Rook Endgames from Riga

The recently finished FIDE Grand Swiss had a lot of interesting games. I happened to be present in Riga for several rounds and I witnessed a few of them.

I was in the playing hall when the following two rook endgames were played. I had my impressions while the games were in progress and I will share them in the comments. As usual when we use our brains, my impressions were much more cautious than the definite verdicts of the engine.

The first example was from the women's event.

In the game Harika-Stefanova the following position occurred. Black is passive, but my impression was that she should be able to save the game.

The second example was from the same round but several meters away.

The reigning European champion had Aronian on the ropes. It looked winning, but...

The third example was from a later round when I was already home. The fight at the top became tense and this game turned out to be crucial for Firouzja's final victory.

Najer had a great tournament until then and was so close to a draw... He only had to count, but probably tired he failed!

I found these endgames quite instructive, both while watching them in the playing hall, when incertanties overwhelmed me, and while analysing them with an engine, as then the incertanties are dispelled and solid knowledge is formed.

I hope you find them as instructive as I did. It always pays to know your rook endgames.