The endgames are considered the least interesting stage of the game. The pieces, like tired actors, leave the stage for a well-deserved rest, and there are no theoretical innovations in the opening, no deep strategic plans in the center, no far-sighted combinations, effects, or tactical strikes.
And the audience loses interest, slowly leaves the hall, leaving the chess matadors to patiently squeeze out the “dry old stuff” in an attempt to get the desired point. And yet…? The great Lasker emphasized in the 30s that the future in chess belongs to “actively played endgames”. Lasker’s successors “on the throne” Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Petrosyan, Spassky, Fischer, all the way to Carlsen played excellent endgames. Some of them, like Botvinnik’s, are true masterpieces of superb analysis and filigree execution. It was once claimed that Botvinnik’s successor on the throne, Petrosyan, was enough for him to win the game. And the five-time world champion, the chess player with the highest rating in the history of chess, Carlsen, is known for his superb treatment of endgames.
The ending we are publishing today was created in the game Timan - Velimirović at the Rio de Janeiro interzonal tournament in 1979. The Dutch grandmaster, with the help of his second, the Swedish grandmaster, Ulf Anderson, carefully analyzed this ending, having seven days at his disposal. Timan and his second, in analyzing this interrupted game, undoubtedly used the experience of the famous French composer of chess studies, André Cheron. Grandmaster Draško Velimirović, after 27 moves played in the continuation, finally had to sign the capitulation.
A position was created that was theoretically obtained, and which was carefully researched by Cheron as early as the 1950s. The Dutch grandmaster's second, the Swede Anderson, undoubtedly used the experience of this French endgame researcher.
76. Rf7! It is very important that the king is cut off and later thrown to the h-file, so that it is as far away from the a-file as possible, when White restores the quality for the pawn on the a3-field.
76….Lc3, 77. Tf3 Lb2. 78. Ke7! Kh7. 79. Tg3.
The first part of the plan has been fulfilled. The second part consists of using appropriate maneuvering, threats of mate, semi-patronizing the black king, and attacking the a3 pawn to force the bishop to defend the pawn on the a3-f8 diagonal.
79..Kh6. 80. Kd6 Kh5
At 80….Kh7? he immediately gets 81. Kc5 with Kb4 and Rxa3.
81. Kc5 Kh4 82. Tg8 Le5!
If 82… Kh3 or 82…Bc1 then 83..Kb4 with Ta8 wins it.
83. Kd5 Lb2 84. Kc4 Lf6 85. Tg6! Lg5!
The only move. Now the king threatens at a convenient moment to cross the "Rubicon" - g - line.
86. Kd3 Bc1.
If 86… Kh5, then 87. Rc6! Be7, 88. Ke4 Kg5 89. Ta6 Kh5 90. Kf5 Kh4 91. Ke6! Bf8 92. Ta8 Bc5 93.Re8! With Rc3 and the pawn falls.
87. Ke4 Lb2. 88. Kf5 Kh5. 89. Rd6 Kh4 90. Rd3!
Now the king is in a bind and the bishop has to move.
90….Lc1 91.Tc3 Lb2 92. Te3 Lc1 93. Te1! Ld2.
If 93…. Bb2 94. Rg1 Kh3 95. Kf4 Kh2 96. Rg6 Kh3 97. Rc6 with a similar continuation as in the game.
94. Th1+ Kg3 95. Rd1 Bb4
And the third goal is achieved, the bishop must defend the pawn on the second diagonal and it will be "short", as the commentary after the 86th move showed.
96. Rd3+ Kf2 97. Ke4 Ke2 98. Kd4 Bc5+ 99. Kc4 Be7 100. Th3 Bd6 101. Kb3 Bf8 102. Th8 Bd6.
On 102….Bc5 follows first: Rc8 and then Ra8.
103. Ta8
Black surrenders, because the king cannot go to d3 because of 104. Rd8 and the bishop falls, and after 103… Ke3 104. Txa3 Bxa3 105. Kxa3 Kd4 106. Kb4 cannot enter the “square” of the a - pawn.
Bonus video:
