Valeriy Aveskulov - Improving the Endgame Technique_ Vo 3 Pawn Endgames

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Introduction
1. Tricks by the king

1.1. Opposition
1.2. Trapping the king in the corner
1.3. Zigzags
1.4. Triangulation
1.5. Corresponding squares
1.6. Distant control of the opponent’s pawn
2. Tricks by the pawns
2.1. Pawn breakthrough
2.2. Exchanges that clear up the path for the king
2.3. Reserve tempi
2.4. Pawn runs
2.5. Outside passed pawns
3. Interesting coincidence
4. Complex endgames
5. Summary
Index of players
Index of typical ideas
Exercises
Advised games
About the author
Improving Endgame Technique: Pawn Endgames
Book 3
By Valeriy Aveskulov
Editing and Proofreading by Karen and Cavan Jacobs; Frank Vermeulen
Cover by Dmytro Kharuzin
CopyRight Information. The right of Valeriy Aveskulov to be identified as

the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights,
Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form or by any means (electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape,
photocopying, recording or otherwise), without prior permission from the
author. Aveskulov, Valeriy. Improving the Endgame Technique: Pawn
Endgames, Book 3. Electronic Edition. Copyright © 2020 by Valeriy
Aveskulov.
2020
INTRODUCTION
In this series of e-books titled ‘Improving the Endgame Technique’, I am not

going to repeat well known theoretical principles or ideas. How to count to
see if a king can catch a passed pawn or not (the rule of the square) is
supposed to be basic knowledge you already know. My goal is to share with
you some practical examples of games where theoretical ideas were put to
use. The study of these endgames will make you stronger and better armed to
deal with a pawn ending, when it occurs in your own games.
Let me start by listing the most important terms that we are going to use in
this book. If you are not familiar with some of them, you can look for their
explanation in the endgame manuals. When you study the examples in this
book, you also might be able to fill in the gaps yourselves.
So, here is the list of terms, together with their brief explanations, all taken
from open sources:
1. Corresponding squares (also called relative squares, sister squares and

coordinate squares). If squares x and y are corresponding squares, it means
that if one player moves to x then the other player must move to y in order to
hold his position. Usually there are several pairs of these squares.
2. Key square is a square such that if a player’s king can occupy it, he can
force some gain such as the promotion of a pawn or the capture of an
opponent’s pawn.
3. Opposition is the position in which two kings face each other on a rank or
file, with only one square between them. There are also possible distant (3
or 5 squares between) and diagonal oppositions.
4. Outside passed pawn is a passed pawn near the edge of the board and not
in the path of threats from the opponent’s pawns.
5. Pawn breakthrough is a penetration of the opponent’s position, or
destruction of the defense, often by means of a sacrifice.
6. Pawn majority is larger numbers of pawns on one flank opposed by a
smaller number of the opponent’s.
7. Reserve tempo is usually a pawn move that helps one side to put the
opponent at a zugzwang.
8. Triangulation is a tactic to put one’s opponent in zugzwang. Triangulation
is also called losing a tempo or losing a move.
9. Zugzwang is a situation wherein one player is put at a disadvantage
because he or she must make a move when he/she would prefer to pass and
not move.
All examples in this book are grouped into two categories: the games where
the main tricks are being made by (1) the KING, or (2) the PAWNs. In each
of these two categories, a more detailed branching is made. This
classification will help the reader to reach a better understanding of each
idea.
The third chapter is dedicated to those complex positions where it is
necessary to apply a combination of idea’s, or where it is impossible to
evaluate the position correctly. These are the examples that are best suited
for practicing and improving your own skills.
At the end you will be offered to solve exercises taken mostly from the
practical games. For those who will want to see a few more interesting pawn
endgames there is a list of advised games that end the ebook.
Work on this ebook took quite long for me but it would be even longer if I
had no persons who assisted me. I am very grateful to my students and their
relatives for editorial work they did. Frank, Karen, Cavan, many thanks! ;)
1. TRICKS BY THE KING
1.1. OPPOSITION
The importance of opposition is often exaggerated. Many club players try to

fight for the opposition in every situation ... even in those situations where
simple calculation is possible, to see if a pawn can run to it’s promotion
square. Therefore, I need you to understand when we should use it.
We have to pursue one of two main goals: When we are the strongest side,
we use the opposition to go around the opponent’s king, to reach some key
squares. When we are the weakest side, we use the opposition to stop the
opponent’s king from going around us. In both cases, we need to be able to
see the destination of the strongest king and we need to understand if it is
possible or not to stop that king from reaching his target. That’s it ! Let’s see
how this might be implemented in real games.
Potkin,Vladimir (2682) - Grischuk,A (2746)
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS, 2011
Diagram 1 (Black to move)
The beginning of this endgame will also be annotated in the chapter

dedicated to triangulations. Here we only see the final where Black shows
how opposition works. 49...e3! Black exchanges his passed pawn for pawn
“b” and gains a more active position for his king. 50.Kd3 Kxb4 51.Kxe3
Kc3 Black takes the opposition. If Black were to move here, it would be an
easy draw. But it is White king’s turn and he should free the way for the
Black king. 52.Ke2 Kc2 [There is no sense going through the 4-th rank.
52...Kd4? 53.Kd2 Ke4 54.Ke2 now White K takes the opposition,
disturbing the opponent entering on the third rank.] 53.Ke3 Kd1! First rank
is that Black king needs to come closer to g3-pawn. 54.Kf2 [Activity of own
king does not help White. 54.Kd4 Ke2 55.Ke5 Kf3 56.Kf6 Kxg3 57.Kxg6
Diagram 2
57...Kg4! wins the pawns. I strongly recommend memorizing this trick since
it happens quite often in king and pawn endgames.] 54...Kd2 Black king
takes another opposition but this time it is one file closer to the king side.
55.Kf3 Ke1! Again first rank helps to go around White king. 56.Ke3 Kf1
57.Kf3 Kg1 White resigns because Kg2xg3 is unstoppable. 0-1
Beliavsky,Alexander G (2630) - Nikolic,Predrag (2620)
Belgrade Investbanka Belgrade, 1987
66...Qxe5? [Black carelessly allows a transfer to the pawn endgame.

Probably Nikolic forgot that the pawn can move to both f3 and f4. 66...fxe5™
would hold the equality]
66...Qxe5? 67.Qg3+! Kf7 [After 67...Qxg3+ 68.Kxg3 Kf7 69.Kf4 Ke6
70.Ke4 f5+ 71.Kf4 Kf6
Diagram 4
72.f3!+- reserve tempo wins the opposition for the White king.] 68.Qxe5
fxe5 69.Kf3 Ke7 [69...Ke6 would not change anything 70.Ke4 Kf6
71.f4+-] 70.Ke4 Ke6
Diagram 5
71.f3! [After 71.f4? exf4 72.Kxf4 Kf6 Black holds the opposition and
draws.] 71...Kf6 72.f4 exf4 73.Kxf4 it is now White who gains the
opposition - the Black king is forced to free one of the two squares, e5 or g5.
Black resigns. 1-0
Barua,Dibyendu (2491) - Moiseenko,A (2646)
Warsaw AIG Life rapid 7th Warsaw, 2007
Diagram 6 (White to move)
Those of you who read the second part of ‘Improving the Endgame
Technique’ probably remember this game. Going back to the part where we
focused on the OCBE moments. Now let’s stop on one of the lines where a
pawn endgame occurs. 38.c5! was the strongest and here we come to the
interesting endgame. [In the game after 38.Bf1 f3 Black easily wins, since
White cannot defend both f2 and b3.]
38.c5! Bxc5! 39.Bf1 f3! Black fixes the f2-pawn. 40.Bc4 Having a passed
pawn on a-file (in case of Bxa6) does not benefit White because Bc5
controls a7-square without additional effort. 40...Ke5 41.Ke1 a5 42.Kf1
Kf4 43.Ke1
Diagram 7
43...Bxf2+! Black has no other way to break through. 44.Kxf2 e3+ 45.Ke1
[in case of 45.Kf1? The Black king runs to c2. 45...Ke4 46.Ke1 Kd4
47.Kd1 Kc3 48.Ke1 Kc2-+ with a zugzwang for White.] 45...Kg3 [now
running of the Black K to c3 can be stopped by Kc2-move: 45...Ke4 46.Kd1
Kd4 47.Kc2] 46.Kf1 e2+ 47.Ke1! the best try. [The instinctive 47.Bxe2?
simply loses since Black does not need to demonstrate his knowledge about
opposition. 47...fxe2+ 48.Kxe2 Kf4 49.Kd3 Ke5 50.Kc4 Ke4-+] 47...Kg2
Now it is the best moment for the bishop sacrifice. 48.Bxe2 fxe2 49.Kxe2
Diagram 8
White takes the opposition and at first sight it is drawn - Black K cannot
cross the f-file. But Black can win the fight for the opposition by moving
down to the 5-th rank - White K will not be able to keep an opposition there.
49...Kg3 50.Ke3 Kg4 51.Ke4 Kg5! e5 is unavailable for the White king
and it should go aside. 52.Ke3 Kf5 53.Kd4 Kf4 54.Kc4 Ke4
Diagram 9
Now both sides promote their pawns but the White king finds itself in the
mating net. 55.Kb5 Kxd5 56.Kxa5 Kc5 57.Ka6 d5 58.a5 d4 59.Kb7 d3
60.a6 d2 61.a7 d1=Q 62.a8=Q Qd7+ [The pawn endgame after 62...Qd5+
63.Kb8 Qxa8+ 64.Kxa8 Kd4 is surely also winning but mate is mate.]
63.Kb8 Kb6-+ 0-1
Goryachkina,A (2402) - Kovchan,Alexander (2579)
75th Tata Steel GpC Wijk aan Zee NED, 2013
In the game White played 36.Rf2 [and after 36...Kg5 37.Ke3 Rd8 Black
convincingly converted his advantage.
The principle way to defend was 36.Rg1 Rg3 37.Ke3 h3 38.Kf2 forcing the
pawn endgame. 38...Rxg2+ 39.Rxg2 hxg2 40.Kxg2 Kg5 41.Kg3
Diagram 11
41...a5 (Unfortunately this position cannot be saved as an exercise since

Black has a second winning resource that might be called the “Clearance
idea” (analogic to the Clearance in snooker). 41...f5 42.exf5 Kxf5 43.Kf2
Kf4 44.Ke2 e4-+ followed by a win of c3-pawn.) 42.Kg2 Kf4 43.Kf2 f6
44.Ke2 Kg3 45.Ke3
Diagram 12
Again, White seizes the opposition and at first sight it looks like Black
cannot progress - his king cannot reach any of squares on the f-file. But tricky
45...Kh3! helps him - White king cannot hold the opposition (both d3 and f3
are unavailable) and the Black monarch goes around. 46.Ke2 (46.f4 Kg3-+)
46...Kg2 47.Ke3 Kf1 First rank plays an important role in similar situations
(as already seen in the Potkin-Grischuk game). 48.f4 Kg2-+ one-by-one the
king gets the g3, f4, e4 squares that results in a win.] 0-1
Kanmazalp,O (2389) - Ipatov,Alexander (2569)
ch-TUR 2013 Antalya TUR, 2013
White defended quite well up to this point. 39.Bxg7?? A fatal transfer to the
pawn endgame. Thanks to a more active king and an opportunity to create a
remote passed pawn (by f7-f5), Black wins. [Simple 39.Rf4 would hold a
balance.]
39.Bxg7?? Rxg4 40.hxg4 Kxg7 41.Kg2 Kf6 42.Kf3 [In case of the natural
42.f4 that prevents an appearance of the Black king on the 5-th rank Black
creates an outside passed pawn (see a separate chapter dedicated to this
idea). 42...Kg6 43.Kg3 f5 44.Kh4 fxg4 45.Kxg4 h5+ 46.Kh4 Kf5-+ Black K
takes queen side pawns first] 42...Kg5 43.Kg3 f5 44.f3
Diagram 14
White defends in the best way possible - Black has no option but to create a
remote passed pawn. Although it often happens in pawn endgames that it is
enough to just have a more active king to win the game. 44...a5! Black uses
reserve tempo on the queen side to get to the f4-square. 45.a3 a4 46.Kh3
Kf4 47.Kh4 fxg4 48.fxg4 Kf3 49.Kh3
Diagram 15
Here the question is, “How to make progress?” White won the opposition
and there is no direct way to win or at least to exchange g4-pawn. 49...Kf4
50.Kh4 Kf3 51.Kh3 Ukrainian-Spanish-Turkish-American GM wins time
on his clock, for him to double-check everything. 51...Ke3! The same as in
the previous two examples, the strongest king moves aside to confuse the
opponent’s king. 52.Kh4 [White could hold the opposition for one more
move 52.Kg3 but then 52...Ke4! leaves him without opposition square. (To
be honest, Black could also win with running to the queen side - 52...Kd3
53.Kh4 Kc2 54.Kh5 Kxb2 55.Kxh6 Kxa3 56.g5 b4! 57.g6 bxc3 58.g7 c2
59.g8=Q c1=Q+ 60.Kh7 Qh1+ 61.Kg7 Qg1+-+) 53.Kh4 Kf4 Opposition!
54.Kh3 (54.Kh5 Kg3-+) 54...Kf3 see the game text.] 52...Kf2 53.Kh3 Kf3
[White resigns since 53...Kf3 54.Kh4 the Black king goes around to
exchange g4 for h6 and then to destroy the White’s queen side. 54...Kg2
55.Kh5 Kg3 56.Kxh6 Kxg4 57.Kg6 Kf4 58.Kf6 Ke4 59.Ke6 Kd3 60.Kd5
Kc2 61.Kc5 Kxb2 62.Kxb5 and here 62...Kb3! is the most technical; Black
does not need to calculate a pawn run.] 0-1
1.2. TRAPPING THE KING IN THE CORNER
The next topic I want to discus, is very close related to the theme of
opposition. One of the more popular tricks in pawn endgames, is to cut off
the opponent’s king on the rook file, when he takes your pawn, preventing
him from leaving that file and trapping him on that file. Let’s call this the
“trapping idea”. In a “king + rook-pawn versus king” endgame, you all know
that it is sufficient for the defending king, to reach c1 (or c8, f1, f8). Reaching
this square is sufficient to secure the draw, because only one of the following
2 things can happen: 1) the opponent’s king reaches the corner and stops his
own pawn from advancing, or 2) the opponent’s king gets out of the corner
and allows the defender to place his king in the corner. (This is the simplest
example of the trapping idea.) Even in endings with more pieces on the
board, this idea can be successful. For example, in chapter 4.5 (Solve
Puzzles!) of the second part of the book ‘Improving the Endgame Technique’
(about opposite colored bishop endgames), you can see this idea in action.
Nester,I (2305) - Kushko,D (2221)
Bank Lviv Open, 2018
In the first game about the trapping idea, my student with the Black pieces
could not solve the problem because he did not recall the idea of trapping the
opponent’s king in the corner. 46...h6? Black does not use an idea of trapping
the king in the corner and instead goes to the queen endgame that is difficult
to save (and finally loses this). [Black could try playing the rook endgame
with good saving chances (in fact White doesn’t have as many); but for us,
the most instructive is to follow that pawn endgame, which is absolutely safe
if the pawn stays on h7. Let’s see examplary lines. 46...Rf6+ 47.Ke4 Re6+
48.Re5 (or 48.Kd4 Rd6! 49.Kc4 Rxd5 50.Kxd5 Kd7 51.h6
Diagram 17
White won the fight for the opposition and his king is ready to enter to the
king or queen side but the idea taken from the title of the chapter saves Black.
51...Kc7! 52.Ke6 Kc6 53.Kf7 Kd6 54.Kg7 Ke6 55.Kxh7 Kf7 with a dead
draw.) 48...Kf6 (48...Rxe5+ 49.Kxe5 h6= gaining the opposition and leaving
White no chance to break through.) 49.Rxe6+ Kxe6 50.h6
Diagram 18
Again White king wins the opposition and again Black uses the closing
strategy. 50...Kd6 (50...Kf6?! 51.Kd5 Kg6 52.Kc6 Kxh6 53.Kxb6 Kg5
54.Kxa5 h5 55.b4 h4 56.b5 h3 57.b6 h2 58.b7 h1=Q 59.b8=Q+/= is a much
harder and longer way to a draw.) 51.Kf5 Kd5 52.Kf6 Kd6 53.Kg7 Ke7
54.Kxh7 Kf7=]
46...h6? 47.Re5! With pawn on h6 the same strategy already does not
guarantee a result because with pawn on h5 the White king can escape arrest.
47...Kf6 48.Rxe6+ Kxe6 49.Ke4 Kf6 The only move that allows Black to
reach the worst queen endgame. But it is a completely different story that I
most likely will discuss in the e-book dedicated to queen endgames. [Here is
what happens if Black tries to trap the K on h6. 49...Kd6?? 50.Kf5 Kd5
51.Kg6 Ke6 52.Kxh6 Kf6 53.Kh7 Kf7
Diagram 19
The Black king controls the opponent (thanks to the opposition) but White has
a reserve tempo to regain the opposition. 54.h6! Kf8 55.Kg6 Kg8 56.h7+
Kh8 57.Kh6 b5 58.axb5 with a checkmate.] 50.Kd5 Kg5 51.Kc6 Kxh5
52.Kxb6 Kg6 53.Kxa5 h5 54.b4 h4 55.b5 h3 56.b6 h2 57.b7 h1=Q
58.b8=Q 15 moves later and Black loses. 1-0
Uhlmann,W (2319) - Sachdev,T (2400)
Czech Coal Match Podebrady CZE, 2012
The next endgame is one of my favorites. At first sight, it seems that Black
makes the correct move in the position on the diagram. But deep analysis
demonstrates an amazing resource related to the idea of trapping the king to
the corner. This completely turns things around! Black has a choice of two
normal continuations - a7-a6 and Kf6. At a glance, the first move seems
correct because it fixes White pawn a move away from the promotion square.
But concrete calculation in pawn endgames sometimes means more than
general principles do. 46...a6? [Correct move was 46...Kf6! which is
opposite to 46...a6 and allows White to advance a-pawn to the 6-th rank.
47.a6 (An immediate 47.e4 does not help to win but lines that happen here
are similar to 47.a6 lines. 47...dxe3 (47...fxe4
Diagram 21
draws as well. Before seeing the next line you can train yourself to calculate
the whole line to the end. 48.Kxe4 Kg5 49.Kd5 Kxh5 50.Kxc5 Kg4
51.Kxd4 Kf3! (White catches the h-pawn in case of carelessness 51...h5??
52.Ke3+-) 52.Kc5 h5 53.d4 h4 54.d5 h3 55.d6 h2 56.d7 h1=Q 57.d8=Q
Qc1+=) 48.fxe3 Ke6 49.e4 It is the only chance for White. 49...fxe4 50.dxe4
(50.Kxe4 Kd6 51.Kf5 Kd5 52.Kg6 Kd4 53.Kxh6 Kxd3 54.Kg6 c4 55.h6
c3 56.h7 c2 57.h8=Q c1=Q=) 50...c4 51.Ke3 Ke5 52.a6 c3 53.Kd3 c2
54.Kxc2 Kxe4 55.Kc3
Diagram 22
At first it looks as if Black doesn’t have a problem to draw here, since his
king is more active. But the problem is that the White pawns are more
advanced and if sides decide to exchange opposite side pawns (a6 to h6 or
h5 to a7) White promotes faster. It would be nice to take the opposition but it
is impossible. Do you see how this can be saved? Correct, all Black needs is
to give up on a7 and to bring his king to c7. 55...Ke3 56.Kc4 Ke4 57.Kc5
Ke5 58.Kc6 Ke6 59.Kb7 Kd7 60.Kxa7 Kc7=) 47...Ke6 48.e4 dxe3 49.fxe3
Kf6 50.e4 fxe4 51.dxe4 Ke6 52.e5 c4 53.Ke4 c3 54.Kd3 Kxe5 55.Kxc3
Kd5 56.Kd3
Diagram 23
White takes the opposition and goes around but the Kc7 idea draws easily
again. 56...Ke5 57.Kc4 Ke4 58.Kc5 Ke5 59.Kc6 Ke6 60.Kb7 Kd7
61.Kxa7 Kc7=]
46...a6? 47.e3?? A value of every single move in pawn endgames is huge.
The legendary German player makes a wrong choice and in one move the
winning position becomes a loss. [47.e4! with pawns on a5-a6 Black already
has no trapping idea. Moreover she could not take the opposition to secure
her pawns. 47...dxe3 (or 47...fxe4 48.Kxe4 Kd6 (or 48...Kf6 49.Kd5 Kg5
50.Kxc5 Kxh5 51.Kb6! White takes on a6 and newborn Q will stop h2-h1.
51...Kg4 52.Kxa6 h5 53.Kb6 h4 54.a6 h3 55.a7 h2 56.a8=Q+-) 49.f3! The
most technical - White wins an additional tempo. (49.f4 wins in a bit more
difficult way: 49...Ke6 50.f5+ Kd6 51.f6 Ke6 52.f7 Kxf7 53.Kd5 Kf6
54.Kxc5 Ke5 55.Kb6 Kd6 56.Kxa6 Kc6 57.Ka7 Kc7 58.a6!+- again a
reserve tempo helps to run away from the corner.) 49...Ke6 50.f4 Kd6
51.f5+-) 48.fxe3 Kf6 49.e4 fxe4 50.dxe4 Ke6 51.e5 c4 (51...Kf7
Diagram 24
is a nice chance but all White needs here is to go around e4-square. 52.Ke3!
(after 52.Ke4 Ke6 White needs to repeat the position with 53.Kf4) 52...Ke7
(or 52...Ke6 53.Ke4 c4 54.Kd4 c3 55.Kxc3 Kxe5 56.Kc4 Kf5 57.Kc5 Kg5
58.Kb6+-) 53.Kd3! Ke6 54.Kc4 Kxe5 55.Kxc5+-) 52.Ke4 c3 53.Kd3
Kxe5 54.Kxc3 Kd5 55.Kd3+-
Diagram 25
A paradox position. The Black king is more active but loses. 55...Kc5 (or
55...Ke5 56.Kc4 Kf5 57.Kc5 Kg5 58.Kb6 Kxh5 59.Kxa6 Kg4 60.Kb6 h5
61.a6 h4 62.a7 h3 63.a8=Q+-) 56.Ke4 Kb5 57.Kf5 Kxa5 58.Kg6 Kb4
59.Kxh6 a5 60.Kg6 a4 61.h6 a3 62.h7 a2 63.h8=Q+-] 47...c4!-+ Pawn
breakthrough is one of the most exciting tricks in the pawn endgames.
48.dxc4 [48.exd4 c3 49.Ke3 f4+ 50.Ke2 Kd5 51.Kd1 Kxd4 52.Kc2 f3-+]
48...d3 49.Kf3 Ke5 White resigned. [49...Ke5 50.c5 Kd5 51.c6 Kxc6-+
and pawn d3 is ustoppably becoming the Q.] 0-1
Hong,Andrew (2365) - Tang,Andrew (2509)
Philadelphia op 12th Philadelphia, 2018
Forgetting about the trapping idea killed all saving hopes in the next game.
Objectively, Black’s position is bad but right now it is not clear. Black has a
choice between a4-a3 and c5-c4 moves. Which one to pick? 48...a3? Black
blunders the trapping idea and the game ends. [If he saw Kc2-idea he would
definitely play 48...c4! and reach the queen endgame. 49.a3! Otherwise a4-a3
even wins. 49...Kd3 (49...c3 50.bxc3+ Kxc3 51.h5 Kb3 52.g5 Kxa3
53.h6+-) 50.Ke6! (White has no time to push the king side pawns. 50.h5?
Kc2 51.g5 Kxb2 52.h6 c3 53.hxg7 c2 54.g8=Q c1=Q=) 50...Kc2 51.Kd5
Kb3! A nice trick that allows Black to promote his Q. (In case of 51...Kxb2
Diagram 27
the trapping idea again is the key to correct play. 52.Kxc4 Kxa3 53.Kc3 Ka2
54.h5 a3 (54...Kb1 55.Kb4+-) 55.Kc2 Ka1 56.g5 a2 57.Kc1! g6 58.Kc2!
gxh5 59.g6+-) 52.h5 c3 53.bxc3 Kxa3 54.c4 Kb3 55.c5 a3 56.c6 a2 57.c7
a1=Q 58.c8=Q Qf6 White is objectively winning but in the real game it
could be a long story.;
48...Kd3? is obviously slow. 49.h5 Kc2 50.g5 Kxb2 51.h6+-]
48...a3? 49.b3 Kc3 50.Ke4! The only winning move. White K unexpectedly
runs backward. 50...Kb2 51.Kd3 Kxa2 52.Kc2
Diagram 28
All White needs is to demonstrate some accuracy in calculations in order to

avoid a stalemate. 52...Ka1 53.h5 a2 54.g5 [54.h6? might be the mistake.
54...gxh6 55.Kc1 h5 56.gxh5 c4 57.b4 c3 58.h6 c2 59.h7 stalemate] 54...c4
55.b4 [or 55.bxc4 g6 56.c5 gxh5 57.g6 h4 58.g7 h3 59.g8=Q h2 60.Qg7#]
55...g6 [55...c3 56.b5 g6 57.b6 gxh5 58.b7 h4 59.b8=Q h3 60.Qe5 h2
61.Qxc3#] 56.b5 gxh5 Black resigns since White promotes one of his pawns
and then checkmates. 1-0
Smejkal,Jan (2550) - Marjanovic,Slavoljub (2505)
Banja Luka Banja Luka, 1979
A similar situation happened in the next game, with the only exception that by
foreseeing the trapping idea, it would have held the balance. After 37.Kf4
Black made a fatal mistake by playing 37...a4?? [Black decided that there is
no difference with what to begin with - to advance the pawn first and then
take on a3 or to take first and then to advance. But for us there is already no
secret that with the pawn on a4 White has more chance to close the king in
the corner. After correct 37...Kc4! 38.Kxe4 Kb3 the closing idea does not
work so well: 39.Kd4 Kxa3 40.Kc3 Ka4! 41.Kc4 (In case of 41.g4 Kb5 it
is already White to decide who should prove that the position is drawn.
42.h4 Kc5 43.f4 Kd5 44.g5! fxg5 45.fxg5 Ke5 46.h5 Kf5 47.g6= right on
time to exchange the last opponent’s pawn on the king side.) 41...Ka3=]
38.g4 Kc4 39.Kxe4 Kb3 40.Kd3! Kxa3 41.Kc3! Done! Now pawn
majority on the king side decides the game. 41...Ka2 42.f4 a3 [Black can
escape from a-file but then he loses on a4. 42...Kb1 43.Kb4 Kc2 44.g5
(44.Kxa4 also wins but there is no need to spend time taking this pawn.)
44...f5 (44...fxg5 45.f5+-) 45.h4 Kd3 46.h5+-] 43.Kc2! Ka1 44.g5 f5
Diagram 30
45.Kb3! [45.h4?? it is never too late to spoil everything. 45...h5! and White
can not avoid a stalemate.] 45...a2 46.Kc2 h5 47.g6 h4 48.g7 h3 49.Kb3!
Black resigns because after 49...Kb1 50.g8=Q a1=Q White checkmates
51.Qg1# 1-0
Velimirovic,Dragoljub (2515) - Smejkal,Jan (2560)
Rio de Janeiro Interzonal Rio de Janeiro, 1979
It is funny that a few months later, the Czech player (if we go back to 1979:
Czechoslovakian) himself fell victim to the same trick. After 34.Ke3 Black
is unable to save the pawn on e4 since White has more reserve tempos.
That’s why Smejkal decided to take back on h4. 34...Kf5 35.b4 h5 36.h4
Kg4?? [An easy draw would happen if Black left the king on the 6-th rank.
36...Kf6 37.Kxe4 Kg6 38.f5+ Kg7= Black keeps the king on the 7-th rank
being ready to meet move Kf4 with Kf6.] But after 37.Kxe4 Kxh4 38.Kf3!
He had to resign; pawn f4 easily becomes the queen. 1-0
Hovhannisyan,R (2600) - Sachdev,T (2414)
14th Dubai Open 2012 Dubai UAE, 2012
An interesting version of the trapping idea happened in another game, of

Tania Sachdev. This time, closing the king was more valuable than losing the
pawn. 34.a4! White proposes to the opponent to get a pawn endgame with a
free pawn and the Indian player accepts the challenge. 34...bxa4?? [The best
was to stay in the rook endgame without the extra pawn, for example
34...Ra8! 35.axb5+ (or 35.Rxb5 Rxb5 36.axb5+ Kb6) 35...Kc5 It is not easy
to convert a free pawn with such awkwardly placed rooks.] 35.Rxb7 Rxb7
36.Rxb7 Kxb7 37.Kd3 Kb6 38.Kc4 Ka5 39.Kc5! Black is a pawn up but
his king gets trapped on the edge of the board (well, I know it is not the
corner but the idea is the same). The pawn moves on the end of the king side,
at some moment, and after that the pawn a4 falls and White gets an outside
passed pawn that guarantees him an easy win. 39...e5 [or 39...f5 40.f4+-]
40.g4! e4 41.Kc4 Black resigns. 1-0
Ivanchuk,V (2746) - Wang Yue (2738)
Sofia MTel Masters 5th Sofia, 2009
In the next example, the trapping idea was overlooked by Vassily Ivanchuk,
which caused him to lose the game. The position remains equal from the
beginning of the game but Ivanchuk keeps seeking chances. 44.Bxg5??
Ivanchuk tries too hard. 44...Bxd5 [Obviously his consideration is as
follows: 44...Nxg5? 45.f4+ Kf6 46.fxg5+ Kxg5 47.h4+ Kf6 48.Bxc6 bxc6
49.gxh5 gxh5 50.b4+- Black is unable to hold both the king and queen side.]
45.f4+ Ke4! 46.cxd5 Nxg5! [White doesn’t pretend for much even in the
case of 46...Kxd5 47.gxh5 gxh5 48.Kh4 Ke4! 49.Kxh5 Kf5
Diagram 34
and here again is the closing idea! But the Chinese player finds more.]
47.fxg5
Diagram 35
47...h4+!! A puzzle idea - Black sacrifices a pawn and traps the opponent’s
king to a self-made box. 48.Kxh4 [48.Kf2 will not be of help 48...b5! Black
needs to improve his structure and limit his opponent’s free pawn moves.
49.axb5 axb5 50.Ke2 b4 51.Kf2 Kxd5 52.Ke3 Ke5 53.h3 d5-+] 48...Kf3
Now, the only danger is that Black should be cautious about a stalemate.
49.b4 [49.Kh3 Kf2 50.Kh4 Kg2 51.h3 b6-+] 49...b5! [Well, here is another
danger - pawn breakthrough on the queen side: 49...Kg2? 50.a5 b5
(50...Kf3?
Diagram 36
51.c4 Kf4 52.b5 Kf3 53.c5+-) 51.axb6 cxb6 52.c4 a5 53.bxa5 bxa5 54.c5 a4
55.cxd6 a3 56.d7 a2 57.d8=Q a1=Q 58.Qe8=] 50.a5 Kg2 51.h3 Kh2 White
resigns because pawn b5 is going to take on c4, after promoting to checkmate
from e1. 0-1
1.3. ZIGZAGS
While talking about king’s tricks in pawn endgames, I cannot overlook

zigzags. While this term is widely accepted in Russian literature, I could not
find this term in English literature. Briefly explained, a zigzag is the
maneuver of the king from one square to another, using different directions
(e.g. c1-d2-c3-b4-c5 instead of going in a straight line c1-c2-c3-c4-
c5). When in real life there is only one shortest way to travel from point A to
point B. On the chess board, however, the king has many equivalent ways to
go from one square to another.
Using this nuance in chess geometry, the king often outplays the opponent, by
choosing this path where he is able to push away the opponent’s king. Using a
zigzag, it is possible also to avoid a check from a new-born queen, which is
an added bonus.
Bronstein,David I – Botvinnik,Mikhail
World Championship 19th Moscow, 1951
Zigzags mostly occur in endgame studies. But possibly the most famous case
of a king’s zigzag in a real game, occurred in the WCh match of 1950 in this
game. White is a knight up but he had to be careful about e3-pawn. David
Bronstein carelessly moved his king 57.Kc2?? [Primitive 57.Ne6+ would
lead to a draw. 57...Kf3 58.Nd4+ Kf2 59.Ka4 e2 60.Nc2 e1=Q 61.Nxe1
Kxe1 62.Kxa5 Kd2 63.Kb4 b6=]
57.Kc2?? Kg3! and White resigned because he could not stop the Black
pawn. For Black K there are two moves from f4 to f2; moving via g3 and by
avoiding the f3-square he avoids a check from the knight and this tempo
becomes fatal for White. [It is interesting that even in the case of 57...Kf3 it
is the only way to draw for White. 58.Nf7! Knight should go via e5 to d3 to
win priceless time. (58.Ne6?? e2 59.Nd4+ Kf2 60.Nxe2 Kxe2 61.Kb3
(61.c5 does not help because of 61...a4!-+ and Black exchanges pawn a4 for
two White pawns, remaining with the free b7-pawn.) 61...b6!-+ and the
activity of the Black king decides the game. (after 61...Kd3? 62.c5 followed
by Ka4, White draws.) ) 58...e2 59.Ne5+ Kf2 60.Nd3+ Kf1 61.c5 e1=Q
62.Nxe1 Kxe1 63.Kb3 Kd2 64.Ka4 Kxc3 65.Kxa5 Kc4 66.Kb6 Kb4=] 0-1
Sjugirov,Sanan (2673) - Oleksienko,Mikhailo (2620)
Qatar Masters, 2014
In the previous game, the idea of zigzags was only available for Black but in
this game Sanan Sjugirov had to consider mutual zigzags. White has an
outside passed pawn that means only he should be able to play for a win. But
as usual in pawn endgames, careful calculating is required. Please find the
winning idea and do not forget about zigzags! 1.Kb3 [1.Kb4 is equally good
here, although the key is the king’s second move.]
1.Kb3 Kxf4 It is funny that exactly the same position happened in the game
Govedarica-Cvetanovic, SRB-chT, 2011. 2.a4 [Govedarica played 2.Kc2
and after 2...e5? (2...Kg3 was more resistable; then White needs to find
Sjugirov’s idea.) 3.Kd2 followed by Ke1 Black resigned.] 2...e5 Pawns are
on the same level and if we directly advance pawn a4, Black successfully
promotes his pawn. The only idea to win the tempo is to force Black to place
his king on f3. 3.Kc3! The only winning square. [3.Kc2? looks similar but
Black uses a zigzag 3...Kg3! and pawns promote simultaneously.; 3.a5? e4
4.Kc3 e3 5.a6 also could attract one’s attention but one more zigzag helps
Black to escape 5...Kg3= (5...Kf3?? 6.a7 e2 7.a8=Q++-) ] 3...Kg3 Black
again uses a zigzag, what can be wrong with this? [If Black plays with a
pawn 3...e4 White brings his king in front of the pawn. 4.Kd2!+-] 4.a5 e4
5.Kd4! Here the win of tempo occurs. White forces the Black king to move
back to f4. Black resigns. This is a how game can last. 5...Kf4 6.a6 e3
7.Kd3! Kf3 8.a7 e2 9.a8=Q+ check! 1-0
1.4. TRIANGULATION
Triangulation is another theme in the arsenal of tricks being made by the king.
In endgames, we can face situations where we would love it was our
opponents turn instead of ours. Triangulation serves perfectly to reach this
objective.
Fantastic triangulation
My favourite exercise on this theme can be found in the article written by

Anton Filippov, a strong player and a good coach from Uzbekistan.
Unfortunately, I didn’t succeed in finding the author of the following position.
I’ll just call it ‘Fantastic triangulation.’ White is a bishop up but after 1.Ka2
Kb4 White has no useful moves. All he can dream about is giving a turn to
his opponent. But there isn’t much space on the queen side for tricks,
although there is space for triangulation on h-file. Let’s try it.
1.Kc1 Kb4 2.Kd1 Kc4 3.Ke1 Kb4 4.Kf1 Kc4 5.Kg1 Kb4 6.Kh1 Kc4
7.Kh2 Kb4 8.Kg1 Kc4 9.Kf1 Kb4 10.Ke1 Kc4 11.Kd1 Kb4 12.Kc1
Kc4 13.Kb1 Kb4 14.Ka2 Here we are! Black needs to ‘spend’ his pawn’s
move. 14...c6 Now we can repeat the same idea. 15.Kb1 Kc4 16.Kc1 Kd4
17.Kd1 Kc4 18.Ke1 Kb4 19.Kf1 Kc4 20.Kg1 Kb4 21.Kh1 Kc4 22.Kh2
Kb4 23.Kg1 Kc4 24.Kf1 Kb4 25.Ke1 Kc4 26.Kd1 Kb4 27.Kc1 Kc4
28.Kb1 Kb4 29.Ka2 c5 again 30.Kb1 Kc4 31.Kc1 Kb4 32.Kd1 Kc4
33.Ke1 Kb4 34.Kf1 Kc4 35.Kg1 Kb4 36.Kh1 Kc4 37.Kh2 Kb4 38.Kg1
Kc4 39.Kf1 Kb4 40.Ke1 Kc4 41.Kd1 Kb4 42.Kc1 Kc4 43.Kb1 Kb4
44.Ka2 f6 again 45.Kb1 Kc4 46.Kc1 Kb4 47.Kd1 Kc4 48.Ke1 Kb4
49.Kf1 Kc4 50.Kg1 Kb4 51.Kh1 Kc4 52.Kh2 Kb4 53.Kg1 Kc4 54.Kf1
Kb4 55.Ke1 Kc4 56.Kd1 Kb4 57.Kc1 Kc4 58.Kb1 Kb4 59.Ka2 f5 again
60.Kb1 Kc4 61.Kc1 Kb4 62.Kd1 Kc4 63.Ke1 Kb4 64.Kf1 Kc4 65.Kg1
Kb4 66.Kh1 Kc4 67.Kh2 Kb4 68.Kg1 Kc4 69.Kf1 Kb4 70.Ke1 Kc4
71.Kd1 Kb4 72.Kc1 Kc4 73.Kb1 Kb4 74.Ka2 f4 and again 75.Kb1 Kc4
76.Kc1 Kd4 77.Kd1 Kc4 78.Ke1 Kb4 79.Kf1 Kc4 80.Kg1 Kb4 81.Kh1
Kc4 82.Kh2 Kb4 83.Kg1 Kc4 84.Kf1 Kb4 85.Ke1 Kc4 86.Kd1 Kb4
87.Kc1 Kc4 88.Kb1 Kb4 89.Ka2 c4 90.Kb1+- Done - on the next move
the bishop takes on c3! 90 moves and the White king is maneuvering back
and forth to force Black to use all his reserve moves. I have never seen a
longer solution, have you? *
Le,Quang Liem (2712) - Grischuk,A (2780)
WorldCup 2013 (3.1)
Another example of multiple “triangulating” which could have happened in

this game. The defended passed pawn on d5 and c5-weakness pre-
determines the outcome. 36.Kf1 Ke7 37.Ke2 f5 [Interesting example of
triangulation might happen if Black decides to defend the pawn on c4: 37...c4
38.Kd2 Kd6 39.Kc3 Kc5 40.a4
Diagram 41
and now repetition of triangulation Kc3-d2-c2-c3 (or via b2 and c2) forces
Black to use all his reserve tempos and then give up on c4. 40...f5 41.f3 f4
42.Kc2 Kb6 43.Kb2 Kc5 44.Kc3 One! 44...a6 45.Kc2 Kb6 46.Kb2 Kc5
47.Kc3 Two! 47...a5 48.Kc2 Kb6 49.Kb2 Kc5 50.Kc3 Three! 50...g5
51.Kc2 Kb6 52.Kb2 Kc5 53.Kc3 Four! 53...h6 54.Kc2 Kb6 55.Kb2 Kc5
56.Kc3 h5 Five! 57.Kc2 Kb6 58.Kb2 Kc5 59.Kc3 Six! 59...h4 60.Kc2 Kb6
61.Kb2 Kc5 62.Kc3+- Seven! That’s it! Well, I know that White might win
by using the triangulation less. For this, he has to practically make all normal
pawn moves on the king side to decrease the number of reserve moves for the
opponent. But outplaying Black with triangulation alone, has its own charm.]
The continuation of the game is boring. 38.f3 Kd6 39.Kd3 f4 40.h4! Kc7
41.Kc4 Kd6 42.Kb5 h6 43.Kc4 a6 44.a3 Black resigns because he loses on
c5 after 44...h5 45.a4 a5 46.Kb5 1-0
Firman,N (2542) - Luzhinsky,V (2362)
ch-UKR (sf) Alushta, 2011
The next game was played in the semi-final of the Ukrainian championship. I
saw this game live and (to my shame) I could not find the winning approach.
GM Nazar Firman also failed to find it. Before looking at the final problem
(at move 62) in this game, I would like you to have a look at how both
players reached this position. Black has a choice between two natural moves
- 49...Ke7 and 49...g5. Only one saves the game. Your guess! 49...Ke7?
Black’s intuition was bad. [Black had to close the path for the White king.
49...g5! 50.f4 and now a temporary pawn sacrifice helps 50...Ke7! (surely
not 50...gxf4+?? 51.Kxf4+- then king comes to h6, the pawn goes to g6 and
White wins on e6.; 50...Kc6 leads to the queen endgame without a loss of a
pawn. 51.fxg5 Kb6 52.Kf4 Ka5 53.g6 fxg6 54.Kg5 Kb4 55.Kxg6 Kxc4
56.Kf6 Kd3 57.g5 c4 58.g6 c3 59.g7 c2 60.g8=Q c1=Q 61.Qxe6+-) 51.fxg5
Kf8 52.g6 Othewise the Black king comes to g6. 52...fxg6 53.Kf4 Kf7
54.Kg5 Kg7=]
49...Ke7? 50.Kf4 Ke8? Black misses his last chance to get the queen
endgame with some saving chances. [In case of 50...f6?? White has enough
reserve tempo. 51.exf6+ Kxf6 52.g5+ Kf7 53.Ke5 Ke7 54.f4 a6 55.a3 a5
56.a4+-; 50...Kf8™ 51.Kg5 Kg7 52.f4
Diagram 43
52...f6+! Otherwise this variation comes back into the game. 53.exf6+ Kf7
54.a4 a5 55.Kh6 Kxf6 56.g5+ Kf5 57.Kg7! (It is never too late to lose:
57.Kh7?? e5 58.fxe5 Kxg5 59.e6 Kf6 60.e7 Kxe7 61.Kxg6 Ke6-+)
57...Kxf4 58.Kxg6 e5 59.Kf6 e4 60.g6 e3 61.g7 e2 62.g8=Q e1=Q
Diagram 44
63.Qg5+ Kf3 64.Qf5+ Kg2 65.Qd5+ Black king should go to f2 or g1 since

all other retreats allow White to exchange queens with a transfer to the
winning pawn endgame. 65...Kf2 66.Qxc5+ Mathematically this is winning;
but anything can happen in the real game.] 51.Kg5 Ke7 52.Kh6 White can
advance f4-f5 right away but his delay does not change the evaluation of the
position. 52...Ke8 53.Kh7 Ke7 54.Kg7 Ke8 55.Kf6 Kf8 56.f4 Ke8
57.Kg5 Kd7 58.f5 gxf5 59.gxf5 exf5 60.Kxf5 Ke7 61.Kf4 Kd7
Diagram 45
This is the critical moment. If it were Black’s turn he would be in a zugzwang

- after Ke7 White wins with Kf5-f6, e4-e5-e6; after Ke6 White wins with
Ke4-d5. So, the task is to reach this position with Black’s turn. 62.Kg5??
[White has to move down to 3-rd rank. 62.Kf3! White creates two threats -
Ke4 and Kf4. To cope with both, Black should be ready to meet Ke4 by Ke6
and Kf4 by Kd7. He completes this mission easily by playing 62...Ke7 but
now White renews his threats by playing 63.Ke3! Again the Black king needs
to be close to both the e6 and d7 squares. But the only square (besides e7
where the Black king is located) that satisfies these requirements is
unavailable (d6). 63...Kd7 64.Kf4 Triangulation f4-f3-e3-f4 helped White to
give the opponent a turn. The rest is simple. 64...Ke7 65.Kf5 Kd7 66.Kf6
Ke8 67.e6 Clearing the way to the queen side. 67...fxe6 68.Kxe6+-]
62...Ke6 63.Kf4 f6! 64.exf6 and the opponents agreed to draw. [64.exf6
Kxf6 65.Ke4 Ke6 66.a3 a6 67.a4 a5 68.Kf4 Kf6 69.Ke4 Ke6= Analysis of
this game demonstrates how critical the first moves in the endgame is. Black
made a wrong choice on move 49 and from there on he already could not
change much.] 1/2-1/2
Kovalenko,VN (2165) - Aveskulov,Valeriy (2526)
TCh-UKR Clubs 2011 (analysis position) Alushta UKR, 2011
Here is another example of triangulation, from a position that occurred in one

of my games. White is a pawn up but the Black king is more active and the
pawn majority on the queen side does not help White to create a passed
pawn. The White king needs to perform a miracle. 50.Kd8! [It is easy to be
attracted by the idea of opposition but it does not work well: 50.Kd7 Kd5
51.Kc7 Kc5 The Black king is unable to move on b5 and White wins b6-
square for the king. But chess is a very concrete game where the same rules
can work differently, even in similar situations. 52.Kb7 The Black king is
unable to move on b5 and White wins b6-square for the king. But chess is a
very concrete game where the same rules can work differently, even in
similar situations. 52...Kb4
Diagram 47
53.Kc6! The best chance. (after 53.Kb6 Black’s defense is simpler 53...e5
54.Ka6 e4 55.Kb6 No reserve moves are left but pawn e4 is already
advanced enough to run to e3. 55...Kc3! 56.Kxa5 Kd3 57.Kb5 Kxe3 58.a5
Kf2 59.a6 e3 60.a7 e2 61.a8=Q e1=Q=) 53...e5 (53...Kxb3?? 54.Kb5+-)
54.Kd5 Kxb3 55.Kxe5 Kxa4 56.Kxf5 Kb4 57.e4 a4 58.e5 a3 59.e6 a2
60.e7 a1=Q 61.e8=Q= After calculating all these lines, White can switch to
a triangulation idea to beat the opposition faster. With a deeper look one can
see that if it is Black’s turn with the kings on d7 and d5, White wins easily
(the king enters to the 6-th rank). The same scenario with Black’s turn; with
kings on e7 and e5 it leads to a win for White. All White needs is to use
triangulation.]
50.Kd8! Kd6 [50...Kd5 51.Kd7 leads to 50...Kd6 line.; The White king is
faster, in the next line. 50...Ke4 51.Kc7! Kxe3 (51...Kd3 52.Kd6 Kc3
53.Kxe6 Kxb3 54.Kxf5 Kxa4 55.Ke4+- See the main line.; 51...Kd5
52.Kd7+-) 52.Kd6 Kf3 53.Kxe6 Kxg3 54.Kxf5 Kf3 55.Ke5+-] 51.Ke8!
Now the White king is ready to occupy the required square. 51...Kc5
[51...Kd5 52.Kd7+- Makes things faster.; 51...Ke5 52.Ke7 Kd5 53.Kd7
Ke5 54.Kc6 Ke4 55.Kd6+-] 52.Ke7 Kb4 [52...Kd5 53.Kd7+-] 53.Kxe6
Kxb3 54.Kxf5 Kxa4
Diagram 48
55.Ke4! The White king enters the square of a-pawn. b3-square is

unavailable because of g7-g8=Q+ thereafter, queens will be exchanged.
55...Kb4 [55...Kb3 56.g4 a4 57.g5 a3 58.g6 a2 59.g7 a1=Q 60.g8=Q+ Kb4
(60...Kc2 61.Qc4+ Kd2 62.Qd4++-) 61.Qb8+ Kc4 (61...Kc5 62.Qe5++-)
62.Qc7+ Kb4 63.Qb6+ Kc4 64.Qd4++-] 56.Kd3+-
Potkin,Vladimir (2682) - Grischuk,A (2746)
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS, 2011
Both players missed the triangulation trick in the next game. We already saw
the end of this game in the chapter about opposition. Now it is time to see
how the opponents arrived there. Black is winning thanks to his defended
passed pawn. A general plan looks simple in these situations - a passed
pawn distracts the opponent’s king in the required moment and after that the
more active king pushes forward to win pawns. The most difficult is to find a
proper moment to push your own pawn. In the position, on the diagram, the
crucial question is, “Who takes the opposition when White takes on e3?” If
Black is able to place his K on c3 after Kxe3, he wins. If not, it is a draw.
47...Kb6? Black only calculated the king’s moves and thought that 47...Kb6
is enough to win b5-square for the king. [The correct move was 47...Kb7!
48.b5 (48.Kd4 Kb6 49.Kc4 Kc6 Triangulation is done and now the White
king should free b5-square. 50.Kb3 (or 50.b5+ Kb6-+) 50...Kb5 51.Kc3 e3
52.Kd3 Kxb4 53.Kxe3 Kc3-+) 48...Kb6
Diagram 50
It appears that this is a position of mutual zugzwang. Black prefers to push

e4-e3 with White K placed on b4. 49.Kb4 e3 50.Kc3 Kxb5 51.Kd3 Kb4
52.Kxe3 Kc3 Here the point is - Black grabs the opposition and goes around
the White king (we saw this in the chapter about opposition).]
47...Kb6? 48.Kb3? [White misses his own chance. 48.b5! The White king is
one move closer to pawn “e” when Black already has no better moment to
push it forward. 48...e3 (after 48...Ka5 49.Kc5 e3 50.b6 e2 51.b7 e1=Q
52.b8=Q Black is unable to make use of checks. 52...Qc3+ 53.Kd5 Qxg3
Diagram 51
54.Kc4! Black is forced to make the only move. 54...Ka6™ 55.Qd6+=)

49.Kd3 Kxb5 50.Kxe3 Kc5 Diagonal opposition does not bring any
dividends since Black cannot transform it to rank opposition. 51.Kd3 Kd5
52.Ke3 Kc4 53.Ke2 Kd4 (or 53...Kc3 54.Ke3) 54.Kd2 Ke4 55.Ke2=]
48...Kb5 Now it is over - Black pushes pawn “e” and then wins the
opposition. 49.Kc3 e3 50.Kd3 Kxb4 51.Kxe3 Kc3 The rest is already
known to us; let’s briefly see it now. 52.Ke2 Kc2 53.Ke3 Kd1 54.Kf2 Kd2
55.Kf3 Ke1 56.Ke3 Kf1 57.Kf3 Kg1 White resigns. 0-1
Seirawan,Yasser (2605) - Kasparov,Garry (2690)
Niksic, 1983
Garry Kasparov definitely used triangulation in many of his games, during his
career, but the next example seems to be very instructive. At first sight it
looks like White holds the position. His king has two squares (c4 and d4)
that correspond to c6 and d6 when placing K on d3 stops Kc5 try. The
problem occurs when the Black king comes to the 7-th rank - it appears that
White only has one square (d3) that is close to both c4 and d4; at the same
time the Black king has two squares c7 and d7 from where it can move to c6
and d6. 47...Kc6! 48.Kc4 Kc7! 49.Kd3 Kd7! 50.Ke3 Kc6 Kc4 would
help here but K is too far away. [After 50...Kd6 51.Kd4 Black will need to
go back to the 7-th rank to gain the opposition.] 51.Kd3 Kc5 52.Ke3
Diagram 53
52...b3! [52...Kc4? misses the win due to 53.e5! Kd5 54.e6 Kd6 55.Kd3=]
53.Kd3 Kb4! 54.e5 Ka3! White resigns, pawn b3 promotes with a check.
[54...fxe5? will be a mistake: 55.f6 e4+ 56.Kd2 e3+ 57.Kxe3 b2 58.f7
b1=Q 59.f8=Q+=] 0-1
1.5. CORRESPONDING SQUARES
The main mission of triangulation is to lose a tempo, in order to put your

opponent into a position of zugzwang. There is, however, a more general
term that includes triangulation and many other situations. This term is:
corresponding squares. Since triangulation tricks are easier to handle, I
have decided to begin with them. But now, let’s talk about corresponding
squares.
Corresponding squares are squares of equivalent (or mutual) zugzwang. If
squares X and Y are corresponding squares, it means that if one player
moves to X, the other player must move to Y in order to hold his position.
This is how corresponding squares work. Usually there are several pairs of
these squares in a position.
There are many famous studies, that cannot be solved without understanding
the concept of corresponding squares. Some of those studies can be found in
the exercises part of this book. Nikolai Grigoriev, for example, is one of the
most famous pawn endgame composers, who often used the idea of
corresponding squares. But surely, the concept of corresponding squares is
not just a theoretical idea. It can be used in practical games as well. Let’s
look at some endgames where we can see the concept of corresponding
squares, put into practice.
Moiseenko,A (2703) - Dreev,A (2679)
Indonesia Open 2013 Jakarta INA, 2013
With his last move (Re7-e2), White offers to exchange rooks hoping for his
extra pawn but Dreev uses this opportunity to demonstrate his skill about
corresponding squares. It is better to move the R to e1 or e3 with the idea of
f4-f5 and Re6. With the Black king cut-off on the queen side, White shouldn’t
have any problem converting his advantage. 63...Rxe2™ [Otherwise Black
loses on f6. 63...Rh1?? 64.f5+-]
63...Rxe2™ 64.Kxe2 At first, it looks as if a free pawn guarantees White a
win but the Black king is able to find corresponding squares to all of White’s
possible moves. 64...h6! [A naive taking and opposition loses: 64...Ke6?
65.Ke3 Ke7 66.Ke4 Ke6 67.f5+ Kd6 The Black king holds the opponent in
the center and also on the king side. 68.g5! fxg5 69.g4 The White king wins
control over the e5-square, then he plays f5-f6 with an easy win. That’s why
move h7-h6 was absolutely necessary to build a fortress.] 65.Kf3 In this
endgame, we can see that opposition does not work. Taking the opposition
does not help Black. To find the correct squares, Black needs to begin from
the end. When White K is on e4 Black K should be on e6 (otherwise Kf5
and g4-g5 wins). Square d6 corresponds to square d4. If White K is on d3 or
e3 Black K can be equally as good on d7 or e7 because with both of these
squares he is able to meet White K when it reaches d4 or e4. [Going via c-
file does not work because of f6-f5 resource. 65.Kd2 Ke6 66.Kc3 f5!
67.gxf5+ Kxf5 68.Kd3 h5 69.Ke3 Kg4=] 65...Ke7
Diagram 55
Black readily gives up the opposition on e-file. The final goal of any
opposition for the stronger side is to go around the opponent’s king.
Unfortunately, White K cannot go through the c-file (because of f6-f5) or
through the f-file (too many pawns there). That’s why only d4-d6; e4-e6
opposition squares matter. 66.Ke3 Kd7 67.Kd3 Ke7 68.Kc3 Kd7 69.Kd3
Ke7 70.Kc4 Ke6 71.Kd4 [71.Kc5 f5!=] 71...Kd6 72.Ke4 Ke6
Diagram 56
Now White tries to use a weakness on h6 but the defense there is even easier
for Black. All he needs to do is to play Kg6 after Kh4. 73.Kf3 Ke7 74.Kg2
Kf7 75.Kh3 Kg7 76.Kh2 [76.Kh4 Kg6 77.f5+ Kg7 78.Kh3 Kf7 79.Kg2
Ke7 80.Kf3 Kd6 81.Ke4 Kc5=] 76...Kf7 77.Kg1 Ke6 78.Kf2 Kf7
79.Ke3 Ke7 80.Kf3 Kf7 81.Kg2 Ke7
Diagram 57
82.f5 All Black needs is to be able to defend on h6. 82...Kd6 83.Kh3 Ke7
84.Kh2 Kd6 85.Kh3 Ke7 Draw. 1/2-1/2
Gunina,V – Goryachkina,A
Russian Superfinal (women), 2013
This endgame perfectly shows how difficult king and pawn endgames can be.
The players make mistakes on almost every move. But there is no shame
because not many GM’s can figure everything out correctly in this endgame.
46.g4? This natural move allows Black to take an opposition that matters
here a lot. [White has to bring her K closer keeping § on g3. 46.Kg2 Kg6 (in
case of 46...f5 White K arrives to e5. 47.Kf2! Kh5 48.Kf3 Kg6 49.Ke3+-)
47.Kf3 Kf5 (in case of 47...f6 Black K is not enough fast to defend the
center. 48.Ke4+-; or 47...Kf6 48.g4 Ke7 49.Ke4 Ke6 50.f5+ Kf6 51.Kf4
Kg7 52.Ke5+-) 48.g4+ Ke6
Diagram 59
49.f5+! The most difficult in this endgame is to weaken the dark squares
around the pawns. Strategically it seems dubious but concretely Black K is
unable to make much use of these squares. (after 49.Ke3? f6 we come to the
game text. Here taking an opposition with 50.Ke4 does not win because of
typical 50...f5+! 51.gxf5+ Kf6=) 49...Ke5 50.Kg3 Ke4 (50...Kf6 51.Kf4+-)
51.Kh4 Kf4 52.Kh5+-]
46.g4? Kg6?
Diagram 60
[After 46...f6! White king would not have many options to outplay Black
colleague. 47.Kg2 Kg6 48.Kf3 Kf7 49.Ke4 Ke6 50.Kd4 Kd6 51.Kc4 Kc6
52.Kd3 Kd7 53.Ke3 Ke7=] 47.Kg3? [Unnatural 47.f5+! again was the
winning way. Mathematically Black K can not hold this. But I am not sure if I
can explain this by words very well. It is rather about concrete calculating.
You can just memorise that f5-g4 vs f7 (as well as in all analogic structures
on another ranks and files) practically automatically leads to a win. 47...Kg5
a) 47...Kf6 48.Kg3 Kg5 49.Kf3 Kf6 50.Kf4+-; b) 47...Kg7 48.g5 Here the
only possible problem is do not blunder f7-f6 check trick. 48...Kg8 49.Kg3
Kf8 50.Kf4 Ke7 51.f6+! (51.Ke5?? f6+!=) 51...Ke6 52.Ke4 Kd6 53.Kf5
Kd7 54.g6+-; c) 47...Kh6 48.Kg3 Kg5 49.Kf3 Kf6 50.Kf4 Ke7 51.Kg5+-;
48.Kg3 f6 49.Kf3 Kh6 50.Kf4 Kg7 51.Ke4 Kf7 52.Kd5 Ke7 53.Kc6+-]
47...Kf6? Second time Black misses a chance to play f7-f6 with lines
analogic to 46...f6 lines. 48.Kf3 Ke6 49.Ke3? [One more time White does
not consider unnatural 49.f5+! that in fact wins. 49...Ke5 50.Kg3+- and king
goes to f4 or h4.] 49...f6!
Diagram 61
With K on e6 Black easily makes this correct move. Similar to Moiseenko-

Dreev White K is unable to take use from opposition because of f6-f5 idea
(it worth of memorizing!). 50.Ke2 [50.Ke4 would fasten undesirable
outcome. 50...f5+ 51.gxf5+ Kf6= Gunina decides to play more to see if her
opponent can find correct corresponding squares.] 50...Kd5? [Since
opposition along e-file does not help White to win (we remember f6-f5)
Black had to take care of opposition on d-file. In Moiseenko-Dreev game we
saw two more pawns (on g3 and h6) that made f6-f5 possible with White K
on c3 or c4. Without those two pawns Black needs to make sure that he holds
an opposition along both “c” and “d” files because f6-f5 always loses to g4-
g5. 50...Ke7! 51.Kd3 (51.Ke3 Ke6=) 51...Kd7 52.Kc4 Kc6 53.Kc3 Kc7
54.Kd4 Kd6 55.f5 This move wins an opposition but pawn f6 helps Black to
cover e5-square. 55...Kc6 56.Kc3 Kc5 57.Kd3 Kd5 58.Ke3 Ke5 59.Kf3
Diagram 62
Luckily the distance between e3-h5 and e5-g7 squares is equal and it is not
hard to control corresponding squares. 59...Kd6 60.Kg3 (60.Ke4 Ke7™
again Black should take care of opposition on d-file. 61.Kd5 Kd7 62.Kc5
Kc7=) 60...Ke7 61.Kh4 Kf7 62.Kh5 Kg7=] 51.Kd3! Here opposition is!
51...Ke6 52.Kc4! Diagonal opposition helps to grab c5-square. [52.Ke4??
f5+=] 52...Kd6 53.Kd4 Kd7 [53...Ke6 was more challenging to White:
54.Kc5 Kd7 55.Kd5 Ke7 56.Kc6 Ke6
Diagram 63
Black is taking a rank opposition but § helps. 57.f5+! Ke5 58.Kd7 Kf4
59.Ke6 Kg5 60.Kf7+-] 54.Kc5 Kc7 55.Kd5 [Black resigned because of
such line: 55.Kd5 Kd7 56.f5 Ke7 57.Kc6+-] 1-0
Randviir,Juri – Keres,Paul
Parnu, 1947
Diagram 64
The first two examples showcase the usage of corresponding squares to save
the position for the defending side, but in the second game, the player of the
Black pieces does not make use of this trick. In the next game, the knowledge
of corresponding squares helped Paul Keres win the game. 45...Kb5!
[45...Kb6? 46.Kc4 a5 47.a4 h6 48.Kc3 Kc7
Diagram 65
c4 and d6 squares correspond with one other; no one wants to move to those
squares first because it means a lose for both players. Such squares can be
also called “mined squares.” 49.Kd3 (49.Kc4?? Kd6-+) 49...Kd7=
(49...Kd6?? 50.Kc4+-) ]
45...Kb5! 46.a4+! It is the best chance for White. [After 46.Kc3 Black wins
in a simpler way. 46...c4 47.Kd4 (47.d6 Kc6 48.Kxc4 Kxd6 49.Kd4 h6-+)
47...c3 48.Kxc3 Kc5 49.d6 Kxd6 50.Kd4
Diagram 66
50...h6! (reserve tempo) 51.a4 a5 Opposition is seized. Black is winning.

The same position happened in the game after 55...h6.] 46...Kb6™ 47.Kc4
a5™ 48.d6 [Now after 48.Kc3 Kc7 49.Kd3 Black can go to the mined
square because he has a reserve tempo. 49...Kd6 50.Kc4 h6-+] 48...Kc6
49.d7 Kxd7 50.Kxc5
Diagram 67
The White king is actively strong and it looks as though there should be no
problem for him to draw. But let’s look closer at the corresponding squares.
Black has two ideas - to play h7-h5 and to take back on h5 with the king or to
break through via the center. When Black K is on g7 White K should be on f3
(otherwise h7-h5 wins); square e4 corresponds to square f7; square d5 - to
square e7. Black K has two squares close to g7 and e7 - f7 and f8, when
White K only has a path from f3 to d5. It means that White has one
corresponding square (e4) to both f7 and f8. 50...Ke7 51.Kd5 Kf7 52.Ke4
Kf8! Winning d6-square. 53.Ke3 [53.Kd5 h5! 54.gxh5 Kg7-+] 53...Ke7
54.Ke4 Kd6 55.Kd4
Diagram 68
55...h6!-+ Reserve tempo! 56.Ke4 [Or 56.Kc4 Ke5 57.Kb5 h5! 58.gxh5
Kxf5-+] 56...Kc5 57.Ke3 Kd5 58.Kd3 Ke5 59.Ke3
Diagram 69
59...h5! The only winning way. 60.gxh5 Kxf5 61.Kf3 Ke6 62.Kg4 Kf7
63.Kf5 Kg7 0-1
1.6. DISTANT CONTROL OF THE OPPONENT’S PAWN
To continue with the theme of the king’s tricks, I would like to show you
some examples where playing natural looking moves does not help. Instead,
we sometimes need to think out of the box and hold the opponent’s pawn
from a distance. Those moves are not easy to see, but after studying the
following examples, I am confident that you will be able to find those moves
in your own games.
The first example is taken from Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual.
Akhmilovskaya,Elena (2315) - Alexandria,Nana (2335)
Candidates (Women) qf-3 Kislovodsk, 1980
In this game Black played 41...Kh7 and won the game.

[But why was 41...Nc3 not played? Black threatens to take d4 and then to
reach the pawn endgame with a free pawn. What’s wrong with this natural
move? Honestly, nothing. It does not spoil the advantage. White will answer
42.Nb1 offering Black to reach a “plus one” pawn endgame right away. But
why is she so generous? Is there any trick after 42...Nxb1 43.Qxb1 Qxd4+
44.Qb2 Qxb2+ 45.Kxb2
Diagram 71
This appears as if Black is absolutely winning, since her king is on time to

defend on c6. Can it be drawn? 45...Kg8 46.Kc3 Kf7 47.Kc4 Ke7 48.Kc5
Kd7 49.Kb6 The Black king is stuck even though it has enough pawn moves
on the king side. Let’s continue. 49...g5 50.h4 (or 50.h3 g4 51.h4 h5 with the
same main idea) 50...gxh4 51.gxh4 h5
Diagram 72
The White king should run back. When one calculates the consequences of
Nxb1, Qxd4 can easily fail here; thinking it is over. Really, after the most
natural 52.Kc5 Black plays 52...Kc7 and steadily advances forward (Kb6,
c6-c5, Kc6-b5 etc.). Here, the point is that White plays 52.Ka5!! The move
is probably not that brilliant at the moment but considering that we had to see
it many moves ahead, I guess we can award it with “!!”. The King controls
the pawn distantly and Black cannot progress. It is a draw! 52...Kc7 53.Ka6
Kc8 54.Kb6 Kd7 55.Ka5= That’s why after 42.Nb1 Black had to decline
this “generous” present and retreat with the knight to b5, saving her
advantage.] 0-1
Training position
To help you memorize this idea, I urge you to look at the next training
position. First we need to evaluate the position. The pawn majority on the
queen side is more promising for White because it is simpler (faster) to
organise a passed pawn with 2 vs 1 than to do the same with 4 vs 3.
Moreover, it is White’s turn and the White king is able to take an active
position. Many of my students try to follow such a plan - to keep the king
closer to the king side and to distract the Black monarch by advancing of “a”
and “b” pawns. But the problem of this plan is that Black pawns push the
king back to the 3-rd rank and then it is more difficult to advance the
mentioned plan. The correct play in this position can be found in the title of
the chapter. To keep an eye on the Black king side pawns, the White king
should not be physically ahead of them - it is ok to be near them. All he needs
is to be ready to meet e5-e4 with Kd4-move. For this purpose it is enough to
be on c4. Once you understand this, the correct moves are found easier.
1.Kc4! g5 2.b4 f5 [2...a6 3.a4 h5 4.b5 a5 (4...axb5+ 5.Kxb5+-) 5.b6 Kc6
6.b7 Kxb7 7.Kb5+-] 3.b5 e5 4.a4 f4 [4...g4 5.a5 f4 6.b6 axb6 7.axb6 Kc6
8.b7 Kxb7 9.Kd5+-] 5.a5 e4 6.Kd4+- When it is required the White king
controls the situation.
2. TRICKS BY THE PAWNS
2.1. PAWN BREAKTHROUGH
As it is mentioned in the glossary paragraph, a pawn breakthrough is a

penetration of the opponent’s position, or destruction of the defense, often by
means of a sacrifice. I’m sure many of you know the famous puzzle with
White pawns on a5, b5, c5 facing Black pawns on a7, b7, c7. I still
remember my kid, looking shocked by seeing how 3 pawns outplay the same
number of pawns in a symmetrical position. We have already seen a good
breakthrough example in the Uhlmann-Sachdev game (Black’s 47-th move).
The legendary German player had forgotten about the breakthrough idea and
lost a winning position. Let’s see some more examples.
Aveskulov,Valeriy (2519) - Beljskj (1917)
Ukrainian club championship, 2013

White is about to win a pawn and Black tries to save it with the move
49...Bc5? which allows White to demonstrate some knowledge of pawn
breakthroughs. [Saving minor pieces on the board will not save the game but
is more resistable. 49...Kc6 50.Kxd4 f6 51.Nd2 and N goes to e6. 51...Bd6
52.Nb3 Be5+ 53.Kd3 Bb2 54.Nd4+ Kd6 55.Ne6 Ke5 56.Nxg7 Kf4 57.c5
Kxg4 58.c6 Be5 59.Ke4+-]
49...Bc5? 50.Nxc5 Kxc5 51.g5! [Black resigns. 51.g5 f6 move is easy to
forget. No breakthrough any longer but White can put Black into a zugzwang.
(or 51...hxg5 52.f6+- and h-pawn promotes.) 52.g6!+-] 1-0
Guliev,Sarhan (2485) - Tukmakov,Vladimir B (2605)
zt Nikolaev, 1993
32.Bxe5 leads to a position with many passed pawns for both sides.
Preciseness is priceless in these situations! 32...dxe5 33.Ke3??
[Unfortunately, White could not calculate the lines correctly, although the
breakthrough idea would lead to a win. 33.a4 Kd6 34.a5 c4 (34...Kxd5
Diagram 76
35.a6!+- is probably a move that the Azeri player could not see. b5-b6 is
unstoppable.) 35.a6! The same - before playing b5-b6 White advances a-
pawn. 35...Kc5 36.d6! Black king cannot stop all the opponent’s pawns.
36...Kxd6 37.b6+-] 33...Kd6 34.Ke4 c4 35.a4 c3 36.Kd3 Kxd5 White
resigns because he loses his queen side pawns and Black remains with a free
passed pawn on a7. 37.Kxc3 Kc5 38.h3 e4 39.g3 e3 40.Kd3 Kb4 41.Kxe3
Kxa4-+ 0-1
Khamrakulov,D (2503) - Sebag,M (2476)
PRO League Group Stage chess.com, 2019
Diagram 77
White is a pawn up but Black is going to take on e4 and move towards the
queen’s side to pick up other opponent’s pawns. A pawn breakthrough is
exactly what White needs. 41.b5! [41.c5 with the same idea would also work
41...Kxe4 42.b5+-]
41.b5! Kxe4 42.c5! Now c5-c6 decides the game. 42...axb5 43.c6! bxc6
44.a6 and White is winning.
Nakamura,Hi (2777) - So,Wesley (2780)
chess.com, 5+1, 2018
Of course, online blitz games are not as serious as the classical battles but
chessboards and chess pieces remain the same. Moreover, reviewing such
games provides us with instructive insight to mistakes. In this case Hikaru
Nakamura was the one who forgot how tricky pawn breakthroughs can be.
38.Be5? [38.Bb8 h4 39.Kd3 would make the game much longer; although
Black should also be winning here.]
38.Be5? Bxe5 39.dxe5 h4! [Before breaking through, there is a need to fix
pawn h3. We saw something similar in Guliev-Tukmakov (move 35.a6).
39...g4? 40.h4=] 40.Kd4 g4 White resigns. 0-1
2.2. EXCHANGES THAT CLEAR UP THE PATH FOR THE KING
A pawn breakthrough is usually connected with some sacrifice, so it makes

sense to differentiate simple pawn exchanges that clear up the path for your
own king. Let’s call it the “clearance idea”. First of all, I want you to look at
a couple of classical endgames.
Cohn,Erich – Rubinstein,Akiba
St Petersburg, 1909
White mistakenly offers a transfer to the king and pawn endgame. 24.Rc1? [A
prevention of Rh4 by means of 24.f4! will maintain a balance.]
24.Rc1? Rxc1 25.Kxc1 There is nothing special that the Black king can
achieve in the center. But in the pawn endgames even one small weakness, in
the corner of the board, can decide the game. 25...Kf6! King goes to h2-
pawn. 26.Kd2 Kg5 27.Ke2 Kh4 28.Kf1 Kh3 29.Kg1
Diagram 80
What to do now? Akiba Rubinstein prepares a clearance of the king side to

bring his king to the queen side. 29...e5 30.Kh1 b5 31.Kg1 f5 32.Kh1 g5
33.Kg1 h5 34.Kh1 g4 35.e4 [or 35.fxg4 fxg4 36.Kg1 (36.e4 h4 37.Kg1 g3
38.hxg3 hxg3 39.f3 g2-+) 36...e4 37.Kh1 h4 38.Kg1 g3-+] 35...fxe4 36.fxe4
h4 37.Kg1 g3 38.hxg3 hxg3 White resigns because nothing can disturb the
Black king from transferring to the queen side. 0-1
Sveshnikov,Evgeny (2545) - Kasparov,Garry (2545)
URS-ch47 Minsk, 1979
Black K is more active but the queen side (pawn a2) has a weakness that
Black can attack. How to progress? Exchanges! 36...Kb4 37.Kc2 Ka3
38.Kb1 a5 39.Ka1 a4 40.bxa4 Kxa4!
Diagram 82
[Surely 40...bxa4? would give nothing. 41.Kb1 Kb4 42.Kc2 Kc4 43.Kd2
Kd4 44.a3= holding the Black K with an opposition.] 41.Kb1 [41.Kb2 does
not help because of 41...b4! (but not 41...Kb4?? 42.a3+ Ka4 43.Ka2 b4
44.axb4 Kxb4 45.Kb2 and opposition on the 2-nd rank saves White) 42.Kc2
Ka3 43.Kb1 b3-+ with the same end.] 41...Ka3 42.Ka1 b4 43.Kb1 b3
White resigned because the unhindered Black king takes pawn on the king
side. 0-1
Andre,Gordon (2265) - Koepke,Christian (2304)
2.BL Ost: Garching-Magdeburg, 2017
In the next game, a friend of mine was unlucky - his opponent didn’t know of
the clearance idea but still managed to choose the right move at the critical
moment. 50.a3 [After the game Gordon said that he had thought that 50.Kb1?
is also drawn. But Rubinstein’s idea would decide the game there. 50...Ka3
51.Ka1 a6 52.Kb1 b5 53.cxb5 axb5 54.Ka1 b4 55.cxb4 cxb4 56.Kb1 b3
57.axb3 Kxb3-+]
50.a3
Here Black can also try clearing the way but the White king is active enough
(or too passive) to save the game. 50...a6 51.Ka2 b5 52.cxb5 axb5 53.Kb2
b4 54.axb4 cxb4
Diagram 84
55.c4! [55.cxb4? will lead to a loss on e4.] 55...b3 56.c5 Kb5 57.Kxb3
Kxc5 58.Kc3 Kb5 59.Kb3 Kc5 Draw. 1/2-1/2
Ivanchuk,V (2704) - Gelfand,B (2743)
SportAccord Rapid Beijing, 2014
The previous examples were relatively easy. In the next two examples, the
clearance idea was not so easy to see. White is more active but he needs
something decisive. His king cannot enter on the queen side. The only
possible entrance is the square on d5. But instant f4-f5 allows Black to push
the White king back with check e6-e5. That’s the reason why White first
prepares the c4-square for his king. 35.c3 Kc7! here is also a possibility;
Black cannot prevent an appearance of the White king on d5. 36.c4 [36.f5!
here is also a possibility; Black cannot prevent an appearance of the White
king on d5.] 36...Kc6 [Another possible line is 36...bxc4 37.Kxc4 Kc6 38.f5
Kd7
Diagram 86
39.Kd4! (The natural 39.Kb5? with an idea to take on d5 does not work well
because Black organizes a passed pawn in the center, that’s why White waits.
39...d5! 40.exd5 (40.fxe6+ Kxe6 41.exd5+ Kxd5 42.b4= (42.Kxa5?? e5
43.Kb4 Kd4-+) ) 40...exf5=) 39...exf5 40.exf5 e6 (40...Kc6 41.b4 axb4
42.axb4+-) 41.f6
Diagram 87
41...Ke8 (or 41...e5+ 42.Kd5 e4 43.Kxe4 Ke6 44.b4 axb4 45.a4!+- again
the Black king can’t hold all the opponent’s passed pawns.) 42.b4 axb4
43.axb4 Kf7 44.b5+-] 37.cxb5+ Kxb5 38.f5 exf5 39.exf5 Kc6 40.b4 axb4
41.axb4 Black resigns, his king should control the b-pawn when the White
king goes to take on e7 to support the f-pawn promotion. 1-0
Halfhide,Sebastian (1916) - Snape,I (2229)
89th Hastings Masters, 2013
Black has an outside passed pawn but his king cannot support it. The
exchanging operation again helps 50...f5! [In this game Black played
50...exf4+? 51.Kxf4 h3 52.Kg3 Ke5 and it appeared that the activity of the
Black king was not enough for a win. 53.Kxh3 Kf4 (or 53...Kd4 54.Kg4
Kxd3 55.Kf5 Kxc4 56.Kxf6 Kd4 57.Ke6 Kxe4 58.Kxd6=) 54.a4 Ke3
55.Kg4 Kxd3 56.Kf5 Kxc4 57.Kxf6 Kd3 58.Ke6 Kxe4 59.Kxd6 draw.]
50...f5! 51.exf5+ Kxf5 52.fxe5 Kxe5
Diagram 89
53.d4+ White prepares an exchange of the d6-pawn with the hope of saving
the game with the rook pawn (by coming to c1). 53...Kf5 54.Kf3 a4 55.a3
h3 56.Kg3 Ke4 57.c5 dxc5 58.dxc5 Kd5 59.Kxh3 Kxc5 60.Kg3 Kc4
61.Kf3 Kb3 62.Ke3 Kxa3 63.Kd2 Kb2 right on time. As we see, only
calculating long lines can help Black make the correct choice in the position
on the diagram. 1/2-1/2
2.3. RESERVE TEMPI
Another important subtlety in king and pawn endgames, is a reserve tempo.

Such a move may, by itself, not be crucial to the position on the board, but it
can result in a significant advantage, because it puts the opponent in a
zugzwang situation. Making an error in counting the number of reserve
moves, will often lead to catastrophic results.
Gashimov,V (2746) - Topalov,Veselin (2775)
Amber-rapid 20th Monte Carlo, 2011
The kings are in opposition and everything depends on who has more reserve
tempos. With his next move Gashimov gets an advantage on this criteria on
the king side (f2-f3 and h2-h3 versus f7-f6). 38.g4! f6 [or 38...b5 39.Kc3
Kc5 40.Kb3 The White king waits when Black frees him from the a4 or b4
square. 40...f6 41.Kc3 b4+ (41...Kd5 42.Kb4 Kc6 43.Ka5 Kc5 44.b3+-)
42.Kb3 Kb5
Diagram 91
43.h3! First reserve tempo is used. 43...Kc5 44.Ka4 Kc4 45.b3+ Kc3 Now
it is time for one more reserve tempo. 46.f3+-] 39.Kc4 Kc6 40.b3 b5+ [or
40...Kd6 41.Kb5 Kc7 42.Ka6 Kc6 43.b4+- and White wins even without
usage of his king side pawns.] 41.Kb4 Kb6 42.h3 One! 42...Kc6 43.Ka5
Kc5 44.b4+ Kc4 45.f3 Black resigns. 1-0
Gross,Benjamin (1950) - De Firmian,Nick E (2525)
US op Palo Alto, 1981
Something similar happened in the next game between a well-known GM and

a club player. 36.Ke3? [White wrongly calculates the number of reserve
tempos and ignores a breakthrough motive. The correct move was 36.a4 and
now exchange 36...Nxc3 37.bxc3 does not give Black a win. There are many
possible lines, but I will mention only a few examples: 37...Kf5 38.Kf3
Diagram 93
38...g5 (or 38...g6 39.h4 a6 40.Kg3 g5 (Going after the c3-pawn can create
an undesirable effect: 40...Ke4 41.Kg4 Kd3?? (it is already necessary to fix
a draw by playing 41...b5 42.axb5 axb5 43.h5 gxh5+ 44.Kxh5 Kxf4 45.Kxh6
Ke3 46.Kg5 Kd3 47.Kf6 Kxc3 48.Kxe6 b4 49.Kxd5 b3 50.e6 b2 51.e7
b1=Q 52.e8=Q Qf5+=) 42.h5 gxh5+ 43.Kf3!+- followed by f5 and e6 with a
promotion.) 41.fxg5 hxg5 42.h5 g4 43.h6 Kg6 44.Kxg4 Kxh6 45.Kh4=)
39.fxg5 Kxg5 40.Ke3 h5 (40...Kg4?? 41.c4! This idea significantly
simplifies White’s defense.) 41.Kf3 h4 42.h3 Kf5 43.Ke3=]
36.Ke3? Nxc3 37.bxc3 b5!
Diagram 94
Black gains three reserve tempos on the queen side and stops the c3-c4
option that is helpful for White because the Black king was too active on the
king side. 38.Kf3 Kf5 39.h3 g6 40.Ke3 a5 [40...g5 41.fxg5 hxg5 42.Kf3 a5
would lead to the same position.] 41.Kf3 g5 42.fxg5 hxg5
Diagram 95
[Reserve tempo does not help if Black takes with the king 42...Kxg5?
because after 43.Kg3 a4 44.Kf3 Kh4 45.Kg2 Black cannot achieve more.]
43.Ke3 [43.Kg3 was more resistable but the final position of the forcing line
is also not satisfactory for White. 43...Ke4 44.Kg4 Kd3 45.Kxg5 Kxc3
46.h4 b4 47.axb4 axb4 48.h5 b3 49.h6 b2 50.h7 b1=Q 51.h8=Q Qf5+
52.Kh4 Kxd4-+] 43...g4! 44.h4 [After 44.hxg4+ Kxg4-+ Black king easily
breaks through to the queen side.] 44...Kg6 45.Kf4 Kh5 46.Kg3 Now it is
time for the reserve tempo. 46...a4! White resigns. 0-1
2.4. PAWN RUNS
It is very stressful for most chess players to calculate who will promote his
pawn faster. It is easier when there are no additional factors and all
calculations are just basic maths. But such situations are rather exceptional.
Usually, the players face a very complicated position, where they need to
consider numerous nuances. The one who calculates best, will usually win
this contest.
First of all, I tried to sort out all possible tricks that could happen during a
pawn run, but this turned out to be too hard, because usually there is always a
combination of several ideas. To list some of them:
1) forcing the opponent’s king to go to a square where he will be checked;
2) choosing the “correct pawn” to advance (when there is a choice);
3) breakthrough;
4) exchanging new-born queens with a transition to a new pawn endgame that
is already easily winning;
5) mating the opponent’s king when queens appear on the board;
and others.
We have already seen some interesting pawn runs.
1) Barua-Moiseenko (chapter about opposition). The end of the main line
leads to a position with two queens on the board, where White’s king gets
trapped in the mating net.
2) Kovalenko-Aveskulov (chapter about triangulation). A side line that
begins with move 55...Kb3 results in a position with two queens on the
board, where White forces the winning exchange of queens.
Now, let’s look at some more specific examples.
Duda,J (2599) - Cheparinov,I (2684)
Qatar Masters Open, 2014
In the game, White took on e6 and for more than 80 moves attempted to win
the queen endgame, but was unsuccessful. Instead he could win the pawn
endgame. 69.Qc5+ Qxc5+ 70.Kxc5 Right now pawns need the same number
of moves to reach the 8-th (1-st for Black) rank. However, the Black king
should first come closer. 70...Kg4 71.a4 e5 Otherwise the White pawn will
promote first. 72.a5 e4 73.Kd4 Kf4 74.a6 e3 Pawns still have the same
amount of moves to promote, but the next move forces Black to place his own
king on a8-h1 diagonal that will decide the game. A similar motive happened
on the same tournament in the game Sjugirov-Oleksienko (see chapter
dedicated to Zigzags). 75.Kd3! Kf3 76.a7 e2 77.a8=Q++- *
Aveskulov,Valeriy (2424) - Firman,N (2471)
IM tournament Lviv, 2005
In this game, White transfered the game to a queen endgame (after 42.h6 a3
43.hxg7 a2 44.g8=Q a1=Q) which luckily was winning. If I found a tricky
check, it meant I could go home earlier. 42.c3+!
[An attempt to catch the pawn would not result in a win. 42.Kd2? a3 43.Kc1
Kc3 44.Kb1 b4 45.h6 a2+ (45...gxh6?? opens a1-h8 diagonal. 46.gxh6 a2+
47.Ka1! Kxc2 48.h7 b3 49.h8=Q+-) 46.Kxa2 (46.Ka1 Kxc2 47.hxg7 b3
48.g8=Q b2+ 49.Kxa2 b1=Q+ 50.Ka3 Qb2+=) 46...gxh6 47.gxh6 Kxc2
48.h7 b3+ 49.Ka3 b2 50.h8=Q b1=Q=] It appears that b4 was an optimal
square for the king and any other square would be hopeless for Black’s
position.
42.c3+! Kb3 The most stubborn. [After 42...Kc5 White stops the pawn a4 by
43.Kd3+-; 42...Ka5 allows White to win the Q after promoting. 43.h6 gxh6
44.gxh6 a3 45.h7 a2 46.h8=Q a1=Q 47.Qa8++-; 42...Kc4 places the king
under g8=Q check without any chance. 43.h6 gxh6 44.g6!+-; 42...Kxc3 loses
the Q with a diagonal check. 43.h6 a3 44.hxg7 a2 45.g8=Q a1=Q
46.Qg7++-] 43.h6 gxh6 44.g6 a3 45.g7 a2 46.g8=Q+ Kb2
Diagram 98
White has no checks but an exchange idea helps to win. 47.Qg7! Kb1
[47...a1=Q 48.c4+ Kb1 49.Qxa1+ Kxa1 50.cxb5+-] 48.Qg1+ Kb2 49.Qd4!
Kb1 50.Qb4+ Kc2 51.Qa3 Kb1 52.Qb3+ Ka1 53.Kd2+-
Shukh,N (2413) - Goganov,A (2550)
Moscow Open A, 2013
Again, we need to calculate the pawn advancing with different nuances.

White needs to make a choice as to where to place his K. There is a single
move that avoids an instant loss. 53.Ka5! The King moves away from
possible checks. [53.Kxa4? loses because Black is able to force White K
going to a6 (under check). 53...Ke4! 54.b5 Kd5 55.Ka5 f3 56.b6 Kc6
57.Ka6 f2-+;
53.Kc5?? Ke4! 54.b5 f3 55.b6 f2 56.b7 f1=Q 57.b8=Q Qc1+ now it is
clear why K went to e4; the White king doesn’t have a good square in order
to avoid the exchange of Q’s. 58.Kb6 Qxb2+ 59.Kc7 Qxb8+ 60.Kxb8 a3-+;
53.Kc6? Kg2 54.b5 f3 55.b6 f2 56.b7 f1=Q 57.b8=Q Qc4+ 58.Kd7 Qd4+!
Q occupies the best square (defending on a4, stopping Qh8+, attacking on b2
and g4), then K takes on h3, winning the endgame.]
53.Ka5! Kg2 54.b5 f3 55.b6 f2 56.b7 f1=Q 57.b8=Q after 57...Kxh3 Black
is better but still far away from the win. 1/2-1/2
Torosyan,Norayr - De Abreu,Roberto N
U - 16 Chess Olympiad, Istanbul, 2012
36...Nb4+?? [In the game Black correctly avoided pawn endgame and
played 36...Nb6]
36...Nb4+?? 37.Nxb4 axb4 38.g5! First White needs to stop f7-f6.
[38.Ke4? f6 39.Kf5? even loses 39...Kc5 40.Kxf6 e4-+] 38...Kc5 39.h4!
Before beginning the king’s run White needs to improve own pawn structure.
39...Kc6 [A simple breakthrough decides the game after 39...e4+ 40.fxe4 f3
Diagram 101
41.e5 f2 42.Ke2 Kxc4 43.e6! fxe6 44.h5+-] 40.h5 Kc5 Now both 41.h6 and
41.Ke4 win the game. 41.h6 [41.Ke4 Kxc4 42.Kxe5 Kc3 (42...Kd3 43.Kf6
Ke2 44.Kxf7 Kxf3 45.g6 hxg6 46.hxg6+-) 43.Kf6 Kb2 44.Kxf7 Kxa2 45.g6
hxg6 46.hxg6 b3 47.g7 b2 48.g8=Q b1=Q
Diagram 102
It does not help to promote at the same time in a situation like this. White
exchanges Q’s and wins on f4. 49.Kf6+ Ka1 50.Qa8+ Kb2 51.Qb7+ Kc2
52.Qxb1+ Kxb1 53.Ke5+-] 41...Kc6 42.Ke4 Kc5 43.Kxe5 Kxc4 44.Kf6
Kc3 45.Kxf7 Kb2 46.g6 hxg6 47.h7+-
2.5. OUTSIDE PASSED PAWNS
Outside past pawns are very important in pawn endgames. Everybody knows
this. They distract the opponent’s king and help your own king to destroy
pawns on the opposite side. Here are some examples of this idea.
Jakovenko,D (2721) - Smirnov,P (2641)
Russian Rapid Cup Final, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2013
There is a material balance on the board and the fight promises to last long.
With his next move (number 40!) Pavel Smirnov offers White to go into the
pawn endgame. It is always a committal decision. 40...Re6?? [40...Rc8
instead would keep Black in play.]
40...Re6?? 41.Rxe6! fxe6 42.Bg2! [Even leaving the bishops on the board
will lead to a win. But the pawn endgame (if it can be calculated to the end)
is a stronger choice. 42.a4 Kxf6 43.a5 Bd5 44.Bg2 e4 45.Kf4 e3 46.Bf3! e2
47.Bxe2 e5+ 48.Ke3 Ke6 49.Bd3+- with idea a5-a6 and Be4.] 42...Bxg2
43.Kxg2 Outside passed on the a-file takes too much time for the Black king
to take it. 43...Kxf6 44.a4 Ke7 45.a5 Kd6 46.a6 bxa6 47.bxa6 Kc6
48.Kf3 Kb6 49.Ke4 Kxa6 50.Kxe5 Kb5 51.Kxe6 Kc6 52.Kf6 Black
resigns. 1-0
Aveskulov,Valeriy (2529) - Onischuk,Volodimir (2720)
Rector Cup (rapid) Kharkiv, 2016
Black fought for a win throughout the game, but pushed too hard. 44...Qf5??
My opponent forgot that after 45.Qxf5+ Kxf5 Pawn f4 wasn’t hanging and
the White king had time to close in. 46.Kf2 g5 [46...Kf6 was also lost
47.Kf3 Ke7 48.Kg4 Kd6 49.Kxh4 f6
Diagram 105
(49...Kxd5 50.Kg5 Ke6 51.h4 Ke7 52.f5+- and pawn “h” decides the game.)
50.f5! Creating an outside passed pawn. 50...gxf5 (or 50...g5+ 51.Kh5 Kxd5
52.Kg6 Ke5 53.h3+- (Remember, reserve moves are extremely important in
pawn endgames!).) 51.Kg3+-] 47.fxg5 [47.d6 Ke6 48.fxg5 Kxd6 49.Kf3+-
was the simplest. But the move in the game did not spoil the win.] 47...Kxg5
Having seconds on the clock I moved my king ... of course to the center.
48.Kf3? [Instead less attractive 48.Kg2! would win the important tempo
48...Kf5 with king on f3 White needed to make the useless pawn move from
g2 so my K could go directly to the h4-pawn. 49.Kh3 Ke5 50.Kxh4 Kxd5
51.Kg5 Ke5 52.h4+- and pawn promotes with a check.] 48...Kf5 49.d6 Ke6
50.Kg4 Kxd6 51.Kxh4 Ke5
Diagram 106
In this position, White cannot make use of having an outside passed pawn.
Black is able to promote the f-pawn at the same time. 52.Kg3 Other king
moves would not change anything. 52...Ke4! 53.h4 f5 54.h5 [After 54.Kf2??
Kf4 White even loses.] 54...Ke3 55.h6 f4+ 56.Kg4 f3 57.h7 f2 58.h8=Q
f1=Q Draw.
Wang,Annie (2304) - Zatonskih,Anna (2430)
U.S. Women’s Championship, 2019
Black is obviously better thanks to an isolated pawn on d4. But if Black K

comes to d5, White plays b2-b3 and her K has two squares (e3 and d3) to
avoid any zugzwang motives. Black needs another idea to prove her
advantage. Anna Zatonskih felt the critical moment and improved her
prospects of creating an outside passed pawn by move 41...f5! This might be
equally well-played after move 41...Ke7. 42.gxf5 Ke7 43.Kf2 Kf6 44.Ke3
Kxf5 45.Kf3
Diagram 108
White took the opposition but here it does not help. With some accuracy
Black creates an outside passed pawn. A tricky move. 45...g6! [Careless
45...g5? allowed White to activate the king. 46.d5! h5 (46...Ke5 47.Kg4=)
47.d6 Ke6 48.Ke4=] 46.b4 [After 46.h3 Black could already play 46...g5
The whole point is that Black can now exchange all pawns on the king side in
the following line 47.d5 h5 48.d6 Ke6 49.Ke4 Kxd6 50.Kf5
Diagram 109
50...g4! and then to run with her K to the queen side. 51.hxg4 hxg4 52.Kxg4
Kd5-+] 46...b5 47.Ke3 g5 48.Kf3 h5 The rest is simple. 49.Ke3 g4 50.Kf2
h4 51.Ke3 g3 52.hxg3 hxg3 53.Kf3 g2 54.Kxg2 Ke4 55.Kf2 Kxd4
56.Ke2 Kc3 57.Ke3 Kb3 White resigned. 0-1
Jobava,Ba (2710) - Zhao Xue (2567)
Tata Steel Challengers, Wijk aan Zee, 2014
The next example is not a difficult one, but is rather funny - we won’t see it
every day that one has a possibility to create a passed pawn on both rook
files. 42.Rb6! Kd5 [or 42...Rxb6 43.axb6 Kd6 44.f3 followed by g3-g4 +-.]
43.Rxd6+ Kxd6 44.f3! White has two threats b4-b5 and g3-g4; Black is
unable to handle both. 44...e4 Black tries to destroy White’s plans connected
with g3-g4. [44...f6 45.g4 fxg4 46.fxg4 hxg4 47.h5 Ke6 48.b5+-] 45.Ke3
[45.fxe4 fxe4 46.g4 hxg4 47.h5 g3 48.h6+- was possible but Jobava chooses
the most technical way where he has no need to calculate a pawn run.;
45.f4?? would make it drawn 45...Kc6 46.Ke3 Kb5 47.Kd4 f6=] 45...Kd5
46.Kf4 f6 47.Ke3 exf3 [Black’s problem is that her K can not go to the e-
file - b4-b5 will instantly win. 47...Ke5 48.b5+-] 48.Kxf3 Kd6 49.Kf4
Black resigns. 1-0
Grischuk,A (2766) - So,Wesley (2778)
Your Next Move Grand Chess Tour, 2018
Black Q is more active, so White needs to demonstrate some preciseness to

draw. Grischuk offered queens exchange expecting no special danger in the
king and pawn endgame. 29.Qg4?! [Concrete 29.Qd4! Qxa2 30.Qg4 would
provide compensation for the pawn that is enough for a draw.]
29.Qg4?! Qxg4 30.hxg4 At first sight, White has no reason to worry about
the final result. But having two pairs of doubled pawns provides Black with
two promising ideas - first to play d4; cxd4-Kd5 entering the queen side and
second to play f6-f5 getting an outside passed pawn perspective on the king
side. 30...Kf7 31.Kf1? [Already this natural move becomes a decisive
mistake. White had to fight for the space on the king side by move 31.f4!
Now Black does not get advantage on the king side 31...f5 (or 31...Kg6
32.Kf2 f5 33.gxf5+ Kxf5 34.Kf3 with the same position) 32.gxf5 Kf6
33.Kf2! (White loses all pawns if he tries to defend the f5-pawn. 33.g4? h5!-
+) 33...Kxf5 34.Kf3 h5 35.g3 This construction is absolutely safe for White
because even after exchanges of all the king side pawns, the Black king does
not enter on the 4-th rank. 35...g6 36.a4 a6 37.a5 g5 38.fxg5 Kxg5 39.Ke3
Kg4 40.Kf2 h4 41.gxh4 Kxh4 42.Kf3 Kg5 43.Kg3=] 31...f5? [Considering
the time control there is no surprise that we notice a few more mistakes. Both
players didn’t feel an importance of playing f2-f4, Kf3 for White. The
correct move order was 31...Kg6! and now White is not on time to move the
king to f3. 32.f4 a) Other defending constructions also won’t help. 32.f3 Kg5
33.g3 (after 33.Kf2 Kh4!-+ Black easily gets g3-square for his K, then he
plays g7-g6, h7-h5-h4, f6-f5-f4 and h4-h3 with a win on f3.) 33...f5 34.gxf5
Kxf5 35.Kf2 (White cannot bring the king to h-file because of problem in the
center: 35.Kg2 Ke5 36.Kh3 d4 37.cxd4+ Kxd4 38.f4 Kc4 Black K wins
material on the queen side and is on time to return to the f-pawn square.
39.a3 Kb3 40.f5 Kxa3 41.g4 Kxb4 42.g5 Kxc5 43.f6 gxf6 44.gxf6 Kd6-+)
35...h5 followed by g7-g5, h5-h4 -+; b) 32.Ke2 Kg5 33.Kf3
Diagram 112
An instructive moment. 33...f5! 34.gxf5 h5! Black wins a space on the king
giving no time for g2-g4 advancing. (34...Kxf5? is a mistake that allows
White to gain enough space on the king side. 35.g4+ Ke5 36.Ke3 g6 (36...g5
also leaves Black without passed pawn option. 37.a4=) 37.f4+ Kf6 38.g5+
Kf5 39.Kf3=) 35.Kg3 (35.f6 does not help to win the 4-th rank for the king.
35...Kxf6 36.Kf4 g5+-+) 35...Kxf5 36.Kf3 leads to the position from the
game (after move 35.Kf3). (after 36.Kh4? the simplest winning way is to
break through in the center. 36...Ke4! 37.Kxh5 Kd3 38.Kg6 Kxc3 39.Kxg7
d4 40.f4 d3 41.f5 d2 42.f6 d1=Q-+) ; 32...f5! 33.g5 (or 33.gxf5+ Kxf5 34.g3
Ke4 35.Ke2 h5-+ and h5-h4 wins the pawn on the king side.) 33...Kh5
34.Kf2 Kg4 35.g3
Diagram 113
35...h5! The simplest - h5-h4 idea again wins the material; Kf2 is unable to
protect his pawns. 36.gxh6 gxh6 37.Kg2 h5 38.Kf2 h4 39.gxh4 Kxh4-+ with
a win on f4.] 32.gxf5 h5 33.Ke2 Kf6
Diagram 114
This is the critical moment. Grischuk played the natural move and missed the
last saving chance. 34.Ke3? [As you can already easily guess, move 34.f4!
with idea to gain more space on the king side leads to an equal position:
34...Kxf5 35.Kf3 Compared to the 31.f4 line, here Black can advance the h-
pawn to the 4-th rank. But even this fact will not help Black win because of a
nice trick in the position, illustrated in the next diagram. 35...h4 36.a3 g6
37.a4 a6 38.a5 g5
Diagram 115
39.g4+! (39.fxg5? Kxg5 40.Ke3 Kg4 41.Kf2 Kf4 42.Ke2 Kg3 43.Kf1 h3
44.gxh3 Kxh3 45.Kf2 Kg4 g4-square is critical in this position. If Black K
can reach it, he wins. The plan is as follows: K first get f4-square, then e4,
after that d5-d4 and thereafter the White pawns fall. 46.Ke3 Kg3 47.Ke2
Kf4 48.Kd3 Kf3 49.Kd2 (49.Kd4 Ke2 50.Ke5 Kd3 51.Kd6 Kxc3 52.Kc7
Kxb4 53.Kxb7 Kb5-+) 49...Ke4 50.Kc2 d4 51.cxd4 Kxd4 52.Kb3 Kd3-+)
39...hxg3 40.fxg5! A nice, rare trick. 40...Kxg5 41.Kxg3=] 34...Kxf5 From
here White loses. 35.Kf3 g6 [Before the king runs that begins after 35...g5
36.g4+ hxg4+ 37.Kg3 Ke4 Wesley So forces White to make more pawn
moves on the queen side - it should be easier to take those pawns later.]
36.a4 a6 37.g3 g5
Diagram 116
38.g4+ [or 38.Ke3 h4 39.gxh4 gxh4 40.Kf3 Kg5 41.Kg2 Kg4-+] 38...hxg4+
39.Kg3 Ke4 40.Kxg4 Kd3 41.Kxg5 Kxc3 42.f4 d4 43.f5 d3 44.f6 d2
45.f7 d1=Q 46.f8=Q
Diagram 117
With a series of checks, So finds the optimal square for his Q before taking
on b4. 46...Qg1+ 47.Kh6 Qh2+ 48.Kg6 Qg3+ 49.Kh6 Qh4+ 50.Kg6
Qg4+ 51.Kh6 Qe6+ 52.Kg7 Qe5+ 53.Kg6 It is time to take. 53...Kxb4
54.Qf7 Qg3+ 55.Kh6 Qe3+ 56.Kg7 Qc3+ 57.Kh7 Qc2+ 58.Kh6 Qc1+
59.Kg7 Qb2+ Q defends on b7. 60.Kf8 [60.Kf8 loses c5-pawn with a
check but the result will not change in the case of 60.Kg6 Kxa4-+]
60...Qh8+ 61.Ke7 Qe5+ 62.Kf8 King could not go to the d-file because of
the Qd5 exchange. [62.Kd8 Qd5+-+] 62...Qxc5+ 63.Kg8 Qd5 0-1
Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2813) - Bu,Xiangzhi (2654)
FIDE World Rapid Championship, 2017
In the position on the diagram, Black has a big advantage thanks to the more
active king and a better pawn structure (weakness on e3). 33...g6 Bu does not
advance his pawns in a hurry, but 33...g5 evidently was also winning.
33...g6 34.g3 [Neither 34.h4 nor 34.Kf2 could save White. 34.h4 g5 35.hxg5
hxg5 36.Kf2 Kd6! A modest triangulation that kills the last hope of White
surviving. (A direct run to the queen side 36...Kd5 37.Kf3 Kc4
Diagram 119
allows White to enter the queen endgame with 38.e4 fxe4+ 39.Kxe4 Kb3
40.Kf5 Kxa4 41.g4 Kb3 42.Kxg5 a4 43.Kf6 Kxb2 44.g5 a3 45.g6 a2 46.g7
a1=Q 47.g8=Q that is drawn objectively.) 37.Ke2 (or 37.Kf3 Kd5 38.Ke2
Kc4 winning a pawn on the queen side.) 37...Kc5 38.Kd3 Kd5! 39.Kd2
Diagram 120
Another amazing position that shows us how difficult pawn endgames can be.
At first sight White can hold after both 39...Kc4 and 39...Ke4. But Black can
combine these ideas. 39...Kc4! Before entering to e4 Black forces his
opponent to waste one reserve tempo and then return to play connected with
Ke4. (39...Ke4? 40.Ke2 g4 41.Kd2 f4 42.exf4 Kxf4 43.Ke2 Kg3 44.Kf1
Kh2 45.Kf2 and now only 45...Kh1 saves the game for Black (when
45...g3+? loses 46.Kf3 b6 47.b3+-) 46.Kg3 Kg1 47.Kxg4 Kxg2=) 40.Kc2
Kb4 41.b3 Now the Black king runs back to the center. 41...Kc5 42.Kc3
Kd5 43.Kd3 Ke5 44.Kd2 Ke4 45.Ke2 g4 46.Kd2 (after 46.g3 a value of
reserve tempo is also huge. 46...b6-+) 46...f4 47.exf4 Kxf4 48.Ke2 Kg3
49.Kf1 Kh2 50.Kf2 g3+ 51.Kf3 b6-+ Now it is clear why provoking b2-b3
was so important.; 34.Kf2 g5 35.Kf3 h5 36.g3 g4+ 37.hxg4 hxg4+ 38.Kf2
(38.Ke2 Ke4 39.b3 b6-+) 38...Kd5 39.Ke1 (39.Ke2 Ke4-+) 39...Kc4
40.Kd2 Kb3 41.Kd3 Kxb2 42.Kc4 Ka3 43.Kb5 b6-+ one more time we see
how b7-b6 wins the game.] 34...g5 35.g4
Diagram 121
White tries to prevent Ke4 but Black has a reserve plan. 35...Kf6! Black
prepares h6-h5 that guarantees him an outside passed pawn. This idea is not
so obvious because Black brings the king back from the central position.
36.Kg3 [Or 36.gxf5 Kxf5 37.e4+ Kf6! (37...Ke5?? 38.Kg4 Kxe4 39.Kh5
Kf5 40.Kxh6=) 38.Kg4 Kg6 39.Kg3 h5 40.Kf3 Kf6 41.Kg3 Ke5 42.Kf3
Kd4-+] 36...Kg6! 37.Kf3 fxg4+ [Interesting change of roles happens in the
following line: 37...h5? 38.gxh5+ Kxh5 39.Kg3
Diagram 122
Black already cannot organize an outside passed pawn and after careless
39...g4? (39...Kg6 holds a balance) 40.h4! already White wins thanks to an
outside passed pawn. 40...Kg6 41.e4 Kf6 42.Kf4 fxe4 43.Kxg4+-] 38.hxg4
[Black also wins after 38.Kxg4 h5+ 39.Kg3 Kf5 40.Kf3 Ke5-+] 38...h5
39.gxh5+ Kxh5 40.e4
Diagram 123
Having an outside passed pawn secures Black a win. 40...g4+ [40...Kg6

41.Kg3 Kf6 42.Kg4 Ke5 43.Kxg5 Kxe4 was also enough] 41.Kg3 [or
41.Kf4 Kh4 42.e5 g3 43.e6 g2 44.e7 g1=Q 45.e8=Q
Diagram 124
Pawns promote at the same time but Black wins the queen. 45...Qf2+ 46.Ke5
Qe3+-+] 41...Kg5 42.e5 Kf5 43.e6 Kxe6 44.Kxg4 Now a relatively
simple king’s run begins. 44...Kd5 45.Kf3 Kc4 46.Ke3 Kb3 47.Kd4 Kxb2
48.Kc4 Ka3 White resigns, after 49.Kb5 move 49...b6 again wins the game.
0-1
3. INTERESTING COINCIDENCE
I very much like to see endgames and ideas that occur in two or more games.
The human brain is constructed in such a way that it easily forgets those
things it only observes once. But when you observe something twice, it
significantly increases your brain’s chances to recall the information when
this is needed.
The coincidence I want to tell you about, is almost impossible to believe in.
Alexander Grishuk has faced the same endgame twice over a period of 3
years. In both games, he had the Black pieces, but he lost the first one and
won the other. How is this possible? Did he miss the way to victory in the
first game? No, the second game had a reversed position. Let me first remind
you the position from the game Le-Grishuk, that we already discussed in the
chapter on “Triangulation”.
Le,Quang Liem (2712) - Grischuk,A (2780)
WorldCup, 2013
Here Black resigned because he loses on c5. Game could continue with
44...h5 45.a4 a5 46.Kb5+-
Diagram 126
Robson,R (2674) - Grischuk,A (2754)

42nd Olympiad 2016 Baku, 2016
And now, compare it to the next game. This position happened three years
later and Grischuk probably didn’t even realize where he had already seen
this position. Here is how the game continued. 41.Kg3 [Unfortunately Ray
Robson didn’t bring his king to e3 that would make similarity fantastic. 41.h3
Kf5 42.Ke3 h5 43.h4 See the diagram from Le-Grischuk and compare them.
43...Kg4-+ ]
Diagram 128
41.Kg3 Kf5 42.h3 h5 43.h4 e3 44.Kf3 e2 45.Kxe2 Kxf4 46.Kd3 Kg4

White resigned. 0-1
4. COMPLEX ENDGAMES
Just as I did in my two previous books in this series, I bring the most difficult
endgames to your attention in the last chapter. If you really want to become
more skilled in pawn endgames, then studying these games is definitely what
you need to do. It is very important to stop at any moment and make sure you
understand what is going on. Then, take note of my comments and engine
evaluations or engine move-suggestions. It is certainly possible to find
improvements in some lines, because the positions are really very complex.
We will kick off with two slightly similar endgames. While the coincidence
and similarities that occurred in the two Grishuk games was rather funny, the
path to victory was rather easy. The winning plan in the next pair of games is
a bit more complicated. One could even argue that they are not similar at all,
but I do see a similarity. The first game turned out to be more advantageous
to the stronger side. The second game is one of the most difficult pawn
endgames that I have ever analyzed.
Gelfand,B (2777) - Harikrishna,P (2706)
76th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee, 2014
When we enter the endgame, the first correct move often decides the game.
40.a4! The Masters from the Soviet school make these moves without
hesitation. White fixes the opponent’s majority on the queen side. If Black
agrees with this pawn structure White literally has a free pawn on the king
side. So Harikrishna’s only chance is to advance b6-b5. 40...Kc6 [The
winning plan after 40...Kd6 can be described as the following: White brings
the king to c4 and advances the pawns on the king side. When a passed pawn
is created, then the Black king is forced to leave the queen side pawns alone.
41.Kd3 after 41...Kd5 creating a passed pawn is even easier. (41...g5
42.Kc4 Kc6 43.g4 Kc7 44.Kb5 Kb7 45.f4 Kc7 46.f5 Kb7 47.e4 Kc7 48.b3
Kd6 (or 48...Kb7 49.e5+-) 49.Kxb6 Ke5 50.Kxa5 Kxe4 51.Kb5+-) 42.e4+
Kd6 43.Kc4 Kc6 44.f4 g5 45.e5+-] 41.Kc3 b5 [Even placing a pawn on h4
will not help: 41...h5 42.Kc4 h4 43.g3 hxg3 44.fxg3 Kd6 45.Kb5 Kc7 46.e4
Kb7 47.h4 Kc7 48.g4 Kb7 49.g5 fxg5 50.hxg5 Kc7 51.e5+-; After 41...Kd5
the fastest is 42.e4+! Kxe4 43.Kc4 and White is a lot quicker.] 42.axb5+
Kxb5 The pawns are unblocked but creating a passed pawn is still
impossible. 43.e4 g5 44.g3 White prepares f2-f4 and e4-e5 play. 44...h5 [or
44...c4 45.f4 Kc5 46.fxg5 fxg5 (46...hxg5 47.h4+-) 47.g4 a4 48.e5 Kd5
49.e6 Kxe6 50.Kxc4+-] 45.f4 gxf4 46.gxf4 c4 47.e5 Black resigns. 1-0
Kovalenko,VN (2165) - Aveskulov,Valeriy (2526)
TCh-UKR, Alushta, 2011
With different colours we see similar pawn structure. The exceptions are -
pawn is on e3 (instead of f2) and the Black king is far from c5 (which is its
goal). So here, Black’s task is more difficult. 34.Kc3 White immediately
prepares b3-b4. 34...e5 [As I can guess, after many hours of analysis, this
move is the best one. 34...Ke7 35.Kd4 I have practically analysed all moves
here - a win was not found. Centralization of the K compensates for White’s
problematic pawn structure. In this moment, note that even in pawn endgames
there is still a place for general understanding. I could not calculate all the
lines but intuitionally I felt it is more important to stop White K from coming
to d4. (when 35.b4? Kd6! 36.bxa5
Diagram 131
loses. But here we face the most difficult position in the whole book. My
feeling was simple, 36...Kc5 guarantees Black a win. To my surprise the
engine indicates 0.00 after this. I agree with this statement (of course after
seeing the lines) and decided to look at the initial position once again. The
evaluation remained “equal” for a long time. But with deeper evaluation,
move 36...h6!! ‘grew’ up to 10+. But even seeing the lines I cannot
understand why this move is more successful than 36...Kc5 or 36...g5. It must
be something a lot deeper. Let me leave this for those who are more skillful. I
give up!) ] 35.c5? A fatal mistake. White had to play naturally. [Unhuman
depth is demonstrated by the engine after the correct move 35.b4!
Diagram 132
For a long time, the engine shows that move 35...g5 wins. But later it also
ends with a draw: a) 35...Ke6 ignoring an attack on a5 and going to c5.
Approximate lines were as follows: 36.bxa5 Kd6 37.Kb4 Kc6 38.h4 g6
39.Kc3 a1) 39.c5 h6 40.Kc4 g5 41.hxg5 hxg5 42.g3 (or 42.Kb4
Diagram 133
42...g4! 43.Kc4 g3! 44.Kb4 f4-+) 42...g4! 43.Kb4 f4-+; a2) 39.Kb3 in the
critical moment K appears distant from the king side. 39...Kc5 40.Kc3 h6
41.Kb3 g5 42.hxg5 hxg5 43.Kc3 (43.g3 g4! (43...f4? 44.exf4 exf4 45.gxf4 g4
46.f5 g3 47.f6 Kd6
Diagram 134
For a moment it seems that Black wins - pawn g3 is unstoppable when the
Black king is on the square of only the White passed pawn. But there is a
saving resource. 48.c5+ Ke6 49.c6! bxc6 50.a6 g2 51.a7 g1=Q 52.a8=Q=)
44.Kc3 f4-+) 43...g4 44.Kd3 (44.g3 f4-+) 44...g3 45.Kc3 f4-+; 39...Kc5
40.Kb3 h6 41.Kc3 g5 42.hxg5 (42.h5 g4 43.Kd3 g3 44.Kc3 f4-+) 42...hxg5
43.g3
Diagram 135
I could not calculate all nuances here but my feeling was that g5-g4 and f5-f4
should help me win. Home analysis has shown that I was only partially
correct - the position is winning but everything is not as simple as it appears.
Let me put this example to the exercises’ blog of the e-book. ; b) So 35...Ke6
is winning, isn’t it? No! Engine shows a save! 36.h4 g6 37.bxa5 Kd6 38.Kd3
Kc5 39.Kc3 h6 40.g3 g5 41.hxg5 hxg5. Almost the same position arose on
the previous diagram but White already had g2-g3 on the board and it helped
save the game by 42.a6 bxa6 43.a5 and Black has no a decisive
breakthrough. 43...g4 44.Kd3 Kb4 45.e4! f4 46.gxf4 exf4 47.e5 g3 48.Ke2
Kc5 49.Kf3 Kc6 50.Kg2 Kd7 51.c5 Ke6 52.c6 Ke7 53.Kf3 Ke6= so move
35...Ke6 helped White to win one extra important tempo. ; 36.bxa5 Ke6
37.Kb4! White threatens to play Kb5 to win on b7; so Black needs to call it
back. 37...f4 38.exf4 gxf4! (38...exf4?? 39.Kc5+-) 39.Kc3 e4 40.Kd4 e3
41.Kd3 Kd6
Diagram 136
White’s position is still dangerous but there is a resource g2-g3. Before using
it, White improves the position of the h-pawn. 42.h4! (42.g3? is too slow
42...fxg3 43.Kxe3 Kc5 44.Kf3 Kxc4 45.Kxg3 Kb4-+) 42...Kc5 (or 42...h5
43.g3 fxg3 44.Kxe3 Kc5 45.Kf3 Kxc4 46.Kxg3 Kb4 47.Kf4 Kxa5 48.Kg5
Kxa4 49.Kxh5 b5 50.Kg5=) 43.h5 Kb4 44.g3 fxg3 45.Kxe3 Kxc4 46.Kf3
Kb4 47.Kxg3 Kxa4 48.Kg4 Kxa5 49.Kg5 b5 50.Kh6 b4 51.Kxh7 b3
52.Kg8 b2 53.h6 b1=Q 54.h7= Despite having many different ideas Black is
not able to win in this endgame. But there is still a difference between moves
34...Ke7 and 34...e5. In the first instance after 36.Kd4 Black can even lose
in some lines whereas before he could play for two results. I would conclude
that a king centralization is one of the most important things in all endgames
but in the king and pawn endgames this factor more often becomes decisive.]
35...Ke6 36.Kc4 g5-+ 37.Kb5
Diagram 137
37...Kd5? It is never too late to ‘go all out.’ [37...e4! 38.Kc4 f4 was simply
winning. But to my shame I completely missed following my opponent’s
idea.; 37...f4! also wins] 38.c6! bxc6+ 39.Kxa5 Now White also has a
passed pawn and everything begins anew. 39...e4
Diagram 138
40.Kb6? Opponent helps me again. [During the game I was sure that
40.Kb4! also loses. But at the end of my line the engine showed another
resource to save the game. 40...f4 41.Kc3 (41.exf4? Kd4-+ and pawn e4
promotes with a check.) 41...c5 42.Kd2
Diagram 139
42...c4 I was proud to see this idea that disconnects opponent’s pawns. Now
my king should take pawns on the queen side and return to the king side with
a win. But White has time to exchange pawns on the king side. 43.bxc4+
Kxc4 44.Ke2 Kb4 45.h4 h6 46.Kf2 Kxa4 47.hxg5 hxg5 48.exf4 gxf4 49.g4
fxg3+ 50.Kxg3 Kb4 51.Kf4 with a draw.] 40...f4 Queens appear on the
board simultaneously but Black’s position is a lot better. Let me stop at
another interesting moment. 41.a5 fxe3 42.a6 e2 43.a7 e1=Q 44.a8=Q
Qe3+ 45.Kc7 Qg3+ 46.Kb6 Qxb3+ 47.Kc7 Qg3+ 48.Kb6 Qd6 49.Qg8+
Kd4 50.Qxg5
Diagram 140
Can you find the way to exchange queens by force? 50...Qb8+! 51.Kxc6
[51.Ka6 Qb5+-+] 51...Qe8+! 52.Kb7 [52.Kd6 Qg6+-+; 52.Kc7 Qe5+-+]
52...Qd7+ White resigns because exchange is inevitable. 53.Kb6 [53.Kb8
Qd6+ Black gives a check from d5 if the king moves to a8 or b7 and he
checks c5 if king goes to a7 or c8.] 53...Qd6+ with a check from c5 or d5 on
the next move. 0-1
Ivanchuk,V (2766) - Karjakin,Sergey (2775)
SportAccord Rapid Men, Beijing, 2012
The next example is the end of the rapid game between two Olympic
Champions of 2004. Karjakin has managed to outplay Ivanchuk in an equal
position. At first it seems that with the king on e4, White should not have any
risks but the c5-c4-c3 motive appears to be a more important nuance. 42.h4?
White had to prevent the advancing of the opponent’s pawns on the queen
side. [42.a3! or 42.a4 with the same effect 42...bxa3 43.bxa3 b5 44.h4 c4
(careless 44...b4? allows White to create an outside passed pawn. 45.a4+-
and the Black king is unable to hold the pawns on both sides.) 45.g5 h5
46.Kd4= and nothing interesting can happen here - both kings are stuck to
control the opponent’s pawns.]
42.h4? c4? [Karjakin has missed the first chance to win the game. After
42...b5! 43.g5 (both 43.a3 and 43.Kd3 do not change anything. Black king
breaks through to the king side. 43.a3 b3! 44.g5 h5 and the king should go
backward. 45.Kd3 Ke5 46.f6 gxf6 47.g6 Ke6 48.Kc3 c4-+; 43.Kd3 Ke5
44.Ke3 c4 45.h5 c3 46.bxc3 bxc3 47.a3 c2 48.Kd2 Kf4-+) 43...h5!
Diagram 142
Zugzwang. White should allow the opponent’s king to enter the king side.
44.g6 (44.Kd3 Ke5-+) 44...Ke7 45.Ke5 c4 46.Kd4 Kf6-+] 43.Kd4? It is
hard to play the best moves in pawn endgames when it is a rapid game.
Ivanchuk again makes a mistake but this time his opponent does not forgive
him. White had to destroy the opponent’s play on the queen side. [43.g5! h5
Black saves his winning chances but only if he saves the “h” pawn. 44.a4!
White stops b7-b5. (44.a3? here does not equal a2-a4: 44...c3-+) 44...bxa3
45.bxa3 c3! Black wins a pawn but it is not enough for the win. Having
pawns on the queen side helps White since there is a possible counterplay
connected with taking on b7 and advancing his pawn. 46.Kd3 Ke5 47.f6
White at least saves something. 47...gxf6 48.g6 (surely White needs to make
his pawns last longer. 48.gxf6?? Kxf6 49.Kxc3 Kf5 is hopeless; Black is
faster.) 48...Ke6 49.Kxc3 f5 50.Kd4 Kf6 51.a4 Kxg6
Diagram 143
52.Kd5! (52.Ke5? leads to a zugzwang 52...b6 White king should leave an

optimal square. 53.Kd4 f4! 54.Ke4 f3
Diagram 144
White can try trapping the opponent with triangulation but the Black king has
no option but instead go to f5: 55.Ke3 Kf6! (55...Kf5?? 56.Kxf3=
opposition and draw.) 56.Kf2 Ke5 now White should take the pawn 57.Kxf3
Kf5-+) 52...Kf6 53.a5 f4 54.Ke4 f3 55.Kxf3 Kf5
Diagram 145
with pawns on a5 and b7 (instead of a4 and b6) White saves the game.
56.Ke3! Kg4 57.Kd4 Kxh4 58.Kc5 Kg5 59.Kb6 h4 60.Kxb7 h3 61.a6 h2
62.a7 h1=Q+ 63.Kb8 right on time to make a draw.; In case of instant 43.a4?
bxa3 44.bxa3 c3 45.Kd3 Ke5 White pawns fall down much faster.] 43...b5
44.g5 h5!-+
Diagram 146
White is in a zugzwang. 45.Ke4 [A more resistable way was 45.a4 but here
Black also wins thanks to an easy triangulation. 45...bxa4 46.Kxc4 a3
47.bxa3 bxa3 48.Kb3 Ke5 49.f6 gxf6 50.g6 (50.gxf6 Kxf6 51.Kxa3 Kf5
52.Kb3 Kg4 53.Kc3 Kxh4 54.Kd3 Kg3 55.Ke2 Kg2-+ every move can
make a difference in pawn endgames.) 50...Ke6 51.Kxa3 Ke7! (51...f5?
52.Kb4 Kf6 53.Kc5 Kxg6 54.Kd4! Kf6 55.Kd5=) 52.Kb4 Kf8 53.Kc4
Kg7 54.Kd4 Kxg6 55.Ke4
Diagram 147
White needs to stop Kf5. So Black needs to go from the other side. Reaching
e6-square is enough to fix further advancing of the f6-pawn. 55...Kf7 56.Kf5
(56.Kd5 Ke7 and 57...Ke6 wins.) 56...Kg7 57.Ke4 (57.Kf4 Kf8 58.Ke4
Ke7 59.Kd5 Kd7 again Black wins e6-square for his king.) 57...Kf8! Black
goes around f7-square. 58.Kf5 Kf7 59.Ke4 Ke6 60.Kf4 f5 61.Kg5 Ke5
62.Kxh5 and here both candidates win the game. 62...Kf6 (62...f4 63.Kg4
Ke4 64.h5 f3 65.h6 f2 66.h7 f1=Q 67.h8=Q Qg2+ winning the Q.) 63.Kh6
f4-+] 45...c3 White appears far behind. 46.Kd3 [46.bxc3 bxc3 47.Kd3 b4-+]
46...cxb2 47.Kc2 Ke5 [White resigns. 47...Ke5 48.f6 gxf6 49.g6 Ke6
50.Kxb2 f5 51.Kb3 Kf6 52.Kxb4 f4 53.Kc3 Kxg6 54.Kd4 Kf5-+ was
possible] 0-1
Wang Yue (2455) - Xu Jun (2654)
Tan Chin Nam Cup 8th Qingdao, 2002
In this Chinese battle, the more experienced player masterfully converted his
positional advantage. But there are a lot of interesting ideas hidden ‘behind
the curtains’. After a natural and strong 28.a4! position, it looks easy for
White to win - his K comes to c4, then pawns on the king side are advanced
and Black’s position weakens; finally some zugzwang or breakthrough should
happen. But without precise calculating it is impossible to correctly
implement this plan. Special attention should be paid to reserve tempos.
28...Kd7 29.Ke3 Kd6 [Black had an interesting alternative that shows how
concrete ideas can prevail over strategic ideas. 29...Kc6 30.Kd3 f5! At first
sight 30...f5 looks a blunder since the Black king gets a zugzwang position
without pawn e6 (if the king goes to b6 the White king now enters to d5). But
analysis shows that 31.g3! is White’s best answer. White needs to prevent f5-
f4 to secure additional reserve moves. In the following side lines we can see
why g2-g3 is the best move. (after 31.Kc4? f4! Black has both more tempos
on the king side, and endless waiting moves for the king (pawn e6 controls
the d5-square). 32.g3 fxg3 33.hxg3 g5 34.g4 Kb6=; 31.exf5 exf5 32.Kc4
Diagram 149
32...f4! Black has enough pawn moves on the king sides to hold the king on
the opposite side of the board. 33.g3 fxg3 34.hxg3 g6 35.f4 h6 36.b3 h5
37.Kc3 Kd5 38.Kd3 Kd6=) 31...g6! Another nice move in this reserve
moves play. Black is ready to take on f5 by pawn g6. White has a choice of
two main moves - 32.h4 and 32.exf5. Both lead to long forcing lines that are
difficult (impossible) to calculate properly in the real game. Even if you see
the final positions of both lines it is difficult to say where White’s chances to
win are higher. 32.h4 Generally, this move looks stronger - White advances
pawns to be better equipped for the upcoming run. (32.exf5 gxf5 33.h4 White
is going to organize passed pawns on both sides. 33...Kd5 34.h5 Kd6 35.g4
fxg4 36.fxg4 Ke5 37.Kc4 Kf4 38.Kxc5 e5
Diagram 150
39.g5! White wins an important tempo. 39...Kxg5 40.b4 e4 41.Kd4 Kf4

42.bxa5 e3 43.Kd3 Kf3 44.a6 e2 45.a7 e1=Q 46.a8=Q+
Diagram 151
with a free pawn and good winning chances.) 32...fxe4+ a) 32...h6? fastens a
creating of passed pawn on the king side. 33.exf5 gxf5 (33...exf5 34.Kc4 g5
35.hxg5 hxg5 36.g4 f4 37.b3+-) 34.h5! and Black is unable to handle the
problems on both sides of the board: 34...Kd5 35.Kc3 e5 36.g4 fxg4 37.fxg4
Ke6 38.Kd3 Kf6 39.Ke4 Ke6 40.b3 Kf6 41.Kd5+-; b) 32...Kd6 33.exf5
gxf5 34.h5 again White plans to play on both sides - g3-g4-g5 and Kd3-c4-
b5. 34...Kd5 35.h6 e5 36.g4 Ke6 37.gxf5+ Kxf5 38.Kc4 Kf4
Diagram 152
39.Kd5! White first exchanges f3 and e5 pawns, then exchanges c4 and b2

pawns and wins on a5. 39...c4 40.Kd6 Kxf3 41.Kxe5 Ke3 42.Kd5 Kd3
43.Kc5 c3 44.bxc3 Kxc3 45.Kb5+-; 33.Kxe4 Kd6 34.g4 e5 35.f4 exf4
36.Kxf4 c4
Diagram 153
37.Kg5 Kc5 38.Kh6 Kb4 39.Kxh7 Kb3 40.Kxg6 Kxb2 41.h5 c3 42.h6 c2
43.h7 c1=Q 44.h8=Q+
Diagram 154
with another “+pawn” queen endgame.] 30.Kd3 g6 [Here trick 30...f5? does
not work well because White gets time to win reserve tempos on the king
side by playing f3-f4: 31.exf5 exf5 32.Kc4 Kc6 33.f4+-] 31.Kc4 Kc6
32.h4+-
Diagram 155
White got everything he could dream of. His pawns on the king side are
ready to complete any mission. 32...Kb6 [32...f5 33.exf5 gxf5 34.g4+-
creating a passed pawn on g-file.] 33.g4 [33.f4? would allow Black to stop
the opponent’s pawns. 33...f5! 34.exf5 gxf5=] 33...g5 34.e5! [34.h5 was also
winning] 34...gxh4 [The whole series of reserve moves helps White to win
in the following line: 34...fxe5 35.hxg5 Kc6
Diagram 156
36.b3 One! 36...Kb6 37.Kd3 Kc6 38.Ke4 Kd6 39.g6! Two! 39...hxg6 40.g5
Kd7 41.Kxe5 Ke7 42.f4!+- Three! Over.] 35.exf6 h3 36.f7 h2 37.f8=Q
h1=Q Queen endgame is hopeless for Black. 38.Qxc5+ Kb7 39.Qb5+ Kc8
40.Qc6+ Black resigns; White wins on e6 with a check. 1-0
Salov,Valery (2655) - Short,Nigel D (2685)
Linares, 1992
In the clash between two elite players of the 90’s, a near symmetrical pawn
endgame appeared on the board, but with one slight difference - the White
king was a bit more active than his opponent. Was this enough to win the
game? 32.Kf3 White K threatens to win on d5. Black is forced to play f7-f6
to prevent move Ke5. 32...f6 33.h5 Kf7 [Obviously move 33...g6 was
trickier. Though, a deep analysis shows that after 33...g6 White should still
win. 34.Kf4! (After careless 34.hxg6? Kg7 the Black king gets a better
position on g6 quicker; White needs to keep the opponent’s king on the 7-th
rank for longer. Taking on g6 should be done when everything is ready.
35.Kf4 (35.Kg4 is less ambitious since Black gets more activity with his
pawns. 35...Kxg6 36.Kf4 h5 37.f3 b5 38.b4 a6 39.Ke3 Kg5 and already
Black dreams of creating an outside passed pawn (by means of f5-f4).)
35...Kxg6 36.g4
Diagram 158
Black is under pressure; if he does not stop Kf5, White will win the game
with a reserve move by pawn f2. He needs an urgent plan. 36...f5! Black
sacrifices a pawn in order to create an outside passed pawn. 37.gxf5+ Kf6
38.Kg4
Diagram 159
38...h5+! 39.Kf4 (after 39.Kxh5 Kxf5 Black takes on d4 and promotes at the
same time. 40.Kh6 Ke4 41.Kg5 Kxd4 42.f4 Ke3=) 39...h4 40.Kg4 (40.f3?
loses a tempo comparing to 40.Kg4 variation. 40...h3 41.Kg3 Kxf5 42.Kxh3
Kf4 43.Kg2 Ke3 44.Kg3 Kxd4 45.Kf4 (45.f4 Ke4-+) 45...a6 46.Kg5 Ke3
47.f4 d4 Black Q will be born earlier and Black gets a chance to win the
game.) 40...h3 41.Kxh3 Kxf5 42.Kg3 Ke4 43.f4 Kxd4 44.f5 Ke5 45.Kg4 d4
46.f6 Kxf6 47.Kf4=) 34...Kf7 35.a4 a5 36.b3 b6 37.f3
Diagram 160
37...Kg7 (37...gxh5 38.Kf5 h4 39.gxh4 h5 40.f4+-) All preparations are

done; it is time to take on g6. 38.hxg6 Kxg6 39.g4 White K gets f5-square.
39...f5
Diagram 161
(39...Kg7 40.Kf5 Kf7 41.f4 Kg7 42.Ke6 Kg6+- position from the game
(after 42...Kxg6). White easily wins by means of 43.f5+) 40.Ke5! (Outside
pawn on h6 is enough good to save Black in case of 40.gxf5+? Kf6 41.Kg4
Kf7! Surprisingly, White has no win here. His pawns are too close to each
other. a) 41...Kg7? 42.Kh5
Diagram 162
This is a position of mutual zugzwang. If Black moves he loses. 42...Kf7

(after 42...Kf6 White K takes the opposition and simply goes around:
43.Kxh6 Kxf5 44.Kg7! Kf4 45.Kf6 Ke3 46.Ke5+-) 43.Kxh6 Kf6
Diagram 163
44.Kh7! Kf7 45.f6! Kxf6 46.Kg8 Kf5 47.Kf7+-; b) 41...h5+? 42.Kf4 h4

43.Kg4 h3 44.Kxh3 Kxf5 45.Kg3+-; 42.Kh5 Kg7 43.f6+
Diagram 164
Another tricky moment. Natural taking of the pawn loses the opposition in a
bad moment. 43...Kf7! (43...Kxf6? 44.Kxh6 Kf5 45.Kg7 Kf4 46.Kf6+-
winning on d5.) 44.Kxh6 Kxf6 45.Kh7 Kf7=
Diagram 165
Black actively uses an idea of trapping the king on the edge of the board. A
try to win here brings an opposite effect. 46.f4? Kf6 47.Kg8 Kf5 48.Kf7
Kxf4 49.Ke6 Ke4-+) 40...fxg4 41.fxg4 Kg5 42.Kxd5 Kxg4
Diagram 166
White K only has one square to secure a fast win. 43.Ke5! h5 44.d5 h4 45.d6
h3 46.d7 h2 47.d8=Q h1=Q 48.Qg8+ Kh3 49.Qh7+ Kg2 50.Qxh1+ Kxh1
51.Kd5+-] 34.Kf4 Ke6 [Here 34...g6 will lead to positions from previous
side line. As we already know with an accurate play White should win here.
After the move in the game White converts his advantage more confidently.]
35.g4 a6 36.a4 a5 37.b3 b6 38.f3
Diagram 167
Reserve moves fight and win - White K comes to f5. 38...Ke7 39.Kf5 Kf7
40.f4 One more reserve tempo. 40...g6+ [40...Ke7 was also hopeless:
41.Kg6 Kf8 42.g5 fxg5 43.fxg5 hxg5 44.Kxg5 Kf7 45.Kf5+-] 41.hxg6+
Kg7 42.Ke6 Kxg6
Diagram 168
43.f5+ [43.Kxd5 was also good 43...f5 44.gxf5+ Kxf5 other retreats would
also negatively impact on the upcoming queen endgame. 45.Kc6 h5 46.d5 h4
47.d6 h3 48.d7 h2 49.d8=Q h1=Q+ 50.Qd5++-] 43...Kg5 44.Kf7 Kxg4
45.Kxf6 h5 As we already saw here only square guarantees White a quick
win. 46.Ke5! [Black resigns because his new-born Q will be traded-off
immediately. 46.Ke5 h4 47.f6 h3 48.f7 h2 49.f8=Q h1=Q 50.Qg8++-] 1-0
5. SUMMARY
We have seen a lot of pawn endgames, in this e-book. They were all different
- easy and difficult, typical and extraordinary, from games of well-known
players as well as from absolutely unknown players. But hopefully, every
single game has thought you some important trick. We have seen how
opposition helps to win or save a game, how triangulation gives the turn to
your opponent who finds himself in a decisive zugzwang, how outside passed
pawns distract the opponent’s king and lure him away from the main stage,
etc... To make sure your acquired knowledge becomes permanent knowledge,
I offer you to solve the following positions. After this final touch, I hope that
you will be able to prove your own excellence in pawn endgames to
absolutely everyone !
As always, I offer you to share your advice or your questions with me. Just
email me at vdaveskulov@gmail.com.
INDEX OF PLAYERS
Akhmilovskaya – Alexandria
Alexandria – Akhmilovskaya
Andre – Koepke
Aveskulov – Beljskj; Kovalenko, V; Kovalenko, V; Firman; Onischuk, V
Barua – Moiseenko
Beliavsky – Nikolic, P
Beljskj – Aveskulov
Botvinnik – Bronstein
Bronstein – Botvinnik
Bu, X – Mamedyarov
Cheparinov – Duda
Cohn - Rubinstein
De Abreu – Torosyan
De Firmian – Gross
Dreev – Moiseenko
Duda – Cheparinov
Firman – Aveskulov; Luzhinsky
Gashimov – Topalov
Gelfand – Harikrishna; Ivanchuk
Goganov – Shukh
Goriachkina – Gunina; Kovchan
Grischuk – Le, Q; Le, Q; Potkin; Potkin; Robson; So
Gross – De Firmian
Guliev – Tukmakov
Gunina – Goriachkina
Halfhide – Snape
Harikrishna – Gelfand
Hong – Tang
Hovhannisyan – Sachdev
Ipatov – Kanmazalp
Ivanchuk – Gelfand; Karjakin; Wang Yue
Jakovenko – Smirnov, P
Jobava – Zhao Xue
Kanmazalp – Ipatov
Karjakin – Ivanchuk
Kasparov – Seirawan; Sveshnikov
Keres – Randviir
Khamrakulov – Sebag
Koepke – Andre
Kovalenko, V – Aveskulov; Aveskulov
Kovchan – Goriachkina
Kushko – Nester
Le, Q – Grischuk; Grischuk
Luzhinsky – Firman
Mamedyarov – Bu, X
Marjanovic – Smejkal
Moiseenko – Barua; Dreev
Nakamura – So
Nester – Kushko
Nikolic, P – Beliavsky
Oleksienko – Sjugirov
Onischuk, V – Aveskulov
Potkin – Grischuk; Grischuk
Randviir – Keres
Robson – Grischuk
Rubinstein – Cohn
Sachdev – Hovhannisyan; Uhlmann
Salov – Short
Sebag – Khamrakulov
Seirawan – Kasparov
Short – Salov
Shukh – Goganov
Sjugirov – Oleksienko
Smejkal – Marjanovic; Velimirovic
Smirnov, P – Jakovenko
Snape – Halfhide
So – Grischuk; Nakamura
Sveshnikov – Kasparov
Tang – Hong
Topalov – Gashimov
Torosyan – De Abreu
Tukmakov – Guliev
Uhlmann – Sachdev
Velimirovic – Smejkal
Wang, A – Zatonskih
Wang Yue – Ivanchuk; Xu Jun
Xu Jun – Wang Yue
Zatonskih – Wang, A
Zhao Xue – Jobava
INDEX OF TYPICAL IDEAS
Clearing the path: 11; 80; 82; 83; 85; 86; 88

Corresponding squares: 55; 56; 57; 58; 61; 62; 67
Distant control of the pawn: 72; 73
Mutual zugzwang: 24; 49; 52; 65; 143; 162
Opposition: 8; 9; 12; 15; 23; 25
Outside passed pawns: 103; 105; 107; 108; 110; 121; 122; 158
Pawn breakthrough: 74; 75; 76; 77; 78; 133; 137
Pawn runs: 38; 43; 48; 53; 96; 97; 99; 101; 116; 119; 123; 134; 136; 138;
150; 153; 166; 168
Reserve move: 4; 5; 11; 14; 66; 68; 90; 91; 95; 120; 149; 156
Transfer to the pawn endgame: 13; 16; 33; 54; 70; 78; 79; 92; 96; 100; 102;
103; 104; 110; 111; 140
Trapping the king in the corner: 17; 18; 19; 22; 26; 28; 29; 31; 32; 34; 35; 36
Triangulation: 39; 41; 45; 46; 49; 52; 144; 147; 164
Show in Text Mode
EXERCISES
#1
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
1. So,Wesley - Duda,Jan Krzysztof,

Chess.com, 2018.
It is easy to miss the breakthrough option in this blitz game. Black is winning
with the thematics of 58...f5! [In the game, Black plays 58...Kd6?]
58...f5! 59.gxf5 [or 59.exf5 e4 and the e4-pawn becomes a queen.] 59...h5
60.Kc5 g4 61.hxg4 hxg4 and White is unable to stop the g5 pawn.
#2
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
2. Saidy,Anthony Fred - Fischer,Robert James,

USA-ch (analysis position) New York, 1964.
After seeing triangulations many times, I am still amazed at how they work.
55...Kg5! 56.Ke2 It occurs as if White holds the position only when it is
Black’s turn. All he needs to do is waste a move. [56.Kf3 Kf5-+] 56...Kf6
[56...Kf5? 57.Kf3 Kg5 58.g3 fxg3 59.Kxg3=] White should be ready for
both the Kf5 and Kg5 moves. 57.Kf2 This move perfectly defends both
Black’s ideas. But now Black repeats it’s own threat. 57...Kg6 Again Black
wants to play Kf5 or Kg5. Unfortunately, square e3 is unavailable for the
White king. 58.Ke2 [King cannot go to the first rank because of the necessity
to prevent Ke4. 58.Kf1 Kf5 and Ke4 wins.; 58.Kf3 also easily loses
58...Kf5] 58...Kg5 Mission complete. 59.Kf2 Kg4 60.Ke2 Kg3 61.Kf1 f3-
+ and White loses both b4 and d4 pawns. A similar position occured in the
Firman-Luzhinsky game (Triangulation chapter).
#3
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
3. Van Foreest,Jorden (2610) - Van Dael,Siem (2290),
13th BPB Limburg Open Maastricht, 2019.
Seemingly, the Black pawns on the queen side stop the opponent from
creating a passed pawn but the Nederland GM uses an unusual breakthrough
idea to clear the way for the a3-pawn. 35.b4! axb4 [or 35...a4 36.c4+-]
36.c4 Black resigns because after 36...bxc4 37.a4 the pawn “a” promotes.
#4
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
4. Kraai (2477) - Aveskulov,Valeriy (2539),

Miami (it), 2007
32...e4+! Before taking on g4, Black builds a wall against the White king.
[After 32...Nxg4? 33.Kxg4 Kf7 34.Kf3 Ke7 35.Ke4 Kf6 only Black holds
the balance.]
32...e4+! 33.Kf4 Nxg4 34.Kxg4 e5-+ the White king can’t return to the
center so Black wins easily. 35.h4 Kg7 36.h5 Kh6 37.hxg6 Kxg6 38.Kh4
h5 39.g4 hxg4 40.Kxg4 Kf6 White resigns because it can’t prevent
Kf5...Kf4, e4-e3 from advancing.
#5
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
5. Planas Gene,Juan (2191) - Andersson,Ulf (2542),

Calvia op, 2006.
An undeveloped 51...Kd4 gives no result because of 52.Kd2 and White
holds the opposition. Black needs to sacrifice a pawn in order to win the
battle.
51...b3+! 52.axb3+ Kd4 53.Kd2 b4 and the Black king enters c3 or e3.
White resigns.
#6
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
6. Jakimov,Ilia – Aveskulov,Valeriy,
UKR-ch sf U14 Lviv, 1999.
41...f5 42.exf5 Kxd5! After this capture, White is unable to hold the Black
king. Black beats the fight against it’s opposition in every single line.
[Unfortunately, I only found the first move of the correct line. 42...Kxf5?
43.Kd4 h4 44.gxh4 gxh4 45.Kd3 Ke5 (45...Kf4 does not win because of
46.Kd4 Kg3 47.Ke5 Kxh3 48.Ke6 Kg2 49.Kxe7) 46.Kc4 Ke4 47.a3 Ke5
48.a4 Ke4 49.b4 Ke5 50.bxa5 bxa5 51.Kc5 Ke4 52.Kc4 Ke5 53.Kc5 Ke4
54.Kc4 Ke5 Draw.] 43.g4 [43.a4 Ke5 44.g4 h4-+] 43...hxg4 44.hxg4 b5!
Precise move. [44...Ke5? 45.a4 with the opposition and a draw.] 45.Kd3
[45.a3 Ke5 46.a4 (46.b4 a4-+) 46...b4-+; 45.a4 bxa4 46.bxa4 Ke5-+]
45...Ke5 46.Ke3 b4-+.
#7
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
7. Georgiev,Kiril (2605) - Ninov,Kiril (2465),
Stara Zagora zt-A, 1990.
49.Qxf5! without this sacrifice White cannot break through Black’s fortress.
49...gxf5 50.Kf4 Kg6 51.Ke5 f4 Now the critical moment is 52.Ke4!
[Naturally, 52.Kxf4? will miss the win to the opposition 52...Kf6 53.Ke4
Ke6 54.f4 f6! (54...f5+? loses because of reserve tempo f2-f3: 55.Kd4 Kd6
56.f3+-) 55.f5+ (55.f3 f5+ 56.Kd4 Kd6=) 55...Kd6 56.Kd4 Kc6= and the
Black king has two squares (c6 and d6) to hold the White king.] Black
resigns because of zugzwang. 52...Kf6 [or 52...Kg7 53.Kf5+-] 53.Kxf4
Kg6 54.Ke5+-.
#8
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
8. Benjamin,Joel (2540) - Kortschnoj,Viktor (2650),
Jerusalem, 1986.
47...Rb1! Black transfers to the winning pawn endgame. [47...Rc1 will also
win 48.Rc6+ Kb2 49.Rb6+ Ka1-+]
47...Rb1! 48.Rxa2 Rb2+ 49.Rxb2 Kxb2 50.f3 [50.Kd2 Kb3 51.Kd3 Kb4-
+] 50...Kc3! King goes to win on e4. [Of course 50...gxf3+?? is not
Kortschnoj’s idea. It then loses 51.Kxf3 Kc3 52.Kg4 Kd4 53.Kf5+-]
51.fxg4 Kd4 52.Kf3 Kd3 53.Kf2 Kxe4 54.Ke2 Kd4 55.Kd2 e4 56.Ke2
e3 57.Kd1 White resigns, pawn-e3 promotes.
#9
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
9. Kortschnoj,Viktor (2670) - Petrosian,Tigran V (2640),

Candidates sf2 Odessa, 1974.
Viktor Kortschnoj has calculated the final line correctly. 43.Kf5 Kxh4
44.g6! hxg6+ 45.Kxg6 Kg4 46.Kf6 Kf4 47.Ke6 Ke4 48.Kd6 Kd4
49.Kc6 Kc3 50.Kxb6 Kxb3 51.Kb5! The final touch. Zugzwang that we
already saw in the Potkin-Grischuk game.
# 10
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
10. Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2728) - Sokolov,Ivan (2670)
Hoogeveen Essent Crown 10th, 2006.
The Azeri player has missed a nice breakthrough motive. 49.f5! [Game
continues with 49.Kc4? b3 50.Kxb3 Kd5 51.g5 Ke6 52.Kc4 Ke7 53.Kb5
and here Ivan Sokolov miscalculates. Instead of waiting quietly, he decides

to start with mass exchanges. 53...f6? Only because of this move, White gets
a passed pawn. (53...Ke6=) 54.gxf6+ gxf6 55.Kc5! Ke6 56.Kd4 Kd7
57.Kd5 Ke7 58.e6 Kd8 59.Kd6 Ke8 60.e7 Black resigns.]
49.f5! b3 50.Kc3 Kd5 51.f6! First White distracts pawn g7. [or 51.e6! with
the same idea. 51...fxe6 52.f6 gxf6 53.h5] 51...gxf6 52.h5+- now pawn “h”
promotes to queen.
# 11
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
11. Quinteros,Miguel Angel (2505) - Andersson,Ulf (2610),

America-Europe Mar del Plata, 1981.
Here we see a typical example of a pawn run. White has to find the fastest
way to promote its pawn. 54.Kh6! [In this game, the Argentian player makes
a bad choice. 54.axb4? cxb4 55.Kh6 a3 56.e7 Kxe7 57.Kg7 (or 57.bxa3
bxa3 58.Kg7 a2 59.f6+ Ke6 60.f7 a1=Q+ check!) 57...axb2 58.f6+ Kd7
59.f7 b1=Q 60.f8=Q Qg1+ and here White resigns because it cannot avoid
the exchange of the queens. 61.Kh7 Qh2+ 62.Kg8 Qg3+ 63.Kh7 Qh4+
64.Kg6 Qe4+ with the next check coming from e6, e7 or e8.]
54.Kh6! c4 55.e7 Kxe7 56.Kg7 c3 57.bxc3 bxc3 58.f6+ Ke6 59.f7 c2
60.f8=Q c1=Q= .
# 12
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
12. Larsen,Bent (2660) - Uhlmann,Wolfgang (2580),

Candidates qf1 Las Palmas, 1971.
Larsen passes this calcluating exam successfully. 59.Bxd6+! Kxd6 60.Kf4
Kd5 61.b5 axb5 62.a6 Kc6 63.Kxe4 b4 64.f4 Black resigns because he is
missing a tempo in the following run. 64...b3 65.Kd3 h5 66.a7 Kb7 67.f5 h4
68.f6 b2 69.Kc2 h3 70.f7 b1=Q+ 71.Kxb1 h2 72.a8=Q+.
# 13
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
13. Tal,Mihail (2605) - Petursson,Margeir (2535),

Reykjavik, 1987.
This position requires accurate and precise calculating. 45...c4! [In the game,
Petursson loses an important tempo. 45...a5?? 46.h5 c4 47.Kd4 Kf5 48.Kxc4
Kxg5 49.Kb5 Kxh5 50.Kxa5 Kg4 and Black resigns since the White pawn
promotes first. 51.Kb6 h5 52.a5 h4 53.a6 h3 54.a7 h2 55.a8=Q+-]
45...c4! 46.Kd4 Kf5 47.Kxc4 Kg4 48.Kb4 Kxh4 49.Ka5 Kxg5 50.Kxa6
h5 51.Kb7 h4 52.a5 h3 53.a6 h2 54.a7 h1=Q+ 55.Kb8=.
# 14
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
14. Timman,Jan H (2630) - Nikolic,Predrag (2620),

Belgrade Investbanka (from analysis), 1987.
Another task with precise calculating. 42.Kc4! [42.Kb4? allows Black to
play e5-e4 with the White king on b4. 42...Kc6 43.Kc4 e5 44.Kb4 e4-+]
42.Kc4! Kc6 43.Kb4 e5 44.Kc4 e4 45.fxe4 f3 46.Kd3 Kxc5 47.Ke3 Kc4
48.Kxf3 Kd4 49.Kf2 Kxe4 50.Ke2=.
# 15
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
15. Marovic,Drazen (2475) - Stein,Leonid (2605),

URS-YUG, Yerevan, 1971
38...Bxd4! 39.Rd2 e5 40.Bxd4 Ke6! Here, the key point is that Black wins
the tempo before transferring to the pawn endgame. [40...Rxd4+? could lead
to a draw: 41.Rxd4+ exd4 42.Kxd4 Ke6 43.a4 Kf5 44.Kc5 Kg4 45.Kb5
Kxh4 46.Kxa5 Kg4 47.Ka6 h5 48.Kxa7 h4 49.a5 h3 50.Kb8 h2 51.a6 h1=Q
52.a7= right on time] 41.h5 [Waiting 41.Rd1 will also not help: 41...Rxd4+
42.Rxd4 exd4 43.a4 d3 44.Kxd3 Kd5! (running to pawn h4 misses the win
again: 44...Kf5? 45.Kc4 Kg4 46.Kb5 Kxh4 47.Kxa5 Kg3 48.Ka6 h5 49.a5
h4 50.Kxa7 h3 51.a6 h2 52.Kb8 h1=Q 53.a7=) 45.Kc3 Kc5 46.Kb3 Kd4-+
winning on a4] 41...Rxd4+ 42.Rxd4 exd4 43.a4 Kf6 44.Kxd4 Kg5 45.Ke5
[45.Kc5 Kxh5 46.Kb5 Kg4 47.Kxa5 h5 48.Ka6 h4 49.Kxa7 h3 50.a5 h2
51.a6 h1=Q-+] 45...Kxh5 46.Kf5 a6 White resigns.
# 16
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
16. Zinchenko,Yaroslav (2513) - Oleksienko,Mykhailo (2560),

UKR-chT, Alushta, 2007.
This position is a reminder of the Potkin-Grischuk game from the
Triangulation chapter. 39...Kc6! [After the natural move 39...Kc5? 40.c4 we
can see what a zugzwang position is. Black needs to reach this position with
White’s turn. That’s why the king first moves to c6. 40...e4+ (40...f4 41.Kc3
Kc6 42.Kd3 Kd6 43.Kc3 Kc5 44.Kd3 does not achieve anything) 41.fxe4
fxe4+ 42.Kxe4 Kxc4 43.Kf5 Kb3 44.Kf6 Kxa3 45.Kg7 Kb3 46.Kxh7 a3
47.Kg8 a2 48.h7 a1=Q 49.h8=Q=;
An important nuance is that a similar move like 39...Kd6? is not good
because of 40.Kc4 Kc6 41.Kb4 e4 does not secure a win because after (or
41...Kd5 42.c4+ Kc6 43.c5 e4 44.fxe4 fxe4 45.Kc4 e3 46.Kd3 Kxc5
47.Kxe3 Kc4 48.Ke4 Kb3 49.Kf5 Kxa3 50.Kf6 Kb3 51.Kg7 a3 52.Kxh7
a2 53.Kg8 a1=Q 54.h7=) 42.fxe4 fxe4 (42...f4 43.Kc4+-) 43.Kc4= the
Black king cannot go to e5.]
39...Kc6! 40.Kc4 [The main “triangulation line” is as follows: 40.Ke3 Kc5
41.Kd3 Kd5 we see the initial position with White’s turn. 42.c4+ (42.Ke3
Kc4 43.Kd2 Kb3 44.Kd3 Kxa3-+) 42...Kc5 43.Kc3 e4-+] 40...Kd6
41.Kb5 [41.Kd3 Kd5-+ brings us to the initial position with a required turn
for White.] 41...e4 42.f4 [42.fxe4 fxe4 43.Kc4 Ke5-+] 42...e3 White
resigns.
# 17
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
17. Aveskulov,Valeriy – Pilipchuk,

Lion Cup, 2005.
38.Qc3+! leads to the pawn endgame where White quickly organizes a
passed pawn on the queen side. 38...Qxc3+ 39.Kxc3 e5 [Black can bring its
king to the center faster, but it also does not help. 39...Kf6 40.Kb3 Ke5
41.c4 Kd4 42.cxb5 axb5 43.a4+-] 40.Kb3 Kf6 41.c4 Ke6 42.a4 bxa4+
43.Kxa4 Kd6 44.Ka5 Black resigns.
# 18
Calculate move Rxe4.
Show/Hide Solution
18. Goryachkina,Aleksandra (2418) - Arabidze,M (2379),

World Junior Girls, Kocaeli, 2013.
89.Rxe4+? was wrong but in the game Black didn’t use its opportunity.
[White had to demonstrate patience and choose a more appropriate moment
to transfer to the pawn endgame. 89.Kf4 Kh5 (or 89...Bd5 90.Rg3 Bc6
91.Rg6 Kh5 92.Rxc6! bxc6 93.Kxe4+- now the pawn endgame is really
winning.) 90.Rg3 Kh6 91.Kf5 Bd5 92.Kf6 Kh7 (92...Kh5? 93.Rg5++-)
93.Rg7+ Kh6 94.Rg4 Kh7 95.Ke5 Bc6
96.Rxe4! Here White can also sacrifice the exchange. 96...Bxe4 97.Kxe4
Kg6 98.Ke5+-]
89.Rxe4+? Bxe4+ 90.Kxe4 Kg4 91.Ke5 Kf3 92.Kd6 Ke4 93.Kc7 Kd5
94.Kb6 Kc4? [Both opponents missed the idea that the Black king needed to
move away from the path of the future passed pawn. 94...Kd4! 95.c6 bxc6
96.Kxa6 (96.Kxc6 Ke5=) 96...c5 97.Kb7 c4 98.a6 c3 99.a7 c2 100.a8=Q
c1=Q=] 95.c6 bxc6 96.Kxa6 c5 97.Kb6 Black must use another move to
advance the pawn. 97...Kb4 98.a6 c4 99.a7 c3 100.a8=Q Kb3 101.Qa1
Black resigns.
# 19
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
19. Topalov,Veselin (2757) - Kasparov,Garry (2804),

Linares, 2005.
I cannot emphasise this position enough, for two reasons. Firstly, the enitre
winnning line is not so easy, despite Black resigning after one move.
Secondly, the end of the last game of the Great Garry Kasparov. Although he
won that Linares tournament, he definitely wanted to end his chess career.
So, after move 30.Kg4 Black resigns, but let’s figure out how White wins.
After 30...Kf7 White clears the way for his king by means of 31.h5 [or
31.exd5 exd5 and now 32.h5 with the same lines.] 31...Kf6 32.exd5 exd5
33.hxg6 Kxg6
the Black king takes the opposition and White has no reserve moves left but
the next move helps White win the opposition back. 34.Kh4! The Black king
has no h6-square available. It means that White exchanges the “g” and “h”
pawns and after that his king takes the pawn on d5. 34...h5 [or 34...Kg7
35.Kh5 Kh7 36.g4 Kg7 37.g5 hxg5 38.Kxg5+-] 35.g4 hxg4 36.Kxg4 Kf6
37.Kf4 Ke6 38.Kg5+-
# 20
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
20. Polugaevsky,Lev (2640) - Grigorian,Karen Ashotovich (2430),

URS-ch 39-th Leningrad, 1971.
At first, White activates its king. 39.Kg4 Kc5 40.Kf5 Kd4 Now the fight,
for the reserve moves, starts. White wins it easily but it is not over yet. 41.h5
b5 42.b4! [Sometimes it is possible to win the reserve move fight but it can
get one into trouble. Here is how it happens: 42.g4? b4! 43.a4 The Black
king needs to leave the e5-pawn but the b4-pawn appears faster than the e4-
pawn. 43...Kc3 44.Kxe5 Kxb3 45.Kd6 Ka3 46.e5 b3 47.e6 b2 48.e7 b1=Q
49.e8=Q and White needs to save the game.] 42...a4 [Another long line
occurs after 42...axb4 43.axb4 Kc4 44.Kxe5 Kxb4 45.Kd5! The best square
for the king. 45...Kc3 46.e5 b4 47.e6 b3 48.e7 b2 49.e8=Q b1=Q
Queens are promoted at the same time but here White is able to force their
exchange with a transfer to the winning king and pawn endgame. 50.Qe3+
Qd3+ 51.Qxd3+ Kxd3 52.Ke6! Ke4 53.Kf7 Kf5 54.Kxg7 Kg5 55.g4!+-
This position reminds me of the end in the Mamedyarov-Bu game (chapter
about outside passed pawns).] 43.g4 Last reserve move in this endgame.
43...Kc4 44.Kxe5 Kb3
Time for the last trick. The Black king and the a4-pawn are fast enough
should White begin a pawn run. But an attentive reader knows that trapping
the king in the corner can ultimately decide the game. 45.Kd4! Kxa3 46.Kc3
Ka2 47.Kc2 Black resigns because White does not allow him to promote the
pawn.
# 21
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
21. Kuzmin,Gennadi P (2550) - Petrosian,Tigran V (2645),

URS-ch45, Leningrad, 1977.
White is ready to play b3-b4 and push the a-pawn forward. Black needs to
find the correct way to promote his pawn. Having 3 vs 2 on the king’s side
makes this plan possible for black, but the best moves will lead to a draw.
56...e4! [In this game Iron Tigran makes a fatal mistake: 56...h5? Black has to
appear closer to the first rank. The h7-h5 move does not achieve Black’s
objective any faster. 57.b4 Now Black should take on b4 and the White king
is free to stop the king side pawns. 57...axb4 58.Kxb4 f4 59.a5 e4 60.Kc3!
The White king catches the Black pawns. 60...e3 61.Kd3 and Black resigns.]
56...e4! 57.b4 f4! Now the White king is unable to stop the Black pawns and
all main lines lead to mutual promoting with an equal queen endgame.
[Taking on b4 still allows the White king to run freely to the king side.
57...axb4? 58.Kxb4 f4 59.Kc3! e3 60.Kd3+-] 58.gxf4 [58.bxa5 e3 59.fxe3
fxe3 60.a6 e2 61.a7 e1=Q 62.a8=Q Qc3+=] 58...axb4 59.Kxb4 h5 60.a5 h4
61.a6 h3 62.a7 h2 63.a8=Q h1=Q= .
# 22
Calculate move Rxe6.
Show/Hide Solution
22. Wei,Yi – Bromberger,Stefan,

Qatar open, 2015.
The first moves of the winning combination are easy to find. 22.Rxe6! Rxd1+
23.Kxd1 Qd8+ 24.Ke2 Kf8 But what to do now? A direct win of the queen
leads to a complex endgame that is difficult to evaluate. But the Chinese
player calculates correctly, in order for him to improve his position before
playing Re8. There is more than one way to do so; here I mention only game-
text but if you find another way to preface the Re8-exchange, please do not
become confused. Just check your solution with the engine. It is possible that
you are also correct. 25.Kf3 [Not ready to say if White wins after 25.Re8+
Qxe8+ 26.Bxe8 Kxe8 27.f5! White has a plan to bring the king to g6, then to
play g2-g4-g5 with an idea to bring its king to the queen side. The main
problem is that Black has an idea of playing Ke5. So with K’s on f4 and d6
White needs to put Black into a zugzwang (to have more time for its own
plan). Moreover, White needs to be sure that when Black brings K away
from d6 after moves Kg4-Kd6, Kh5-Ke5, Kg6 Black K will not have
enough counterplay against the White queen side pawns. If you want to
become masterful in pawn endgames, this is a good position to do so.]
25...Qd7 26.Re1 Qd8 27.Kg4 Qd7+ 28.Kh5 Qd8 29.a4 a5 30.g4 Qd7
31.h4 Qd8 White is ready. 32.Re8+ Qxe8 33.Bxe8 Kxe8 34.Kg6 Kf8
35.Kh7 Kf7 36.g5 Black resigns because he loses on g7.
# 23
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
23. Sulava,Nenad (2537) - Kryvoruchko,Yuriy (2592),

Calvi Balagne op, 2007.
White proceeds to mass exchange. 22.Qxe6! Qxe6 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Bd5
Rfe8 25.Re1 Kf7 More experienced players can easily find the winning way
here; for the less experienced players the following motive can be more
difficult to foresee. 26.f4! f5 27.g4! g6 28.g5! That’s all. Black can only
play Re8-e7-e8. White takes its time for decisive improvement of its
position. 28...h5 29.Re5 [29.gxh6 is also winning. 29...Kf6 30.Rxe6+ Rxe6
31.Bxe6+-] 29...R8e7 30.Kf2 Re8 31.a4 R8e7 32.Ke3 Re8 33.Kd4 R8e7
34.Kc5 Rc7+ 35.Kb5 Rcc6 36.Bxe6+ Rxe6 37.Rxe6 Kxe6 38.Ka6 Kd6
39.Kxa7 Kc7 40.h4 Kc6 41.Kb8 Black resigns.
# 24
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
24. Malka,S (2298) - De Abreu,Roberto N (2009),

World Youth Boys U18 (analysis), Durban, 2014.
White loses on h4 and at first sight it is not clear what can help him/her.
There isn’t enough time to take successfully on f7. The trapping idea
connected with Kf4 doesn’t help because the Black K has square-h5. But
luckily White has another idea of trapping the king on the edge of the board.
Pawn “f” should assist for this. 40.Kd4 Kf5 41.Ke3 Kg4 42.f4! Kxh4
43.Kd4! Black K has 9 squares on the g and h file but this is a “gilded
cage.” The White K easily keeps the opposition on the squares d1-d4 and e1-
e4. When the Black K goes to h5, the White K goes to e5-f6. 43...Kg3
44.Ke3 Kg4 45.Ke4 Kh5 46.Ke5 h6 47.gxh6 Kxh6 48.Kf6 Kh5
49.Kxf7=.
# 25
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
25. Bondarenko, Liburkin, 1950.

Authors of this study have presented a brilliant edition of “trapping the king”
idea. 1.Nh4! [1.Ne1? is not the same because it allows the Black bishop to
stop the e-pawn on e7. 1...Bc3 2.Nf3 Kg2 3.Nxh2 Kxh2 4.e5 Kg3 5.e6 Bb4!
6.Ke5 Kg4 7.Kd5 Kf5 8.Kc6 Kxe6 9.Kb7 Kd7 10.Kxa7 Kc7 11.Ka8 Bc5
12.a7=]
1.Nh4! Kg1 2.Nf3+ Kg2 3.Nxh2 Kxh2 4.e5 Bxe5 It looks drawish at first
sight. After the most natural Kxe5 the Black king gets to the c7-square on
time. But White leaves the bishop alive and it becomes an impenetrable
obstacle for his king. 5.Ke6!! Kg3 6.Kd7 Kf4 7.Kc8+- and nothing can
stop Kb7xa7-b7, a6-a7-a8=Q.
# 26
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
26. Weih,Klaus - Spassky,Boris V,

Bundesliga, 1983.
Here we see an interesting version of a pawn run. Black has a passed pawn
where White needs to find a moment to play b3-b4 to create a passed pawn.
In this game, the opponent of the former World Champion didn’t demonstrate
enough patience. 42.Kh3! [Here the game text is: 42.b4? cxb4 43.c5 b3
44.c6 b2 45.c7 b1=Q 46.c8=Q Qd3+ and White resigns because no one
wants to play many more uncessary moves without two pawns in the queen
endgame.]
42.Kh3! g5 43.Kg3 g4 44.Kg2 Kh4 45.Kh2 g3+ 46.Kg2 Kg4 Black
cannot avoid this square. Now, is a good moment to create a passed pawn.
47.b4! cxb4 48.c5 b3 49.c6 b2 50.c7 b1=Q 51.c8=Q+ Check! 51...Kf4
52.Qf5+ Ke3 53.Qxe5=.
# 27
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
27. Grigoriev, 1920.
This is one of my favorite positions on Triangulation, although it is also
correct to say that it is about corresponding squares. As you know,
triangulation is just one of many possible variations on how corresponding
squares work. 1.Kc2! [This is the first ‘false’ way: 1.d4? Ke4 2.Kc3 and
now a “distant control” helps Black save the game. 2...Kf5! 3.Kd3 Kf4=;
1.Kc3 does not miss the win but makes it an additional move. 1...Ke3 2.Kc2
Kf4 with the same position.]
1.Kc2! Kf4! Black smartly stays away from the e3-square. But a well-
trained eye can see that if Black were to move here, it will be a zugzwang.
Let’s do it! [1...Ke3? 2.Kc3 and Kd4 is too simple.] 2.Kb2! [2.Kb3! is the
same.] 2...Kf3 3.Kb3! Kf4 4.Kc2! The White K draws a triangulation and
Black appears to be in its first zugzwang position. 4...Ke5 [4...Kf3 5.Kd2
Five moves to reach the start position with a required order to move. Now
the Black K loses square by square. 5...Kf4 6.Ke2 Ke5 (6...Kf5 7.Ke3 Ke5
8.d4+ Kd5 9.Kd3 Kd6 10.Ke4 Ke6 11.d5+ Kd6 12.Kd4+-) 7.Ke3 is a
position after the 8th move of the main line.] 5.Kd1! [5.Kd2? Kd4 one more
position of mutual zugzwang.] 5...Kd5 The best the Black king can do now is
to wait for d3-d4 and to try Kc4 there. 6.Ke2! Kd4 7.Kd2 Ke5 8.Ke3 Kd5
9.d4 Kc4 but this also does not help; first the opponent promotes his/her
pawns but then White wins the Q. 10.Ke4 Kxb4 11.d5 Kc5 12.Ke5 b4
13.d6 b3 [or 13...Kc6 14.Ke6 b3 15.d7 b2 16.d8=Q b1=Q 17.Qc8+ Kb5
18.Qb7+] 14.d7 b2 15.d8=Q b1=Q 16.Qc7+ Kb4 17.Qb6++-
# 28
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
28. Giri,Anish (2752) - Hou,Yifan (2680),

Tata Steel Masters, 2018.
55...Kd6! [In this game, the Chinese player instinctively moves her K closer
to the b5-square (totally defending against b4-b5) 55...Kc6? but this move
appears to be a bad decision. After 56.c4! taking on c4 and c7-c6 is not
available. 56...d4 (56...dxc4+ 57.Kxc4 looks like a zugzwang but even if it
were White’s turn he will win with b5-axb5; the Kb4 idea (an outside
passed pawn guarantees White an easy exchange of the queen side pawns
followed by a win of the f7-pawn). 57...Kd6 58.b5 axb5+ 59.Kxb5 Kd7
60.a6 Kc8 61.Kc6 Kb8 62.a7++-) 57.Kc2 Kd6
58.Kd2! (Of course Anish Giri goes around d3-square: 58.Kd3? c5! 59.b5™
59...Kc7= and no one achieves progress.) 58...c6 59.Ke2! Another waiting
move is required - Black has no reserve moves. 59...Kd7 (K can’t move to
the e-file because of the breakthrough. 59...Ke6 60.b5 Kd7 61.bxa6 Kc7
62.c5 Kb8 63.Kd3 Ka7 64.Kxd4 Kxa6 65.Ke5 Kxa5 66.Kd6 Kb5
67.Ke7+- White is first.) 60.Kd3 Kc7 61.Kxd4 Kd6
62.Kd3 Kc7 63.Ke4 Kd6 (or 63...Kd7 64.b5 cxb5 65.cxb5 axb5 66.Kd5+-)
64.Kd4 and Black resigns because Kc5 and b4-b5 is approaching.]
55...Kd6! 56.b5 [56.c4 dxc4+ 57.Kxc4 c6 Is a fortress. 58.Kd4 Kd7
59.Kc5 Kc7=; 56.Kc3 c5 57.bxc5+ Kxc5 58.Kd3 Kb5 59.Kd4 Kc6=]
56...axb5 57.Kb4 c6 58.a6 Kc7 59.Kc5 d4 60.Kxd4 Kb6 61.a7 Kxa7
62.Kc5 Kb7 63.Kd6 b4 64.Ke7 c5 65.Kxf7 c4=.
# 29
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
29. Moodley,K – Jacobs,

Cavan, 2019.
A more difficult position to solve. The White K is more active and at first
impression (also second), it shows us that Black cannot argue to even save
this. It looks as if it makes no sense to talk about strategy, weaknesses or
anything else. It should be pure maths. But no! There is a logical way to find
the answer. First of all, we need to understand that everything revolves
around reserve moves. If Black has enough waiting moves he should save
both the opposition and the game. If White makes the reserve move last, he
wins. But deep calculations show that White always ends last. Then
secondly, we try finding scenarios where Black has a hope in saving the
game. Since we lose the opposition anyway, we need to find an idea of how
to get a counterplay when the White K goes around our K. For this, we
choose between two directions - e6 or c6. If the White K goes to the queen
side, Black is way behind with nothing sensible. The only chance is to allow
him to go to the king’s side. For that, we need to ensure pawns are
continously ‘eating’ for as long as possible. So the move to play here is
41...g5! Now the White K needs to spend a maximum number of moves to
create a passed pawn on the king side. [No surprise, my RSA student made a
mistake on the very first move. 41...h6? 42.g3 h5 43.b4! axb4 44.axb4 g5
45.h3 h4 46.g4+- and White wins the opposition fight.]
41...g5! 42.g4 [42.b4 axb4 43.axb4 h5= keeping an opposition; 42.g3 h5
43.h3 g4 44.h4 Kc6 45.b4 (45.Ke5? Kc5! 46.Ke4 a4! and already Black
plays for a win.) 45...axb4 46.axb4 Kd6=] 42...Kc6! Of course there is no
need to bring h-pawn closer to g5-pawn. [42...h6?? 43.b4! taking c5-square
under control and winning the opposition under the most comfortable
circumstances. (Direct 43.h3? Kc6 44.Ke5 Kc5 45.Kf6?? even loses
(45.Ke4! still saves a draw.) 45...b4! an important trick that allows to win a
tempo in the pawn run. 46.axb4+ Kxb4 47.Kg6 Kxb3 48.Kxh6 a4 49.Kxg5
a3-+) 43...a4 44.h3+-] 43.Ke5 [Both 43.b4 and 43.a4 lose the opposition
fighting. 43.a4 bxa4 44.bxa4 Kd6 45.h3 h6=; 43.b4 axb4 44.axb4 Kd6 45.h3
h6=] 43...Kc5 44.h3 b4 45.a4 h6 and the White K has nothing more than to
stop Kd4. 46.Ke4™ 46...Kc6 47.Kd4 Kd6=.
# 30
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
30. Jacobs,Cavan (1817) - Brighton (2071),

Eureka chess open (analysis), 2019.
White is a N up but only has a pawn left on the board and Black achieves
some serious activity. To win, White needs to defend his pawn and to win the
f-pawn. This mission seems impossible. But the study of sacrifice, of the N,
makes his dream come true. 66.Nf2+! Ke3 67.Nd1+! Ke2 68.Kxh4! Kf3
[68...f3 69.Kg3 Kxd1 70.Kxf3; 68...Kxd1 69.Kg4+- wins all Black pawns
in both lines.] 69.Kh3 Ke4 70.Kg4 f3 71.Nf2+ Ke3 72.Kg3 Ke2
73.Ng4+-.
# 31
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
31. Kovalenko,VN (2165) - Aveskulov,Valeriy (2526),

TCh-UKR (analysis), 2011.
One of my favorite positions. I honestly cannot find the idea (although I
didn’t know that Black was winning here). Seeing all natural continuations
does not help outplay White. But one can note that the White K can’t go to the
b-file because of f5-f4 breakthrough. This means that the a5-pawn cannot be
defended. Let’s take it! 43...Kc6! [The most difficult is to find that 43...g4?
does not win due to 44.Kd3 Kb4 45.e4! f4 46.gxf4 exf4
White disconnects the pawns that appear equal to a pair of Black-connected
passed pawns. 47.e5 Kc5 48.Ke4 f3 49.Ke3 Kc6 50.e6 Kd6 51.c5+ Kxe6
52.c6 Kd6 53.cxb7 Kc7 54.a6=;
43...f4? 44.gxf4 gxf4 45.exf4 exf4 46.Kd3 f3 47.Ke3 Kxc4 48.Kxf3 Kb4
49.a6! easy trick. 49...bxa6 50.Ke2 Kxa4 51.Kd2 Kb3 52.Kc1=]
43...Kc6! 44.Kd3 Kc7! 45.Kc3 [c4-c5 distracting does not help neither
here nor later. 45.c5 Kc6 46.Kc4 g4! 47.Kb4 f4-+; 45.e4 f4 46.gxf4 gxf4
47.c5 Kb8 48.Kc4 Ka7-+ and the White K can’t go to d5 because of f4-f3.]
45...Kb8! 46.c5 The most appropriate moment to push the pawn. 46...Kc7!
[Black needs to return because taking on a5 does not win now: 46...Ka7?
47.Kc4 Ka6 48.Kd5 f4 49.gxf4 exf4 50.exf4 gxf4 51.Ke4 Kxa5 52.Kxf4
Kb4
53.a5! Kxc5 (53...Kxa5 54.Ke5 Kb5 55.Kd6=) 54.a6! bxa6 55.Ke3=]

47.Kd3 Kc6 48.Kc4 g4 49.Kb4 f4-+ Have you solved this one? If yes - it is
time to practice the knowledge you have adopted by reading my modest
work. I hope it will benefit you and I hope, in the near future, that you are
able to send me a good example of your pawn endgames to
vdaveskulov@gmail.com . It will be my best reward!
ADVISED GAMES
Teterev,Vitaly (2511) - Shirov,Alexei (2749) [B51]

EU-Cup 26th Plovdiv (4.3), 20.10.2010
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.d4
Bxf3 9.gxf3 g6 10.d5 Nb8 11.f4 Bh6 12.Bh3 Nh5 13.Qf3 Nd7 14.Be3 0-0
15.Nd2 e6 16.Nc4 exd5 17.Nxd6 dxe4 18.Nxe4 f5 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.Bxc5
Rf7 21.Bf1 Kh8 22.Rad1 Qh4 23.Bd4+ Bg7 24.Be5 Re7 25.Bd6 Rd7
26.Bb8 Qd8 27.Rxd7 Qxd7 28.Rd1 Qe7 29.Bd6 Qf7 30.c4 Re8 31.b3 Re4
32.Bd3 Rd4 33.c5 Qd7 34.Bc4 Rxd1+ 35.Qxd1 Nf6 36.Qd3 Qe8 37.Be5
Ng4 38.Bxg7+ Kxg7 39.Qd4+ Nf6 40.Qe5 Qd8 41.Kg2 a5 42.Be6 Kh6
43.Qd6 Qh8 44.Qe7 Nh5 45.Qg5+ Kg7 46.Qe7+ Kh6 47.Qg5+ Kg7
48.Bxf5 Qf8 49.Be4 Nxf4+ 50.Kf1 Ne6 51.Qe5+ Qf6 52.Qxf6+ Kxf6
53.Bxb7 Nxc5 54.Bd5 Nd3 55.Bc4 Nf4 56.f3 Ke5 57.Kf2 Kd4 58.Kg3
Ke5 59.a3 Nh5+ 60.Kg4 h6 61.b4 axb4 62.axb4 Nf6+ 63.Kg3 g5 64.b5
Kd6 65.Bd3 Kc5 66.Kf2 Nd5 67.Be4 Nc7 68.Bc6 Nxb5 69.Bxb5 Kxb5
70.Kg3 Kc5 71.Kg4 Kd4 72.Kh5 Ke5 73.Kxh6 Kf5 74.Kh5 Kf4 75.h3 Kf5
76.Kh6 Kf6 77.Kh7 Kf7 78.Kh6 Kf6 1/2-1/2
Naiditsch,A. (2708) - Ernst,S. (2556) [D42]
75th Tata Steel GpB Wijk aan Zee NED (13.3), 27.01.2013
1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.cxd5 Nxd5
8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0-0 Bf6 10.Be3 Nxe3 11.fxe3 0-0 12.Ne4 Be7 13.Rc1 Nb4
14.Bb1 b6 15.Nc3 Ba6 16.Rf2 Rc8 17.Ne5 Bg5 18.Qf3 f6 19.Qh3 g6
20.Qxe6+ Kg7 21.Nf3 Bh6 22.Re1 Bc4 23.Qh3 Qd6 24.e4 Rce8 25.d5 Qc5
26.Na4 Qa5 27.b3 Bb5 28.Nc3 f5 29.Nxb5 Qxb5 30.Nd4 Qc5 31.Ne6+
Rxe6 32.dxe6 fxe4 33.Qg3 Bd2 34.e7 Rxf2 35.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 36.Kxf2 Bxe1+
37.Kxe1 Kf7 38.Kd2 Kxe7 39.a3 Nd3 40.Bxd3 exd3 41.Kxd3 Ke6 42.Kc4
a6 43.a4 Kd6 44.b4 Ke5 45.h4 h5 46.a5 bxa5 47.bxa5 Kd6 48.Kd4 Kc6
49.Ke5 Kb5 50.Kf6 Kxa5 51.Kxg6 Kb6 52.Kxh5 a5 53.g4 a4 54.g5 a3
55.g6 a2 56.g7 a1=Q 57.g8=Q Kc7 58.Qf7+ Kd8 59.Kg6 Qg1+ 60.Kh7
Qb1+ 61.Kg8 Qg1+ 62.Qg7 Qh2 63.Qf8+ Kd7 64.Qf7+ Kd8 65.h5 Qg3+
66.Qg6 Qf4 67.Qf7 Qg4+ 68.Kf8 Qb4+ 69.Kg7 Qg4+ 70.Qg6 Qd7+
71.Kf8 Qd4 72.Qg5+ Kc8 73.h6 Qb4+ 74.Kg7 Qd4+ 75.Qf6 Qd7+ 76.Kf8
Qd3 77.Qe6+ Kb8 78.Qe8+ Ka7 79.Qf7+ Ka6 80.h7 Qd4 81.Qg6+ Ka5
82.Qh5+ 1-0
Grischuk,Alexander (2764) - Kramnik,Vladimir (2810) [C67]
FIDE Candidates London ENG (10.1), 27.03.2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5
Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Bd7 10.h3 h6 11.Rd1 Kc8 12.a4 a5 13.b3 b6
14.Bb2 Ne7 15.Rd2 c5 16.Ne2 Ng6 17.Rad1 Be6 18.c4 Be7 19.Nc3 Kb7
20.Nd5 Rad8 21.Nxe7 Rxd2 22.Nxd2 Nxe7 23.Nf1 Kc8 24.f3 g5 25.Ng3
Rd8 26.Rxd8+ Kxd8 27.Kf2 Bf5 28.Nxf5 Nxf5 29.g4 Nd4 30.Bxd4 cxd4
31.Ke2 Kd7 32.Kd3 c5 33.Ke4 Ke6 34.f4 gxf4 35.Kxf4 d3 36.Ke3 Kxe5
37.Kxd3 Kf4 38.Ke2 Kg3 39.Ke3 Kxh3 40.Kf4 Kh4 41.Kf5 Kg3 0-1
Dragnev,Valentin (2466) - Bluebaum,Matthias (2643) [E08]
Bundesliga 2017-18 Munich GER (8.2), 04.02.2018
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.0-0 Nbd7
8.Qc2 b6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Bf4 0-0 11.Rc1 Bb7 12.Qb3 Rc8 13.Rxc8 Qxc8
14.Nc3 Nh5 15.Bg5 Bxg5 16.Nxg5 Nhf6 17.e3 Ba6 18.a4 Qb8 19.Bf1
Bxf1 20.Kxf1 Rc8 21.Nf3 Ne4 22.Rc1 Ndf6 23.Rc2 Nxc3 24.Rxc3 Ne4
25.Rc2 Rc7 26.Ne1 Rc4 27.Ke2 Nd6 28.Qa2 b5 29.b3 Rxc2+ 30.Qxc2
bxa4 31.bxa4 h6 32.Nf3 Nc4 33.Ne1 a5 34.Nd3 Qb6 35.h4 h5 36.Kf1 g6
37.Kg2 Kg7 38.Kg1 Qd6 39.Qc1 Qb8 40.Nc5 Qb4 41.Kg2 e5 42.Qd1 e4
43.Qb3 Qd2 44.Nxe4 Nxe3+ 45.Qxe3 Qxe3 46.fxe3 dxe4 47.Kf2 Kf6
48.Ke2 Ke6 49.Kd2 Kd5 50.Kc3 f6 51.Kb3 g5 52.Kc3 gxh4 53.gxh4 f5
54.Kb3 f4 55.exf4 Kxd4 56.Kc2 e3 57.f5 Ke5 58.Kd3 Kxf5 59.Kxe3 Kg4
60.Ke4 Kh3 61.Kf3 Kxh4 62.Kf4 Kh3 63.Kf3 Kh2 64.Kf2 h4 65.Kf3 Kh3
66.Kf2 Kg4 67.Kg2 Kf4 68.Kh3 Kg5 69.Kh2 Kg4 70.Kg2 Kf4 71.Kh3
Ke3 72.Kxh4 Kd4 73.Kg3 Kc4 74.Kf2 Kb4 75.Ke2 Kxa4 76.Kd1 Kb3
77.Kc1 a4 78.Kb1 a3 79.Ka1 a2 1/2-1/2
Edouard,R. (2612) - Akobian,V. (2640) [A13]
St Louis Spring A Saint Louis USA (3.2), 08.03.2018
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qxc4 c5 7.Ne5 Qc8
8.Qd3 Nc6 9.Nxd7 Nxd7 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Qb5 0-0 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qd3
Nb6 14.b3 c4 15.bxc4 Qa6 16.0-0 Bf6 17.Rb1 Rfd8 18.Qf3 Nxc4 19.Ne4
Be7 20.Qc3 Nd6 21.Bb2 Bf8 22.Nxd6 Rxd6 23.Ba3 Rd5 24.Bxf8 Rxf8
25.d3 Qxa2 26.Rb2 Qa6 27.Rc1 Rb5 28.Rbc2 Rb6 29.Qe5 Qb7 30.Rc4 Rc8
31.h4 Rb1 32.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 33.Kg2 Qb7 34.Rc5 Rd8 35.Qc3 h6 36.e4 Rd6
37.Rc4 Qb1 38.Rxc6 Rxc6 39.Qxc6 Qxd3 40.Qa8+ Kh7 41.Qxa7 Qxe4+
42.Kg1 Qf3 43.Qd4 Kg6 44.Qe5 h5 45.Qg5+ Kh7 46.Qe5 Qd1+ 47.Kh2
Qd5 48.Qe2 Kg6 49.Qc2+ Qf5 50.Qe2 e5 51.Kg2 e4 52.Qe3 Qf3+
53.Qxf3 exf3+ 54.Kxf3 Kf5 55.Kg2 Ke4 56.f3+ Ke3 57.g4 g6 58.g5 Ke2
59.Kg3 Ke3 60.Kg2 Ke2 61.Kg3 Kf1 62.Kf4 Kf2 63.Ke5 Kg3 64.Kf6
Kxh4 65.f4 Kg4 66.Kxf7 Kf5 0-1
Haria,R. (2424) - Adhiban,Baskaran (2650) [B51]
Reykjavik Open 2018 Reykjavik ISL (5.4), 10.03.2018
1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.0-0 Ngf6 5.Re1 a6 6.Bd3 g6 7.c3 Bh6
8.Bc2 Ne5 9.h3 0-0 10.Qe2 Nh5 11.d4 Bxc1 12.Rxc1 Nf4 13.Qe3 Nxf3+
14.Qxf3 e5 15.Rd1 Qg5 16.Kh2 cxd4 17.cxd4 Ne6 18.Qe3 Qf6 19.d5 Nd4
20.Bd3 Bd7 21.Nc3 Bb5 22.Rac1 Bxd3 23.Rxd3 Rfc8 24.Ne2 Nxe2
25.Rxc8+ Rxc8 26.Qxe2 Qf4+ 27.g3 Qc1 28.Qd2 Qxd2 29.Rxd2 Rc4
30.Re2 f5 31.f3 Kf7 32.Kg2 Kf6 33.h4 h5 34.Kh3 a5 35.Re3 b5 36.Rc3
Rxc3 37.bxc3 fxe4 38.fxe4 b4 39.cxb4 axb4 40.Kg2 Ke7 41.Kf3 Kd7
42.Ke3 Kc7 43.Kd3 Kb6 44.Kc4 Ka5 45.Kb3 Kb5 46.a3 bxa3 47.Kxa3
Kc4 48.Ka4 Kd4 49.Kb5 Kxe4 50.Kc6 Kf3 51.Kxd6 e4 52.Kc5 e3 53.d6
e2 54.d7 e1=Q 55.d8=Q Qe5+ 56.Kc4 Kxg3 57.Kd3 Kh3 58.Kd2 Qf4+
59.Ke2 Qxh4 60.Qd5 Qg4+ 0-1
Firouzja,Alireza (2723) - Giri,Anish (2768) [D31]
82nd Tata Steel GpA Wijk aan Zee NED (5.5), 16.01.2020
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.Qc2 Nf6 7.e3 Nh5
8.Be5 Nd7 9.Be2 Nxe5 10.dxe5 g6 11.Bxh5 gxh5 12.Nge2 f6 13.exf6 Bxf6
14.Rd1 0-0 15.0-0 Kh8 16.e4 d4 17.Nf4 Be5 18.Nd3 Bg7 19.Ne2 h4 20.h3
Qe7 21.e5 Rd8 22.f4 Bf5 23.Kh2 Qe6 24.Ng1 Bh6 25.Nf3 Qe7 26.Kh1
Bxf4 27.Qc5 Qxc5 28.Nxc5 Bc2 29.Rxd4 Rxd4 30.Nxd4 Be3 31.Nce6 Bg6
32.Rf3 Bh6 33.Nf5 Bxf5 34.Rxf5 Be3 35.Rf3 Re8 36.Rxe3 Rxe6 37.Kg1
Kg7 38.Kf2 Kg6 39.Re4 Re7 40.Kf3 Kf5 41.Rxh4 Kxe5 42.Re4+ Kf6
43.Rxe7 Kxe7 44.Kf4 Kf6 45.g4 a5 46.a4 h6 47.h4 Ke6 48.g5 hxg5+
49.Kxg5 Kf7 50.Kf5 b5 51.Ke5 1-0
Duda,J. (2758) - Artemiev,V. (2731) [D46]
82nd Tata Steel GpA Wijk aan Zee NED (5.7), 16.01.2020
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0
dxc4 9.Bxc4 e5 10.h3 exd4 11.exd4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Nbd5 13.Bg5 Be7 14.Rfe1
Be6 15.Re5 Qd7 16.Rae1 Rae8 17.Qd2 Bd8 18.Bc2 Qc8 19.Bh6 Ne7
20.Ne4 Nf5 21.Bxg7 Nxe4 22.R1xe4 Nxg7 23.Qh6 f5 24.Rg4 Bf6 25.Ng5
Bxg5 26.Rxg5 Qd7 27.d5 cxd5 28.Ba4 Qf7 29.Bxe8 Rxe8 30.Rxe6 Rxe6
31.Rxg7+ Qxg7 32.Qxe6+ Qf7 33.Qxf7+ Kxf7 34.Kf1 Ke6 35.Ke2 f4
36.g4 fxg3 37.fxg3 Ke5 38.Ke3 d4+ 39.Kf3 Kf5 40.g4+ Kg5 41.Kg3 d3
42.h4+ Kf6 43.Kf3 Ke5 44.Ke3 d2 45.Kxd2 Kf4 46.g5 Kg4 47.Ke3 Kxh4
48.Kf4 a6 49.a3 b6 50.a4 a5 51.b3 Kh3 52.Kf3 Kh4 1/2-1/2
Kovalev,Vl (2650) - Aryan,C. (2562) [C08]
Aeroflot Open A 2020 Moscow RUS (9.14), 27.02.2020
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+
Nbxd7 8.0-0 Be7 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Nb3 Nce4 11.Nfd4 Nd6 12.Re1 0-0
13.c3 Re8 14.Qc2 Nc4 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 Qb6 17.f3 Bf8 18.Bf2 Qa6 19.a3
Nh5 20.g3 Qg6 21.Qxg6 fxg6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Ra2 Nf6 24.a4 g5 25.h3 a6
26.Nc1 Ne5 27.b3 Rc8 28.Rc2 g6 29.Kg2 Kf7 30.Nde2 Ba3 31.Be3 Bc5
32.Bxc5 Rxc5 33.Rd2 Ke7 34.Rd1 Kd6 35.Na2 Nc6 36.Nac1 Ne5 37.Na2
Nc6 38.Nec1 Ne5 39.Kf2 a5 40.Ne2 b5 41.axb5 Rxb5 42.Nd4 Rc5 43.Nc1
Kd7 44.Nce2 Nc6 45.Nxc6 Kxc6 46.Ke3 Kd6 47.Kd2 Rc8 48.Nd4 h5
49.g4 hxg4 50.hxg4 Nd7 51.Ra1 Ra8 52.Re1 Nf8 53.Kc2 Rb8 54.Re2 Ra8
55.Kb2 Rb8 56.Ka3 Rc8 57.Re3 Kd7 58.Ka4 Rc5 59.Re5 Rxc3 60.Rxd5+
Ke8 61.Kxa5 Rd3 62.Kb4 Nd7 63.Kc4 Re3 64.Rxg5 Ne5+ 65.Kd5 Nxf3
66.Nxf3 Rxf3 67.b4 Rf6 68.Kc5 Kd7 69.b5 Kc7 70.Re5 Rf4 71.g5 Rf7
72.Kb4 Rf4+ 73.Kc5 Rf7 74.Rd5 Re7 75.Kb4 Re4+ 76.Ka5 Re6 77.b6+
Rxb6 78.Rc5+ Kb7 79.Rb5 Rxb5+ 80.Kxb5 Kc7 81.Kc5 Kd7 82.Kd5 Ke7
83.Ke5 Kf7 1-0
Karpov,Ana (2617) - Timman,J. (2532) [E36]
80th Noteboom 4 Player Gp Leiden NED (1.1), 28.02.2020
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 dxc4
8.Qxc4 b6 9.Rd1 Ba6 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.e4 Bxf1 12.Kxf1 h6 13.Bh4 Qc8
14.f3 c5 15.Ne2 Qa6 16.Qd3 Qxd3 17.Rxd3 cxd4 18.Rxd4 Rfc8 19.Nc3
Ne5 20.Ke2 Nh5 21.Bg3 Nc4 22.Nd1 b5 23.Rf1 Rd8 24.Rd3 Rac8 25.Rf2
f5 26.exf5 exf5 27.f4 Nf6 28.Rff3 Re8+ 29.Kf1 Ne4 30.Be1 Rcd8 31.Rh3 a6
32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Ne3 Rd3 34.Nxc4 bxc4 35.Bc3 Rxh3 36.gxh3 Nxc3
37.bxc3 g5 38.fxg5 hxg5 39.Kf2 Kf7 40.Kg3 Kg6 41.h4 g4 42.Kf4 Kh5
43.Kxf5 Kxh4 44.a4 a5 45.Kf4 Kh3 46.Kf5 Kh4 47.Ke4 Kh3 48.Kf4 Kh4
49.Kf5 Kh3 50.Kf4 Kh4 1/2-1/2
Stijve,Theo (2249) - Donchenko,Alexa (2650) [B12]
Accentus Young Masters Bad Ragaz SUI (5.5), 01.03.2020
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h5 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 e6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Nf3
c5 9.Nc3 cxd4 10.Nb5 Nc6 11.Nbxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 a6 13.0-0 Rc8
14.Rfd1 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 Nh6 16.Ne4 Nf5 17.Qb4 Qe7 18.Nd6+ Nxd6
19.exd6 Qd7 20.Rxd5 exd5 21.Re1+ Kf8 22.Re7 Qg4 23.d7 Qxb4
24.dxc8=Q+ Kxe7 25.Qxh8 Qxb2 26.Qxh5 Qc1+ 27.Kh2 Qf4+ 28.Kg1
Kd6 29.g3 Qf6 30.Qg4 Kc5 31.a3 a5 32.Qd7 Kb6 33.Qxd5 Qa1+ 34.Kg2
Qxa3 35.Qxf7 Qc3 36.Qb3+ Qxb3 37.cxb3 Kc5 38.h5 b5 39.g4 Kd6 40.g5
Ke7 41.f4 a4 0-1
Cernousek,L. (2461) - Navara,D. (2703) [B06]
TCh-SVK 2019-20 Slovakia SVK (8.5), 01.03.2020
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Qe2 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6 7.e5 Nd7 8.Rd1
Nb6 9.Bb5 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Qd7 12.exd6 cxd6 13.Qb3 a6 14.Bxc6
Qxc6 15.d5 Qc7 16.Be3 Nc4 17.Bd4 Bh6 18.a4 Rac8 19.Bc3 Qb6
20.Qxb6 Nxb6 21.a5 Nd7 22.Ra4 Rc7 23.Na3 Rfc8 24.Rb4 e5 25.dxe6 fxe6
26.Rxd6 Bf8 27.Rxe6 Bxb4 28.Bxb4 Nb8 29.b3 Nc6 30.Bd6 Rd7 31.Nc4
Nd4 32.Rf6 Rc6 33.Rf8+ Kg7 34.Rb8 Rxc4 35.Bf8+ Kf7 36.bxc4 Nc6
37.Rc8 Nxa5 38.Kf1 Nxc4 39.Rxc4 Kxf8 40.Ke2 Ke7 41.f4 Kd6 42.g4 b5
43.Rc8 Rc7 44.Rd8+ Ke6 45.Kd3 Rd7+ 46.Rxd7 Kxd7 47.Kd4 Kd6 48.c4
bxc4 49.Kxc4 h6 50.Kd4 a5 51.Kc4 a4 52.h4 a3 53.Kb3 Kd5 54.Kxa3 Ke4
55.f5 gxf5 56.g5 hxg5 57.hxg5 Ke5 58.Kb3 Ke6 59.Kc3 Kf7 60.Kd4 Kg6
61.Ke3 Kxg5 62.Kf3 f4 1/2-1/2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Valeriy Aveskulov (born in 1986), International Grandmaster from 2006. My

best achievements are: The Ukrainian Champion of 2007. 3-times prize
winner on the first World Mind Sports Games (Bejing, 2008) as the member
of the Ukrainian national team. The silver prize winner of the World Rapid
Championship U-12 (Paris, 1998). The winner and prize winner of
international tournaments held in Oklahoma, Miami, Chicago (USA),
Pavlodar (Kazahstan), Minsk (Belarus), Saratov (Russia), Lviv, Kharkiv
(Ukraine) and others. Starting from 2009 I stopped active playing and have
been coaching online. Information about my coaching approach and students’
achievements is presented on my web page – www.chesstao.com. In 2012
the Gambit Publications Ltd has printed my first book Attack with Black
dedicated to the opening repertoire against 1.d4 based on the Benko and
Blumenfeld gambits. Having been coaching for quite a long, I have been
always adding examples to different folders on my computer. One day I have
felt, that it is time to share all this with a chess audience. So you see a third
e-book from the series Improving the Endgame Technique. Also I am a
member of ModernChess team where I prepare articles and databases on
different topics.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Tricks by the king

CopyRight Information. The right of Valeriy Aveskulov to be identified as

In this series of e-books titled ‘Improving the Endgame Technique’, I am not

1. Corresponding squares (also called relative squares, sister squares and

The importance of opposition is often exaggerated. Many club players try to

The beginning of this endgame will also be annotated in the chapter

66...Qxe5? [Black carelessly allows a transfer to the pawn endgame.

41...a5 (Unfortunately this position cannot be saved as an exercise since

All White needs is to demonstrate some accuracy in calculations in order to

An interesting version of the trapping idea happened in another game, of

While talking about king’s tricks in pawn endgames, I cannot overlook

Diagram 39 (White to move)

My favourite exercise on this theme can be found in the article written by

Another example of multiple “triangulating” which could have happened in

63.Qg5+ Kf3 64.Qf5+ Kg2 65.Qd5+ Black king should go to f2 or g1 since

This is the critical moment. If it were Black’s turn he would be in a zugzwang

Diagram 46 (White to move)

Here is another example of triangulation, from a position that occurred in one

55.Ke4! The White king enters the square of a-pawn. b3-square is

It appears that this is a position of mutual zugzwang. Black prefers to push

54.Kc4! Black is forced to make the only move. 54...Ka6™ 55.Qd6+=)

The main mission of triangulation is to lose a tempo, in order to put your

With K on e6 Black easily makes this correct move. Similar to Moiseenko-

50...h6! (reserve tempo) 51.a4 a5 Opposition is seized. Black is winning.

Diagram 70 (Black to move)

In this game Black played 41...Kh7 and won the game.

This appears as if Black is absolutely winning, since her king is on time to

2.1. PAWN BREAKTHROUGH

As it is mentioned in the glossary paragraph, a pawn breakthrough is a

Diagram 74 (Black to move)

Diagram 75 (White to move)

A pawn breakthrough is usually connected with some sacrifice, so it makes

Diagram 79 (White to move)

What to do now? Akiba Rubinstein prepares a clearance of the king side to

Another important subtlety in king and pawn endgames, is a reserve tempo.

Diagram 90 (White to move)

Something similar happened in the next game between a well-known GM and

Again, we need to calculate the pawn advancing with different nuances.

Diagram 100 (Black to move)

Diagram 103 (White to move)

Diagram 104 (Black to move)

Black is obviously better thanks to an isolated pawn on d4. But if Black K

Black Q is more active, so White needs to demonstrate some preciseness to

Having an outside passed pawn secures Black a win. 40...g4+ [40...Kg6

Robson,R (2674) - Grischuk,A (2754)

41.Kg3 Kf5 42.h3 h5 43.h4 e3 44.Kf3 e2 45.Kxe2 Kxf4 46.Kd3 Kg4

Diagram 130 (White to move)

52.Kd5! (52.Ke5? leads to a zugzwang 52...b6 White king should leave an

39.g5! White wins an important tempo. 39...Kxg5 40.b4 e4 41.Kd4 Kf4

39.Kd5! White first exchanges f3 and e5 pawns, then exchanges c4 and b2

37...Kg7 (37...gxh5 38.Kf5 h4 39.gxh4 h5 40.f4+-) All preparations are

This is a position of mutual zugzwang. If Black moves he loses. 42...Kf7

44.Kh7! Kf7 45.f6! Kxf6 46.Kg8 Kf5 47.Kf7+-; b) 41...h5+? 42.Kf4 h4

Clearing the path: 11; 80; 82; 83; 85; 86; 88

1. So,Wesley - Duda,Jan Krzysztof,

2. Saidy,Anthony Fred - Fischer,Robert James,

4. Kraai (2477) - Aveskulov,Valeriy (2539),

5. Planas Gene,Juan (2191) - Andersson,Ulf (2542),

9. Kortschnoj,Viktor (2670) - Petrosian,Tigran V (2640),