Endgame studies with annotations from world champions. Mikhail Botvinnik

At first glance, White's task seems simple.

Leonid Ivanovich Kubbel showed this endgame study in Spring 1925 at the Leningrad Workers' Palace Chess Club to two young boys - Sergey Kaminer and me. The chase after the Black King that escaped from h3 to a3 impressed us very much. But I couldn't understand for a long time: why Leonid Ivanovich didn't tell us that the final position had already occurred in one of Troitsky's studies?

The starting position is characteristic for Nadareishvili's works. It looks like a prosaic endgame from a practical game. It seems easily won by Black, because White have to give away both their pieces for the advanced passed pawns. The variants 1. Kc2? Rc5+ 2. Kb3 Rc3+ 3. Kxb4 Kb2 5. Ra8 Rb3+ 5. Kc4 Ra3 and 1. Rb8? Kb2 2. Rxb4+ Ka3 only prove this first impression.

So, we can't move neither King nor Rook. Let's try to get the Bishop into the game.

One last question remains: why the Bishop had to go to g8 rather than e6? If this move is possible, then we have a second solution. But the Bishop's position here is not secure: 2. Be6? Kb1 3. Rb8 Rc1+ 4. Kd2 Rc2+ 5. Kd1 a1=Q 6. Rxb4+ Rb2 7. Rc4 Rb6!, and after 8. Rc1+ Kb2 9. Rxa1 Rd6+ 10. Ke2 Rxe6+ Black win both White pieces.

The Black Queen's appearance is inevitable, so White have to seek their salvation in Black King's cramped position.

White's only chance is to use a pin.