(1) Spoelman,W (2554) - Najer,E (2681) [B90]
Bundesliga 2009-10 Wattenscheid GER (7), 16.10.2009
[Mueller,Karsten]



1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.f4 Be7 11.f5 Bc4 12.Kb1 0-0 13.g4 Nxg4 14.Rg1 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Bxb3 16.Qh6 Bf6 17.axb3 Kh8 18.Qh5 Be7 19.Nd5 Nf6 20.Nxf6 Bxf6 21.Rd3 h6 22.Rg2 Ra7 23.c4 Qe7 24.Rd5 bxc4 25.Bxc4 a5 26.Qd1 Rc8 27.Rxd6 a4 28.Rgd2 axb3 29.Qxb3 Kh7 30.R6d3 Bg5 31.Rd1 Qc7 32.Rc3 Rb8 33.Bxf7 Qxf7 34.Qxb8 Qa2+ 35.Kc2 Qa4+ 36.Qb3 Qxe4+ 37.Rcd3 Qxf5 38.Kb1 e4 39.Rd5 Qe6 40.Rb5 Qg6 41.Rb6 Qf5 42.Qc2 Re7 43.Rb4 g6 44.Re1 e3 45.h4 Bf6 46.Qxf5 gxf5 47.Kc2 Rc7+ 48.Kd3 f4 49.Rxf4 Bxb2 50.Rff1 Rc3+ 51.Ke2 Rc4 52.h5 Rc5 53.Rh1 Bg7 54.Kxe3 Ra5 55.Rd1 Ra7 56.Rd5 Re7+ 57.Kd3 Ra7 58.Rb1 Ra3+ 59.Ke4 Ra7 60.Rdb5 Re7+ 61.Kf3 Rf7+ 62.Kg3 Rc7 63.R1b3 Rc1 64.Rb7 Rc5 65.R7b5 Rc1 66.R3b4 Rc3+ 67.Kh4 Bf6+ 68.Kg4 Bg7 69.Rb7 Rc1 70.Kg3 Rc3+ 71.Kh4 Kh8 72.R4b6 Rc4+ 73.Kg3 Rc1 74.Rg6
The desperado rook What usually happens is that extra forces help the besieging army storm fortresses. But there is also the opposite case, when the presence of extra material actually saves the defending side, as in the present situation. If he did not have his rook, Black would be totally lost in the duel between White's remaining rook and the black bishop. But White simply cannot force the exchange of rooks:

74...Rf1!?
[Even 74...Rg1+ 75.Kf4 Rxg6 76.hxg6 Bc3! is still a draw, because the g6-pawn blocks the invasion by the white king, e.g. 77.Kf5 Kg8 78.g7 Kh7= ]

75.Kg2
[75.Rbxg7 runs into the stalemate defence 75...Rf3+ 76.Kh2 Rh3+ 77.Kg2 Rg3+= (Baburin in Chess Today 3267), because the desperado rook cannot be shaken off without allowing stalemate.; A sample variation after 75.Kg4 goes: 75...Rf2 76.Rb3 Kh7 77.Rf3 Rg2+ 78.Kf5 Rh2 79.Ke6 Rxh5 80.Kf7 and then a bishop move such as 80...Bh8= (However, even here the exchange of rooks would be fatal: 80...Rg5? 81.Rxg5 hxg5 82.Rg3 Bh6 83.Rg1+- ) ]

75...Rf4 76.Rg3 Rf5 77.Rg6 Rf4
[Of course, not 77...Rxh5?? 78.Rbxg7+- because now the stalemating constellation of pieces is broken.]

78.Rb3 Rf7 79.Rgb6 Rf5 80.R3b5 Rf4
[The exchange of rooks 80...Rxb5? loses in a typical manner: 81.Rxb5 Bf6 82.Rb7 Kg8 83.Kf3 Kf8 84.Ke4 Be7 85.Kf5 Kf7 86.Rc7 Kf8 87.Kg6 Bg5 88.Rf7+ Ke8 (After 88...Kg8?! 89.Rf2 Black is straight into a deadly zugzwang.) 89.Kg7 Be3 90.Rf1 Bd2 91.Rd1 Bg5 92.Re1+ Kd7 93.Kf7 Kd6 94.Rg1 Bf4 95.Kf6 Kd7 96.Kf5 Be3 97.Rd1+ Kc7 98.Rd3 Bg5 99.Rg3 Bd2 100.Rg2 Be3 101.Ke4 Bc5 102.Rg6 Bf8 103.Rf6+- ]

81.Rb4 Rf5 82.R6b5 Rf7 83.Rb7 Rf6 84.Re4 Rf5 85.Ree7 Rg5+ 86.Kf3 Rf5+ 87.Ke4 Rg5 88.Kf4 Ra5 89.Ra7 Rb5 90.Reb7 Rc5 91.Re7 Rb5 92.Ra8+ Kh7 93.Ra3 Kh8 94.Rg3 Rc5 95.Ke4
[After 95.Rgxg7 Rf5+ the white king can still not find a safe hiding place from the insistent desperado rook, e.g. 96.Ke3 (96.Kg4 Rf4+= ) 96...Rf3+ 97.Kd4 Rd3+ 98.Kc4 Rd4+= ]

95...Rb5 96.Rd7 Re5+ 97.Kf4 Rc5 98.Rg1 Rb5 99.Rd8+ Kh7 100.Rg2 Rb4+ 101.Kg3 Rb3+ 102.Kf4 Rb7 103.Ke4 1/2-1/2