This game was played tonight in Montreal. White is GM Korneev (2638) and Black is GM Sutovsky (2607).
This can actually be an endgame study. The game continued with 68. Rh4 Kg5 69. h6 e2 70. Kxe2 Kxh4 71. Kd3!! 1-0
Instead of 68. Kg5?, what should Black have played? In addition, would you have played 68. Rh4 or would you have played something else?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Doesn’t Rh4 and then Rh2 and Ke2 win simple enough?
This is one wicked endgame!
I like Rh4
i dont see how black can draw if white plays right.
What about passive defense. Just shuffle the bishop back and forth. If the king leaves goes to the fourth rank to win the a pawn e2 forces a trade of pawns. Alternatively, if the king goes to g4 to cover the outside pawn and free the rook, switching the bishop to the e1 a5 diagnol threatens e2 or Bd2 followed by e2 so the rook has to remain on h2 or g2. Of course there might be zugzwang somewhere but that’s beyond my ability to forsee.
well here is how I see it for passive defence. white runs the rook over to the a file and wins the black a pawn with his rook. of course he gave up the h pawn. now he marches the a pawn and black sacs the bishop for the a pawn. it is now black with 2 doubled center pawns and white with the rook. obviously it is an easy win for white.
Perhaps taking the a pawn could work, but I don’t see an obvious way. If white just goes straight for the a pawn it doesn’t work:
1. Rg8 Kxh5 2. Ra8 Kg4 3. Rxa5 Kf3
is drawn. White can try to bring the rook back but
4. Ra8 e4+! 5. Kxd4 e2
forces White to take the perpetual.
As a general question, if we remove white’s h pawn, can black just put his bishop on b4? White can only get rid of this by trading rook for bishop & pawn, but then he’s left with only a rook pawn.