Topic: Tactical transformation of material advantage in the endgame
IM Marek Matlak
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5
4.Bd3 Peaceful move, sure Rybka had it in her opening book.
More chances for advantage promises white 4.Nf3, 4.Nc3, 4. Be3 or 4.h4. 4...B:d3
5.Q:d3 e6 6.Nf3 Nd7 For the moment Gandalf prefers also peaceful play. More
aggressive way was to continue with 6...c5 with the idea 7…Nc6 7.Nc3
Human would probably consider castling first - it leaves a question where to
put the knight open. 7...Ne7 8.0–0 Nf5
WHITE TO MOVE
9.a4!?N In
this position white usually played 9.Ne2 or 9.Bf4. The game Korneeev O.- Gomez
Esteban J. (1999) continued this way: 9.Ne2 Be7 10. c3 h5 11.Ng3 g6 12.Re1 h4
13. Nf1 c5 with equal chances. Rybka’s move 9.a4!? has its point - it will take
away b6 square from black pieces. If black would play a5 itself, then black
would be have to forgot about his main counterplay plan with c6-c5, because b5
square then would be too weak. 9...Be7
10.g4! Looks like Little Fish has eyes around the board J
Now it is time for some action on the kingside. 10...Nh4 11.N:h4 B:h4
WHITE TO MOVE
12.f4 The
threat is not only f4-f5, black has to consider also g4-g5. 12...Be7 13.f5 c5? Too
optimistic. Here is why: first - black king is still on the center, second -
blacks development is worst than whites and therefore black should not open a
position, third - psychological mistake J one should not play tactic with Rybka... It was
better to play 13. Bg5. 14.f:e6
f:e6 15.Nb5! White treats 16.Bg5 15...c:d4 [15...a6
16.Nd6+ B:d6 17.e:d6±]
WHITE TO MOVE
16.Bg5!! N:e5 Of
course after:16...B:g5?? would be 17.Nd6+ Ke7 18.Rf7 mate. 17.Qg3 Bf6
18.Rae1! Rybka is developing exemplary attack 18...0–0 Black king
manage to get out from center, but there must be a prize to pay…
WHITE TO MOVE
19.Q:e5!! Human
describe such moves as "bolt from the blue", for comp is only few ply
search. 19...B:e5! The best chances to rescue the game black has in the
endgame. Hopeless was to play: 19...B:g5 20.R:f8+ K:f8 21.Rf1+ Kg8 (21...Bf6
22.g5+-; 21...Ke8 22.Nc7++-) 22.Q:e6+ Kh8 23.Nd6+- 20.B:d8 R:f1+ 21.K:f1
B:h2
WHITE TO MOVE
Tactical storm has stopped.
Black for a time being has 3 pawns for a piece. However endgames are not strong
side of computers play, Rybka carry out her material advantage pretty
precisely. It is worth to mention, that the endgame has more tactical than
technical character. 22.Be7 Kf7
23.Bd6! B:d6 24.N:d6+ Ke7 If 24...Kf6 then 25.g5+! K:g5
(25...Ke7 26.Nf5+ with similar
position like in the game, only white has pawn on g5 instead on g4) 26.R:e6
White is winning, but it will take a lot of moves. 25.Nf5+ Kf6 After 25...Kd7 26.N:g7 White is winning but it
requires still a lot of good moves.
WHITE TO MOVE
26.N:d4 White
finally got a pawn. For a time being White has a passive king and the only
chance for Black for a draw is to reduce pawns and get a rook versus rook and
knight type of endgame. Rybka of course is not letting Gandalf to do it. ( IR: The author of Rybka Vasik Rajlich was curious and
little worry the endgame rook & rook and knight no pawns may arise, cause
he did not put this kind of draw endgame knowledge into his Beta version).
26...Re8 27.Kg2 e5 28.Rf1+ Human would play rather 28.Kg3! to avoid
pawns exchanges. 28...Kg5 29.Nf3+ K:g4 30.Nh2+ Kh4 31.Rf7
BLACK TO MOVE
31…e4 Gandalf
has still looked for counterplay 32.R:g7 h5 33.Nf1 d4 34.Nd2 a6?! More
resistance was to play 34...Re5, but it would not affect game result anyway. 35.Nb3
Re5 36.N:d4 Rg5+ 37.R:g5 K:g5 Still one should be careful to not loose all
pawns.
WHITE TO MOVE
How usually computers get
help from tactics. 38.Ne6+! Kf5 39.Nc5+- Ke5 40.N:b7 Kd5 41.Kg3 Kc4 42.Nd6+
Kd5 43.Nf5 Kc4 44.b3+ Kd5 45.Kf4 e3 46.K:e3 Ke5 1–0