Shereshevsky’s “Associative Thinking” Part 3 (1)

This part deals with some endgames with b-pawn. 

Polugaeyvsky - Vasiukov
URS-ch34 Final Tbilisi (9), 12.01.1967

The Polugayevsky - Vasiukov endgame was examined in detail by Shereshevsky in Endgame Strategy, first published in Russian in 1988, but that analysis contained numerous errors stemming from Polugaevsky’s own faulty analysis. In the 2022 English edition, Shereshevsky substantially revised and corrected many of these mistakes, yet several serious errors remain. In Associative Thinking Shereshevsky apparently continues to believe that after 42.b5 Rb4 White wins. In fact, black holds the game with precise play.




42.b5

Polugayevsky believed during analysing this position after adjournment and afterwords in his book that he had missed the win by 42.b5 instead of 42.h5. Shereshevsky points out in Endgame Strategy that today’s computer programs easily detect a ‘hole’ in the half century old analysis of Polugaeyvsky - 42.h5 gxh5 43.b5 Rf4! 44.f3 h4+ 45.Kf2 h3! 46.gxh3 e4 47.Ke3 exf3! with a draw. 

42...Rb4 

Both Polugayevsky and Shereshevsky believed that this is a decisive mistake. But it is not. 

43.h5 gxh5 44.b6

Shereshevsky criticises this move and suggests 44.Kf3 Rb3+ 45.Ke4 Rb2 46.Ke3 Rb3+ 47.Kd2 Rb2+ 48.Kc3 Rxf2 49.Re8, and White should win. But 44...h4! saves the day: after 45.b6 we have transposition to the game after White's 45th move (D. 8-3). 

D. 8-1



44...h4+

Losing move according to Polugayevsky, but the position remains drawn. Shereshevsky uncritically accepts Polugayevsky's flawed analysis. Polugayevsky thought that only 44...Rb3+ saves the game in a study-like manner: 45.f3 e4 46.b7 h4+ 47.Kxh4 e3 48.Kg3 Rb4 and White is in zugzwang. Polugayevsky gave 48…Rb4 a double exclamation mark and described it as extremely subtle. But the simple 48…Tb1 is just as effective as 48…Rb4. 

After 44...Rb3+ Polugayevsky recommended 45.Kh4. 

D. 8-2



In Endgame Strategy Shereshevsky reproduces fully the following analysis of Polugayevsky:  “However, after 45...e4! (also possible is 45...Rb2) the tempting 46.Kxh5 leads to a draw after the quiet 46...Rb4!!, and White is condemned to fight without his king, because it cannot cross the “mined” 4th rank. (…) Nor is anything changed by 47.g4: the advance g4–g5 is not possible because of the reply 47...Rb5+!!".

In fact, in this analysis of Polugayevsky the only correct move is 45...Rb2. 45…e4? loses after 46.b7! Rb5 47.f4 e3 48.Kg3! e2 49.Kf2! Rb2 50.f5+–. After 45…e4? 46.Kxh5? the move 46…Rb4 given double exclamation mark by Polugayevsky, loses to 47.g4 or 47.Rb7+. Instead of 46.Kxh5? White wins by 46.b7!

45.Kf3

D. 8-3



Vasiukov played here 45...Kh7? (B). Ony this time-wasting move is the decisive error. Black draws with 45...h3! (A).

A) 45...h3!

By sacrificing one pawn on the h-file, Black succeeds in turning the other pawn on the same file into a passed pawn and thereby secures a draw.

46.gxh3

D. 8-4



46…Kg6! 47.Ke3

Or 47.b7 Kh5 48.Ke3 Kh4! 49.Kd3 Kxh3 50.Kc3 Rb1 51.Kc4 h5! 52.Kd5 h4! 53.Kxe5 Rb5+! 54.Kd4 Kg2 55.f4 h3=. 

47…Kh5 48.Kd3 Kh4! 49.Kc3 Rb1! 50.Kc4 Kxh3 51.Kd5 h5! 52.Kxe5 h4 53.f4 Kg4  54.b7 Rb5+! 55.Ke4 Rb4+! 56.Ke3 Rb3+! 57.Kd2 h3= .

B) After 45...Kh7? Polugaevsky easily converted his advantage.

46.b7 Kg7 47.Ke3 e4 48.Kf4 Kh7 49.Ke5 Kg7 50.Kd5 Rb2 51.Kxe4 Rb4+ 52.Kd3 Rb3+ 53.Kc4 Rb1 54.f4 Rc1+ 55.Kd3 Rb1 56.f5 Rb6 57.f6+ 1–0.