Think Like a Super-GM

I watched an excessively long video on YouTube concerning the best puzzle books. Nonetheless, the long discussion was often interesting. Most of the books highlighted are useful for masters, but less likely to benefit lower rated players. But there were some, such as the Polgar brick, that also earned accolades.

One of the top choices has proven difficult for strong players, but has improved their game. It reminded me of Jeremy Silman, The Amateur’s Mind because the thoughts of players at different levels were recorded, presented, and evaluated. 

That book is Michael Adams, and Philip Hurtado, Think Like a Super-GM (2022). I ordered it Thursday morning, it arrived Thursday evening, and I took it with me on a weekend trip to Montana. I did the first exercise while eating breakfast.

I found the key move, but my analysis needs to go deeper to reach a correct evaluation.

Working through Dvoretsky

Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual by Mark Dvoretsky, and now revised by Karsten Mūller, is reputed to be too difficult for most players below master. I was a C-Class player (~1500 USCF) when I bought and started studying the first edition of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (2003) the year after it came out. Several years later, perhaps about the time that I became A-Class (above 1800), I created cards for reviewing and training pawn endings--all of the blue diagrams in the first chapter. I would be lying if I claimed that I can instantly play correctly all 48 positions despite many hours with these cards, the print copy of the first edition, and the e-book edition of the second edition. However, I do know well at least 75% of these positions and this knowledge has served me well in many games.

I also created similar cards for the first 24 blue diagrams in the rook endgame chapter. These cards served as prompts for some endgame lessons with some young chess students during the spring break chess camp earlier this month (see "Stockfish's Curve Ball"). My difficulty with some of the positions convinced me that it was time to revisit the rook chapter of Dvoretsky's Endgamne Manual. 

I do not disagree with those who opine that the book is not aimed at players of my strength. However, I must insist that it depends on how you read. It might take me a month or longer to get through the 24 blue diagrams (now gray in the fifth edition [2020], the one revised by Mūller after Dvortsky's death). Some of my lessons with a student the past year had us working thorough all of the rook endings in Jesus de la Villa, 100 Endgames You Must Know, 4th ed. (2015) and then I worked through all the positions in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018)., which included a fair number of challenging rook endings. I believe that I'm ready for the advanced work in Dvoretsky.

I do not expect to get through the entire chapter on rook endgames. For the time being, however, I am pushing through carefully and slowly. Some days I study one or two positions. I read Dvoretsky's analysis and then practice many of the positions against Stockfish. 

Tuesday, I worked on exercise 9/4. First, I studied the diagram. Then, I set it up on my iPad and studied it longer. The clock started when I made my first move.

Playing against an engine usually presents information that play against humans never reveals. The engine presents its evaluation of the position. 

Black to move

I first considered 1...Ra6, but saw that White would force an exchange of rooks or win my pawn for no cost and leave me in a hopeless position of passive defense against a passed f-pawn.

Then, I considered putting my rook behind the king or the pawn, but saw that would fail.

The key was understanding that my king needed to move to the short side.

1...Kf8!

At first Stockfish on the iPad gave the evaluation as 2.6, but that quickly dropped and after several seconds, settled at 0.1. I knew my move was correct.

2.Rb6 Ra1 3.Rxf6 Kg8

Short side is the only move that holds.

4.Re6 Kf8

Rg1+ is also okay. Occupation of the promotion square should be sought when possible, moving to the short side when forced by checks or mate threats.

5.Rb6 Rf1

Alternately, Black can play 5...Rg1+ 6.Kf6 Kg8

6.Rb8+ Ke7 7.Rb7+

The point of 5...Rf1 was that f6+ would be met with Rxf6+.

8.Rb2

Black to move

Matters remain critical: Black must hold the rook on the f-file, move the king to e7 again, or throw in a check that leads to a mate threat and then retreat to the short side.

8...Rf3 9.Rb8+ Kf8 10.Rb7+ Kf8 11.Rf7+ Kg8 12.Rg7+

Black to move

12...Kh8

This move holds, but the defense might be easier after 12...Kf8. For instance, 13.Rh7 Rg3+ 14.Kf6 Kg8

13.Re7 Rg3+

Only move.

14.Kf7 Ra3

Now, I was forced to return the rook to the long side.

15.Rc7 Ra1 16.Kg6

Black to move

16...Rg1+

Again, there was only one move that held.

17.Kf6 Ra1 18.Kf7

The pawn's advance can no longer be prevented, but it cannot yet advance far enough for victory.

18...Ra2 19.f6

Black to move

19...Kh7

This move was necessary with an important idea that is revealed in the next few moves.

20.Re7 Ra3 21.Rd7 Ra2 22.Ke6+

Black to move

22...Kg6

This move--a vital defensive resource--was only possible because of 19...Kh7. 22...Kh6 also holds, but I did not consider it as threatening the pawn should the king step away seems best.

22...Kg8 loses to a technique that is easy to learn. 23.Rd8+ Kh7 24.f7. With the rook controlling the promotion square, White's king deals with checks from the rear by marching towards Black's rook. When the checks run out, the pawn promotes.

23.Rd6 Re2 24.Kd5 Kf7

24...Rd2+ seems simpler.

25.Rd7+ Kxf6=

Exercise 9/5 proved more difficult. I needed quite a few take backs to find my way.

White to move

The position appears at least twice in ChessBase's Mega 2024. Dvoretsky references Rohde,M. -- Cramling,D., Innsbruck 1977, where Rohde was not successful in winning. 

Dvoretsky also mentions analysis of the position by Nikolay Kopaev. I am able to find this analysis in Harold van der Heijden's Endgame Study Database VI (2020), but not volume 5 of Comprehensive Chess Endings by Yuri Averbakh and Kopaev.

"White wins, but with some hard work," Dvoretsky writes (398).

Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual is indeed challenging, but it is not out of reach for a class player looking for instructive practice against the silicon beasts.

When preparation meets opportunity

The expression, "luck is when preparation meets opportunity", is often credited to Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BCE-65CE), but has not been sourced to any of his writings. Another version, credited to several golfers ("the harder I practice, the luckier I get") has been tracked by Quote Investigator, who finds the sentiment was around before any of the golfers credited had been born. The Yale Book of Quotations (2006), ed. Fred R. Shapiro offers, "Luck is the residue of design" from Sporting News (21 Feb. 1946), quoting baseball executive Branch Rickey.

Whatever, the origins of the phrase, the concept has merit. Yesterday, I faced the Budapest Gambit in a ten minute game after having spent part of Sunday reading Vassilios Kotronias, "Budapest Gambit: Repertoire for White" in Chess Informant 162, 49-59. Perhaps it was luck, then, that I was better prepared than my opponent.

Stripes,J. -- Internet Opponent (1459) [A52]
Live Chess Chess.com, 21.04.2025

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3

All so far as recommended by Vassilios Kotronias in Chess Informant 162. He offers another option at move 4 also, but Bf4 is his top choice.

Black to move

7...0-0?

Four games in CB Mega 2024

7...Qe7 is Black's normal move, which White meets with 8.Qd5 and possibly a slight advantage.

8.h3

Of course.

8...Nh6 9.e4

My move appears to be inaccurate. I considered 9.Qd2 Qe7 (I wanted to prevent 9...Nf5 but it can be met with 10.e4 [10.Nd4 is better 10...Ncxd4 11.cxd4] 10...Nh4 11.Nd4 Qe7 12.0-0-0+/=) 10.g4 d6 11.exd6 Qe4 12.dxc7 Qxc4 13.Bg2 Re8 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.0-0 Qe6 16.Rfe1 Qe7 17.Qxh6 Qf8 18.Qxf8+ Rxf8 1-0 Anand,V (2786) -- Boffman (1517) Anand Charity sim ICC INT 2007. 

9...Re8N

9...f6 10.exf6 Qxf6 11.Bxc7 Qxc3+ 12.Nd2 with a slight advantage for White.

White to move

10.Qd2

10.Bg5! was a missed opportunity 10...f6 11.exf6 Nf7 12.Bh4 and a clear advantage for White.

10...f6?!

10...d6 11.0-0-0! (11.Bd3? Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bxh6 gxh6=) 11...dxe5 12.Qxd8 Nxd8 13.Nxe5 f6 14.Nd3 and White is somewhat better.

11.Bxh6

This move struck me as better after 10...f6, but I could have played 11.c5!

11...gxh6 12.Qxh6

Black to move

12...fxe5

12...Nxe5 was Black's last chance to put up a struggle. 13.0-0-0 Nf7 14.Qh4

13.c5! Re6? 14.Bc4+- d5 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Bxe6+ Bxe6 17.Qxe6+ Kf8

White to move

18.0-0 Qe7 19.Qh6+ Qg7 20.Qxd6+ White won by resignation 1-0

Stockfish's Curve Ball

During chess camp last week in a session ambitiously called "advanced rook endgames", I had the students choose a position from a stack of cards that were face down. These cards have 24 endgame diagrams, some of which specify the side to move. One of those they chose, I had regarded as reasonably simple. I set it up in the Fritz GUI with Stockfish 16 loaded as the main engine, and we (the students with my guidance) played it against Stockfish.

The engine defied Dvoretsky, who wrote, "Black's rook must remain passive, staying on the eighth rank" (Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual. 5th ed. [2020], 161). I explained to the students what I recalled of Dvoretsky's explanation, and drew the arrows visible in the diagram.

White to move

From my lead, the students chose the first move well.

1.Rb7 Rd8 2.Rh7

Only after struggling against the engine's surprising response did we come to understand that 2.Rg7+ is better.

2...Rd6!

3.f7 is not possible. We tried 3.Rg7+ Kf8 4.Rh7 Kg8 and realized something else was needed.
3.Re7 Kf8 confused us, although it should not have.
After 3.Rb7 Rd8, we felt that our progress was still missing something.

After several trials and error, we found the correct idea.

3.Rg7+ Kf8 4.Ra7 Rd8 5.Rh7

Black to move

Now Black must allow either the skewer or f7+ followed by the skewer.

Playing several Lucena positions against Stockfish over the past few years, I've learned that the engine often diverges from the line given in the textbook. Often this complicates the solution and the human must solve a problem.

These curve balls are why computer training is valuable.

Remarkable King Pursuit

While exploring with a student some variations in a game with a dynamic imbalance yesterday, we came upon this position with Black to move.

At first it was surprising that the engine found the position equal. Then, we saw 34...Qa1+ 35.Kg2 f3+ 36.exf3 and Black forces stalemate with 36...Qg1+ (or h1).

Two lines needed more examination:

a) 35.Kh2 fxg3+ 36.Kxg3

Black to move

36...Qg1+ 37.Kf4 Qxf2+ 38.Ke5 and Black's queen should be able to continue checks until there is a repetition or the queen is captured by the king without blocking the bishop's control of h7 nor the rook's control of the g-file.

b) 36.Kxf3 Qh1+ 37.Kf4

Black to move

Here, Stockfish 16 favors 37...Qc1+, but I like the simple aesthetics of 37...Qf3+, which is easier to calculate. Two moves result in stalemate--capturing the queen with pawn or king. 38.Ke5 drops the rook and shifts the advantage to Black. That leaves 38.Kg5 and Black has a mate in two: stalemate, that is.

Clumsy

In an online game yesterday, I managed to trap my own queen. Nonetheless, I had compensation until I missed some things that should have been clear. Later, I dodged my opponent's forced draw with a losing move. Trouble begins at move 24.

Black to move

24...Rab8?

This move surrenders most of my advantage.

24...Qxd2+ 25.Kxd2 Bc6+-+

That I have been looking at discoveries in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions (2020) makes this oversight even more distressing.

25.Qxa7 Ne5?

25...Rxb2! 26.Rxd3 exd3 27.Qa3 Rc2 was a little more difficult to see, but I could have done more to find ways to use my greater piece activity and the vulnerability of the White king.

26.Rxd3 Nxd3+

White to move

27.Ke2?!

27.Kf1 Rxb2 is equal. White's apparent material superiority includes a rook with near zero prospects of deployment.

27...Rxb2 28.Kd1

28...Kf1 is better.

28...Nxf2+ 29.Kc1 30.Kd1-+

Black has a bishop and rook for the queen. White's rook remains on its starting square.

Black to move

Rxg2??=

I considered 30...Be8, but failed to see a clear way forward after 31.Qc7. It should not have been difficult to see 31...Nf2+ 32.Ke1 Rdd2 and checkmate should come soon.

30...f4 was an alternative to which I was oblivious. 31.h3 Be8 and now 32.Qc7 is met with a clear mate threat 32...fxe3! White must give up the queen.

31.Qc7 Rc8 32.Qxd7 Nf2+? 33.Ke1?

33.Kd2 gives White an advantage

33...Nd3

Here, I was sure that I could force a draw if necessary, but that is an illusion. However, my threats render it necessary for White to force a draw with checks by the queen.

34.Kf1 Rf2+ 35.Kg1 Rxc3

White to move

36.Qd5+ Kf8 37.Qd8+ Kf7 38.Qd7+ Kf8 39.Qd6+ Ke8??

Of course, surrendering to the repetition with either 39...Kg7 or 39...Kf7 was the correct course.

40.Qe6++-

Black to move

My king is forced to a dark square where the queen can fork my king and rook.

I could have resigned here, but played on as my opponent was behind on the clock. White's rook became active in the final assault on my king.

Lessons from the Dragonslayer

The Dragonslayer is Spokane's oldest youth chess tournament, dating back to the late-1990s. I have been coaching at the host school since 2011. The prior coach was my opponent in the game featured in the inaugural post for Chess Skills in November 2007.

The 2025 Dragonslayer was held yesterday. There were 36 players representing 17 teams.

Some observations:

New players made a difference. A newcomer playing his first tournament led four 4.0 finishers to take home the second place trophy. Two of the second place team's top scorers were playing their first event as well.

Time management made a difference. One player won on time with only two pawns against two queens, a rook, and at least another pawn.

Basic checkmate skills mattered. One game ended in stalemate when the player with the queen did not see the mate in one and moved the queen to the wrong square. Another player in time pressure missed a mate in one. One player who drew a difficult game where both players in time pressure missed chances, did not see a forced mate in two with Nf6+ followed by Rg8# (Arabian mate).

Endgame skills made a difference. There were dozens of pawn promotions, many preventable by the opponent. There were as many as three queens in the possession of one side in games that I witnessed.

Many of my students this next week will see some positions that I recall or was able to capture with my phone.

White to move

Here or a few moves later, White brought the knight to g5. Also over several moves Black's rook on f8 went back to its starting square, Black's queen went to c8, and an exchange of bishops left White's queen on e7 with a mate in one. Black won the game.

I was called to the board by a player who was offered a draw and wanted to know whether acceptance was obligatory. I said it was not, and with the material on the board, the offer could be considered rude. This was the position.

Black to move

Black played Qc7?? instead of Qh6#.

In the last game of the tournament to finish, one of my students missed an opportunity here (creating the position from memory, I reversed the colors).

White to move

Earlier is this game, they had this position (reconstructed from a photograph, hence the colors are correct).

Black to move

Readers, especially young chess players, are encouraged to consider how they would play these positions. Any comments left with suggestions will receive a response.

Fighting Spirit

As noted in a couple of recent posts,* I prefer to play on in seemingly equal positions. Yesterday, a player rated above 2000 was not having a good game against me and I won a piece through a fork. Later in the game, my own error allowed a fork that returned the material. Then the exchange of queens gave us an ending with two rooks each after only 28 moves. The game went on another 50 moves.

White to move

Stripes,J (1802) -- Internet Opponent (2011) [D09]
Live Chess Chess.com, 21.03.2025

29.Rxe3 Rf2 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Ree7

At this point, I knew that I could not lose and considered forcing a draw.

31...a5 32.Rg7+ Kf8 33.Rgf7+ Ke8 34.Rde7+ Kd8 35.Rd7+ Ke8 36.Rfe7+ Kf8

It may have been here that the first draw offer was made by my opponent. He made two.

White to move

37.Rxh7 Kg8 38.Rdg7+ Kf8

Here, I spent 90 seconds in a ten minute game considering whether I wanted to play on or force the draw, concluding that best play will result in a draw. Nonetheless, with better pawn structure, I risked very little playing on. Moreover, I could force the exchange of one set of rooks.

39.Rxg6 Rd8

Black threatens checkmate in one.

40.Rh8+ Kf7 41.Rxd8 Kxg6 42.Rd5

Black to move

42...Kh5??

Either Ra3 or Rb2 holds things equal.

43.h3?

My failure returns the game to equal. 43.h4 was the winning move.

43...a4?? 44.bxa4+- Rxa4 45.Rxc5 Ra1+ 46.Kg2 Ra2+ 47.Kf3 Ra3+

White to move

At this point, I was fairly certain that my position was winning, but spent another full minute finding the way to proceed.

48.Kf2 Ra2+ 49.Ke1 Rg2

White to move

On the second opportunity to take advantage of the pin, I saw it.

50.h4! Kg4

50...Rxg3 51.Rxg5+ Rxg5 52.hxg5 Kxg5 leads to a position where White must move to the left of the pawn to successfully gain control of the key squares. An example appears on the first page of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (2003).

51.Rxg5+

Two connected passed pawns with a rook leading them down the board are nearly always decisive.

51...Kf3 52.c5 Ke3 53.Kf1 Rf2+ 54.Kg1 Rc2 55.Rf5 Rc1+ 56.Kg2 Rc2+ 57.Kh3 Ke4

White to move

58.Rg5

Sensible would be 58.Rf8 Rxc5 59.Kg4 cutting Black's king off from the activity on the g- and h-files. The c-pawn is not important.

58...Kf3 59.Rd5 Rc1 60.Rd3+ Ke4 61.Rd8 Rxc5 62.Rf8 Rc7 63.h5 Rh7 64.Kh4 Ke5 65.g4 Ke6 66.g5 Ke7 67.Rf4

Black to move

67...Rf7

67...Ke6 at least forces me to show that I know what I'm doing. Offering the trade of rooks makes for a simple pawn ending, which the computer finds that I played perfectly. My opponent took the game all the way to checkmate.

68.Rxf7+ Kxf7 69.Kg4 Kg7 70.Kf5 Kh8 71.Kf6 Kg8 72.g6 Kh8 73.g7+ Kg8 74.h6 Kh7 75.Kf7 Kxh6 76.g8Q Kh5 77.Qg3 Kh6 78.Qh4# 1-0

*"Playing Drawn Endgames" and "Equal is not yet Drawn".