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end game advice?

end game advice?

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v

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Hello, I just accepted a draw in a game that, way back at move 47, I though was won. Looking things over, I think that I probably should have tried to force the king away from that corner where the bishop could protect it. Anyway, what's the deal with R vs. B endings?

Edit: Forgot to link to the game! Doh!

Game 3301591

h
Endgamer

Wisconsin

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I would say that it should have been a win for white also, although i didn't check with computer yet so idk. You definatly made some mistakes, 47. Rb6+ all it did was move his king to a better square. You should have tried to either force his king wither to the h or f file, if he went to the h, you could have have treatened mate or pinning his bishop and winning it. If you could have kept him out of the corner, i would have liked your chances.

edit: i think your biggest mistake was on move 38, why didn't white take your pawn with his bishop, makes more sense to me, i would have played Rc1, keeping your passed pawn alive and forcing him to focus his defense there while you push on kingside maybe?

v

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Originally posted by hammster21
I would say that it should have been a win for white also, although i didn't check with computer yet so idk. You definatly made some mistakes, 47. Rb6+ all it did was move his king to a better square. You should have tried to either force his king wither to the h or f file, if he went to the h, you could have have treatened mate or pinning his bishop and ...[text shortened]... passed pawn alive and forcing him to focus his defense there while you push on kingside maybe?
hammster, thanks!

Yeah, I realized after 47 that I actually helped black, but I still hadn't realized the need to get the king away from the corner. I'm not sure if it was possible.

I still stand by move 38... if I'd moved the rook to c1, then I would have been forced to move the other rook (and there was no other good place for it).

h
Endgamer

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Originally posted by violinpatrick
I still stand by move 38... if I'd moved the rook to c1, then I would have been forced to move the other rook (and there was no other good place for it).
Ya, but after trading off the knight and pawn for rook or bishop, all of the play was focused on one side of the board. It's easy to defend one side of the board because you can threaten taking the piece and threaten blockading it as well, you can also check at will to keep the opponent at bay. I think keeping the pieces on the board would have allowed for much more dynamic play and more chances to win, because being a pawn up, with good play the worst you should have done is drawn.

a

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38.c6 is ok the real mistake is 44.h3, you should know that rook pawns are much weaker than other pawns. what you should have done is play 44.Ra8 and tried to force a trade of the rook for bishop then you pick up the g4 pawn and win easily.

for example
44.Ra8 Bc7 45.Ra5+ Kg6 46.Kf4 Bc8 47.Rg5 Bc7 48.Rxg5 Bxg5 49.Kxg5 +-

M

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The game was still won until white played 57.h5, from which point on the white king could not assist enough to advance the pawn and either threaten mate or force the black king out of the corner. There were many good moves (in fact almost any non-pawn move) but the most obvious to me was 57.Kh6. It is still too far to give complete analysis lines, but it should not be difficult to win this from here.

a

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Mephisto is correct that until 58.h5 white has a win, but its quite long and somewhat difficult (another 28 moves from 58.Kh6 according to nalimov) after 44.Ra8 white wins in 20 moves (more than twice as fast), plus its a very simple win.

z

127.0.0.1

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Originally posted by violinpatrick
Hello, I just accepted a draw in a game that, way back at move 47, I though was won. Looking things over, I think that I probably should have tried to force the king away from that corner where the bishop could protect it. Anyway, what's the deal with R vs. B endings?

Edit: Forgot to link to the game! Doh!

Game 3301591
As an fyi R vrs. Bishop endings like this depend on the color of the bishop and the corner you're in. If you had the black pieces on Kb1, Bf5 and the white pieces: Re7, Kb6 with white to move then
Re8+, Bc1 you can win by wasting a move with the rook Rh8! when forced is Ka1, Rxc1#

lioness

Antwerp, Belgium

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Originally posted by aginis
Mephisto is correct that until 58.h5 white has a win, but its quite long and somewhat difficult (another 28 moves from 58.Kh6 according to nalimov) after 44.Ra8 white wins in 20 moves (more than twice as fast), plus its a very simple win.
7 piece tablebase, that must be really something!

c

USA

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I believe one fundamental principle is "Trade pieces when up material, trade pawns when down material". I think that when it was R and 2 P vs B and 1 P you should've tried to avoid exchanging (if possible)

v

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Thanks everyone.
I guess there are a few lessons learned from that game:

1. rook pawns are weaker than other pawns
2. h5 was the point of no return
3. I should have forced the king away from that corner.
4. "Trade pieces when up material, trade pawns when down material". when it was R and 2 P vs B and 1 P I should've tried to avoid exchanging (if possible)

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