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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: London Chess Classic: Kramnik's lesson in positional play -- McShane-Kramnik, London 2009. Black to play. With two rounds to go in the London Chess Classic, the Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen looks set to win the tournament. Vladimir Kramnik, his main rival, is in second place. In this game from round three, Kramnik displayed his refined positional understanding. RB I've been following this tournament online, but I missed this particular game, and more's the pity because I can't find a good continuation for Black. Clearly Kramnik has the better game – the two centralised knights look very threatening – but how to convert Black's positional superiority into a winning position? 1...Nxd2 2 Nxd2 doesn't lead anywhere and ... Children 1, Astronaut 0 -- In the end, the astronaut could not outwit the children. Wednesday, Greg Chamitoff, an American astronaut, resigned a long-running correspondence chess game against a group of children from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, Wash. They had started the game in September 2008 while Chamitoff was stationed aboard the International Space Station. The game had been the idea of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Officials at the agency had asked the United States Chess Federation about having Chamitoff play a game of chess against some of the federation’s members. Stevenson was chosen as an opponent because the school ... Chess Notes -- Here is a product of the World Chess Cup, a game of maneuver from the fourth round in which Peter Svidler, a chess veteran and winner of the Soviet Championship five times, subdues Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany. Games that start quietly inevitably result in noisy clashes. In this game Svidler as Black develops his pieces to the third rank, depending on ultimate counter play. It is interesting that he allows Bh6 against his King side, and simply ignores the cleric. White gets no advantage from this Bishop, which is later eliminated. The critical confrontation occurs after Svidler turns to the attack with 23 f5. Naiditsch responds passively by reconnoitering his Knight. He gives up ... | |