Dean Howard, the defending champion of the Albany Club and first board in the “big” Albany versus Schenectady match this year, kindly sent me as much of the score as is available of his game with Patrick Chi. Dean was in some time trouble and stopped recording about move 37. With the help of Mr. Chi, Dean was able to find and forward the game through move 52 along with his notes on the game.
After the last move recorded the classic Rook pawn + Bishop pawn and Rook versus a lone Rook ending arose. Almost every writer on endgames has had something to say about this one. The position came to the attention of the chess world when Marshall drew it against Rubinstein at San Sebastian, 1911. Spielmann, Rabinovich, Belavenets, Maizelis, Zek, Keres, Botvinnik, Rogozin Flohr, Levenfish and Smyslov, Fine and in recent years Dvoretsky have explored this ending in great detail. The consensus is it is probably drawn if the defender knows the basic rule: Don’t let your King be cut off on the back rank. The side with the pawns wants to give up the Rook pawn at some point and win with the remaining Bishop pawn. The only chance for such a plan to work is if the defending King is cut off on the back rank. Avoid this and the long struggle is drawn.
Mr. Howard was so short of time he was not able to keep his King away from the back rank. The sudden-death time controls bring many good things to our game and some bad. A bad thing is the impossibility of staying out of time trouble in a long game and the resultant increase in endgame errors.
Howard, Dean - Chi, Patrick [B19]
Albany - Schenectady Match Schenectady, NY, 13.10.2011
Dean Howard’s notes are italicized.
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6
Dean’s comment is “I’ve had this position many times in casual games, but never got around to studying it. The line I chose was OK. If someone named Bill has the time to find out what the Grandmasters have done here, I’ll leave it to them.” Note: Dean sent the game to Bill Townsend also.
The position is quite fertile for researching GM games. It is popular with many of the top flight players. Here are a couple of examples;
(658043) Anand, Viswanathan (2770) - Dreev, Alexey (2676) [B19]
FIDE-Wch k.o. Moscow (4.2), 05.12.2001
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Bb4+ 12.c3 Be7 13.0–0–0 Ngf6 14.Kb1 0–0 15.Ne5 Qa5 16.Nxd7 Nxd7 17.Ne4 Rad8 18.Qg3 Kh8 19.Bc7 Qf5 20.f3 Rc8 21.Ka1 Nf6 22.Nd6 Bxd6 23.Bxd6 Rfd8 24.Be5 c5 25.dxc5 Nxh5 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 27.Bxg7+ Kh7 [27...Nxg7 28.Qh4 f6 29.Qxh6+ Kg8 30.Qh8+ Kf7 31.Qxd8] 28.Qh4 Rd2 29.Bxh6 Kxh6 30.g4 Qg5 31.Qxh5+ Qxh5 32.Rxh5+ Kg7 33.a4 Rd3 34.c6 bxc6 35.Ra5 Rxf3 36.Rxa7 e5 37.a5 Kf6 38.a6 e4 39.Ra8 Rd3 40.Re8 Rd5 41.b4 Rd7 42.c4 1–0
(955096) Sadvakasov, Darmen (2605) - Dreev, Alexey (2705) [B19]
RUS-chT Sochi (7), 25.04.2005
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Ngf6 12.0–0–0 Be7 13.Kb1 Qa5 14.Ne5 0–0 15.Nxd7 Nxd7 16.Ne4 Nf6 17.Nd6 Bxd6 18.Bxd6 Rfd8 19.Be5 Ng4 20.Bg3 Nf6 21.Be5 Ng4 22.Bg3 Nf6 23.Qe2 Qb5 24.c4 Qf5+ 25.Ka1 b5 26.f3 bxc4 27.Be5 Nd5 28.g4 Qg5 29.Rc1 f6 30.Bg3 Nb6 31.f4 Qb5 32.g5 Qf5 33.Bh4 Kf7 34.Rhg1 Rg8 35.Rc3 Rad8 36.Ra3 Rd7 37.Rag3 hxg5 38.fxg5 Rxd4 39.Rf3 Qe4 40.Re3 Qd5 41.g6+ Ke7 42.Re5 Rd2 43.Rxd5 Rxe2 44.Ra5 Nc8 45.Rc5 Re4 46.Bg3 e5 47.Rxc6 Rg4 48.Kb1 Rh8 49.Kc2 Kd7 50.Rc5 Nd6 51.Rd5 Rxh5 52.Rgd1 Rxg3 53.Rxd6+ Ke7 54.R1d2 Rd3 55.Ra6 Rxd2+ 56.Kxd2 f5 57.Rxa7+ Kf6 58.Ra6+ Kg5 59.Re6 e4 60.a4 Rh3 61.a5 Kf4 62.a6 c3+ 63.bxc3 Rh2+ 64.Kc1 e3 65.Kb1 Rh8 66.Kc2 Kf3 67.c4 e2 68.c5 Kf2 69.Kd3 e1Q 70.Rxe1 Kxe1 71.c6 Re8 0–1
There are lots of draws in the databases too. It seems that the really good players understand this line of the Caro is sound enough for Black to hold his own and even try for a win if White gets too ambitious.
11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.0–0–0 Ngf6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Nf6 16.Qe2 0–0–0
The game is still in well known theory with even results according to the databases.
17.g3 Bd6 18.Ne5,..
Here Dean gives this move the edit mark (?!), and says;“Not a losing move, but Black’s reply will make White squirm a little.” I am not so sure this is true. If White is not bound by prejudice about Knights versus Bishops he can obtain play for the minor Exchange.
18..., c5 19.Nc4,..
Worth trying is 19 Bf4, then 19..., Nd5 20 dxc5 Nxf4 21 gxf4 Bxc5; and White has the open g-file with which to pressure the Black K-side pawns. I’d mark this move with the (?!). White surrenders a pawn and goes over to the defensive.
19..., cxd4 20.Nxd6+ Qxd6 21.Bf4 Qc6 22.Rhe1 Rd5 23.Be5 Rhd8 24.Qf3?,..
Mr. Howard correctly is critical of this move and queries it. He writes: “It’s a sign of good play by both sides that my computer says this is the third-worst move of the game. White is almost equal after 24 Rd3, or 24 Kb1.”
24..., d3?
Mr. Howard’s comment here was: “Fortunately for me , Black responds with the second-worst move of the game. After 24..., Qc5 25 Bxf6 gxf6 26 Qxf6 Rf5 27 Qxf6 Rxf2 29 Qxd2 Qxh5 Black is a clear pawn ahead with better attacking chances.” Deep Rybka agrees.
25.Rxd3 Rxd3 26.Qxc6+ bxc6 27.cxd3 Rxd3 28.Bxf6,..
Dean said: “After this exchange, White’s active Rook and better pawn structure almost make up for the missing pawn.”
28..., gxf6
The Black pawns are at first glance looking somewhat ragged and the White pawns not so bad. Delving a bit deep into the position brings to light that the active Black Rook can attack the White K-side pawns easily while White has a much harder time finding a role for his Rook to play.
29.Re4 Rf3?!
With 29..., Rd5; Black would have set a difficult task for White. Play might have gone; 30 Rg4 Kd7 31 Rf4 Ke7 32 Rb4 Rb5 33 Rc4 Kd6 34 Rd4+ Rd5; and so forth with Black owning an extra pawn White can not accept a trade of Rooks. That being the case, Black can bit by bit improve the position of his King until such time as White can no longer avoid the trade of Rooks. The text goes straight for attacking the pawns and leads to near equality.
30.Rg4 Rf5
Dean’s comment was: “It’s very hard to know what is correct here, but this is probably wrong. Fritz considered 30..., Rxf2, Kc7, Kd7, a6 and a5. 30..., Rxf2 was a little better.” Dean gave the move (?!) and I think that is fair.
31.Rg7 Rxh5 32.Rxf7 Rf5 33.f4 a5 34.Re7,..
As Dean said in his notes here both sides made some tenth-of-a-pawn mistakes along the way, and this looks like one of those. It is better to activate his King with 34 Kd2, and a drawn outcome is very probable. One of the problems in Rook and pawns endgames is very small differences have large implications.
34..., e5 35.fxe5 Rxe5 36.Rf7 Rf5 37.Rh7,..
Here is another chance for White to play his King to d2. It should be said that here Mr. Howard had fallen below five minutes on his clock and stopped recording moves. In time pressure deep contemplation is out, and you play what you see. The rest of the game is presented without comment.
37..., h5 38.Kc2 Rf2+ 39.Kc3 Rf3+ 40.Kc4 Rxg3 41.Rxh5 Rg4+ 42.Kc3 Rg5 43.Rh7 Rd5 44.Rf7 f5 45.Kc4 Kd8 46.Rf6 Kc7 47.Rf8 Kd7 48.Rf7+ Ke6 49.Rc7 Kd6 50.Rf7 Rb5 51.Rf6+ Kc7 52.Kd4 Rxb2 53.Rxf5 Rxa2 0–1
Patrick’s score sheet ran out here. The game continued for several more moves. Dean’s comments were”.. With almost no time , without knowing the risks to avoid, I allowed my King to be forced to the back rank, and removed all doubt by missing a mate when I was down to 30 seconds..” This was a game played at a level higher than we typically see in local contests. It reflects well on both players. Dean’s closing note captures a feeling I’ve had every once in a while: “It was a hard loss, but I learned lessons about the opening and endgame. That “almost” compensates for the lost King.”
More soon.
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