Today I am going to make some of you endgame lovers lottery millionaires.
1. The number of people at you club that will be actually
interested when you say you have an endgame to show them.
2. The number of times you will actually have to mate someone with a Bishop and Knight.
15. The number of Rook endings you have lost this year.
27. The number of dandruff shampoos you have tried without success.
36. The number of Endgame books (which all basically say the same thing) you own.
44 The number of books on the Endgame you will own after your next birthday.
Good luck, let me know how you got on (and don’t forget who gave you the numbers.)
Having kicked off by insulting all the endgame aficionados I now make amends.
We start with a neat wee study. White to play and win. It’s by M. Gruenfeld 1903.
I’ll jump right in with the solution, if you want to try and solve it. Do it now.
FEN
8/8/8/pp6/P7/7K/1k6/R7 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/8/8/pp6/P7/7K/1k6/R7 w - - 0 1"] 1. Ra3 {This is the only move that wins.} 1... Kxa3 {If 1...b4 2. Rg3 then Rg5, Rxa5, Rb5, Rook takes the b-pawn and the a-pawn promotes.} 2. axb5 a4 3. b6 Kb2 4. b7 a3 5. b8=Q+ {if the pawn was on a2 then this is a draw but now White wins the pawn or mates Black.} 5... Kc2 {This is as good as any try. The idea is the same.} 6. Qa7 Kb2 7. Qd4+ Kb1 8. Qb4+ Ka2 {Now any White King move and Qxa3+ that is one win from here there is also.} 9. Qd2+ {and if....} 9... Ka1 10. Qc2 {A pattern worth knowing.} 10... a2 {Only move.} 11. Qc1 {Checkmate.}
We go into this ending a wee bitty deeper because it often gets screwed up.
Quite a few RHP examples but I’ll show just some with the Black a-pawn.
Casey3 - wayne foote RHP.2017 (White to play)
White drew this. The win is fairly straight forward but it must be known.
FEN
8/2P5/8/8/8/p7/1k2K3/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/2P5/8/8/8/p7/1k2K3/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kd2 {1.c8=Q also wins but the pattern you are seeing now is the one you are aiming for.} 1... a2 2. c8=Q a1=Q 3. Qb7+ {If 3...Ka2 then 4.Kc2 and Black have to give up the Queen only to delay mate.} 3... Ka3 4. Qa6+ Kb2 5. Qb5+ {White simply advances giving check till Black is forced to play the King to a2} 5... Ka3 6. Qa5+ Kb2 7. Qb4+ Ka2 8. Kc2 {...and wins. If 8...Qc3+ do not play 9. Qxc3 that is Stalemate.}
Another recent example of an RHP player tripping up in this ending.
lizbetocson - skulleo RHP 2018
FEN
7Q/8/8/8/6K1/p7/8/1k6 w - - 0 1
[FEN "7Q/8/8/8/6K1/p7/8/1k6 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qb8+ Ka1 2. Qc7 {This is OK. 2...a2 3,Qc1 mate.} 2... Kb2 3. Qb7+ Ka1 {White now played 4.Kf3 a2 and the game is a drawn. The win is....} 4. Qc6 {Still using the Qc1 mate idea.} 4... Kb2 5. Qb5+ Ka1 6. Qc4 Kb2 7. Qb4+ Ka2 8. Kf3 {Qxa3+ next move.}
Next White tries a Skewer to win a Black Queen but it was not the way to go.
Brazuca - mallys7 RHP 2011
I’m giving White five out for ten for trying the trap. But they should have won.
FEN
6Q1/8/8/7K/8/p7/1k6/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "6Q1/8/8/7K/8/p7/1k6/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qb8+ Kc3 {Now 2.Qe5+ or 2.Qh8+ and 3.Qa1 is 1-0.} 2. Kg4 {See previous note it still wins for White.} 2... a2 3. Kf3 {White is now expecting 3...a1=Q 4.Qe5+ and Qxa1. But...} 3... Kc2 {Now there is no White win. The game was agreed drawn a few moves later.}
One last piece of analysis with an idea in it my Mum wants you to see.
FEN
8/1P6/8/8/8/p7/8/k5K1 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/1P6/8/8/8/p7/8/k5K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kf2 {Only this move or 1.Kf1 wins.} 1... a2 {Do not promote, that is stalemate.} 2. Ke2 {Now White promotes with a check.} 2... Kb1 3. b8=Q+ Ka1 {Now what? We shall look at 3...Kc2 in the next game.} 4. Qh2 {The idea I wanted you to see and store.} 4... Kb2 {4..Kb1 5.Kc3 with mate on c2 if Black takes a Queen. A simple win if Black takes to a Knight.} 5. Kd3+ {5....Kb1 6.Qc2+ and Qc1 mate. or 5...Ka1 6.Kc3 mate next move.} 5... Ka3 6. Qd6+ {If now 6...Kb2 7.Qb4+ Ka1 8.Qd2.and Qc2+ and Qc1 mate.} 6... Kb3 7. Qb6+ {If here 7...Ka4 8.Kc4 mate next move.} 7... Ka3 8. Kc4 a1=N {Anything else is mate next move....} 9. Qb1 {....and now it is mate next move.}
One more variation to show just to clear up a loose end.
FEN
8/1P6/8/8/8/p7/8/k5K1 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/1P6/8/8/8/p7/8/k5K1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kf2 a2 2. Ke2 Kb1 3. b8=Q+ {In the last game we looked at 3...Ka1 here we look at...} 3... Kc2 {Bit more trickier but still easy to do.} 4. Qc7+ Kb2 {If instead 4...Kb3 5.Qa5 transposes.} 5. Kd3 a1=Q {Do not panic you have to allow a promotion to win. The checkmate is forced.} 6. Qb6+ {If here 6...Ka3 7.Qa5+ Kb2 8. Qb4+ Ka2 9.Kc2 the winning position.} 6... Kc1 7. Qc5+ Kb2 8. Qb4+ Kc1 9. Qd2+ Kb1 10. Qc2
What am I talking about now? The trick that is number 23 in this..
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Bxc6+ bxc6 {White is going to tempt a Rook to b8 then onto b2 and snag it.} 6. d4 f6 7. Nc3 Rb8 {White now needs a waiting move and it is not to be castles. (you will see why in a moment.)} 8. Qd3 {Preparing to castle queenside.} 8... Ne7 {Now we are ready.} 9. Be3 {Perfectly timed, it could not be played one move earlier.} 9... Rxb2 {Black sticks his head in the noose.} 10. dxe5 fxe5 11. Nxe5 {Without 8.Qd3 and 8...Ne7 Black could play 11....Qf6 here. Set your traps carefully.} 11... dxe5 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. O-O-O+ {White's next move is Kxb2.}
I have showed a few RHP games featuring this trick before, here another two.
DeVon JD Jackson - laufernator RHP 2018
This one is incredible. Black plays the trick on move 29
White played 29.Rxb7 0-0-0+ . So much for the rule of thumb about castling early.
Here is the other 2018 game featuring castles with a check pocketing a Rook.
Benjamin Barker - CosmicWarrior RHP 2018
1. e4 e5 2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 {We gone into a Philidor Defence.} 4... exd4 {Giving up the centre. playable but difficult. 4...Nbd7 is theory.} 5. Nxd4 Be7 6. g3 {Black should now just castle.} 6... Nc6 7. Bg2 h6 {A pointless pawn move 7...0-0 was OK.} 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. e5 dxe5 {White can play 10.Bxc6+ and Bxa8. Then we would not have seen the castles trick.} 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {10...Bxd8 then 11.Bxc6+ and Bxa8 wins a Rook the normal way.} 11. Bxc6 Rb8 12. Be3 e4 {Another bad pawn move. Leave them alone. 12...Bb7 and Black is doing OK.} 13. Bxa7 Rxb2 {Black could not resist it.} 14. O-O-O+ {White then took on b2 and it was soon 1-0.}
