Applied Study: Lesson from a Youth Tournament

After spending parts of several days last week on a particular endgame offered in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018), it arose in a game that I was watching during a youth tournament yesterday. I attempted to take a photo of the position, but the student on the move made his move before I snapped the image.

Black to move

The image on my phone combined with my memory allowed me to set up the game on my iPad last night and play it out against Stockfish. I hope some students can learn something from this analysis. An exclamation  mark after a move indicates that the move played is best, or equal best, as measured by the shortest distance to checkmate.

As usual, the moves in bold are from my game against Stockfish. Other moves are suggested improvements.

1...Kg5!

1...Kf5 was played by the child 2.Rc5+ wins, but was not played. Eventually, Black was able to promote the g-pawn, forcing White's rook off the board.

2.Kg2 h4

I remembered this idea from Engqvist, but it is not the engine's top choice as it extends the distance to mate by three moves.

2...Rb4 is best.

3.Rd3 Rf5

3...Ra4

4.Rb3 Rc5

4...Rd5 is slightly more accurate.

5.Rb2

Black to move

5...Rc4

I considered but did not fully calculate 5...h3+ 6.Kg3 Rc3+ 7.Kh2 Kh4 8.Rb4 Rc2+ 9.Kh1.

6.Ra2 Kf4! 7.Rf2+ Ke3! 8.Rb2

Black to move

Rd4!

I'm hoping to exchange into an easy pawn ending.

9.Rb1 Rd2+! 10.Kg1 g3! 11.Rb3+ Rd3!

Six consecutive best moves are the result of book study and practice against the computer.

12.Rb8

Black to move

12...h3

My move is based on an idea in the book: threaten back-rank checkmate, but there was a faster way to accomplish this goal.

12...Kf3 13.Rf8+ Kg4 14.Rg8+ Kh3 15.Rf8 Rd1+ 16.Rf1 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Kh2.

13.Re8+ Kd4! 14.Rd8+ Kc3

14...Ke4 15.Re8+ Kf5

15.Rc8+ Kd2 16.Kf1

Black to move

16...Rf3+! 17.Kg1 Re3

17...h2+ 18.Kg2 Rf2+ 19.Kxg3 h1Q

18.Rd8+ Ke2! 19.Ra8 Rd3! 20.Re8+ Kf3!

The king marches toward the rook until it runs out of checks.

21.Rf8+ Kg4! 22.Rg8+ Kf5! 23.Kf1

Black to move

23...Ra3

23...h2

24.Rf8+ Kg6! 25.Rb8 g2+ 26.Kf2 Ra2+! 27.Kf3

Black to move

27...Kg7

27...g1Q?? 28.Rg8+ and a draw.
27...h2!

28.Rb7+ Kf8! 29.Rb8+ Ke7! 30.Rb7+ Kf6

30...Kd6

31.Rb6+ Ke5 32.Rb5+ Kd4! 33.Rb4+ Kc3! 34.Rb1

Black to move

34...h2! 35.Rc1+ Kd4

35...Kd2

36.Rd1+ Ke5!

Finding shelter behind White's king

37.Re1+ Kf5! 38.Re8 h1Q!

The rest should be easy.

39.Rf8+ Ke6! 40.Re8+ Kd7! 41.Kf4 Qh4+! 42.Kf3 Rf2+

42...Kxe8

43.Ke3 Qf4+

43...Kxe8 44.Kd3 g1Q

44.Kd3 Rd2+ 45.Kc3 Qd4+ 46.Kb3 Rb2+ 47.Ka3 Qb4#

Finishing with the queen and rook roll from Pandolfini's Endgame Course (1988), and excellent endgame resource by chess coach Bruce Pandolfini for young players.