Back into the fray: Endgame & More.

Hi all,

After a few years hiatus, I've started playing chess again as of yesterday. I'm trying to take it quite seriously and am keen on becoming a much stronger player than I currently am.

Apologies if I'm missing some forum etiquette here by not going into more detail myself. I will in future, but bear with me for now. Thanks.

- My thoughts -

1) My opening isn't terribly strong. The opening to this game was quite unorthodox - for me, anyway - and I didn't feel at all comfortable with it. 3) bc4 isn't something I haven't seen very often.

2) My endgame was poor. I feel this game could have been mine if I was stronger in this area. I'm particularly interested in 37) g3 f4, which I was quite unsure of. Does anyone have any pointers regarding this endgame for me?

45. Rf4+ should have been draw by repetition.

You need to claim a draw for that to happen, right? I did wonder if I could have claimed the draw at this point but didn't know how the system worked.

Also, I'm not too clued up on that rule. I take it I could have claimed it directly after my 3rd move as King? Or directly after his 3rd move as Rook?

The rule is that if the same position (with the same side to move, of course) occurs three times during the game (no matter when in the game the positions occur), then a draw may be claimed by either party.

By this rule, a draw could actually have been claimed by you after your 44. ... Kf5, because the resulting position had just been reached three times in a row. Then 45. Rf4+ repeated that position for the third time as well, so the draw could have been claimed there; and again, 45. ... Ke5 repeated that position as well for the third time, so a draw could have been claimed then, too.

53. ... Kd3-d2 is a losing mistake, better was 53. ... Rxb6, when you would have had at least a draw and White would have had to start worrying about losing. If then 54. Kg3-f2 Rxh6 55. Rxd2 Rh2+ is winning, so White has a rough time after 53. ... Rxb6.

Thanks, jconn.

My endgame is certainly a weakness right now - I've picked up on that myself. I could sense the game was in the balance and felt I had the tools to win... I just couldn't find the right lines.

Good analysis... I'll have an in-depth look at 53 when I get the opportunity.

28... h5 is also a crude mistake.. Rb4/c3 winning the c4 pawn was critical. Instead, you let him win a pawn and have 2 outside passed pawns, which is losing.

Thanks Shoopi.

I've gone back and had a look; that was a shocking error. A real gamebreaker... damn. Rb4 would have been far preferable.

53. ... Kd2? This is a mistake in a combination of counting and logic. The h-pawn is clearly going to queen in a few moves unless you stop it. And it won't do you any good to queen your pawn since white can just trade his rook for it after you do.

Instead of the king move, 53. ... Rxb6 looks like it just wins. White has no good way to defend the h-pawn as 54. Rh5 e1=Q+ is an easy win for you and 54. h7 Rh6 55. Re7 Rxh7 56. Rxh7 e1=Q+ probably also wins for you.

How does it win? 54. Kf2 54... Rxh6 55. Re8 is a draw

54. Kf2 Rxh6 55. Re8 Rh2+ 56. Kg3 Rh8! 57. Re7 Rh1 wins.

54. Kf2 Rxh6 55. Re8 Rh2+ 56. Kg1 Rh8! 57. Re7 Kd2 48. Rd7+ Ke1 will also win.

I've just looked at the position again. In the first variation, after 56. Kg3, black wins immediately after Rh1! and if Kf2, Rf1+ (same fate if 56. Ke1).

The second variation wins as well. So you do have to make the in-between move 55. Re3+, which draws. I did not think it was necessary, but it is.