Chess Strategy

In Portisch/Sarkozi book “600 Endings” I found lots of studies by Seleznev, but his first name was not given. Internet search didn’t help either, perhaps it was pseudonym. He particularly liked to “play around” with checkmate motifs. Here are two of his compositions in Rook endings.

In this position there are no passers and white King is also quite far from the c-file and all the pawns. Playing to win in a Rook ending is unavailing, therefore white has to search for a way to transpose the game into good pawn ending. Note that despite of having doubled pawns, there is important tempi reserve for white later on.

The straightforward approach gives no fruitage, 1. Re2+ Kd5 2. Rxe5+ Kxe5 3. Kf3 Kf5! 4. c4 Ke5 and now threat of Ke5-d4 saves black after 5. c3 Kf5 which makes opposition, or 5. Ke3 Kf5 without progress because d4 is under black’s control.

Now Seleznev’s favorite motif comes to rescue. With the threat of mate, black King gets pushed one rank down, which is just enough for white to grab favorable opposition.

1. Rd1! Re6

It turns that white King is actually perfectly placed to help creating the net and take important squares away from the black Rook. 1…Rd5 is not possible because of 2. Re1+ and black had only two moves at disposal. The other is also losing, 1…c4 2. Re1+ Kd5 3. Rxe5 Kxe5, where black’s own pawn is occupying King’s desired square on c4 and white can take the longer way around, 4. Kg5! Ke4 5. Kf6 Ke3 6. Ke5 Kd2 7. Kd4 wins.

Now the Rooks exchange on e6 works perfectly for white.

2. Re1+ Kd5 3. c4+!

This important intermediate move takes d5 away from black King.

3…Kd6 4. Rxe6+ Kxe6 5. Kf4 Kf6 6. c3!

This is the important reserve mentioned at the beginning! Extra mobile pawn, even if doubled, is capable of winning decisive tempo. Black is now losing the opposition.

6…Ke6 7. Ke4 Kd6 8. Kf5 and white wins.

The next fine example shows how sometimes not even material advantage can help save the Rook endgame. Poorly placed black King will be determinative factor.

1. Kf7!

Immediately threatening Rxh6 mate.

1…Rxh5

1…Kh7 2. Rg7+ Kh8 3. Kg6 f3 4. Ra7 and there is no defence from Ra8.

2. Rg8+ Kh7 3. Rg7+ Kh8 4. Kg6!

After black Rook protected pawn on h6, white has to switch places - King goes to g6 and Rook threatens on the 8th rank. Black will try to deflect white King by sacrificing the Rook and use the earned time to promote pawn with check.

4…g4 5. Ra7 Rg5+ 6. Kxh6 g3 7. Kxg5

Rg5 was providing cover for the 8th rank and White has to take it before anything else.

7…g2 8. Ra1

Unfortunately, there is no time to escape with Kg7 because white will collect the pawn on f4.

8…f3 9. Kg6 f2 10. Ra8 mate

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