Rubinstein's King and Pawn Masterpiece: Revised

Submitted by GreenLaser on Sat, 05/31/2008 at 11:47am.

Before many of today's chess publishers were around, bookstores carried Dover paperbacks. One of those I bought is Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces 100 Selected Games. The book originally came out in 1941. Dover reprinted it in 1960 at a price of $1.25. Dover is still around at DoverPublications.com where the book is available for $8.95. The games were annotated by Hans Kmoch. Playing over the games of great players with notes is an important way to enjoy chess and improve. Also important is developing the ability to go beyond your instructors. I found in the following game an error in Kmoch's analysis. My notes, like the book, were written so long ago that they were in descriptive notation. I wrote a letter to Pal Benko, who had an endgame column in Chess Life, the monthly magazine of the United States Chess Federation. Benko, whose column is still running, published another way Black could win which I think is the way Jonathan Mestel later found. Here is the game with credit to a number of commentators.

» posted in Endgames

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by thewolf72 - 3 months ago
Rome Italy

Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 92

great ending !

by gnash68 - 3 months ago
Lamitan, Basilan Philippines

Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 18

I also have a copy of this book... The benefit of playing this game and other Rubinstein's games is the art of exchanging pieces when one foresee an advantage in the endgame. In this case, Rubinstein did not think twice in swapping all the pieces on the board because he saw a weakness in the enemy's camp and that is the h pawn and the h3 square... After all the pieces exchanged there are three pawn islands on white side while only two for black... The idea is that the more pawn islands you have, the weaker your position is particularly in the endgame. Rubinstein immediately took advantage on the weakness (h pawn) on white's side... Notice also that while concentrating in the weakness he also prevent any counterplay by white particularly when he played ...b5. After this move white is in near zugzwang.

by RaZhaN-k - 3 months ago
suleymany Iraq

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 1210

nice game an also interesting

by AbortedFetus - 5 months ago
Armenia

Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 17

cool

by NM GreenLaser - 5 months ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 808

davidtal, Your 39.f4 is the same position as 39.f4 in the gray notes where I have 41...g2 instead of your 41...f2+.

vijaykulkarni, After 18...Ne4 you ask about 19.Bd3 when I like 19...Ng4 (not 19...Nxf2 20.Bc2) 20.h3 Nxf3 21.hxg4 (21...gxf3 Bxf3+) Ne5. If 20.Rc1 Nxf3 21.Rc7+? Kd6.

carrie989jem, Some players when they are lower rated or scared trade to simplify. Cohn appeared to have been playing for a draw that way. If the trader ignores other features of the position, such as piece placement, the other player can use trades to improve the position. I call playing piece on piece (offering trades) "Baby Chess."

woodstock, The better endgame player does not always want to just get to the endgame. Grandmasters will do that if they see the win in an endgame they can calculate exactly. Otherwise, they prefer to wait with more pieces on the board.

by woodstock - 5 months ago
Strasbourg France

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 176

Rubinstein saw trading pieces at his advantage because he must have know he was the best endgame player of the two.

by carrie989jem - 5 months ago
Tucson United States

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 9

this is an intersting game. can anyone explain to me the benefit of playing like this? it seems to me that all the pieces were simply thrown away as soon as it was possible to exchange. was the game intended to be won or lost with pawns on purpose?