Above is the position with Black to play...I misplayed it, showing why I am still a Class A player (with lack of endgame knowledge) and Erik won it like a Master he became ! Please suggest ....What should be the best play for black ?
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6 comments:
You have the blue arrow indicating the attack on the h3 pawn. There probably is no reason to take the h3 pawn right now. It appears that playing Ra2 and then starting to advance your two passed pawns seems like a good plan. I think putting the rook behind white’s passed “a” pawn is better for black.
In fact, it almost seems like if black can get those two passed pawns rolling along that black might have some winning changes.
Robin,
That's what I did. But somehow falwed at the end.
Souvik
Please post the entire end of the game from this point on. Thanks.
I'm not so sure you could hold this position, Souvik. The first thing that occurs to me is that in three moves White gets the Pa7/Ra8 grouping, which traps your King on g7/h7 (For the benefit of readers who aren't familiar with common rook endgame tactics, if Black's king comes off the 7th White checks with the rook and the pawn queens, while if the King moves away from the g7/h7 pair the rook goes to h8 and if Black takes the pawn with Ra7 White wins the rook with Rh7+, so the pawn still queens) when the White f-pawn becomes very dangerous.
I'd far rather be playing White in this position, as that's where all the winning chances seem to lie.
After 1. ... Ra2 2. a6 Black is already pressed for a good move. You could try 2. ... Ra4, intending to neuter the f-pawn's advance with the check on f4, but 3. Ra8 Kg7 4. a7 and you have to return to the a-file to prevent a queen.
But if you don't do anything to prevent it, White's passed pawns are going to hurt: 2. ... c4 (the c-pawn has more chances to queen than the d-pawn)3. Ra8 Kh7 (or g7) 4. a7 and Black's not looking very healthy.
Your problem is that while Black's pawns may be a bit healthier, White's are farther advanced and therefore more dangerous. I think this particular endgame is a dead win for White, as it sits. Which is probably why Erik steered for it.
Souvik,
I am not sure if I am totally missing something, but it seems pretty drawn to me:
I do not see any way to win after Ra2 for white. In Arlen's line for ex:
1...Ra2 2. a5 c5 3. a6 c4! (d4 is bad cuz of Ke1 later) 4. Ra8+ Kg7 5. a6 c3 (push pawn furtherst from king) 6. f6+ Kf7 7. Rh8 c2 black can try to win :)
--or--
1...Ra2 2. Ke1 is nice idea c5 (2...Rxh2?? 3. a5 c5 4. Ra8 Kh7 5. a6 1-0) 3. a5 c4 4. a6 c3 5. Kd1 d4 =
Robin is correct. You should have stuck the rook on a2 and pushed the pawns.
It also seems Erik missed a win with 5.Rc7, better was Ra8 winning. You could have draw in the game with: Ra2 after Rxc5 with an easy draw. I am not even sure about the position after Ra1+ like in the game. I am too tired to look at that, but you should investigate yourself and publish your findings.
Ashish Vaja
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