| Jun-03-04 |
| tulkos: Rook endings are among the most difficult, this game makes a good study of how to win one. |
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Apr-30-05
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| Rimrock: Chernev calls it <The Most Instructive Rook and Pawn Ending Ever Played>. |
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Dec-13-05
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| micartouse: An incredible rook ending! The moves themselves aren't very flashy at a glance, but the plan itself is sharp: tie Black to the defense of his pawns, and find a zugzwang to prevent Black's king from blockading the passed pawn. Sure enough, after 45. Rg3, Black's king is finally forced to give away, and White proceeds to the finish line. This is the forerunner of the much more famous Rubinstein vs Lasker, 1909 game, which has a very similar formation. Rubinstein wins with almost the same plan; I wonder if he had studied this Tarrasch masterpiece beforehand or if he simply used his own creativity to achieve his goal? |
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| Aug-16-06 |
| THE pawn: This is the most instructive rook ending I ever came across and I strongly recommend everyone here to study it. |
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| Dec-05-06 |
| savagerules: Before getting too ecstatic about this ending, White was up a passed pawn against a weak player, what do you expect to happen? |
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Dec-05-06
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| An Englishman: Good Evening: <savagerules> asks a good question. One answer is that this might have been the earliest example of this type of ending. Like opening theory, endgame theory is much advanced from the 19th Century. Second, some of the greatest endings in history were played against weak opposition, such as H K Mattison vs Rubinstein, 1929. This does not make them any less astounding. Third, Thorold actually puts up pretty good resistance, and Tarrasch's moves, esp. given the state of 19th Century ending knowledge, are very, very good. This ending only looks easy. |
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Dec-05-06
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| al wazir: <savagerules>: He wasn't that weak; according to the <CG> database he managed to beat Gunsberg, de Vere, and Blackburne on various occasions. |
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Dec-05-06
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| Honza Cervenka: 48...Rxd6 49.Rf7+ Kxf7 50.Kxd6 leads to easily won Pawn endgame. Black could have resigned earlier. |
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| Dec-05-06 |
| jumperino: What happens on move 38 if black tries moving the rook to d1 instead of f2? |
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Dec-05-06
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| kevin86: The crucial move of course was d6+. Obviously,black couldn't afford the rook exchange after the capture of the pawn. The black pawns will be gone in a few moves while white's are safe fore about six or seven. In an odd sort of way,this game is like a king and pawn vs king game-but white has much stronger weapons in his favor. |
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Dec-05-06
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| Peligroso Patzer: <savagerules: Before getting too ecstatic about this ending, White was up a passed pawn against a weak player, what do you expect to happen?> Rook endings with an extra pawn can be extremely difficult to win. Furthermore, the mere fact that Thorold was not among the late nineteenth century chess elite does not mean he was a "weak" player. He put up stiff resistance in this ending. The analysis of this game in Chernev's "Most Instructive Games ..." is well worth studying. |
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| Dec-05-06 |
| Kefka: Is this a japanese pun? |
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| Dec-17-06 |
| Dr. Siggy: Quoting F. Reinfeld, "Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess", New York 1946, pp. 37-8: "Although White has won a pawn, the ending [after Black's 25th move] is far from easy. The following play readily divides into the following phases: "1. White protects the d-pawn with his rook and then brings his king to e3, relieving the rook. "2. The rook moves along the third rank in order to attack the hostile pawns and weaken them by forcing their advance. "3. The d-pawn, which looks so weak, soon appears in its proper rôle of formidable passed pawn. It is advanced so as to protect the rook at e5. Once the rook is free to move along the fifth rank, it can simultaneously attack Black's pawns and guard White's. "4. By this time, Black's pieces will be completely tied up, and White will be in a position to advance the passed pawn, convoyed by king and rook. "5. Above all, Tarrasch strives throughout to lessen his opponent's mobility. Black's terrain is systematically constricted until he is virtually left without a move." |
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| Oct-14-07 |
| Erdkunde: Tarrasch demonstrates yet again the extraordinary power of the isolated Queen's pawn. If Tarrasch had been Black, he probably would have resigned after 24. Nxd4. ;-) |
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Nov-30-07
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| Peligroso Patzer: <savagerules: Before getting too ecstatic about this ending, White was up a passed pawn against a weak player, what do you expect to happen?> With regard to the foregoing comment (contemptuously dismissing Thorold as a "weak player"), the following game (featured as the GotD one week after this one), in which Thorold crushed Joseph Blackburne, is worth taking note of: E Thorold vs Blackburne, 1890 |
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Dec-23-07
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| notyetagm: Chernev calls this game <"The most instructive Rook and Pawn ending ever played">. |
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Dec-23-07
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| notyetagm: <Dr. Siggy: Quoting F. Reinfeld, "Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess", New York 1946, pp. 37-8:
"Although White has won a pawn, the ending [after Black's 25th move] is far from easy. The following play readily divides into the following phases: "1. White protects the d-pawn with his rook and then brings his king to e3, relieving the rook. "2. The rook moves along the third rank in order to attack the hostile pawns and weaken them by forcing their advance. "3. The d-pawn, which looks so weak, soon appears in its proper rôle of formidable passed pawn. It is advanced so as to protect the rook at e5. Once the rook is free to move along the fifth rank, it can simultaneously attack Black's pawns and guard White's. "4. By this time, Black's pieces will be completely tied up, and White will be in a position to advance the passed pawn, convoyed by king and rook. "5. Above all, Tarrasch strives throughout to lessen his opponent's mobility. Black's terrain is systematically constricted until he is virtually left without a move."> Great summary of this rook ending. |
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Dec-25-08
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| whiteshark: Just realised that there are 36 Tarrasch games in 1890. He just allowed four draws (+32 =4 -0). Impressive! http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... |
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Dec-25-08
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| whiteshark: <"The most instructive Rook and Pawn ending ever played"> I wish it was all that easy. I'd be careful for using the superlative. |
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| Mar-17-09 |
| WhiteRook48: reminds me of the "Rook before you Leap" GOTD |
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sac: 9.Nxe5
