NYS Open 2007

Lake George

Let me burden you guys with yet another endgame study! This position would be a winning for Black if not for the passed H pawn. There's always something there to spoil the fun, isn't it? This was actually my last round, and it is bitter-sweet for me. Bitter because I played 60... Kd5? Okay, so I am an idiot. I was careless and whipped it out in the most impatient way. I paid for it. I lost a drawn position. Drawn? How? Here's the sweet part. A few moves earlier, I noticed that some elements of a drawn position are present. They are (a) white cannot mate with a king and a knight (b) What about his passed H pawn? Well, I will give up my rook for it (c) How about his other pawns? I will move up my king and consume them while White is busy trying to promote his H pawn (d) White's effort to disentangle himself from the corner, and get cover from my rook will buy me some time (e) Without White's B and D pawns, White can only hope for a draw! Okay, let's pretend I wasn't an idiot. The play would have continued 60... Kb5 61. Ng7 Rd2, eyeing not only the D pawn but also the D8 square 62. Kg8 Rd3 63. h8 (Q) Rd8 64. Kh7 Rh8 65. Kh8 a5. Black is no longer losing. Now, can Black win? White draws with correct play.