It's just really that important

In a recent book review at Chessville that I wrote about GM Nigel Davies' 10 Great Ways to Get Better at Chess (Everyman Chess, 2010), I mentioned

For an alternate “great way” – or as an addition – Chapter Two suggests Study the Endgame. Again, Davies gives game examples from his students, but this should not be necessary to persuade readers of the truth of his suggestion: most club players unconsciously imitate the play of early chess-playing computers, memorizing opening moves, concentrating on tactics at the expense of long-term planning, and playing the endings like duffers…

Davies would have been justified in giving a Chapter Three (“Study the Endgame Some More”) and a Chapter Four (“Keep Studying the Endgame”) just to reinforce the topic. It’s just really that important.

I wish I had taken more of my own advice before playing the following game.

perrypawnpusher - BEEB
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+

A "calming variation", but still a side line to watch.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

8...Qh4+ was played unsuccessfully in annicks - Ribosome, Dos Hermanas Internet, 2002, (1-0, 23).

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

By returning the sacrificed piece, Black has moved play into a Queenless middlegame or early endgame where he is simply down a pawn.

He no longer faces the Bashi-Bazouk attack of the Jerome Gambit. However, he also no longer has an objectively won game.

Sometimes, chess is a strange game.

10.Nc3

I have also tried 10.d3, as in perrypawnpusher - ScudRocket, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 24)

10...Re8

Black could play 10...Rf8 as in blackburne03 - bobby-pisher, Internet Chess Club, 2003, (1-0, 23) or perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,42); or in a delayed manner such as 10...b6 11.d3 d6 12.Rf1 Rf8 in blackburne - Bullit52, ChessWorld thematic tournament, 2007 (1-0, 32),


He also could start with 10...d6 and after 11.d4 c6 12.h3 play 12...Re8 as in brianwall - maten8, Internet Chess Club, 2004 (1-0, 21).

11.d3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng4+ 13.Kg1+ Kg7

Tactics can hide even in "boring" positions. For example, now 14.Nd5

14.h3

Laziness on my part. "The game will play itself."

The possible Knight fork at c7 remains "on" for a number of moves, despite my overlooking it.

14...Ne5 15.Be3 Be6 16.b3 c5 17.a4 a6 18.Rf2 Rf8 19.Raf1 Rxf2 20.Rxf2 Rb8 21.d4 Nd7 22.dxc5 dxc5 23.Nd5 b5

Like two zombies dancing a waltz, my opponent and I push the pieces around the board and pretend that we are playing chess...

24.axb5

If someone had whispered "Pssst. This is a middlegame" I might have looked for and found the tactical 24.Bf4 Rb7 25.Nc7 Bf7 26.Rd2 Nf6 27.Nxa6 bxa4 28.Nxc5 Rb5 29.Nxa4 Nxe4 30.Re2

analysis diagram







24...axb5 25.Nf4 Bg8 26.Nd3 c4 27.bxc4 bxc4 28.Bd4+ Kh6 29.Ne5 Rb1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Nf6

For all of my shuffling, the e-pawn will now be lost.

32.Be3+ Kh5

My opponent has grown complacent, too, or he would have played the wiser 32...Kg7

33.c3

Readers who enjoy tactical endgames surely saw the better 33.g4+  which merely threatens checkmate after 33...Kh4 34.Kg2, costing Black his Knight.

Playing on "auto-pilot" was hurting both of us.

33...Nxe4 34.Bd4

The checkmate was still on, in a slightly longer version, with 34.g4+.

34...Ng3+ 35.Kf2 Nf5

This slip costs a piece.

36.g4+ Kh4 37.gxf5 gxf5 38.Kg2

With a piece for a pawn, White is now winning – but how exactly does he win?

If he can get his King to d4 and then attack the Black pawn at c4 a second time (with the Knight) he can win it. For that to happen, it might be best to trade White's weak h-pawn for Black's f-pawn. Then, with the help of the extra piece, White's c-pawn can be "faster" than Black's h-pawn.

38...Bd5+ 39.Kh2

Protecting the pawn for now. After the game Rybka suggested 39.Nf3+, since 39...Kh5 40.Kg3 Be4 41.h4 Bd5 42.Kf4 Be6 43.Bf2 Kg6 44.Ne5+ Kh5 45.Nc6 Bd7 46.Ne7 would allow White to win the f-pawn. If Black exchanges off the Knight instead with 39...Bxf3+ 40.Kxf3 then after 40...Kxh3 41.Kf4 White's King will wander over and win the Black c-pawn and Queen his own; the Black h-pawn will not be an issue.

39...Be6 40.Nf3+ Kh5 41.Kg3 f4+

A mistaken offer to exchange pawns that I should have accepted.

42.Kh2 Kg6 43.Kg2 Kf5 44.Ne5 Bd5+ 45.Nf3 Bg8

Black is content to sit and wait.

It is not clear to me that there is a win any more for White, as Black's advanced King and h-pawn make it dangerous for White's King to leave that area to help win the c-pawn.

My "winning try" falls to the inevitability of the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

46.Kf2 Ke4 47.Nd2+ Kd3 48.Nxc4 Kxc4 49.Kf3 Be6 50.h4 Kd5 51.Kxf4

The position is drawn now, and a dozen moves later, too.

51...Bf7 52.Kg5 Bg6 53.h5 Bd3 54.Kf6 Ke4 55.Kg7 Kf4 56.h6 Kg5 57.Bf6+ Kh5 58.Bd4 Kg5 59.Be3+ Kh5 60.c4 Bxc4 61.Kxh7 Bd3+ 62.Kg7 Kg4 63.h7 Bxh7 drawn

This game contained plenty of wasted opportunities.