Category: Endgame Strategy

In addition to his aforementioned accomplishments, Emanuel Lasker’s name became immortalized through a groundbreaking chess study, widely recognized as one of the most brilliant ever conceived.

By utilizing these tablebases, you gain access to an unrivaled and flawless advisor that can provide insights into the truth of endgames involving a restricted number of pieces. This invaluable resource becomes a powerful tool to enhance your understanding of critical endgame configurations.

Remarkably, we are going to delve into a genuine game within this category, marveling at the brilliance of Fischer’s victory in the bishop vs. knight (with pawns on both sides) endgame during the candidates’ quarterfinal in 1971.

The Vančura position, illustrated in the diagram, refers to a specific chess scenario where one player possesses a rook and a rook’s pawn, while the opposing player has only a rook. This situation occurs when the pawn has not advanced beyond its sixth rank, and the rook of the player with the advantage is positioned in front of the pawn.

Nevertheless, as with any rule, there are exceptions, and occasionally, it becomes imperative to execute a maneuver known as the rook switch, which involves placing the rook to the side of the pawn instead.

These strategic pawn moves, reserved for critical moments, are referred to as “reserved tempi.” I recommend examining the provided study for a compelling illustration of this concept.

Rook endgames are commonly encountered and understanding their fundamental principles is essential. In this instance, our focus will be on employing a tactical maneuver known as deflection to secure a win.

František Dedrle, one of the renowned Dedrle Brothers who lived between the 19th and 20th century, authored the following study in 1921. It prominently highlights the significant role of distant opposition and its notable variant, the diagonal opposition.

The shouldering away concept, specifically applicable in pawn endgames, involves positioning one’s king in a way that effectively “shoulders away” the opponent’s king, restricting its movement and seizing key squares.

In the endgame, the value of two minor pieces is roughly equal to that of a rook and an additional pawn. The configuration of pawns on the board plays a crucial role. When the opponent’s pawns are vulnerable, the two minor pieces hold an advantage.