Foreword by
Yasser Seirawan
2004
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
Milford, CT USA
A Practical Guide to Rook Endgames
© Copyright 2004, 2010
Nikolay Minev
and Russell Enterprises, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 1-888690-22-4
Published by:
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 3131
Milford, CT 06460 USA
http://www.russell-enterprises.com
info@russell-enterprises.com
Cover design by Janel A. Lowrance
Translated from Bulgarian by Krassimir Totev
Foreword by Yasser Seirawan
About this book and how to use it
Chapter One: Strategy and Tactics of Rook-and-pawn Endgames
Important Features of the Pieces
Tactical Elements
1. The Skewer
2. Double Attacks
3. Pinning
4. Deflection
5. Far-advanced Pawns
6. Stalemate
Strategic Elements
1. Coordination of the Pieces
2. Active and Passive Pieces
3. Pawn Structure
4. The Importance of Time
5. Shelter for the King
6. Transition to a Different Type of Endgame
7. Material and Positional Advantage
Chapter Two: Basic Rook-and-pawn Endgames
Rook and Pawn versus Rook
1. Rook and non-rook Pawn versus Rook
2. Rook and rook pawn versus Rook
Rook and Two Pawns versus Rook
1. Rook and Doubled Pawns versus Rook
2. Rook and Two Connected Pawns versus Rook
3. Rook and Two Isolated Pawns versus Rook
Rook-and-pawn Endgames with Equal Pawns
1. Rook and Pawn versus Rook and Pawn
2. Other Rook-and-pawn Endgames
Rook-and-pawn Endgames with an Extra Pawn
1. Rook and Two Pawns versus Rook and Pawn
2. Rook and Three Pawns versus Rook and Two Pawns
3. Rook and Four Pawns versus Rook and Three Pawns
List of Other eBooks
It is always a pleasure whenever I’m allowed to write a foreword to one of IM Nikolay Minev’s books. It brings me particular joy to introduce English readers to this remarkable work. As I’ve written in previous forewords, Nikolay and his wife, Elena, immigrated to America in the mid-80s and fortune smiled upon me when the couple stopped in Seattle on their way to Los Angeles, their intended destination. Fate further intervened when Nikolay and I became neighbors living in the same downtown Seattle condominium building. In no time Nikolay and I had established our schedule; Friday evenings at 6PM or 7PM became our time together. Our meeting time depended upon when ESPN Sports network featured its Friday Night Fights program. Pugilism is our favored viewing sport and after a few good contests, where a fighter is sent to a different time zone, a perfect mood for Nikolay and I to study chess is created.
Normally our training sessions begin wiith an overview of the best games of the week or month as we carefully replay them together. Nikolay is a tactical deviant and he is always on the lookout for unusual tactical patterns with which he likes to stump me to find the surprising winning shot. I had better be fast as Nikolay expects a sharp eye and a quick hand. After enjoying ourselves for a few hours we then settle down to a bout of story telling. Nikolay is a master story teller and I’m a captive audience. After fifteen years of regular meetings, Nikolay still shares original stories that are recalled as a result of my excessive prompting. Certain recollections will cause Nikolay to scurry to one of his many bookcases and remove a cherished item or two. Invariably these works are either in Russian or Bulgarian and it is a secret annoyance that I too can’t share his pleasure as he sets up the positions they contain, sharing the knowledge therein.
Surprisingly, one tome becomes a constant guest in our discussions and it is the very work that you, dear reader, are now holding. As most chess players know, Rook-and-pawn Endgames represent approximately half of all endings reached in master games. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that chess players wishing to improve their skill must thoroughly familiarize themselves with this critical part of endgame study. When we play through a modern game and reach a specific rook endgame, Nikolay might blurt out “Draw!” or “Win!” To which I might agree, or seriously doubt. “Let us be sure,” Nikolay will say and off he goes to retrieve the oracle. He has used the Bulgarian version of his work so often that the position is discovered almost at once. Sometimes the position at hand is slightly different than the one in the book and it is precisely these positions Nikolay likes best. Nikolay has developed his own methods of study and what he suggests is that after fully understanding a specific position, the student should change the set-up. Would the position still be a draw if the pawn were shifted one file or rank? Would the position still be won if the defender had an extra tempo? It is this curiosity and the desire to know with a certainty that makes Nikolay such an enjoyable training partner. He is only satisfied when he is sure that he has mastered the position at hand.
These days, Nikolay’s eyesight hasn’t been so good and he has taken to pushing the oracle in my direction and asked me to follow the analysis. While the chess moves are clear, Bulgarian remains a mystery to me. This had caused me to constantly complain, “Nikolay, please, you’ve got to get me the English version!” Fortunately, for both Nikolay and myself, Hanon Russell of Russell Enterprises is a mutual friend and when I proposed this project to him, he was quite enthusiastic. Nikolay less so. Working slowly on his translation, several years later the English version of the book was completed. Its publication, needless to say comes as a great relief to me and I’m very proud of the work that Nikolay and Hanon have done as now I can enjoy all the commentary that eluded me for years.
The original Bulgarian work had been translated into Russian and that edition sold out in huge quantities. Virtually a whole generation of Soviet players have intently studied this work which leads me to tell my own remarkable story: Following the September 2002 Russia versus the Rest of the World event in Moscow, I played the role of trainer/co-captain for the Rest of the World Team. After great adventure, the Rest of the World Team won despite being vastly out-rated. After the match, Garry Kasparov invited me to visit his Moscow flat where we landed in front of a chess board. Being chess players one should always be ready for an impromptu blitz session and we were soon bashing our moves out. In one particular game I had been pressing an initiative for some time when suddenly Garry Kimovich called out, “Draw!” I begged to differ; the edge was mine. Garry disappeared for a few moments and came back with a book on rook endings. Within seconds he had found the exact position on our board, showed the analysis and exclaimed, “Minev!” Well, what to say? I was all prepared to challenge the highest ranked player in history to continue the game, but I wasn’t prepared to challenge Minev. We re-set the pieces for the next game.
Dear readers, this is a work that should be enjoyed and treasured. Carefully examine the chosen examples and challenge yourself to understand them fully. Your efforts won’t make you a Garry Kasparov but you will be following in the footsteps of many of the world’s masters.
Yasser Seirawan
Amsterdam
September 2004
A full-length chess game has three phases: the opening, the middle game, and the endgame. Often, the contest does not reach a final decision in the first two phases, and moves into the endgame, where the same high-intensity struggle continues, to exploit a material or positional advantage. Inability to handle such final positions is a major disadvantage for any ambitious chess player, since it could ruin an otherwise perfectly conducted game in just a few moves. Mastering endgame technique is equally important for defense of difficult positions. There are many examples where the weaker side has had the opportunity to save the game, but missed it due to ignorance of fundamental theoretical positions. Long-term observations all over the world indicate that young and talented chess players are reluctant to study the endgame, considering it to be simpler, while focusing their efforts mostly on the opening and middle game. The consequence is a decreased opportunity for higher achievements. It is no accident that all world champions and other great masters from past and present are excellent interpreters of endgame positions.
For players wishing to use this book to improve, and penetrate deeper into the secrets of chess, we will define the term “endgame.” It covers all positions with relatively few pieces. The main debate has always been how to recognize the borderline between middle game and endgame. Some authors consider that the endgame starts when kings assume an active role without being exposed to a major mating threat. This definition is vague, and though it defines one crucial element of the endgame, it still is not sufficient for all endgame positions. In addition, such a definition is not appropriate for classification and systematic studies.
The author proposes the following definition: an endgame is a position in which, other than kings and pawns, there are a maximum of four additional pieces on the board. With very few exceptions, this definition also complies with the basic rule for the current international classification of chess endgames. It divides endgames into four major groups according to the most powerful piece on the board:
The purpose of this book is to familiarize the reader with the theory and practice of rook-and-pawn endgames. This topic has not been selected by accident. Statistically, almost 50% of all endgames in tournament practice are rook-and-pawn endgames, i.e. both sides have one rook each, with or without any pawns. This is due to the fact that rooks normally enter the action at a later stage of the game, and therefore, very often are the last remaining pieces on the board. Hence, it is important to be familiar with rook-and-pawn endgames.
Though this topic is not new, it has been the object of only a few special monographs, the most recognized ones by Smyslov and Levenfish (USSR), and by Gawlikowski (Poland). The author has slightly different objectives with this book, and hopes it will serve a broad spectrum of readers — beginners, as well as highly qualified players. It can be used for self-education, and as a teaching tool for group training. Based on these objectives, the book is divided in two chapters:
1. Strategy and Tactics of Rook-and-pawn Endgames
No book, even one ten times larger than this one, can cover all possible positions. It is estimated that with two kings and two additional men on the board, for example rooks or pawns, approximately 12 million positions are possible. In the case of king and rook versus king and rook with one pawn, the possible positions number about 35 billion. And each of these positions has its own specific features depending on the disposition of the pieces. It is obvious that full knowledge of every single position is impossible. We have to seek help in knowledge of basic strategic and tactical possibilities. These are the stepping-stones that can be applied in specific situations, and indicate the direction for future plans of action. This chapter is mandatory for all, but particularly important for entry-level players and for chess teachers.
2. Basic Rook-and-pawn Endgames
This chapter deals with fundamental positions that all players should be familiar with. These are positions where, besides rooks, one or both sides also have a few pawns: one or two, seldom more. Such positions are studied in more detail. Knowledge of these so-called “basic positions” is necessary, since all complex endgames with many pawns on both sides inevitably transform into them. But how do we know which plan to select, and which position to target, if we do not have a clear understanding of its theoretical assessment, and the correct methods of play? Tournament practice is full of examples, where lack of such basic knowledge leads to errors. A typical example:
#1 White to move
The position of Diagram #1 is from the game Muldavanski-Pipkov, Bulgaria 1963. This position is probably the most basic rook-and-pawn endgame, to found in every decent beginner’s manual (We will revisit this position in the chapter “Rook and Pawn versus Rook”).
White easily achieves a draw by keeping his rook on the third rank, and staying there until Black advances his pawn. Then the white rook withdraws to the back rank, and with long-distance checks prevents Black from creating mating threats. Even White’s first move here, 1.Ra8?, shows that he has no basic knowledge of this position. Necessary is 1.Rc3 or 1.Kf1, and only after 1...f3 then 2.Ra8, followed by checks on the g- and f-files. 1...Kg3 2.Ra3+?? The interesting part is that White is not lost yet. By 2.Rg8+ he still has an opportunity to save the game but in a more difficult way, which will be presented later in the book. If you do not know the easy way, do not expect anything better the hard way. Now White’s position is totally lost. 2...f3 3.Ra1 Rg2+ 4.Kh1 Rh2+ 5.Kg1 f2+ 6.Kf1 Rh1+, and White resigned. He should not regret the loss of a half-point, since he did not deserve it anyway.
The author has selected the basic endgames that, according to his analysis and experience, are most necessary in practice. These endgames require systematic study, and are presented in more depth.
Finally, the author wishes to thank Krassimir Totev, Taylor Kingston and Linda Kingston for their assistance in the preparation of the English-language version of this book.
Nikolay Minev
Seattle
September 2004
The following symbols are used throughout the book:
+ check
1-0 White wins (Black resigns)
0-1 Black wins (White resigns)
½-½ draw agreed
= Equal position – draw
+– White has a won game
–+ Black has a won game
? Weak move
?? Blunder
! Good move
!! Excellent move
ol Olympiad
m match
ch championship
wch world championship
corr. correspondence game
Specific analysis of a position should be based on centuries of accumulated experience and knowledge, which allow us to evaluate the existing quantitative and qualitative factors. While evaluating the quantitative indicators is a relatively simple matter of counting pieces and pawns (material equality or inequality), qualitative indicators do not have a numerical expression. The latter depend on the interrelation of three main factors which help determine the course of the game: position, space and time. Depending on the position of the forces (pieces and pawns), they can obtain new relative values. A simple example is shown in Diagram #2:
#2 Black to move
It is common knowledge that the rook, quantitatively, is equal to 5 pawns. This is not valid in the above diagram. Due to its far-advanced position, and the threat to queen, White’s pawn has a new and higher value, equal to that of the rook. Black will have to sacrifice his rook to neutralize it, because after 1...Rh1 2.Kg7 the check 2...Rg1+ 3.Kf7 leads to a repetition of the initial position. With its advancement, the white pawn has gained in value, but the positioning of the other pieces also plays an important role in giving the pawn the same value as the black rook. Imagine that White’s king is not on f7, but one square to the left, on e7. Then after 1...Rh1 White’s king will not be able to defend the pawn and it will be lost. Therefore White’s king also has a higher value due to its favorable positioning at f7. It is easy to observe that two or more conditions are necessary to determine the position’s equality.
Practically speaking, the struggle in any game is the attempt to upgrade the relative value of pieces and pawns, using thematic ideas and actions, which come under the common heading of strategy. It is possible that, while resolving these tasks and implementing a feasible strategic plan, the final goal can only be achieved by the sacrifice of material. These material sacrifices are called tactics. Here the transition from quantity into quality is very dynamic. Tactics arise in the course of implementing strategic tasks, being developed from the strategic (qualitative) advantages of the position. They are the logical consequence of strategy, but can also be used to obtain new strategic advantages. The two concepts flow and merge into one another – strategy is the foundation, while tactics are the consequence, which can be used to build a new and improved foundation. Tactics can also arise by chance, without any connection to the chosen strategy. This happens when opponents make blunders, but even then tactics follow the logical principles of the position.