Surprising endgame

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gregorgysi
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu May 11, 2000 7:57 am

Surprising endgame

Post by gregorgysi » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:40 am

hobgoblin(2400) vs. gregorgysi (2519)

In my game (g1105202172) a dutch stonewall got into a lost position during the midgame.
It got interesting again after:

31...c5
Image

White is much better. His control over the f-file and his active pieces should prove this.
But it is not easy. I guess the best for White in the retrospective is 32. Rd6 but this should not be part of my analysis here, as most people, including me would blitz
32.Kg5?? here.
Image

What next? The g6 pawn is doomed or the 7-folder gets open and b7 is hanging.
Surrender?
Not yet.
Before a surrender you should always analyse forced lines.
Why not start with a check?
32...Rxe5+
Image

with the idea of:
33.dxe5 Rxe5+
34. Kh4 g5+
35. Kg3... (35. Kxh5 loses both rooks after gxf4+)
35.... gxf4
36. Rxf4

Image
and now black is clearly better.

But that was only a dream line for black.
White came up with the seamingly obvious:
33.dxe5 Rxe5+
34. Rf6f5 gxf5
35. Rxf5 Rxf5
36. Kxf5

Image

White's king is very active. He will eat up all pawns in the centre sooner or later.
Things like 36...d4 don't work. Simply because the e4 pawn is hanging.
But here the idea of a pawn breakthrough first came to my mind. (Much better players must have had this idea already around move 30, but not me)
Options for black?
So e4 must stay alive. Pawns must advance.
Try
36 ....c4!!
Image

The first pretty pawn breakthrough:
37. Ke5 a3!
Image
And either the a or the c-pawn will find it's way to the promotion.

But can't this plan be easily stopped by
38. a3!?
Image

No.
With the white king still one step too far away black has time to bring in reserves:
38....b5!!
39. Ke5 (what else?) b4
Image

and now
40.axb4 is followed by the same breakthrough we've seen above:
40. ... a3!

Image

So the only option left:
40. Kd4 c3!
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And now either the c-pawn (after almost all of white's legal moves) or (after 41. bxc3) the b-pawn will reach it's goal.

41. bxc3 bxa3
0-1

Image

The most surprising in this endgame is that 32.Kg5?? is already the gamechanger.
Black is already better (after 33.dxe5 Rxe5+ 34. Kh4 g5+) or even winning as played in the game.

energy
Posts: 167
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 1999 7:05 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
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Re: Surprising endgame

Post by energy » Sat Jan 24, 2015 12:45 am

That was very nice! Thanks for sharing it.
Nils

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