A Technical Endgame
When I reached this position yesterday, I was about a minute behind on the clock in a game where I had difficulty getting an advantage against a much lower rated opponent. Only when he walked into a knight fork that gave him a choice of losing a bishop or the exchange did the game seem to be going my way. I had White.
White to move
31.Nxf4+! Bxf4
31...Kf6 32.Kb3 Nd1 33.Nd3 might have forced me to work harder.
32.Kxb2 Kf6 33.f3
While reviewing the game, I thought this move was an unnecessary loss of tempo. The pawn can move when g4 is attacked. Better, it seems to me was to create some threats with my rook. Even so, this is not so easy, For instance, 33.Rh8 b6 34.Rc8 c5 35.Ra8 a5 and I'm not sure how to proceed.
33...b6 34.Kb3 a5 35.Rh8 Ke7 36.Rc8 Kd7 37.Rf8 Ke7 38.Rg8 Kf6
White to move
39.Ka4
39.c5 b5 40.Rc8 seems better. I have been moving fast, too fast and still have 5 minutes remaining in a ten minute game.
39...Ke7 40.Rh8 Kd7 41.Rh5 Be3
39.c5 b5 40.Rc8 seems better. I have been moving fast, too fast and still have 5 minutes remaining in a ten minute game.
39...Ke7 40.Rh8 Kd7 41.Rh5 Be3
White to move
42.Rf5
42.c5! Bxc5 43.Rxc5 bxc5 creates a nice problem position.
White to move
 |
| Analysis diagram |
44.c4 (44.Kxa5??=).
42...Ke6 43.Rh5 f6 44.Rh8 Kd7 45.Rh7+ Kd6 46.Rf7 Bg5 47.f4 Bh4
White to move
48.f5?!
48.Rh7 Bg3 49.g5 b5+ 50.cxb5 cxb5+ 51.Kxa5 and White is making some progress.
48...Bg5
48...Kc5 49.Kb3
49.Rf8 Kd7 50.Rb8 Kc7 51.Re8 Kd7 52.Re6 Kc7
White to move
53.c5
It finally feels as though I am making some progress. I have 3:30 left and my opponent has 4:42.
53...bxc5
Black spent 19 seconds on this move.
54.Kxa5 Kd7 55.Kb6 c4 56.Rxc6 Be3+ 57.Kb7 Bg5 58.Rxc4 Kd6
White to move
59.Re4
My plan is to leave the c-pawn as a threat that must be stopped while the rook and king force Black's bishop and pawn off the board and one of my kingside pawns promotes. So, first, Black's king must be cut off.
59...Kd5 60.Re6 Kc4 61.Kc7 Kd5 62.Kd7 Kc5 63.Ke7 Kd5
My plan is to leave the c-pawn as a threat that must be stopped while the rook and king force Black's bishop and pawn off the board and one of my kingside pawns promotes. So, first, Black's king must be cut off.
59...Kd5 60.Re6 Kc4 61.Kc7 Kd5 62.Kd7 Kc5 63.Ke7 Kd5
White to move
64.Kf7 Bh4 65.Rxf6 Ke5 66.Rc6 Kf4 67.Rc4+ Kg5 68.Kg7 Bg3
White to move
69.Re4
The immediate f6 was possible because the pin is met by another pin. 69...Be5 70.Rc5.
69...Bd6 70.c4 Bc5 71.Kf7 Bb4 72.Rd4 Bc5 73.Rd5 Ba3 74.c5 Kxg4 75.c6 Black resigned 1–0
My play was less that perfect, but good enough.
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