CT-158(2039)

The First Daily Chess Newspaper on the Net

CT-158(2039) Thursday, 8 June 2006

Test Yourself! Gelfand (2727) - Kamsky (2671)

Ol Turin (12), 03.06.2006
Capablanca - Lilienthal XIIIIIIIIY
Moscow 1936 8-+-+-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 7+-+-+-mk-0
8-+-+k+-+0 6-+-+-+-zp0
7trp+-+pzpl0 5tR-+-+-+-0
6-snp+p+-zp0 4-+-+-+-+0
5sN-+-+-+-0 3zP-+r+-+-0
4-zPP+-+-+0 2-+-+-+PzP0
3+-+-+-zP-0 1+-+-+-mK-0}
2-+-+PzPLzP0 xabcdefghy
1+-+R+-mK-0}
xabcdefghy One might think that two extra pawns
should be easy to convert into a full
point, but things are never easy in
rook endgames - you still have to find
a good plan. If the white pawns were
On This Day... on f2 and g2 (rather than on g2 and
by GM Alex Baburin h2), he could then place his rook on
a8, more his pawn to a7 and create a
70 years ago the third World passed pawn on the f-file, decoying
Champion Jose Raul Capablanca the enemy king (f5-f6! would then
won the Moscow 1936 tournament win easily).
with 13 points out of 18: (+8 =10).
But that plan won't work here.
Gelfand found the correct approach:
45.¢f2! ¦b3 46.g4! ¦h3 47.¢g2
World Chess ¦c3 48.h4 ¦d3 49.a4 ¦a3 50.h5!
News (D)
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+-+0{
The 19th edition of the Ciudad de Leon 7+-+-+-mk-0
tournament starts in Spain today. This 6-+-+-+-zp0
"advanced-chess" tournament will 5tR-+-+-+P0
take place on 8-12 June. The four 4P+-+-+P+0
players are Topalov, Anand, Vallejo 3tr-+-+-+-0
and Bruzon. There will be two semi- 2-+-+-+K+0
finals (on the 9th and 10th of June) 1+-+-+-+-0
and a final (on the 11th of June) xabcdefghy
Official website
White's idea is simple: to play ¦a6,
then a4-a5, ¦a6-g6+ and a5-a6. Then
Endgame Lessons the white rook will protect both a6
by GM Alex Baburin and g4, enabling the white king to
advance to the queenside.
Every big tournament produces a lot 50...¢f6 51.¦f5+ ¢e6 52.a5 ¦a1
of valuable study material and today 53.¦b5 ¢f6 54.¢f3
I'd like to show a few rook endings Or 54.¦b6+ ¢g5 55.¦g6+ ¢f4 56.a6.
which caught my attention in Turin. 54...¦a3+ 55.¢e4 ¦a4+ 56.¢d5
¦xg4 57.¢c6 (D)
This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor Graham Brown
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CT-158(2039) Page 1 of 3
 XIIIIIIIIY familiar idea - White wants to play
8-+-+-+-+0{ Rb5 and then keep both pawns
7+-+-+-+-0 defended by the rook, freeing his
6-+K+-mk-zp0 king.
5zPR+-+-+P0 65...¦a5 66.¦b4 ¢g6 67.¦e4 ¦a6
68.¢g3 ¦b6 69.a5 ¦b3+ 70.¢h4
4-+-+-+r+0 ¦a3 71.¦e6+ ¢g7 72.¦a6 ¦b3
3+-+-+-+-0 73.¢h5 ¦b7 74.¦b6 1–0
2-+-+-+-+0
1+-+-+-+-0 Alas, when given a chance to use the
xabcdefghy same technique, I messed it up:

57...¢e6 58.a6 ¦c4+ 59.¢b7 ¢d7 Baburin (2519) - David (2580)

60.a7 ¦c7+ 61.¢a6 1–0 Ol Turin, 29.05.2006
XIIIIIIIIY
Here is another example of the same 8-+-+-+-+0
winning method, when the attacker's 7+-+-+-+-0
rook protects both pawns at the same 6p+-+-zpk+0
time: 5+-+-+-+-0
Graf (2592) - Rublevsky (2687)
4P+R+-+K+0
OLTurin (3), 23.05.2006 3+-+-+PzP-0
2-+-+-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 1tr-+-+-+-0}
8-+-+-+-+0 xabcdefghy
7+-+-+-+-0
6-+-+-+-+0 Here, compared to the Graf-
5zpr+-+kzp-0 Rublevsky game, the defender has an
easier life: his rook is active and his
4R+-+-+-+0 pawns are harder to attack. Still, with
3zP-+-+PzP-0 correct play White should be able to
2-+-+-+K+0 win, though I failed to do so.
1+-+-+-+-0} 49.¢f4 I also considered another
xabcdefghy plan: 49.f4 ¦a3 50.f5+ I had only 2-3
minutes here and my opponent had
Without the a-pawns the even less, so we did not see
endgame would be an easy draw. all the nuances of this
But their presence changes position. This is what we
everything: the Black rook is established in the post-
tied down to the a5-pawn and mortem: 50...¢h6 51.¢h4
cannot help enough in defence. ¦a1! 52.¦c6 (52.¦g4??
53.¢h3! ¦c5 54.¦d4 ¦c3 ¦h1#) 52...¦xa4+ 53.g4
Black is also doomed after ¢g7 54.¦c7+ ¢g8 55.¢h5
54...¦b5 55.a4 ¦c5 56.¦d6 ¢e5 White is ready to sacrifice the
57.¦b6 ¢f5 58.¦a6! ¦d5 59.¦c6!. But g-pawn and then use the enemy
perhaps Black should have tried that pawn as a shield. But Black can
line anyway. 59...¦e5 (59...¢e5 fight this plan: 55...¦f4! 56.¦c6
60.¢g4 ¦d4+ 61.¢xg5 ¦xa4 62.f4+ ¢g7 57.¦xa6 ¢f7=.
¢d5 63.¦a6+-) 60.g4+ ¢f4 61.¦f6+ 49...¦a2! The best position
¢e3 62.¦f5. for the rook, as it attacks the
55.¦d5+ ¢e6 56.¦xg5 ¦xf3 a-pawn and is ready to
After 56...¦xa3 57.¢g4 a4 58.¦a5 attack the other pawns.
two connected passed pawns 50.g4 ¦a3 51.¢e4 ¦b3
will easily prevail. 57.¦xa5 52.f4 ¦g3 (D)
¢f7 58.¢g4 ¦c3 59.¢f4
¢g6 60.¦a6+ ¢g7 61.g4
¦c4+ 62.¢g5 ¦c5+ 63.¢h4
¦d5 64.a4 ¦c5 65.¦b6! The
This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor Graham Brown
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CT-158(2039) Page 2 of 3
 XIIIIIIIIY Solution to our quiz:
8-+-+-+-+0
7+-+-+-+-0 Capablanca - Lilienthal
6p+-+-zpk+0 Moscow 1936
5+-+-+-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
4P+R+KzPP+0 8-+-+k+-+0
3+-+-+-tr-0 7trp+-+pzpl0
2-+-+-+-+0 6-snp+p+-zp0
1+-+-+-+-0} 5sN-+-+-+-0
xabcdefghy 4-zPP+-+-+0
3+-+-+-zP-0
53.f5+? 2-+-+PzPLzP0
This where I missed the win. After 1+-+R+-mK-0}
53.¦c6! ¦xg4 54.¦xa6 ¦g1 55.¦b6 xabcdefghy
¦e1+ (55...¦a1 56.¦b4 ¦d1 57.¦d4
¦c1 58.¢d5 ¢f5 59.¦c4) 56.¢d5 ¦d1+ 35.¤xb7! ¦xb7 36.¥xc6+ ¦d7
57.¢c6 ( or 57.¢c5 ¦c1+ 58.¢b5 ¢f5 37.c5 ¢e7 38.¥xd7 ¤xd7 39.c6+-
59.a5 ¢xf4 60.¦xf6+ ¢e5+-) 57...¦d4 ¤b6 40.c7 ¥f5 41.¦d8 e5 42.¦b8
58.a5 ¦xf4 59.a6 (D) ¤c8 43.b5 ¢d6 44.b6 ¤e7 45.¦f8
XIIIIIIIIY ¥c8 46.¦xf7 ¤d5 47.¦xg7 ¤xb6
8-+-+-+-+0{ 48.¦h7 ¤d5 49.¦xh6+ ¢xc7 50.e4
7+-+-+-+-0 ¤e7 51.f3 ¢d7 52.h4 ¢e8 53.¦f6
6PtRK+-zpk+0 ¤g8 54.¦c6 1–0
5+-+-+-+-0
4-+-+-tr-+0 Contact information. Have some comments
3+-+-+-+-0 about Chess Today? E-mail us - we appreciate
2-+-+-+-+0 your feedback! Chess Today is published by
1+-+-+-+-0 Alexander Baburin, 3 Eagle Hill, Blackrock, Co.
Dublin, Ireland. Tel: (353-1) 278-2276. Fax: (353-
xabcdefghy 1) 283-6839. E-mail: ababurin@iol.ie Website:
http://www.chesstoday.net Editors: GMs Baburin,
The black king is badly placed and Scherbakov and Golubev; IMs Barsky, Notkin and
Vlassov. Technical editors: Graham Brown and
this decides the game after 59...¦a4 Ralph Marconi.
60.¢b7 ¢f5 61.a7 ¦xa7+ 62.¢xa7 ¢e5
63.¢a6 f5 64.¢b5+-. Chess Today is copyright 2000-2006 by Alexander
Baburin and protected intellectual property under
53...¢g5 54.¢d5 a5! the International Copyright convention. Subscribers
Of course, not 54...¦xg4? 55.¦xg4+ are allowed to non-commercially distribute copies
¢xg4 56.¢e6 ¢g5 57.a5+-. After the of Chess Today at their chess club, chess
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from victory, but his winning chances (reproduction, via print, electronic format, or in any
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strictly prohibited without express written
55.¢e6 ¦e3+ 56.¢f7 ¦g3 57.¦d4 permission.
¦g1 58.¢e6 ¦e1+ 59.¢d6 ¦g1
60.¢e7 ¦e1+ 61.¢f7 ¦g1 62.¦e4
¦g3 63.¢g7 ¦g1 64.¦c4 ¦g3
65.¦c6 ¦xg4 66.¦xf6 ¦f4 67.¦b6
½–½

More practical endgames are to

follow – stay tuned!

This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor Graham Brown

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CT-158(2039) Page 3 of 3