Endgame Studies 2

Revaz Tavariani, 1970
Revaz Tavariani, 1970

White to play and win

White is a piece up but black is about to promote the e-pawn. So white needs to create counterplay with their passed d-pawn.

1.Kc8 e1=Q 2.d7 Qb4

Threatening Qb7# if white promotes to a queen. Most other moves queen moves can be answered with 3.d8=Q apart from 2...Qa5: 3.d8=N+ Kb6 4.Bc7+ and white wins the queen


White to play

3.d8=N+ Kb6 4.Bc7+ Ka6 5.Nc6!

Threatening to take the queen and if the queen leaves the b-file, white has Nb8 mate

5...Qb7+ 6.Kd7 Qa8

Forced as 7.Nb8+ would have won the queen otherwise

7.Nb8+ Kb7 8.a5! a6

Preventing 9.a6# 8...Qxb8 9.a6+ (9.Bxb8 {This also wins but 9.a6+ is easier} 9...Kxb8 10.f4!) 9...Ka8 10.Bxb8 Kxb8 11.f4!


White to play

9.f4

This puts black under some sort of Zugzwang since the e- and g-pawns can never move because white will promote one move sooner than black

9...Ka7 (9...Qa7 {This transposes to the game} 10.Nc6 Qa8 11.Bb8) 10.Nc6+ Kb7 11.Bb8 Qxb8 12.Nxb8 Kxb8 13.Kxe6


Black to play

The king and pawn ending wins easily because black cannot move any pawns and white will take the f- and g-pawns and promote their own f-pawn.