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Normal Topic Gelfand – Lagarde (2021) (Read 443 times)
Poghosyan V
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Re: Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
Reply #4 - 08/16/24 at 13:37:41
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D. 9
Mijailovic – Ristic (YUG-ch 1/2 fin Mataruska Banja (5), 1997)

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The only difference between this position and that of D. 8-3 is that the White's king is on h3 (instead of h2). In D. 8-3 46.g4 leads to immediate success, but here it is a crucial mistake. 

After 40.g4? Black could have saved the game by cutting off White's king along the rank after 40...Rb2 or by playing 40...Kg7 41.Kg2 Rb2+! 42.Kf1 g5, as in D. 8-4 after 48.g4? g5. 

In the game Black played 40...hxg4+? and lost: 41.fxg4! Rb4 42.b7 Kg7 43.g5 Kh7 44.Kg3 Kg7 45.Kf3 Kh7 46.Ke3 Kg7 47.Kd3 Kh7 48.Kc3 Rb1 49.Kc4 Kg7 50.Kd5 Rb2 51.Kxe5 Rb1 52.Kf4 Rb4 53.Ke3 Rb1 54.e5 Rb6 55.Kd4 Rb1 56.h5 gxh5 57.g6 fxg6 58.e6 Kf6 59.Rf8+ Kxe6 60.b8Q Rxb8 61.Rxb8 Kf5 62.Ke3 Kg4 63.Kf2 g5 64.Kg2 1–0. 
  
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Re: Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
Reply #3 - 08/05/24 at 12:02:26
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D. 8

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This position arose in Najer – Nepomniachtchi (Netanya Riordan Netanya (8), 13.07.2009) after 39...h5. 

White wins by 40.Rb7 (as in Tabatabaei-Paravyan) or by 40.Kh2. Instead Najer played 

40.Rb8?

D. 8-1

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Since after 40.Rb8 the f-pawn is not pinned, Black could have drawn by 40...f5! 41.Rb7+ Kf6 42.b5 Rb4 43.exf5 Kxf5 44.b6 e4 45.fxe4+ Kxe4!, but Nepomniachtchi misses this opportunity. 

40...Kf6? 41.b5 Kg7 42.b6

D. 8-2

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42...Kf6 

Nepomniachtchi defends passively by waiting. Undertaking action himself by 42...f6 is also losing but at least forces White to play very accurately. 42...f6 43.b7 g5 44.Kh2 Rb1. 

D. 8-2a

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45.g4! The only winning move, as we have seen in the analogous position with a-pawn (see the thread “Critical position with the pawn on a4”, D. 6 after 8...Ra1). 

Back to the game D. 8-2 after 42...Kf6.   
43.Kh2 Rb1 44.Kg3 Rb2 45.Kh2 Rb1

D. 8-3

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46.g3

46.g4 is the straightforward way to win. Sooner or later White cannot do without advancing the pawn to g4. 46.g4  Kg7 47.g5! Rb2+ 48.Kg1 Rb1+ 49.Kf2 Rb2+ 50.Ke3 Rb3+ 51.Ke2 Rb2+ 52.Kd3 Rb3+ 53.Kc4 Rb1 54.Kd5+–.   

Unlike the D. 8-4 position Black can not counter 46.g4 by g6-g5 break: 46...Rb2+ 47.Kg1 g5 fails to 48. gxh5 gxh4 49.Rg8! +–.   

46...Rb2+ 47.Kg1 Kg7

D. 8-4

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48.g4?

Finally, White decides to play g4, but in this position it is a fatal mistake. When the king is on g7,  Black has the possibility of decisive breakthrough g6-g5. In D. 8-3 where Black’s king was on f6, the break g6-g5 failed, because White could cut off the king along g-file. 
   
Instead of premature 48.g4? White should have first advanced his passed pawn to b7 and only after bringing his king to the center play g3-g4: 48.b7 Kh7 49.Kf1 Kg7 50.Ke1 Kh7 51.Kd1 Kg7 52.Kc1 Rb6 53.Kc2 Kh7 54.Kc3 Kg7 55.Kc4 Rb1 56.Kd5 Kf6 57.g4 Rd1+ 58.Kc6 Rc1+ 59.Kd7 Rd1+ 60.Ke8 Rb1 61.Kf8+–.

48...Rb4? 

Nepomniachtchi finds the idea of g6-g5 after mutual mistakes only a couple moves later. 48...g5 49.hxg5 (49.gxh5 gxh4! 50.Re8 Rxb6 51.Rxe5 Kh6 52.Kg2 Rf6! 53.Rd5 Kh7 54.Kf2 Kg7 55.Ke3 Kh6 56.f4 h3 57.Kf3 h2 58.Rd1 Ra6 59.Kg4 Ra2=) 49...h4! 50.b7 h3! 51.Kh1 Kh7! 52.Re8 Rxb7! 53.Rxe5 (53.Kh2 Rb3! 54.Kg3 h2 55.Kxh2 Rxf3!=) 53...Rb2 54.f4 Rg2=.   

49.b7?

The mistake-swapping continues. 49.g5! was necessary. 

49...Rb2?

49...Rb1+ or 49...f6 draws. 

50.Kf1?

Again 50.g5! was winning. 

D. 8-5

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Only here Nepomniachtchi realizes that the break g6-g5 is saving the day. 

50...g5 51.hxg5 h4! 52.Kg1 h3! 53.Kh1 Kh7! 54.Re8 Rxb7! 55.Rxe5 Rb2 56.Rf5 Kg6 57.Kg1 Rg2+ 58.Kh1 Rb2 59.f4 Rg2 60.Rf6+ Kg7 61.e5 Rxg4 62.Kh2 Rh4 63.f5 Rh5 64.g6 fxg6! 65.Rxg6+ Kh7 66.Rf6 Kg7! 67.Rg6+ Kf8 68.Rf6+ Ke7 69.Re6+ Kf7 70.Rf6+. 1/2
  
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Poghosyan V
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Re: Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
Reply #2 - 08/04/24 at 10:44:41
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As we have seen in Gelfand-Lagarde after 37...g6, the Black’s set up e5, f7, g6, h5 is losing. Black’s position is lost also when the White’s pawn is still on b3. White should carefully implement his plan of pushing the pawn to the seventh rank. 

D. 7

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This position arose in Tabatabaei - Paravyan (Titled Tuesday intern op 15 Mar Early Chess.com INT (5), 15.03.2022) after the decisive mistake 33...e5? Thanks to the position of his rook on b7, White wins whoever moves first. 

White to move

34.b4 Kf6 35.b5 Ke6 36.Rb8

Or straightforward 36.b6 f5 37.Rb8 (37.exf5+ gxf5 38.Rh7! f4+ 39.Kh3! e4 40.fxe4! Ke5 41.Re7+! Kd6 42.Rb7 Rb4 43.Rb8 Rxe4 44.Rh8 Re3+ 45.Kh2 Rb3 46.Rxh5+–) 37...Kd7 38.b7 Kc7 39.Rg8 fxe4 40.fxe4 Rxb7 41.Rxg6! Rb4 42.Rg5 Rxe4 43.Rxh5+–.

36...Ke7 

Black adopts a passive defence, but active counterplay is also objectively losing. 36...f5 37.b6 fxe4 38.fxe4 Rb3+ 39.Kh2 Kd7 40.b7 Rb1 41.Rg8 Rxb7 42.Rxg6!+–.

37.b6 Ke6 38.Kh2 Rb1 39.b7 Kf6 

D. 7-1

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40.g3

As we shall see later, White will be forced sooner or later to decide to push his g-pawn in order to create weaknesses in the enemy camp. 40.g4 is here the most straightforward way to win. White pushes his pawn to g5, after which the e5-pawn falls by force. The same advance of g-pawn we have seen in Spassky-Torre, D. 9, 55.g4. With the b-pawn White can simply take the e5-pawn because the checking distance between Black’s rook and White’s king is here shorter than in the case of the passed a-pawn. 40.g4 Kg7 41.g5! Rb6 42.Kg2 Rb2+ 43.Kf1 Rb1+ 44.Ke2 Rb3 45.Kd2 Rb2+ 46.Kc3 Rb1 47.Kc4 Rb2 48.Kd5+–.

40...Rb2+ 41.Kg1 Kg7 42.Kf1 Kf6 43.Ke1 Kg7 44.Kd1 Rb3 45.Kc2 Rb6 46.Kc3 Rb1 47.Kc4 Kf6 48.Kd5 Rd1+ 49.Kc6 Rc1+ 50.Kd7 Rb1 51.Ke8 Kg7 52.Ke7 Rb4 

A weak move which allows White to take the e-pawn by force. The most resilient defence is 52…Rb2 after which White has to play at appropriate moment g3-g4 (see the next game). 

53.Kd6 Kf6 54.Kc6 Rc4+ 55.Kb5. 1–0

Black to move
34.-- Kf6 35.b4 Ke6 36.b5 f5 37.Rb6+! Kf7 38.Rb8! fxe4 39.fxe4! Ke6 40.b6 Rb3+ 41.Kf2 Kd7 42.b7 Rb2+ 43.Kg3 Rb3+ 44.Kh2 Rb1 45.Rg8 Rxb7 46.Rxg6!+–. 

  
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Re: Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
Reply #1 - 07/03/24 at 17:55:38
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As we have seen before, Black’s decisive mistake was advancing the pawn from the favorable position on e6 to e5. The same mistake was made in the game Harikrishna-Wojtaszek, Sharjah World Stars ICC INT (5), 12.06.2020). The only essential difference in comparison with the game Gelfand-Lagarde was the position of the White’s king on the first rank. 

D. 5

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37.Kg1

After 37.Kg1 Wojtaszek could have played 37…g6 reaching essentially the same position as in Gelfand-Lagarde after 34.Rb7. But he chose the losing set-up e6-e5 and  f7-f6 and played 37…Kg6. This wastes time but is not yet the losing move.   

37…Kg6?! 38.b5

D. 6

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38...e5? 

Decisive mistake, after which White has no difficulties in creating a second weakness after advancing his pawn to b7. 

39.b6 f6 40.Rb8 Kh7 41.Kh2 g6 42.Kg1 Kg7 43.g4 hxg4 44.fxg4 Rb4 45.b7 Rb2 46.g5 fxg5 47.hxg5 Rb4 48.Kf2 Rb3 49.Ke2 Rb6 50.Kd3 Rb4 51.Kc3 Rb6 52.Kc4 Rb1 53.Kd5 1–0

Back to D. 6

The only way to save the game was retreating the king to f6 with subsequent g7-g6. 

38…Kf6!

D. 6-1

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Unlike the position after 35...Rb2 in the game Gelfand-Lagarde, Black can still save the day because of the position of the White's king on g1 (instead of g3 in the game Gelfand-Lagarde). 

38...f5? fails to 39.exf5+! exf5 40.f4! Rb4 41.g3!+–.

39.f4 

39.b6 g6= analogous to D. 3-1. 

39…e5

With the king on g3 this move was not dangerous but here White's king is far away from his unprotected e-pawn. 

40.Rb6+ Ke7 41.fxe5 Re2 42.Rb7+ Ke6! 43.b6 Rxe4 44.Rb8 Kd5 45.b7 Kc6 46.e6 Rxe6 47.Rf8 Kxb7 48.Rxf7+ Kc6 49.Rxg7 Kd5 50.Kh2 Re5=. 

  
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Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
06/30/24 at 15:57:57
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Gelfand – Lagarde (2021)
 
D. 1

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Sam Shankland refers to this game (Theoretical Rook Endgames, 2023, p. 256-257 and 272) as illustration of his rule that “in general, a four on four kingside pawn structure should mean that pushing the pawn to the seventh rank will result in a victory” (p. 257). The analysis of the game provided by him suggests that the position is winning for White. According to him Gelfand’s “play in this phase was fantastic”. Actually, the diagram position is a draw and both sides made result-changing mistakes.

34.Rb7

This is the best try for White. As Shankland rightly emphasize, “it is important to prevent Black from pushing ...g7-g5 to exchange a pair of pawns”. It is worth noting that if now White were to play, he would win by 34.f4! 

34…Rb3?

The only viable plan for Black is to activate the king and prevent the f-pawn from advancing. In order to play Ke5, Black must first remove his g-pawn from the 7th rank. Therefore, the best defence for Black is 34...g6 (34…Re2 35.b5 g6 is also possible). 

D. 1-1 after 34.Rb7 g6

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35.b5

The immediate 35.f4 fails to 35...Rb3+! 36.Kf2 Rb2+ 37.Kf3 Rb3+ 38.Ke2 Rb2+ 39.Kd3 e5! 40.Rb6+ Ke7 41.fxe5 Rxg2 42.b5 Rb2! 43.Kd4 Rd2+! 44.Kc5 Rc2+! 45.Kd5 Rd2+! 46.Kc6 Rc1+! 47.Kb7 Rc4=. 

35…Ke5 36.b6 Rb1 37.Rb8 f5

Or 37...Rb2 38.b7 Rb6 (38...f5 39.exf5 gxf5=; 38...Kf6 39.Kf4 Rb3 40.e5+ Kg7=) 39.Kf2 Rb3 40.g3 Rb2+ 41.Ke3 Kf6 42.Kd3 Kg7 43.Kc4 Rb1 44.Kc5 Rc1+ 45.Kb5 Rb1+ 46.Kc6 Rc1+ 47.Kd6 Rd1+ 48.Ke7 Rb1=.

38.exf5 gxf5 39.b7 Rb2 40.Rh8 f4+ (40...Rxb7 41.Rxh5 Rb1=) 41.Kh2 Rxb7 42.Rxh5+ Kf6=.

Back to the game after 34…Rb3?

D. 2

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35.b5! Rb2

35…g6 is too late because of 36.Kf4. 

D. 3

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36.b6?

After this move the position is drawn but Lagarde did not take advantage of the opportunity. He should have played 36…g6. 

D. 3-1 After 36.b6? g6!

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Now 37.f4 does not help: Black counters 37…e5 and White rook has no check on b6. 

Instead of 36.b6? Gelfand should have played 36.f4! after which 36…g6 37.Kf3 37…e5 fails to 38.Rb6+! Ke7 39. fxe5!+–.

Back to the game after 36.b6?

D. 4

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36…e5?

An instructive mistake which throws away the draw. Black's pawn occupies the e5-square, which is needed by his king. Because of the position of the Black’s pawn on e5 White manages to make a second passed pawn. 

The only move to draw is 36…g6!, after which we have the position in D. 3-1.   

37.Rb8

Or 37.Kh2 Rb1 38.Rb8 Kg6 39.g4+– (39.b7 Kh7 40.g3+–).

37...g6 38.Kh2 Kg7 39.b7 Rb1 40.g3 f6 41.f4! Rb2+ 42.Kg1 Rb1+ 43.Kf2 Rb2+ 44.Kf3 Rb3+ 45.Ke2 Rb2+ 46.Kd3 exf4 47.gxf4 g5 48.fxg5 fxg5 49.e5 gxh4 50.e6 h3 51.e7 h2 52.Rg8+ Kxg8 53.e8Q+ Kg7 54.Qe5+ Kg6 55.Qxb2 h1Q 56.b8Q Qf3+ 57.Kd4 Qg4+ 58.Kc5 Qg1+ 59.Qd4 Qc1+ 60.Kd5 Qg5+ 61.Qbe5. 1–0. 
  
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