[Event "K+R+4P vs K+R+3P"] [Site "www.masterchessopen.com"] [Date "1948.01.01"] [Round "0"] [White "Sämisch"] [Black "Unzicker"] [Result "1-0"] [EventType "game"] [FEN "8/6kp/6p1/2p5/2P5/1P1r2P1/1R3K1P/8 w - - 0 1"] { In practice, the struggle to achieve positional advantage is the struggle to create or enhance qualities favorable to us, and correspondingly to eliminate or diminish the same qualities for the opponent. The ability to foresee and evaluate such a favorable transformation is the basis for developing a plan for the game. White has a material advantage of one pawn, but neither side has any positional advantage. The immediate attempt to create a passed pawn with 1.b4 cxb4 2.Rxb4 offers positional compensation to Black after 2...Rc3!, placing an active rook behind the pawn. In other words, the attempt to create a favorable quality for our position, will also create a countervailing favorable quality for the opponent; essentially we have not achieved anything. In the actual game, White choose the strategically correct plan - to defend the b-pawn with the king, then to activate his rook (a favorable quality) and to capture Black's c-pawn, thus creating two very strong connected passed pawns. Even if it proves necessary to sacrifice two white pawns on the kingside for the c-pawn, the resulting position still would be advantageous to White, because White's pawns would move ahead earlier (extra tempi = favorable quality). Here is the actual execution of this plan: } 1.Ke2 (1.b4 cxb4 2.Rxb4 Rc3 $44) 1...Rc3 2.Kd2 Rf3 3.Kc2 Kf6 4.Kb1 Ke5 5.Re2+ Kd4 6.Kc2 h5 { Black also tries for counterplay by activating his king and pawns. } 7.Rd2+ Ke4 8.Rd5 Rf2+ 9.Kc3 Rxh2 10.Rxc5 Rh3 11.Rg5 h4 12.Rg4+ Ke5 13.Rxh4 Rxg3+ 14.Kb4 { This transformation leads to a simpler, basic endgame where the material advantage and favorable pawn structure are preserved. Black has no positional compensation - the activity and coordination of the forces are equivalent. Ultimately, the correct strategic plan results in a winning position. } g5! { Black's king is cut off at the sixth rank, preventing it from blockading the passed pawns. } 15.Rh6 g4 16.c5 Kd5 17.Rd6+ Ke5 18.Rd1 Rf3 19.c6 Rf8 20.Kc5 {#r} 1-0