This actually took place during the 3rd playoff game between Gelfand and Anand. Gelfand could have tied the match if he found the right continuation. What should white play here?
Source: ChessToday.net
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Missed opportunity R and P endgame
White could have won with 1.Kg3 Rh1 (If 1…Kd6 2.h7.) 2.Kg4 Kb7 3.Kg5 Rg1+ 4.Kf6 Rf1+ 5.Kg6 Rg1+ 6.Kh7 followed by Rg8-Kg7 and the pawn will queen.
Thanks for that Susan, I saw it also and was rather baffled that no one mentioned it, you are the first. I assume Gelfand thought he did not have enough time, so settled for the draw.
Kg3 would draw.
Kg3
Strange that I have not seen this game.
If black king had been one move furhter from a8 corner, this would be an instant win with h7 followed by either a R check, or after K in 7th rank, Ra8 would pin and catch rook.
As it is, black can allways meet this threat with Kb7, but so his king is also stuck where he is and can never attack white pawn.
Looks very much like a draw.
The only idea I can find here is:
Could that hole on h7 be useful to hide a king in?
If black rook can’t prevent it, and I don’t think it can, black king certainly can’t.
So I just bravely advance my king towards h7.
When there, I try to rotate rook and king:
Rg8, Rg7, Kg8, h7, h8
I have never seen something like this, but this should actually work?
Seems that Jagadish Dube has given the right line here (same as I suggested):
1.Kg3 Rh1 (If 1…Kd6 2.h7.)
2.Kg4 Kb7
3.Kg5 Rg1+
4.Kf6 Rf1+
5.Kg6 Rg1+
6.Kh7
and now I suppose white must further play:
7. Rg8
8. Rg6!
9. Kg7
10. h7
11. h8=Q
so it’s just 11 moves till queening.
I had no idea about this before seeing Susan’s question.
But when I could find it, extremely strange that Gelfand didn’t:-)
Practically, one suspects that Gelfand might not have been able to bring in the win anyway in a rapid contest at this late stage of a game. Does anyone know what the time situation would have been? What increment Gelfand would have had in hand after the 25 minutes were up?
Technically, the quickest win is 1.Kg3 which has already been pointed out above by Jagadish:
1. Kg3 Kc7
Black is trying to prevent h7 followed by a check from the 8th rank, and he is trying to prevent h7 followed by Ra8 which will allow a skewer from a7 if black captures at h7. Continuing:
2. Kg4 Rh1
3. Kf5
The shortest win, I think. Continuing:
3. …..Rf1
4. Kg6 Rg1
5. Kh7 Kd7
Black can’t try to set up checks on the 7th rank since white will have time to bring the rook to g8 for a shield. Continuing:
6. Rg8!
This is almost surely the only winning move for white at this juncture. If the white rook moves to f8 or e8, black brings the king in close enough to draw by attacking the rook on the next move. If white moves the rook to b8 or a8, black still does the same thing by playing Ke7 or Ke6. Continuing:
6. …..Rf1 (Re1 is quicker loss?)
7. Kg7
The shortest way. White has already accomplished the key maneuver- getting his rook off of h8. Continuing:
7. …..Rg1 (what else?)
8. Kh8
Again, the shortest available maneuver. Continuing:
8. …..Rf1 (again, what else?)
9. h7 Ke6 (clearing 7th rank)
10.Kg7!
This is also surely the only winning move- the white king can’t delay getting off of h8. If white tries an “obvious move” like Rg7, black plays Rf8+ followed by Kf7 and the white king will be in prison for a stalemate after the forced rook exchange. On a move like Rg6, black will play Kf7 with the same basic defense- the white king won’t escape h8 again. Continuing:
10. ….Rg1 (again, what else?)
11.Kf8 Rf1
12.Ke8 Ra1 (to threaten mate)
13.Rg6 Kf5
14.Rf6!
Trying to induce KxR so that h8(Q) occurs with check and skewers. Right now, black is threatening a skewer if white queens too early. Continuing:
14. ….Ke5
I spent a while around these moves this morning. Clearly, black can’t capture since h8 queens with check and wins the rook at 1, but if black had played Rb1 instead at move 12, this skewer would not have been possible, but I am about 99% sure now that white will win the rook anyway- I couldn’t find a way for black to reconnect the black men before white can arrange a double attack or skewer. Continuing:
15.Rh6 Ra8
16.Kf7
White can’t walk the rook down since black always has Rh8 to block the pawn and then bringing the king to g5 and g6 to threaten to win the pawn. Continuing:
16. ….Ra7
17.Kg6 Ra6
18.Kg5 and black will lose the rook and the game.
I am willing the believe that Gelfand knew it could be won, but not under the time conditions which could have resulted in a loss for him.
I just checked the match on Chessbomb. I did not see this ending anywhere. Are you sure this wasn’t a computer line position at the end game 13-3?
I checked, because like pht, I didn’t remember this game either, though I was a busy the day of the playoff, and thought maybe I hadn’t checked the games that evening, but I clearly remembered the game Anand won that day.
Dear Yancey,
The full game can be seen in chessgames.com.the given position is after black’s 60th move.It lasted 63 moves.