Endgame Bootcamp 6: Letting Wins Slip

Endgame Bootcamp 1: CampAddendum

Endgame Bootcamp 2: Part 1Part 2Part 3 Part 4

Endgame Bootcamp: 345 6 7

Follow Through

Let’s look at an Endgame where White has a dominating win, but in an alternate universe, it slips through their fingers and ends peacefully. It’s important in every game to play your heart out, especially when blunders reverse future visions from the crystal ball. After all there are no seers in Chess, and no guarantees.

A friend once looked over at me and said: “I know I’m winning, but how do I finish?”. Before I could say anything, their opponent/my student replied: “Don’t say anything, I can still beat them”.

White’s Advantages:

1. Rook Pair
   a. Controlling the central e and d files.
2. One more pawn than Black
3. King Safety
   a. The only check threat will be an unsound Rook sacrifice by Black
   b. Black’s Bishop is on the light squares and White can move to a dark square, then shield itself with their pawns.

The Thriller Begins!

FEN: 3R4/p3R3/b1p2pk1/6p1/8/2P4P/P4PPK/1r6 w - - 6 27

So how could this end up in a Draw?

Ra7 Bc4 g4 Bd5

Black has a nice check with the Rook on h1. A psychological threat, something that I have learned the importance of in recent years. A past student was the catalyst to that part of the game, telling me: “You can’t just play the board, you have to play the human on the other side of it”.

Rd5 cxd5 a4 Ra1 a5??

Out of all the moves White could have made aside from a4..... White no longer grips victory and Black has one chance to secure the Draw. Let’s review how White could have dominated this game before further discussing this position, to shed light on Black’s only path for peace.

VICTORY!

Rg8, no need to capture a pawn, even though that’s still dominating. Rg8 forces Black to play Kh6 to keep fighting, as every other move solidifies mate:

a. Kh5 Rh7
b. Kf5 g5 Kf4 Rf8 Rh1 Bd3 Rf6 Bf5 Rf5

Leaving Kh6.

Create a box around the King with your pieces, and then tighten or shrink the box. Rf7 does just that, keeping the Black King in the corner, while threatening to capture on f6. The plan is straightforward from here. We will not go to the end but discuss the ideas used to cut down Black’s chances to salvage anything from the position.

Black’s pawns are vulnerable, as there’s no way for the Rook and Bishop to defend all of them. The Light square Bishop, theoretically, can defend one of the pawns, but that closes the open file for the Rook.

After Rf7 Black can try repositioning their Rook with, but White takes on f6 anyway. The Black King moves to h7 and there’s the option for White to double Rooks. Rgf8 suffices in many positions regardless of where Black may reposition their rook prior to White’s capture with check on f6.

Black has no counterplay if they placed their Rook on b5.

Rb7 allows White to check on f7, forcing Black to exchange their Rook.Rc5 may threaten White’s pawn, but White keeps the pressure with R8f7 Kg8 Ra7 and Black’s Bishop is under attack. After Bd3 White can threaten checkmate with Rd6, and Black must let the Rook go off the board with Rd5.

Again, no counterplay with the Black rook on c1. Taking the c pawn loses their a pawn after a Rook check. Moving the Bishop to c4 loses the c pawn, and so does moving the Bishop to f1.

So instead of moving the rook, why not Bc4 immediately by Black?

Rf6 still for White and after Kh7 Rg5! If Black doesn’t play Rb5, then White will be playing Rf4, looking to mate. Black has nothing to fight for.

With White having both Rooks, the Win does not slip through their hands.

PEACE

Now it’s understandable why Black can draw if White lets one of their Rooks off the board without trading with the Black Rook simultaneously.

White cannot bully the Black King with their only Rook, and now it’s Black’s turn to target White’s weak pawns.
Ra3 is the only move to keep a peaceful resolution.

There is no way for White to get the a pawn promoted, as Black’s d pawn is marching towards promotion as well. Black will push their own pawns and capture all but one of White’s pawns.

The last standing pawn for White will be the f pawn, but the White King and Rook will not be able to effectively escort it to promotion. The Black King will scoot to f8 and blockade, then the Rooks will either dance around, or there will only be Kings left after liquidation.

Ra2 a6 Rc3 Rd7 Ra3 a7
d4 Kg2 d3 Kf1 Ra1 Kg2 d2
f3 Ra7 Rd2 Ra6 Kg3 f5
gxf5 Kf5 Rd5 Kf6 h4 gxh4 Kh4 for a solid draw drill