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Windmills. Rook v Knight. The Adams Spot!

Windmills. Rook v Knight. The Adams Spot!

The Planet Greenpawn

Windmills. Rook v Knight. The Adams Spot!




I was playing over the Giri - Ding Liren game from the ongoing 2015 Tata Steel…..

(insert a picture of Anish Giri……………….Russ)
Anish Giri

This is Anish Giri on the cover of the April 2009 CHESS when at
14 years and 7 months he became the World’s Youngest Grandmaster.

I was playing over the Giri - Ding Liren game from the ongoing 2015 Tata Steel…..

(A brief bio on Anish Giri………………Russ)

Born in Russia. Father Nepalese, Mother Russian. The family now reside in Holland.

I was playing over a game from the ongoing 2015 Tata Steel event
when this position with Black to play cropped up in one of the games.

A.Giri - Ding Liren, Tata Steel 2015.

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And I was thinking (I do that sometimes, the headaches wear off after a while)
that offside White Knight has no way to escape the Rook's continuous attacks.

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1.Nf3Rf4
2.Nd2Rd4
3.Nb3Rb4
4.Nc1Rc4
5.Na2Ra4
6.Nc3Rc4
7.Nd1Rd4
8.Nf2Rf4
9.Nd3Rd4
10.Nc1Rc4
11.Nb3Rb4
12.Nd2Rd4
13.Kd7Rxd2
14.Kxc7

0

The coincidence being that morning I had been looking for a theme for this Blog and hit
upon a study composed in the year 811 AD. by a lad who name we only know as Zajbar.

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Zajbar 811 AD. White to play and win. A very early demonstration of Zugzwang.

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1.Re3Ng1
2.Kf5Kd4
3.Kf4Kc4
4.Kg3Kd4
5.Re1

+2

This ending is much more common than two Bishops v a Lone King
so serious students of the game should take some time out to study it.

I’ll give a brief example of some of the ideas used by both sides.

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1.Kf6Nh7
2.Kg6Nf8
3.Kf6Nh7
4.Kg6Nf8
5.Kh6Kh8
6.Re8Kg8
7.Re7Kh8
8.Rg7Ne6
9.Rg2Nf8
10.Rg4Nd7
11.Rf4Kg8
12.Rf5Nf8
13.Rf3Nd7
14.Kg6Nf8
15.Kf6Nh7
16.Kg6Nf8
17.Kh6Nd7
18.Rf4Kh8
19.Rd4Nf8
20.Rg4Ne6
21.Kg6Nf8
22.Kf7Ne6
23.Kg6Nf8
24.Kh6Nh7
25.Kg6Kg8
26.Rg3Nf8
27.Kf6Kh7
28.Kf7

+2
And that was how this week’s theme was shaping up. I had intended to
find some RHP examples of players screwing up Rook v Knight endings.

So I scanned the RHP Database wondering what tales of misery I would find.

As a Rook v Knight ending is classed as a book draw and indeed 70 % of the RHP games
with this ending are drawn. I just looked for Rook v Knight endings ending with 1-0 or 0-1.

The very first one I looked at had my head in my hands. This was a bad idea.

Bicsb - Fatbouy RHP 2014

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1.Nf3Kf4
2.Nh4Rd8
3.Kc5Ke5
4.Ng6Ke4
5.Ne7Ke5
6.Nc6

-2

Good grief, We are in deep trouble if they are all like this. The Knight wins!
Suddenly I got a well timed PM from Moonbus requesting to see Windmills
Windmill

So we forget about Rook and Knight endings and instead show Windmills,

Chess history has given us plenty of examples but I will be using the games from RHP.
For those of you who think a windmill is a mill you wind up here is one in all it’s glory,

USArmyParatrooper - sagator RHP 2011

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1.Rxe6gxf3
2.Rxe7fxg2
3.Rxg7Kh8
4.Rxd7Kg8
5.Rg7Kh8
6.Rxb7Kg8
7.Rg7Kh8
8.Qh6Qxd3
9.Rg8Kxg8
10.Qg7

0

Another illustration just to make sure you have it. This time Black has all the fun.

rkmmax - forkedknight RHP 2011

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1.Re1Bh2
2.Kxh2Qxf2
3.Rg1Re2
4.Qf1Qxf1
5.Rxf1Rxg2
6.Kh1Rxd2
7.Kg1Rg2
8.Kh1Rxc2
9.Kg1Rg2
10.Kh1Ra2
11.Kg1Rxa1

+3

There is so much joy in swinging Rooks about, I’ll show you another example.

randr - Ed Freyfogle RHP 2010

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1.f6Ke8
2.Qh3Qxh3
3.gxh3Rg8
4.Kh2Rg2
5.Kh1Rxf2
6.Kg1Rg2
7.Kh1Rxd2
8.Kg1Rg2
9.Kh1Rxc2
10.Kg1Rg2
11.Kh1Rxb2
12.Kg1Rg2
13.Kh1Rxa2
14.Kg1Rg2
15.Kh1Kf7
16.Rad1Rh8

+2

So you have the idea. All that we need do is look at the finer points. Where is the h-pawn.

If the h-pawn is on h7 then no need to go Windmilling. You can look for a mate instead.

kjl291 - kcrally RHP 2012

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1.Rxf7Kg8
2.Rg7Kh8
3.Rxc7Kg8
4.Rg7Kh8
5.Rxb7Kg8
6.Rg7Kh8
7.Rg5Rf6
8.Bxf6

+3

Of course others here have missed this quicker mate. Here is another.
Watch out for Black’s clever and alert play leading up to Windmill.

Odinson - Checkov RHP 2010

An amusing finish. White shows Black how the mating pattern works.

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1.Nd2Bxd4
2.cxd4Rxg2
3.Kh1Rxd2
4.Kg1Rg2
5.Kh1Rxb2
6.Kg1Rg2
7.Kh1Rxa2
8.Kg1Rg2
9.Kh1Rb2
10.Kg1Rxb5
11.Bg3Rb2
12.Rad1Rg2
13.Kh1Rxg3
14.Rf3Bxf3

+1

With the pawn on h6 (or of course h3) then the mating pattern is not there.
However, this allows one to for a perpetual check. A couple of sad examples.

bdh191 - teclay RHP 2012

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1.Rxa6Rxg2
2.Kh1Rxf2
3.Kg1Rg2
4.Kh1Rf2
5.Kg1Rg2
6.Kh1Rf2
7.Kg1Rg2
8.Kh1Rf2
9.Kg1Rg2
10.Kh1Rxc2
11.Kg1Rg2
12.Kh1Rxb2
13.Kg1Rg2
14.Kh1Rxa2
15.Kg1Rxa6

+13

Another needless loss with a missed perpetual.

achilles9533 - pl RHP2011

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1.Be5Qxa3
2.Rgxg7Rxg7
3.Rxg7Kh8
4.Rg6Kh7
5.Rg7Kh8
6.Rg6Kh7
7.Rg7Kh8
8.Rxb7Kg8
9.Rg7Kf8

-7

Windmill

The Greenpawn Cock-Up No. 146.

How are you getting on with that 5.Bd3 gambit in the Caro Kann from the last blog.

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I’ve already had a couple of blitz games with it. Two losses where I went sac-happy.
Here (not v the Caro Kann) I’m White in a recent blitz game. You will enjoy this one.

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1.Ke6g5
2.Kf7Rh7

-3

Windmill

We end with this masterpiece from the dark damp pit that is the RHP Database.
White successfully manages to get back rank mated ‘without castling’ in 10 moves.

jeremyluerkens - Dragonball RHP 2007

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1.g4d5
2.Bg2Bxg4
3.c4Nf6
4.cxd5Nxd5
5.Qb3c6
6.Qxb7Nb6
7.Bxc6Nxc6
8.Qxc6Bd7
9.Qc3Rc8
10.Qg3Rxc1

0


      The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 162591

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