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Bent Larsen vs Tony Miles
Vidmar Memorial (1979), Bled/Portoroz YUG, rd 10, Jun-15
Hungarian Opening: Symmetrical Variation (A00)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

find similar games 15 more Larsen/Miles games
sac: 28.Nc6+ PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-17-10  tatarch: <YouRang: The technique for winning in the 60.Rb3+ method is probably worth mentioning>

Thanks for that post, very helpful to visualize the process

Feb-17-10  avidfan: Kudos and thanks to <You Rang> and <Honza Cervenka> for your educational and enlightening variations. We need more of this type of analyses to <improve endgame technique>. Thanks to <chessgames.com> we are being treated to a good series of endgame puzzles lately.
Feb-17-10  drleper: Thanks YouRang, interesting technique to win with Rb3+. Makes a lot more sense when you know the ideas behind the moves.
Feb-17-10  Once: <YouRang> Excellent analysis there, sir!
Feb-17-10  zanshin: <prbprb2: Can someone run a chess computer on move 34.>

Rybka 3 seems to like <34...h6> instead of the immediate h5. Here's comparison of 34...h6 and the move played: <34...Bf4>


click for larger view

[-0.21] d=24 34...h6 35.Kg2 h5 36.gxh5 gxh5 37.Rd1 h4 38.Rd8 h3 39.Kh1 Bf5 40.Ra8 Bd4 41.Rb8 Kf4 42.Bc6 Ke3 43.a6 Kf2 44.Rb4 Be5 45.Rb7 Bd3 46.Rb3 (0:08.31) 63223kN

[-0.03] d=23 34...Bf4 35.Rb5 Kh4 36.Kg2 h6 37.Be4 Kxg4 38.Bxg6 Be5 39.Be4 Kg5 40.Rc5 Be6 41.Rb5 h5 42.Rb7 Bd4 43.Rg7 Kf4 44.Bd3 Bg4 45.Rh7 (0:06.53) 51142kN

Feb-17-10  Julian713: Thanks for the analysis <YouRang>...I answered Rb3+ but for much less accurate reasons, lol.
Feb-17-10  YouRang: To those who found my last helpful, you're welcome. :-)

I should add that there are (of course) several other ways it could be played out, but once you know the objectives (keep bishop off diagonal and manuver king to a6), it's not difficult. Just be sure to avoid stalemate traps!

In fact, you might enjoy playing out this variation vs. Crafty using the link kindly created by <David2009>: http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t...

Feb-17-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chrisowen: <Yourang> Impressive feat. The bishop does fester but alert the rook, it takes the role of jack of all trades. The Wednesday thing is looking for the best continuation and I believe the hangman's noose falls even more quicker if 63.Rb4.


click for larger view

e.g. 60.Rb3+ Ka7 61.Kc6 Be5 62.Rb7 Ka8 63.Rb4 Ka7 64.Rg4 Bc3 65.Kb5 Be5 66.Re4 Bf6 67.Rf4 Be5 68.Rf7+

Feb-17-10  Once: <YouRang> I'm one of those who went for 60. Rb3+ as the solution, but I have to admit that my reasoning was based more on dimly remembered theory than your lucidly explained variation!

After the forced sequence, 60. Rb3+ Ka7 (or lose the bishop) 61. Rb7+ Ka8 (or lose the bishop) 62. Kc6, we have this position:


click for larger view

Now all (!!) that white needs to do is to wait until the bishop runs away, then play R to somewhere else along the c-h files, K-b6 then R-eighth rank mate or a7 followed by the rook mate.

And from the dusty attic that medical science might call a brain, I recall reading somewhere that a free rook can never scare a bishop away from a diagonal it is already on but can always stop a bishop from grabbing a diagonal it hasn't claimed yet.

So if black could get his bishop onto the b8-g1 diagonal he would be safe. There are too many safe squares along the diagonal for the white rook to be able to block them all. Black could play Bg1-Ba7-Bg1 all day long for an easy draw.

But if the bishop hasn't yet claimed the diagonal, there is only one square on the diagonal that white needs to cover at any one time. If the black bishop is on h2, the rook only needs to cover g1. If the bishop is on g3 or h4, white just needs to cover f2, and so on. And that is pretty easy-peasy for a rook to do, especially on an open board where it can run along rank and file. It also helps that the king is on a light square, so black hasn't any fancy bishop checks to worry us.

Eventually, black will have to put his bishop on a square where the rook both keeps it off the diagonal and attacks the bishop. Then the bishop has to make a pass move and the white king can edge closer to our fantasy mate or queen pawning position.

But of course you have explained it much more eloquently and, anyway, 60. a7 is a cleaner kill. Wish I had spotted it!

Feb-17-10  YouRang: <Once><...a free rook can never scare a bishop away from a diagonal it is already on but can always stop a bishop from grabbing a diagonal it hasn't claimed yet. >

Yep! That, in a nutshell, is the principle at work in this case -- that and the fact that eventually, the bishop can be forced to pass, thus giving us time to make progress.

<...anyway, 60. a7 is a cleaner kill. Wish I had spotted it!>

Me too, but at least the less efficient alternatives can be interesting too. :-)

Feb-17-10  The Famous Chess Cat: Does the immediate 60.Kc8 win as well, due to the same reasons? It seems to win even more easily.
Feb-17-10  YouRang: <The Famous Chess Cat: Does the immediate 60.Kc8 win as well, due to the same reasons? It seems to win even more easily.>

Nope, it draw after 60...Ka7. The problem is that the black has two drawing resources: (1) capture Pa6 or (2) get his bishop onto the a7-g1 diagonal.

The rook can stop one or the other, but not both.

Feb-17-10  YouRang: Addendum to previous: In the 60.Rb3+ case examined earlier, the black king is prevented from taking Pa6 thanks to our king being on c6: ...Kxa6? is punished by mate (e.g. Ra2#).
Feb-17-10  just a kid: besides 60.a7 60.Ra2,Ra4,Ra1 and 60.Rb3+ win
Feb-17-10  johnlspouge: Wednesday (Medium/Easy)

Larsen vs Miles, 1979 (60.?)

White to play and win.

Material: R+P for B. Black has a stop square a7 against Pa6. To win, because of the book K+RP vs. K draw, White must force Black to sacrifice Bb8, to prevent either a8=Q or mate.

Candidates (60.): Rb3+

[60.Rb3+ Ka7 61.Rb7+ Ka8 looks drawn]

60.a7 Bxa7 [else 61.a8=Q wins]

61.Kc8 (zugzwang)

Black loses Ba7 because he has to move.

From the kibitzing, I see that 60.Rb3+ wins. I need to study the endgame more... :)

Feb-17-10  WhenHarryMetSally: I was thinking

60. Kc8!

Black has to either move his bishop or his king. The next white move would be to advance the pawn:

61. Pa7!

I don't understand the present solution because white is essentially throwing away his pawn.

Feb-17-10  muralman: Ah! I am on a roll. This makes 3 in a row. I looked at all possibilities with none panning out accept the pawn push. That covered the hiding spot the black king was wishing for. It also set up a nice train of checks.
Feb-17-10  DarthStapler: I didn't get it
Feb-17-10  melianis: no puzzle, known position, but the 34th question is interesting, how to defend that to a draw?
Feb-18-10  nuwanda: hi <Once>,

i'm a little bit surprised by your last post, because the line you gave, 60. Rb3+ Ka7 61. Rb7+ Ka8 62. Kc6, is exactly one, that throws away the win for white.

the faulty intermediate check 61.Rb7+ gives black just enough time and space to reach the all-deciding diagonal a7-g1. in your given diagramm 62...Ba7 (there it is!) ensures the draw for black.

the right method is given by <YouRang>.

greets...

Feb-18-10  loestik: 60.Rb3+ Ka6: 61.Rb8: Ka7 62.Kc7 and K+R/K
Feb-19-10  Once: <nuwanda> I stand corrected, humbled, embarrassed...
Feb-20-10  nuwanda: hi <Once>,

hope your joking, cause this was surely not my intention.

Ride on

...

Feb-20-10  Once: <nuwanda> There's nearly always a smile on my face. I dislike posting incorrect analysis, but always welcome it when others point out my mistakes. And especially when they do it as politely and gently as you did just then!
Aug-23-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Plaskett: Amazed that in three pages of kibitzing nobody once mentioned the Cozio position.

Superb ending from larsen, this.

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