Our following examples deal with blocked rook pawns on h4 and h5.
D. 2
Rozenfeld-Nei 1955 (rev. col.)
This ending was extensively analysed by Levenfish/Smyslov (Theory of Rook Endings, Rissian edition, n. 233) but their analysis included a a considerable number of mistakes.
1...Kd6 2.Rg3 2.g4 Ra4+ 3.Kg5 Rxg4+ 4.Kxh5 Rg1 5.Kh6 Rg2 6.h5 Kd7 7.Kh7 Rg1= (Levenfish/Smyslov).
2.Re4 Ra8 3.g4 Rf8+ 4.Kg5 hxg4 5.Kxg4 Kd7 6.h5 Re8 = (Levenfish/Smyslov).
2...Ra8 D. 2.1
Ney played here 3.Rg6+ (I). Levenfish/Smyslov note that also 3.Rg7 (II) wins but it is a decisive mistake. The simplest way to win is 3.Rg5 (III).
I. 3. Rg6+ Ke7 4. Kg5 Also here was not too late to play 4. Rg5.
4... Rh8 D. 2.2
A) 5. Rg7+ Ke6 6. Kg6?! White proceeds consequently with his wrong plan: to bring his rook to g5 and his king to g7 and thus win the h-pawn. This plan does not work also with the White pawn on g3 (see D. 4.1). As we will see in the analysis of the game Polugaevsky-Antoshin, D. 3, the right move here is 6. g3.
6... Ke5 D. 2.3 X
7. Kf7 Levenfish/Smyslov give an exclamation mark to this move which actually throws away the win. 7. Kg5 Ke6 8. g3 (Transposition into the game Polugaevsky-Antoshin, D. 3) was required.
1) 7... Kf4 D. 2.4
8. Rg5 Ra8 Levenfish/Smyslov again give exclamation mark to a result-changing mistake. Black could have drawn by 8... Rh6 9. Kg7 Ra6 10. Rxh5 Ra7+.
9. Kg6 Not, of course, 9. Rxh5? Ra7+ 10. Rxh5 Ra7+.
9... Rh8 10. Kg7 White maintains the win with this move, but it is simpler to play 10. Rxh5 Rg8+ 11. Kf6 Rxg2 12. Rf5+ Ke4 13. h5 (Levenfish/Smyslov).
10... Ra8 11. Kh6 Rh8+ 12. Kg6 Ke4 13. Kg7?! White is wrongly playing for zugzwang instead of simply taking the pawn. Both 13. Rxh5 and 13. g3 Kf3 14. Rxh5 would have won (Levenfish/Smyslov). In the 2. line (13.g3) Levenfish/Smyslov recommended after 14…Rg8+ 15. Kh7? Rxg3 16. Rg5 and considered this position as a win. But Black actually draws by 16…Rg4! Instead of 15.Kh7? which have been played also in the game Polugayevsky-Antoshin (D. 3), White can win by 15.Kf6 Rg3 16.Rg5 Rh3 17.h5.
13... Ra8 14. Rxh5? The final mistake. As Levenfish/Smyslov point out it was still not too late for Black to play his king back to g6 and choose the correct winning line.
14.Kg6 Ra7+ 15. Kg6 Ra6+ 16. Kg5 Ra2! 17. Kf6 17. g4 Kf3 or 17. g3 Kf3 or 17. Kh6 Ra6+ lead all to draw (Levenfish/Smyslov).
17... Ra6+ 18. Kg5 Ra2 19.Rh8 Rxg2+ Draw agreed.
2) 7... Rh6 D. 2.5
8. Rg6 8. Rg5+ Kf4 9. Kg7 is a draw, as we have already seen in D. 2.4 after 8.Rg5 Rh6 9. Kg7. Or 8. Rg3 Ra6 9. Rg5+ Kf4 10. Rxh5 Kg3= (10... Ra7+ 11. Ke6 Ra6+ 12. Kd7 Rg6=).
8... Rh7+ But not 8... Rh8? 9. Rg5+ Kf4 10. Kg6.
9. Kg8 Ra7 10. Rg7 Ra4 10... Ra8+ 11. Kh7 Kf4 12. Rg5 Ra6 13. Rxh5 Kg4=.
11. g3 11. Rg5+ Kf6=.
11... Kf6 12. Kh7 Ra8! 13. Kh6 13. Rb7 Ra3=.
13... Rh8+ ! 14. Rh7 Rg8!=.
B) 5. g3 Rh7 D. 2.6
Levenfish/Smyslov believed that 5…Rh7 draws but in fact the position is lost for Black. As they pointed rightly out 5... Kf7 6.Rh6 Rg8+ is not good for Black - 7. Kf4 Rg4+ 8. Kf3.
1) Levenfish/Smyslov considered here only
6. Rh6 Rg7+ 7. Kf4? Rf7+ 8. Ke4 Rg7 9. Kf3 Rf7+ 10. Kg2 Rf5=. 7.Kf4? throws away the win. It was still not too late for White to play
7.Rg6 Rh7 and transpose after 8. Kf5 into the next winning line.
2) 6. Kf5 D. 2.7
6…Kf8 6... Kf7 7. Ra6.
6... Rf7+ 7. Ke5 Rf1 8. Rg5 Rf3 9. Ke4 Ra3 10. Kf4.
7. Kf6 Ra7 8. Rg5 Ra6+ 8... Rh7 9. Kg6.
9. Kf5 Rh6 10. Rg6 Rh7 11. Rf6+ Kg7 12. Kg5 Rh8 13. Rf5 Ra8 13... Rh7 14. Ra5.
14. Kxh5+- II. 3. Rg7? This recommendation of Levenfish/Smyslov throws away the win.
D. 2.8
1) 3…Ke6? 4. Kg5 Rh8 5. g3+- This transposes into the game Polugayevski-Antoshin (D. 3).
2) 3... Ra4+! 4. Kg3 4. Kg5 Rg4+ 5. Kh6 Rxh4=.
4... Ra3+ 5. Kh2 Ra8 6.Rg5 Rh8 7.Kg3 Ke6 8.Kf4 Kf6=.
III. 3. Rg5 We have seen the practical difficulties when the king goes to g5. Playing the rook to g5 is the easiest way to win.
D. 2.9
3…Rf8+ 3... Ra4+ 4. Kg3 Ra3+ 5. Kh2.
4. Ke4 Rf2 5. g3+-.