|
A player who wants to improve his/her chess skills must seriously study the endgame. This part of the game is very different from the middlegame and requires a different approach when trying to understand what’s going on.
The following is a list of general rules and guidelines may be helpful. It is important to keep in mind that these rules work in the majority of positions, but certainly not in every case.
1) One of the major differences between a middlegame and an endgame is the role of the Kings: In the middlegame, a King is clearly a liability and must be protected. In an endgame, however, the King often becomes a major player, used primarily to attack enemy pawns or to support its own pawns. A King in the ending is just as powerful as Bishop or Knight.
2) The value of the pawns goes way up in an endgame. One should carefully consider the consequences of every pawn move and, if possible, avoid making pawn islands (weaknesses). Every pawn is a potential Queen!
3) It is very important to have a plan in the endgame. A player should have a clear idea of what he wants to achieve.
4) Due to the reduced number of pieces, a team effort is very important in the endgame – all the pieces must be actively involved in the battle, including the King.
5) In a middle game, a positional weakness, such as a weak square, can often be compensated by an initiative and/or activity of other pieces. In the endgame, however, one well-placed piece may decide the outcome of a game.
6) Because in most cases the Kings are evacuated to the kingside, a queenside pawn majority gives one a chance to create an outside passed pawn. Such pawn may, in some positions, give a player a significant or even decisive advantage.
7) An important rule is “one fixes two.” When one pawn holds two on one side of the board, it may lead to a winning advantage on the other side.
Diagram One is a simple example of this important concept.
ONE PAWN FIXES TWO
White’s one queenside pawn fixes two black pawns after 1.a4!
8) Sometimes, control of even one crucial open file or diagonal can decide a game.
9) Although events in the ending develop at a slower pace than in the middlegame, one should always calculate at least 5 half moves ahead.
In the following game,White showed how occupation of just one weak square can be converted into a decisive advantage.
Psakhis - Romanishin
Irkutsk, 1986
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 Nge7 7.Bf4 Ng6! 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Bd6 Bxd6 10.Qxd6 Qe7 11.0-0-0 Qxd6 12.Rxd6
ONE SQUARE RULES THEM ALL
This kind of ending is quite common for the Taimanov Sicilian. What’s going on? Basically, Black’s fate depends on whether he can kick his opponent’s Rook out of d6 or not. Control of d6 is more than just control of one square. White’s domination there means that the d7-pawn remains weak and, more importantly, Black’s light Bishop is out of play. If Black manages to free himself and play … d7-d5, he should be fine.
12…Ke7
Since the center remains closed, there is no risk in this move. Instead 12…0-0 would be worse as Black’s King would have to move to the center anyway.
13.Rhd1 Ra7
The alternative, 13…f6, looks better. Since Black’s main objective is removing his opponent’s Rook from d6, he should do it as quickly as possible. In Marjanovich - Raikovich, Vrshaz 1979, White kept some edge after 13...f6 14.g3 Ne5 15.Na4 a5 16.f4 Nf7 17.R6d3 Rb8 18.Ra3, with a strong play against weak a5-pawn.
14.g3!
Now the maneuver …Ne5-f7 no longer works.
14…f6 15.f4 Rd8
Black finds another way to get his Knight to f7. This way, however takes longer and White has enough time to introduce a great positional idea.
16.Na4 Nh8 17.c4!
Of course not 17.Nc5? Nf7 18.R6d2 d6 and Black is fine.
17…Nf7
WHITE NOW UNCORKS A BRILLIANT POSITIONAL SACRIFICE
18.c5!
A very nice positional sacrifice! After 18…Nxd6 19.cxd6+ Kf7 20.Nc5 Black is practically paralyzed. Then 20…a5 would be met by 21.b3! when 21…a4 22.b4 keeps Black's pieces tied up. If Black does not play 21…a4, then the winning plan looks like this: White transfers his Rook to a4 and then plays b3-b4. Black decides to decline the sacrifice.
18…a5 19.R6d4!
A very important little detail. Now, in case of 19…Ba6 20.Bxa6 Rxa6, White plays 21.Nb6! and later Rd4-a4 and b2-b4, winning the a-pawn.
19…e5
Clearly, 19…d5 20.exd6+ Rxd6 21.Rxd6 Nxd6 22.Nc5 would leave Black with too many weak pawns.
20.R4d2 Ba6 21.Bg4!
White now avoids trading his light-squared Bishop and attacks d7 instead, forcing the d-pawn to move.
21…d6 22.fxe5!
GM Lev Psakhis is a very strong player, who once shared the USSR Champion’s title with Garry Kasparov! His last move is very concrete. The alternative 22.cxd6+ Rxd6 23.Rxd6 Nxd6 would give White some edge, but not enough in Psakhis’s opinion.
22…dxe5
Or 22…fxe5 23.Rf2 dxc5?? 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Rxd8 winning.
23.Rxd8 Nxd8 24.Nb6!
White now threatens 25.Bc8! with the idea of Bc8xa6 and Rd1-d7+.
24…Rc7
ACTIVATE THE KING!
25.Kc2!
The King must be active! It has high hopes of attacking the weak pawn on a5.
25…g6
Black plans to push his opponent’s Bishop off its comfortable post.
26.Kc3
White avoids 26.Kb3 h5 27.Bf3 Ne6! or 27.Bh3 Be2 and …Be2-g4. It’s also important to keep the option of b2-b4 available.
26…h5 27.Rd7+! Rxd7 28.Bxd7 Ne6
In case of 28…Bf1, White has 29.b4! axb4+ 30.Kxb4 and the a-pawn should decide the game.
29.Bxc6! Nxc5 30.Nc4 Bb7?
In time-pressure Black misses his best chance, 30…a4, but after 31.Nb6 White should still prevail.
CARE IS STILL NEEDED
31.Bxb7
A winning position must be handled carefully; nothing is more disappointing than missing a win. If 31.Nxa5? then 31...Nxe4+! and Black is hanging on.
31…Nxb7 32.b4!
The a-pawn will now decide the game.
32…axb4+ 33.Kxb4 Ke6
According to Psakhis, 33…Nd6 loses to 34.Nxd6 Kxd6 35.h4! with a winning pawn endgame.
34.a4 f5 35.a5 Nxa5 36.Kxa5!
BLACK IS DEAD LOST
The right choice. White needs his Knight on c4, to stop his opponent’s pawns.
36…f4
Or 36…fxe4 37.Ne3! Kd6 (37…Kf6 38.h4!) 38.Kb4 and White wins.
37.Kb5 g5 38.Nd2 g4
Or 38…fxg3 39.hxg3 h4 40.g4! and White wins by approaching the e-pawn with his King, eventually winning it.
39.Nf1 Kf6 40.Kc5 Kg5 41.Kd5 Kf6 42.Kd6, 1-0.
| 