[Event "K+R+3P (Connected) vs K+R+2P (Split)"] [Site "www.masterchessopen.com"] [Date "1930.01.01"] [Round "0"] [White "Capablanca"] [Black "Yates"] [Result "1-0"] [EventType "simul"] [EventRounds "2"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [FEN "8/5pk1/1R5p/4P3/5PP1/4r3/6K1/8 w - - 0 1"] { Chances for victory are increased when the pawns of the weaker side are isolated. Probably the best example from practice is this one. This position has been analyzed in detail by so many famous experts on endgames, that the author will humbly compile and present all of them in this book, in order to fully expose the whole picture of the struggle and the various possibilities. } 1.Rb4 { White's plan is to expel Black's rook from the third rank, transfer his own rook to the seventh or eighth rank, and advance the f-pawn. This is most easily achieved by 1.Rb1!, denying Black the most active defense of attacking the pawns from rear. A likely continuation then is 1...Re4 2.Kf3 Ra4 3.Rb8! Ra3+ 4.Kg2 Re3 5.Re8 Re2+ 6.Kf3 Re1 7.f5 Rf1+ 8.Ke2 Rf4 9.Ke3 Rxg4 10. f6+ Kh7 11.e6! and wins (Kopaev). } (1.Rb1! Re4 2.Kf3 Ra4 3.Rb8! Ra3+ 4.Kg2 Re3 5.Re8 Re2+ 6.Kf3 Re1 7.f5 Rf1+ 8.Ke2 Rf4 9.Ke3 Rxg4 10.f6+ Kh7 11.e6 $18) 1...Rc3 2.Kf2? { A mistake. Winning is 2.Rb8! intending 3.f5 (Kopaev). } Ra3? { Better drawing chances lie in 2...h5! (Levenfish and Smyslov), followed, for example, by 3.g5 (3.gxh5 Rh3!) 3...h4 4.Rb7 Kg6 5.Rb6+ Kg7! 6.Rh6 h3 7.f5 (or 7.Kg1 Rf3 8.Rh4 Kg6 and Kf5=) 7...Rc5 8.f6+ Kg8 9.e6 (or 9.g6 fxg6 10.Rxg6 Kf7! 11.Rg7+ Kf8 12.Re7 Rc2+ 13.Kg1 h2+ 14.Kh1 Re2=) 9... fxe6 10.Rg6+ Kf8 11.Kg3 Rc3+ 12.Kh2 Rf3 13.Rh6 e5 14.Rxh3 Rf5 15.Rh8+ Kf7 16. Rh7+ Kf8 17.Rg7 Rf3 18.Kg2 e4= (Kopaev). } (2...h5! 3.g5 (3.gxh5 Rh3!) 3...h4 4.Rb7 Kg6 5.Rb6+ Kg7! 6.Rh6 h3 7.f5 (7.Kg1 Rf3 8.Rh4 Kg6 9.-- Kf5 $11) 7...Rc5 8.f6+ Kg8 9.e6 (9.g6 fxg6 10.Rxg6+ Kf7! 11.Rg7+ Kf8 12.Re7 Rc2+ 13.Kg1 h2+ 14.Kh1 Re2 $11) 9...fxe6 10.Rg6+ Kf8 11.Kg3 Rc3+ 12.Kh2 Rf3 13.Rh6 e5 14.Rxh3 Rf5 15.Rh8+ Kf7 16.Rh7+ Kf8 17.Rg7 Rf3 18.Kg2 e4 $11) 3.Rb7 Kg8 (3...Kg6 4.f5+ $18) 4.Rb8+! Kg7 5.f5 { Threatening 6.f6+ Kh7 7.Rf8 Kg6 8.Rg8+ Kh7 9.Rg7+ +- (Fine). } Ra2+ { White's king cannot be cut off along the third rank, e.g. 5...Rc3 6.f6+ Kh7 7.Rf8 Rc7 8.Kf3 Rb7 9.Kf4 Ra7 10. Kf5 Rb7 11.Rxf7+! Rxf7 12.e6+- (Levenfish and Smyslov). } (5...Rc3 6.f6+ Kh7 7.Rf8 Rc7 8.Kf3 Rb7 9.Kf4 Ra7 10.Kf5 Rb7 11.Rxf7+! Rxf7 12.e6 $18) 6.Ke3 Ra3+ 7.Ke4 Ra4+ 8.Kd5! Ra5+ { After 8...Rxg4 9.f6+ Kh7 10.Rf8 Kg6 11.Rg8+ Kh5 12.Rxg4 Kxg4 13.e6 will produce a queen (Fine). } (8...Rxg4 9.f6+ Kh7 10.Rf8 Kg6 11.Rg8+ Kh5 12.Rxg4 Kxg4 13.e6 $18) 9.Kd6 Ra6+ 10.Kc7 Kh7 { Or 10...Ra1 11.f6+ Kh7 12.Rf8 Ra7+ 13.Kd8 Kg6 14.Rg8+ Kh7 15.Rg7+ Kh8 16. g5 (16.Ke8 h5 17.g5 h4 18.Rxf7 Ra8+ 19.Ke7 h3 20.g6! Ra7+ 21.Ke6+- ) (Lisitsin) . 16...hxg5 17.Ke8 Ra5 18.Rxg5 Ra7 19.e6! fxe6 20.f7 Ra8+ 21.Ke7 Ra7+ 22.Kf6 Ra8 23.Rh5# (Fine). } (10...Ra1 11.f6+ Kh7 12.Rf8 Ra7+ 13.Kd8 Kg6 14.Rg8+ Kh7 15.Rg7+ Kh8 16.g5 (16.Ke8 h5 17.g5 h4 18.Rxf7 Ra8+ 19.Ke7 h3 20.g6 Ra7+ 21.Ke6 $18) 16...hxg5 17.Ke8 Ra5 18.Rxg5 Ra7 19.e6! fxe6 20.f7 Ra8+ 21.Ke7 Ra7+ 22.Kf6 Ra8 23.Rh5#) 11.Kd7 Ra7+ 12.Kd6 Kg7 (12...Ra6+ 13.Ke7 Ra7+ 14.Kf6 $18) 13.Rd8 Ra5 { Other defenses are no better: 13...Rb7 14.Rd7! Rb6+ 15.Kc5 Rb8 16.e6 Rf8 17.Kd5 Kf6 18.Rxf7+ +-; 13...Ra6+ 14.Ke7 Ra7+ 15.Rd7 Ra8 16.Rc7 Rb8 17.Kd6! Kg8 18.e6 fxe6 19.fxe6+- (Lisitsin). } (13...Rb7 14.Rd7! Rb6+ 15.Kc5 Rb8 16.e6 Rf8 17.Kd5 Kf6 18.Rxf7+ $18) (13...Ra6+ 14.Ke7 Ra7+ 15.Rd7 Ra8 16.Rc7 Rb8 17.Kd6! Kg8 18.e6 fxe6 19.fxe6 $18) 14.f6+ Kh7 15.Rf8 Ra7 16.Kc6! { Also winning is 16.Kd5 intending 17. Ke4 and 18.Rxf7 (Levenfish and Smyslov). Capablanca has placed his opponent in zugzwang. } Kg6 17.Rg8+ Kh7 18.Rg7+ Kh8 19.Kb6 Rd7 20.Kc5! Rc7+ 21.Kd6 Ra7 22.e6! { Precise! If 22.g5, then 22...hxg5 23.Rxg5 Kh7 24.Rg7+ Kh8 25.e6 Ra6+ 26.Ke7 Rxe6! 27.Kxf7 Rxf6!= (Fine). } (22.g5 hxg5 23.Rxg5 Kh7 24.Rg7+ Kh8 25.e6 Ra6+ 26.Ke7 Rxe6+! 27.Kxf7 Rxf6+ $11) 22...Ra6+ 23.Ke7 Rxe6+ { Or 23...fxe6 24.f7! Ra7+ 25.Kf6 Ra8 26.Kg6 and mate next (Fine). } (23...fxe6 24.f7 Ra7+ 25.Kf6 Ra8 26.Kg6 $18) 24.Kxf7 Re4 { Or 24...Re5 25.g5! hxg5 26.Kg6+- (Lisitsin). } (24...Re5 25.g5 hxg5 26.Kg6 $18) 25.g5! hxg5 26.Kg6 { After 26...Re6 follows 27.Re7. } (26.Kg6 Re6 27.Re7 $18) 1-0