CCLA Server Chess

Rook and Pawns vs Rook and Pawns Endgames

by Arthur E. Holmer

Rook and pawns vs Rook and pawns — when an extra central pawn makes the difference

Rook vs Rook endings where both sides have four or five pawns can be very difficult to play accurately. For example, what is the best approach when the superior side has five pawns vs four and the extra pawn is in the center? Where do you start? To demonstrate the correct technique we will use the following famous classic game played by Akiba Rubinstein (1) and Emanuel Lasker (2) at the Chigorin Memorial Chess Tournament held in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire in 1909. Mikhail Chigorin (1850–1908), was the founder of the Soviet School of Chess and one of the leading players of his day. The tournament became a series of international congresses that were held at various times, even to the present day.

Lasker’s notes are taken from Jacques Hannak’s Emanuel Lasker: The Life of a Chess Master⁴ and are based on the original tournament book by Lasker⁴.

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nc3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc6

“The cause for subsequent embarrassment”. 7...Be7 was preferable. -Lasker⁴

8.e3 Be7 9.Bb5

“Showing up the weakness of Black's 7th move”. -Lasker⁴.

9. ... Bd7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Nxd5 Bxd4 12.exd4 Qg5 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Ne3 O-O-O

“A careless move. There was no reason for Black to desist from his intention of capturing the g-pawn simply because White has omitted Qe2+. As a matter of fact, after ...Bxg2 15 Rg1 Qa5+ 16 Qd2 Qxd2+ 17 Kxd2 Be4 Black would have been quite comfortable”. -Lasker⁴.

15.O-O Rhe8 16.Rc1!

“A very subtle move. What with the threat of Rc5 and d5, White retains his advantage, and he can certainly cope with Black's threat of ...Rxe3”. -Lasker⁴.

16. … Rxe3 17.Rxc6+ bxc6 18.Qc1! Rxd4 19.fxe3 Rd7 20.Qxc6+ Kd8 21.Rf4!

“A splendid idea, threatening to decide the game at once by Qa8+, followed by a Rook check on e4 or c4; hence, Black is forced to swap Queens and to face a lost ending”. -Lasker⁴.

It is impressive that Lasker already knows the ending is lost after the queen exchange. We will see as the game proceeds that the win for White is not at all simple or straight forward and for him to see it that many moves out is amazing.

21. ... f5 22.Qc5 Qe7

“After 22...Rd1+ 23. Kf2 Rd2+ 24. Ke1 Qxg2 White would win the Rook by 25. Qa5+”. -Lasker⁴.

23.Qxe7+ Kxe7 24.Rxf5 ...

This is diagram No. 6.154 on page 241 of Fundamental Chess Endings,³. Mueller and Lamprecht note in the Material Advantage section⁵

24. … Rd1+ 25.Kf2!

“White gives one pawn back to achieve maximum activity. After 25.Rf1 Rd2 26.Rb1 Kd6 it would be very difficult to make progress”.-Mueller⁵.

25. ... Rd2+ 26.Kf3 Rxb2 27.Ra5

“Forcing Black’s rook back to a very passive position”. Mueller⁵.

27. … Rb7

This is diagram No. 770 on page 369 of Basic Chess Endings,³. Fine notes in the Material Advantage Section (C. The Extra Pawn is in the Center) “In these endings, the main problem is to force Black into zugzwang. In this classic ending, we see how this problem is solved by Rubinstein’s consummate artistry”. “-Fine³

28.Ra6

“28.e4 at once is also good, but it helps to have the Black king cornered”.-Fine³

“Cutting off the king along the sixth rank”.-Mueller⁵.

28. … Kf8 29.e4 Rc7

“Lasker wisely marks time. Playing the king to the queenside to free the rook would lose more quickly”. -Fine³

30.h4

“Before his king goes out into the world, White wants to have his pawns insured”. -Fine³

30. … Kf7 31.g4 Kf8 32.Kf4 Ke7 33.h5 h6

“Keeping the pawns on the initial squares also loses (additional analysis on page 241)”.-Mueller⁵

“The crisis. Why, you might ask, does Lasker create a hole at g6 with this pawn move? The answer is that he cannot afford to let the White pawn get to g6. For instance, 33. … Kf7 34.Kf5 Ke7 35.g5 Kf7 36.e5 Ke7 37.g6 h6 38.Re6+!!”. -Fine³

34.Kf5 Kf7

“Now Black’s king is in zugzwang because he cannot allow the White king to get to g6”. -Fine³

35.e5 Rb7 36.Rd6 Ke7 37.Ra6 Kf7 38.Rd6 Kf8 39.Rc6

“If 39.Kg6 Rb4 40.Rd8+ Ke7 attacking the rook. Now White is threatening this inroad.”. -Fine³.

39. … Kf7 40.a3 1-0

“Zugzwang! The various unpleasant alternatives are:

a) 40. … Kf8 41.Kg6 Rb3 (note that the rook cannot go to b4) 42.Rc8+Ke7 43.Rc7+ Ke6 44.Rxg7 Rxa3 45.Kxh6 and the two connected passed pawns are irresistible.

b) 40. … Re7 41.e6+ Kg8 41.Kg6! Re8 42.e7!! Kh8 43.Rd6 Kg8 44.Rd8 and mates.

c) 40. … Rd7 41.e6+”. —Fine³.

“A nice way to conclude the game. Rubinstein prevents ...Rb4 and puts Black in zugzwang. Several variations from Averbakh and Speelman illustrate that:

a) 40… Ke7 41.Kg6 Kf8 42.Rc8+ Ke7 43.Kxg7 +-.

b) 40. ...Re7 41.e6+ Kg8 42.Kg6 Re8 43.e7 +-.

c) 40. … a5 41.Ra6 Rb5 42.Ra7+ Kg8 43.a4 Rc5 44.Ke6 +-.

d) 40. ...Kf8 41.Kg6 Rb3 42.Rc8+ Ke7 43.Rxg7 Rxa3 44.Kxh6 +-”. —Mueller⁵.

In summary, the methods White used to win the ending are:

1) Pushing the Black king back and restricting him to the seventh and eighth ranks.

2) Keeping the Black rook in a passive position-no activity.

3) The use of zugzwang to break through with the central pawn.

1. Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein (1 December 1880 –14 March 1961) was a Polish chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Rubinstein was granted the title International Grandmaster in 1950. (Wikipedia).

2. Emanuel Lasker (December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially recognized World Chess Champion in history. In his prime, Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and he is still generally regarded as one of the strongest players in history. (Wikipedia).

3. Fine, Reuben, Basic Chess Endings, David McKay Company, New York, 1941, Benko Revised Edition, Random House, New York, 2003, pp. 369-370.

4. Hannak, Jacques, Emanuel Lasker: The Life of a Chess Master, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1959, game notes on pp. 141-142 from Lasker’s tournament book, The International Chess Congress- St. Petersburg 1909.

5. Mueller, Karsten, Lamprecht, Frank, Fundamental Chess Endings, Gambit Publications, London, 2001, pp. 241-242.