Barriers

(1) Getz,Nicolai (2270) - O'Toole,George E (2146) [C54] 85th Masters Hastings (5), 01.01.2010 [Karsten Mueller] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 a6 7.Bb3 Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.h3 h6 10.Re1 Nh5 11.Nf1 Qf6 12.Be3 Nf4 13.Ng3 g6 14.Nh2 h5 15.Qd2 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Ne6 17.Rf1 Qh4 18.Qf2 Ng5 19.Kh1 Be6 20.Bc2 Rae8 21.d4 Bd7 22.Rad1 Nh7 23.Nf3 Qe7 24.a3 Ng5 25.d5 Nd8 26.Nxg5 Qxg5 27.Qf6 Qxf6 28.Rxf6 Kg7 29.Rdf1 h4 30.Ne2 Bb5 31.R6f2 f6 32.a4 Bxe2 33.Rxe2 Nf7 34.a5 Ng5 35.Kh2 Rb8 36.Ra1 f5 37.exf5 gxf5 38.Rf1 Ne4 39.Bxe4 fxe4 40.Ra1 b5 41.axb6 Rxb6 42.Ra4 Rfb8 43.Rxe4 Rxb2 44.Rxb2 Rxb2 45.Rxh4 Rd2 46.Rc4 Rxd5 47.Rxc7+ Kf6 48.Rc6 a5 49.Kg3 Ke6 50.Kf3 Rd2 51.Ra6 Ra2 52.c4 Ke7 53.h4 a4 54.h5 Ra1 55.Ke4 a3 56.h6 Rh1 57.Kf5 Rxh6 58.Ra7+ Ke8 59.Rxa3 Kd7 60.g4 Rh1 61.Ra7+ Kc6 62.g5 Re1 63.e4 Rf1+ 64.Ke6 Rg1 65.Kf6 Rf1+ 66.Ke6 Rg1 67.Ra6+ Kc5 68.Rxd6 Rxg5 69.Rd5+ Kxc4 70.Rxe5 Horizontal barriers This method of keeping a king at a distance from a passed pawn is frequently more effective than a vertical barrier. 70...Rg8 [After 70...Rg4 71.Kf5 Rg8 72.Ra5 White wins in a similar fashion to the game.] 71.Ra5 Re8+ 72.Kf5 Rf8+ 73.Kg5 Re8!? here this typical move sets another little trap. [After 73...Rg8+?! the white king quickly gets closer. 74.Kf6 Rf8+ 75.Ke7+- ] 74.Kf4 [The over-hasty 74.e5?? spoils everything because of 74...Kb4 75.Rd5 Kc4= ] 74...Rf8+ [After 74...Kd4 75.e5 (75.Rd5+?! Kc4 76.Rd1?! would be bad technique. After 76...Rf8+ White has to find 77.Ke3! Re8 78.Rc1+ Kb5 79.Kf4 Rf8+ 80.Kg5 Re8 81.Re1+- ) 75...Rf8+ 76.Kg5 the white king is also cut off, but the threat of the advance of the e-pawn overloads the defence.] 75.Rf5 In itself the checking distance of the black rook (3 squares) is large enough. But because we are dealing with a horizontal barrier, the white rook can simply join the party. 75...Re8 76.Rf6 White moves the barrier one rank forward. Typical technique for the present case. 76...Kd4 77.Rd6+ Kc5 78.e5 Rf8+ 79.Rf6 Rd8 [79...Rxf6+ 80.exf6 Kd6 81.Kf5 Kd7 82.Kg6 Ke8 83.Kg7+- ] 80.Kf5 Rd7 [80...Rh8 81.Ra6 Rh5+ 82.Kf4 Kd5 83.Rd6+ Kc5 Since the pawn has crossed the centre line and since the black rook is no longer well placed to counter an attack based on a vertical barrier White can now make that change: 84.Rd8 Kc6 85.e6 Rh7 86.Ke5 Kc7 87.Rd4+- ] 81.Ra6 Rf7+ 82.Kg6 Rf1 83.e6 Rg1+ 84.Kf7 Rf1+ 85.Ke8 Kb5 86.Rd6 Kc5 87.Kd7 Rf6 88.Rd1 Rh6 89.e7 Rh7 90.Kd8 1-0

(2) Sasikiran,Krishnan (2653) - Aronian,Levon (2781) [D15] 7th World Team Championship Bursa (5), 09.01.2010 [Karsten Mueller] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.g3 dxc4 6.a4 e6 7.Bg2 c5 8.dxc5 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Bd7 10.Ne5 Bc6 11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.Bd2 Nd5 13.Rc1 Bxc5 14.Rxc4 Be7 15.Ne3 0-0-0 16.0-0 Kb8 17.Nxd5 exd5 18.Rc3 Rhe8 19.Re3 Bf6 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.e3 d4 22.Rc1 Bg5 23.Bxc6 bxc6 24.Rxc6 dxe3 25.Bxe3 Bxe3 26.fxe3 Rxe3 27.Rxa6 Rb3 28.Rd6 Kc7 29.Rd2 Rb4 30.Rc2+ Kd7 31.Rd2+ Kc7 32.Rc2+ Kd7 33.a5 Rb5 34.Rd2+ Kc7 35.Rc2+ Kd7 36.b4 Rxb4 37.Ra2 Kc7 38.a6 Kb8 39.Rf2 f6 40.Re2 h5 41.Re8+ Ka7 42.Re7+ Kxa6 43.Rxg7 Kb6 44.Rf7 h4 45.Rxf6+ Kc7 46.Rf4 Rb1+ 47.Kg2 hxg3 48.hxg3 Kd7 49.Re4 Rb8 50.Re3 Rh8 51.Kf3 Rf8+ 52.Kg4 Vertical barriers When, as is the case in the present position, the defending rook is operating from its own back rank, things first of all depend on whether the pawn has crossed the centre line or not. Because, if it has, then the checking distance is too short and the attacking side has good winning chances. Here Aronian's rook is still far enough away and so cutting off his king by two files does not help either. But Black must defend very accurately: 52...Kd6! The king must be prepared to push back the white rook if the white king pushes too far forward. 53.Kg5 Rg8+? This automatic check spoils things because it lets the white king get too close. [It is only after 53...Kd5! 54.Kg6 (After 54.g4 Rg8+ 55.Kf5 Rf8+ 56.Kg6 Rg8+= the white king cannot get any further forward.) that Black can give the check: 54...Rg8+ 55.Kf7 Rg4 56.Kf6 Kd4 57.Kf5 Rg8 58.Ra3 Rf8+ 59.Kg6 Ke4 60.Ra4+ Kf3 61.g4 Rg8+ 62.Kf5 Rf8+ 63.Kg6 (63.Ke6 Rf4= ) 63...Rg8+= ] 54.Kf6 Kd5 [54...Rf8+!? was far more resilient, as can be seen from the following sample line: 55.Kg7 Rf5 56.Kg6 Rf8 57.Ra3 Rg8+ 58.Kf7 Rg4 59.Kf6 Rg8 60.Rd3+ Kc5 61.Ke6 Kc4 62.Ra3 Kb4 63.Rf3 Kc5 64.Kf7 Rg4 65.Kf6 Kd5 66.Kf5 Rg8 67.Rd3+ Kc4 68.Ra3 Again and again White must make use of the whole board. 68...Kb4 69.Rf3 Rf8+ 70.Kg4 Rg8+ 71.Kh5 Kc5 72.g4 Rh8+ 73.Kg6 Rg8+ 74.Kf5 Rf8+ 75.Ke4 Re8+ 76.Kf4 Rf8+ 77.Kg3 Rg8 78.Rf6 and White wins thanks to the horizontal barrier.] 55.Re5+ Kd6 56.Re3 Kd5 57.Re5+ Kd6 58.Rg5 Rf8+ 59.Kg7 Rf3 60.g4 Rf4 61.Kh6 Ke7 62.Rg7+ Kf8 63.g5 Rf1 [63...Ra4 64.Rb7 Ra6+ 65.g6 does not help either, because Black is not allowed to play Kg8 and Ra8 at the same time.] 64.Ra7 Rg1 65.Kg6 Rg2 66.Ra8+ Ke7 67.Ra5 Kf8 68.Ra8+ Ke7 69.Rg8! and Aronian resigned because Sasikiran will sooner or later achieve the Lucena position and win by building a bridge, e.g. 69...Rg1 70.Kh7 Rh1+ 71.Kg7 Rg1 72.g6 Rh1 73.Ra8 Rh2 74.Ra4 Ke8 75.Re4+ Kd7 76.Kf7 Rf2+ 77.Kg8 Rh2 78.g7 Rh1 79.Kf7 Rf1+ 80.Kg6 Rg1+ 81.Kf6 Rf1+ 82.Kg5 Rg1+ 83.Rg4 and the rook has completed the construction of a bridge for the king. 1-0