<p>Rook and minor piece endings are complicated to understand as many a time calculations alone cannot decide the game. Judgement gained from experience is vital and can be the deciding factor between victory and loss.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, White is better almost throughout the game but at a crucial juncture where Black could have equalised the game, he blunders with a wrong move by the King. What is perplexing is the fact that Black could have exchanged a piece and gained a pawn and in the process enhanced his drawing chances.<br />White: Zurab Sturua (2540) – Black: Anatoli Vaisser (2565)<br /><br />Yerevan, 1996<br />Dutch Defence<br />1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5<br />The Dutch Defence<br /> 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6<br />Here 5. ..dxc4 or 5. ..Nc6 is a good continuation<br />6.0–0 Bd6 7.b3<br />White can also play 7.Bg5<br />7. ..Qe7 8.Bb2 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nd2 0–0 11.Rc1 a5 12.e3 Na6 If 12...Ne4 13.Ndf3 Nd7<br />13.Qe2. If 13.Qc2 b5<br />13...a4. Black introduced a novelty here. If 13...Rac8 14.Rfd1 (14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Qb5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.Rfd1) 14...c5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Qb5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.Bxd5+ Bxd5 19.Qxa6 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxb6<br />14.bxa4. If 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Qb5 Nb4 16.Qxb6 Ba6 17.Rfd1 Rfb8<br />14...Bxe5. If 14...Nc7 15.Qd1 (15.cxd5 cxd5 16.Nc6 Qe8)<br />15.dxe5 Nd7 16.a5. Interesting move! If 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.Qb5 Nac5<br />16...Nac5. If 16...bxa5 17.Nb3 Nac5 18.Ba3 a4 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.cxd5<br />17.Nb3 Ba6. If 17...Nxb3 18.axb3 Rxa5<br />18.Rfd1 Bxc4<br />If 18...Nxb3 19.axb3 bxa5 20.Qd2<br />19.Rxc4. White sacrifices his rook for the bishop to get positional advantage<br />19. ..dxc4 20.Qxc4 Nxb3. If 20...bxa5 21.Ba3<br />21.axb3 Rxa5. If 21...bxa5 22.Qxc6 Rad8 23.Rd6 Nb8 (23...Rfe8 24.Rxe6 Qxe6 25.Bd5)<br />22.Qxc6 Nb8<br />If 22. ..Ra7 23.b4 And if 22...Nxe5 23.Qxb6 Qc5 24.Qxe6+ (24.Qxc5 Rxc5 25.Ba3 Rfc8 26.Bxc5 Rxc5 27.Bf1) 24...Nf7 25.Rd7 And if 22...Rd8 23.Rd6 Nf8 24.Qxb6 Rxd6 25.exd6 Qa7 26.Qc6<br />23.Qxb6 Ra6 24.Qb5 Qc7<br />Black can try out invading the seventh rank with 24. ..Ra2<br />25.Rc1 Rb6. If 25...Qd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7 27.Rc7 Nb8 28.Bd4<br />26.Qa4 Qd7 27.Bd4<br />If 27.Qxd7 Nxd7 28.Rc7 Rxb3<br />27...Qxa4 28.bxa4 Ra6 29.Rc4 Rf7. If 29...Nd7 30.Bb7 Ra5 31.Rc7 Nxe5 32.Bc3<br />30.Kf1. If 30.Rc8+ Rf8<br />30...g5 31.Ke2 Kg7. The Kings have started advancing to enter the warfare. If 31...f4 32.exf4 gxf4 33.g4 Kg7 34.Be4<br />32.Kd3 Nd7. If 32...f4 33.exf4 gxf4 34.Be4<br />33.Bb7. Not exactly the right continuation. Better is 33.f4<br />33...Ra5. Black should have considered 33. ..Nc5+ 34.Rxc5 Rxb7<br />34.Bc6. White makes a mistake. Correct continuation is 34.f4<br />Diagram 1<br />34...Kg6. A blunder? If 34...Nxe5+ 35.Kc3 Kf8 <br />35.Bb5 Ra8 36.Kc3 Rb8 37.Rc6 Re7 38.Kb4 Kf7 39.a5 Ra8 40.Rd6 Nb8 41.Bc4<br />If 41.a6 Nxa6+ 42.Bxa6 Rb8+ 43.Bb6 g4 44.Kc5 h5 45.Kc6<br />41...g4 42.Kb5 h5 43.Bb6 Nd7 44.Bd4 Rb8+ [44...Nb8]<br />45.Ka4 Nf8 46.a6 Rc7 47.Bb3 Ra8 48.Ka5 Rb8 49.Ba4 Ng6 50.Rd7+! Rxd7 51.Bxd7 Ne7 52.a7 Rd8 53.Bb5 Ra8 54.Ka6 Rd8 55.Kb7 Nd5 56.Ba4. If 56.a8Q Rxa8 57.Kxa8 Nc7+ 58.Kb7 Nxb5<br />56...Nb4 57.a8Q Rxa8<br />Black has to part with the rook<br />58.Kxa8 Nd3 59.e4 f4 60.Bb5 Ne1 61.Be2<br />1–0<br />Diagram 2<br />Black to play and win<br />1. .. Ng3+ 2.hxg3 Rf6 3.Rxf2 exf2 4.Qxa7 Rh6 checkmate<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Rook and minor piece endings are complicated to understand as many a time calculations alone cannot decide the game. Judgement gained from experience is vital and can be the deciding factor between victory and loss.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, White is better almost throughout the game but at a crucial juncture where Black could have equalised the game, he blunders with a wrong move by the King. What is perplexing is the fact that Black could have exchanged a piece and gained a pawn and in the process enhanced his drawing chances.<br />White: Zurab Sturua (2540) – Black: Anatoli Vaisser (2565)<br /><br />Yerevan, 1996<br />Dutch Defence<br />1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5<br />The Dutch Defence<br /> 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6<br />Here 5. ..dxc4 or 5. ..Nc6 is a good continuation<br />6.0–0 Bd6 7.b3<br />White can also play 7.Bg5<br />7. ..Qe7 8.Bb2 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nd2 0–0 11.Rc1 a5 12.e3 Na6 If 12...Ne4 13.Ndf3 Nd7<br />13.Qe2. If 13.Qc2 b5<br />13...a4. Black introduced a novelty here. If 13...Rac8 14.Rfd1 (14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Qb5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.Rfd1) 14...c5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Qb5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.Bxd5+ Bxd5 19.Qxa6 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxb6<br />14.bxa4. If 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Qb5 Nb4 16.Qxb6 Ba6 17.Rfd1 Rfb8<br />14...Bxe5. If 14...Nc7 15.Qd1 (15.cxd5 cxd5 16.Nc6 Qe8)<br />15.dxe5 Nd7 16.a5. Interesting move! If 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.Qb5 Nac5<br />16...Nac5. If 16...bxa5 17.Nb3 Nac5 18.Ba3 a4 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.cxd5<br />17.Nb3 Ba6. If 17...Nxb3 18.axb3 Rxa5<br />18.Rfd1 Bxc4<br />If 18...Nxb3 19.axb3 bxa5 20.Qd2<br />19.Rxc4. White sacrifices his rook for the bishop to get positional advantage<br />19. ..dxc4 20.Qxc4 Nxb3. If 20...bxa5 21.Ba3<br />21.axb3 Rxa5. If 21...bxa5 22.Qxc6 Rad8 23.Rd6 Nb8 (23...Rfe8 24.Rxe6 Qxe6 25.Bd5)<br />22.Qxc6 Nb8<br />If 22. ..Ra7 23.b4 And if 22...Nxe5 23.Qxb6 Qc5 24.Qxe6+ (24.Qxc5 Rxc5 25.Ba3 Rfc8 26.Bxc5 Rxc5 27.Bf1) 24...Nf7 25.Rd7 And if 22...Rd8 23.Rd6 Nf8 24.Qxb6 Rxd6 25.exd6 Qa7 26.Qc6<br />23.Qxb6 Ra6 24.Qb5 Qc7<br />Black can try out invading the seventh rank with 24. ..Ra2<br />25.Rc1 Rb6. If 25...Qd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7 27.Rc7 Nb8 28.Bd4<br />26.Qa4 Qd7 27.Bd4<br />If 27.Qxd7 Nxd7 28.Rc7 Rxb3<br />27...Qxa4 28.bxa4 Ra6 29.Rc4 Rf7. If 29...Nd7 30.Bb7 Ra5 31.Rc7 Nxe5 32.Bc3<br />30.Kf1. If 30.Rc8+ Rf8<br />30...g5 31.Ke2 Kg7. The Kings have started advancing to enter the warfare. If 31...f4 32.exf4 gxf4 33.g4 Kg7 34.Be4<br />32.Kd3 Nd7. If 32...f4 33.exf4 gxf4 34.Be4<br />33.Bb7. Not exactly the right continuation. Better is 33.f4<br />33...Ra5. Black should have considered 33. ..Nc5+ 34.Rxc5 Rxb7<br />34.Bc6. White makes a mistake. Correct continuation is 34.f4<br />Diagram 1<br />34...Kg6. A blunder? If 34...Nxe5+ 35.Kc3 Kf8 <br />35.Bb5 Ra8 36.Kc3 Rb8 37.Rc6 Re7 38.Kb4 Kf7 39.a5 Ra8 40.Rd6 Nb8 41.Bc4<br />If 41.a6 Nxa6+ 42.Bxa6 Rb8+ 43.Bb6 g4 44.Kc5 h5 45.Kc6<br />41...g4 42.Kb5 h5 43.Bb6 Nd7 44.Bd4 Rb8+ [44...Nb8]<br />45.Ka4 Nf8 46.a6 Rc7 47.Bb3 Ra8 48.Ka5 Rb8 49.Ba4 Ng6 50.Rd7+! Rxd7 51.Bxd7 Ne7 52.a7 Rd8 53.Bb5 Ra8 54.Ka6 Rd8 55.Kb7 Nd5 56.Ba4. If 56.a8Q Rxa8 57.Kxa8 Nc7+ 58.Kb7 Nxb5<br />56...Nb4 57.a8Q Rxa8<br />Black has to part with the rook<br />58.Kxa8 Nd3 59.e4 f4 60.Bb5 Ne1 61.Be2<br />1–0<br />Diagram 2<br />Black to play and win<br />1. .. Ng3+ 2.hxg3 Rf6 3.Rxf2 exf2 4.Qxa7 Rh6 checkmate<br /><br /><br /></p>
