FIDE September - Dejan Bojkov

 

Dejan Bojkov: Endgame Mastery- Improve Everything that You Have

You haveprinciple definitely"Do heard t he fundamental endgame notthe hurry" hurry " many times in your chess career. I know people who take this advise literally and start  playing fast and careless at the last phase of the game. while it is true tr ue that with the new time control we have very little time t ime left to find all the subtleties subt leties in the endgames we have, it is also true tr ue that the Classics meant something different when they formulated this principle. The hidden wisdom in these words is- do not rush to force matters before you are ready, before you have improved everything that you have. Let us take a look at a very simple study example from A. Panchenko:

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9z pp+ z pk+ 0 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 9Pz P + K m z P0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy White has an outside passer on h2 and this advantage is good enough for the win. The winning process can be separated into three parts. 1 - first of all we must improve the position of the king and to get ready to attack the black pawns. 1.Ke3! Actually, Panchenko reverses the   phases the a6 plan and Kf6 suggests suggests instead 1.b4 b5in2.a3 3.Ke3 4.Ke4 e6, which FIDE Surveys – Dejan Bojkov

leads to transposition. tr ansposition. For methodological reasons I prefer to switch the phases as the activity of the king is of major importance. 1...Kf6 2.Ke4 e6

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9z p+ p++pm +k++0 0 9pp+ 9+ + + + 0 9 + +K+ +0 9+ + + + 0 9Pz P + + z P0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy The king is optimally placed. Part two comes next: before deflecting the king with our outside passed pawn, it is always useful to improve the pawns on the other side of the board, in order to be closer to the promoting rank. 3.b4! b5 4.a3 a6 

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 9p+ +pm k +0 9+p+ + + 0 9 P z +K+ +0 9z P + + + 0 9 + + + z P0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy 3 - finally, when all the preparations preparat ions are done, we push the outside passer, deflect the opponent's king, and win all the black  pawns. 5.h4! Kg6 6.Ke5 Kh5 7.Ke6 Kh4 8.Kd5+ –  1:0.  1:0. Simple and effective play. However, a lot of my students ask me the very reasonable 1

 

question- why could not White simply  phase two and start advancing the h pawn pawn instead:

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9z pp+ + + 0 pp+ 9 + +pm k +0 9+ + + + 0 9 + +K+ +0 9+ + + + 0 9Pz P + + z P0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy Indeed, the move 2.h4 (Instead of the move 2.b4!), wins after 2...Kf7 3.h5 Kf6 4.h6 Kg6 5.Ke5 Kh6 6.Ke6 Kg5 7.Kd7 Kf4 8.Kc7 b5 9.Kb7 b4 10.Ka7 Ke3 11.Kb6 Kd3 12.Kb5 Kc2 13.Kb4 The white king comes just in time. 1:0.

it would not hurt if we improve everything that we have to the maximum. How important the endgame habits are demonstrates the following rapid game from the World Cup in Baku: Jakovenko D. : Amin B. Baku 2015

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 9p+pm K + +0 9+ L v + + 0 9 + + + +0 9z P n s z P m k 0 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy

However, it will be fundamentally wrong to teach the students play this way. If we compare the two lines, we shall see, see , that in the second one White won the game for  just one tempo. One tempo tempo means the world in the endgame, very often this is the thin difference between a draw and a win w in

This was the second rapid game and after a draw in the first one Amin has to fight for his life. The white king is ready to grab the t he last black pawns and the bishop is clearly superior to the knight. In time trouble, the Egyptian GM made the most obvious move: 66...Kf3? But this failed to activate everything that he had. The study-like draw could have  been achieved with 66...a5! One good good

(and sometimes even a loss and a win). w in). Further on, White had to be very precise in his/her calculation and this is not always  possible at the end of a long, exhausting exhausting game with little time left on the clock. Take into an account the fact that t hat we had a relatively simple pawn endgame, this t his could have easily have been a complicated rook one instead. Most importantly, if we have chosen the second way- we did not learn the  fundamental chess habit of limiting the chances of the opponent . Just check once more the position after move two by Black- can he do anything? Of course not, they are doomed to passive defense. Then,

think about this move is that t hat the pawn marches to a light square, where the bishop cannot take it. Another - it improves its absolute power by getting closer to the t he  promotional square. Black survives after after 67.Kc6 a4 … with two possible lines: 1) 68.Bb4 Nd1 69.e4 Kf4 70.Kd5 Ne3 71.Kd4 Nc2 72.Kd3 Nb4 73.ab4 a3! and once again it is the energy in this pawn that saves the day, after a fter 74.Kc2 Ke4 75.Kb3 Kd5 76.Ka3 Kc6=. 2) 68.Bd4 Nb1 69.e4 Na3 70.e5 Nc2 71.Bc5 Kf4! to force the white pawn into a fork. 72.e6 a3 73.Ba3 (73.e7 a2 74.e8Q a1Q=) 73...Nd4=. 67.Kc6 a5 68.Bd4 Nb1 69.a4!

FIDE Surveys – Dejan Bojkov

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XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 9 +K+ + +0 9z p + + + 0 9P++L vz 9+ P+ Pk+ k++0 0 9 + + + +0 9+n+ + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy  Now the black pawn got got fixed on a dark square and will be inevitably lost. 69...Nd2 70.Kb5 Nb3 71.Kc4 Nd2 72.Kd3 Ne4 73.Bb6 Nf2 74.Kd4 Nd1 75.e4 Nc3 76.Kc3 Ke4 77.Kc4 Ke5 78.Kc5 Ke6 79.Kc6 1:0. It would not be fair to blame the t he extremely talented Basem Amin for not finding the study-like draw in time trouble, in a game with enormous psychological pressure, but I have the feeling that if he had build these t hese fundamental endgame habits in his young young days things would have ended differently. A similar mistake was seen in another crucial game from the ladies' World Cup. This time things ended well for the "impatient" person:

active rook. It is one of those positions about which we say that the chances for a draw and White's win are 50 –  50  –  50.  50. In order to crack Black's stubborn defense Cramling needs to use every little tool t ool she has. 37.Kg3 Kd8 38.f3? Too early. The do-not-rush (improveeverything -that-you-have principle is violated). Black had nowhere to go and the move 38.h4!

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + m k + +0 9+p+ +p+ 0 9 + t r + z p0 p0 9z P t Rp+ p Rp+ z 0 9 + z Pp+Pz Pp+Pz P0 P0 9+ + z P m K 0 9 ++++z P++0 9+ 0 xiiiiiiiiy

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + + +0 9+p+k+pz p 0 9 + t r + z p0 p0 9z P t Rp+ + 0 Rp+ 9 + z Pp+P+0 Pp+P+0 9+ + z P +P0 9 + + z PK+0 PK+0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy

was the right thing to do. If Black now captures that pawn 38...gh4? 38...gh4? (Thus, Black will have to wait with somehting like 38...Kd7, but then 39.h5! is the little improvement that tips the scales into White's favour.) 39.Kh4, then the white king will get an access to the t he kingside and this should be enough for the full point. For example: 39...Kd7 40.Kg3 Kd8 41.Kf4 Rf6 42.Ke5 Rf2 43.Rd5 Kc8 44.Ke4+ – . 38...ef3 39.Kf3 Kd7 40.Kg3 Kd8 41.Kf2 Kd7 For a while Cramling maneuvers trying to find an improvement. 42.Ke2 Kd8 43.Kd2 Kd7 44.Kd3 Kd8 45.Ke2 Kd7 46.Kf1 Kd8 47.Kg2 Kd7 48.Kg3 Kd8 49.h4! Back to the right plan, but in a far less favourable situation. 49...Kd7? Pogonina returns the favor and the game transposes position that could have arisen after the correct 38.h4!

36...g5 White has a better pawn structure and more 

Instead she could have saved the game with 49...gh4! After 50.Kh4 Kd7 the

Cramling P. : Pogonina N. Sochi 2015

FIDE Surveys – Dejan Bojkov

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maximum White can get is a queen endgame with an extra pawn after: 51.Kh5 (In comparison to the t he winning line from above White does not win a pawn after 51.Kg3 Kd8 52.Kf4 Rf6 53.Ke5 Re6 54.Kd5 Re3.) 51...Kd8 52.Rb5 Kc7 53.Rb6 Rb6 54.ab6 Kb6 55.Kh6 Kc6 56.Kg7 b5 57.Kf7 b4 58.g5 b3 59.g6 b2 60.g7 b1Q 61.g8Q (Baburin)

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + + +Q+0 9+ + +K+ 0 9 +k+ + +0 9+ +p+ + 0 9 + P z + +0 9+ + z P + 0 9 + + + +0 9+q+ + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy  but this is an obvious draw after 61...Qf5=. 61...Qf5=. 50.h5!  Now White wins in the way she should had won twelve moves earlier. The pawn on h6 is a fixed target and the white pawn on h5 –   a potential deadly passer. 50...Kd8 51.Kf3 Kd7 52.Ke2! Activates the last piece to the maximum. 52...Kd8 53.Kd3 Kd7 54.Rb5 Kc7 55.e4 Breaks into the enemy camp. 55...de4 56.Ke4 Rf6 57.Rf5 Re6 58.Kd5 Rd6 59.Kc4 f6 60.Rb5 Re6 61.Kd5 Re3 62.Rb6 Rf3 63.Ke6 Rf4 64.d5 Re4 65.Kf6 Rg4 66.d6 Kc8 67.Kg6 Also good was 67.d7 Kd7 68.Rb7 Kd6 69.Kg6 Ra4 70.Kh6 Ra5 71.Kg6+ –   (Baburin). 67...Rg1 67...Rd4 68.Kh6 g4 69.Rb3!+ – . 68.Kh6 g4 69.Kg7 g3 70.h6 Rh1 71.Rb2 Rh4 72.h7 Rg4 73.Kf6 Rh4 74.Kg6 Kd7 75.Rb7 Kd6 76.Rb1 Ke5 77.a6 g2 78.Rg1 Rg4 79.Kh5 1:0. 

FIDE Surveys – Dejan Bojkov

In order to avoid mistakes like the ones that we saw in these two t wo games, I suggest to my students to follow a very simple three step routine when playing p laying in the endgames: The three steps that we follow are: 1) Look at the activity of the pieces. 2) Look at the activity of the kings. 3) Look at the pawn structure. One should follow it in precise order as the  pieces have the most energy left in them, them, then come kings and finally-pawns. Let us check a modal game by a great master: Granda Zuniga J. : Fier A. Baku 2015

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+ + + +0 9+p+ +pm kp0 kp0 9 +l+ z p +0 9+ L v +L+ 0 9 +n+P+ +0 9z P P z + P z 0 9 + + + z P0 9+ +R+ m K 0 xiiiiiiiiy White is a pawn up and has the advantage of the bishop pair. However, his pawns are not ideal (four pawn islands and three isolated pawns). On the top of that Black has a good chance to build successful  blockade. In order to win Granda Granda needs to improve everything that he has and ruin the  blockade. 38.Kf2 h6 39.Bb4 b5 40.Bc5 Be8 41.g4 White made a lot of progress, activated his  pieces and now the king. king. 41...Bc6 42.Kg3 Re8 43.Kf4 Re5 44.Bb4 Re8 45.h4 Ne5 46.Rd6 Ba8 All the pieces are wonderfully placed but there is time for one more improvement: 47.h5!

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XIIIIIIIIY 9l+ +r+ +0 9+ + +pm k 0 9 + R t z p z p0 9+p+ s nL+P0 9 L v +Pm KP+0 KP+0 9z P P z + + 0 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy The signature of the great master. There T here will be no annoying checks on g6, the t he  black king will be in constant constant danger (if the black rook leaves the back rank, the white one will occupy it and Bb4 – f8 f8 would  prove deadly) and the pawn itself itself is increasing its energy. 47...Nc4 48.Ra6 Nd2 49.Bc5  Not bad was 49.Rb6 49.Rb6 Ne4 50.Bd7 Rd8 51.Bb5+ – . 49...Be4 49...Ne4? 50.Ra8. 50.Bd4 Bf5 51.Bf6 Kh7 52.Kf5

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + +r+ +0 9+ + +p+k0 9R+ + v L z p0 9+p+ +K+P0 9 + + +P+0 9z P P z + + 0 9 + n s + +0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy

The most convincing win. White plays p lays for an attack. 56...hg5 57.Kg5 Na3 58.Kh6 With the idea Rd7 – d d5 5 – g5. g5. 58...Kf8 59.Kh7 Re6 60.Rd8 Re8 61.Re8 Ke8 62.Kg8

XIIIIIIIIY 9 + +k+K+0 9+ + +p+ 0 9 + + v L +0 9+p+ + +P0 9 + + + +0 9s n P z + + 0 9 + + + +0 9+ + + + 0 xiiiiiiiiy The h pawn decided the game. 1:0. Improving everything that you have is one of the most fundamental chess principles. The team play is needed when you have sixteen chess units on o n the board which need to prove superior to other sixteen. In the endgame, things become more vivid as every little tempo counts. Thus, do not forget to check if there is something little left to improve before you go for decisive actions.

A pair of pawn were traded but the most important achievement for White is that he  broke the blockade. His pieces pieces are dominating. 52...Nc4 53.Kf4 Ne3 54.Rd6 Nc4 55.Rd7 Kg8 56.g5  FIDE Surveys – Dejan Bojkov

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