This looks promising for White

27.Rxc6 bxc6 28.Kc3 Ra8 29.Rh2 c5 30.dxc5 Kc6 31.Kb4 was analysed to draw by OstapBender in an earlier post. But 31.Kd4 blocking Black's d-pawn seems better. One variation is 31.-,b4 32.f5 Ra5 33.fxe6 fxe6 34.Rf2 Rxc5 35.Rf8 Ra5 36.Re8 Rxa2 37.Rxe6+ Kb5 38.Kxd5 Rd2+ 39.Ke4 Rb2 40.Rg6 Rxb3 41.Rxg7 and White wins.

I'm sure Willempie will want to chew on this a little when he gets back, but maybe I should offer the conditional:

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 a6 5.Be3 Qc7 6.h4 h6 7.g4 Bd7 8.h5 e6 9.f4 c5 10.Nf3 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Qb6 Qxb6 13.Bxb6 Bb4 14.0-0-0 Nge7 15.Ne2 Ba5 16.Bxa5 Nxa5 17.Ned4 Rc8 18.Bd3 Nec6 19.c3 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 Nc6 21.Kd2 Nxd4 22.cxd4 Bb5 23.Bxb5 axb5 24.Rc1 Rc4 25 Kd3 Kd7 26 b3 Rc6

This is the position in the second diagram from OstapBender.  I think it's safe to say that 25 Kd3 is forced, and I don't see anything better than 26 be, though Willempie might find something.  Perhaps 25 or 26 Rxc4 isn't as bad as I think?!

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 a6 5.Be3 Qc7 6.h4 h6 7.g4 Bd7 8.h5 e6 9.f4 c5 10.Nf3 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Qb6 Qxb6 13.Bxb6 Bb4 14.0-0-0 Nge7 15.Ne2 Ba5 16.Bxa5 Nxa5 17.Ned4 Rc8 18.Bd3 Nec6 19.c3 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 Nc6 21.Kd2 Nxd4 22.cxd4 Bb5 23.Bxb5 axb5 24.Rc1 Rc4

I haven't seen anything to suggest that this isn't the best move for Black at this point...

More fantastic work--thank you!  I still prefer 27 ... Rc4, but in Smyslov_Fan's line above, I think that 24 ... Rc4 25 Kd3 Kd7 26 b3 Rc6 27 Rxc6 bxc6 28 Kc3 Kc7 is better than 28 ... Ra8.  I could be wrong, and I'll have to look at 28 ... Ra8, which was Hiarcs's preferred move, but I think 28 ... Kc7 is sounder.  Have I missed something here?

29 Kb4 is now met with 29 ... Kb6 30 Rc1 Ra8 31 a4 bxa4 32 bxa4 Rb8 33 f5 Kc7+ (or 33 g5 Kc7+) 34 Ka3 Kd7 35 a5 Rb5.  Maybe White can do better than 31 a4, though...

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/30/06 at 06:51:19:

Looks like I have become the diagram-man in this thread; I'm happy to oblige.

I changed the move numbers to correspond to the game (incremented by 23 from the original post).  This is just the 24...Rc4 analysis (the main part; there was also some analysis of 24...Kd7 in the original post).  I added some line breaks/formatting to make it easier to read - and, of course, a few diagrams...

...this done, I might now have time to go through it myself.

24...Rc4 25.Kd3 Kd7 26.b3

[26.Rxc4 bxc4+ 27.Kc3 Ra8 28.a3 Ra6=; 26.Rc3=]

26...Rc6

[26...Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Ra8 28.Rc2 b4 29.Ke3 Ra6 (29...f6 30.f5 Re8 31.Kf4 fxe5+ 32.dxe5 b6!? (32...Rf8 33.Rc5 Ra8 34.Rb5 Kc6 35.Rxb4 Rxa2 36.fxe6 Ra8 37.Ke3+-) 33.Rc1 And Black appears to be in zugzwang. 33...Ra8?! 34.fxe6+ Kxe6 35.Rc6+ Ke7 White has several appealing options here, and I think it's just a matter of choosing between 36.Kf5, 36.Rxb6 or even 36.Rd6!?  ) 30.g5 Rc6 31.Rxc6 bxc6]

27.Rxc6 I wanted to test out this endgame.  It's very complex, but I think Black barely draws.  The analysis was fascinating for anyone who wants to study it. 27...bxc6 




28.Kc3

[28.a4 bxa4 29.bxa4 Rb8 30.Kc3 c5 31.dxc5 Kc6 32.Ra1 Kxc5= and Black has probably reached safety.]

28...Ra8 29.Rh2

[29.Ra1 c5 30.dxc5 Kc6 31.Kb4 g6 32.Rh1 (32.a4? bxa4 33.bxa4 Rb8+=) 32...Rxa2 33.hxg6 fxg6 34.Rxh6 Rf2 35.f5 Rf4+ 36.Ka5 Kxc5=]

29...c5 30.dxc5 Kc6 31.Kb4 Ra7 32.g5 Ra8 33.Rg2 Rf8 34.a3 d4 35.gxh6 gxh6 36.Rd2 Kd5 37.c6! I found this and thought it was the winner.  Fritz shows the win is difficult at best.




37...Rc8 38.Kxb5 Rb8+ 39.Ka5 Kxc6 40.Rxd4 Rxb3 41.a4 Rh3 Fritz thought this was drawn.  I'm not sure, but I think White is winning.  It's hard though. [Edit: as you see from my last word, a comment that I made stating that I'd found a win earlier is untrue.  My latest is that if there is a win, it isn't in the lines I saw.] 42.Rc4+ 




42...Kb7!

[42...Kd5 43.Rc7 Rxh5 44.Rxf7 Rh1 45.Kb6 Rb1+ 46.Kc7 Rc1+ 47.Kd8 Rc4 48.a5 Ra4 49.Rd7+ Ke4 50.Ke7 Kxf4 51.Kxe6 Rxa5




52.Rd5 Ra1 53.Kf6 Ke4 54.Rb5 Rf1+ 55.Ke7 Rf5 56.Kd6 h5!? Everything else also loses. 57.Rb4+ Kf3 58.e6+-]

43.Kb5 Rxh5 44.Rd4

[44.Kc5= Rf5! (44...Kc7 45.a5! We'll see this theme again! 45...Rh1 46.Kb5+ Kb7 47.a6+ Kb8 48.a7+ Kxa7 49.Rc7+ Kb8 50.Rxf7 Rc1! 51.Re7 Rf1 (51...h5 52.Rxe6 Rf1 53.Kc6 Rxf4 54.Re8+ Ka7 55.Rh8) 52.Kc6 Rxf4 53.Re8+ Ka7 54.Rxe6 Re4 55.Re7+ Kb8+-) ]

44...Kc7 45.a5! Rh1 46.Rc4+!? Kd7! My German friend is no help whatsoever here.




[46...Kb7 47.a6+ Kb8 48.a7+ Kxa7 49.Rc7+ Kb8 50.Rxf7 Rc1 51.Re7 h5 52.Rxe6 Rf1 53.Kc6 Rxf4 54.Re8+ Ka7 55.Rh8+-]

47.Rb4

[47.a6 Rb1+ 48.Kc5 (48.Ka5 Ra1+ 49.Kb6 Rb1+ 50.Ka7 h5 I can't honestly say whether this is winning.  I have my doubts.  Fritz happily chirps in that White has no worries.  But there's nothing clear-cut here.) 48...Kc7 49.Rc2 h5 50.Rh2= Regardless of Fritz' optimism for White, this looks drawn.]

47...Kc7 48.Ka6 h5 49.Ka7

[49.Rb7+ Kc6 50.Rxf7 h4 51.Rf6 Kd5 52.Ka7 (52.Rh6 h3 53.Kb7 h2=) 52...h3 53.a6 h2 54.Rh6 Ke4=]

49...Ra1 50.a6 h4 51.Rc4+ Kd7 52.f5!? This interesting idea is Fritz'.  It gets only partial credit because it was down on its list of potential moves. 




52...h3 53.Rh4 exf5 54.Rxh3 Ke6 55.Rb3 Kxe5 56.Rb5+ Ke4 57.Kb6 




57…Rxa6+!= No, Fritz doesn't know this trick.  58.Kxa6 f4 is EQUAL

Filth flarn filth flarn filth....

I just spent two hours on analysis with Fritz, tidied it up and posted it.  But the computer froze up and didn't actually post it.  This time, I'm just going to post the raw info.  I really believe it's worth a serious look, but it will be difficult to read.

My apologies in advance.




1...Rc4 [1...Rc4 2.Kd3 (2.Rh3) ; 
1...Kd7 2.Rxc8 Rxc8 3.Rc1 Ra8 a)3...Rxc1 4.Kxc1 Kc6 5.Kc2 b4 6.Kb3 Kb5 7.f5 b6 8.f6 gxf6 9.exf6 Ka5 10.g5; b)3...Rc4 4.Rxc4 bxc4 (b)4...dxc4 5.Kc3 Kc6 6.a4 Kd5 7.a5 (b)7.axb5 Ke4 8.Kxc4 Kxf4 9.Kc5 Kxg4 10.Kb6 Kxh5 11.Kxb7 g5 12.b6 g4 13.Kc6 g3 14.b7 g2 15.b8Q g1Q 16.Qf8) 7...Ke4 8.Kb4 Kxd4 9.Kxb5 Ke4 10.Kb6 Kxf4 11.Kxb7; 5.Kc3 Kc6 (b)5...Ke8 6.Kb4 g6 7.Kb5 gxh5 8.gxh5 Kd7 9.Kb6 Kc8 10.a4 Kb8 11.a5 Kc8 12.a6 bxa6 13.Kxa6 Kc7 14.Kb5 Kb7 15.Kc5 Kc7 16.f5; b)5...Kc7 6.Kb4 Kb6 7.f5 exf5 8.gxf5 Kc6 9.Ka5 Kc7 10.Kb5) 6.Kb4 b5 7.Ka5 g6 8.g5; 4.Ra1 Rc8 5.f5 b4 6.Rf1] 2.Kd3 Kd7 3.b3 [3.Rxc4 bxc4+ 4.Kc3 Ra8 5.a3 Ra6=; 
3.Rc3=] 3...Rc6 [3...Rxc1 4.Rxc1 Ra8 5.Rc2 b4 6.Ke3 Ra6 (6...f6 7.f5 Re8 8.Kf4 fxe5+ 9.dxe5 b6!? (9...Rf8 10.Rc5 Ra8 11.Rb5 Kc6 12.Rxb4 Rxa2 13.fxe6 Ra8 14.Ke3+-) 10.Rc1 And Black appears to be in zugzwang. 10...Ra8?! 11.fxe6+ Kxe6 12.Rc6+ Ke7 White has several appealing options here, and I think it's just a matter of choosing between 13.Kf5, 13.Rxb6 or even 13.Rd6!? 
; 7.g5 Rc6 8.Rxc6 bxc6] 4.Rxc6 I wanted to test out this endgame.  It's very complex, but I think Black barely draws.  The analysis was fascinating for anyone who wants to study it.   

4...bxc6 5.Kc3 [5.a4 bxa4 6.bxa4 Rb8 7.Kc3 c5 8.dxc5 Kc6 9.Ra1 Kxc5= And Black has probably reached safety.] 5...Ra8 6.Rh2 [6.Ra1 c5 7.dxc5 Kc6 8.Kb4 g6 9.Rh1 (9.a4? bxa4 10.bxa4 Rb8+=) 9...Rxa2 10.hxg6 fxg6 11.Rxh6 Rf2 12.f5 Rf4+ 13.Ka5 Kxc5=] 6...c5 7.dxc5 Kc6 8.Kb4 Ra7 9.g5 Ra8 10.Rg2 Rf8 11.a3 d4 12.gxh6 gxh6 13.Rd2 Kd5 14.c6! I found this and thought it was the winner.  Fritz shows the win is difficult at best. 14...Rc8 15.Kxb5 Rb8+ 16.Ka5 Kxc6 17.Rxd4 Rxb3 18.a4 Rh3 Fritz thought this was drawn.  I'm not sure, but I think White is winning.  It's hard though. 19.Rc4+ Kb7! [19...Kd5 20.Rc7 Rxh5 21.Rxf7 Rh1 22.Kb6 Rb1+ 23.Kc7 Rc1+ 24.Kd8! Rc4 25.a5 Ra4 26.Rd7+ Ke4 27.Ke7 Kxf4 28.Kxe6 Rxa5 29.Rd5 Ra1 30.Kf6 Ke4 31.Rb5 Rf1+ 32.Ke7 Rf5 33.Kd6! h5!? Everything else also loses. 34.Rb4+ Kf3 35.e6+-] 20.Kb5 Rxh5 21.Rd4 [21.Kc5= Rf5! (21...Kc7 22.a5! We'll see this theme again! 22...Rh1 23.Kb5+ Kb7 24.a6+ Kb8 25.a7+ Kxa7 26.Rc7+ Kb8 27.Rxf7 Rc1! 28.Re7 Rf1 29.Kc6 Rxf4 30.Re8+ Ka7 31.Rxe6 Re4 32.Re7+ Kb8+-) ] 21...Kc7 22.a5! Rh1 23.Rc4+!? Kd7! My German friend is no help whatsoever here. [23...Kb7?! 24.a6+ Kb8 25.a7+ Kxa7 26.Rc7+ Kb8 27.Rxf7 Rc1 28.Re7 h5 29.Rxe6 Rf1 30.Kc6 Rxf4 31.Re8+ Ka7 32.Rh8+-] 24.Rb4 [24.a6 Rb1+ 25.Kc5 (25.Ka5 Ra1+ 26.Kb6 Rb1+ 27.Ka7 h5 I can't honestly say whether this is winning.  I have my doubts.  Fritz happily chirps in that White has no worries.  But there's nothing clear-cut here.) 25...Kc7 26.Rc2 h5 27.Rh2= Regardless of Fritz' optimism for White, this looks drawn.] 24...Kc7 25.Ka6 h5 26.Ka7 [26.Rb7+ Kc6 27.Rxf7 h4 28.Rf6 Kd5 29.Ka7 (29.Rh6 h3 30.Kb7 h2=) 29...h3 30.a6 h2 31.Rh6 Ke4=] 26...Ra1 27.a6 h4 28.Rc4+ Kd7 29.f5!? This interesting idea is Fritz'.  It gets only partial credit because it was down on its list of potential moves. 29...h3 30.Rh4 exf5 31.Rxh3 Ke6 32.Rb3 Kxe5 33.Rb5+ Ke4 34.Kb6 Rxa6+!= No, Fritz doesn't know this trick. 35.Kxa6 f4 is EQUAL

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/30/06 at 00:12:28:


Ostap and Smyslov_Fan,

This is great!  I really appreciate the analysis; this thread has a lot of very useful information on this line.

The analysis you have both provided is more in-depth than I've gone after 24 ... Kd7, but Smyslov_Fan is dredging up in practice a number of the flaws in Black's play that I was imagining in theory.  While the doubled pawns are not a weakness in themselves, they are producing other weaknesses in Black's position.  That's why I was leaning (and still am) towards 24 ... Rc4.  The exchange closes the c-file and let's Black focus his counterplay down the a-file.  I still think that White's kingside attack is just a bit too slow to prove a win...

Ostap,

3...Ra8 is probably Black's only hope.   I think it will eventually transpose into the f4-f5 line we looked at earlier and then someone pointed out that Rc4 slows down f4-f5.  Since Rc4 isn't playable (I think), then 3...Ra8 4.Ra1 temporizing may be enough to win.   

I don't know whether White is actually winning after 4.Ra1.   But all the previous posts that I read suggested that Black draws if he keeps one Rook because White won't trade down into the pawn ending.  I don't think that's true now.