The best pizza place in Budapest is the Pizza Perfect, where, despite the English language sign, no one speaks English, but when you see the comely waitress with the cropped black hair – the better to show off the tattoo on the back of her neck – you won't care!

And the “pizza Luigi” is damn good!

So I go there one night, about a week after I've played the Finnish Grandmaster

Heikki Kallio, and there is my erstwhile opponent, having a beer and a pizza!

Since we are both foreigners in a strange land, I wave and say a cheery “Hello!”

But the dour Finn just glared at me, looked down at his beer, and didn't say a word –

“I guess he's still pissed off,” I said to myself.

IM Timothy Taylor vs. GM Heikki Kallio
November First Saturday, Budapest
Modern Defense, A42
1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Nd7 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Nge2 a5 7.Ng3 h5 8.Bd3 Nc5 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Bc2 Bh6 11.b3

Since this series is concentrating on the endgame, I won't comment much on the early going, except to say that I got nothing with White …

11...Kf8 12.a3 Kg7 13.b4

And this may be clever, but now I have less than nothing! The point is, Black will exchange his bad B – but I still have mine.

13…axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Bxh6+ Nxh6 16.Qxa1 Na6 17.Qa5

I thought I had better chances of surviving the endgame than the middlegame after 17.Qb2 h4 18.Nge2 Qg5.

17...c5 18.dxc6 Qxa5 19.bxa5 Bxc6 20.Rd1 Nc5 21.Rxd6 Ra8 22.f3 Rxa5

This is it, folks: the Informant symbol that comes to mind is =/+, or a slight advantage to Black. Fritz agrees, and puts Black's advantage at =.31, or about a third of a pawn. And I knew it was going to be a long night!

What are Black's advantages, and how bad is it? To answer the second question first, I don't think that objectively White's position is losing, or anywhere close to losing. Yes, Black is better, but even a full pawn often doesn't win in the ending – so a slight positional advantage like this shouldn't be decisive.

I believe I evaluated the position more objectively than Kallio. I recalled how Capablanca and Lasker had drawn innumerable slightly worse endings of his nature; I felt that if I played soundly, I could hold the position.

I suspect that my opponent (judging from his demeanor, during and after the game) more likely evaluated the position like this: “I'm a little better, but the position is such that my advantages are long lasting, and I have play on both wings. I'm a GM and my opponent is an IM. I outrate him by more than a hundred points. He'll crack – I'll win.”

When that didn't happen, all he could do was glare!

But now let's get back to the board: What are Black's advantages? In order of importance, I would name these:

1. The “less weak” isolated pawn: my pawn on c4 is difficult to defend, and then only by my bad Bishop. Black's similarly isolated pawn on b7 is deep in his territory, hard to attack, and can easily be defended by Knight and Bishop.

2. The better Bishop

3. Pawn play: Black has pawn breaks with … h4-h3, or … f5. White's only break is f4, which at this point would just weaken my pawns more.

4. Knight outpost: White's d4-square (which could attract a Black Knight) is slightly weaker than Black's d5, which is at least covered by a Bishop.

What does this add up to? A bunch of nagging little problems, that aren't going away any time soon – but no way for Black to mechanically increase the pressure, nothing close to a win.

I made up my mind to play solidly and cautiously, but watch on every move for random tactical chances.

23.Kf2 h4 24.Nge2 f6 25.Rd1 Nf7 26.g3!

Every pawn exchanged is another step toward the draw!

26…hxg3+ 27.hxg3 Ng5 28.Rb1 Ra8 29.Ke3 Nge6 30.Rb2

White will get the a-file now (unless Black chooses to exchange Rooks) and has some active possibilities. The worst thing you can do in such a position is sit and do nothing. You don't want to overplay the position, but don't let your opponent have a free ride either: try to improve your game, little by little.

30…Rh8 31.Ra2 Rh2

Yes, Black still has a good open file, but White has one too.

32.Nd5

The object of this move is to eventually exchange one of Black's Knights, to give him less pieces to torment me!

32…Kf7

Clearly 32… Bxd5? 33.cxd5 helps White.

33.Nb4 Bd7 34.Ra7 Nd8 35.Ra5 Nde6 36.Ra7 Kg7

Black declines to repeat moves, but now the Knight exchange is forced (had I played 35.Nd3, Black could have reacted with 35…Nce6, which is now impossible). So I chop some more wood!

37.Nd3 Be8 38.Nxc5 Nxc5 39.Ra5

If Black retreats the Knight, then White plays c5 followed by Bb3-d5 with no problems.

Therefore, Black must play … b6, which lessens “Advantage #1” by inducing Black's pawn to move to a weaker square.

39…b6 40.Ra8 Bf7

A crucial decision: Black is threatening to take the problem child at c4. White has two possibilities:

One, I can defend the pawn in the simplest way, by pinning with 41.Ra7. This does provide temporary relief – but Black then plays 41…g5, planning to unpin with …Kg6, and keeping in mind the break …g4. If White blocks that with g4, then all White's pawns are on the color of his B – and I still have the c-pawn to worry about!

Even worse, Black has that mysterious “play” that I have been talking about all through my True Combat articles: it is very, very difficult to defend, in the long run, when your opponent has all the play.

So what is White's alternative? I can sacrifice my weak pawn, but in return, I will eliminate all of Black's positional advantages!

Consider: Black advantage #1 is gone, because there will be no weak pawn to defend! Black advantage #2 disappears with the Bishops (you'll see this in a minute). Black advantage #3 reverses itself, as White gets a good pawn break. And finally, Black advantage #4 also disappears with the absence of Knights.

But yes, White gives up a pawn.

What to decide? A simple maxim tipped the scales for me: “All Rook endings are drawn!”

I would add the corollary, “They're drawn if your Rook is active!”

Here I eliminate my weaknesses, and get an active Rook – I said silently to my opponent, “Take my pawn, see if I care!”

41.Bd3! Nxd3

Black has nothing better than to accept the gift, for otherwise White will play 42.Rb8 and the attack on the weak b-pawn will equalize easily.

42.Kxd3 Bxc4+

To win the pawn, Black has to exchange all the minor pieces, and activate White's King.

43.Kxc4 Rxe2 44.Ra7+ Kh6

Clearly forced, as if 44...Kf8 45.Kd5 and White has both the absolute seventh and the active King. Amusingly enough, Black could even lose this position if he goes haywire and tries too hard to win, for example 45...Rf2?! 46.Ra3 Ke7 47.Ra7+ Kd8? (Better is 47…Kf8, drawing.) 48.Kd6! Kc8 49.Rc7+ Kb8 50.Rc3! and White is clearly better, as the coming Ke6 will win at least one or probably two pawns.

Even after the better 45…Re3 there are no real winning chances, e.g. 46.Ke6 Rxf3 47.g4 (but not 47.Rf7+ Kg8 48.Rxf6 Rxf6+ 49.Kxf6 b5 50.Kxe5 b4 51.Kd4 Kf7 52.Kc4 Ke6 53.Kxb4 Ke5 54.Kc4 Kxe4 55.Kc5 Kf3 56.Kd5 Kxg3 57.Ke4 g5 and White must resign) 47...Rf4 48.Rb7 g5 49.Rxb6 Kg7 50.Rb7+ Kg6 51.Rf7 Rxe4 52.Rxf6+ Kg7 53.Rf7+ Kg8 54.Re7 Rxg4 55.Kf6 White draws due to his active play, despite the temporary two pawn minus. 55...e4 56.Kf5 Rg1 57.Rxe4 Kf7 58.Rg4 and the King and pawn ending is drawn.

45.Rf7 Kg5 46.f4+

The pawn break reversal! Now f4 finally works for White: it comes with check, and gets rid of even more pawns!

When I sacrificed the pawn on move 41, this was as far as I calculated: I “took it on faith” that my active play would guarantee a draw, but there were still tough decisions to be made!

46…exf4

Again Black has no choice, as 46… Kg4 47.Rf6 forks the b- and g-pawns.

47.gxf4+ Kxf4 48.Rxf6+ Kg5

Black's moves are still forced: 48...Kxe4 49.Re6+ Kf3 50.Rxg6 and White draws easily, e.g. 50...Rb2 51.Rg5 Ke4 52.Rb5 Rc2+ 53.Kb4 Rc6 54.Rh5 Rc1 55.Rh4+ Kd5 56.Kb5 Rb1+ 57.Rb4 Rxb4+ 58.Kxb4 and the pawn ending is drawn.

Now White faces the most crucial decision of the entire game. Should I defend my e-pawn, or take Black's b-pawn?

Best! White keeps one pawn for counterplay. The reader may be shocked by this move: after all, haven't I been diligently exchanging pawns at every opportunity since 26.g3? And I have – but as the late Joseph Heller once remarked, “Consistency is an overrated virtue!”

Chess is too complex for mechanical rules like “when down in material, exchange pawns, not pieces” to fully apply. Strategic concepts are more important.

If I take the b-pawn, then after 49.Rxb6 Rxe4+ I am cut off two files from the passed pawn. I looked this position up in both Keres' Practical Chess Endings and in Rook Endings by Levenfish and Smyslov. Neither book gives the exact position, but Keres remarks that to win every time (my italics) with the NP on the third, the opposing King has to be cut off three files away. However, there are many positions where two files away are enough.

I was deeply suspicious of this line during the game, and my analysis convinces me that I am right: it looks like Black can either cut the White King off one more file away, or successfully advance his pawn – in other words, the position is a win for Black if I take the b-pawn.

Here are a couple of key variations (and if anyone has access to a “tablebase” of Rook endings, as I have been hearing about, please check this out, and let Jeremy or me know the computer verdict).

After 49.Rxb6 Rxe4+ White can try 50.Kd3 Re1 51.Kd2 (not 51.Kd4 Kf5 52.Rb2 g5 53.Rf2+ Kg4 54.Rg2+ Kf4 55.Rf2+ Kg3 and Black wins) 51…Re5 52.Rb1 (else …Kf5 and …g5 wins) 52…Re6! 53.Rg1+ Kf4 54.Rf1+ Kg3 55.Rg1+ Kf2 56.Rg5 Rd6+! (the magic three files!) 57.Kc3 Ke3 58.Rg1 (the best try: worse is 58.Kc4? Kf4 59.Rg1 g5 and wins) 58… Rc6+ (four files!) 59.Kb2 (Chasing the Rook with Kb4 leads to the White King eventually being cut off along the sixth rank) 59…Kf4 60.Rf1+ Ke5 61.Rg1 Kf6 62.Rf1+ Kg7 63.Rg1 Rc8!! (Grigoriev's idea) 64.Kb3 Kf6 65.Rf1+ Ke5 66.Re1+ Kf5 67.Rf1+ Ke4 68.Rg1 Rg8! (Black's point) 69.Kc2 g5 70.Kd2 Kf3 and Black wins.

49...Kh5 50.e5

Passed pawns must be pushed! The game has entered a new phase: my plan now is to sacrifice my Rook for both of Black's pawns, and then win Black's rook with my remaining pawn – therefore I have to get it as far up the board as I can!

50…g5 51.Kd5 Rd2+

I draw more easily after 51...Rb2 52.Rc6 g4 53.e6 g3 54.e7 Rd2+ 55.Ke6 Re2+ 56.Kd7 g2 57.Rc1 Kg4 58.e8=Q Rxe8 59.Kxe8 Kf3 60.Kd7 b5 61.Kc6 b4 62.Kb5 b3 63.Kb4 b2 64.Rb1, =.

52.Ke4 b5 53.Rb6 Rb2 54.Kf5 g4 55.Rb8!

My first attacking move of the entire game!

Now if 55...Kh4 56.e6 Rf2+ 57.Ke5 g3 58.e7 Kg4 (Black can lose if he isn't careful! 58...g2? 59.e8=Q Re2+ 60.Kf4 Rxe8 61.Rxe8 and White wins due to the mate threat) 59.e8=Q Re2+ 60.Kd5 Rxe8 61.Rxe8 g2, =.

55…Rf2+ 56.Ke6 g3

My opponent, who had been confident throughout the ending, appeared to physically put the point in the bag with this move. I, however, imperturbably took the pawn …

57.Rxb5 g2

The Grandmaster expects my resignation, as 58.Rb1 is crushed by 58…Rf1, but …

58.Rb8!!

Kallio almost fell over when I instantly made this move: if Black Queens I even win after 59.Rh8+!.

Now there are no more difficult problems. The only way I could lose the game now is if I dropped dead of a heart attack, and lost on time! But instead of offering a draw, my opponent dug in his heels … and the entertainment began!

58...Kg4

Or 58...Rf1 59.Rh8+ Kg4 60.Rg8+ Kf3 61.Ke7 g1=Q 62.Rxg1 Rxg1 63.e6 Kf4 64.Kf7 Ke5 65.e7 Rf1+ 66.Kg7 Rg1+ 67.Kf7 Rf1+ 68.Kg7, =.

59.Rg8+ Kf4 60.Rf8+ Ke4 61.Rg8 Ra2

He tries something new.

62.Kf6 Rf2+

Looks like the same old thing.

63.Ke6 Kf4 64.Rf8+ Kg3 65.Rg8+ Kh2 66.Ke7 Rf3

Forcing me to do what I want!

67.Rxg2+ Kxg2 68.e6 Kg3 69.Kd7 Rd3+ 70.Kc7 Re3 71.Kd7 Kf4 72.e7 Rd3+

There are still checks to give.

73.Kc7 Rc3+ 74.Kd7 Rd3+ 75.Kc7 Re3

Careful to avoid three-time repetition!

76.Kd7 Kf5!

No draw offer!

77.e8=Q Rxe8 78.Kxe8        

Still no draw offer, but the arbiter was there to collect our score sheets! I guess there's no way around it!

1/2-1/2!

Conclusion:

Don't despair in a marginally worse position. There are always defensive resources, and slight advantages can easily disappear.

Get rid of some pawns, and look for active play!

Yes, I needed three “star moves” to save the draw: 41.Bd3, 49.Re6, and 58.Rb8, but those moves were in the position.

This was not a “lucky draw” as my opponent may have thought: the advantage just wasn't enough to win against good play. And I will give GM Kallio credit for playing to the bitter end!