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bd4 $1 {Heading for e3 in the spirit of one single diagonal.} ({Instead,} 1.
Kf3 Kg6 2. Bg7 c5 {leads to a draw - Belov.}) 1... Kg6 2. Be3 {With the
bishop controlling two of the enemy pawns, the king is ready to attack the
third one.} d5 3. Kf3 d4 4. Bf4 c5 5. Ke2 c4 6. Kd2 Kf7 7. Kc2 Kf6 8. Kb2 ({In
view of} 8. Kb2 Kg6 9. Ka3 c3 10. Kb3 Kh7 11. Kc4 {, Black resigned.
}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 98"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/KP6/7k/4n3/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 98 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 98"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/KP6/7k/4n3/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kb8 $1 {Preparing to use the magic distance idea.} ({Instead,} 1. Kb6 $2
Nd7+ 2. Kc7 Nc5 {only draws.}) 1... Nc6+ ({White also wins after} 1... Kg5 2.
Kc7) ({or} 1... Nd7+ 2. Kc8 $1 Nb6+ 3. Kd8 {.}) 2. Kc7 Nb4 3. Kb6 Nd5+ 4. Kc6
Ne7+ 5. Kc5 $1 {White wins.} ({Of course} 5. Kb5) ({and} 5. Kd7 {work as well.
. }) *

[Event "German Cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mueller, K."]
[Black "Abel, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2k4/2p5/2K3pp/bP2B3/6P1/P6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 99 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mueller, K."]
[Black "Abel, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2k4/2p5/2K3pp/bP2B3/6P1/P6P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h4 $1 {Fixing the h5-pawn.} (1. Bf3 $2 h4 {was less useful.}) 1... gxh4 2.
gxh4 Ke6 3. Bf3 Kf5 ({In view of} 3... Kf5 4. Bxh5 Kf4 5. Bf7 Kg4 6. h5 Kg5 7.
Bb3 $1 Bb5 8. Bd1 Kh6 9. a4 {, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grandelius, N."]
[Black "Hansen, SB."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/p1qp2pp/n1p1p3/P3P3/2PPN2P/Q4PPK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 100 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grandelius, N."]
[Black "Hansen, SB."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/p1qp2pp/n1p1p3/P3P3/2PPN2P/Q4PPK/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ng4 $1 {Provoking weaknesses on the enemy kingside.} Kg7 ({Now} 1... h5 $2 {
obviously fails to} 2. Nh6+ {.}) 2. Qd2 $1 {In the same provocative spirit.} g5
({Since} 2... h5 $4 {fails to} 3. Qh6+ {, Black is forced to create a weakness
on f5.}) 3. Qe2 Qc8 4. Ne3 Kg6 5. Nf5 Qe6 6. h4 $1 Nb3 $6 ({The more tenacious
} 6... Nc6 {can be met by} 7. hxg5 hxg5 8. Qb2 $1 {with good winning chances
- Grahn.}) 7. hxg5 hxg5 8. Qf3 $1 d5 9. Qh3 dxe4 10. g4 $1 ({In view of} 10.
g4 f6 11. Qh5# {, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Baden-Baden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1870.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Neumann, G."]
[Black "Steinitz, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/8/4k3/8/4r3/8/8/3N4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1870.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 101 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Neumann, G."]
[Black "Steinitz, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/8/4k3/8/4r3/8/8/3N4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rf4+ $1 {Heading for f3 in order to restrict the knight.} 2. Kg7 Rf3 3.
Kg6 ({Or} 3. Nb2 Kd5 4. Kg6 Kd4 5. Kg5 Rf1 $1 {, followed by ...Rb1-b4 -
Karpov/Gik.}) 3... Ke5 4. Kg5 Kd4 5. Kg4 Rf1 $1 6. Nb2 {Interestingly, it is
now the king that is applying the magic distance idea.} Rb1 7. Na4 Rb4 {.
White resigned.} *

[Event "China vs. USA, Shanghai"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhang Zhong"]
[Black "Gulko, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b5/4k1pp/2p5/p1N1p3/3rP3/1P6/P2R2PP/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 102 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhang Zhong"]
[Black "Gulko, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b5/4k1pp/2p5/p1N1p3/3rP3/1P6/P2R2PP/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxd4 exd4 2. e5 $1 {Establishing a powerful barrier.} g5 3. Kd2 Bf5 4. g3 h6
5. a4 $1 {Preparing the creation of a second passed pawn by b3-b4.} Kf7 ({
Unfortunately for Black, he can't bring his king over with} 5... Kd8 {due to}
6. Nb7+ {.}) 6. b4 $1 axb4 7. a5 Bc8 8. Kd3 $1 ({More technical than} 8. a6 $6
Bxa6 9. Nxa6 Ke6 {.}) 8... Kg6 9. Kxd4 Kf5 10. g4+ $1 ({In view of} 10. g4+
Kxg4 ({or} 10... Kg6 11. a6) 11. e6 {, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gopal, G."]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1N6/4k3/8/6p1/2Pp2p1/8/1K6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 103 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gopal, G."]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1N6/4k3/8/6p1/2Pp2p1/8/1K6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd6 $1 {Applying the magic distance in order to restrict the knight.} ({
Instead,} 1... g3 $2 {failed to} 2. Nc6+ Kd6 3. Nxd4 g2 4. Ne2 {.}) 2. c5+ Kc7
({The more complicated} 2... Kxc5 $6 3. Nd7+ Kb5 4. Ne5 g3 5. Nf3 g2 6. Kc2 Kc4
7. Kd2 g4 8. Ng1 d3 {wins as well - Müller.}) 3. Na6+ Kc8 $1 {Again the
same theme.} 4. Nb4 g3 5. Nd3 g2 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Nanjing"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jakovenko, D."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/5p2/p5pp/3k4/6PP/1P1K1N2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 104 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jakovenko, D."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/5p2/p5pp/3k4/6PP/1P1K1N2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h5 $1 {Fixing the h4-pawn as a future target.} 2. gxh5 ({Or} 2. g5 Bb6 3.
Nd2 Bf2 $1 4. Nf3 Ba7 5. Nd2 Ke5 {and wins - Ftacnik.}) 2... gxh5 3. Ke3 Kc5
4. Kd3 ({After} 4. Ke4 Kb4 5. Ne5 Kxb3 6. Nxf7 Bxh4 {, the a-pawn queens.})
4... Kb4 ({In view of the zugzwang after} 4... Kb4 5. Kc2 Bf6 $1 {, White
resigned.)}) *

[Event "Santo Domingo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fernandez, Se"]
[Black "Bravo, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/1ppR1pp1/p6p/4p3/4P3/1PP2P1P/1P4P1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 105 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fernandez, Se"]
[Black "Bravo, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/1ppR1pp1/p6p/4p3/4P3/1PP2P1P/1P4P1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Re7 $1 {A useful piece of provocation.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Kf2 $2
Kf8 2. Rd5 Re8 $1 ({not} 2... f6 $2 3. Rd7 $1) 3. b4 f6 {, followed by ...Ke7
and a draw later on.}) 1... f6 2. Kf2 Kf8 3. Rd7 {It transpires that White's
rook can no longer be expelled from the seventh rank.} g6 4. Ke3 Ke8 5. Rh7 {
. With a clear advantage.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hammer, J."]
[Black "So, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/1p5p/p2p4/8/8/PP3PPP/2Nb2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 106 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hammer, J."]
[Black "So, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/1p5p/p2p4/8/8/PP3PPP/2Nb2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kf1 $1 {With the plan of chasing the bishop away from d1 and then
blockading the d-pawn by Nb3(e2)-d4.} g5 ({Or} 1... d4 2. Ke1 Bh5 3. Kd2 Bg6 4.
Ne2 d3 5. Nf4 {etc.}) 2. Ke1 Bh5 3. Kd2 Kf8 ({The restrictive} 3... a4 $2 {
fails to} 4. Kd3 {, heading for d4.}) 4. Nb3 $1 Ke7 5. Nd4 Bg6 6. g3 Kd6 7. a3
{All the pawns have been placed on squares of the "right" colour.} Kc5 8.
Kc3 {. With excellent chances for a draw, a result that White achieved many
moves later.} *

[Event "Arica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mondaca, A."]
[Black "Meruvia, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/B7/6p1/4k1P1/8/P1K2p2/4b3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 107 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mondaca, A."]
[Black "Meruvia, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/B7/6p1/4k1P1/8/P1K2p2/4b3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd1 $1 ({Not} 1. Bb7+ $2 Ke3 2. Bg2 Ke2 {. White's salvation lies in
giving up the g4-pawn and then controlling both enemy passed pawns on the long
diagonal. For this plan to work the king must reach the e2-square.}) 1... Kf3
2. Bb7+ $1 ({Instead, the game went} 2. Bf1 $2 Kxg4 3. Ke2 Kg3 {and Black won
by ...Kh2-g1, ...g5-g4-g3-g2 etc.}) 2... Kxg4 3. Ke2 Kg3 4. Bc6 g4 5. Bb7 {
White holds;} ({e.g.} 5. Bb7 Kh2 6. Kf1 g3 7. Bc6 {. As for the a-pawn, it can
always be defended by the bishop.)}) *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Ponomariov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/B5pp/4p3/4Pp2/2b5/p4P2/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 108 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Ponomariov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/B5pp/4p3/4Pp2/2b5/p4P2/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f4 $1 {Fixing the enemy pawns as future attacking objects.} (1... --) 2.
g3 g5 3. Kg2 Bd5 $1 {Tying White's king to the f3-pawn.} 4. Kf2 Kf7 5. gxf4
gxf4 6. Ke2 a2 7. Bd4 Ke8 {. With the inevitable plan of a king transfer to b1.
White resigned.} *

[Event "Dubai"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Abdul, MM."]
[Black "Kulicov, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k2r/pp3pp1/4p1p1/3p4/3P2P1/7P/PPPR1P2/2K4R w kq - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 109 (White to play). White played 1 Rd3 here - why was that bad
strategically? What was preferable?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Abdul, MM."]
[Black "Kulicov, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k2r/pp3pp1/4p1p1/3p4/3P2P1/7P/PPPR1P2/2K4R w kq - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rd3 $2 g5 $1 {Fixing a long-term weakness on h3. For this reason White
should have played 1 h4! instead.} 2. Re1 Ke7 3. Re5 f6 4. Ree3 Kd6 5. Rb3 b6
6. Ra3 Rhc8 7. Kd2 Rc4 $1 8. Rad3 Rac8 9. c3 b5 10. a3 e5 $1 11. Re1 a5 12. Rh1
R8c7 13. Rd1 b4 $1 {Opening a new front.} 14. axb4 axb4 15. Ra1 exd4 16. cxb4 (
16. Rxd4 $2 {was impossible because of} bxc3+ 17. bxc3 Rxc3 {.}) 16... Rc2+ 17.
Ke1 Rxb2 18. Rxd4 Rcc2 {. Black later won.} *

[Event "Rostock"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paehtz, E."]
[Black "Tischbierek, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k2pp/1b3pb1/p1pp4/5B2/2P2P2/PP1K2PP/4N3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 110 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paehtz, E."]
[Black "Tischbierek, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k2pp/1b3pb1/p1pp4/5B2/2P2P2/PP1K2PP/4N3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bb1 $1 {Softening up White's queenside pawns.} 2. a3 ({Not} 2. a4 $2 Ba2
{with ...Bb3 next.}) 2... Kc6 3. Nd3 Kb5 4. Bd6 $5 ({Perhaps} 4. b3 $5 a4 5. b4
{was better - Postny, who also suggests 2...a4 on move 2.}) 4... a4 5. Bf8
Kc4 6. Nf4 g5 7. Ne6 (7. Nh5 f5 8. Nf6 {was preferable - Postny.}) 7... Bf5
8. Ng7 Bg6 9. Be7 Kb3 10. Ne6 ({Here} 10. Ne6 c4 {offered good winning chances}
({instead Black played} 10... Kxb2 $2 {and, after} 11. Nxc5 {, a draw was soon
agreed}) {; e.g.} 11. Nc5+ Bxc5 12. Bxc5 Kxb2 13. Bb4 d4 $1 14. cxd4 Bf7 {with
zugzwang - Postny.)}) *

[Event "Polish Championship, Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bartel, M."]
[Black "Kempinski, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/5n2/6K1/7P/5BP1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 111 (White to play). Between 1 Bc6 and 1 h5, which one is bad and
for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bartel, M."]
[Black "Kempinski, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/5n2/6K1/7P/5BP1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h5 $2 {This lets Black establish a successful blockade.} ({Before pushing
the h-pawn White should have improved his bishop; e.g.} 1. Bc6 Nh7+ 2. Kf5 Nf6
3. Be4 Nh7 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. Kg5 Ng8 6. Be4 Nf6 ({or} 6... Nh6 7. Bd5) 7. Bf5 Ng8 {
. At this point, Baburin gives the following variation:} 8. h5 $1 Ne7 ({or} 
8... Nh6 9. Be6 Kh7 10. Kf6) 9. h6+ Kh8 10. Be4 Ng8 11. g4 Ne7 12. Bf3 Ng8 13.
Bg2 Ne7 14. Be4 Ng8 15. Bg6 Ne7 16. Bf7 Kh7 17. Kf6 {and White wins.}) 1...
Nh7+ 2. Kf5 Kh6 $1 3. g4 ({A draw was agreed at the same moment, as after} 3.
g4 Ng5 {, the knight will control g5 forever.}) *

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/3n2pP/6P1/R4P2/1p1p4/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 112 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/3n2pP/6P1/R4P2/1p1p4/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kf1 $1 {Heading for e1.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Kf3 $2 Nb5 $1 2. Rb4 (
{or} 2. Ke3 b2 3. Rb4 Nc3 {with similar play}) 2... Nc3 $1 3. Rb7+ (3. Rxb3 d2
{is no better}) 3... Kg8 4. Rb8+ Kh7 5. Ke3 b2 $1 6. Rb7+ Kg8 7. Rb8+ Kh7 {and
a draw was agreed.}) 1... Nb5 ({Or} 1... b2 2. Rb4 Nc4 3. Ke1 d2+ 4. Ke2 Kh8 5.
Rb7 Kg8 6. f5 $1 d1=Q+ 7. Kxd1 Ne3+ 8. Kd2 Nxf5 9. Rxb2 {etc - Illescas.}) 2.
Rb4 Nc3 3. Ke1 $1 {. The magic distance. White will soon win.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hertneck, G."]
[Black "Yusupov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pp/3bp3/p2p4/Pp1Pk3/1P2P1P1/4K2P/2B5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 113 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hertneck, G."]
[Black "Yusupov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pp/3bp3/p2p4/Pp1Pk3/1P2P1P1/4K2P/2B5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {Preparing ...g5-g4 in order to fix the enemy pawns on dark squares.
} 2. Bd2 ({After} 2. g4 $5 Bxh2 3. Bd2 Bg3 4. Bc1 Bd6 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Be1 Bf6 7.
Bg3 e5 8. dxe5 Bxe5 9. Bf2 Bh2 10. Be1 d4 11. exd4 Kxd4 12. Bd2 h6 13. Be1 Bf4
{, the zugzwang decides - Yusupov.}) 2... g4 3. Be1 Be7 4. Bf2 Bg5 5. Bg1 Bf6
6. Bf2 e5 7. dxe5 Bxe5 8. Be1 ({Or} 8. Bg1 d4 $1 9. exd4 Bxd4 10. Bxd4 Kxd4 11.
Kd2 h6 {etc.}) 8... Bc3 $1 ({White resigned, in view of} 8... Bc3 9. Bf2 ({or} 
9. Bxc3 bxc3 10. b4 axb4 11. a5 b3 12. a6 b2) 9... h6 $1 10. Bg1 d4 11. exd4
Bxd4 12. Bxd4 Kxd4 13. Kd2 h5 $1 {- Yusupov.}) *

[Event "Beijing"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adianto, U."]
[Black "Dreev, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/5pk1/p3pb2/1p4pp/3P4/5NPP/PP1R1PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 114 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adianto, U."]
[Black "Dreev, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/5pk1/p3pb2/1p4pp/3P4/5NPP/PP1R1PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd8 $1 {Heading for d5 in order to blockade the d4-pawn.} ({Less is
promised by} 1... g4 2. hxg4 hxg4 3. Ne5 {.}) 2. g4 Kg6 3. b3 Rd5 4. Kf1 Bg7 5.
Ke2 hxg4 6. hxg4 f5 $1 {Preparing to expel the knight from f3.} 7. gxf5+ exf5
8. Rc2 ({Perhaps} 8. Ke3 $5 g4 9. Nh4+ Kg5 10. Ng2 {was a lesser evil.}) 8...
g4 9. Rc6+ Kh5 10. Ne1 Bxd4 11. Nd3 Kg5 12. Rxa6 f4 13. f3 g3 {. Black later
won.} *

[Event "Monte Carlo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Matanovic, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k4r/p1n2p1p/2B1p3/6p1/1P2P3/4PP2/7P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 115 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Matanovic, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k4r/p1n2p1p/2B1p3/6p1/1P2P3/4PP2/7P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra1 $1 ({Seeing that} 1. Rd1 $6 {is met by} Na6 $1 {, heading for b8, White
first provokes ...a7-a6 so as to rule out that knight manoeuvre.}) 1... a6 ({
Now, in contrast,} 1... Kb8 $2 {runs into} 2. Rd1 {with 3 Rd7 next.}) 2. Rd1
Rf8 ({Or} 2... Rd8 $2 3. Bb7+ {.}) 3. Rd7 Kb8 4. e5 Ka7 $1 5. Be4 $1 Kb6 6. Kg2
{The king should join the battle.} ({Instead,} 6. Bxh7 $2 Nd5 $1 {yields Black
counterplay - Shereshevsky.}) 6... h6 7. Kg3 f6 8. exf6 Rxf6 9. Kg4 Rf8 10.
Rh7 $1 Rd8 ({Or} 10... Rf6 11. Kh5 {.}) 11. Rxh6 Kb5 12. Rh7 {. White later
realized his extra pawn.} *

[Event "Stockholm (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/4Np2/Pb3p1k/4pP2/4P2P/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 116 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + detailed plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Larsen, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/4Np2/Pb3p1k/4pP2/4P2P/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Nd4 $1 {Intending Kg3, h3-h4, Kh3 and Ne2-g3 with a barrier, after which
the king will be ready to invade the enemy camp. Meanwhile, Black is confined
to passive defence.} (1. Kg3 {first is also possible.}) 1... Bd7 2. Kg3 Kg6 3.
h4 Kh5 4. Kh3 $1 Kg6 5. Ne2 Bb5 6. Ng3 Kf7 7. Kg2 ({Of course not} 7. Nxf5 $4
Bd7 {.}) 7... Ke6 8. Kf2 Be8 9. Ke1 Bg6 10. Kd2 Kd5 11. Kc3 Kc5 {Black has
managed to restrict the enemy king, but now the h-pawn takes its toll.} 12. h5
Bh7 13. Ne2 $1 Kb5 14. Nd4+ Kxa5 15. Ne6 Kb5 16. Nf8 Bg8 17. h6 a5 18. h7 Bxh7
19. Nxh7 a4 20. Nxf6 a3 21. Nd5 ({In view of} 21. Nd5 a2 22. Kb2 Kc4 23. Ne7 {
, Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 117"]
[Black "Dvoretsky, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4p3/3p4/2pP2b1/2P1P3/5Bkp/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 117 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 117"]
[Black "Dvoretsky, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4p3/3p4/2pP2b1/2P1P3/5Bkp/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. e5 $1 {On the theme of one single diagonal.} ({Instead,} 1. Bh5 $2 Kg2) ({or
} 1. Bh1 $2 Kh2 2. Bf3 Kg1 {loses outright.}) 1... dxe5 2. Be4 $1 ({The move
order matters - after} 2. d6 $2 Kf4 3. dxe7 ({or} 3. d7 e6) 3... Bxe7 4. Bh1
e4 5. Kf2 Bf6 6. Ke2 Bd4 {, White ends up in a fatal zugzwang; e.g.} 7. Kf1 ({
or} 7. Kd2 Kg3) 7... Ke3 {, heading for d3.}) 2... Kf4 3. Kd3 Bf6 4. d6 $1 {A
final accuracy.} ({After} 4. Bh1 $2 Kg3 5. Ke2 Kh2 6. Be4 Kg1 {, Black wins.})
4... exd6 5. Bd5 {. Black can't progress.} *

[Event "New York (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "De Firmian, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/1p3p1p/1K2p2P/PB2P1P1/4b1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 118 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "De Firmian, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/1p3p1p/1K2p2P/PB2P1P1/4b1P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g5 $1 {An ingenious sacrifice in order to create a weakness on h6.} fxg5 ({
White also wins after} 1... hxg5 2. h6) ({or} 1... Bxg5 2. Kxb6 {.}) 2. g4 $1 (
{Of course not} 2. Bf8 $2 g4 {.}) 2... Ke6 3. Kc6 Bd4 4. Bd6 {. In view of 5
Bc7 next, Black resigned.} *

[Event "European Team Championship, Novi Sad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cheparinov, I."]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5bk1/P4p2/1N4pp/8/4b2P/P5P1/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 119 (White to play). Between 1 a4 and 1 a8Q, which one is bad and
for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cheparinov, I."]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5bk1/P4p2/1N4pp/8/4b2P/P5P1/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a4 $2 {This lets Black trap the knight by applying the magic distance idea.}
({Correct was} 1. a8=Q Bxa8 2. Nxa8 Bxa3 3. Nc7 $1 {with a draw - Baburin.})
1... Bb4 $1 ({Perhaps White only anticipated} 1... Bc5 $2 2. a8=Q+ Bxa8 3. Nxa8
Bxf2 4. a5 {with chances for a win.}) 2. a8=Q+ Bxa8 3. Nxa8 Ba5 $1 {Despite
the pawn minus, only Black can win this.} 4. g4 Kf8 5. Kg3 Ke7 6. h5 gxh5 7.
gxh5 Ke6 8. Kf4 f5 9. Ke3 Ke5 10. Kd3 Kd5 11. Ke3 Ke5 12. Kd3 f4 13. Kc4 f3 14.
Kd3 $2 ({It was time to rescue the knight by} 14. Kb5 $1 Be1 15. Nb6 Bxf2 16.
Nc4+ Kf4 17. Nd2 Ba7 ({or} 17... Ke3 18. Nxf3 $1 Kxf3 19. Kc4 Kg4 20. Kd3 Kxh5
21. Ke2 Ba7 22. Kf3) 18. Kc4 f2 19. Kd3 {with a draw - Baburin.}) 14... Kf4
15. Kd4 Be1 16. Kd3 Bxf2 17. Nc7 Ba7 18. Nd5+ Kg5 19. a5 Kxh5 20. a6 Kh4 21.
Ne3 h5 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 120"]
[Black "Horowitz, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/8/p7/1k6/8/8/1P1N4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 120 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 120"]
[Black "Horowitz, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5K2/8/p7/1k6/8/8/1P1N4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Nb3 $3 {With the surprising idea of 2 Na1 in order to create a new barrier.}
({Instead,} 1. Ke7 $2 Kb4 2. Kd6 a5 3. Kd5 a4 4. Nc4 Kb5 $1 {(zugzwang)} 5. Kd4
Kb4 6. Kd3 Kb3 {leads to a draw.}) 1... Kc4 ({Or} 1... Kb4 2. Na1 a5 3. Ke7 a4
4. Kd6 {, when} a3 {runs into} 5. Nc2+ $1 Kb3 6. bxa3 {.}) 2. Na1 $1 Kd3 3. Ke7
Kd2 4. Kd6 a5 ({White also wins after} 4... Kc1 5. b4 Kb2 6. Kc6 $1 ({but not} 
6. Kc5 $2 Kc3 $1 {with zugzwang}) 6... Kxa1 ({or} 6... Kc3 7. Kc5) 7. Kb6 {-
Dvoretsky.}) 5. Kc5 a4 ({Or} 5... Kc1 6. b3 Kb2 7. Kb5 {.}) 6. Kb4 Kc1 7. Ka3
Kb1 8. Nb3 $1 axb3 9. Kxb3 {. White wins. (End of Chapter Four.)} *

[Event "Nottingham"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1936.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Euwe, M."]
[Black "Reshevsky, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Q7/5pk1/1q2p1p1/4p2p/P6P/1P4P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1936.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 121 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Euwe, M."]
[Black "Reshevsky, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Q7/5pk1/1q2p1p1/4p2p/P6P/1P4P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a5 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} ({Less is promised by} 1. Qf3 $6 Qb4 {.}
) 1... Qxb3 2. a6 Qa3 ({Or} 2... Qd3 3. a7 e4 4. Qb8 Qf3+ {, transposing.}) 3.
a7 e4 4. Qb8 $1 {From here the queen covers the a8-square and gets ready for a
check on e5 at some moment.} Qf3+ 5. Kg1 Qd1+ 6. Kh2 Qe2 7. Qe5+ ({In view of} 
7. Qe5+ Kh7 8. Qf4 Qa2 9. Qxf7+ {, followed by Qf8+ and a7-a8Q, Black resigned.
. }) *

[Event "Cienfuegos"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rodriguez Vargas, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/1q3p1p/p2Qp1p1/8/2P5/5PP1/P3P1KP/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 122 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rodriguez Vargas, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/1q3p1p/p2Qp1p1/8/2P5/5PP1/P3P1KP/3R4 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qe5 $1 {Centralizing the queen in order to create back-rank motifs and rule
out ...Qb2.} (1. c5 $6 Qb2 2. Rd2 Qc3 {was less convincing.}) 1... Qb4 2. c5
Qa5 {Just as on the previous move, the c-pawn was immune due to 3 Rd8+.} 3. Rd7
Qxa2 ({Or} 3... Rxc5 4. Qf6 $1 {with a double threat at f7 and d8 - Smyslov.}
) 4. c6 Qa4 5. Qf6 Rf8 6. Qc3 $1 e5 ({If} 6... Rc8 {, then} 7. Rd4 Qb5 8. c7
Qxe2+ 9. Kh3 Qf1+ 10. Kh4 {etc.}) 7. Rd5 ({Seeing that both} 7. Rd5 Rc8 ({and} 
7... e4 8. c7 exf3+ 9. exf3 Qa2+ 10. Rd2 Qe6 11. Rd8) 8. c7 Qe8 9. Qd2 Kg7 10.
Rd8 Qe6 11. Rxc8 Qxc8 12. Qd8 {would be terminal, Black resigned - Smyslov. 
. }) *

[Event "Titovo Uzice"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3Q4/8/6pk/7p/5P1K/2q3PP/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 123 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Averbakh, Y."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3Q4/8/6pk/7p/5P1K/2q3PP/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qg5+ $1 {By a short series of checks White brings the queen to e7, as a
preparation for g3-g4.} ({The immediate} 1. g4 $4 {evidently failed to} Qe1#) (
{while} 1. Qe7 {can be met by} Qd4 {.}) 1... Kh7 2. Qe7+ Kh6 ({After} 2... Kg8
3. g4 hxg4 4. hxg4 {, preparing Kg5, White should also win.}) 3. g4 $1 hxg4 4.
hxg4 g5+ {The ensuing pawn ending is lost, but Black had no other way to parry
the mating threat.} 5. fxg5+ Kg6 6. Qf6+ $1 Qxf6 7. gxf6 Kxf6 8. Kh5 Kg7 9. Kg5
{. White soon won.} *

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Ponomariov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/7p/5Qp1/8/P2K4/2P1P3/7q/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 124 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Ponomariov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/7p/5Qp1/8/P2K4/2P1P3/7q/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h5 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} 2. Qf8+ ({After} 2. Qxg6 h4 {, Black
is okay - Gelfand.}) 2... Kd7 3. Qf7+ Kc8 4. Qf8+ Kd7 5. Qg7+ Kc8 6. Kd5 Qa2+
{Simplest, reducing material.} 7. c4 Qxa4 8. Qxg6 Qd7+ 9. Ke4 Qb7+ 10. Kf4 Qc7+
11. Kf3 Qxc4 12. Qxh5 Qf1+ {. A draw was soon agreed.} *

[Event "Milan (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ljubojevic, L."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6Bp/7P/1P3p2/p1b2P2/2P1K3/2k5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 125 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...a3 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ljubojevic, L."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6Bp/7P/1P3p2/p1b2P2/2P1K3/2k5/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... a3 $1 {An accurate choice, since the re-arrival of queens on the board
will give Black a mating attack.} 2. b6 a2 3. b7 a1=Q 4. b8=Q Qg1+ ({But not} 
4... Qc1+ $2 5. Kd4 {.}) 5. Kf3 Bd5+ {Starting to weave a mating net.} 6. Ke2
Qd1+ 7. Kf2 Qf3+ 8. Ke1 Qg3+ ({The quiet} 8... Bc4 {also works - Marin.}) 9.
Kf1 Bc4# {.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Usca, D."]
[Black "Astudillo, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5ppk/6qp/8/1pQ5/4P1P1/5P1K/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 126 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Usca, D."]
[Black "Astudillo, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5ppk/6qp/8/1pQ5/4P1P1/5P1K/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qb1 $1 {Betting on the passed pawn.} ({Less constructive was} 1... Qb6 $6
2. Qb3) ({while the game saw} 1... Qf6 $6 2. Kg2 Qc3 $1 3. Qxf7 b3 $2 (3... Qc2
{first was correct}) 4. Qf5+ Kg8 {, and at this point} 5. Qd5+ $1 Kf8 6. Qd8+
Kf7 7. Qd7+ Kf6 8. Qd6+ Kf5 9. Qd5+ {would have led to a perpetual.}) 2. Qxf7
b3 3. e4 Qc2 $1 {Preventing the check on c8.} 4. Qf5+ Kg8 5. Qe6+ Kh8 6. Qe8+
Kh7 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1947.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Lilienthal, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1k/6p1/4P2p/qp1Q3P/4K1P1/1P3P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1947.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 127 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Lilienthal, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p1k/6p1/4P2p/qp1Q3P/4K1P1/1P3P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qd5 $1 {Preparing e5-e6 to expose the enemy king.} Qa7+ 2. Ke2 Kg8 3. e6 $1
fxe6 ({If} 3... Qe7 {, then} 4. Qd7 $1 {decides}) ({while} 3... Qa6+ {is met by
} 4. Kd2 fxe6 5. Qd3 $1 {, winning the g6-pawn as Black can't exchange
queens - Smyslov.}) 4. Qe4 $1 Qa6+ ({After} 4... Kf7 5. Qxb4 {, the b-pawn
should decide matters.}) 5. Qd3 Qb6 6. Qxg6+ Kf8 7. Qxh5 Qd4 ({Or} 7... Qa6+ 8.
Kd2 $1 Qd6+ 9. Ke1 {and the checks are over - Smyslov.}) 8. Qf3+ Kg7 9. b3 {
With two sound extra pawns, the rest is simple.} Qb2+ 10. Kf1 Qc1+ 11. Kg2 Qc3
12. Qe3 e5 13. h5 Qc6+ 14. Kg1 Qc3 15. Qg5+ Kf7 16. Qg6+ Ke7 17. h6 $1 Qxb3 18.
h7 Qd1+ 19. Kg2 Qd5+ 20. f3 Qd2+ 21. Kh3 Qd7+ 22. Qg4 Qd1 23. Qg7+ {. Black
resigned.} *

[Event "San Miguel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bejar, B."]
[Black "Carrera, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3q3k/p1p4p/1p3p2/4pQ2/7P/2P3P1/1P3P2/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 128 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bejar, B."]
[Black "Carrera, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3q3k/p1p4p/1p3p2/4pQ2/7P/2P3P1/1P3P2/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qg4 $1 {Preparing h4-h5-h6 to interfere with Black's play.} ({Less
precise was} 1. h5 $6 Kg7) ({whereas the game went} 1. Qc2 $2 Qd7 2. Qe2 a5 {
and Black later converted his extra pawn.}) 1... a5 ({Or} 1... Qf8 2. Qd7 $1
Qd6 3. Qg4 {, insisting on the h5-h6 plan.}) 2. h5 b5 3. h6 Qf8 4. Qd7 $1 {
White's active queen compensates for the pawn;} ({e.g.} 4. Qd7 Qxh6 5. Qxc7
Qc1+ 6. Kg2 Qxb2 7. Qf7 {.)}) *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Huebner, R."]
[Black "Mecking, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2Q2p2/7p/P4k2/1P1p1P1K/3q4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 129 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Huebner, R."]
[Black "Mecking, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/2Q2p2/7p/P4k2/1P1p1P1K/3q4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qe1 $1 {Clearing the way for the passed pawn, and never mind the f6-pawn.}
(1... Ke3 $5 {looks strong too; e.g.} 2. Qe4+ Kf2 3. a5 Qc3 4. a6 d2 5. a7 d1=Q
6. a8=Q Qh1# {.}) 2. Qxf6+ Ke3 3. Qe5+ Kf2 4. Qh2+ Kxf3 5. Qg2+ Kf4 6. Qh2+ Kf5
7. Qd6 ({Or} 7. Qa2 Qh1+ $1 8. Kg3 h4+ 9. Kf2 Qh2+ {- Hall.}) 7... Qf1+ 8.
Kg3 h4+ $1 ({In view of} 8... h4+ 9. Kxh4 Qf4+ {, White resigned.}) *

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kpp/2P2p2/p7/1p3qP1/1P5P/2P1Q1K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 130 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5kpp/2P2p2/p7/1p3qP1/1P5P/2P1Q1K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qd4 $1 {Centralization.} ({Less convincing is} 1... Qc7 2. Qe4 {with
White applying the same idea.}) 2. c7 ({After} 2. Qf3 $6 Ke7 $1 {, Black could
even play for a win.}) 2... Qd5+ $1 ({Of course not} 2... Qc5 $4 3. Qc4+ {.})
3. Qf3 ({Any king move drops the c7-pawn; e.g.} 3. Kf1 $2 Qh1+ 4. Kf2 Qh2+ {.})
3... Qc5 4. Qb7 Qxc2+ 5. Kf3 Qc3+ 6. Ke2 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Adams, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/Q5p1/7p/5P2/8/p5PK/1q5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 131 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Adams, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/Q5p1/7p/5P2/8/p5PK/1q5P/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qe3 $1 {Looking for a perpetual, while preventing ...Qb3.} ({Instead, after
} 1. Qe7 Qb3 $1 2. Qe8+ Kh7 3. Qg6+ Kh8 {, Black keeps winning chances -
Adams.}) 1... Kf8 ({Or} 1... Kh7 2. Qd3 $1 {, intending 3 f6+;} ({but not} 2.
Qe8 $2 Qf6) ({or} 2. Qe6 $6 Qf6 $1 {.})) 2. Qc5+ Ke8 3. Qc8+ Ke7 4. Qc7+ $1 {
Again accurate;} ({after} 4. Qe6+ $2 Kd8 5. Qd6+ Kc8 6. Qc6+ Kb8 7. Qd6+ Kb7 8.
Qd7+ Kb6 9. Qd6+ Kb5 10. Qd5+ Kb4 {, White's troubles are far from over -
Adams.}) 4... Kf6 5. Qd6+ Kxf5 6. Qd5+ Kf6 7. Qd6+ Kf7 8. Qd7+ Kg6 9. Qd3+ Kf7
10. Qd7+ Kf6 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bologan, V."]
[Black "Stefanova, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5Q2/p2p2pk/8/7P/6K1/P4PP1/q7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 132 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bologan, V."]
[Black "Stefanova, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5Q2/p2p2pk/8/7P/6K1/P4PP1/q7 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qf8+ $1 {A series of checks in order to transfer the queen to g5, after
which h4-h5, exposing Black's king, will become possible.} Kh7 2. Qe7+ Kh6 ({
Or} 2... Kg8 $2 3. Qxd6 {, attacking g6.}) 3. Qg5+ Kh7 4. h5 $1 (4. Qa5 Kh6 5.
Qxa6 Qe5+ 6. f4 Qe3+ 7. Kg4 Qe4 8. g3 d5 {is less convincing - Bologan.})
4... gxh5 5. Qxh5+ Kg7 6. Qd5 $1 {Centralization.} Qc3+ 7. f3 Qe1+ 8. Kg4 Qb4+
9. f4 {With a decisive advantage - Bologan.} ({There followed} 9. f4 a5 10.
Kf5 a4 11. Kg5 Qb2 12. g3 Qb6 13. Qe6 Qd8+ 14. Kh5 d5 15. Qg6+ Kf8 16. Qf5+ Ke8
17. Qe6+ Kf8 18. Kg6 $1 Qc7 19. Qf5+ Ke8 20. Qxd5 {and White soon won.
(End of Chapter Five.)}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 133"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2k1p1pp/1p2Pp2/1P1K1P2/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 133 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 133"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/2k1p1pp/1p2Pp2/1P1K1P2/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h3 $1 {The only appropriate waiting move.} ({After} 1. Ke2 $2 Kd4 2. Kd2 g4
$1) ({or} 1. Kd2 $2 Kd4 2. h3 h4 $1 {, Black gains the opposition}) ({while} 1.
g3 $2 {fails to} fxg3 2. hxg3 h4 $1 {, creating a decisive outside passed pawn;
e.g.} 3. gxh4 gxh4 4. Ke3 h3 5. Kf2 Kd4 6. Kg3 Ke3 $1 {etc.}) 1... h4 2. Ke2
Kd4 3. Kd2 {. Draw.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vasquez, K."]
[Black "Brito, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4Kpp1/7p/8/8/5P2/5kPP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 134 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vasquez, K."]
[Black "Brito, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4Kpp1/7p/8/8/5P2/5kPP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f5 $1 {Gaining space.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Kxg2 $2 2. Kxf7 Kxf3
3. Kxg7 h5 {, and here White could have drawn by} 4. Kf6 $1 h4 5. Ke5 h3 6. Kd4
Kg2 7. Ke3 Kxh2 8. Kf2 {.}) 2. Ke6 f4 3. Kf5 g5 (3... Kxg2 4. Kxf4 Kxh2 5. Kg4
Kg2 6. f4 Kf2 {etc is good too.}) 4. Kg6 Kxg2 5. Kxh6 Kxf3 6. Kxg5 Ke3 {.
Black wins.} *

[Event "Matanzas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gonzalez Zamora, J."]
[Black "Nogueiras Santiago, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/1p1r1n1p/p2p4/P2P4/2N1PPP1/7P/1R4K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 135 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gonzalez Zamora, J."]
[Black "Nogueiras Santiago, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/1p1r1n1p/p2p4/P2P4/2N1PPP1/7P/1R4K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rb5 $1 {Restricting Black's pieces. Next White intends Kf2-e2-d3,
followed by e3-e4, in order to create a passed pawn.} (1. --) 1... Kf8 2. Kf2
Ke7 3. Ke2 Kd7 4. Kd3 Kc6 5. e4 $1 dxe4+ 6. fxe4 Ne8 7. e5 Rd8 8. d5+ Kb7 9.
Rb1 {Despite material equality, Black is lost.} f6 10. e6 Nd6 11. g4 Nc8 12.
Rd1 b5 13. axb5 Nd6 14. Ne4 Nxb5 15. Kc4 Kb6 16. Rb1 Rc8+ 17. Kd3 a4 18. Rxb5+
$1 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Fagernes"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ofstad, P."]
[Black "Kjoita, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3Pk1pp/8/5K1P/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 136 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ofstad, P."]
[Black "Kjoita, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3Pk1pp/8/5K1P/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg4 $1 {Waiting for Black's king to move away.} ({Instead, the game went} 
1. h5 $2 gxh5 2. d7 Kxd7 3. Kf5 Ke7 4. Kg6 h4 $1 {and a draw was agreed.}) 1...
Kxd6 {There is nothing better.} 2. h5 gxh5+ ({Or} 2... g5 3. Kf5 {, followed
by 3 Kg6.}) 3. Kxh5 Ke5 4. Kxh6 {White wins;} ({e.g.} 4. Kxh6 Kf5 5. Kh5 Kf6 6.
g4 Kg7 7. Kg5 {- Baburin.)}) *

[Event "Basingstoke"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andreev, P."]
[Black "Player, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkp/2r1p1p1/4P3/3K1P2/2p3P1/2R4P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 137 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andreev, P."]
[Black "Player, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkp/2r1p1p1/4P3/3K1P2/2p3P1/2R4P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {Clearing some vital space for the king.} ({Less is promised by} 
1... Kh6 $6 2. g4 $1 g5 3. f5 {.}) 2. fxg5 ({Or} 2. Rxc3 Rxc3 3. Kxc3 gxf4 4.
gxf4 Kg6 5. Kd4 Kf5 6. Ke3 Kg4 7. Ke4 h5 $1 {(space)} 8. Ke3 Kh3 {.}) 2... Kg6
3. Rxc3 $6 {The ensuing pawn ending is lost;} ({but after} 3. h4 Kf5 4. Ke3
Kxe5 5. Kd3 Kf5 6. Rf2+ Kg4 7. Kc2 Rc7 $1) ({or} 3. Ke4 Kxg5 4. h3 h5 $1 5. Ke3
Kf5 6. Kd4 Rc8 7. Rf2+ Kg5 8. Rc2 h4 $1 {, Black should be winning anyway.})
3... Rxc3 4. Kxc3 Kxg5 5. Kd3 Kg4 6. Ke3 Kh3 7. Kf2 Kxh2 8. g4 Kh3 9. Kf3 Kh4
10. Kf4 h6 11. Kf3 Kg5 12. Kg3 h5 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fiallos, B."]
[Black "Vallejo, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/3R1pp1/1p5p/p1p5/3p4/P4P2/1PP2KPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 138 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fiallos, B."]
[Black "Vallejo, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/3R1pp1/1p5p/p1p5/3p4/P4P2/1PP2KPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rb7 $1 {Restricting the enemy rook.} ({Instead, the game saw} 1. a4 $2 Re8
$1 2. Rb7 Re6 {with a clear advantage for Black.}) 1... Ra6 $2 ({In fact Black
should surrender the b-pawn with} 1... c4 2. Rxb6 Rd8 {; e.g.} 3. Rb5 d3 4.
cxd3 cxd3 5. Ke1 Re8+ $1 {, heading for e2.}) 2. Ke2 c4 3. a4 $1 {Restriction.}
({The immediate} 3. Rc7 $6 {permits} b5 {.}) 3... Kf8 4. Kd2 $1 {The c-pawn
should be captured by the king.} ({After} 4. Rc7 c3 5. bxc3 dxc3 6. Kd3 Ra8 7.
Kxc3 Re8 {, Black has less trouble.}) 4... Ke8 5. Rc7 c3+ 6. bxc3 dxc3+ 7. Kxc3
Ra8 8. Kc4 {. White's active pieces yield him a clear initiative.} *

[Event "Bay City"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1963.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Finegold, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2p4p/3k3P/p2P1b2/B2Kp3/P7/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 139 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Finegold, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2p4p/3k3P/p2P1b2/B2Kp3/P7/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Be8 $1 {Creating a decisive zugzwang.} Ke7 2. Ke5 $1 Bg4 ({Or} 2... Kxe8 3.
Kxf5 {with an easy win.}) 3. Bg6 $1 Bd7 4. Bxh7 c6 5. dxc6 Bxc6 6. Bxe4 Bxe4 7.
Kxe4 Kf6 8. f4 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rumens, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pk3pp/2p1pnb1/2Pp1p2/1P1P4/4PPPP/3N1KB1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1976.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 140 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rumens, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pk3pp/2p1pnb1/2Pp1p2/1P1P4/4PPPP/3N1KB1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {Gaining some space and clearing a path for the king on the dark
squares.} fxg4 2. hxg4 Bd3 3. g5 Nd7 ({Or} 3... Nh5 4. Bh3 Bf5 5. Bg4 g6 6.
Bxh5 gxh5 7. Kg3 {with a clear advantage - Smyslov.}) 4. e4 e5 5. Ke3 Bc2 6.
exd5 cxd5 7. f4 $1 e4 8. Bh3 Nf8 9. Nf1 Ba4 ({After} 9... Bd3 10. f5 $1 Bxf1
11. Bxf1 g6 12. f6 Ne6 13. f7 {, the separated passed pawns soon decide
matters.}) 10. f5 Be8 11. Kf4 Bf7 12. Ne3 b6 13. cxb6+ Kxb6 14. Ke5 $1 {Active
king.} Kc6 15. b5+ Kxb5 16. Kd6 Bh5 17. Ke7 {. Trapping the knight: White soon
won.} *

[Event "Asuncion"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vazquez, Gui"]
[Black "Lujan, C."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6R1/8/5k2/6p1/5p2/5P1K/8/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 141 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vazquez, Gui"]
[Black "Lujan, C."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6R1/8/5k2/6p1/5p2/5P1K/8/2r5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg2 $1 {Restricting the enemy plan of ...Rg1-g3.} ({Instead, the game saw} 
1. Rf8+ $2 Kg7 2. Ra8 Rg1 $1 3. Ra3 Rg3+ 4. Kh2 Kg6 5. Rb3 Kh5 6. Ra3 Kh4 7.
Rb3 g4 {and Black went on to win.}) 1... Rc2+ 2. Kf1 {Black can't make
progress: draw.} ({But not} 2. Kh3 $2 Rf2 3. Kg4 Rg2+ {, followed by 4...Rg3. 
. }) *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bisby, D."]
[Black "Rawlinson, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/ppk2pp1/8/PP2KP2/6P1/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 142 (Black to play). Between 1...a5 and 1...Kd6, which one is bad
and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bisby, D."]
[Black "Rawlinson, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/ppk2pp1/8/PP2KP2/6P1/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... a5 $2 {A bad choice, as an entry square is created for White's king on
b5.} ({Correct was} 1... Kd6 {, making waiting moves with the king; e.g.} 2. g4
Ke6 3. g5 Kd6 $1 4. Kd4 Kc6 5. h3 Kd6 6. a5 b5 7. gxf6 gxf6 8. Ke4 Kc6 9. h4
Kd6 {and a draw is probable - Baburin.}) 2. bxa5 bxa5 3. Kd4 Kd6 4. Kc4 Kc6
5. h3 $1 {White starts capitalizing on his spare tempo.} f5 6. h4 Kd6 7. Kb5
Kd5 8. Kxa5 Kc5 9. Ka6 Kc6 10. a5 Kc5 ({Black resigned at the same time,
without waiting for} 10... Kc5 11. Kb7 {.)
}) *

[Event "Montreal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jiang, L."]
[Black "Ivkov, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p2ppkp/3p2p1/1BnP4/PR2P3/5P2/r5PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 143 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jiang, L."]
[Black "Ivkov, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p2ppkp/3p2p1/1BnP4/PR2P3/5P2/r5PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {Gaining space and dark-square control, while restraining White's
kingside pawns.} 2. g3 h5 3. h4 Kf6 4. f4 ({Or} 4. hxg5+ Kxg5 {with 5...h4
next.}) 4... g4 {Fixing a weakness on g3.} 5. Rc4 b6 6. Rb4 Ra3 7. Kg2 Re3 8.
e5+ dxe5 9. fxe5+ Kxe5 {. With the devastating threat 10...Ne4. Black went on
to win.} *

[Event "Norwegian Championship, Asker"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ostenstad, B."]
[Black "Agdestein, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1r3b/p1pk4/P2prp1p/1P3RpP/2KBP1P1/5P2/2R5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 144 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ostenstad, B."]
[Black "Agdestein, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1r3b/p1pk4/P2prp1p/1P3RpP/2KBP1P1/5P2/2R5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Re4 $1 {Isolating the enemy rook on f4, after which Black will be
practically a piece up.} 2. Bxe4 dxe4 3. Kb2 ({After} 3. Rd1+ Ke6 4. Rxd7 Kxd7
5. Kd4 Kd6 {, Black wins - Bartashnikov; e.g.} 6. Kc4 Bg8+ 7. Kd4 Be6 8. Kc3
c5 {etc. Thus White tries to avoid the rook exchange.}) 3... Kc7 4. Rc3 Rd2+ 5.
Kc1 Rd5 6. Kb2 Kd6 7. Rc4 Bg8 $1 {Switching to a more active post on e6.} 8.
Rc1 Rd2+ 9. Kb1 Ba2+ 10. Ka1 Be6 11. Kb1 Rd5 12. Kb2 Ke5 13. Rc3 Bg8 $1 14. Ra3
({White was in zugzwang; e.g.} 14. Kc1 Rb5) ({or} 14. Rc2 Rd3) ({while} 14. Ka3
{also fails after} Rd2 {.}) 14... Rd2+ 15. Kc1 Ra2 $1 ({In view of} 15... Ra2
16. Rc3 Ra4 {, White resigned.)}) *

[Event "Santo Domingo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pino, M."]
[Black "Obregon, X."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pr1k2p1/4p3/4p2P/2R1K3/1P6/P4P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 145 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pino, M."]
[Black "Obregon, X."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pr1k2p1/4p3/4p2P/2R1K3/1P6/P4P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra4 $1 {Tying the black rook to the a7-pawn.} ({Instead, the game went} 1.
Kxe5 $6 Rb5+ 2. Ke4 Rxh5 3. Ra4 {and now} a5 {yielded good drawing chances.})
1... Ke7 ({Obviously,} 1... Kd6 $2 2. Ra6+ {makes no sense for Black.}) 2. Kxe5
Rb5+ 3. Kf4 a5 4. Kg4 {. With good winning chances thanks to the extra pawn.} *

[Event "Tel Aviv Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Milev, Z."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2B5/1Pk2p2/3n4/4p1p1/4P2p/5K1P/5P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 146 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Milev, Z."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2B5/1Pk2p2/3n4/4p1p1/4P2p/5K1P/5P2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f6 $1 {A timely zugzwang before picking up the pawn.} ({Of course not} 
1... Nxb7 $4 2. Bxb7 Kxb7 3. Kg4 f6 4. Kf5 Kc6 5. f3 $1 {and White even wins
- Smyslov.}) 2. Ke3 Nxb7 $1 3. Bxb7 {An early surrender, but the minor piece
ending was also difficult for White due to his bad pawn structure.} Kxb7 4. f3
({Or} 4. Kf3 Kb6 5. Kg4 Kc5 6. Kf5 Kd4 7. f3 Ke3 8. Kxf6 Kxf3 9. Kxg5 Kxe4 10.
Kxh4 Kf4 {and wins - Smyslov.}) 4... Kb6 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Haarlem"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erwich, F."]
[Black "Khenkin, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5ppp/1R2p3/8/8/r7/5PPP/1R4K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 147 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erwich, F."]
[Black "Khenkin, I."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5ppp/1R2p3/8/8/r7/5PPP/1R4K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {Gaining space and preventing the ideal f2-g3-h4 pawn chain.} 2. Rb8
Rxb8 3. Rxb8+ Kg7 4. g3 ({More tenacious was} 4. g4 {, followed by Kg2 and
h2-h3.}) 4... Ra4 $1 {Preparing ...h7-h5-h4 to gain further space.} 5. Rb7 h5
6. Kg2 h4 7. Rc7 e5 8. Rc6 f6 9. Rb6 ({Possibly a rear attack with} 9. Rc7+ Kg6
10. Re7 Kf5 11. Re8 {was better.}) 9... Kg6 10. Rc6 Kf5 11. Rb6 Ra2 $1 12. Rc6
({Or} 12. g4+ Kxg4 13. Rxf6 h3+ 14. Kf1 Ra1+ 15. Ke2 Rh1 {etc.}) 12... e4 13.
Rc5+ Kg6 14. gxh4 gxh4 $1 ({Not} 14... e3 $6 15. hxg5 {.}) 15. Rc3 f5 16. Re3
Kf6 17. Rh3 f4 18. Rxh4 Kg5 19. Rh8 e3 20. Rg8+ Kh6 21. Kf1 e2+ {. White
resigned.} *

[Event "Munich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Huebner, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/4p1p1/6k1/8/2K2B2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 148 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Huebner, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/4p1p1/6k1/8/2K2B2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bc6 $1 {Heading for e8 in order to tie Black's king to the pawns.} e5 ({Or
} 1... f5 2. Be8 Kf6 3. Kd4 e5+ 4. Ke3 {, transposing.}) 2. Kd3 f5 3. Ke3 Kf6
4. Be8 e4 ({After} 4... g5 5. Bd7 g4 6. Kf2 Kg5 7. Bc8 {White also draws; e.g.}
e4 ({or} 7... f4 8. Bb7 Kh4 9. Kg2 f3+ 10. Kf2 Kh3 11. Bc8 e4 12. Bf5 e3+ 13.
Kxe3 Kg3 14. Be4) 8. Bb7 Kh4 9. Kg2 g3 10. Bc6 Kg4 11. Bd7 e3 ({if} 11... Kf4 {
, then} 12. Bc8 e3 13. Ba6 Ke4 14. Kxg3 f4+ 15. Kg4) 12. Bb5 f4 13. Be2+ Kf5
14. Kf3 Ke5 15. Bf1 Kd4 16. Ke2 {with a successful blockade - Hübner.}) 5.
Kd4 g5 6. Bb5 g4 7. Bf1 Kg5 8. Ke3 Kh4 ({Or} 8... g3 9. Bh3 Kf6 10. Kf4 {etc.})
9. Kf4 e3 10. Kxe3 Kg3 11. Bb5 f4+ 12. Ke2 Kg2 13. Bc6+ f3+ 14. Ke3 Kg3 15. Bd5
f2 16. Ke2 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Kazakh Championship, Astana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kuderinov, K."]
[Black "Gnusarev, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3R4/k7/2K5/8/p7/P7/b7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 149 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kuderinov, K."]
[Black "Gnusarev, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3R4/k7/2K5/8/p7/P7/b7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kb5 $1 {Preparing to take the a4-pawn by means of zugzwang.} Bb3 2. Rd7+ Kb8
({Or} 2... Ka8 3. Kb6 {with mate.}) 3. Kb6 $1 Kc8 4. Rd4 $1 {. The pawn falls,
after which a light-squared bishop offers no hope of survival, so Black
resigned.} *

[Event "Chinese Championship, Xinghua Jiangsu"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhou Jianchao"]
[Black "Yu Yangyi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/4RK1P/5P2/8/8/8/6r1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 150 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhou Jianchao"]
[Black "Yu Yangyi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7k/4RK1P/5P2/8/8/8/6r1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rf1 $1 {Tying White's king to the f-pawn.} ({Instead, the game went} 
1... Ra1 $2 2. Kf7 $1 Ra8 3. Re8 Ra7+ 4. Re7 Ra8 5. Re6 Rb8 6. Ke7 Rb7+ 7. Kf8
Rb8+ 8. Re8 Rb6 9. Re7+ Kh8 10. Re6 Rb8+ 11. Re8 Rb7 12. f6 Ra7 13. f7 Kh7 14.
Rd8 {and Black resigned.}) 2. Re4 Rf2 3. Re3 ({Black also draws after} 3. Ke6
Ra2 4. f6 ({or} 4. Kf7 Kxh6 5. f6 Ra7+ 6. Re7 Ra8) 4... Ra6+ 5. Kf7 Ra7+ 6. Re7
Ra8 $1 7. Re8 Ra7+ 8. Kf8 Kg6 $1 {.}) 3... Rf1 4. Rg3 Rf2 {White can't
properly progress;} ({e.g.} 4... Rf2 5. Kg5 Ra2 6. f6 Ra5+ 7. Kg4 Kxh6 8. Rf3
Ra4+ 9. Kf5 Ra5+ 10. Ke6 Ra6+ {with a draw soon in R.Zelcic-H.Rolletschek,
Schwarzach 2003.)}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 151"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/3k3p/1p6/1P6/6P1/2K4P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 151 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 151"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/3k3p/1p6/1P6/6P1/2K4P/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd5 $1 {Improving the king as a preparation for a later zugzwang.} ({It
is vital to fight for the c4-square - after} 1... Ke5 $2 2. Kd3 Kd5 3. g4 $1
{, White holds}) ({as well as after} 1... h5 $2 2. Kd2 $1 {, with the distant
opposition.}) 2. Kd3 h5 $1 {Moving the pawn which has already moved.} ({In
contrast,} 2... g5 $2 3. g4) ({or} 2... g6 $2 3. h3 {lets White save himself.})
3. h3 ({Or} 3. h4 g6 {.}) ({After} 3. h3 {, on the other hand,} g6 $2 {fails to
} 4. h4 {.}) 3... g5 $1 4. g4 h4 $1 {Black wins;} ({e.g.} 4... h4 5. Kc3 ({or} 
5. Ke3 Kc4 6. Ke4 Kxb4 7. Kf5 Kc3 8. Kxg5 b4 9. Kxh4 b3) 5... Ke4 6. Kc2 Kf3 7.
Kd3 Kg3 8. Kd4 Kxh3 9. Kc5 Kxg4 10. Kxb5 h3 {.}) *

[Event "Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Felgaer, R."]
[Black "Lopez Silva, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1pr2p1p/1R4p1/8/1P6/5P2/6PP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 152 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move: a) with White; b)
with Black.} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Felgaer, R."]
[Black "Lopez Silva, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1pr2p1p/1R4p1/8/1P6/5P2/6PP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {Gaining space. Likewise, 1...h5! would be a good choice if it was
Black's turn.} Rd7 2. Kf2 Kf8 3. Kg3 g5 $6 ({A king transfer to c7 seems
more tenacious; e.g.} 3... Ke7 4. Kf4 h6 5. h4 Kd8 6. h5 Kc7 7. Rf6 gxh5 8.
gxh5 Rd4+ {.}) 4. h4 $1 gxh4+ 5. Kxh4 Kg7 6. g5 $1 {Now this pawn severely
restricts Black's kingside.} Rd4+ 7. Kg3 Rd7 8. f4 Re7 9. Kg4 Rc7 10. b5 Rd7
11. Kh5 Re7 12. Rd6 Re4 (12... Rc7 13. f5) ({or} 12... Re6 13. Rxe6 fxe6 14. b6
{is no better.}) 13. f5 h6 14. gxh6+ Kg8 15. Rd8+ {. In view of 16 Rd7 next,
Black resigned.} *

[Event "Bermuda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "De Firmian, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/5p1k/4p2p/1p4p1/4P2P/1P6/P2R1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 153 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "De Firmian, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/5p1k/4p2p/1p4p1/4P2P/1P6/P2R1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h5 $1 {Restricting the enemy king, while avoiding pawn exchanges.} ({
Instead, the game saw} 1. hxg5 $2 hxg5 2. Rc2 Kg6 3. f3 f5 $1 4. exf5+ exf5 {
and Black later managed a draw.}) 1... Kg7 2. e5 $1 {In the same spirit of
limiting the enemy king.} Rc8 3. f3 Rc5 4. Re2 {. Preparing Kf2-e1-d2, with
decent winning chances.} *

[Event "Belarus Championship, Minsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dydyshko, V."]
[Black "Maryasin, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1nkp2/2p4R/8/Pr2PP2/2N1K2P/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 154 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dydyshko, V."]
[Black "Maryasin, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p1nkp2/2p4R/8/Pr2PP2/2N1K2P/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rh5 $1 {Preventing the enemy plan of 1...Nc5 - Shereshevsky.} Nb6 2. a5
Na4 ({Or} 2... Nc4+ 3. Ke2 {, followed by the advance of the h-pawn.}) 3. Ne2
Rb2 4. Nd4 Rxa2 5. Nf5+ Kd7 6. Rh7 Ke6 7. Rh6+ Kd7 ({If} 7... f6 {, then} 8.
Rh7 {with mate.}) 8. Rf6 Ra3+ 9. Kd4 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Tena (modified)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sanchez, Jh"]
[Black "Bustillos, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5b2/8/2k4p/3p2pP/K1pP2P1/p1P5/P1N5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 155 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sanchez, Jh"]
[Black "Bustillos, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5b2/8/2k4p/3p2pP/K1pP2P1/p1P5/P1N5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ne3 $1 {Heading for f5 in order to restrict the bishop.} ({In the same
spirit} 1. Ka5 Be7 2. Ne3 $1 {is also possible.}) ({In contrast,} 1. Nxa3 $2
Bxa3 2. Kxa3 Kb5 {leads to a draw}) ({as does} 1. Nb4+ $2 Bxb4 2. Kxb4 Kb6 {.
Incidentally, in the game Black's king was actually on b6, which made 1 Nb4
a winning option.}) 1... Bd6 2. Nf5 Bf8 3. Ka5 $1 {In pawn ending style,
pushing away the enemy king.} Kc7 4. Kb5 Kd7 ({Or} 4... Kb7 5. Ne3 {etc.}) 5.
Kb6 Ke6 6. Kc6 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Pula"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Padevsky, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/k1K5/2PR4/7r/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 156 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Padevsky, N."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/k1K5/2PR4/7r/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rh8 $1 {Preventing the plan of Kc8 and c6-c7.} ({The game saw} 1... Rh1 $2
2. Kc8 $1 Ka8 3. c7 Rh8+ 4. Rd8 Rh7 5. Re8 {and Black resigned.}) 2. Rd7 Ka6 {
The simplest waiting move;} ({although, against a c-pawn,} 2... Rg8 {works as
well.}) 3. Rg7 Ka7 {White can't progress;} ({e.g.} 3... Ka7 4. Kd7 Kb6 5. c7
Kb7 6. Rg1 Rh7+ 7. Kd8 Rh8+ {.)}) *

[Event "Las Palmas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4k1pp/1p2p3/1P2P2P/5P2/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 157 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/4k1pp/1p2p3/1P2P2P/5P2/5K2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg2 $1 {An accurate waiting move.} ({In contrast, after} 1. Kg3 $2 Kf6 {,
both} 2. Kg4 ({and} 2. f4 exf4+ 3. Kxf4 g5+) 2... h5+ 3. Kg3 g5 $1 {soon allow
Black to capitalize on his outside passed pawn.}) ({After} 1. Kg2 {, the
players agreed to a draw, since} Kf6 2. Kg3 g5 ({whereas} 2... h5 $4 {even
loses after} 3. f4 $1 {, now that one pawn stops two on the kingside}) 3. h5 {
leads to a complete closure of the position.}) *

[Event "European Cup, Eilat"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volokitin, A."]
[Black "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5bkr/6p1/p4pBp/8/8/8/PpK3PP/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 158 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volokitin, A."]
[Black "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5bkr/6p1/p4pBp/8/8/8/PpK3PP/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {A decisive piece of restriction.} ({Instead, after} 1. Kxb2 $2 h5 {
, followed by ...Rh6, Black survives.}) 1... h5 2. gxh5 Rh6 3. Kxb2 f5 4. Re8
f4 5. Kc2 f3 6. Kd3 $1 {. White wins - Baburin. In fact Black already
resigned after 1 g4.} *

[Event "Swedish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gustavsson, F."]
[Black "Lundvik, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/5p2/P1k1p3/2P1K3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 159 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gustavsson, F."]
[Black "Lundvik, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/5p2/P1k1p3/2P1K3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke2 $1 {An accurate waiting move.} ({Instead,} 1. a5 $2 {obviously failed to
} Kb5) ({while both} 1. Kd2 $2 f4 2. Ke2 e3 3. Kf3 Kd3) ({and} 1. Kf4 $2 Kd3 2.
a5 e3 3. a6 e2 4. a7 e1=Q 5. a8=Q Qe4+ $1 {win for Black as well.}) 1... f4 2.
Kd2 {A position of mutual zugzwang.} Kc5 ({Or} 2... e3+ 3. Ke2 Kd5 4. a5 $1 ({
not} 4. Kd3 $2 Kc5) 4... Ke4 5. a6 f3+ 6. Ke1 $1 Kd3 ({after} 6... e2 $4 7. Kd2
$1 {, Black loses}) 7. a7 f2+ 8. Kf1 e2+ 9. Kxf2 Kd2 10. a8=Q e1=Q+ {with a
draw.}) 3. Ke2 f3+ 4. Kf2 $1 ({But not} 4. Kd2 $2 f2 5. Ke2 e3 6. Kf1 Kc4 7. a5
Kd3 8. a6 e2+ 9. Kxf2 Kd2 {.}) 4... Kc4 5. Ke3 Kxc3 6. a5 f2 7. Kxf2 Kd2 8. a6
e3+ 9. Kg2 $1 {The only square.} e2 10. a7 e1=Q 11. a8=Q {. Draw agreed.
} *

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Banikas, H."]
[Black "Tyomkin, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1b2k3/1p2p3/3pP1pp/BP6/4P3/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 160 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Banikas, H."]
[Black "Tyomkin, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1b2k3/1p2p3/3pP1pp/BP6/4P3/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h4 $1 {Fixing the h5-pawn and clearing a path for the king via h2-h3.} gxh4
2. Bb5 Kf7 3. Bd3 Kg7 4. Kh2 Kh6 {Here Black lost on time, but his position
should be lost anyway because of the two weaknesses on h5 and e6 - Tyomkin.
Let's make a few more moves:} 5. f4 ({Not} 5. Kh3 $6 d4 $1 6. exd4 Kg5 {with
counterplay.}) 5... Bc6 6. Kh3 Be8 7. Kxh4 Bg6 8. Be2 Bf7 9. Ba6 $1 Bg6 10. Bc8
Bf5 ({Or} 10... Bf7 11. f5 $1 exf5 12. e6 {etc.}) 11. Bd7 {Zugzwang - this
explains 9 Ba6 instead of 9 Bb5.} Bg4 12. Be8 Be2 13. Bf7 Bg4 14. b5 {. White
finally wins a pawn, with excellent chances of victory.} *

[Event "Russian Championship, Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baikov, V."]
[Black "Diu, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k2p1/5p1p/P2K1P2/6PP/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 161 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baikov, V."]
[Black "Diu, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1p1k2p1/5p1p/P2K1P2/6PP/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ke6 $1 {Black has calculated that the queenside invasion by the enemy
king is harmless, thanks to a little trick on move four.} ({Instead, the game
went} 1... Kc6 $2 2. Ke5 Kc5 3. Kf6 Kb4 4. Kxg6 Kxa4 5. Kxf5 b5 6. Kg5 b4 7. f5
b3 8. f6 b2 9. f7 b1=Q 10. f8=Q Qd1 11. Kh4 Kb3 12. Qf5 Qe2 13. Qxh5 {and
White soon won.}) 2. Kc4 Kd6 3. Kb5 Kc7 4. Ka6 ({Or} 4. h4 Kb7 {, taking the
opposition.}) 4... h4 $1 {The key move.} ({After} 4... Kc6 $2 5. h4 $1 Kc7 6.
Ka7 Kc6 7. Kb8 b5 8. axb5+ Kxb5 9. Kc7 {, White wins.}) 5. gxh4 Kc6 6. Ka7 ({Or
} 6. h5 gxh5 7. h4 Kc5 8. Kb7 b5 $1 9. a5 b4 10. a6 b3 11. a7 b2 12. a8=Q b1=Q+
13. Kc8 Kd4 {with a slight edge for Black - Hecht.}) 6... b5 7. axb5+ Kxb5 8.
Kb7 Kc5 9. Kc7 Kd5 10. Kd7 Ke4 11. Ke6 Kxf4 12. Kf6 {. Both sides soon queen,
with a draw.} *

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wirthensohn, H."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/7p/p7/1p2k3/1P6/P1N1K1P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 162 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wirthensohn, H."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/7p/p7/1p2k3/1P6/P1N1K1P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bg6 $1 {Creating a first zugzwang.} (1... Bc6 2. Kd3 {is less productive.}
) 2. a4 ({Or} 2. Nd1 Kd5 {, heading for c4-b3 - Korchnoi.}) 2... bxa4 3. Nxa4
Kd5 4. Nb2 ({The desirable} 4. Nc5 {failed to} a5 {. By the way, note that
Black has the "right" bishop for the h-pawn.}) 4... Bf5 $1 {Losing a tempo
so as to reach the same position with White to move.} 5. Kf4 Bc2 6. Ke3 Bg6 7.
Kd2 Kd4 {Black finally wins the b4-pawn, and the game.} 8. Nd1 Kc4 9. Kc1 Kxb4
10. Kb2 Bf5 $1 11. Ne3 Be6 {The magic distance.} 12. Ng2 Kc4 $1 13. Nf4 Bg4 14.
Ka3 Kd4 15. Kb4 Ke4 16. Ka5 Kf3 17. Kxa6 Kxg3 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Metz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lalic, B."]
[Black "Cornette, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pb2kp1/3p3p/1P1P1K1P/6P1/6B1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 163 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lalic, B."]
[Black "Cornette, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pb2kp1/3p3p/1P1P1K1P/6P1/6B1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bf3 $1 {An initial zugzwang that forces Black into the undesirable ...b6-b5.
} b5 ({Or} 1... Bb7 2. b5 $1 Ba8 3. g4 hxg4 4. Bxg4 Bb7 5. Bh3 Ba8 6. Bc8 $1 {
, sidelining Black's bishop from the battle.}) ({But} 1... Ke6 2. Kg5 Kf7 3.
b5 Bxb5 4. Bxd5+ Ke7 ({not} 4... Kg7 5. Be4 Be8 6. d5 {etc}) 5. Kxg6 Be2 {was
a lesser evil - Lalic/Baburin.}) 2. g4 $1 {Starting an attack at the fresh
weakness on b5.} hxg4 3. Bxg4 Be8 4. Bc8 $1 Bc6 5. Kg4 Kg7 ({Black was again
in zugzwang; e.g.} 5... Ba8 6. Bd7) ({or} 5... Be8 6. Bb7 Bd7+ 7. Kf4 Be6 8.
Bc6 {.}) 6. Kg5 Kf7 7. Bg4 Be8 8. Be2 $1 ({In view of} 8. Be2 Kg7 9. Bd3 {with
a final zugzwang, Black resigned.}) (8. h5 {also worked - Lalic/Baburin.
}) *

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bu Xiangzhi"]
[Black "Paragua, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3n4/p3k3/8/1p1BK1P1/8/8/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 164 (Black to play). Was Black right in playing 1...Nf7+ here? .
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bu Xiangzhi"]
[Black "Paragua, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3n4/p3k3/8/1p1BK1P1/8/8/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Nf7+ $1 2. Bxf7 ({After} 2. Kf5 Nd6+ 3. Kg6 ({or} 3. Kf4 Ne8 $1 {in the
same spirit}) 3... b4 4. Kh7 Kf8 5. g6 Ne8 $1 {, the blockade on g7 saves
Black - 'ChessBase'.}) 2... Kxf7 3. Kd5 Kg6 4. Kc5 a6 $1 {Delaying White's
play.} ({Instead,} 4... Kxg5 $2 5. Kxb5 {loses at once.}) 5. Kb6 Kxg5 6. Kxa6
b4 $1 {A key move, gaining a vital piece of space.} ({In contrast, after} 6...
Kf6 $2 7. Kxb5 Ke7 8. Kb6 Kd8 9. Kb7 {, White wins.}) 7. Kb5 Kf6 8. Kxb4 Ke7 9.
Kb5 Kd8 10. Kb6 Kc8 {. Draw. Curiously, Black resigned in the initial
position!} *

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, B."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R6/6pb/4r2p/7P/7P/P2p1PK1/3N4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 165 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, B."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/1R6/6pb/4r2p/7P/7P/P2p1PK1/3N4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Re1 $1 {Preparing a complete paralysis of White's forces.} ({Instead,
the game went} 1... Ra5 $6 2. Rb2 Ra4 3. Rb6 $1 Kf7 4. Rd6 Rxa2 5. Kf3 {,
intending Ke2 and Ne3, with increased chances for salvation.}) 2. Rb1 Bf4 $1 {
The a-pawn should be restricted as well;} ({after} 2... Bf8 $6 3. a4 Ba3 4. a5
Bc1 5. Nc3 {, White escapes - Timman.}) 3. a4 Bc7 {. And a king march to c2
decides - Timman.} *

[Event "Krasnodar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fedorov, V."]
[Black "Chernikov, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3n3r/ppN1p1kp/4p1pb/4N3/8/4P2P/PP4P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 166 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fedorov, V."]
[Black "Chernikov, O."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3n3r/ppN1p1kp/4p1pb/4N3/8/4P2P/PP4P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ng4 $1 {A powerful piece of restriction.} ({Completely wrong was} 1. Rxd8 $2
Rxd8 2. Nxe6+ Kf6 3. Nxd8 Bxe3+ 4. Kf1 Kxe5 5. Nxb7 Bb6) ({while the game went
} 1. Kf2 $6 Nc6 2. Nxc6 bxc6 3. Rc1 {with only a slight advantage -
Shereshevsky.}) 1... Nc6 {Forced;} (1... -- {in view of the threat of} 2. Rxd8
Rxd8 3. Nxe6+ {.}) 2. Rf1 $1 {In the same restrictive spirit, renewing the
threat of 3 Nxe6+.} ({The immediate} 2. Nxe6+ $6 Kf7 {was less promising.})
2... Nd8 3. h4 $1 {. Ruling out ...Bg5, which means that Black has been left
without useful moves. Next White plays Rf2 and brings his king to the
queenside with decisive effect - Shereshevsky.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Novikov, S."]
[Black "Jakovenko, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/1R4pp/4r1P1/5k1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 167 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Novikov, S."]
[Black "Jakovenko, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/1R4pp/4r1P1/5k1K/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rf4+ $1 {Losing a move.} ({Instead, after} 1. gxh4 $2 g3+ 2. Kh3 g2+) ({or} 
1. Rb2+ $2 Re2 2. Rxe2+ Kxe2 3. gxh4 Kf2 {, Black wins at once}) ({while} 1.
Rxg4 hxg3+ 2. Kh3 Rf3 $1 {leaves White helpless against the transfer of
Black's rook to the h-file; e.g.} 3. Rf4 $5 ({or} 3. Rg7 Rf8 {- Deviatkin})
3... g2+ $1 4. Rxf3+ Kxf3 5. Kh2 Kf2 {.}) 1... Rf3 2. Rxg4 hxg3+ 3. Kh3 {The
position after 2...Rf3 in the previous line has been reached, but with Black
to play, and this turns out to be a mutual zugzwang. Incidentally, a similar
position with reversed colours was analysed by Rabinovich.} ({Actually,} 3. Kh1
{should also work.}) 3... Re3 ({Or} 3... g2+ 4. Kh2) ({while the essence of
this zugzwang is revealed after} 3... Rf8 4. Rf4+ $1 {.}) 4. Rg8 Rd3 5. Rg7 Rf3
6. Rg4 $1 Rf8 7. Rf4+ Rxf4 {. Stalemate.)}
*

[Event "Subotica Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ernst, T."]
[Black "Sax, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3k2pp/1p6/2p1K3/P1P5/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 168 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ernst, T."]
[Black "Sax, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3k2pp/1p6/2p1K3/P1P5/6PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd4 $1 {Denying Black's king the c5-square.} ({Instead, the game continued
} 1. g4 $2 Kc5 $1 2. Ke3 ({after} 2. Ke5 $6 Kb6 {, followed by ...Ka5-a4xa3
and ...b5-b4, Black reaches a superior queen ending - Speelman}) 2... Kb6 3.
Kd2 {and a draw was agreed in view of} Ka5 4. Kc2 Ka4 5. Kb2 {.}) 1... Kc6 ({
Both} 1... g5 2. g4 $1) ({and} 1... h5 2. h4 $1 {lead to similar play, with
White keeping a spare tempo on the kingside.}) 2. a4 $1 {Despite its
counter-intuitive appearance, this advance is very strong, since Black's
outside passed pawn merely becomes a target for the enemy king.} bxa4 3. Kxc4
Kd6 4. Kb4 Kd5 ({After} 4... Kd5 {, Black is ready to meet} 5. Kxa4 $2 ({and} 
5. c4+ {with} Kd4) {with} 5... Kc4 {; however...}) 5. g4 $1 {A timely waiting
move.} ({Actually, any move with the kingside pawns should work here; e.g.} 5.
h4 $1 h5 6. g3 {with the same kind of mutual zugzwang that occurs in the main
line.}) 5... g5 6. h3 {. White wins - Ernst. (End of Chapter Six.)} *

[Event "Malmö"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Ahlander, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5n2/Qp4k1/3r4/3Bq3/8/8/PP4P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 169 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Ahlander, B."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5n2/Qp4k1/3r4/3Bq3/8/8/PP4P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qd4 $1 {A simple piece of simplification.} (1. Qxb7+ $6 Nd7 {would be less
technical.}) 1... Ng6 2. Qxe5+ Nxe5 3. Kf2 Kf6 4. a4 {The candidate first.} Rb6
5. b3 Rb4 6. Ke2 b6 7. Rf1+ {. White went on to win, as we already know from
Example 404 in Chapter Six.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Perez, Er"]
[Black "Vallejo, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/p6p/2P5/3Q4/3P2P1/2q2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 170 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Qc4 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Perez, Er"]
[Black "Vallejo, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/p6p/2P5/3Q4/3P2P1/2q2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qc4 $4 {A fatal exchange.} (1. Qd6 {, followed by c5-c6, led to an easy win.
}) 1... Qxc4 2. dxc4 Kf8 3. Kf1 Ke7 4. Ke2 Kd7 5. Kd3 Kc6 6. Kd4 a5 {. Despite
the pawn minus, Black wins comfortably, thanks to his outside passed pawn.
} *

[Event "Pinamar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Lafuente, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1r2bk1/1N5p/p3p1p1/3n1p2/1P1P1B2/P4P2/6PP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 171 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hellsten, J."]
[Black "Lafuente, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1r2bk1/1N5p/p3p1p1/3n1p2/1P1P1B2/P4P2/6PP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxc8 $1 {Having an extra pawn, White hurries to swap pieces.} ({Less
convincing was} 1. Bd2 $6 Bg7) ({while} 1. Bd6 $2 {fails to} Nc3 $1 {.}) 1...
Rxc8 2. Rc1 $1 Rc3 ({Or} 2... Rxc1+ 3. Bxc1 Bg7 4. Bb2 Nc7 5. Kf2 {etc.}) 3.
Rxc3 Nxc3 4. Be5 {Returning the pawn in order to create a powerful passed pawn.
} Nb1 5. Nc5 Bxc5 6. dxc5 Nxa3 7. c6 Nb5 8. Kf2 Kf8 9. c7 Na7 10. Ke3 {The
rest is easy.} ({There followed} 10. Ke3 Ke7 11. Kd4 Kd7 12. Kc5 Nc8 13. h4 h6
14. g3 Ne7 15. Kb6 Kc8 16. Kxa6 Nc6 17. Bd6 Nxb4+ 18. Bxb4 Kxc7 19. Bf8 {and
Black resigned.)}) *

[Event "Cuenca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Noguera, A."]
[Black "Cabrera, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3q1kp/1p2p1p1/1p2P3/3PP3/5Q2/PP2K1PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 172 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Noguera, A."]
[Black "Cabrera, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3q1kp/1p2p1p1/1p2P3/3PP3/5Q2/PP2K1PP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qf6+ $1 {It is worth giving up a pawn to reach a pawn ending where
Black's bad queenside majority will play a decisive role.} ({Instead, the
game went} 1. Qc3 $2 {, when Black could have created counterplay by} Qh4 {.})
1... Qxf6 2. exf6+ Kxf6 3. Ke3 g5 ({After} 3... e5 4. dxe5+ Kxe5 5. Kd3 {,
nothing is changed.}) 4. e5+ Ke7 ({Or} 4... Kf5 5. g4+ $1 Kxg4 6. d5 {.}) 5.
Ke4 {. White wins.} *

[Event "Amsterdam Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Lengyel, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/5p2/7p/3n2p1/4q3/1PR4P/P5P1/2Q2B1K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1964.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 173 (White to play). Between 1 Rf3 and 1 Rc8, which one is
preferable and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Lengyel, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/5p2/7p/3n2p1/4q3/1PR4P/P5P1/2Q2B1K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rf3 $1 {An accurate move, which lets the team of rook and bishop remain,
while avoiding the queen and knight tandem.} ({Less clear is} 1. Rc8 $6 Rxc8 2.
Qxc8+ Kg7 {with counterplay in exchange for the pawn - Smyslov.}) 1... Ne3 ({
Or} 1... Nf4 2. a4 {and the a-pawn decides - Smyslov.}) 2. Bb5 Re7 3. Qc8+ $1
Kh7 4. Qc3 {The threat of 5 Bd3 forces Black to expose his king further.} f5 5.
Bd3 Qe6 6. Qc5 Kg7 ({If} 6... Kg6 {, then} 7. g4 $1 {- Smyslov.}) 7. Bxf5 {
. Short of compensation for the two pawn deficit, Black resigned.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adriano, M."]
[Black "Vallejo, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr1b1r/ppp2p1p/4pp2/1N6/2Bn4/5P2/PP3PPP/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 174 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adriano, M."]
[Black "Vallejo, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr1b1r/ppp2p1p/4pp2/1N6/2Bn4/5P2/PP3PPP/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Nc6 $1 {Avoiding an ending with opposite-coloured bishops, where the
extra pawn would be more difficult to exploit.} ({Instead, the game went} 1...
Nxb5 $2 2. Rxd8+ Kxd8 3. Bxb5 Bd6 4. Rd1 {and White later saved a draw.}) 2.
Rxd8+ Kxd8 3. Rd1+ Kc8 4. Nd4 Na5 $1 ({In the same spirit,} 4... Ne5 {is good
too.}) 5. Be2 ({The tactical} 5. Nxe6 $2 {fails to} Bd6 {.}) 5... Be7 {.
Preparing ...Rd8 with good winning chances.} *

[Event "Santo Domingo (modified)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lema, A."]
[Black "Obregon, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p1k1rR2/1p1p2np/3P2p1/2P5/PP3BPP/8/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 175 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lema, A."]
[Black "Obregon, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p1k1rR2/1p1p2np/3P2p1/2P5/PP3BPP/8/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rf6 $1 {Keeping the active rook.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. Rxe7+ $2 Nxe7
{, when a subsequent ...Ng8-f6 with a barrier would have yielded Black
excellent drawing chances.}) 1... Ne5 ({Or} 1... Rg7 2. Bh5 {, winning the
h6-pawn.}) 2. Bh5 Nd7 ({After} 2... Rh7 3. Kf2 {, followed by Ke3-e4,
Black's task is again difficult.}) 3. Rxh6 Re3 4. Kg2 $1 Rxb3 5. h4 gxh4 6.
gxh4 {. With a clear advantage thanks to the powerful passed pawn.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Black "Stellwagen, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/2r2p1R/4p3/4P1P1/5P2/8/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 176 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Black "Stellwagen, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/2r2p1R/4p3/4P1P1/5P2/8/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g6 $1 {Transposing to a won pawn ending.} ({Less convincing is} 1. Kf3 $6
Kd8 2. g6 Rc3+ 3. Kg4 fxg6 4. Kg5 Rf3 $1 {with chances for a draw.}) 1... fxg6
2. Rxc7+ Kxc7 3. Kf3 ({In view of} 3. Kf3 Kd7 4. Kg4 Ke7 5. Kg5 Kf7 6. Kh6 {,
Black resigned - Scherbakov.)}) *

[Event "Brazilian Championship, Campinas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leitao, R."]
[Black "Jatoba de Oliveira Reis, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/6p1/7p/4Q1qP/4K1P1/5P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 177 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leitao, R."]
[Black "Jatoba de Oliveira Reis, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/6p1/7p/4Q1qP/4K1P1/5P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qh4 $1 {The only move, so as to avoid a fatal queen exchange.} ({Instead,
the game went} 1... Qc1 $2 2. Qf4+ $1 Qxf4+ 3. Kxf4 Ke8 4. Kf5 Kf7 5. f4 g6+ 6.
hxg6+ Kg7 7. Ke6 {and Black resigned}) ({while} 1... Qd8 2. Qc5+ Ke8 ({or} 2...
Kf7 3. Qd5+) 3. Qd5 $1 Qb6 4. Qg8+ {also wins for White.}) 2. Kd5 Qf2 3. Ke6
Kg8 $1 {. Black keeps chances of a draw.)}
*

[Event "USSR Championship, Minsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sveshnikov, E."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/p3p1p1/1pbkP2p/5P1P/1P4P1/P3KB2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1979.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 178 (White to play). Between 1 Be1 and 1 Bxc5, which one is bad
and for what reason? (4-5 moves)} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sveshnikov, E."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5p2/p3p1p1/1pbkP2p/5P1P/1P4P1/P3KB2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bxc5 $2 {Transposing to a pawn ending where Black's active king will
prove decisive.} ({Instead, by} 1. Be1 b4 2. Kf3 $1 {, covering the f2-square,
White keeps the balance - Kasparov.}) 1... Kxc5 2. Kd3 ({Or} 2. a3 Kd4 3. Kd2
a5 {with a fatal zugzwang - Sveshnikov.}) 2... Kb4 3. Kc2 Ka3 4. Kb1 a5 $1 {
In similar fashion to the famous game E.Cohn-A.Rubinstein, St. Petersburg 1909.
} 5. Ka1 a4 6. bxa4 Kxa4 7. Kb1 Ka3 8. Ka1 b4 9. Kb1 b3 {. White resigned.
} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khismatullin, D."]
[Black "Khusnutdinov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/1p6/8/P2R1K1p/7P/1r6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 179 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khismatullin, D."]
[Black "Khusnutdinov, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/1p6/8/P2R1K1p/7P/1r6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... b5 $1 {Black exploits the moment to swap a pair of pawns.} ({Instead, the
game saw} 1... Kb7 $2 2. Kg5 Rg2+ 3. Kxh4 Ka6 4. Kh5 Ka5 5. h4 {and White went
on to win.}) ({Also bad is} 1... Rg2 2. Kf5 Rg3 3. Rxh4 Ra3 {in view of} 4.
Rc4+ $1 {, releasing the h-pawn - Baburin.}) 2. axb5 Rxb5 3. Kg4 Rb6 4. Kxh4
Rd6 $1 {A timely bridge.} 5. Re4 Rh6+ 6. Kg4 Kd6 7. h4 Re6 $1 {. Again the
same theme. Black draws - Baburin.} *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johannessen, L."]
[Black "Adams, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/2k2pp1/R1n4p/B3p3/8/5P2/6PP/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 180 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johannessen, L."]
[Black "Adams, Mi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/2k2pp1/R1n4p/B3p3/8/5P2/6PP/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd6 $1 {Avoiding a pure rook ending where the extra pawn would be more
difficult to exploit;} ({i.e.} 1... Nxa5 $6 2. Rxa5 Kd6 3. h4 $1 {with good
drawing chances for White. Besides, the knight is favoured by a battle on one
single flank.}) 2. Bc3 f6 3. Ra4 Kd5 4. Ke2 Rc7 5. Kd3 Ne7 6. Bd2 Rb7 7. Ra5+
Ke6 8. Ra4 Nf5 9. f4 $6 {This just helps Black create a passed pawn;} ({so} 9.
Bc3 {was better.}) 9... Rd7+ 10. Ke2 Nd4+ 11. Kf2 Kf5 $1 12. fxe5 fxe5 13. Ke3
Rb7 {. Black went on to win.} *

[Event "European Cup, Rogaska Slatina"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volokitin, A."]
[Black "Bologan, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4K3/1k2P3/8/8/5r1p/1PR5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 181 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Rc4 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Volokitin, A."]
[Black "Bologan, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4K3/1k2P3/8/8/5r1p/1PR5/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rc4 $1 {White heads for a queen ending, having seen that he can force the
exchange of these pieces later on.} (1. --) 1... Rxc4 2. bxc4 h3 3. Kd7 h2 4.
e8=Q h1=Q 5. Qc8+ Kb6 6. Qc7+ $1 Ka6 7. Qc6+ {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Kazan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frolyanov, D."]
[Black "Smirnov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/2P3R1/4Kp1p/8/2r3P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 182 (Black to play). Between 1...Kc7 and 1...Rxc6, which one is
bad and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frolyanov, D."]
[Black "Smirnov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/2P3R1/4Kp1p/8/2r3P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxc6 $2 {The ensuing pawn ending proves to be lost;} ({so} 1... Kc7 $1 {
was called for; e.g.} 2. Kxf5 Rc5+ 3. Kf4 Ra5 $1 {(a waiting move)} 4. Rg5 ({or
} 4. Kf3 Rc5 5. Kg2 Rc2+ 6. Kh3 Rc1 {- Baburin}) 4... Ra4+ 5. Kf3 Kxc6 6.
Rxh5 Kd6 {with a draw.}) 2. Rxc6 ({In view of} 2. Rxc6 Kxc6 3. Kxf5 h4 ({or} 
3... Kd6 4. Kg5 Ke6 5. Kxh5 Kf6 6. g4 Kg7 7. Kg5) 4. gxh4 Kd7 5. Kf6 Ke8 6. Kg7
{, Black resigned - Baburin.)}) *

[Event "Zürich Candidates"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1r3pkp/6p1/R5PP/8/4P3/5PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 183 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gligoric, S."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1r3pkp/6p1/R5PP/8/4P3/5PK1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h6 $1 {Looking for pawn exchanges.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... gxh5 $6
2. Ra6 $1 Rb3 3. Rh6 Ra3 4. Kg3 Ra1 5. e4 Rg1+ 6. Kf4 Rh1 7. e5 h4 8. Kg4 {and
White later prevailed by precise play.}) 2. hxg6 Kxg6 ({Avoiding} 2... fxg6 $6
3. gxh6+ Kxh6 4. f4 {, when the passed e-pawn increases White's winning
prospects.}) 3. gxh6 Kxh6 {. With excellent chances for a draw.} *

[Event "Kladovo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mirkovic, S."]
[Black "Ilic, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1Rbk1p2/8/3P2p1/2Nr4/5KP1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 184 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mirkovic, S."]
[Black "Ilic, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1Rbk1p2/8/3P2p1/2Nr4/5KP1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. d6 $1 {Simplifying to a winning pawn ending.} Rxc4 ({Or} 1... g4+ 2. Ke3
Rxc4 3. Rxc7+ Rxc7 4. dxc7 Kxc7 5. Kf4 {.}) 2. Rxc7+ Rxc7 3. dxc7 Kxc7 4. Kg4
Kd6 ({White also wins after} 4... f6 5. Kf5 {- Mirkovic.}) 5. Kxg5 Ke5 ({Or} 
5... Ke6 6. f4 {.}) 6. f4+ Ke6 7. g4 {Black resigned;} ({one possible
continuation being} 7. g4 Ke7 8. f5 Ke8 9. Kf6 Kf8 10. g5 Kg8 11. Ke7 {etc.}) *

[Event "China vs. Russia, Ergun"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ni Hua"]
[Black "Najer, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2p5/p1k5/P1P1pr1p/2K1R3/5P2/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 185 (White to play). White played 1 Rh4 - why was that a
mistake? What was preferable?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ni Hua"]
[Black "Najer, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2p5/p1k5/P1P1pr1p/2K1R3/5P2/6P1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rh4 $2 {This lets Black transpose to a winning pawn ending.} (1. g3 $1 {was
correct, giving up a pawn in order to stay in the safer rook ending; e.g.} Rxf3
2. Rxe5 Rxg3 3. Re6+ $1 Kb7 4. c6+ Ka7 5. Re7 Kb8 6. Re8+ Ka7 7. Re7 {with a
draw.}) 1... Rf4+ $1 2. Rxf4 exf4 3. Kd4 Kb5 4. Ke4 Kxc5 $1 ({But not} 4...
Kxa5 5. Kxf4 Kb5 6. Kg5 $1 {and White escapes.}) 5. Kxf4 Kd4 $1 6. g4 ({Or} 6.
Kg3 Ke3 $1 7. f4 Ke4 8. Kh4 c5 {etc.}) 6... h4 $1 7. g5 Kd5 8. Kf5 Kd6 $1 9. g6
({On} 9. Kf6 {, Black had} h3 10. g6 h2 11. g7 h1=Q 12. g8=Q Qxf3+ 13. Kg7 Qg4+
{.}) 9... Ke7 10. Kg4 c5 11. Kxh4 c4 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hatanbaatar, B."]
[Black "Miton, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/6p1/1R2b1P1/2K5/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 186 (Black to play). Between 1...Bg7 and 1...Ba1, which one is
bad and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hatanbaatar, B."]
[Black "Miton, K."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/8/6p1/1R2b1P1/2K5/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bg7 $2 {A bad choice, as White manages to reach a won pawn ending.} ({
After} 1... Ba1 {Black shouldn't lose.}) 2. Rb6 $1 (2. Rb8+ $5 Kf7 ({or} 2...
Kh7 3. Rb7) 3. Rb7+ Kg8 4. Rxg7+ {was just as good.}) 2... Kf7 3. Rb7+ Kg8 4.
Rxg7+ $1 Kxg7 5. Kd5 Kf7 ({Black resigned at the same time, without waiting for
} 5... Kf7 6. Kd6 {.)}) *

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johansson, Li"]
[Black "Ivanov, Se"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2r2/5pk1/1R6/2pP3p/2P1R1np/2P3P1/8/2B3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 187 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johansson, Li"]
[Black "Ivanov, Se"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r2r2/5pk1/1R6/2pP3p/2P1R1np/2P3P1/8/2B3K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxg4+ $1 {A timely simplifying combination.} ({Instead, the game went} 1.
gxh4 $2 Rfe8 2. Rxe8 Rxe8 {, when Black's counterplay later proved
sufficient for a draw.}) 1... hxg4 2. Bh6+ Kg8 3. Bxf8 Kxf8 4. Rc6 $1 {. White
wins - Grahn.} *

[Event "Macas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Torres, B."]
[Black "Brito, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/1p3ppp/p7/8/1b4b1/1B3N2/P4PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 188 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Torres, B."]
[Black "Brito, D."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/1p3ppp/p7/8/1b4b1/1B3N2/P4PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rd4 $1 {Transposing to an endgame with opposite-coloured bishops.} Bxf3 2.
gxf3 Bf8 3. Rd7 $1 Re7 4. Rxe7 {Of course - liquidating the rooks as well.} (
{Instead, the game saw} 4. Rd4 $2 g6 {and Black went on to win.}) 4... Bxe7 5.
a4 g6 6. Bd5 b5 7. axb5 axb5 8. Kf1 {. White shouldn't lose. Incidentally,
the game J.Kupper-M.Filip, Enschede 1963, featured an almost identical ending. 
. } *

[Event "Pamplona"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "San Segundo Carrillo, P."]
[Black "Andersson, U."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k3/pp3p1p/2n2p2/8/2RP4/5N2/P3KPrP/7R w q - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 189 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "San Segundo Carrillo, P."]
[Black "Andersson, U."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k3/pp3p1p/2n2p2/8/2RP4/5N2/P3KPrP/7R w q - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. d5 $1 {In view of the pawn minus White is happy to reach a rook ending;
besides, he now manages to seize the seventh rank.} ({Less is promised by} 1.
Rb1 Rd8 $1 {, when} 2. Rxb7 $2 {fails to} Na5 {.}) 1... Ne5 ({Or} 1... Ne7 2.
Rb1 b6 3. d6 {with activity.}) 2. Nxe5 (2. Rc7 $6 Ng4 {is less precise.}) 2...
fxe5 3. Rc7 Rd8 4. Rb1 $1 b6 5. Rxa7 Rg6 ({Or} 5... Rxd5 6. Rxb6 Rd7 7. Rxd7
Kxd7 8. Rh6 $1 {.}) 6. Rb5 Rgd6 7. Ke3 Rxd5 8. Rxb6 R8d7 9. Rxd7 Kxd7 10. f4 {
. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Schwarzach"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ardeleanu, A."]
[Black "Zelcic, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr4/pp3pp1/2p3p1/8/4q3/1PPpQ1PP/P4P2/2KR4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 190 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ardeleanu, A."]
[Black "Zelcic, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr4/pp3pp1/2p3p1/8/4q3/1PPpQ1PP/P4P2/2KR4 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qf5 $1 {Keeping the queens on the board.} (1... Qd5 {looks fine as well.})
({Instead, the game went} 1... Qxe3+ $6 2. fxe3 Rd5 3. Kd2 Rf5 4. Kxd3 Rf3 5.
Rg1 {and White later saved himself in the rook ending.}) 2. g4 ({Or} 2. Qxa7
Qe5 $1 {with decisive threats.}) 2... Qf6 3. Rxd3 Rxd3 4. Qxd3 Qxf2 {. With a
clear advantage.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 191"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/2R5/8/4p1p1/6P1/5P2/2p3K1/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 191 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + detailed plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "position 191"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/2R5/8/4p1p1/6P1/5P2/2p3K1/2r5 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kd8 {With the plan of transferring the king to e3, followed by ...Re1-e2+,
transposing to a won pawn ending.} (1... --) 2. Rc6 Kd7 3. Rc5 Kd6 4. Rc8 Kd5
5. Rc7 Kd4 6. Rc8 Kd3 7. Rd8+ Ke3 8. Rc8 Re1 $1 {The key move, in similar
fashion to Example 422 (Anand-Grigoryan).} 9. Rxc2 Re2+ 10. Rxe2+ Kxe2 11. Kg3
Kf1 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "Reggio Emilia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Giri, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/3k1p2/R4p2/2pP3p/5K1P/4P1P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 192 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Rc6 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Giri, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/3k1p2/R4p2/2pP3p/5K1P/4P1P1/5P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rc6 $1 {An accurate transposition to a pawn ending.} ({Less is promised by} 
1. Rxf6 c4 2. Rxf7+ $6 ({though} 2. Ke5 $1 {is also strong}) 2... Kd6 {.}) 1...
Rxc6 2. dxc6+ Kxc6 3. g4 $1 c4 4. e4 ({Not} 4. Ke4 $2 f5+ $1 {.}) 4... Kd6 5.
f3 $1 {A key move, safeguarding the pawns.} ({Instead,} 5. gxh5 $2 {only draws
after} Ke7 {, heading for h6 - 'Chess Today'.}) 5... Ke6 6. Ke3 Ke5 7. gxh5
f5 8. h6 f4+ 9. Kd2 Kf6 10. h5 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "European Championship, Kusadasi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balogh, C."]
[Black "Moiseenko, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/8/5k1P/5p2/6p1/7r/6KP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 193 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balogh, C."]
[Black "Moiseenko, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/8/5k1P/5p2/6p1/7r/6KP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h7 $1 {Starting a little combination on the theme of pawn exchanges.} ({
Instead,} 1. Rf8+ $6 Kg5 2. Rg8+ Kf4 {yields Black practical winning chances.})
1... Kg7 2. Rg8+ Kxh7 3. Rg5 Rf3 4. h3 $1 {The point.} Kh6 5. hxg4 Kxg5 6. Kxf3
{. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Brynell, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k1r2r/1bp5/1p1pN2p/p1nP2p1/2P2p2/5P2/PP3BPP/2KRR3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 194 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, I."]
[Black "Brynell, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k1r2r/1bp5/1p1pN2p/p1nP2p1/2P2p2/5P2/PP3BPP/2KRR3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Bxc5 $1 {The correct exchange, so as to keep the powerful knight and avoid
the opposite-coloured bishops.} bxc5 2. h4 $1 {Opening a new front.} Kd7 $2 (
2... Reg8 3. Re2 Kd7 {was more solid - Sokolov.}) 3. hxg5 hxg5 4. Nxg5 Reg8 (
{Or} 4... Rxe1 5. Rxe1 Rg8 6. Ne6 Rxg2 7. Rh1 {in similar spirit to the game.})
5. Ne6 Rxg2 6. Rh1 $1 {The arrival of a rook on the seventh rank will be
decisive.} Rhh2 ({Nothing is changed by} 6... Rgg8 7. Rxh8 Rxh8 8. Rg1 {-
Sokolov.}) 7. Rxh2 Rxh2 8. Rg1 Ba6 9. Rg7+ Kc8 10. b3 $1 Rxa2 11. Nxc7 Kb7 12.
-- ({Here White played} 12. Ne6+ {and went on to win.}) ({But even stronger was
} 12. Nb5+ $1 Kb8 ({or} 12... Kb6 13. Nc3) 13. Rg8+ Kb7 14. Nxd6+ {- Sokolov.
. }) *

[Event "Belarus Championship, Minsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhigalko, A."]
[Black "Gorovets, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/3p4/8/1pB1q1p1/1P1R4/5P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 195 (Black to play). Can Black play 1...Kc6 without fearing 2
Bd5+ here?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhigalko, A."]
[Black "Gorovets, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3k4/3p4/8/1pB1q1p1/1P1R4/5P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kc6 $2 {Anything else was better.} 2. Bd5+ $1 Qxd5 3. Rxd5 Kxd5 4. f3 $1 {
A key move which creates an outside passed pawn.} gxf3 5. h4 $1 ({But not} 5.
Kf2 $2 Ke4 6. h4 d5 7. h5 d4 8. h6 d3 {with a draw - Baburin.}) 5... Ke4 6.
h5 Kf5 7. Kf2 Kg5 8. Kxf3 Kxh5 9. Ke4 {Despite the pawn minus, White wins
comfortably.} Kg5 10. Kd5 Kf5 11. Kxd6 Kf6 12. Kc5 Ke6 13. Kxb4 Kd6 14. Kb5 {
. White soon won.} *

[Event "Vlissingen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eisenbeiser, A."]
[Black "Postny, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pR1r3/1P3kp1/P7/8/3K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 196 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eisenbeiser, A."]
[Black "Postny, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1pR1r3/1P3kp1/P7/8/3K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a5 $1 {A surprising route to a welcome pawn exchange.} ({Instead, the game
saw} 1. Rxe6 $2 Kxe6 2. Ke3 Kd5 {and Black soon won.}) 1... bxa5 2. Ra6 $1 g4
3. Rxa5 g3 4. b6+ Kf4 5. b7 Rb6 6. Ke2 {. With a draw - Baburin.} *

[Event "Antofagasta"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gacitua, C."]
[Black "Alarcon, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/ppp2ppp/2b5/2b5/2B3P1/2P2P1P/PP2R1K1/3r1N2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 197 (Black to play). Between 1...b5 and 1...Bxf3+, which one is
bad and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gacitua, C."]
[Black "Alarcon, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/ppp2ppp/2b5/2b5/2B3P1/2P2P1P/PP2R1K1/3r1N2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Bxf3+ $2 {A bad choice, as the extra pawn will be difficult to exploit in
the ensuing ending with opposite-coloured bishops.} ({Instead,} 1... b5 $1 2.
Bb3 Rb1 {followed by ...a7-a5-a4 was called for, opening a new front on the
queenside.}) 2. Kxf3 Rxf1+ 3. Kg2 Rg1+ 4. Kf3 {. White later made a draw
without much difficulty.} *

[Event "Swedish Ch., Gothenburg (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cicak, S."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/8/7p/2q2P1P/4k2K/6Q1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 198 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cicak, S."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/5p2/8/7p/2q2P1P/4k2K/6Q1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qd2 $1 {A subtle move which prepares the exchange of queens.} ({Both} 1...
Kxf3 2. Qg4+) ({and} 1... Qxf3 2. Qg4 $1 {yielded White chances of salvation.})
2. Qg2+ ({Black wins after} 2. Kg2 Qg5+) ({or} 2. Qg4 Ke3+ 3. Kh1 Qe1+ 4. Kg2
Qf2+ 5. Kh1 Qxf3+) ({while} 2. Kh1 Qe1 $1 3. Qxe1+ Kxe1 4. Kg2 Ke2 5. f4 f5 {
is similar to the main line.}) 2... Ke3 3. Qxd2+ Kxd2 4. Kg2 Ke3 5. f4 Kxf4 (
5... f5 {is just as good.}) 6. Kf2 f5 {. Black wins.} *

[Event "Groningen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bok, B."]
[Black "Poetsch, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "b7/P7/6Rp/2k5/8/r3p3/6PP/5BK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 199 (White to play). Was White right in playing 1 Ra6 here?
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bok, B."]
[Black "Poetsch, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "b7/P7/6Rp/2k5/8/r3p3/6PP/5BK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ra6 $1 {An accurate choice which practically forces the transposition to a
won pawn ending.} Rxa6 ({Or} 1... Rb3 2. Rxh6 Rb1 3. Re6 Ra1 4. Rxe3 {with an
easy win - Baburin.}) 2. Bxa6 Kb6 3. Be2 $1 Kxa7 4. Bf3 Bb7 ({White also
wins after} 4... Bxf3 5. gxf3 Kb6 6. Kf1 Kc5 7. Ke2 Kd4 8. h3 $1 {.}) 5. Bxb7
Kxb7 6. Kf1 Kc6 7. Ke2 Kd5 8. Kxe3 Ke5 9. Kf3 Kf5 10. h3 Kg5 ({Or} 10... h5 11.
g3 Ke5 12. Ke3 Kf5 13. Kd4 {etc - Baburin.}) 11. Ke4 Kh4 ({Equally hopeless
is} 11... Kf6 12. h4 Ke6 13. g4 {with a decisive opposition.}) 12. Kf4 h5 13.
g4 hxg4 14. hxg4 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Odessa"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolmatov, S."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/p2qn1p1/PpNp1b2/1P1P3P/4Q3/3KN3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 200 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolmatov, S."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5k2/p2qn1p1/PpNp1b2/1P1P3P/4Q3/3KN3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qg3 $1 {The exchange of queens will emphasize Black's problem with the
a6-pawn.} Qxg3 ({Or} 1... Nxc5 2. dxc5 Qf6 3. Qf4 {with a huge advantage -
Dolmatov.}) 2. Nxg3 Nxd4 ({After} 2... Nxc5 3. dxc5 Bg4 4. Ke3 {, the bishop
vs. knight ending greatly favours White.}) 3. Nxf5 $1 gxf5 ({Or} 3... Nxf5 4.
Nxa6 Nxh4 5. Nc7 {etc.}) 4. Nxa6 Nc6 5. Nc7 Nxb4 6. Nxb5 Kg6 7. Nd4 {. With a
decisive advantage thanks to the powerful separated passed pawns. White later
won.} *

[Event "Oslo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kveinys, A."]
[Black "Djurhuus, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p3r3/P1R1p1k1/1P2K3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 201 (White to play). Between 1 b5 and 1 Rxe5+, which one is bad
and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kveinys, A."]
[Black "Djurhuus, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p3r3/P1R1p1k1/1P2K3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rxe5+ $2 {This allows Black to save himself in curious fashion.} ({Instead,
the game continued} 1. b5 $1 Kf6 ({or} 1... axb5 2. Rxe5+ Kf6 3. Rxe6+ Kxe6 4.
a6) 2. b6 Re8 3. Kd5 Ke7 4. Rc7+ Kd8 5. Ra7 {and Black resigned.}) 1... Kf6 $1
2. Rxe6+ Kxe6 3. b5 Kd6 $1 4. b6 Kc6 {. Draw - Kveinys. Note that such a
fortress won't work if all the pieces are moved one file to the right or one
rank downwards.} *

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2Rbk1p/Np6/8/5p2/6P1/PPr1PP1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 202 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (6-7 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p2Rbk1p/Np6/8/5p2/6P1/PPr1PP1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Nb4 $1 {Returning the pawn in order to force a transposition to a won pawn
ending.} ({Instead,} 1. Rxa7 $6 Rxe2 2. Nb4 f3 {yields Black counterplay.})
1... Rxb2 ({On} 1... Rxe2 {there follows the same reply.}) 2. Nc6 Rxe2 3. Rxa7
f3 4. h4 (4. Kf1 {was an alternative; e.g.} Kf6 5. Rxe7 Rxe7 ({or} 5... Rc2 6.
Re6+ $1) 6. Nxe7 Kxe7 7. Ke1 Ke6 8. Kd2 Kf5 9. Ke3 Kg4 10. h3+ {and wins.})
4... h5 5. Rxe7+ Rxe7 6. Nxe7 Kxe7 7. g4 $1 {Clearing some vital space for the
king.} hxg4 8. Kh2 Ke6 9. Kg3 Kf5 10. a4 $1 {Zugzwang.} Ke4 11. Kxg4 {. Black
resigned.} *

[Event "Cuernavaca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Black "Felgaer, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5rk1/5p1p/2R5/p2PQp2/4p3/6P1/5PKP/4q3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 203 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (4-5 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, L."]
[Black "Felgaer, R."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5rk1/5p1p/2R5/p2PQp2/4p3/6P1/5PKP/4q3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... e3 $1 {Looking for a transposition to a rook ending.} 2. Qxe3 ({The game
actually continued} 2. Qxf5 e2 3. Qg5+ Kh8 4. Rc1 Qd1 $1 {and White had to
settle for} 5. Qf6+ Kg8 6. Qg5+ Kh8 7. Qf6+ {with a perpetual.}) ({As for} 2.
fxe3 {, it is Black who delivers the perpetual by} Qe2+ {etc.}) 2... Qxe3 3.
fxe3 Ra8 $1 {In the absence of queens, Black has no difficulty in approaching
the d-pawn with his king.} 4. d6 Kf8 5. d7 Rd8 ({Of course not} 5... Ke7 $2 6.
Rc8 {.}) 6. Ra6 Rxd7 7. Rxa5 {With equality - Dominguez.} ({Indeed, after} 7.
Rxa5 Rd2+ {, Black keeps the material balance.}) *

[Event "Yugoslavia vs. USSR, Yerevan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marovic, D."]
[Black "Stein, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3p2p/3k1b2/p6p/2rPK3/P5P1/1B5R/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 204 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (7-8 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marovic, D."]
[Black "Stein, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p3p2p/3k1b2/p6p/2rPK3/P5P1/1B5R/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h4 $1 {Initiating a little combination with the purpose of reaching a won
pawn ending.} ({In contrast, in the rook ending after} 1... Bxd4 $6 2. Bxd4 e5
3. Rxh5 Rxd4+ 4. Ke3 {, White keeps chances of a draw - Shereshevsky.}) 2.
gxh4 Bxd4 $1 3. Rd2 e5 4. Bxd4 Ke6 $1 {An essential intermediate move, which
brings the king closer to the white h-pawn.} ({Both} 4... Rxd4+ $2 5. Rxd4+
exd4 6. Kxd4) ({and} 4... exd4 5. Rf2 $1 {were less promising - Shereshevsky.
}) 5. h5 Rxd4+ 6. Rxd4 exd4 7. a4 Kf6 8. Kxd4 Kg5 9. Ke5 ({After} 9. Kc5 Kxh5
10. Kb5 Kg4 {, White is short by one tempo.}) 9... Kxh5 10. Kf5 a6 {. Seeing
that Black wins by several tempi after taking the a4-pawn, White resigned.
(End of Chapter Seven.)} *

[Event "Hallsberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ohlzon, N."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p1p1q3/1p1p3p/3P1bp1/1PP2p2/P6P/4QPP1/5BK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 205 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ohlzon, N."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p1p1q3/1p1p3p/3P1bp1/1PP2p2/P6P/4QPP1/5BK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qxe2 {After the exchange of queens, Black's king will be able to walk
right down to the weak c4-pawn.} 2. Bxe2 Kg7 $1 3. Kf1 ({Nothing is changed by
} 3. g4 Bh7 {.}) 3... Kf6 4. Ke1 Ke5 5. Kd2 Kd4 6. Bf1 Bb1 {. In view of 7...Ba2 next, White resigned.} *

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berg, E."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2r4/pp3pk1/4bp2/7R/8/5B2/PP3PPP/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 206 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Berg, E."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2r4/pp3pk1/4bp2/7R/8/5B2/PP3PPP/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rd2 $1 {Active defence.} ({Instead, the game went} 1... Rab8 $2 2. Ra5 $1
a6 3. b3 Rd2 4. h3 {and White later realized his extra pawn.}) ({Neither is} 
1... Bxa2 2. Ra1 Bc4 3. h4 {completely convincing for Black.}) 2. b4 ({Or} 2.
Bxb7 Rb8 {;}) ({whereas} 2. Rb5 $2 {obviously fails to} Bc4 {.}) 2... Rxa2 3.
Ra5 Rxa5 4. bxa5 Rb8 5. Rb1 b6 {. With rough equality.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Llamuca, H."]
[Black "Ontaneda, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1r6/3k1p2/1p4p1/4PK1P/P7/1P6/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 207 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Llamuca, H."]
[Black "Ontaneda, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1r6/3k1p2/1p4p1/4PK1P/P7/1P6/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kf5 $1 {In "activity above material" spirit.} ({Instead, the game saw} 
1. hxg5 fxg5+ 2. Kxg5 ({if} 2. Kf5 {, then} Rf7+ 3. Kxg5 b4 $1 4. axb4 Ke5 {
with similar play}) 2... Ke5 3. Re1 Rd7 4. Re2 Rd4 5. Kg4 Rxe4+ 6. Kf3 Rxe2 7.
Kxe2 {, and at this point} Kd4 $1 8. Kd2 Kc4 9. Kc2 b4 10. b3+ Kc5 11. a4 Kc6
$1 {led to a draw.}) 1... gxh4 2. Kxf6 {. There follows the devastating 3 e5(+)
.} *

[Event "Bucharest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1954.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Stahlberg, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b5/5k1p/2r1p1p1/ppNp4/1P1K1P2/P1P3P1/4R2P/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1954.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 208 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Stahlberg, G."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b5/5k1p/2r1p1p1/ppNp4/1P1K1P2/P1P3P1/4R2P/4R3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {Preparing 2 g5, followed by h2-h4-h5, in order to open a new front.}
({Of course} 1. Nd3 $2 {failed to} Rc4+) ({while} 1. h4 $6 {was less precise
in view of} h5 {.}) 1... Rc7 2. g5 ({Avoiding the rook ending arising after} 2.
Nxe6 $6 Rc4+ 3. Kd3 Bxe6 4. Rxe6 Rxf4 {.}) 2... Bd7 3. h4 Ke7 4. Kd3 axb4 5.
axb4 Ra3 6. h5 Kf7 (6... Rxc5 $5 7. bxc5 b4 {was the last chance - Korchnoi.}
) 7. Rh2 $1 gxh5 8. Rxh5 Kg8 9. f5 $1 Rxc5 ({Or} 9... exf5 10. Re7 {.}) 10.
bxc5 b4 11. fxe6 Be8 12. Rh2 bxc3 13. Kd4 Bg6 14. e7 Ra8 15. Kxc3 Be4 16. Rf2
$1 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Mar del Plata"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kanefsck, G."]
[Black "Gastiaburo, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1R6/4p1kp/4Pb2/3P1K2/8/3n1B2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 209 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kanefsck, G."]
[Black "Gastiaburo, H."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/1R6/4p1kp/4Pb2/3P1K2/8/3n1B2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ne3 $1 {Preparing ...Nc2-d4 with a fortress.} (1... --) 2. Bh3 Nc2 3. Bd7
Nd4+ 4. Kg2 h4 5. Be8 Bg3 $1 6. Bb5 Kf4 {. With all his pieces mutually
defended, Black's fortress is unlikely to be taken, thus a draw was agreed. 
. } *

[Event "Swedish Championship, Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cramling, P."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b5/2k5/p1r5/8/1K6/6R1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 210 (Black to play). Between 1...Be6 and 1...Kb6, which one is
bad and for what reason?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cramling, P."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b5/2k5/p1r5/8/1K6/6R1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kb6 $2 {This permits an unexpected transposition to a theoretical draw.} (
1... Be6 $5 {, intending} 2. Rc3 $2 a5+ {, was just one possible winning line.}
) 2. Rc3 $1 a5+ 3. Ka4 $1 Bd7 ({The game saw} 3... Rxc3 {with stalemate, while
horizontal rook moves obviously lose the bishop.}) 4. Rxc6+ Bxc6+ 5. Ka3 {.
Draw.} *

[Event "Tena"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uquillas, G."]
[Black "Salazar, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/6pp/p4b2/4p3/1pp1P3/1P2B3/P1P3PP/3R3K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 211 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uquillas, G."]
[Black "Salazar, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/6pp/p4b2/4p3/1pp1P3/1P2B3/P1P3PP/3R3K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg1 $1 {Bringing the king to f2 in order to keep the bishop on the ideal
e3-square.} ({Instead, the game went} 1. h3 $6 cxb3 2. cxb3 Rc2 3. Rd2 Rc3 $1
4. Bf2 {, and at this point} Bg5 {, heading for f4, would have been annoying
for White.}) 1... cxb3 2. cxb3 Rc3 3. Kf2 {. White has no problems.} *

[Event "Piura"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uquillas, G."]
[Black "Zavala, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3kp2p/1p3p2/3r3P/1P2RKP1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 212 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Uquillas, G."]
[Black "Zavala, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3kp2p/1p3p2/3r3P/1P2RKP1/P7/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rc3 $1 {Heading for c8, with activity.} ({Instead, the game continued} 1.
Ke2 $2 e5 2. Rd3 $6 Kd5 3. Ke3 $2 f4+ 4. gxf4 exf4+ 5. Ke2 {, when} Rxd3 6.
Kxd3 b4 $1 {would have decided the outcome at once.}) 1... e5 2. Rc8 Rd3+ 3.
Kf2 Rd2+ 4. Ke3 Rxa2 5. Rd8+ $1 (5. Rh8 $6 Rb2 6. Rxh6+ Kd5 {is less
convincing.}) 5... Kc5 ({Or} 5... Ke7 6. Rd5 {.}) 6. Re8 {. With excellent
counterplay.} *

[Event "Riobamba"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bejar, J."]
[Black "Aguiar, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4bk1/1R3p1p/n2p2p1/1p1P1p2/5P2/1P3N1P/1P3NP1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 213 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bejar, J."]
[Black "Aguiar, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4bk1/1R3p1p/n2p2p1/1p1P1p2/5P2/1P3N1P/1P3NP1/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Nc5 $1 {Activating the rook, and never mind the b5-pawn.} ({Instead, the
game went} 1... Rb8 $2 2. Rxb8 Nxb8 3. Nd4 b4 4. Nd3 Bg7 5. Nc6 {and White was
the one playing for a win.}) 2. Rxb5 Ra1+ 3. Kh2 Rb1 {Black keeps the
advantage;} ({e.g.} 3... Rb1 4. b4 Rxb2 5. Rb8 Na6 $1 6. Nd3 Rb3 7. Rb6 Nc7 8.
Nfe1 Nxd5 {.)}) *

[Event "Szirak Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Christiansen, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2p1p/p2n2p1/1pKB4/5P1P/6P1/P4P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 214 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Christiansen, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2p1p/p2n2p1/1pKB4/5P1P/6P1/P4P2/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. g4 $1 {Opening a new front, with g4-g5 as a potential idea, fixing the
enemy pawns on light squares.} h6 2. f3 a5 ({Or} 2... Nb7+ 3. Kb4 $1 f6 4. Bxb7
$1 Kxb7 5. g5 fxg5 6. fxg5 hxg5 7. hxg5 Kb6 8. f4 {, and the f4-f5 thrust
decides - Salov.}) 3. Bc6 b4 4. Ba4 $1 Nb7+ ({Black was in zugzwang; e.g.} 
4... f6 5. g5 $1 {, turning the g6-pawn into an easy target.}) 5. Kb5 Kd6 6.
Bb3 f6 7. g5 $1 fxg5 8. fxg5 hxg5 9. hxg5 Nd8 ({Or} 9... Ke5 10. Bc2 {.}) 10.
Kxa5 Kc5 11. f4 Nc6+ 12. Ka4 Nd8 ({If} 12... Nd4 {, then} 13. Bf7 Ne2 14. f5 $1
{and wins - Salov.}) 13. f5 ({In view of} 13. f5 gxf5 14. g6 Nc6 15. g7 Ne7
16. g8=Q Nxg8 17. Bxg8 f4 18. Kb3 f3 19. Bc4 {, Black resigned.}) *

[Event "Rochester"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lam King Wai, D."]
[Black "Chipkin, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/n2k1p2/4p1p1/1pPpP1P1/1P6/3B4/1B4K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 215 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + detailed plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lam King Wai, D."]
[Black "Chipkin, L."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/n2k1p2/4p1p1/1pPpP1P1/1P6/3B4/1B4K1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. c6+ $1 {The only move - otherwise Black completes his fortress by 1...Kc6.
Next White should swap his dark-squared bishop for the knight and then prepare
a sacrifice on d5.} Kxc6 2. Bd4 Nc8 3. Bc5 $1 Nb6 4. Bxb6 Kxb6 5. Kf3 Kc6 6.
Ke3 Kb6 7. Kd4 Kc6 8. Bc2 Kb6 9. Bb3 Kc6 10. Ba2 $1 {Zugzwang.} Kb6 ({The game
concluded} 10... Kd7 11. Kc5 {and Black resigned.}) 11. Bxd5 $1 exd5 12. Kxd5 {
. Black's fortress has been taken, and White wins.} *

[Event "Bermuda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaked, T."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/7p/5p2/R1pp4/8/2P2PK1/4r1PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 216 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaked, T."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/7p/5p2/R1pp4/8/2P2PK1/4r1PP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... d4 $1 {A practical decision: by giving up a pawn Black reaches a
theoretically drawn rook ending with two vs. three pawns on one single flank.}
({Instead, the game went} 1... c4 $6 2. Rxd5 Rc2 3. Kf4 $1 Rxg2 4. Kf5 Rxh2 5.
Kxf6 {and White kept a clear initiative, which he later converted into a full
point.}) 2. Rxc5 dxc3 3. Rxc3 Re7 {. Preparing ...Kg7, followed by a waiting
game. Note that the separated pawns actually help Black, as White will have
more difficulties in creating a passed pawn.} *

[Event "Siegen Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1970.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Matulovic, M."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r3r/ppk2ppp/1np1bp2/8/2PP4/1P1B4/P3NPPP/R3K2R w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1970.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 217 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Matulovic, M."]
[Black "Smyslov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r3r/ppk2ppp/1np1bp2/8/2PP4/1P1B4/P3NPPP/R3K2R w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kd2 $1 {Heading for the great post on c3.} ({Evidently,} 1. O-O $2) ({or} 1.
O-O-O $6 {would just move away the king from the battlefield.}) 1... Rhe8 ({Or
} 1... c5 2. Kc3 $1 {- Matulovic. It indeed makes sense to refrain from
d4-d5, which would fix the pawns on the "wrong" colour and help Black with
a blockade on d6.}) 2. Rae1 Nc8 3. Kc3 b6 4. Nf4 {With the d4-pawn firmly
defended by the king, the knight can look for more active tasks.} g6 5. Re3 $1
Bd7 ({Due to White's previous move,} 5... c5 $6 {now failed to} 6. dxc5 bxc5
7. Rhe1 {, intending} Bd7 8. Nd5+ {etc.}) 6. Rhe1 Rxe3 7. Rxe3 Kd6 8. b4 $1 {
. Gaining space. White keeps a pleasant advantage, although the game was drawn
in the end.} *

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gabdrakhmanov, R."]
[Black "Yusupov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2b2pk1/pq4p1/2pQp2p/P1P1P3/2B2PP1/6KP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 218 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gabdrakhmanov, R."]
[Black "Yusupov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2b2pk1/pq4p1/2pQp2p/P1P1P3/2B2PP1/6KP/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Qb3 $1 {Active defence.} ({Both} 1... f6 $2 2. Qd7+ Kg8 3. Bd2 {,
intending} Qd6 4. Qe8+ Kg7 5. Bh6+ $1 Kh7 6. Bf8) ({and} 1... Qd6 $6 2. f4 $1
f6 3. fxe5 fxe5 4. Qb7 {were less appealing - Dvoretsky.}) 2. Bxe5+ Bxe5 3.
Qxe5+ Kg8 4. Qxc5 Qc2+ 5. Qf2 ({Or} 5. Kh3 Qe2 $1 {with counterplay.}) 5...
Qxc4 6. a5 Qb4 $1 {Preventing 7 Qd2.} 7. Qa2 ({If} 7. Qb6 {, then Black keeps
harassing the enemy king by} Qd2+ 8. Kh3 Qd7+ {.}) 7... Qe1 $1 {. An excellent
place for the queen. The game later ended in a draw.} *

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1955.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/5b2/1p6/p2N1pp1/P1Pkp3/1P4P1/4BP2/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1955.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 219 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Averbakh, Y."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/5b2/1p6/p2N1pp1/P1Pkp3/1P4P1/4BP2/5K2 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f4 $1 {Sacrificing a pawn in order to overcome the enemy barrier.} ({
Obviously, the materialistic} 1... Bxd5 $2 2. cxd5 Kxd5 3. Bc4+ {would just
play into White's hands.}) 2. gxf4 gxf4 3. Nxf4 Kc3 4. Bd1 Kd2 $1 5. Bg4 Kc2
6. Be6 ({A curious line} 6. Ne6 Be7 7. Nd4+ Kc3 8. Nf5 Bf8 9. Bd1 Kd2 $1 10.
Bg4 Kc2 11. Nd4+ Kc3 12. Ne6 Be7 {and Black finally wins the b3-pawn.}) 6...
Bxe6 7. Nxe6 Be7 8. Nd4+ Kc3 9. Nf5 Bf8 {The b3-pawn is doomed, and the
ensuing position with mutual passed pawns will clearly favour the bishop.} 10.
Ng3 Kxb3 11. Ke2 Kxa4 12. Nxe4 Kb3 13. Kd3 a4 14. Nd2+ Kb2 15. c5 b5 $1 ({Not} 
15... bxc5 $6 16. Nc4+ {- Shereshevsky.}) 16. c6 Bd6 17. Ne4 Bb8 18. Nc3 a3
19. f4 Bxf4 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Swedish Championship, Ronneby"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Agrest, E."]
[Black "Hedman, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/r2b2p1/1r2pp1p/p7/n3PPPP/1N2K3/P1R1B3/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 220 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Agrest, E."]
[Black "Hedman, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3k4/r2b2p1/1r2pp1p/p7/n3PPPP/1N2K3/P1R1B3/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Rg1 $1 {Preparing g4-g5 with a new front on the kingside.} ({The immediate} 
1. g5 $6 {seems to be somewhat less effective after} hxg5 2. fxg5 fxg5 3. hxg5
Rbb7 {.}) 1... Ke7 2. g5 hxg5 3. fxg5 Rb8 ({Black is also in trouble after} 
3... fxg5 4. Rxg5) ({or} 3... f5 4. h5 {.}) 4. gxf6+ Kxf6 5. Bd3 {Now Black
has three burdens to carry: the a5-pawn, the g7-pawn and... the king!} Be8 $6 (
{White wins a pawn after} 5... Kf7 6. Rcg2 Rg8 7. e5 {with 8 Bh7 next, but in
the game Black runs into bigger problems.}) 6. Rg5 $1 e5 7. Rf2+ Ke6 8. Bc4+
Kd6 9. Rd2+ Kc6 10. Rxe5 Bf7 11. Bb5+ $1 Rxb5 12. Nd4+ {. Black resigned.
} *

[Event "US Championship, New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bisguier, A."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3b4/8/1p2p1k1/2p1P1pp/P1P3P1/2B4K/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 221 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + detailed plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bisguier, A."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3b4/8/1p2p1k1/2p1P1pp/P1P3P1/2B4K/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h3 $1 {Tying the white king to the h-pawn, followed by a transfer of
Black's own king to a5, and then a timely sacrifice on e4.} 2. Kg1 Kf6 3. Kh2
Ke7 4. Kg1 Kd6 5. Kf2 Kc5 6. Kg1 Kb6 7. Kh1 Ka5 8. Kg1 Bc6 9. Kh1 Bb7 ({
Probably} 9... Bxe4+ {at once worked as well.}) 10. Kg1 Bxe4 $1 11. Bxe4 Ka4 {
White's fortress is finally taken.} 12. Bf5 Kb3 13. Bxg4 e4 $1 14. Bxh3 ({Or
} 14. Bf5 e3 {- Milic.}) 14... Kxc3 15. g4 Kd2 ({In view of} 15... Kd2 16.
Bg2 e3 17. Bf3 c3 {, White resigned.)}) *

[Event "Donetsk (match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/5k1p/3rNb2/5PPP/4R3/5K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 222 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/5k1p/3rNb2/5PPP/4R3/5K2/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {A timely transposition to a theoretical draw.} 2. gxf5 ({Or} 2.
fxg5+ hxg5 3. hxg5+ Kxg5 4. Kg3 Bxg4 $1 {with similar effect.}) 2... gxf4 3.
Ng4+ Kxf5 4. Nxh6+ Kg6 5. Re6+ Kh5 {The point - White can't save his last
pawn.} 6. Kf3 Kxh4 7. Nf7 Rd3+ 8. Kxf4 Rd4+ 9. Kf3 Rd3+ 10. Ke4 Ra3 {. A draw
was agreed later on.} *

[Event "Istanbul Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Samhouri, AF."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b3k1/pp3p1p/5p2/8/4p3/1P2P3/P3BPPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 223 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Samhouri, AF."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b3k1/pp3p1p/5p2/8/4p3/1P2P3/P3BPPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. h3 $1 {Preparing Kh2-g3-f4, after which the king will become a giant.} (1.
h4 {was less flexible as the g2-g4 break might come in handy on some occasion.}
) 1... f5 2. Kh2 Kg7 3. Kg3 Kg6 4. Kf4 h5 ({Or} 4... Kf6 5. g4 $1 h6 6. gxf5
Bxf5 7. Bg4 Bg6 8. Bc8 b6 9. Bb7 {and wins - Baburin.}) 5. Ke5 h4 6. Kd6 $1 {
The king's odyssey continues.} Be6 7. Kc7 Bd5 8. g3 Kg5 9. Bc4 $1 {. The
pawn ending is lost for Black, so he resigned.} *

[Event "Norrkoping (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vernersson, P."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2p2/R7/1P2P1p1/5p2/5P1K/p4rP1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 224 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vernersson, P."]
[Black "Hellsten, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k2p2/R7/1P2P1p1/5p2/5P1K/p4rP1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Kg4 $1 {Active defence.} ({Instead, after} 1. Rc6+ Kb8 2. Rb6+ Ka7 3. Ra6+
Kb7 {, White's waiting moves are over and} 4. Kg4 $1 {be played, just as in
the main line.} ({On the other hand, the passive} 4. Kh2 $2 {runs into} g4 $1
5. fxg4 Rb2 6. e6 fxe6 7. g5 f3 8. g6 Rxg2+ $1 9. Kh3 e5 10. g7 Rxg7 11. Rxa2
e4 {and Black wins.})) 1... Rxg2+ 2. Kf5 Kb7 ({Neither} 2... g4 3. Kxf4 g3 4.
Kg4) ({not} 2... Re2 3. Kxg5 Rxe5+ 4. Kxf4 {leads anywhere for Black.}) 3. Ke4
$1 {Preparing a waiting game along e4-f5.} Rf2 4. Kf5 Rxf3 5. Kxg5 Rf2 6. Kf5
Kc7 ({Or} 6... f3 7. Kf4 {.}) 7. Rc6+ Kb8 8. Ra6 Kb7 9. Ke4 {. Black can't
progress: draw.} *

[Event "Copenhagen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nielsen, PH."]
[Black "Hjartarson, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r1k2/5p2/1p4p1/p1bB3p/P3PP1P/1P3KP1/8/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 225 (White to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nielsen, PH."]
[Black "Hjartarson, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r1k2/5p2/1p4p1/p1bB3p/P3PP1P/1P3KP1/8/2R5 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. b4 $1 {Returning the pawn in order to seize the seventh rank with the rook.}
Bxb4 ({After} 1... axb4 $6 2. a5 Rd7 ({or} 2... b3 3. a6) 3. a6 Ra7 4. Bb7 {,
Black is in trouble.}) 2. Rc7 Be7 3. Ke3 ({If} 3. Rb7 {, then} Rc8 {with
counterplay.}) 3... Rb8 ({Perhaps} 3... f5 $5 {, getting rid of a weakness,
was worth a try.}) 4. Bc4 Rd8 5. Bd5 Rb8 6. f5 $1 {With the strong threat of 7
f6.} gxf5 7. exf5 f6 8. Be6 b5 9. g4 $1 b4 $2 ({For better or worse,} 9... hxg4
10. h5 b4 {had to be tried; e.g.} 11. h6 b3 12. h7 Kg7 13. Rxe7+ Kh8 {and
Black survives.}) 10. gxh5 b3 11. h6 b2 12. Ba2 b1=Q 13. Bxb1 Kg8 14. Ba2+ Kh8
15. Rxe7 Rb6 16. Kd4 Rb4+ 17. Bc4 {Avoiding any "crazy rook" ideas.} Rxa4
18. Re6 {. Black resigned.} *

[Event "Slovakian Championship, Topolcianky"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balogh, T."]
[Black "Palecek, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r1rk1/p4pp1/1p5p/1R1pNn2/3P4/4P3/P4PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 226 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balogh, T."]
[Black "Palecek, P."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r1rk1/p4pp1/1p5p/1R1pNn2/3P4/4P3/P4PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a4 $1 {Opening a new front on the queenside.} Ne7 2. a5 Rd6 3. Rfb1 Rb8 4.
g3 Nc8 ({Or} 4... Kf8 5. axb6 axb6 6. Rxb6 $1 {etc.}) 5. Rc5 $1 f6 6. Nd3 Ra8 (
6... Rd7 {was more solid, denying White the seventh rank.}) 7. Rc7 Kf8 8. Rbc1
Ne7 9. Rb7 $1 Rc6 10. Rxc6 Nxc6 11. axb6 axb6 12. Nf4 Ne7 13. Rxb6 {. White
later capitalized on his extra pawn.} *

[Event "Manila Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adianto, U."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/4r3/6K1/8/p4QP1/4P3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 227 (White to play). White played 1 Qxa3 here - why was that a
mistake? What was preferable?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adianto, U."]
[Black "Korchnoi, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/4r3/6K1/8/p4QP1/4P3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Qxa3 $2 {Now Black is able to set up a fortress.} ({Correct was} 1. Qa8+ $1
Kg7 2. e4 Rg6+ 3. Kf4 {, keeping both pawns; e.g.} Rf6+ 4. Ke5 Re6+ 5. Kd5 Rg6
6. Qxa3 {and wins - Adianto.}) 1... Rxe2 2. Qc3 ({After} 2. Qb3 Re6 $1 3.
Qxe6 fxe6 4. Kf6 ({or} 4. Kg6 e5 5. Kf5 Kf7) 4... Kh7 5. g4 e5 6. g5 Kg8 {,
Black also draws.}) 2... Re6 $1 {The fortress is ready - all Black has to do
is alternate his rook between g6 and e6, and occasionally move his king.} 3.
Kf5 ({Or} 3. Qd3 Kg7 ({but not} 3... Rg6+ $2 4. Qxg6+ $1 fxg6 5. Kxg6 {.}))
3... Kh7 4. Qd4 Rg6 5. Qd8 Kg7 6. g4 Rh6 7. g5 Rg6 8. Qd4+ Kg8 9. Ke4 Re6+ 10.
Kf5 Kh7 {. White can't make progress, and a draw was agreed later on.
} *

[Event "Swedish Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Akesson, R."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2K5/1P3kp1/2n1p2p/4B2P/6P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 228 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Akesson, R."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2K5/1P3kp1/2n1p2p/4B2P/6P1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Na4 $1 {Heading for a theoretical draw.} ({Instead, the game went} 1...
Nxe4 $2 2. Kc6 $1 {(the magic distance)} Nxg3 3. b7 Nf5 4. b8=Q {and White
soon won.}) 2. b7 Nc5 $1 3. b8=Q Na6+ 4. Kc8 Nxb8 5. Kxb8 g5 $1 6. Kc7 ({Or} 6.
hxg5+ Kxg5 7. Bf3 h4 {etc.}) 6... gxh4 7. gxh4 Kg7 {. Black draws thanks to
the "wrong" bishop.} *

[Event "Kuibyshev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yakovich, Y."]
[Black "Khalifman, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r4k1/5p1p/1p3Pp1/p2R4/P7/1P6/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 229 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (2-3 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yakovich, Y."]
[Black "Khalifman, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r4k1/5p1p/1p3Pp1/p2R4/P7/1P6/6PP/6K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h6 $1 {Preparing ...g6-g5 and ...Kh7-g6 in order to activate the king.} 2.
Rb5 ({The restrictive} 2. h4 $6 {fails to} Re8 $1 {, followed by ...Re6, now
that there is no back-rank mate.}) 2... g5 $1 3. b4 Ra8 ({But not} 3... axb4 $2
4. a5 {- Yakovich, when} Kh7 5. Kf2 Kg6 6. Kf3 Kxf6 $2 {fails to} 7. Rxb6+ {.
}) 4. Rxb6 axb4 5. Rxb4 Kh7 6. Kf2 Kg6 {. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lujan, C."]
[Black "Danielian, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/5pp1/p1p2k1p/2P3rP/1P1PK3/P4P2/7R w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 230 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lujan, C."]
[Black "Danielian, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/5pp1/p1p2k1p/2P3rP/1P1PK3/P4P2/7R w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. a3 $1 {Preparing b3-b4 with a counterattack.} Ke5 2. b4 $1 axb4 3. axb4 cxb4
4. f3 Rd4 5. Rb1 $1 {Surrendering the h-pawn for the sake of activity.} Rxh4 6.
Rxb4 g5 7. Rxb7 Rh3 ({White is also okay after} 7... Rh1 8. d4+ {.}) 8. Rb5+
Ke6 9. Ke4 Rh4+ 10. Ke3 Rh3 11. Ke4 ({Avoiding} 11. Kf2 $6 g4 {.}) 11... Rh4+
12. Ke3 Rh3 13. Ke4 Rh4+ {. Draw agreed.)}
*

[Event "Bath"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McNab, C."]
[Black "Speelman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/p2k1R2/6p1/6r1/2K3P1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 231 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (5-6 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McNab, C."]
[Black "Speelman, J."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/p2k1R2/6p1/6r1/2K3P1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Ke5 $1 {Activity above material.} ({The passive} 1... Kc7 2. Rf7+ Kb8 3.
Rf8+ Ka7 4. Rf3 a5 {, followed by ...Ka6 might also work, but if possible,
active play is more satisfactory - Speelman.}) 2. Rb6 Rxg3+ 3. Kd2 Kf4 4.
Rxb7 Rg2+ 5. Ke1 Kg3 $1 {A key move: with the king on g3, White won't be
able to resist the g-pawn.} 6. Kf1 g4 7. Rb6 ({Or} 7. Rb3+ Kh2 8. Rb6 Rg1+ $1 {
and wins - Speelman.}) 7... a5 8. Rb5 a4 9. Rb4 Rf2+ 10. Kg1 ({Or} 10. Ke1
Rc2 $1 ({but not} 10... Kf3 $4 11. Rxg4 {with a draw.})) 10... Rc2 11. Kf1 Kf3
12. Ke1 g3 13. Kd1 Rh2 {. White resigned.)
} *

[Event "Milan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ferrantes, G."]
[Black "Eliskases, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1p1bk3/3p2p1/3Pp1Pp/1P2P2P/P3R1K1/2r1B3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 232 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ferrantes, G."]
[Black "Eliskases, E."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1p1bk3/3p2p1/3Pp1Pp/1P2P2P/P3R1K1/2r1B3 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... a5 $1 {Opening a new front on the queenside which, together with the weak
e3- and h3-pawns, should exhaust White's defences.} 2. Bf2 b5 3. Be1 Bc7 4.
Bf2 a4 5. bxa4 bxa4 6. Be1 Bd6 ({Also possible is} 6... a3 7. Bb4 Bd6 {with
similar play.}) 7. Ba5 a3 $1 {Preparing ...Rb1-b2 - 'ChessBase'.} 8. Bd8 Be7
9. Ba5 Rb1 10. Kf2 Kd7 11. Re1 Rb2+ 12. Re2 Bb4 13. Bb6 Bd6 14. Ba5 Bc7 15. Bc3
Bg3+ 16. Kf1 Rb1+ 17. Kg2 Kc6 $1 {The last straw - White can't parry the
invasion of the black king in any way.} 18. Ba5 Kb5 19. Bd8 Rb2 20. Kf1 Kc4 21.
Bxg5 Kd3 {. White resigned.} *

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Salov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkn/4p1p1/R3P2p/p3qP2/7P/5QPK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 233 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Salov, V."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/5pkn/4p1p1/R3P2p/p3qP2/7P/5QPK/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... g5 $1 {Preparing the creation of a fortress, in which a weakened e5-pawn
will play an important role.} 2. fxg5 h4 $1 3. Qf3 Qd4 4. Qg4 ({Perhaps} 4. g6
$5 {was more promising - Salov.}) 4... Qxg4 5. hxg4 Nxg5 6. Rxa4 Nh7 $1 {
Redirecting the knight to g6 where it will tie the rook to the e5-pawn.} 7. Kh3
(7. g5 Nxg5 8. Rxh4 {was preferable, although after} Nh7 9. Rg4+ Kh8 10. Kg3
Nf8 11. Kf4 Kh7 12. Kg5 Kg7 13. Rg3 Nd7 {, Black still holds - Salov.}) 7...
Nf8 8. Re4 Ng6 9. g5 Kg8 10. Kg4 Kh7 11. Kf3 Kg7 {. Black subsequently
maintained his fortress successfully.} *

[Event "Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, L."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b2k2/7p/5P2/P3N1R1/6P1/r7/3K4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1952.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 234 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, L."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b2k2/7p/5P2/P3N1R1/6P1/r7/3K4/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Rxa5 $1 {Heading for the scenario of a theoretical draw.} 2. Nd7+ (2. Ng6+
hxg6 3. Rxa5 Bxg4 {is quite similar.}) 2... Bxd7 3. Rxa5 Bxg4 {Black's idea
becomes clear: with a bishop's pawn on the sixth rank and the "right"
bishop, this is a draw. The h-pawn has no relevance.} 4. Ke3 Be6 5. Kf4 Bc4 6.
Ra7 h5 7. Kg5 h4 $1 8. Kxh4 ({Obviously,} 8. Kg6 {is met by} Bd3+ {.}) 8... Bb3
9. Kg5 Bc4 10. Rc7 Ba2 11. Rc1 Bd5 12. Kf5 Kf7 ({Not} 12... Bb3 $2 13. Rc8+ $1
Kf7 14. Rc7+ Kf8 15. Kg6) ({but} 12... Ba2 $5 13. Rc8+ ({or} 13. Kg6 Bf7+)
13... Kf7 14. Rc7+ Kf8 15. Kg6 Bb1+ {also works.}) 13. Ke5 Bb3 14. Rc7+ Kf8 15.
Rb7 Bc4 16. Rb4 Ba2 17. Kf5 Bd5 18. Kg6 Bf7+ 19. Kg5 Bd5 {. Black later drew. 
. } *

[Event "Zurich Candidates"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1953.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boleslavsky, I."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/5pk1/p2R1p2/p3rP2/6P1/2P1p3/PPK1R3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1953.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 235 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boleslavsky, I."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/5pk1/p2R1p2/p3rP2/6P1/2P1p3/PPK1R3/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... Kh6 $1 {It is worth a pawn to activate the king.} ({In contrast, after} 
1... Re4 $6 2. Kd3 Rxg4 3. Rxe3 {, Black is suffering.}) 2. Rxf6+ Kg5 3. Rxf7
Kxg4 (3... Kxg4 {has the threat of} 4. -- Kf3 5. Kd3 Rd8+ {.}) 4. Rd7 Kf3 5.
Kd3 Rxf5 6. c4 a4 7. Rd6 $1 {A waiting move. With neither side able to
progress, a draw was agreed.} ({In contrast,} 7. c5 $2 {would lose after} Ree5
$1 8. c6 Rd5+ 9. Kc4 Rc5+ 10. Kd3 Rfd5+ 11. Rxd5 Rxd5+ 12. Kc4 Rd2 {-
Bronstein.)}) *

[Event "Yugoslavia vs. USSR, Lvov"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Minic, D."]
[Black "Taimanov, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/K1P5/8/5p2/3R4/7P/1r6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 236 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (3-4 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Minic, D."]
[Black "Taimanov, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k3/K1P5/8/5p2/3R4/7P/1r6 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f3 $1 {Sacrificing the last pawn in order to create some kind of fortress
based on the bad position of White's king.} ({Instead,} 1... Rc1 $2 2. Kb7 {
wins for White.}) 2. Rxf3 Kd6 3. Rf6+ ({After} 3. Rc3 Kc7 4. h4 Rb4 5. h5 Rh4
6. Rc5 Rb4 7. Ka5 Rb1 8. Ka4 Rb2 {, it isn't clear how White can make
progress here either.}) 3... Kc7 4. Ka5 Rb8 5. Rh6 Rb1 {Black opts for a
waiting game, seeing that once the h-pawn reaches h5, White won't have a
clear follow-up.} 6. h4 Rb2 7. h5 Rb1 8. Ka4 Rb2 9. Rg6 Rh2 10. h6 Rb2 $1 {
White's king must remain cut off.} 11. Rg8 Rh2 12. Rh8 {There was no other
way to progress.} Kxc6 13. Kb4 Rh4+ 14. Kc3 Kb7 15. Kd3 Rb4 $1 ({Not} 15... Rh1
$2 16. Ke4 {and the white king arrives in time. Only a side attack works in
such positions, as we know from Example 217 (Kamsky-Karpov).}) 16. Ke3 ({Or} 
16. h7 Rh4 {.}) 16... Rb6 17. Kd4 Ka7 18. Kc4 Rc6+ 19. Kd5 Rb6 20. Rh7+ Ka8 {
. Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rokhlin, Y."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4N1pk/3b1p1p/8/2pB4/2Pb1P2/1r4PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 237 (Black to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rokhlin, Y."]
[Black "Botvinnik, M."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4N1pk/3b1p1p/8/2pB4/2Pb1P2/1r4PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... h5 $1 {Opening a new front on the kingside.} 2. Nd5 ({Obviously} 2. h4 $2
{now fails to} Bg3 {.}) 2... h4 3. Ne3 ({Perhaps the ugly} 3. h3 {was better,
avoiding the weaknesses that now emerge.}) 3... h3 4. g3 f5 $1 5. f4 {Parrying
the threat of ...f5-f4;} ({whereas after} 5. Nd5 g5 {, Black just renews it
- Bartashnikov.}) 5... Be4 $1 {A great place for the bishop.} 6. Ra1 Kg8 (
6... Bb8 {seems more technical in order to rule out 7 Ra7, an idea that White
should probably have tried on the next move.}) 7. Re1 $6 g5 $1 {Now White's
position is demolished.} 8. Rd1 (8. fxg5 {failed to} Bxg3 $1) ({while after} 8.
Rf1 Bd3) ({or} 8. Be5 Bxe5 9. fxe5 f4 {, Black also wins - Bartashnikov.})
8... gxf4 9. Ba7 fxg3 {. White resigned.)}
*

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Wely, L."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/6N1/1p3p2/p1p1k3/P1P3KP/1P6/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 238 (Black to play). Find the best continuation. (7-8 moves)
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Wely, L."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/6N1/1p3p2/p1p1k3/P1P3KP/1P6/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1... f5+ $1 {Heading for a theoretical draw.} ({Less practical was} 1... Be7 $6
2. h5 Bf8 3. h6 f5+ 4. Kg5 {, even though Müller showed that, starting with}
f4 {, Black can eventually save himself here too.}) 2. Nxf5 Bxh4 $1 3. Nxh4 Kd4
{Despite being a whole piece down, Black manages to draw because of White's
remotely placed forces.} 4. Kf3 Kc3 5. Ke3 Kxb3 6. Kd3 Kxa4 7. Kc3 b5 $1 {.
Draw agreed.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Uhlmann, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2b2k1/p2n1pp1/1p1N3p/8/2RB4/1P3P2/P4KPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 239 (White to play). Indicate your 1st move + short plan.
} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Uhlmann, W."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2b2k1/p2n1pp1/1p1N3p/8/2RB4/1P3P2/P4KPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ke3 $1 {The king gets ready for an invasion on the light squares, thus
exploiting the weak point on c6.} ({Instead, after} 1. Rc8 $6 Rxc8 2. Nxc8 a6
3. Ke3 f5 4. Kd3 b5 $1 {, Black has better chances of resistance.}) 1... g6 ({
Black can't undertake much; e.g.} 1... Nf6 2. Bxf6 Bxf6 3. Rc8+ $1 Rxc8 4.
Nxc8 {and wins - Milic}) ({or} 1... a6 2. Ke4 Nf6+ 3. Bxf6 Bxf6 4. Rc8+ Rxc8
5. Nxc8 b5 6. Kd5 {with similar consequences.}) 2. Ke4 Be7 3. Rc8+ $1 Rxc8 4.
Nxc8 f5+ 5. Kd5 Kf7 ({Black resigned at the same time, without waiting for} 
5... Kf7 6. Nxa7 {.)}) *

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Shenyang"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Qin Kanying"]
[Black "Stefanova, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/2R4P/4K3/P3N2r/1b6/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

{Position 240 (White to play). White played 1 Ng5 here - why was that a
mistake? What was preferable?} *

[Event "continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Qin Kanying"]
[Black "Stefanova, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Johan Hellsten"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/2R4P/4K3/P3N2r/1b6/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.01"]

1. Ng5 $2 {This allows Black to save herself on the theme of a theoretical
draw.} ({Let's examine the alternatives: After} 1. a5 $2 Rh5+ 2. Kd4 Rxa5 3.
Nf6 Ra8 4. Rc7 Bg8 5. Rg7 Rf8 6. Ke5 Rxf6 $1 7. Kxf6 Bh7 {, a first type of
theoretical draw emerges. Thanks to her bishop being correctly placed on the
b1-h7 diagonal, Black defends comfortably; e.g.} 8. Rc7 Bd3 9. Rd7 Bc2 {.}) ({
Roughly the same thing occurs after} 1. Kf5 $2 Rxe4 $1 2. Kxe4 Bxa4 {. At this
point, Black just needs to bring her bishop to the b1-h7 diagonal in order to
secure a draw, and after} 3. Rc7 Bb5 {, it is not clear how White can prevent
that. If the rook leaves the seventh rank then ...Kh7 becomes possible, and if
it moves to d7 Black expels it by ...Bb5, while king moves permit ...Bd3.}) ({
As for} 1. Rb6 $2 {, Black should prefer} Rh5+ $1 ({avoiding} 1... Bxa4 $2 2.
Ng5 $1) 2. Kf4 Bxa4 3. Rb8+ Kh7 4. Nf6+ Kxh6 5. Rh8+ Kg7 $1 6. Rxh5 Kxf6 {with
another type of theoretical draw.}) ({Equally unsuccessful is} 1. Rc8+ $2 Kh7
2. Nf6+ Kxh6 3. Rh8+ Kg5 4. Rxh4 ({or} 4. Ne4+ Rxe4+ $1 5. Kxe4 Bxa4) 4... Kxh4
5. a5 {, due to} Bc4 6. Kd4 Be2 (6... Bf1 {works as well}) 7. Nd5 Kg5 {with a
position that occurred in the old game H.Bird-G.Maróczy, London 1899. There
followed} 8. Kc5 Kf5 9. Nc3 Bf1 10. Nb5 Ke6 11. a6 Kd7 12. a7 Bg2 {and
Maróczy made a draw without much effort.}) ({Finally, we have reached the
correct continuation. White should bet on the a-pawn while also keeping the
rooks on the board - an idea which is achieved by} 1. Nf6 $1 Rxh6 {(there
was the threat of 2 Rc8+)} 2. a5 {. Here it is difficult to see how Black can
avoid the arrival of the pawn at a7, and her king is worryingly far away.
Without much need to dig further into this position, we can conclude that 1
Nf6, despite being the shortest line, is the one that causes most problems for
Black.}) 1... Rxa4 $1 {Having seen a tactical resource two moves further on,
Stefanova exploits the moment to eliminate the dangerous a-pawn.} 2. Rc8+ Bg8
3. h7 Ra5+ $1 {Perhaps this check was overlooked by Qin when playing 1 Ng5.} 4.
Kf4 Rxg5 $1 5. Kxg5 Kxh7 {Draw agreed. Thanks to her king being located in a
safe corner, Black holds;} ({e.g.} 5... Kxh7 6. Rc7+ Kh8 7. Kh6 Bd5 {.
(End of Chapter Eight.)}) *
