I was playing over the Giri - Ding Liren game from the ongoing 2015 Tata Steel…..
(insert a picture of Anish Giri……………….Russ)
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.
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.
FEN
8/2p5/1pBpK1k1/1P1P2N1/7r/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/2p5/1pBpK1k1/1P1P2N1/7r/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Nf3 Rf4 2. Nd2 {Black now played Kg5 and went onto lose. Now see what I mean about the Rook hitting the Knight.} 2... Rd4 3. Nb3 Rb4 4. Nc1 Rc4 5. Na2 Ra4 6. Nc3 Rc4 7. Nd1 Rd4 8. Nf2 Rf4 9. Nd3 Rd4 10. Nc1 Rc4 11. Nb3 Rb4 12. Nd2 Rd4 {That is us back at move 2. But of course White can just let the Knight go. He wins very easily.} 13. Kd7 Rxd2 14. Kxc7 {The b6 pawn falls and the White b-pawn Queens. Which pretty much how the game went except White had no need to sac his Knight.}
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.
Zajbar 811 AD. White to play and win. A very early demonstration of Zugzwang.
FEN
8/8/8/2k1K3/8/3R4/4n3/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/8/8/2k1K3/8/3R4/4n3/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Re3 {1...Nc1 losses to 2.Rc3+ so....} 1... Ng1 2. Kf5 {This is Zajbar's idea. The obvious 2.Kf4 only draws when Black plays 2....Kd4. (try it).} 2... Kd4 3. Kf4 {There is difference and the reason why 2.Kf5 wins and 2.Kf4 only draws. With White to move this is now a draw. But it is Black's move and he is now in Zugzwang.} 3... Kc4 4. Kg3 Kd4 5. Re1 {The Knight is lost and White wins.}
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.
FEN
5nk1/4R3/8/6K1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "5nk1/4R3/8/6K1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kf6 Nh7+ 2. Kg6 Nf8+ 3. Kf6 Nh7+ 4. Kg6 Nf8+ {White is not making any headway here so takes a different approach.} 5. Kh6 Kh8 6. Re8 Kg8 {The Black King threatening to escape via f7 and Kg6 is not allowed so....} 7. Re7 Kh8 8. Rg7 {White tries this way.} 8... Ne6 {The only move that does not lose the Knight. Note if 8...Ng6 Not 19.Rxg6 or Kxg6 both are stalemate. But 9.Rf7!} 9. Rg2 Nf8 10. Rg4 Nd7 {Again the only move that draws, we will return to this position to see why later.} 11. Rf4 Kg8 12. Rf5 Nf8 13. Rf3 Nd7 14. Kg6 Nf8+ 15. Kf6 Nh7+ 16. Kg6 Nf8+ 17. Kh6 {White is getting nowhere. Back to that crucial position.} 17... Nd7 18. Rf4 Kh8 19. Rd4 Nf8 20. Rg4 {Here we are. This time Black tries....} 20... Ne6 21. Kg6 {21...Kg8 drops the Knight to 22.Kf6 + Black tries...} 21... Nf8+ 22. Kf7 {The Knight is lost. 22...Kh7 23.Rg8 mate. OK back to the crucial position.} 22... Ne6 23. Kg6 {I declined to play mate in one (I hope you saw that) I'm re-setting the board back to the instructive bit.} 23... Nf8+ 24. Kh6 {And her we are. This time Black goes for...} 24... Nh7 25. Kg6 Kg8 26. Rg3 {White declaring Black is in Zugzwang.} 26... Nf8+ 27. Kf6+ Kh7 {27....Kh8 29.Kf7 with the mate on g8 idea.} 28. Kf7 {Once again the Knight is lost. I do recommend you give this ending a going over. The odds are you will meet it more often than Two Bishops v a Lone King. (see the thread link at the bottom of this page for the stats.)}
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
FEN
4r3/8/8/5k2/3K4/8/3N4/8 w - - 0 74
[FEN "4r3/8/8/5k2/3K4/8/3N4/8 w - - 0 74"]
74. Nf3 Kf4 {Now Nd2. Keep the Knight close to the it's King. Try not to get it cut off.} 75. Nh4 {That is the kind of move to avoid. Black now wins with Rg8. The Knight has no flight squares and Rg4 win it.} 75... Rd8+ {OK. No harm done It's check. The Knight is still trapped.} 76. Kc5 {Now Rg8 and Rg4 wins the Knight.} 76... Ke5 {Black has let the Knight escape.} 77. Ng6+ Ke4 78. Ne7 {The Knight is making it's way back to White King. This is a book draw.} 78... Ke5 {And that makes it a 100% book draw. You cannot win with a lone Knight.} 79. Nc6+ {and.............Black Resigned 1-0.} 1-0
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
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
FEN
r2q1rk1/1b1nb1pp/4p3/p1p5/1p4p1/1P1P1NP1/PBPQRPBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 18
[FEN "r2q1rk1/1b1nb1pp/4p3/p1p5/1p4p1/1P1P1NP1/PBPQRPBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 18"] 18. Rxe6 {An alert White gives up a piece to get the Windmill spinning.} 18... gxf3 19. Rxe7 fxg2 20. Rxg7+ Kh8 {Now the Windmill picks up the Knight and Bishop.} 21. Rxd7+ {Discovered Check.} 21... Kg8 {Now is White going to spoil things and take the Black Queen.} 22. Rg7+ {No. Good. The same trick now picks up the Bishop.} 22... Kh8 23. Rxb7+ {Discovered Check.} 23... Kg8 24. Rg7+ Kh8 {Now the Windmill has cleared the 7th rank of pieces White moves in for the kill.} 25. Qh6 {Threaten mate on h7. Actually this move could have been played a lot sooner but we will let White off because it’s such nice Windmill.} 25... Qxd3 {The only move that stops mate in one. White now slightly tarnished this example by taking the Black Queen with cxd3. Instead he should have played......} 26. Rg8+ {Double Check.} 26... Kxg8 {Only move.} 27. Qg7 {Mate.} 1-0
Another illustration just to make sure you have it. This time Black has all the fun.
rkmmax - forkedknight RHP 2011
FEN
4rrk1/pbp2ppp/1p1b4/8/1P1p3q/PB1P3P/2PB1PP1/RN1Q1RK1 w - - 0 16
[FEN "4rrk1/pbp2ppp/1p1b4/8/1P1p3q/PB1P3P/2PB1PP1/RN1Q1RK1 w - - 0 16"] 16. Re1 {Black is a piece down and decides to sac another to see if he panics White into making a nervous move.} 16... Bh2+ 17. Kxh2 Qxf2 {Well it does threaten mate in one (Qxg2 mate) and the position now requires White to return some booty. This he fails to do. The best looking move for White is now Re4 blocking the b7 Bishop's diagonal.} 18. Rg1 {Plausible and the mistake Black prayed for.} 18... Re2 {Again the target is g2. White relied too heavily on this next move.} 19. Qf1 {Stops the attack on g2 and gets the Queens off.} 19... Qxf1 {Which Black is only too glad to do.} 20. Rxf1 {Now comes the Windmill.} 20... Rxg2+ 21. Kh1 Rxd2+ 22. Kg1 Rg2+ 23. Kh1 Rxc2+ 24. Kg1 Rg2+ 25. Kh1 Ra2+ {With nothing left on the 7th rank to gobble Black now nicks the a1 Rook.} 26. Kg1 Rxa1 {Black went onto to win in a canter.}
There is so much joy in swinging Rooks about, I’ll show you another example.
randr - Ed Freyfogle RHP 2010
FEN
r6r/1ppk3q/p1bp4/4pP2/6Q1/3P4/PPPB1PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 19
[FEN "r6r/1ppk3q/p1bp4/4pP2/6Q1/3P4/PPPB1PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 19"] 19. f6+ Ke8 {Now f3 by White (luft) and they are still in the game. But yet again the first choice is to get the Queens off.} 20. Qh3 Qxh3 21. gxh3 Rg8+ {It's Windmill time.} 22. Kh2 Rg2+ 23. Kh1 Rxf2+ 24. Kg1 Rg2+ 25. Kh1 Rxd2+ 26. Kg1 Rg2+ 27. Kh1 Rxc2+ 28. Kg1 Rg2+ 29. Kh1 Rxb2+ 30. Kg1 Rg2+ 31. Kh1 Rxa2+ 32. Kg1 Rg2+ 33. Kh1 {The Rook is now tired of playing Pac Man. Time to mate White.} 33... Kf7 {Letting the a8 Rook into the game. No point in having an extra piece if you are not going to use it.} 34. Rad1 Rh8 {With mate next move 0-1.}
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
FEN
r4r1k/1pp2pRp/8/p7/3BPn2/2P5/P1PR1P2/2K2B2 w - - 0 20
[FEN "r4r1k/1pp2pRp/8/p7/3BPn2/2P5/P1PR1P2/2K2B2 w - - 0 20"]
20. Rxf7+ Kg8 21. Rg7+ {White can now simply mate in two with Rg1+ and mate with Bxf6.} 21... Kh8 22. Rxc7+ {Instead he felt the need to Windmill a while. I think I can relate to that.} 22... Kg8 23. Rg7+ Kh8 {Now play the checkmate.} 24. Rxb7+ {No, more windmilling. It's addictive.} 24... Kg8 25. Rg7+ Kh8 {Now the mate?} 26. Rg5+ {Yes. Black resigned.} 26... Rf6 27. Bxf6 {Mate.}
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.
FEN
r3k1r1/ppB2pbp/2n5/1B1p4/3Pb3/2P5/PP4PP/RN3RK1 w q - 0 15
[FEN "r3k1r1/ppB2pbp/2n5/1B1p4/3Pb3/2P5/PP4PP/RN3RK1 w q - 0 15"] 15. Nd2 Bxd4+ {Excellent. Black has spotted the attack on g2.} 16. cxd4 Rxg2+ 17. Kh1 {Not yet Rg3+ because the d2 Knight and the f1 Rook can both block on f3.} 17... Rxd2+ {If White does not want to get mated he now has to play Rf3 giving the King f1 some running room. An idea to look out for should you invest a bucket load of material thinking you checkmating with this pattern.} 18. Kg1 Rg2+ 19. Kh1 {Now it's mate in two.} 19... Rxb2+ {Black missed it. Too busy Windmilling.} 20. Kg1 Rg2+ 21. Kh1 {Now it's mate in two.} 21... Rxa2+ {Black missed it. Too busy Windmilling.} 22. Kg1 Rg2+ 23. Kh1 {Now it's mate in two.} 23... Rb2+ {Again Black missed it. Do you want to see what happened. White actually tempts Black into finding the mate.} 24. Kg1 Rxb5 25. Bg3 Rb2 26. Rad1 Rg2+ 27. Kh1 Rxg3+ {Hooray! Black kept missing this move because there was nothing on that square to take.} 28. Rf3 Bxf3 {Checkmate.}
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
FEN
8/2k5/p2RB1r1/1pp2N2/4b3/4B3/PPP2PP1/5RK1 w - - 0 32
[FEN "8/2k5/p2RB1r1/1pp2N2/4b3/4B3/PPP2PP1/5RK1 w - - 0 32"]
32. Rxa6 Rxg2+ 33. Kh1 Rxf2+ 34. Kg1 {Black now should have taken the draw with....} 34... Rg2+ 35. Kh1 Rf2+ {This stops Rf3 freeing f1 for the fleeing King.} 36. Kg1 Rg2+ 37. Kh1 Rf2+ 38. Kg1 Rg2+ 39. Kh1 Rf2+ {A draw. Instead this happened.} 40. Kg1 Rg2+ 41. Kh1 Rxc2+ {Now White could have and should have played Rf3.} 42. Kg1 Rg2+ 43. Kh1 Rxb2+ 44. Kg1 Rg2+ 45. Kh1 Rxa2+ 46. Kg1 Rxa6 {And Black went onto lose. 1-0.}
Another needless loss with a missed perpetual.
achilles9533 - pl RHP2011
FEN
r5r1/1p2R1pk/p1p4p/5p2/5B2/PqP3RP/5PPK/8 w - - 0 28
[FEN "r5r1/1p2R1pk/p1p4p/5p2/5B2/PqP3RP/5PPK/8 w - - 0 28"]
28. Be5 Qxa3 {Black can see no checkmate so picked up that loose pawn. They should have played h5 allowing the Black King some space.} 29. Rgxg7+ Rxg7 30. Rxg7+ Kh8 {Here White should have continued with....} 31. Rg6+ Kh7 32. Rg7+ Kh8 33. Rg6+ Kh7 34. Rg7+ Kh8 {A draw, which considering the material situation is all they can ask for. Instead the game went...} 35. Rxb7+ Kg8 36. Rg7+ Kf8 {With no Rook on f8 the Black King skipped away from the checks and won quite easily.}
The Greenpawn Cock-Up No. 146.
How are you getting on with that 5.Bd3 gambit in the Caro Kann from the last blog.
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.
FEN
7k/6R1/1p4pr/p1b1Kp1p/8/2B3P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "7k/6R1/1p4pr/p1b1Kp1p/8/2B3P1/7P/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Ke6 g5+ {Now 2.Kxf5 and the draw is Rg6+ and Rg7+. I never even considered that, Instead I saw the win.} 2. Kf7 {The boy is a genius. White wins with Rg8+ and Rh8 mate.} 2... Rh7 {The boy is an idiot. I cannot move the Rook to give the fatal discovered check.0-1.}
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
1. g4 {The Grob or The Spike.} 1... d5 2. Bg2 Bxg4 3. c4 Nf6 4. cxd5 Nxd5 {This allows White carrying out his idea. (the attack on b7 and the a8 Rook) 4...c6 is an alternative but as the game goes Black obtains an active position.} 5. Qb3 c6 6. Qxb7 Nb6 7. Bxc6+ Nxc6 8. Qxc6+ Bd7 {For the minus pawn Black has a lead in development. This line is worth a try.} 9. Qc3 {The worse square for the White Queen. You can see the idea. White hits the g7 pawn to hinder Black from developing his Kingside.} 9... Rc8 10. Qg3 {Sticking with the hit g7 idea. White had to lose his Queen or...} 10... Rxc1 {...get back rank mated.}
