Rook vs Pawns III

It's White to move unless otherwise noted. If you're new to such positions, check out Rook vs Pawns and Rook vs Pawns II before reading this.

I chose these positions because top players didn't handle them correctly!

1. Variation of Klovsky-Azmaiparashvili, Moscow 1979



White will promote in 6 moves, but Black can defend the promotion square in 5 moves. Obviously, accurate maneuvering will be vital to success.

1.Kh5? Kf3. Black's king has no trouble reaching the promotion square.

1.Kg4?! seizes the opposition, but Black has a counter-measure: 1...Rg8! It's the same trick we saw in Reti, 1928. White's in zugzwang and must give way. Play could continue 2.Kh5 Kf3 -/+ or 2.Kf5 Kh3 -/+.

1.g6! Only this move secures the draw. 1...Kf3 2.Kg5 Ke4 3.Kf6. White successfully shouldered out Black's king.

2.Wagner Michel-Burchardt, Halle 1982


Annett Wagner Michel had fought tenaciously in a pawn-down rook endgame to reach this drawn position. How should she continue?

1.Kh6?? Rg1! -/+ : Allows Black to entomb the White king and thus win easily.

1.Kg6? : White (with the move) is 6 tempos away from promoting, while Black is 6 tempos away from defending the promotion square--it looks like White will promote, forcing a draw. However, since it's a rook pawn, White needs an extra tempo to draw and this move doesn't provide it (see next diagram).

1...Ke3 2.h5 Kf4 3.h6 Re6+ 4.Kg7 Kg5 5.h7 Re7+ 6.Kg8 Kg6


White gets to promote, but that doesn't salvage the game. 7.h8=Q Re8# or 7.h8=N Kf6 8.Kf8 Ra7 -/+. Underpromotion would have worked with any pawn except the rook pawn. Good try, Annett.

1.Kg5!! : Shouldering out. After 1...Ke3 2.h5, Black's king doesn't have any effective way to penetrate so the position is drawn.

3. Tomorhuyag-Borkowski, Gdynia 1985


This position takes some calculation. Where to move Whits's king?

1.Kh8?? : Never put your king in front of your pawn without a good reason. Mate follows: 1...Kf6 2. Kg8 (forced) Rb7 3.Kh8 (forced) Kg6 4.h7 Rb8#

1.Kg8?! : A good try, but a little calculation shows 1...Kf6! 2.h7 Rg7+! -/+. White's king is forced in front of his pawn, as in the last line.

1.Kg6! : Black's king is opposed and has no way to make progress. If 1...Rg6+ 2.Kg7! and we've already repeated the position--draw.

4. Toth-Fernandes, Rio De Janeiro 1986


White's only drawing move is 1.Kc4!, shouldering out the Black king. In the actual game White played 1.a5 allowing 2.Kd3! and Black wins easily.

5. Seul-Hjartarson, Bundesliga 1990


Black to move. Black's only drawing move is 1...Kc5! Again, shouldering out the opposing king is the only way to secure the draw.