Lazker

Hi Javier, Thanks for letting us know your cancelling your lesson. Get well soon, and I'm looking forward to the lessons to come. The lessons are instructive and fun to attend. See you! Lazker Btw, did you see the game where my fellow countryman GM Tiviakov was beaten? It was in the Canadian Open, he played against GM Sandipan from India and the move 22. Bf6 was very unexpected for me and I could't see what was the harm in just taking the bishop. So did Tiviakov and he was mated 8 moves later!

Hi all! Zorg I also looked at 4. Rh1 Ra2 but then decided it would be a repetition of moves after 5. Rh2 Ra1 not seeing that now the check on the g-file could not be followed up with another check at the h-file winning the Rook on h8. Nice work! I very much enjoyed analysing this study, thanks for that Javier! Yesterday I even discussed it at my Chessclub, but we just couldn't recognise this last finesse :-) I will enjoy to enlight them next week, haha Greetz Lazker.

Now I do see an improvement for Blacks defence! After 1. a7 Ra1 2. e8/Q+ Kxe8 3. Kg4 Kd7! is a better defence because after 4. Rh8 threatening a8/Q Black has 4. .. Rg1+! 5. Kh3 Rh1+ winning the Rook by a Skewer So ... White cannot play Rh8 on move 4 but instead 4. Kg3 allows 4. .. Kc6 Hmmm... I have to look at the position some more

Hi Zorg, After your suggestion 1.e8=Q+ Kxe8 2.Kg6 Black can play 2. .. Ke7! instead of Ra1 and after 3. a7 comes 3. .. Rd8 and White can't Skewer. So I still think 1.a6 is the right move order and only after Ra1 to play e8=Q so the Black Rook can't go to d8 to stop the a-pawn Lazker

Hi Javier, This is what I came up with about the rook-ending. White to move and win First thing that comes to mind is 1. Ra2 to support the passed pawn on the a-file. But it allowes 1. .. Rh1+ 2. Kg4 Rh8! 3.a7 Ra8 when I believe Black wins or at least draws. After your lesson about Skewers a new pattern is recognised! Namely a Skewer on the 7th or 8th rank allowing the passer to be pushed. However there are still some things in the way; the white King and the pawn on e7. So what to do first? Push the a-pawn? Move the King out of the way so the Rook can have the h-file? Or maybe something with the e pawn? A. Moving the King with 1. Kg4 is not a forcing move and Black can just take on e7 1. ..Kxe7 2.a7 and now 2. .. Rd8! (2. .. Ra1? 3. Rh8! Rxa7 4. Rh7+ Kd6 5. Rxa7 and White wins) The difference between Ra1? and Rd8 is that after the latter White cannot play 3. Rh8 with the treath of 4. a8/Q B. Playing 1. e8/Q+ however is pretty forcing so maybe this is the move. 1. .. Kxe8 and now 2. a7 looks to be winning, but maybe Black can come up with a nice defence. Black can play two moves now Rd8 or Ra1. B1. 2. .. Rd8 3. Kg6 Ke7 (The two alternitives lose instantly; 3. .. Ra8? 4. Rh8+ and 3. .. Kd7? 4. Rd2+ Kc7 5. Rxd8 and promotion) 4. Rh7+ Kd6 5. Rb7 Ra8 ( 5. .. Kc6? 6. Rb8!) 6. Rxb6+. This position is too hard to evaluate for me, White seems better to me but I can't back it up with a plan. B2. What about 2. .. Ra1 then? 3. Kg4 and White has calculated that 3. .. Rxa7 brings us our neat Skewer with 4. Rh8+ Kd7 5. Rh7+ Kc6 6. Rxa7. Black can postpone defeat with a couple of checks 3. .. Rg1+ 4. Kh3 Ra1 5. Kg3 Rg1+ but now the King doesn't have to go to the h-file 6. Kf2 Ra1 7. a8/Q+ Rxa8 8. Rh8+ and wins C. The third move for white is 1. a6 which forces 1. .. Ra1 when Rd8 as before is not possible because of the pawn on e7. and now 2. e8/Q+ Kxe8 transposes into the B2-line which wins for White!! So by playing 1.a6 the line B1 is not possible. And that was the very line where I couldn't find an immediate win for White. I hope my analyses is correct Greetz Lazker

The lesson about rooklifts was very nice! I especially liked the Sicilian game that the woman played. So before playing a move like h4 it is good to wonder if it doesn't interfere with a possible rooklift to h3. You said your next lesson would be on Friday, but the calender says Saturday. Is Friday an extra lesson? Greetz and thanks for the lessons! Lazker

How nice those weekend trainings. I look forward to tomorrows strategy training