By Timothy Taylor

The great World Champion, Alexander Alekhine, once said that in order to defeat him, you had to beat him three times: in the opening, in the middlegame, and in the ending. And indeed, his games bore out the truth of his assertion, as the few times Alekhine got a bad opening, he fought back in the middlegame, and on the even rarer times when he got a bad middlegame, he fought back in the ending, and so, quite simply, was a very hard man to beat!

Now returning to the theme of this arc, How to Defeat the Weaker Player, it’s possible to turn Alekhine’s statement on its head: in other words, when playing the weaker player, you have three chances to win – in the opening, in the middlegame, and in the ending!

Let’s say you get no attack (HOW TO DEFEAT THE WEAKER PLAYER 2); let’s say you get no special opening advantage (HOW TO DEFEAT THE WEAKER PLAYER 3); let’s say your experience gets you nowhere in the middlegame (HOW TO DEFEAT THE WEAKER PLAYER 4); then all is not lost, for the ending is the most difficult part of the game, and it’s the hardest part of chess to play well without experience.

Consider the following game: I’m playing one of those dreaded young men who is clearly underrated (I recall he was 1900 something at the time). He doesn’t know the opening, but he stays with me. I get an initiative in the middle-game – he won’t crack. I win a pawn after four hours and enormous effort – he plays correctly, and reaches a drawn rook ending.

But then … sometimes it’s an advantage to be 52 years old. I have played hundreds of rook endings, which are both very common and very, very tricky – my opponent, simply because of his youth, could not possibly have that experience.

And that is why, two hours later, after six full hours of play, I walked away with a full point. Let’s see the game.

Deepyaman - Taylor, Timothy

Dutch Defense (A84)

Western Class Championship

Los Angeles, 2004

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Nbxd2 0–0 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.0–0 d6 9.Re1

One aside here: So far we have followed Boguljuboff-Alekhine, Hastings 1922, which continued 9.Qb3 Kh8 10.Qc3 e5! with a good game for Black. Alekhine won one of his most famous games, finishing with a spectacular Queen sacrifice; indeed, the whole game is a work of genius, and is often considered one of the ten best games ever played.

Now the interesting thing is, let’s say ten years ago, if I had mentioned this great Alekhine win, everyone, masters and B players alike, would have recognized the game. But today, when I mentioned the fact to several people that we had repeated the opening of this famous encounter, I got nothing but blank stares!

I was stunned to realize how much the computer has replaced the book! Ten years ago, ALEKHINE’S BEST GAMES OF CHESS was a standard, classic book that “everyone” had, and the games were often mentioned in other chess literature.

Now, “everyone” has a computer, and sure, the great Alekhine wins like this are in the database somewhere, but who is looking up Hastings 1922? Who is reading wonderful comments like, “Being unable to defend his pawns, White endeavors to dislocate those of his opponent, but his game is hopelessly lost.”

Now we just put it on Fritz and the machine says -+ without a second of “dislocation”!

But maybe, just maybe, in our rush to mechanize and quantify everything, we should not forget the great books …

9...e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.e4 Ng612.exf5 Bxf5 13.Ng5 Qd7 14.Nde4 h6 15.Ne6 Rf7 16.Nxf6+ Rxf6 17.Be4 Bxe4 18.Rxe4 Nf8 19.Nxf8 Raxf8 20.Re2 Rf3 21.Rc1 Qf5 22.Qc2 Qf6 23.Rd1 h5 24.Rd3 Rf5 25.h4 Qg6 26.Rf3 Qg4 27.Rxf5 Rxf5 28.Re4 Qg6 29.Re3 Qf6 30.Qe2 c6 31.dxc6 bxc6 32.Ra3 Qf7 33.Qc2 e4 34.Rb3 d5 35.cxd5 cxd5 36.Qc8+ Kh7 37.Rb7 Qf6 38.Qc2 Qg6 39.Qe2

For the record, White avoids two traps here: 39.Rxa7? e3 40.Ra6 Qg4–+ and …

39...Rf3 40.Re7

If again 40.Rxa7? Qg4 41.Qc2 Rd3 with a near decisive attack.

40...Qg4 41.Kh2 Rxg3 42.Qxg4 Rxg4 43.Kh3 Rf4 44.Kg2 Rxh4 45.Rxa7 Rg4+ 46.Kh3 Rf4 47.Kg2 h4 48.Rd7

HOW CAN BLACK CREATE SOME PRACTICAL CHANCES?

The critical position: Yes, Black has managed to steal a pawn, but White has the active Rook, behind Black’s weak d-pawn. White also has connected passed pawns, which are ready to run, far away from Black’s king.

Fritz says equal, and the machine is right – but I have something the machine doesn’t have: I have the feel for this rook ending.

I have shown this position to many people, and asked them to guess my next move – and even though there aren’t that many legal moves, I’ve not had a single person guess it right – nor does Fritz give the move as one of it’s top three choices.

Nonetheless, my intuitive try is the only move on the board that gives Black winning chances.

What do people and computers say? They say you have to either guard the d-pawn (after all, that’s your extra pawn!) or counterattack and get your Rook to the seventh (isn’t that a standard goal in Rook endings?).

So let’s look at those tries:

A) 48...Rf5 49.a4 (with Black’s Rook tied up, White simply pushes his furthest outside pawn!) 49…Kg6 50.a5 Kf6 51.a6 Ke6 52.Rd8 Rf7 53.b4! and even your computer will tell you that White stands better now with his dangerous connected passed pawns! That would be a fine continuation: by clinging to your extra pawn, you might lose this favorable ending!

B) 48...h3+ (forcing, Black heads for the seventh) 49.Kxh3 Rxf2 50.Rxd5 Rxb2 (50...e3 51.Re5 Rxb2 52.Rxe3 Rxa2 53.Kg3 is a well known draw) 51.Re5 Re2 (51...Rb4 52.Kg4 Kh6 53.Re6+ g6 54.Re5 Ra4 55.Re7 e3+ 56.Kf3 Kh5 57.Rxe3, =) 52.Kg4 Kg6 53.Kf4 Rxa2 54.Rxe4 Kh5 55.Kg3, =.

Notice how easy White’s play was in those lines: in “A”, he just had to push his pawns with both hands, in “B” he just had to go behind Black’s pawns and play for the drawn Rook ending with the King in front of a single pawn.

I didn’t want to make things that easy for him.

48…Kh6!!

What’s important in Rook endings are active pieces, and that, by definition, includes the King. Here Black brings the black warlord into play, unpins the g-pawn, and keeps the rook active – you can’t expect more from one Fritz-unapproved move!

49.Rxd5 g5

The point: Material is now equal, but Black has an extremely active, attacking position.

How can White draw?

HOW CAN WHITE DRAW?

50.a4

This obvious move won’t do it. Note again the difference between my 48… Kh6 and the computer recommended 48…Rf5 or 48… h3+. In both those lines, White had an easy, obvious plan to follow.

However, after the played move, the position takes on an amorphous, shape-shifting quality, in that, as seen in the game, White’s passed pawns become weak, and Black’s blocked pawns become strong. Obvious moves mean nothing; one has to somehow feel the beating heart of the position, and that heart is hard to identify, much less grasp.

Let’s look at alternatives: 50.b4 should lose in the same way as in the game, while 50.b3 is too slow, and will lose as follows: 50...Kh5 51.Rd1 (or 51.a4 Kg4 52.a5 h3+ 53.Kg1 h2+ 54.Kxh2 Rxf2+ 55.Kg1 e3 wins) 51…Kg4 52.a4 h3+ 53.Kg1 Kf3 54.a5 h2+ 55.Kxh2 Kxf2 56.Rd2+ Kf3 57.a6 e3 58.a7 Rf8 59.Ra2 e2 60.Ra1 Ra8 61.b4 Rxa7, –+. In other words, all the obvious tries LOSE!

I ask again, how can White draw? If you would like to imagine that you, like my opponent, were faced with this seemingly simple but in reality extremely difficult position, and you were in the second time control, with about a half hour left—well, set your chess clock for a half hour and see if you can find the one and only move that draws!

But remember, you have an advantage, you know the position is a draw! My opponent did not have that advantage; also, he didn’t know that this move, right now, was the critical move of the whole game, and all his efforts up to now would vanish because of this one misstep … chess is a hard game!

By the way, the solution is given at the end of the game.

50...e3!

Clearly the pawn has to be taken.

51.fxe3 Rxa4 52.Rd4

I’m sure White saw the last two moves, and probably evaluated this position rosily. After all, Black can’t exchange Rooks in view of 52...Rxd4 53.exd4 Kg6 54.b4 Kf6 55.b5 Ke6 56.b6 Kd6 57.d5 with a dead drawn position.

If Black moves the rook, my opponent probably thought he would have no problems with his distant outside passed pawn –

But Rooks are peculiar creatures, and it’s only in the endgame that their full powers appear.

52…Ra1!

Black gets behind the White passed pawns, which can only be defended by the White Rook – meanwhile, Black’s pawns defend each other, and advance with mating threats.

53.b4 Rb1 54.Rc4

Nor does “pushing with both hands” save White: 54.e4 g4 55.e5 Kg5 56.e6 h3+ 57.Kg3 Rb3+ 58.Kh2 Rb2+ and while hard to believe in this simplified position, it’s the mating threats (if Kg3 Rg2) that decide. White is forced onto the back rank. 59.Kh1 g3 60.Rd1 Kf6 61.Re1 Ke7

WHITE’S DEAD

62.b5 (62.Rg1?? Rh2 mate – again a mate!) 62...Rxb5 63.Rg1 Rb3 64.Re1 Rb2 65.Kg1 Rg2+ 66.Kh1 Rf2 67.Kg1 h2+ 68.Kh1 g2+ 69.Kxh2 Rf1 and White loses his Rook.

54... Kh5 55.Rd4 g4

The pawns, supported by the King, inexorably march forward, while Black brushes aside White’s try for a perpetual.

56.Rd5+ Kg6 57.Rd6+ Kf5 58.Rd5+ Kf6 59.Rh5 Rb2+ 60.Kg1 h3

The Black pawns fend for themselves, while White’s isolanis get weaker with each move.

61.b5 Kg6

The White Rook is overloaded. If 62.Rc5 g3 is decisive – it’s worth remembering this position. In general, if Black can get his connected passers to the sixth, side-by-side (with the mating threats so characteristic of this particular ending), he always wins.

62.Rh8 Kg5

I knew I was winning now, and saw no reason to rush and take the b-pawn – first improve the King position! Anyway, the pawn isn’t going anywhere, for if 63.Rb8? h2+ 64.Kh1 Kh4 65.Rc8 Kh3 66.Rc1 g3 and mates.

63.Rh7 Rxb5 64.Kh2 Rb2+ 65.Kg1

The same mate (65.Kg3 Rg2 mate) keeps the White King from advancing, but soon new mates will be threatened on the back rank!

65…Re2 66.Rh8

Defending the pawn again leads to a speedy demise: 66.Re7 h2+ 67.Kh1 Kh4 forces mate, as white’s own pawn blocks his defense, while also preventing stalemate resources, e.g. 68.Rg7 Kg3 69.Rxg4+ Kxg4 would be stalemate without the pawn on e3, which now must advance while his King dies: 70.e4 Kg3 71.e5 Re1 mate.

66...Rxe3

From material equality to two passed pawns up! The magic 48… Kh6 has certainly borne fruit!

67.Kh1

Trying to get off the back rank with 67.Kf2 allows 67… Rf3+ 68.Kg1 Kf4 69.Rd8 Kg3 70.Rd1 Rf4 71.Rd3+ Kh4 72.Rd8 (72.Kh2 g3+) 72...g3 and Black has the basic winning position. 73.Rh8+ Kg4 74.Rg8+ Kf3 75.Rg7 (75.Rh8 h2+ 76.Kh1 g2+ 77.Kxh2 Kf2 is another mating pattern) 75...Rd4 76.Rf7+ Ke4 77.Re7+ Kf5 78.Rf7+ Ke6 79.Rf1 Rd2 80.Re1+ Kf5 81.Rf1+ Kg4 82.Re1 h2+ 83.Kh1 Kh3 and mates.

67...Re2 68.Kg1 Kf4 69.Rf8+ Kg3 70.Rf1 Kh4!

The key winning move: White cannot prevent the pawns from lining up on the sixth rank.

71.Ra1

Or 71.Rf4 Kg5 72.Rf8 g3! and the pawns can’t be denied! One interesting variation is 73.Rg8+ Kf4 74.Rf8+ Ke3 75.Re8+ Kd2 76.Rd8+ Kc1 (but not 76...Ke1? 77.Rd3; Black needs to maintain the mate threat at e1) 77.Rc8+ Kd1 78.Rd8+ Rd2 79.Rh8 Rg2+ 80.Kh1 (80.Kf1 Rf2+ 81.Kg1 h2+ 82.Kh1 Rf1+ 83.Kg2 Rg1+) 80...Ke1 81.Re8+ (81.Rxh3 Kf1 is another mating pattern) 81...Re2 82.Rg8 Rh2+ 83.Kg1 Rg2+ 84.Kh1 Kf1 85.Rf8+ Rf2 86.Rxf2+ (86.Rh8 Rh2 mate) 86...gxf2 and it’s all over.

71... g3 72.Ra4+ Kg5 73.Ra5+ Kf4 74.Ra4+ Kf3 75.Ra3+ Re3 76.Ra1 Rd3 77.Rf1+

Allows the exchange of Rooks, but if 77.Re1 h2+ 78.Kh1 Kg4 79.Re4+ Kh3 and White is getting mated. Note that Black’s Rook is ideally placed on the sixth rank, protecting the pawns and shielding the King, but not allowing stalemate tricks as it would if it were advanced one rank – imagine a Rook on d2 instead of d3 at the end of the variation above, and White could draw with 80.Rh4+!

77...Ke2 78.Ra1 Rd1+ 79.Rxd1 Kxd1 80.Kf1 g2+ 81.Kf2 Kd2 82.Kg1 Ke2 83.Kh2 Kf2, 0-1. White resigned in view of 84.Kxh3 g1=Q 85.Kh4 Qg6 86.Kh3 Qh5 mate.

A very tough game, and my young opponent put up a splendid fight—but hard-earned endgame knowledge still carried the day.

Now, what is the mysterious answer? How can White draw?

WHITE TO MOVE AND DRAW

The answer, the very beating heart of the position, is the hidden horizontal activity of Black’s Rook on f4, based on the …e3 break seen in the game. Once you understand that, the drawing move is not hard to find: White must mechanically block Black’s Rook with his own, and play 50.Rd4!! with the idea that 50…e3? fails to 51.fxe3 and White’s Rook is protected.

As long as White is careful, the position should be a draw, though Black has various tries:

50...h3+ 51.Kxh3 and White draws easily with his Rook already on the Black e-pawn, another advantage of 50.Rd4.

50...Kh5 51.a4 Kg4 (51...e3? 52.fxe3) 52.a5 h3+ 53.Kg1 Kf3 54.a6 h2+ 55.Kxh2 Kxf2 56.Rd2+ Ke1 57.a7 Rf8 58.Rd7 Kf2 59.Kh3 Kf3 60.Kh2 Kf2, =.

50...Kg6 (the best winning try, but no go if White avoids one trap) 51.a4 Kf5 52.a5 h3+ 53.Kxh3 Rxf2 54.Kg3 (but not the materialistic 54.b4?? Kf4! and Black threatens a deadly mate starting with 55… g4+) 54...Rxb2 55.Ra4! (White activates his Rook behind his passed pawn) 55…Rb3+ 56.Kf2 Kf4 57.a6 Rb2+ 58.Kg1 Rb8 59.a7 Ra8 60.Kf2 g4 61.Ra3 and White draws as long as he knows his basic Philidor position!

And if you don’t know that, you should get a chess book and look it up!