Rook Endings - Books Say Draw, But…
Few months ago, my colleague journalist Ozgur Akman and I were reviewing the game Nana Dzagnidze - Natalia Zhukova, played on that day at the European Club Cup, and I still remember the amazement that Black had lost a Rook ending with three pawns against four on the same side.
Most of the chess books teach us that this ending should be drawn, although with careful play from the weaker side. Apparently, Zhukova did everything as advised, but then lost surprisingly easy in the subsequent ending with a pawn against two opponent’s. I tried to figure out what was happening and how could Black improve the play, and after consulting three endgame books plus some analysis, I am still unsure whether I know the answer.
The critical segment, together with few diagrams, is bellow. I think we should seek for improvements in both stages - four vs three and two vs one. Share your ideas and analysis.
