Black to move. Is this a win or draw for Black? How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Important endgame improvement
About Author
Black to move. Is this a win or draw for Black? How should black proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
1…Kc3; 2 g4 Rd4! -+
Black should win this game.
My first instinct is clearly wrong, I can now see. I was absolutely convinced Kd3 was the move, but white can draw:
1. …..Kd3?
2. g4!
The only drawing move. There is no time to waste for white:
2. …..Rd1
Pretty sure nothing can win this now. 2. …Rd1 was the idea behind the first move by black. However, white can force a draw with his advanced pawn now. Continuing:
3. Rc2 Kc2
4. Ke4!
Again, another only move. A move like 4.g5 will lose to Rd4 as black cuts the white king off from supporting the advancing pawn, and black will have time to bring his king in for the kill- (white cannot push the pawn to the seventh rank in this line without losing it to a rook move the 8th rank followed by Rg8- the white king will be too far away to protect it; nor can white ever allow black to play Rg4 safely without dropping the pawn). Also, at move 4, white cannot play a move like Kf4: [4.Kf4? Kd3 5.Ke5 Rg1 6.Kf5 Kd4 7.g5 Kd5 8.Kf6 Kd6 9.g6 Rf1 10.Kg7 Ke6 11.Kh7 Rg1 12.g7 Kf7 wins the pawn as black had just enough time to get back and stop the pawn.] With 4.Ke4, white accomplishes two things- buys a tempo to keep the black king away, and prevents Rd4 so that the pawn can advance to the 5th rank:
4. …..Kc3
Here, Rg1 will be met by 5.Kf5 and if you count out the moves, black is one move behind than in the previous variation above and will not reach f7 in time to capture on g7/g8 as long as white doesn’t make the mistake of blocking his pawn with the king. Continuing:
5. g5! Kc4 (Rg1 6.Kf5=)
6. Ke5
Here, 6.g6 should be good for the draw, too. Continuing:
6. …..Rg1 (what else?)
7. Kf6! Kd5
8. g6! Rf1 (what else?)
9. Ke7!
A common motif in this ending. Death will follow if white plays 9.Kg7 which blocks the pawn for one move and allows the black king to attack: [9.Kg7?? Ke6 10.Kg7 Kf6 with Rg1 to follow]. With 9.Ke7, white keeps the black king away, and is threatening g7 followed by Kf7 to draw the game. Continuing:
9. …..Ke5
10.g7! Rg1
11.Kf7 Rf1
12.Ke7
Or Kg6, or Ke8. Only 12.Kg8 loses. White has his draw.
I will continue this in my next comment.
what i think…..it’s a draw.
In my previous comment, I showed that white obtains a draw if black plays 1. …Kd3. That move allows white to capture on c2 after white has played 2.g4, and also allows the white king to take d4 from the black rook. It isn’t immediately obvious how a move like 1. …Kc3 is going to be different, but it contains another threat that forces white’s hand a move earlier than he would like:
1. …..Kc3!!
2. g4
I will consider the alternatives later, but 2.g4 is the most relevant line:
2. …..Rd4!
The only winning move, I am pretty sure. Suddenly, the white king can’t make the transfer of his king to the 4th rank and beyond quickly enough, and the black king is still in position to force white to give up his rook. Continuing:
3. Kg3
Nothing can hold, but white’s only reasonable move is to bring his king around through h4 to get his king up the board, but this takes way too much time. Also, as I noted before, 3.g5 separates the pawn and king, and white’s king will never reattach himself to it and won’t be able to advance the pawn to the seventh rank without losing it to R8th rank followed by Rg8.
3. …..Kd2 (Kb2 ok too, I think)
4. Rf1
Gains a tempo over Rxc2, but not enough to hold:
4. …..c1(Q)
5. Rc1 Kc1
6. Kh4
This, or useless attack the rook with Kf3-Ke3, or push the pawn and lose all ability to get the king across the 4th rank. Continuing:
6. …..Kd2
7. Kh5
Shorter loss than Kg5, but even Kg5 can’t keep the black king away now:
7. …..Ke3
8. g5 Kf4 (Ke4 ok, too)
9. Kh6
On 9.Kg6, black wins immediately with Rd5 double attacking the pawn who can’t now move. On 9.g6, black just plays Kf5 and gets ahead of the white king. Continuing:
9. …..Kf5
10.g6 Rd6 pins and wins the doubly attacked pawn.
Now, did white have another defense at move 2? No. He could draw this if his pawn were already on the 3rd rank since he could then play the key move of Ke4, but with the pawn attacked on the 2nd rank, his king cannot play to e4 before g4 is played. So, the only other defense to consider is to attack the rook:
1. …..Kc3
2. Ke3 Rg2 (most direct win)
3. Kf3 Rd2 and there is no defense to Rd1.
I think 1…Kd3 black should be win
I think black wins wiyh 1…Kd3
I think black wins with 1…Kd3
OF course, the natural course is :
1……… Kd3
2. g4 Rd1
3. Rxc2 Kxc2
4. g5 when black must stop the pawn to win the game. I can’t make a mistake here, as I let go such a won ending, when I was a kid.
4…… Rd4!
5. g6
( 5. Ke3 Rg4!-+ )
5…… Rd6!
6. g7 Rg6
0-1
Haridaran,
4.Ke4! not 4.g5.
Kc3 is also a good move with Rd1 and kb2 to follow
1. .. Kc3 g4 Kb2 Rxc2 Kxc2 if g5 Rd4! ke3 then rg4 and g6 rd6 g7 rg6 wins so best try is kf4 after Kxc2
so Kc3 g4 Kb2 Rxc2 Kxc2 Kf4 Kd3 g5 kd4 rf2+ kg5 Ke5 g7 rg2+ Kh6 Kf6 and if g8q rh2 is mate and if g8=N+ rxg8 wins easily