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Endgame Mastery

Capablanca - Tartakower

Famous Endgame, 1924

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Each side has a R, so the winner will bethe player who can attack first. If it were

Black's move he would play ...c5, a

pawn break to create an open-file, and

then infiltrate with his Rook. ClearlyWhite (to move) should be trying a

similar strategy. The e-file holds no use

as Black's Rook can contest too easilyand his King can hold any possible entry

points. (Having the R on the outpost at

e5 doesn't help as Black can play c6 witha solid position.

1.h5!

White's Rook can now enter the enemy

camp.

1...Rf6 2.hxg6 hxg6 3.Rh1

White plays logically to use his

advantage on the K-side. He correctlyignores his weakness on the Q-side.

Black however made a defensive move

which he could have perhaps omitted.

3...Kf8 4.Rh7 Rc6 5.g4!Capablanca realises that an activeposition is far more likely to win thegame than a small material advantage.

5...Nc4 6.g5!

Capablanca allows Black to win a pawn,

but he has confidence in the passedpawn that he creates. White's threat is

Rh6 and f5.

6...Ne3+ 7.Kf3 Nf5

If 7...Nd1 8.Rh6 Kf7 9.f5 Rxc3 10.fxg6+

Kg8 11.Ke2 Nb2 12.Bf5 With an easywin. (Variation by Alekhine)

8.Bxf5 gxf5Who do you think will win from here?

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It looks as if Black will be winningbecause White cannot stop Rxc3.

However, White is the player with the

upper hand because of his passed pawnon g5 and the possibility of activating

his King.

9.Kg3!!It is very instructive to see how

Capablanca is not interested in material

equality, but concerns himself only with

supporting his passed pawn.

9...Rxc3+ 10.Kh4

Black can't afford to waste time going

for the a-pawn or the d-pawn. He mustnow play a more defensive role and stop

White's pawn from promoting. Note that

a pawn and rook cannot force their waypast a lone King, however add a King

into the attack and White will win easily.

10Rf3 11.g6No need to waste time capturing the

pawn on c7. White simply makes a

pathway for his King to attack.

11Rxf4+ 12.Kg5

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12Re4

12...Rxd4 5.Kf6! And now Black is inbig trouble.

13.Kf6! A touch of elegance. But this isseen again and again, White uses Black's

pawn as defence for himself! Cleverly

ignoring the f5 pawn. Firstly it wouldwaste time to take it, and secondly this

Black pawn can now act as a shield for

checks from behind. 13...Kg8 14.Rg7+

Kh8 15.Rxc7

Only now taking the pawn, with a threat

of mate at the same time.

15Re8Only move.

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16.Kxf5

Now White isn't afraid of any checks

from behind he grabs the pawn before itcan become a nuisance. 16Kf7 isn't

quite a forced win because of Rd8. eg.

16.Kf7 Rd8 17.g7+ Kh7 And Black's f-

pawn can create counterplay.

16...Re4 17.Kf6 Rf4+ 18.Ke5 Rg4

19.g7+

Obviously Black cannot afford toexchange Rooks as White's King is so

much more active!

19...Kg8 20.Rxa7 Rg1 21.Kxd5

And now, when everything is undercontrol, White can calmly munch all

Black's pawns.

21Rc1 22.Kd6 Rc2 23.d5 Rc1

24.Rc7 Ra1 25.Kc6 Rxa4 26.d6 Rd4

19.d7

And Black resigns. If he takes on g7

then d8=Q+, or if Black doesn't take theg-pawn then Rc8+ and d8=Q wins

Black's rook.

To quote Richard Reti, Capablancas

management of this endgame gives the

impression of being so natural, that oneeasily forgets the difficulty of such

precise play. The difficulty is chiefly

psychological. In chess, as in life, one isso accustomed to place value on the

material factors that it is not easy to

conceive the idea of indulging in pawnsacrifices when there is so little available

material.

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