1. Standard membersh76
    Civis Americanus Sum
    New York
    Joined
    26 Dec '07
    Moves
    17585
    01 Jun '13 00:07
    I stink at endgames. All right. There. I said it.

    2 recent games where I had clear advantages (at least I thought so).

    First one, I drew:

    Game 9761099

    Second game, I think I've blown it and my opponent goes and resigns for no reason that I can tell.

    Game 9547777 (Is this really a win for me? I don't really see a good way to win the game.)

    Now, I've got 2 in progress (won't discuss until they're done, obviously) where I'm blowing advantages in the end game and may have to settle for draws in both.

    Anyone want to be so kind as to tell me what I'm doing wrong?
  2. Standard membercongruent
    I'm not Carnivo
    players not enemies
    Joined
    19 Aug '12
    Moves
    4076
    01 Jun '13 17:40
    I had a quick look at one of your games where you drew and for example at move 16 he could have played f5 as your King was still in the center. What was the need for 14. Ng5?





    All that is long before the endgame. You also needed to try and get your rook behind the pawn.
  3. Subscribermoonbus
    Über-Nerd
    Joined
    31 May '12
    Moves
    8165
    01 Jun '13 18:10
    I had a look at game 9761099. On general theoretical principles, I see three issues: 1) Black should have held onto the a-pawn. Outside pawns often prove decisive in rook endgames (because the opposing king must usually maneuver far away from everything else to blockade them). Allowing White to take the Black a-pawn left White with the effective outside b-pawn. 2) Corollary to allowing White to take the a-pawn, White then dominated the a-file with his rooks, penetrating the Black camp. 3) Corollary to dominating the a-file, White then penetrated to the 7th rank with combined R+Q. With those cumulative advantages, White might have squeezed more than a draw out of it.
  4. Standard membersundown316
    The Mighty Messenger
    The Wood of N'Kai
    Joined
    13 Dec '03
    Moves
    156184
    02 Jun '13 00:56
    In the first game,there were quite a few mistakes. 18...Qf6 looks like a waste of time,but you played 19.Rfe1?,instead of 19.Ne4 geting rid of his Bishop pair. I think you threw the win away with 40.gf:? as this splits your pawns. 40.g3 was better,and his f-pawn looks like a goner. In the final position,it's a draw,as the WK can't leave the h-pawn. Black can grab it and still get behind the c-pawn in time.
  5. Standard memberSwissGambit
    Caninus Interruptus
    2014.05.01
    Joined
    11 Apr '07
    Moves
    92274
    02 Jun '13 01:102 edits
    Originally posted by sundown316
    In the first game,there were quite a few mistakes. 18...Qf6 looks like a waste of time,but you played 19.Rfe1?,instead of 19.Ne4 geting rid of his Bishop pair. I think you threw the win away with 40.gf:? as this splits your pawns. 40.g3 was better,and his f-pawn looks like a goner. In the final position,it's a draw,as the WK can't leave the h-pawn. Black can grab it and still get behind the c-pawn in time.
    That's what I was just looking at, except I was going to push the g-pawn two squares.

  6. Standard membersundown316
    The Mighty Messenger
    The Wood of N'Kai
    Joined
    13 Dec '03
    Moves
    156184
    02 Jun '13 01:55
    Originally posted by sundown316
    In the first game,there were quite a few mistakes. 18...Qf6 looks like a waste of time,but you played 19.Rfe1?,instead of 19.Ne4 geting rid of his Bishop pair. I think you threw the win away with 40.gf:? as this splits your pawns. 40.g3 was better,and his f-pawn looks like a goner. In the final position,it's a draw,as the WK can't leave the h-pawn. Black can grab it and still get behind the c-pawn in time.
    On g4 Black plays Rd2,so that the WK can't leave the f-pawn
  7. Standard memberRJHinds
    The Near Genius
    Fort Gordon
    Joined
    24 Jan '11
    Moves
    13644
    02 Jun '13 02:021 edit
    I also find these endings with heavy pieces and only a one pawn advantage difficult to win. On the second game White probably was not in the mood to struggle in an attempt to get a draw out of it and figured with a pawn up you would eventually win anyway.

    I think your best chance for a win in the first game was on move 33. You could have picked up another pawn with 33.Qc4+ also attacking the c5 pawn, then after the king moves 34.Rc6 attacks the pawn again and there is no defense. An endgame with a two-pawn advantage is so much easier to win than the ones you had.

    The idea by SwissGambit is good, but Black can do better as follows and can probably still get the draw.

  8. Standard memberSwissGambit
    Caninus Interruptus
    2014.05.01
    Joined
    11 Apr '07
    Moves
    92274
    02 Jun '13 03:06
    Originally posted by sundown316
    On g4 Black plays Rd2,so that the WK can't leave the f-pawn
    Why can he leave it in the g3 line?
  9. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    02 Jun '13 03:182 edits
    In the 2nd game Game 9547777 there appears to be very straight
    forward wins missed by both sides within a few moves of each other.

    First Black.



    White's win, a bit trickier (you have to find one move!) but with a pawn
    on the 7th you must look at all promotion ideas.



    Check that 2nd line. It looks OK but I'm not long in after a rather long shift at work.
  10. Standard memberRJHinds
    The Near Genius
    Fort Gordon
    Joined
    24 Jan '11
    Moves
    13644
    02 Jun '13 04:53
    If you are like greenpawn34, you make sure you win your games before you get to the endings.

    The Instructor
  11. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    02 Jun '13 09:45
    Just had a look at the first game. Here White to play.


    White played 28.Rxa4. 28.Qd5+ (check all checks!) wins a piece.
  12. Joined
    18 Feb '13
    Moves
    880
    02 Jun '13 17:08
    In the first game, it looked like you needed to immediately play Rc1-b1 to get behind the pawn. If he goes ...f3, then as suggested, you go g4 and try and pick off the f-pawn while tying down his rook with your passed b-pawn.

    The second-It looked like ...Ne6 was a mistake. Instead ...Nf3+ and then Bxf3 Qxf3 threatens Qg2+ with a winning Pawn ending a pawn up, so he goes Kxh3. Then Qh1+ Kg4 Qh5+ Kf4 Qh6+ skewers his queen and he can't avoid it except by going into the lost pawn ending.
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