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| Posted by duffer uskidscompute.com 1/15/2003 22:42:01 play online chess |  Subject: End game questionMessage: I have an endgame question, I don't expect anyone to work this out for me, but perhaps its part of chess doctrine somewhere and someone knows the answer off the top of their head. I was in an endgame where I had knight and rook, my opponent had bishop, rook and pawn. I got a fork on his bishop and pawn (both protected) and took the pawn, figuring it would be hard to get an attack going against a rook with just rook-bishop. My opponent blundered and we drew, but the question is should I have taken the pawn or the bishop, or neither perhaps? I did set the board up after the game and push the pieces around, I couldn't really force the issue with the bishop-rook combo, but I'm not so good in the endgames either. |
| Posted by caldazar uskidscompute.com 1/15/2003 23:31:27 play online chess | Message: Of course it all depends on the position, but statistically, both options lead to a high probability of a draw. In Rook+pawn vs Rook endgames, if the inferior side can get his king on to the pawn file in front of the pawn, it's usually a draw (Philidor's position). In Rook+Bishop vs Rook endgames, the inferior side can usually draw by keeping his king and rook close together so as to avoid skewers and pins that would lose the rook. Keeping the rook off the squares of the same color that the superior side's bishop controlls helps (to cut down on possible bishop pins and skewers). In this endgame, the inferior side also has an additional resource in that he can play for the exchange of rooks. As a practical matter, if I saw that my king could get in the path of the pawn easily, I'd play into the Rook+Pawn vs Rook endgame rather than the Rook+Bishop vs Rook one simply because there's a smaller chance of blundering and losing to a tactical shot in the former endgame. By the way, all Rook+Pawn vs Rook endgames and Rook+Bishop vs Rook endgames are solved. |
| Posted by atrifix uskidscompute.com 1/16/2003 03:32:30 play online chess | Rook endings Message: KRB vs. KR is almost always theoretically a draw, but among weaker players, if the 'stronger' side is prepared, then there are excellent practical chances to win. It is possible that insufficient losing chances can be claimed in this position--although most arbiters will probably reject this claim. KRP vs. KR, on the other hand, can be either a win or a draw. However, if the position is drawn, then the stronger side has no practical chances and the game is drawn without much play. The weaker side can draw easily if he can reach the Philidor position, whereas the stronger side can win easily if he can reach the Lucena position. So, this is a purely subjective decision, dependent on the position :) |
| Posted by duffer uskidscompute.com 1/16/2003 06:57:58 play online chess | Endgames Message: Thanks Caldazar and Atrifix. |
| Posted by triangulator uskidscompute.com 1/16/2003 10:26:00 play online chess | yah Message: K+R+B vs K+R = a draw unless 1 side blunders |
Chess news: Title Match Is Tied With One Game to Go in Regulation -- There is one more regulation game left in the World Chess Championship match in Sofia, Bulgaria. If neither Viswanathan Anand of India, the titleholder, or Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, win on Tuesday, they will have to go to overtime. On Sunday, they drew Game 11. It was the seventh draw in the match, though, like some of the other draws, it was not without drama. Anand had White and opened with the English — the first time in the chess match he had done that. No doubt he switched openings to try to catch Topalov off-guard, but it did not work. The players followed well-known theory for 10 moves, and then Topalov deviated from earlier games, though it was a minor ... Anand Is World Chess Champion Again -- Viswanathan Anand, the world chess champion, took advantage of a major error by Veselin Topalov to win the 12th and final game of their title match on Tuesday in Sofia, Bulgaria. The match had been tied at 5.5 points apiece. In addition to the title, Anand receives 1.2 million euros (about $1.5 million at current exchange rates). Topalov’s share of the prize fund is 800,000 euros, or about $1 million. Anand, an Indian grandmaster, became world chess champion by winning a tournament in Mexico City in 2007. He last defended the title in a match against Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian, in October 2008. Topalov, a Bulgarian, is a former world chess champion. He lost a bitter title match to ... Day After Chess Championship, Victor and Vanquished Reflect on the Match -- One day after their title match in Sofia, Bulgaria, ended, Viswanathan Anand, the once and still chess champion, and Veselin Topalov were tired, but proud. In separate telephone interviews on Wednesday, Anand and Topalov expressed satisfaction with their own efforts and said it was the most intense chess match they had ever played. “This is my first world chess championship match that has gone the distance,” said Anand. Referring to his earlier title matches against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008, which he won, and Garry Kasparov in 1995, which he lost, he continued, “With Kramnik it went like a dream, with Kasparov it went the opposite way.” Topalov said, “Every single game was ... | |