Black to move. Play this out against your computer or a friend. Can you win as Black?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Rook vs. Pawns endgame
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Black to move. Play this out against your computer or a friend. Can you win as Black?
Yes, black wins easily with all those connected passed pawns!
If Jakovenko couldn’t win with the pawns, nobody can.
Oops, I take that back. This isn’t a game position from yesterday. In Sargissian–Jakovenko, Black’s pawns were in two islands, making them harder to support.
I think it is a draw:
1… g4
2.Kd2 h4
3.Ke2 h3
4.Rb8 f6
5.Kf2 g3+
6.Kf3 h2
7.Rh8 Kg5
8.Rh7 f5
9.Rh3 Kf6
10.Rh8 Ke5
11.Re8+ Kd5
12.Rd8+ Ke6
13.Rh8 Ke5
And I find it difficult to make progress for Black.
This is very frustrating cause everything seems to be ending in a draw. I would really like if some GM or Susan can tell me if it is a win so at least I know I am just not fiding it.
I got lazy and was mated. 🙂
I drew, I got mated…
But, yes black can win though I don’t think it is easy. Let the computer run both sides and you will see.
Im pretty sure the key to winning is to choose the right pawn as a queening attack. if you go for the h pawn as the end of a connected string of pawns, white has the most work to do (and most travel) before being able to pick off pawns using king/rook or even making checking attacks.
in my humble opinion there is no win for black in the given position. both sides have to struggle for the draw. white, because he is down in material and black, because he can not get his king activated without losing two pawns. Analysis reminded me to a walk on a razor’s edge…
a very interesting puzzle anyway. i’ve spent two hours of analytical work on it, but i do not want to bore the pants off you, posting my “epic” lines and variations, which finally end up in a draw, because i know, that there are lot’s of “draw haters” around here… :((
a few minutes ago i visited the shameful blog – theme about the never ending story of Topalov – the aliens – Kramnik – the Krapnik – implants – cables – Elista – the FIDE – the one and only true WCC – lies and bevhaviour rules and so on and so on …
i love my chess – i’m not interested in chess politics, in chess hypocrisy, in chess flaming, in chess insulting – i’m only interested in chess lines and chess variations and in the truth over the chess board!
i don’t really know, whether the position in the given puzzle is a draw or not – i’m just an amateur player (my analysis reveals, that it is a draw – but i might be wrong) – however most people here around are seemingly not interested in discussions, but in statements, comments and opinions about top – players, about FIDE rules, about cheating by Kramnik or Topalov… about, about …
individualism rules in the name of the “anonym” – and forgive me – i’m a little acidified after reading the Kramnik /Topalov /Danailov bullshit again and again and again with all the mean arguments of all the mean anonym bloggers…
greetings, your Vohaul
PS: i also dislike the races for the first posting in a given puzzle – btw whith sometimes very mean results…
puhhh – i feel better now! 🙂