Endgame Practice Does Not Help Your Game

The controversial title is only an attempt to grab your attention. The fact is: Endgame study is very beneficial.

Have you ever wondered why you are stuck at a certain rating? There could be many reasons for your rating stagnation. A likely reason could be you are weak in the fundamentals aspects of the game. It could be opening principles, middlegame to include tactics, planning and lastly endgame play. You could be weak in either one of these areas or all. I'm talking about basic knowledge that you may have skipped over.

Some players get caught up in the love of openings study and creation of databases. Typically, these players believe that working only on these areas will improve their game. After years of foolhearted work, they remain at the same rating. They simply skip over the fundamentals and after every loss they blame it on the opening. So, they put more work in on the opening with the same dismal results.

Typically with most lower-rated players the reason is they are weak in the fundamentals of endgame play. It's my opinion that if you are weak in the fundamentals then you will fail to progress no matter how hard you try. To progress, we sometimes have to go back to the fundamentals to eliminate those weak areas. Try it! You'll be amazed at the results.

Recently I've been going back over the fundamentals of endgame play. Sometimes you wonder if it will pay off. This is one game in which it did.

The position below is a 30 minute game in which I'm playing White against Brett V. (I don't know Brett's last name.) In the opening I played e4 and Brett responded d5, offering to play a Scandanivian Defence or Center Counter Gambit. I responded 2. d4, offering to transpose to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. Brett accepted the gambit with 2...dxe4. I thought I had an edge in the opening but Brett equalized and missed a few tactical opportunities, but I was still left with a difficult position, probably lost with best play. However, rather than trading down to a simple position, Brett allowed me to have some counterplay with two rooks and at one time I threatened mate. He solved that problem but was left with this position on the board with White to move:



Facebook users can see the diagrams here: http://paulmcgaughsblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/endgame-practice-does-not-help-your.html

Brett offered a draw here and I declined. I told Brett, "It may be close but I think I can win this.

Here's the moves:

1. Rxg4 Kxg4
2. b6 Kxh4 (Kf5 doesn't help as is King is out of the queening square)
3. a5 h5
4. b6 axb6
5. axb6 Kg3
6. b7 h4
7. b8=Q+ Kg2
8. Kc2 h3
9. Kd2 (Qf4!) h2

Note: 9. Qf4! stops everything, but I already had an idea so I went with what I knew.

10. Ke2 h1=Q

Note: At first glance this may look like a draw, but I studied this type of position a few weeks ago and was ready for it.

Here's the position below:



Can you see the method?

11. Qg8+ Kh2
12. Kf2! (The King attacks.) Kh3
13. Qg3+ mate

Jon Trivett was watching the game and later commented on how beautiful it was. I told Jon that it was only due to my study of a similar position a few weeks before.

This basic endgame knowledge saved me from a lost position, turning it into a won position.

Cheers

Paul