1.e4
c6
2.d4
d5
3.e5
Bf5
4.Nf3
e6
5.Be2
c5
6.Be3
cxd4
7.Nxd4
Ne7
8.Nd2
Nbc6
9.N2f3
Bg4
10.0-0
a6
11.Rc1
Bxf3
12.Nxf3
g6
13.c4
Bg7
14.cxd5
Qxd5
15.Qa4
Qa5
16.Qb3
0-0
17.Bc5
Rfe8
18.Bd6
Nxe5
19.Nxe5
Bxe5
20.Rc5
Qd2
21.Bxe5
Qxe2
22.Qxb7
Nd5
23.Bg3
Rad8
24.h3
Re7
25.Qb3
Red7
26.a3
h5
27.Rc2
Qb5
28.Qf3
Ne7
29.Bc7
Rc8
30.Rfc1
Qd5
31.Qe2
Qb7
32.Be5
Rxc2
33.Qxc2
Rd5
34.Qc3
Kh7
35.Bh8
Nf5
36.g4
e5
37.gxf5
Kxh8
38.fxg6
fxg6
39.Qc6
Qxc6
40.Rxc6
a5
41.Rxg6
Kh7
42.Rb6
Kg7
43.a4
Rd4
44.b3
Rd3
45.Kg2
e4
46.Rb5
Kg6
47.h4
Kh6
48.Re5
Rxb3
49.Rxe4
Ra3
50.f3
Kg6
51.Kg3
Kf6
52.Kf4
Ra1
53.Rc4
Ra3
54.Ke4
Ke6
55.f4
Ra1
56.Rc6+
Kf7
57.Rc4
Ke6
58.Rc6+
Kf7
59.Kf5
Rxa4
60.Rc7+
Kf8
61.Ra7
Ra1
62.Kg6
a4
63.f5
Rg1+
64.Kf6
Kg8
65.Rxa4
Rg4
66.Ra8+
Kh7
67.Ra7+
Kg8
68.Ra8+
Kh7
69.Kf7
Rxh4
70.f6
A rook ending worth its weight in gold
For practical players, the study of rook endings is one of the most important areas in endgame theory. Games are continually being decided in this phase. This was also the case in the European Team Championship in Novi Sad. Gashimov had to win in order for the Azerbaijani team to secure the gold medal:
70...Rf4?
Daniel Stellwagen follows the famous rule of thumb of Dr.Tarrasch, namely that the rook should be placed behind the passed pawn. [But here it had to go to the long side in order to be able to deliver checks: 70...Rb4
71.Kf8
(After 71.Ke6
Rb6+
72.Ke7
Rb7+
the king cannot find a good hiding place from the checks.; 71.Re8
Rb7+
72.Re7
Rb8=
) 71...Kg6
72.f7
Rf4
73.Ra6+
Kg5
74.Kg7
Rxf7+
75.Kxf7
h4
76.Ke6
h3
77.Ke5
h2
78.Ra8
Kg4
79.Rh8
Kg3
80.Ke4
Kg2=
]
71.Ke6!
h4
[After 71...Re4+
72.Kf5
Re1
73.f7
Rf1+
74.Ke6
Re1+
the white king simply moves closer and closer to the rook. Dvoretsky describes this manoeuvre as "using the escalator". 75.Kd5
Rd1+
76.Ke4
Re1+
77.Kd3
Rd1+
78.Ke2+-
]
72.f7
Kg6
[72...Kg7
73.Rg8++-
]
73.f8Q
Rxf8
74.Rxf8
Kg5
75.Ke5
and Stellwagen resigned on account of
75...Kg4
76.Ke4
Kg3
77.Ke3
h3
78.Rg8+
Kh2
79.Kf2
Kh1
80.Re8
Kh2
81.Re3
Kh1
82.Rxh3#
1-0