Tactics in ending

Jimmy Liew - Duong The Anh, Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2010

White to move

Black looks quite good here. The white c-pawn looks doomed and black also threatens to fork on c4. Despite shortage of time I found some nice tactical ideas.

37 g4+ !!

This looks like driving the black king to take part in an attack on the white pieces. First I had to examine the retreating move 37...Kg6

37... Kg6 38. f5+ Kf7 39. fxe6+ Kxe6 40.c7+ Kd7 (Black loses more quickly after 40... Kxe5 41. Bd2 Rc2 42. c8=Q Rxc8 43. Bxa5 winning a piece) 41. Rd6+  Kc8 (41...Kxc7 42. Bb6+ wins the knight)  42. Bb6 Nb2 43. Rd8+ Kb7 44. Rb8+ followed by c8=Q.

But what's wrong with 37...Ke4?

After 37...Ke4

37...Ke4 38. Rb4+! Kd3 39. Rd4+ Kc2

Normally black should feel quite comfortable with similar positions. Unfortunately the black rook and knight are lined up perfectly for a skewer. By now both of us were in time trouble.

40. Bd2 Ra3 41. Bxa5?

Time shortage! I was aiming for the rook ending and overlooked 41. c7 wins immediately.
Rxa5 42. f5 Kc3 43. Ke3 Rc5 44.fxe6 Rxc6 45. Rxd5 Rxe6 46. Ke4 Rh6 47. Rc5+ Kb4 48. Rc7 Rxh3 49. Rxg7 Kc5 50.Rc7+ Kb6 51. Rc4 Kb5 52. Rc8 Rh1 53. e6 Re1+ 54. Kd5 Kb6 55. Rc4 1-0

Roy Chowdury Satarpsi - Jimmy Liew, Round 8

29. .. d3

Initially I intended 29... Qd2 30. Qh6 Rf7 31. e6 Re7  but then I saw the move 30. Qf3 and decided my actual move was better. However after 29...Qd2 30. Qf3 Nb4 should be clearly better for black now as he will win the queen side pawns.

30.cxd3 Nxf4 31. Nxf4 Qxf4 32. Qe2 Re8 33. Re1

White offered a draw which I declined by playing a hasty move

33...Re7 ?!

33... Qb4 Instead picks up the b-pawn for free after 34. Rb1 Re6 followed by ..Qc3

34. e6

Not giving me any second chance

34...g6 35. Kg2?

Inviting Black to exchange queens. White should take control of the long diagonal with 35. Qb2 Qg5 (Else Qf6) 36. Qe5 and White have no problems.

35....Qd4

I did not have enough time to calculate the consequences of  35... Qg4+ 36. Qxg4 fxg4 37. Kg3 Kg7 38. Kxg4 Kf6 39. h4 Rxe6 40. Rxe6+ Kxe6 but I suspect white is faster in this pawn ending race e,g 41. Kg5 b5 42. Kh6 bxa4 43. bxa4 Ke5 44. Kxh7 Kd4 45. Kxg6 Kxd3 46. h5

36. f3 Kg7

Black should play 36...Qd5 first to tie the white queen to the defence of the e6 pawn

37. Qd2 b6

Now 37... Qd5 fails to 38. Qb2+ Kh6 39. Qf6

38. Qg5 Qf6?

Black had a last chance for a win with 38...Qd6 39. Qe3 c5 (39... Kf6 40. Qxb6) 40. Qe2 Kf6 41. Qb2+ Qd4 42. Qe2 g5 with clear advantage for Black.

39. Qf4 Rxe6

Otherwise white plays Qd6 with the better position

 40. Rxe6 Qxe6 41. Qc7+ Kh6 42. Qxb6 Qd5 43. Qe3+ Kg7 44. Qe7+ 1/2-1/2

A day of missed opportunities

Huang Qian - Jimmy Liew, Round 2

Black to move

Black can win easily by advancing his a-pawn e.g 49...a5 50 Kc2 a6 51 Kb2 Rf3 and wins the white f-pawn. But when you have few minutes on the clock, your mind plays tricks on you.

49. ..Ra5 50. Kd3

Now I realized the intended 50...Rf5 51 Ke4 Rxf6 51. Rh7+ Kg6 52. Ra7 wins the a-pawn with a drawn rook ending.

Ra4 51. Ke3 a5 52. Kd3 Rf4

Ok now I can win the f-pawn AND defend the a-pawn

 53. Ke3 Rxf6 54. Rh7+ Kg6 55. Ra7 Rf5 56. Ke4

Black cannot proceed without giving up a pawn

Kf6 57. Ra8 Rb5 58. Rf8+ Ke7 59. Ra8 Kd6 60. Ra6+ Kc5 61. Rxe6 Kc4 62. Ke3 Rd5 63. Ra6 Kb4 64. Rb6+ Ka3 65. Ke4 Rd8 66. Rb5 a4 67. Ke3 Ka2 68. Rb7 Rd1 69. Ke2 Rb1 70. Ra7 Rb4

Maybe the best try but the Chinese player defends perfectly.

 71. Kd2 Kb2 72. Rc7!

I think this is the only move to hold

a3 73. Rc2+ Kb3 74. Rc3+ Ka4 75. Kc2! Rb2+

75...a2? 76. Rc8 draws

76. Kc1 Rb5

Now I was expecting to win after 77. Kc2 a2 78. Rc8 Rc5+ 79. Rxc6 a1=Q

77. Rc2!!  Rb7

The ending is already drawn. There is a well known tactic after 77.. Rh5 78.Kb1 Kb3 79. Rb2+ axb2 stalemate.


78. Rh2 Rb8 79. Rh4+ Kb3 80. Kb1 Rc8 81. Rh3+ Kb4 82. Ka2 Rc2+ 83. Kb1 Rg2 84. Rh4+

1/2-1/2
 
Jimmy Liew - Ziaur Rahman , Round 3
 

Black to move

Black has sacrifice two pieces for this attacking position and now expected to win with
 
23... Ba6??
 
The point being that 24. Qxa6 g3 25. Nf3 comes the thematic sac 25...Rxf3 26. gxf3 Qh2+ 27. Kf1 Qf2 mate which I also see. Therefore I saw no alternative but to give up the queen.
 
24. Bb2??
 
In reality both of us missed that after 24 Qxa6 g3 25. Nf3 Rxf3 white has 26. Qc8+ when it is black who has to resign, 26...Rf8 27. Qxe6+ Kh8 28. Qh3
24... Bxe2 25. Rxe2 Rxc5 26. Be4 Rh5 27. f3 gxf3 28. Bxf3 Rxf3 29. gxf3 Qh1+ 30. Kf2 Rh2+ 31. Kg3 Rh3+ 32. Kf2 Rxf3#

0-1
 
Days like this makes me wondor why I still torture myself with chess.