Lesson 14: Overprotection

A chessman in the own position gets extra support in the case of overprotection. The support to an advanced pawn in the middle game is well-known. White gets support from behind in the following endgame. The endgame is easily won, according to Keene. He is wrong as always.

[No use has Rb4 due to 47. h6 Kg8 48. Rg7+ Kh8 49. Rf7 ]

47. Rxa4 Rb7

[ h6 48. Rg4+ Kf7 49. Rg6 and White wins a pawn. ]

48. Kg4 ?! The king stands slightly offside. Pawn f2 is the weakness in white's position.

[The win is achieved more quickly in 48. Ke4 ! Rb2 49. f3 Rb3 50. h6 f5+ ! 51. Kxe5 Rxe3+ 52. Kf6 Re8 53. f4 ! ]

Kg7 ?!Tal fails to set problems.

[Korchnoi analyses Rb2 ! 49. f3 Rb3 He finds the complex win 50. h6 !! Rxe3

[ f5+ 51. Kg5 ! ]

51. Kf5 ! Rb3 52. g4 Kf7 53. Ra7+ Kg8 54. Rg7+ Kh8 55. Rd7 Kg8 56. Ke6 ! Rb6+ 57. Ke7 Rb8 58. Rd3 ! Rf8 59. Ke6 Kh8 60. Kf5 Kg8 61. Rd6 The win is clear at last. ]

49. Ra2 ! Pawn f2 gets overprotection. Now, the win has become easily. Kh6 50. Kf5 Rb6 51. e4 Rc6

[The tactical justification is Kxh5 52. f4 ! Kh6 53. Ra7 exf4 54. gxf4 Rb4 55. Rf7 An encircling movement brings the victory. ]

52. f4 exf4 53. gxf4 Rc5+ 54. Kxf6 Kxh5 55. e5 Kg4 56. f5 h5 57. Ra4+ Kg3 58. e6 h4 59. e7 Rc8 60. Kf7 1-0