Thomas Engqvist makes this point in 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018) with several examples. First is Duras,O. -- Nimzowitsch,A., San Sebastian 1912.
Black to move
Nimzowitsch tried to make his opponent tired and careless by doing nothing. As a matter of fact there is nothing Black can do. By playing in this "innocent" manner Nimzowitsch managed to fool his opponent. (230-231)After 24 moves of seemingly pointless shuffling, the players reached this position.
Black to move
Engqvist adds Flohr,S. -- Vidmar,M., Nottingham 1936, where he notes, "In practice it's not easy to defend these kinds of endings and even famous masters and grandmasters make mistakes that eventually lead to a loss" (238). Vidmar resigned 16 moves after his critical error.
Then, in Chigorin,M. -- Tarrasch,S., Budapest 1896, Tarrasch offered a draw in this position.
White to move
After 30.Kf4 Kf8 31.f3 Kg8 32.Ra7 Kf8 33.g4 hxg4 34.fxg4
Black to move
34...Kg8 was necessary. Engines need considerable search depth to perceive the error here, but Chigorin appeared to understand the moment.
35.Kf5 Rf1+ 36.Kg6 Rf4 37.g5 fxg5 38.hxg5
In this position, I recognized that White will be able to reach a Lucena position, although that took another ten moves.
My own insistence on playing on when there is the sliver of a chance of eventual victory developed as a consequence of reading Jacob Aagaard, Excelling at Technical Chess (2004) almost twenty years ago. Yesterday, I faced an opponent in online play who pressed when he had a slight edge in a technically drawn ending. I erred. He missed his chance. And then, he took the game almost to stalemate, even offering me opportunities to fall apart in an elementary pawn ending.
White to move
Stripes,J. -- Johnson,F. [A04]
Live Chess Chess.com, 19.02.2025
28.Ra1!= Rxa1 29.Rxa1 Ra8 30.Ke3?!
An inaccuracy
30.Ra6 Rb8 31.Rxa7 Rxb3 32.Rxe7 Rc3 33.Re8+ Kg7 34.Rd8 Rxc4 35.Rxd6=
30...Kf8 31.Ra6 c5
31...Rb8 32.Ra3 a5 33.Kf4 would be more difficult for White.
White to move
32.d5?
32.dxc5 dxc5 33.Kd3=
32...Ke8
32...f5 should win.
33.Kd3 Kd7 34.Kc3
34.g4 is White's best chance. It seems that both of us missed the strength of f7-f5.
34...e6?
34...f5!
I have survived my first error and the game is again drawn with best play.
35.e4 f5 36.dxe6+ Kxe6 37.exf5+ gxf5
White to move
38.Kd3??
38.b4= cxb4+ 39.Kxb4 Rb8+ 40.Kc3 Rg8! 41.c5! Rxg3+ 42.Kd2 Ke5 43.cxd6 Rg7 44.Ke3 Rd7 45.Kf3
38.h5!=
38...h5-+ 39.Ke3 Ke5 40.Ra5
Black to move
40... a6??
Spoils the win.
40...Rb8-+ 41.Ra3 a5
40...Rg8-+
41.b4!=
The rest of the game was played well by both sides and a draw was the appropriate result. I never had winning chances, but there were opportunities for me to go wrong, so my opponent pressed.
41...Rc8 42.bxc5 Rxc5 43.Rxa6 Rxc4 44.Ra5+ d5
Spoils the win.
40...Rb8-+ 41.Ra3 a5
40...Rg8-+
41.b4!=
The rest of the game was played well by both sides and a draw was the appropriate result. I never had winning chances, but there were opportunities for me to go wrong, so my opponent pressed.
41...Rc8 42.bxc5 Rxc5 43.Rxa6 Rxc4 44.Ra5+ d5
White to move
45.Ra8 Rc3+ 46.Kf2 d4 47.Re8+ Kd5 48.Rf8 Ke4
White to move
49.Re8+ Kd5 50.Rf8 Ke5 51.Re8+ Kf6 52.Rh8 Kg6 53.Rg8+ Kf7 54.Rg5 Kf6 55.Rxh5 Rc2+ 56.Kf3 d3 57.Rh6+ Ke5 58.Rh8 d2 59.Rd8 Rc3+
White to move
60.Ke2 Rxg3 61.Rxd2
61.Kxd2 f4 62.Re8+ Kf5 63.Ke2=
61...Rg2+ 62.Ke1 Rxd2 63.Kxd2
And now, in a drawn pawn ending, my opponent goes to remove my pawn, and then makes me show that I know where to place my king.
63...Kf4 64.Ke2 Kg4 65.h5 Kxh5 66.Kf3 Kg5 67.Kg3 f4+ 68.Kf3 Kf5 69.Kf2 Ke5 70.Kf3 Kf5 71.Kf2 Ke4 72.Ke2 f3+ 73.Kf2 Kf4 74.Kf1 Ke3 75.Ke1 Ke4 76.Kf2 Kf4 77.Kf1 Kg4 78.Kf2 Kf4 Game drawn by repetition ½-½
Having lost all four prior encounters against Atlanta coach and chess expert Frank Johnson, I'm very happy with the draw. My work on rook endings with Engqvist's book and Jesus de la Villa, 100 Endgames You Must Know, 4th. ed. (2015) made a difference in navigating difficulties, but did not prevent all errors.
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