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 I won a Q & P ending!
I always thought that Q & P endings were mostly drawn endings! Well I held my nerve and managed to win this one. It comes as follows:-
gameknot.com
I hope you have a good read.
Bye for now.
Joanne
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Good game...
... though the Q+P ending was a fairly straightforward win for White.
In general, though, Q+P endings can be tricky - they aren't always quite so simple, even with extra material. In the above game, Joanne wrapped the game up quickly and well, but she might easily have let the whole thing slip. A good example of how to wind up a winning endgame.
For an example of how tricky things can become, check out this ending from the St Petersburg tournament of 1914. Rubinstein had the White pieces and reached the following position a pawn ahead and with the more active Queen:
b
However, at this pont it was Black - Capablanca - to play. But what to play?
The first thing to note is that often it is the possession of a passed pawn that is of more significance than extra material. If the stronger side doesn't have one and can not bring one about, the defender might well hold. If the weaker side has one available or can create one quickly, he might well win. But much depends on the activity of the respective Queens.
In the diagram position, though Black can threaten to create a passed pawn, after, say, 27...c4 (with the idea ...b4), White's reply 28.a3 secures White's Q-side and Black can whistle for the passer: 28...a5 29.Qd8+ Kh2 30.Qxa5 and although Black can obtain an active Queen after 30...Qd4 31.Qb4!? he still has a long thankless defence ahead of him.
Instead, Capablanca opted for counterattack:
27...b4!
Rubinstein played the obvious capture and the game proceeded:
28.Qxc5?! bxc3
29.Qxc3 Qxb1+
30.Kh2 Qxa2
... and Black has his passer. Further, the f2-pawn is attacked...
31.Qc8+ Kh7
32.Qf5+ g6
Black can get away with this as the f7-square is protected by the Q at a2!
33.Qf6 a4
In the opinion of Paul Keres, Black position has become strong enough for Black try for the win by 33...Qe6(!). However, the text is the simplest road to the draw...
34.g4 a4
35.h5 gxh4
36.Qf5+ ...
Baling out to the draw, as 36.gxh5 Qe6! is very dangerous for White.
36...Kg7
37.Qg5+ Kh7
38.Qxh5+
and the game was drawn.
It transpires that the 'obvious capture' was not the way for White to make a serious bid for victory, but it also emerges that Capablanca had a defence worked out against such an attempt:
27...b4!
28.c4! Qa7!
Keeping watch and ward over his Q-side pawns. They are, after all, his salvation!
29.g4 ...
There's nothing doing on the Q-side, so White goes for K-side attack. Things are beginning to liven up!
29...a5
30.h5 a4
The race is on!
31.g5 b3
32.g6! ...
Is White's attack about to round up the Black King?
32...Qa8!
33.axb3 ...
The capture at f7 leads to much the same thing...
34.... a3!
35.gxf7+ Kxf7 (=)
36.Qg6+ Kf8 37.h6 gxh6 38.Qxh6+ Kf7
...and White hasn't enough attack to achieve more than a perpetual. It would appear that Akiba Rubinstein also figured this out and went for the clearer path to the draw with his choice of 28th move.
Who says endgames aren't exciting? Oh, yeah ... Janowski...
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Using the rule 'candidate first' it took me all but 1 second to figure out that 27. ... b4 was probably correct. The devil is in the details, but it helps to know the basic principles involved and weigh them against each other.
I always find these studies somewhat interesting.
*****
Joanne, you did a great job in that game you annotated. I sincerely hope that our comments will take your playing skill to the next level. I also hope that I didn't come across too harsh in some of my criticisms.
I didn't have time to complete my comments for the whole game. Fortunately, Ion came along and finished it anyway. He made some really good points.
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Hi guys! Speaking of Rules ...
if someone viewing here doesn't know, it will probably help that they do know, that a Queen and distant passed pawn can ALWAYS promote against a lone Queen, assuming the strong sides King is safe Enough from harrassment...
So anytime you see it on the board, the thought process need only be something like "I have a win" ... if/how do I keep my king out of check. (Of course that can be the part that is easier said that done :))
***
Ion points out the strength of the passer in his notes above. So I only want to stress the point to the endgame student ... don't take it as a Suggestion, its a Law of Physics. Naturally, look for chances to Create such a p-pawn situation. I think it might not be too strong to call it The primary winning technique for Q&P endings. Its basic, common and important to know. OK, I think I got in my word count for the day.
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I'm still looking over the game Joanne. Got side tracked into self debating a point in the middle-game (the curse of being a former openings specialist), and have not even gotten to see the ending yet! Interesting ...
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