Today I will continue analyzing instructive endgames from the Mega Database between players rated under 1400. This one comes from a game between Melissa Monteiro and Maria Eduarda Mazza Lisboa, from the 2024 Floripa Open in Brazil.
We pick up the action with big decisions coming for both sides. White is in serious trouble in the initial position: Their rook on b5 is very short of squares and stuck on one side of the board. Their bishop is also a long-term problem, with many white pawns fixed on the same color. Also, by playing a2-a4 last move, White has created another weakness – the undefended pawn – that Black can exploit. With best play, Black can win–25…Rc4! attacks the loose pawn on a4. Then I see two main tries for White:
a) 26.b3 would take the only safe square away from the rook, so Black wins in numerous ways, for example 26…Rxc3+ 27.Bxc3 Rxc3+ 28.Kb2 Rf3 followed by attacking and capturing the stranded White rook.
b) 26.a5 Ka6 pushes the rook away from protecting the pawn on a5. 27.Rb3 Kxa5 adds an extra pawn to Black’s list of advantages. The king will retreat to b7 via a6.
Returning to the original position:
Instead, Black played 25…Bc5?. This solves White’s problems with the bishop, which will be exchanged, and the rook on b5, which will either be traded for the black rook or gain access to the rest of the board. Play continued 26.Bxc5 Rxc5 27.Rxc5 Rxc5 Having traded their bad pieces, White has equalized completely. 28.Rd4 Rc4!? Brought up a fascinating moment.
While Black’s previous attempts to exchange pieces were misguided, this one puts some real pressure on White. With 29.Kc2!, White found the only drawing move! Other moves lost, for example:
a) 29.Rxc4? dxc4 wins, with a more active king and better pawn structure. Note that playing …dxc4 helps Black: The new c4 pawn stops both White’s b and c-pawns and opens the road for the black king to move to the center. One possible continuation: 30.Kc2 Ka6 31.b4 cxb3+! 32.Kxb3
32…b5 wins by leaving Black with an a-pawn on the queenside against White’s c-pawn. Then Black can use the outside passed pawn to lure the white king away from the center. When Black takes the c-pawn and White takes the a-pawn, Black’s king will be closer to the center than White’s.
Returning to the position after 28…Rc4!?:
b) 29.Kd2? loses to 29…b5!, when 30.axb5 Rxd4+ 31.cxd4 Kb6 leads to Black’s king gradually entering White’s position. 30.a5 instead runs into 30…Rxd4+ 31.cxd4 b4!, stopping White from protecting the a-pawn.
In the game, we already know White found the strongest 29.Kc2!. After 29…Kc6 30.b3 Rxd4! 31.cxd4 The players entered a completely drawn king and pawn ending, but there was one more twist in store.
31…b5 32.Kc3 a5 33.h4 b4+ 34.Kd3 Kd7 35.Ke3 Ke7 36.Kf3 brought up a critical moment that I suspect neither player expected!
36…f6? Black decides to ‘do something’ in a position where doing nothing was far better! Any move that didn’t change the situation (for example, 36…Kd7) held the draw. Neither side could have created a passed pawn or entered the enemy camp with the king. Now, though, White has a golden opportunity.
37.exf6+! gxf6 would win for White! The 2 vs. 1 majority on the kingside (g and h vs. h pawn) means White will be able to create a passed pawn at a key moment. For example, after 38.h5 Kf7 39.Kg4 Kg7 40.Kh4 f5 41.h6+ Kg6 42.Kg3 Kf7 43.Kh3
White will reach a position where Black cannot meet Kh4 with …Kg6, so the white king will go to h5 and the pawn move g5-g6 will break through. For example 43…Kg6 44.Kh4 Kf7 45.Kh5 wins.
Returning to the game:
Alas, White missed this golden opportunity to favorably change the pawn structure. After 37.Kg4? f5+ there would be no second opportunity, and a draw was agreed shortly after. The blocked position gave no chances for either side.
Clearly, the key theme of this example was exchanges: Black surrendered a serious advantage by trading off White’s problem pieces–the ‘bad’ bishop and restricted rook–in the beginning. Then White had to navigate the exchange of rooks carefully to avoid entering a lost king and pawn ending. When the position appeared to be drawn, Black gave White the chance to create a pawn structure that would lead to the timely creation of a passed pawn. When White missed it, there were no further chances for either side.