PRACTICAL CHESS ENDGAME or
BRIAN'S CHESS FOLLY .
1/6/98
Welcome to this active site. Each week I am going to present
to you a endgame position for you to solve or to workout the best
continuation. Computer analysis will also be considered. Some of
these positions will come from actual historical games. Others will
be composed endgame studies, but all the solutions will be relevant
to the practical game.
For 50 years Walter Korn (1908-1997) was responsible for Modern Chess Openings. This book is a particular favourite of many chessplayers. An agebraic edition came out in 1990 (MCO 13). His other great passion was endgame studies. He was a FIDE international Judge for Chess Composition. In 1975 he wrote American Chess Art which contains 250 studies and is a good introduction to this department of the game.
Computer analysis of this study indicates that the composer did not choose the best defence for Black. This makes the study unsound. White still wins but the solution is long and difficult. Although no longer a study (this may be arguable) it is still a very interesting position to analyse because it simplifies into a fascinating QBvQ ending.
[Queening the e-pawn first only leads to a draw. 3.e8Q Rb5+ 4.Qxb5 e1Q (4...a1Q and black is mated in 6 moves begnning with Be6+) 5.Qa4+ Kb7 6.Qxa2= Thompson database ]
[6...Ka5 7.Qa7+ Kb5 8.Qc5+ Ka4 9.Qc2+ Kb5 10.Qc4+ Ka5 11.Qxa2+ Kb5 12.Qc4+ Ka5 13.Qc5+ Ka4 14.Qc2+ Kb5 15.Qc6+ Kb4 16.Bc5+ The c-file is mined so 16...Kb3 17.Qb5+ Kc2 18.Qa4+ Kb1 19.Qb3+ Kc1 20.Ba3+ Kd2 21.Bb4+ Ke2 and White mates in 5 moves.]
Let us ignore the a-pawn and consider this ending generally. The ending QBvQ is usually drawn but here the White pieces were a formidable force. Even the White King was a great help because it had a centralised position and stopped the enemy King from escaping from its cage. White was also greatly helped by the passive position of the Black Queen. The checks had to be continuous. Any let up would allow Black to draw because the Queen could start checking. My advice is if you find yourself with a similar ending over the board then play on because the defence is difficult and you may well win.
Summer Solving Tournament starting in July and lasting for six weeks. Positions to solve on long holiday journeys or when sunbathing on the beach !!
|
24/5/98 |
Position 39Rubinstein |
|
17/5/98 |
Position 38Hooper |
|
10/5/98 |
Position 37Petrosian |
|
03/5/98 |
Position 36O. Frink |
|
28/4/98 |
Position 35Ed Lasker |
|
21/4/98 |
Position 34Reinfeld |
|
05/4/98 |
Position 33Mattison |
|
29/3/98 |
Position 32S. Flohr |