Practical Endgames for Composing Inspiration II.

This is a 2nd article that will show practical chess endgames which contain remarkable positions or maneouvres

which hopefully inspire Endgame study composers to create new Endgame studies.

 

Anyone who has an interesting endgame with surprises in it, could send it to the Webmaster of Arves.

(look for the email address at the Board page).

See also: Inspiration for Study Composers I

The following Endgame examples from played games are chosen from the book by Laszlo Polgar (1999):

 

Although may be more than 50% off the examples in the book are Endgame studies,

there are also interesting endgames from games with surprising moves.

The material in the book is organized around themes:.

 1) Black manages to hold the draw by sacrificing a pawn:

2) Black start with a suprising move and after liquidation White gets in Zugzwang:

3) Black starts with a pawn sacrifice:

4) White has dangerous pawns but his king is also in great danger.

5) Black manages to break through !

6) White finds the Stalemate way to make a draw:

7) Black uses stalemate threats to make a draw:

8) A rambling Rook for White:

 

9) Black manages to create a unique fortress:

 

10) Also here Black manages to keep the gate closed:

11) It looks as if Black has a perpetual, but White finds his way out nicely:

12) White played 1.Kf2 but extensive analyses show 1.Kd2 wins, mostly by trapping the Black rook:

12) Also here with extensive analyses the nice Bishop sacrifice is justified:

13) After the amazing starting move black is in trouble:

14) In the game Black played 1...a5? A wonderful first move to keep the White Rook from b5:

15) Although a Nalimov position, White missed the first and only winning move:

16) Black starts nicely and manages to get through:

17) In the old days they also knew how to break through:

18) A nice calculated liquidation into Zugzwang by White:

19) Black plays the only winning move and shows the way:

20) White starts with a clever move not letting black to gain a tempo on the Rook:

21) Marching along the backdoor is the way to win for Black:

22) The White King needs to march from behind: 

23) Sacficing the Queen for a decisive bind and win:

24) Black forces White into Zugzwangs:

25) The first move is important:

26) Avoiding a need to know draw position if White goes wrong with 1.Rxe5?:

27) A very precise Black play to save the draw!:

A study in itself?

28) The world champion missing a nice liquidation:

29) Well calculated by White:

30) Black rook sacrifice for marching pawns:

31) Nicely calculated break through:

32) White creates troubles at two fronts:

33) Opening up the position with the better bishops:

34) Very instructive play by White:

35) The only winning move seems illogic at first:

36) Black must act. Also 1...b4 is good for a draw:

37) White has a clear combination:

38) White saves himself with a remarkable fortress:

39) A nice combination from the old days;

40) Black goes wrong getting a hard surprise:

41) White has a Rambling Rook threat as defense idea:

Black played 1...Rb7 and all went into a draw. But with Re3! a win was available.

42) Black starts with a magnificient sacrifice:

43) Black manages to perpetual or stalemate:

44) Remarkable, White can sacrifice his Knight and keep the Black King out on an open board !:

45) White played 1.f3 ?, but could have maintained the fortress:

46) The Black Knight jumps around:

47) Sacrificing all the pawns for an active King:

48) Not afraid to jump into a discover check:

49) A long way to Tipperary:

50) Suddenly the Bad Black Bishop becomes the winner:

51) Black has a fortress:

52) White had a nice win but played 1.e6?:

53) White starts with the right plan but lost it on the way:

54) The actions by the White Rook are more dangerous:

55) Black missed his opportunity:

56) Giving away a Rook with a fork for the win:

57) The non-intuitive switchback with the Rook missed by Black:

58) A nice illustration, how to tempo out a position:

59) Activating the Black King is more important than a pawn: 

60) Good coordination by Black between Rook, Knight and King:

61) Clever play by Black:

63) White does not accept Rook offers at e4?:

64) Not easy to find all these finessess for Black:

65) Only precise play keeps the draw:

66) A nice liquidation and 6th move by Black:

67) Although it looks simpel, White needs a very precise move!

68) The 1st move is a littele surpise?

69) Keeping the Black King on the line:

70) Black almost wins but White has a resource:

71) Black has to get rid of his pawn to be able to draw:

72) Mating net:

73) How to handle tension: 

74) The Black Knight jumps around:

75) Zugzwangs all the time:

76) Bringing the pawns to phenix in a precise way:

77) Ignoring the Bishop at h3 bringing Black in Zugzwang:

78) Giving White two passed pawns to draw!

79) Positional draw with minus two pawns:

80) Drawing by bringing the Black Knight to h1:

81) Another fortress:

82) Black made the wrong move but a fortress was possible:

83) Another method to bring the draw home:

84) A long struggle for the draw (certain sublines are omitted):