Do Something Useful

While looking at an exercise in Imagination in Chess (2004) with one of my students, a part of the solution given stuck in my memory and then entered my consciousness while playing a rook ending a week later. The exercise was an endgame position from Polovodin -- Ivanov,A., Leningrad 1988. Paata Gaprindashvili commented, "Polovodin makes a useful move, while his opponent is denied such a possibility" (179).

Stripes,James (1851) -- Internet Opponent (1880)
Live Chess Chess.com, 20.09.2019

White to move

23.f4?!

This move exposes my king--probably not a good decision

23.Rc8 Rbd7 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Rc6 h6 26.Rxa6 Rd5

23...Rbd7 24.b4 g6

24...Rd1+ 25.Rxd1 (25.Kg2 R8d2+ 26.Kh3 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Kf8) 25...Rxd1+ 26.Kf2 g5

25.R1c2 Rd4

25...Rd1+ 26.Kf2 R8d2+ 27.Kf3

26.a3 Rd3 27.R5c3

The game seems headed for a draw, but there are some things that can be tried.

Black to move

27...h5 28.Kg2 Kg7 29.Kf2 R8d7 30.Ke2

The king is a fighting piece. At this point, I felt that I could at least do something that offered my opponent problems or opportunities to go astray.

30...R3d4 31.h4

Black to move

31...Ra7?

And he went astray.

31...Re4+ 32.Re3 Red4 (32...Rdd4?? 33.Rxe4 Rxe4+ 34.Kd3 Re1 35.Kd4) 33.Rc6 Rd2+ 34.Kf3 Ra7

32.Ke3?

But I failed to capitalize on the error.

I could have played 32.Rc7 Rd7 33.Rxd7 Rxd7 34.Rc6 Ra7 35.Kd3

32...Rdd7 33.Rd3 Rxd3+ 34.Kxd3 a5 35.bxa5 Rxa5 36.Rc3 Ra4 37.Rb3

Black to move

37...Ra5?

Another error.

37...Kf8;
37...f6

38.Kc3?

Again, failing to capitalize. This move presents Black with a problem, but one that can be solved.

38.Kd4+-

38...f6?

38...Ra4 was the only move.

39.Kb4+-

Black to move

The fork is decisive.

39...Ra4+

39...Ra8 40.exf6+ Kxf6 41.Kxb5

40.Kxb5 Re4 41.exf6+ Kxf6 42.a4

It does not appear that Black has any way to stop this pawn. My game has become much simpler.

42...e5 43.fxe5+ Rxe5+ 44.Kc6 Kf5?

Black hastens the end by allowing a pin that forces rooks off the board.

White to move

45.Rb5 Rxb5 46.axb5 Kg4 47.b6 Kxg3 48.b7 Kxh4 49.b8Q

49.Kd5

49...g5 50.Qh2+

50.Kd5

50...Kg4 51.Kd5

51.Qe2+ Kh4 52.Kd5

51...h4 52.Ke4 Kh5 53.Kf5 g4 54.Qe2

54.Qb8 is a faster mate by one move.

1-0

Sometimes, it is helpful to simply keep playing chess in an equal position.