ZUGZWANG

(1) Dragun,Kamil (2300) - Leniart,Arkadiusz (2439) [C68]
ch-POL Warsaw (6), 14.01.2010
[Karsten Mueller]



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Qd6 6.Na3 Be6 7.Qe2 f6 8.Rd1 0-0-0 9.d4 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 exd4 12.c3 d3 13.Nc4 Qd7 14.Bf4 Ne7 15.Qe3 b6 16.a4 Ng6 17.Bh2 Bc5 18.Qg3 Ne5 19.Nxe5 fxe5 20.b4 Be7 21.Qxg7 Kb7 22.Qxe5 Rhe8 23.Qh5 c5 24.bxc5 Bxc5 25.e5 Rg8 26.Kf1 Rdf8 27.f4 Qd5 28.Qf3 Qxf3+ 29.gxf3 Rxf4 30.Rxd3 Rh4 31.Ra2 Rxh3 32.Rg2 Rf8 33.Ke2 Rh4 34.f4 Rhxf4 35.Bxf4 Rxf4 36.Rd7 Rxa4 37.Kd3 Ra1 38.Rxh7 Re1 39.Rgg7 Kc6 40.Rh5 Kb5 41.Kd2 Re4 42.Rg2 a5 43.Re2 Rxe2+ 44.Kxe2 a4 45.Kd3 a3 46.Rh2 Be7 47.Kc2 Kc6 48.Rd2 Bc5 49.Rd3 Be7 50.Kb3 Bc5 51.Rd1 Be7 52.Kc4 Bc5 53.Kb3 Be7 54.e6 Bd6 55.Rd2 Be7 56.Rd1 Bd6 57.Kc4 Be7 58.Rd7 Bd6 59.Kb3 Bc5 60.Rh7 Bd6 61.Rf7 Bc5 62.e7 Kd7 63.e8Q+ Kxe8 64.Rxc7 Kd8 65.Rh7 Kc8 66.Kc4 Kb8 67.Rf7 Be3 68.Kb5 Zugzwang: the dangerous endgame weapon In the duel between a rook and a minor piece the attacking side often wins by using zugzwang.

68...Bc5? After this, Black is tied into the corner in typical fashion and sooner or later he will be forced to surrender his a-pawn. [His king absolutely has to head in the direction of freedom: 68...Kc8! 69.Kc6 Kd8 70.Rf1 (70.Rd7+ Ke8= ) 70...Bc5 71.Rd1+ Ke7 and White cannot win because he cannot enforce a decisive zugzwang.; 68...a2? only just loses: 69.Rf1 Bd2 70.Kb4 Kc7 71.Ra1 Kc6 72.Rxa2 Bf4 73.Ra8 Bd6+ 74.Ka4 Bc7 75.Rc8 Kb7 76.Rf8 Kc6 77.Rf5 Bd6 78.Rh5 and according to Tablebase White mates in 49 moves.; 68...Bh6? fails to 69.Rf6! (The greedy 69.Kxb6? falls into Black's trap: 69...a2 70.Rf1 Bg7= ) 69...Be3 70.Rf3 Bc5 71.Kc6 Kc8 72.Rd3+- ]

69.Kc6 Ka8 [After 69...Kc8 then 70.Rd7! hinders Black's king in its flight: 70...Kb8 71.Rd8+ Ka7 72.Re8! Bg1 73.Re4 Bc5 74.Ra4+ Kb8 75.Ra6+- (Baburin in Chess Today 3356); 69...Be3 70.Rf1 Ka7 71.Ra1 Bc5 72.Re1 Ka6 73.Re8 Ka7 74.Re4+- ]

70.Rh7 Kb8 71.Rf7 Ka8 [71...a2 fails to 72.Rf1 Be7 73.Kxb6 (73.Ra1? Bf6 74.Rxa2 Bxc3 75.Kxb6 Bd4+ is, on the other hand, only a draw.) 73...Bf6 74.Rxf6 a1Q 75.Rf8# ]

72.Rf4 Ka7 73.Ra4+ Kb8 74.Ra6 Finally we have on the board the decisive zugzwang position. Black first loses a pawn and then the game.

74...Bf2 75.Rxa3 Bc5 76.Ra6 Be3 77.c4 Bf2 78.Rxb6+ Kc8 [78...Bxb6 79.Kxb6 Kc8 80.Kc6 Kb8 81.Kd7 Kb7 82.c5+- ]

79.c5 Bg3 80.Rb3 1-0