00022.5.05 Analyzed by National Master Corey Russell

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. d4 d5 4. e4

This loses a pawn. Correct is continuing development

with 4. Bg5.

4... dxe4 5. d5 exf3 6. dxc6 fxg2

Black misses his chance to get a very strong position with

6. ... Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 Bg4!. This threatens 8. ... fxg2

discovered check, followed by 9. ... gxh1(Q). Notice that

if white tried 7. cxb7, then 7. ... fxg2+ 8. Ke1 gxh1(Q)

9. bxa8(Q) Qxa8 would leave black up a lot of material.

The move black chooses just develops white's bishop.

7. Bxg2 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Bf5 9. cxb7

Yes! The correct move. This passed pawn is very strong,

and should have decided the game.

9... Rd8+ 10. Bd2

Good! Respond to threats by developing pieces. Best chances

that way.

10... e5 11. Re1

Correct. If possible develop with attack, like this move

does.

11... Bd6 12. Bc6+ Bd7 13. Bf3 O-O 14. Ne4 Bg4

?? Loses a piece by force. Black's position was difficult,

he had to figure out a way to get rid of White's thorn in

his side at b7. Otherwise, he might as well resign right

now.

15. Nxf6+ gxf6 16. Bxg4 Bb4 17. Re2

Too passive. Much stronger is 17. c3 Bc5 18. Bc8, forcing

black to sacrifice his rook because of white's threat of

b8(Q), and after exchanges on c8, would leave white up a

full rook!

17... Bxd2 18. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 19. Kxd2 Rd8+ 20. Ke1

No. Now that most pieces are exchanged, the king is a

fighting piece -- the threat of mate is non-existent.

White should try to support his passed b-pawn with 20. Kc3.

20... Rb8 21. Bf3

This works, but 21. Bc8! Kf8 22. Rd1 would leave black in

a complete bind. Black would be helpless to stop white's

plan of advancing her queen-side pawns, and forcing a

breakthrough on b6.

21... f5 22. Rd1

? Not the best. Let's take a look here. What are the key

elements of this position? Elements of chess are king safety,

material imbalances, space, development, for example. In

this case, the key facts are: 1) White has an extra bishop,

and 2) the passed, PROTECTED pawn on b7. The b7 pawn has

the most potential, and should have been preserved if at

all possible. In this case it was, by playing Bc6 instead.

Then the plan of 23. Rd1, Rd7, Rxc7, followed by Rc8 is

winning outright.

22... e4 23. Bg2 Rxb7 24. f3

Not the best. The general rule of thumb when up a piece

is in endgame is: Trade pieces, NOT pawns. Conversely,

if someone is losing, they should trade pawns, not pieces.

Correct was to preserve white's b-pawn with 24. b3. The

text makes it more difficult for white to win.

24... exf3 25. Bxf3 Rxb2 26. Rd8+ Kg7 27. Kd1

Again, now that mate threats are minimal, aggressive use

of the king is called for. White should advance toward

the center with Kd2.

27... Rxa2 28. Bd5 Ra3 29. Rd7 c5 30. Rxf7+ Kg6 31. Rc7 Ra5

32. Bg8

?! Dubious. White's bishop was already well placed on d5.

More logical was to get white's king involved in the action

with Ke2.

32... h6 33. Bh7+ Kg5 34. Rf7 f4 35. Ke1

Unnecessarily passive. Ke2 is still best.

35... c4 36. Kf2 a6 37. Kg2

Actually, 37. Rg7+ Kh5 38. Kf3 would win material for white,

plus bottle up black's king. A mating net might even be

possible. Otherwise, black's only choice would be 37. ... Kf6,

but that loses the h6 pawn to Rg6+. That would present

problems for black since that would create a passed pawn

(a passed pawn means unopposed by enemy pawns)

37... Kh4 38. Rxf4+ Kg5 39. Kg3

There was a free pawn on c4. There was no reason not to

take it.

39... Ra2 40. Rg4+ Kf6 41. Rxc4 Ra3+ 42. Bd3 h5 43. Kh4 Ra1

44. Rc6+ Ke5 45. Rxa6 Rh1 46. Kh3 Kf4 47. Rf6+ Kg5 48. Be4

Actually 48. Rf5+ Kh6 (...Kg6? 49. Rf1+ picks up black's rook)

Be2 would pick up black's last pawn, and probably make black

resign.

48... Re1 49. Re6 Re2 50. Re5+

Never give check just to give check! Only do it for a good

reason. Correct is 50. c4 (passed pawns must be pushed!)

The black king cannot get at white's rook, and can't win

the bishop on e4 since white can always preserve her bishop

with Bd5, which also protects her rook on e6.

50... Kf4 51. Rxh5 Rxe4

Black makes an inaccuracy here. Now white can win by force.

...Kxe4 would give black some chances to draw.

52. Rh4+ Ke5 53. c3

Simply exchanging rooks followed by Kg4 would win easily

for white. Black could have played

...Rd3+ leaving white only a pawn up.

53... Rxh4+ 54. Kxh4 Kd5 55. Kg3

This works, but generally this is the wrong move. In king

and pawn endgames, the rule of thumb is: Advance the king

as much as is possible to support a pawn advance, without

jeopardizing the pawn's safety. Therefore, 55. Kg5 was

the correct move. If white's c-pawn were gone, black could

draw by running his king to h8, and white would unable to

make progress. With Kg5, however, white can get to g7 first,

blocking black's king, and forcing white's h-pawn to queen.

55... Kc4 56. h4 Kxc3 57. h5 Kd4 58. h6 Ke5 59. h7 Kf6

60. h8=Q+ Kg6 61. Kh4 Kf7 62. Qe5 Kg6 63. Qe8+ Kg7

64. Kg5 Kh7 65. Qg6+

Inaccurate. 65. Qe7+ Kh8 66. Kg6 Kg8 67. Qg7#. When

checkmating a lone king with a queen + king, you always

want to leave a legal move for the enemy king until it's

checkmate. If you don't, then black can escape with a

draw by stalemate, which is exactly what happened in this

game.

65... Kh8 66. Kh6

So in conclusion, watch out for your opponent's threats,

and if you have passed pawns on the 7th rank (row), do all

you can to protect them. They can often decide games if

they can queen, because they will force more valuable pieces

to sac themselves to stop it. Also, in endgames, use your

king to support your passed pawns, and to limit the activity

of your opponent's king.

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