Annotated chess game: Great Endgames Series

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ANNOTATED GAME

Great Endgames Series - Multi-piece Endings
Tigran Petrosian (2645) vs. Anatoly Bannik (2175)
Annotated by: bikerman (1954)
Chess opening: English (A29), four knights, kingside fianchetto

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1. c4	Main annotations taken from Steve Giddins excellent 'Greatest Ever Chess Endgames'



1... e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 d6 5. d4 g6 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. Nxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Bg5 Be7 10. O-O-O+ Nd7 11. h4 f6 12. Be3 c6 13. h5 g5 14. Bh3 Kc7 15. Ne4 Nb6 16. Bxc8 Raxc8 17. b3 Rcd8 18. Bc5	This move is the single most striking of the game. With Black having what is clearly a bad bishop, obstructed by its own pawns, Petrosian actually exchanges it off! It might seem as though he has taken leave of his senses, but in fact, of course, it is an exceptionally deep decision. The most obvious way for White to play this position is to exchange rooks, and bishop for knight, and so aim to reach an ending with knight versus the "bad bishop". Let us assume that Black cooperates fully in allowing this: 18. Rxd8 Rxd8 19. Rd1 lRxd1+ 20. Kxd1 h6 (Black could of course move his knight to c8, to avoid the further exchange, but we will assume he "comes quietly") 21. Bxb6+ Kxb6 22. g4. White has achieved his "dream" position. Black has the bad bishop, and White's pieces have great squares on e4 and f5. So why did Petrosian not go in for this? The reason is because he considered that White has few, if any, chances of winning from here, the main problem being that bad bishops are very good defenders of weak pawns, whilst White has no way to break through. Black sticks his king on e6 and waits. Even if White gets his knight to fs and king to e4, Black just drops his bishop back to f8 and marks time with his king. In Petrosian's own words, "winning such a position would be very, very difficult, if not impossible Instead, Petrosian chooses another plan entirely. Recognizing that Black's formally bad bishop is actually an effective defender of his weaknesses on f6 and h6, he exchanges it, so as to increase the vulnerability of these targets.



18... Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Bxc5 20. Nxc5 Re8 21. Ne4 Re6 22. g4	Already, we see the difference. In order to defend the f6-pawn, the black rook has had to take up a very awkward post on e6.



22... a5 23. Rd3	Preparing to increase the pressure against f6 by means of Rf3.



23... Nd7 24. Kc2 b6 25. Rf3 Kd8 26. a3 c5	This is a big concession, weakening d5. Black wants to fight for space on the queenside, and also to free a square for his rook, after ... Ke7, but the price he pays is very high.



27. Kc3 Ke7 28. Rd3 Rc6 29. Rd5 Nf8 30. Ng3 Ne6 31. Nf5+ Ke8 32. e3 Nc7 33. Rd1 Ne6	Black is totally passive, and can only wait.



34. Kd3	Now the king takes up position on e4, permanently threatening to penetrate via the weakened d5-square.



34... Rc7 35. Ke4 Rc6 36. Nd6+ Ke7 37. Nf5+ Ke8 38. Nd6+ Ke7 39. Nf5+ Ke8	This repetition is a standard part of endgame technique. In this instance, it was probably chiefly motivated by gaining time on the clock and getting closer to the adjournment at move 40, when White would be able to analyse the position in the peace and quiet of home, and find the most accurate plan. Even so, such repetitions are also very handy psychologically, as a way of showing the defender who is boss!



40. a4 Nd8 41. Nh6 Ne6 42. Ng8 Nf8 43. Rd2	Do not hurry! He only runs himself into trouble with the premature raid 43. Kfs Kf7 44. Nh6+ Kg7 and the white knight is trapped.



43... Kf7 44. Nh6+ Ke8 45. Nf5 Ne6	The last few moves have served much the same purpose, of economizing time on the clock and keeping the defender guessing as to how White will try to make progress. Now Petrosian shows his hand.



46. Rd6	Although the white rook looks more active than its opposite number, it does not have any way of penetrating the black position, whereas the black rook is an important defender of the potential penetration squares.



46... Rxd6 47. Nxd6+ Kd7 48. Nb5 Ng7	Stopping c;i;>fs. If he allows the king into fS, then he finds himself in zugzwang after 48. ..Nf8 49. Kf5 Ke7 50. Nc3 Nd7 51. Nd5+ Kf7 52. e4 h6 53. f3!



49. h6 Ne8 50. Kd5	Now Black is again in zugzwang and cannot avoid material loss.



50... f5 51. Kxe5 fxg4 52. Nc3	Keeping the white king in its dominating central position



52... Ke7 53. Ne4 Kf7 54. Kf5 g3 55. fxg3 g4 56. Ng5+ Kg8 57. Ke6	The pawn on g4 is irrelevant.



57... Nc7+ 58. Kd7 Na6 59. e4	Now the e-pawn decides.



59... Nb4 60. e5 Nd3 61. e6	A great technical display by Petrosian. The exchanging decision on move 18 is especially noteworthy. Most of Black's subsequent problems stemmed from the vulnerability of his weak pawns on f6 and h6, and this in tum was a direct result of losing his "bad" dark-squared bishop.
	2 comments lame_duck (2380) on 27-Oct-13: Nice endgame, thank you for annotation. Could you please also describe when and where this game was played? bikerman (1954) on 08-Nov-13: It was in the USSR championships of 1958 and was played in Riga.