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How does this reduce black major piece activity?

@jkarp: if White exchanges rooks, there are fewer major pieces so the activity of the Black major pieces is reduced. Of course White has les activity of his major pieces as well, ,but Black's major pieces are the stronger right now.

@tiger_lilov: thanks for the explanation.

@tigerlilov: That might be true, but it does accomplish something. If 18...Ra8, black's center is controlled, and you also mentioned that this one of the most important aspects of chess.

White has a passed a pawn. As long as black cannot penetrate on the e file, it is unneccesary to put rooks there. You should use the rooks to target the a pawn.@jkarp-The only thing that matters in chess is the activity. What I said was that pieces in the center are generally more active(principle of the center). However, we should always think for ourselves how much more active our pieces will be, and here Ra8 is best.

Therefore, you are in favor to win. Note: passed pawns, usually win, in the end game. However, this is not an endgame, and piece activity is one of the most important aspects of chess, as I and Expert tigerlilov has mentioned in previous annotations.

Well, it's always a good idea to take advantage of opportunities, while it's still there. Afterall, these opportunities do not last very long.

@tiger: thanks again, I find this kind of information quite helpful.

The number one rule about positions like these-positions with endgame qualities that are not yet endgames-the computer cannot possibly get it right. I agree with the club member- the d bishop is a weakpiece right now, and you can gey it more useful by putting it onto f5. Computer will see nothing, wince computer is not good in these positions. In this position, black needs to slowly gain permanent advantages. When he gets enough, his position automatically will become winning. edit-I should say that of course, the computer CAN get it right  , and does a lot of the time. However, they are inaccurate in this area, since endgames are strategical, and don't have so many tactics. The #1 idea in an endgame is to slowly gain permanent advantages while fending off your opponent's attacks, and when you have gained a good number of them, the position just seems to win itself.

This is not a piece, but rather, a pawn.

What l-d-j means is that he needed his pieces to defend the pawn on d5. The queen was defending d5 and it stops Qxd5, however a queen can be used for a lot of things, so what l-d-j means is that by using the c-pawn as a defense for the d-pawn, he can now move his queen freely to do another job than to defend the d-pawn e.g. stopping the passed pawn.

I would have played h3, then you can play Bxc4 since the mating thread isn't there anymore.

He might be trying to trick you, but I recently read other comments, in some of my annotations. As it turns out, tricking people is not a good way to make improvement.

I don't understand this move. I feel you are positionally ahead. Why trade off the queens here, getting closer to a draw? Also white still has the passed pawn so trading off pieces may result in white being the winner.

@schakertje: yes, of course you are right, but I thought I would get the c-pawn afterwards.

@l-d-j: I understand that you did not think about Bxc4 because we all overlook moves, from time to time. However, there is a drawback. As I mentioned in a previous annotation, overlooking moves can cause you to loose.

A draw? Hmm I'm not so sure about that. White has a passed pawn and it comes down to how fast the kings can move into the game. I think white has the advantage.

Mightn't be as easy as it seems for white to get that pawn running. After, say, 26. ... PxB 27. RxB RxP 28. a4 RxP 29. a5 Ra2, black has to play Ra7 to hold the pawn (but he can't run it in for the foreseeable future), and black has a passed pawn of his own. An interesting position. If white loses the a-pawn, the best he can hope for is surely a draw. Meanwhile, he does get his king across to d2 in time to stop the black pawn from queening. An interesting position. I think it'll end in a draw, but maybe not as easy as l-d-j makes out.

@schakertje and cdeburca: thank you for the analysis, but both of you seem to com eto the conclusion that Black has at least no winning chances in that line which was still what I was searching for here. However I did not look too deeply into that (I think I had about 20 minutes here so I thought calculating other things might become more important).

That's right. @schakertjie: Kings are considered a dangerous weapon, during the end game.

Ofcourse, now its time to get the kings into action since there aren't much pieces left. @jkarp, yes that is exactly why they should use the kings in action; to be used as a weapon.

Black loses after Bxb3 Rxc3 obviously. The a-pawn looks really dangerous after blacks pieces are pinned.

I'm not so sure black would be as lost as you say. After 28.g4!? Bxc2 29.Rc1 Bxb3 30.Rxc3 Bxa2 and I would even say black had the winning chances unfortunately white simply responds 31.Rxc6 and whites slightly ahead in material however with the extra passed pawn I don't think black could really lose. Though with that being the case I think it would be simplest to just ignore the whole line.

Not good. Afterall, it is a bad idea to block your own pieces.

white is not blocking his own pieces but is blocking the black king from moving to the e-file, thus blocking the king to be used as a weapon.

@jkarp: I mean *he* is blocking my pieces, which is good.

This should win for white, after the rook retreats because of 31.Rxc2. Then, white has lost is extra pawn, and you still have more piece activity.

How does 31...dxc2 threaten a pawn promotion?

the black pawn on c2 is then close to promotion

Now, the game appears to be a draw, so this appears to be an intermezzo. Note: you were in favor to win, but it now looks drawn.

jkarp, that's not what an intermezzo is. An intermezzo is a (generally unexpected) in-between move played before the anticipated response--frequently a check or some other threat.

White is a little ahead with his king. So I would have played it. Rc3 results in a draw.

Of course he should! We should ALWAYS play out superior endgames even those which are equal. For the improving player, unless 1.position is dead draw, and you will waste time playing it out 2.Opponent offered you draw in position in which it is worse for you, you don't know why the opponent offered it. 3.Last round for prize in unclear positioin  . We can get a lot of education and experience by playing equal positions out to the end. When you play versus a master, he will certainly push you to the limit, and play to the end. For example, could you hold this position against Rybka? Maybe, maybe not. Rybka would certainly play many tricks and traps against you, and you would need accuracy. Bottom line-If it really is draw, then it won't hurt playing it out  .