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Chess
4 Life!
By Candidate
Master Collin Madhavan
Another Grischuk
endgame
(
2007 World Chess Championships in Mexico)
Could
Grischuk have beaten Anand?
In the penultimate round of this years' World Chess
Championships in Mexico, GM Grischuk had the White pieces against GM
Anand. The endgame that arose was interesting as, at one stage, many
of the commenting GMs were divided as to whether Grischuk had a
winning game. Let's follow the game after Black's 34th move.
Anand (Black)
Grischuk (White to play)
35.Nxc3!
Neat combination as White wins
the pawn.
35...Nd5 36.Kd3 Rxc3+
If 36...Nxc3, then White plays 37.Rc2,
winning the
knight back and keeping a pawn advantage.
37.Kd4 a5 38.Kxd5 a4 39.Kd4 Rb3 40.Kc4 Kc8
Anand (to play)
Grischuk
40..... Kc8
With the King moving to other
files, White gets to activate his Rook.
Example, if 40 .... Kd7 41. Rd2+, followed by 42. Rd3;
or if 40..... Ke8 41. Re2+, followed by 42. Re3.
41.Rc2! Kd7
Wrong is 41. ...... Rxa3? because White has 42.
Kb4+,
and winning the Black Rook.
42.Rc3 Rb2 43.Rf3 Ke6 44.g4 Ke7 45.Kd5 Rb3 46.Ke4 Rb2 47.Kf5 Rb5+ 48.Kf4 Kf6 49.Rd3 Rb2 50.f3 Ra2 51.Ke4 Rh2
Anand
Grischuk (to play)
52.Rd4?
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Doesn't seem like the right plan as White is
simplifying too fast. White's plan is to create a Queen side
passed pawn and hope to create new threats on that wing.
Many have suggested 52. h5 for White. For example, GM Rogers (chessgames.com)
who gives 52.Rd4 a '? '. GM Rogers suggest that "After 52.h5! Ra2 53.Kd5 Kg5 54.Kc4 Black has many tries here but they all seem to fail, e.g. 54...f5 (54...Rb2 55.Rd5+ Kf6 56.Rb5! gives White just enough time to bring his king across to the a pawn, while; 54...Kf4 55.Kb4 Rf2 56.Kxa4 Rxf3 57.Rxf3+ Kxf3 58.g5 ! is just too slow.) 55.Kb4 fxg4 56.fxg4 Kxg4 57.Rd5 and, since 57...Rh2 58.Kxa4 Rxh5 59.Rxh5 Kxh5 60.Kb5 is one tempo too slow, White will win the a pawn without allowing any
counter-play on the kingside. |
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52...... Rxh4 53.Rxa4 Rh1
Better was 53 ...... h5!, as Black simplifies
further.
54.Rb4 Ra1 55.a4 Kg6 56.Kd5 Ra3 57.Kc6 Rxf3 58.a5 f5!
Black's plan is to keep the furthest pawn alive
while
liquidating White's g-pawn.
59.a6 Ra3 60.gxf5+ Kxf5 61.Kb6 h5 62.Rb5+
62. a7 Rxa7 63. Kxa7 Kg5 64. Rb8 h4 65. Kb6 h3 66.
Rh8 Kg4
67. Kc5 Kg3 68. Kd4 Kg2 69. Ke3 h2 and Black secures the draw.
62 ..... Kg4 63.Ra5 Rf3 64.a7 Rf8
65.a8(=Q) Rxa8 66.Rxa8
Black is down a Rook but is able to draw this
position
because of his Rook passed pawn and active King.
Anand (to play)
Grischuk
66 ..... h4 67.Kc5 h3 68.Kd4 h2 69.Rh8 Kg3 70.Ke3 Kg2 71.Rg8+ Kf1 72.Rh8 Kg1 73.Rxh2 Kxh2
1/2-1/2
QUICK GLANCE
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