How far does a GM look ahead?
The following position is from Arkell, K. vs. Holland, J.
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| White to move |
4r1k1/p1r2pp1/2p5/Q7/3p2Pb/P2NqP1p/1PR1P2P/4RK2 w - - 0 28
GM Arkell saw a tactical way to trade all pieces. He deemed that the resulting pawn ending was winning. From the book Arkells endings:
28.Qxc7 ... And here was my idea. Holland automatically assumed that this capture wasn't possible as his reply appears to win on the spot.
28...Qxd3 Threatening 29...Qxc2, 29...Qe3 and 29...Qxf3+, so it appears I must resign.
29.Qd8 For my trap to work, the Queen must pin Black's Rook, preventing ...Qxf3+; attack the Rook with check to avoid ...Qxc2 followed by ...Bxe1; and threaten the Bishop to eliminate ...Qe3.
29...Rxd8 The best he can do is head for an inferior ending. If 29...Qxc2 30.Qxe8+ Kh7 31.Ra1 Qxb2 32.Rd1 and I'm well on top.
30.exd3 Bxe1 31.Kxe1 Re8+ 32.Re2 Rxe2+ 33.Kxe2 f5
For the exchange Arkell needed to think 11 ply ahead, with all variations. Furthermore, he had to judge the ensuing position beforehand:
 |
| White to move |
He said he could not see on move 28 whether 34.gxf5 would be sufficient. So he prepared 34.f4 already on move 28!
This gives a nice little insight how a grandmaster is thinking. In his mind he makes a separation between the forced tactical exchanges and the judgement of the resulting pawn ending. That's the power of the Chessable book Arkells Endings. He describes what and how he is thinking.
It gives me an opportunity to estimate whether my skill acquiring method will lead to such tactical prowess. And it gives an impression what kind of knowledge I need to judge a pawn ending.
Several days ago, I began searching for digital exercises for endgame strategy. Surprisingly (to me), there doesn’t seem to be a lot (at least, not on the basis of a surface-level search). I did stumble across one possibility.
ReplyDeleteDISCLAIMER: I have no experience with this course and no financial connection to it or anyone associated with it.
GM Avetik Grigoryan describes how the idea originated in an article: Endgame roadmap: 9 strategies on how to play chess endgames
LINK: https://chessmood.com/blog/chess-endgame-strategies
The ChessMood course associated with this article is:
Endgame Roadmap - Your compass to navigate in the Endgames—$200
LINK: https://chessmood.com/course/chess-endgame-roadmap
Course: 72 episodes (3 hours 50 min)
[That $200 price is a show-stopper for me.]
Here’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Endgame Roadmap.
#9 — TACTICS ARE EVERYWHERE!
BEGIN HERE:
#1 — ACTIVATE THE KING
—— King loves weak pawns
—— King goes to the center
—— GOTO #5
#2 — ACTIVATE THE PIECES
—— Identify weak pawns
—— Make your pieces happy
—— GOTO #5
#3 — CREATE WEAK PAWNS
—— Provoking weakness(es)
—— Exchanging pieces
—— Exchanging pawns
—— Winning pawns
—— GOTO #5
#4 — CREATE WEAK SQUARES
—— Use outpost for the pieces
—— Enter the opponent’s camp
—— GOTO #5
#5 — WIN PAWNS
—— Enter the opponent’s camp
—— Attack the weak pawns
—— GOTO #6
#6 — CREATE A PASSED PAWN
—— With exchanges
—— With sacrifices
—— With breakthroughs
—— Using asymmetrical pawns
—— Using pawn majority
—— GOTO #7
#7 — GET A QUEEN
—— Passed pawns are the stars
—— 4 types of strong passed pawns
—— Square rule
—— Don’t overpush and be careful of challengers
—— Consider pushing the passed pawns
—— GOTO #8
#8 — CHECKMATE
—— King is weak
—— King is surrounded
—— King is on the edge
Looks interesting. To find a point where to start is always the most problematic. Once found, you can find the rest by thinking for yourself. The roadmap clearly indicates where to start: with the pawns. Not with the theoretical or practical endings, but with the strategy concerning the pawns. I could have come up with that myself. After all, pawns are the other sitting ducks of the game.
ReplyDeleteThe pricing of the website is a bit over the top. So I'm going to think for myself. At least I now know where to start. Thanks!
Two thoughts. The book the hundred endgames you must know was well recieved when it first came out. Also chess coach the CT-art people have a dirt cheap endgame course for smart phones.
ReplyDeleteI used to have 4 meter or so chess books. But my house has been on fire last year, so my 42 meter books were lost. But since then I acquired quite some endgame stuff on Chessable, and I trained quite some endgame courses. Yet that had no measurable result. Since I had no idea what the essence of chess endings was. Until now. Both Robert and GM Arkell have set me on the right track. It is about pawns. It is as simple as that. (slapping forehead)
ReplyDeletePART I:
ReplyDeleteThe Quality Chess version of My System has an interesting schematic representation of the chapter contents or a “question and answer” session at the end of specific chapters. Here are the chapters explicitly aimed at the endgame.
Part 1, Chapter 4, The passed pawn:
Question and answer session to illustrate the passed pawn:
I. How is a passed pawn created?
—— From a majority • The rule of the candidate.
II. Why must we blockade a passed pawn?
—— 1. Because it otherwise threatens to advance • Suicide as a threat • The image of a criminal (police surveillance is not enough!).
—— 2. Because the blockading square is protected from frontal attacks [because pawns CANNOT capture to the front] and moreover tends to become a “weak square” for one’s opponent.
—— 3. Because it can cripple whole enemy complexes.
III. What demands must be made of the blockading piece?
—— 1. Basic effectiveness as a blockader.
—— 2. How effective are the threats it gives from the blockading square?
—— 3. Elasticity or flexibility.
IV. How can one increase the effectiveness and the elasticity of the blockader?
The effectiveness of the blockade is increased by links to the rear (overprotection needed!). But elasticity grows automatically as the blockade takes effect. However, the pawn being blockaded must not be allowed too far forward.
V. What are the imponderables in the blockade?
When the blockading squares have turned out to be good squares in all respects. This can be explained by the tendency we have mentioned for the blockading square to turn into weak squares for the opponent.
VI. What form does play against the blockading piece take?
—— 1. The efforts to uproot it.
—— 2. Attempting to bring about changes of the blockading pieces.
VII. Why is the opposition an outdated belief?
Because it judges the situation only by the outer symptoms.
My three-stage combined maneuvre.
VIII. Which passed pawns are “privileged” and how should they be treated?
—— a) Two linked passed pawns moving forward in step • Plugging the gap.
—— b) The “protected” passed pawn.
—— c) The “distant” passed pawn • The effect of diversion • Preparing things in advance.
IX. Goal and purpose of an advance as far as passed pawns are concerned:
—— a) To get closer to the goal (queening) or to protect a square.
—— b) To win space for the king to advance into.
—— c) To end its existence as a sacrifice which entices the opponent away from the action.
The distance between the diversionary pawn and the opposing king is as great as possible.
PART II:
ReplyDeletePart 1, Chapter 6, The elements of endgame strategy:
Schematic illustration of the “endgame” or “the 4 elements”
1. Centralization
—— a) Of the king: protects the base, relieves the rooks; the struggle for space
———— Means: shelter, bridge building
—— b) Of the knight and bishop: create a shelter for the king
—— c) Of the queen: inspires its own king to go wandering
———— The adventures of the wandering minstrel and arrival at the castle
2. Aggressive posting of rooks, knights and bishops
—— a) Weakness of the passive rook:
———— (1) lack of flexibility in getting to the other flank
———— (2) growing freedom of manoeuvre of the opposing king
The Tarrasch formula: The rook belongs behind the passed pawn, no matter whether it is our passed pawn or our opponent’s.
—— b) Weakness of the passive knight: its unequivocal nature favors Zugzwang
—— c) Weakness of the passive bishop: its slowness in changing fronts
3. Welding together isolated troops and “General advance!”
—— a) Plugging the gaps
—— b) Shelters and bridge building
—— c) “Centralizing” even on the wing!
4. ”Materializing” a file or rank in the endgame
—— a) An important difference: activity in the middlegame; quiet in the endgame
—— b) Your own weight of material
Both a) and b) leading to:
—— c) The “automatic” gain in value of a file in the endgame
There are other chapters in Part I: The Elements, Chapter 5: Exchanging) and Part II: Positional Play, Chapter 4: Overprotection and weak pawns and Chapter 5: Manoeuvring) which are applicable to the endgame.
@Robert, you are doing a great job! Can you see what kind of system emerges from My System? It is all about pawns. Attack the pawn chain at the base, create an open file in doing so. Infiltrate with the rook via the open file at the 7th or the 8th and attack the pawns from behind.
ReplyDelete