Three Squares

If GM Alex Goldin were to read this, he would be pleased as he has instructed me to focus on end games to learn – really learn – calculation. Additionally, this happens to be one very interesting endgame.



White has just played 49.g5 and it is at this point Black resigned (!).

GM’s Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin use this introductory position in their book Winning Endgame Strategy as an example of Premature Resignation of a Game for GM Timman now had a draw available to him.





A short note: the position above was from a game between GM Alexy Shirov and GM Jan Timman in round 11 of a 13 round robin 58th Annual Hoogovens Chess Tournament, a category XVII event, held in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands from January 12th to January 29th 1996.

The authors note that for both players the draw seemed “to be in order and appropriate comments [later] appeared in ChessBase…”

But if Black should not have resigned, what should he have done? The authors give the following moves: 49. … Kd6 50.h4 Kxc6 51.f5! Kd6 52.f6, ‘when there are [now] two ways to draw.’

The two ways or two moves the authors provided that permit a draw are

Position A - after 52…. Kd7


For Postion A the three squares d7, d8, and e8 provide the ability to triangulate against the approach of the enemy King while both protecting the pawn on c7 and keeping a watchful eye on f8 (remaining ‘in the square’) should the pawn on f6 advance to f7 and f8 to Queen.







and Position B - after 52…. c6





For position B the three squares d6, d7, and e6 (along with d8) again provide the ability to triangulate against the approach of the enemy King while protecting the pawn now on c6 and keeping a watchful eye on f8 (again remaining ‘in the square’) should the pawn on f6 advance to f7 and f8 to Queen.



The following diagrams provide a great visual showing the key three square in each position and where Black must carefully place his King.







Position A’s 3 key squares














Position B’s 3 key squares








There is a great deal of enjoyment and a lot to be learned by trying to find a way for White to win either position. So far, Black always draws with best play.

For example:






From Position A, after 52…. Kd7 53.Kf3 Ke8 54.Ke4 Kc7 55.Kd5 Ke8! And Black holds! (if Ke6 then Kf8!)













From Position B, after 52…. c6 53.Kf3 Kd7 54.Ke4 and either Kd8! or Ke6 holds for Black.








A little background on the game: up to the point of Black’s resignation he had moved his king a total of 15 times (including castling), traveling from c8 to b3 and back to g8. In a 15 move span (from move 21 through move 35) GM Timman moved his King 12 times. An amazing tour de force which as the authors have noted, should have resulted in a draw.

You may find the game here or here. Enjoy.

When You Stop Calculating

I am a chess player or at least I used to be. Now I mostly organize and direct chess tournaments plus run the Dayton Chess Club (Dayton, OH) while working full time and taking online classes in a very different field - Christian Studies.

Nonetheless, I decided to pay to attend a lecture by Grandmaster (GM) Alexander Goldin this morning (Saturday, June 26, 2010) at the Dayton Chess Club at the prompting of my wife. Plus I was curious as I had attended GM lectures before and while I was always dazzled, I was also always disappointed. I was disappointed because they frequently talked over my head (and those of others in attendance) while seeking to impress us with their brilliance. That was unnecessary as we all understood what it takes to be a Grandmaster. The GM title does not come easy, the percentage of chess players with the title is a small part (very small part) of the top one percent of chess players worldwide.

That being said, this lecture was different, very different. GM Goldin stretched a 75 minute lecture into a 90 minute lecture while doing his best to communicate with those in attendance what they would need to do to improve their chess game. Like many or most GM's he stressed the study of the endgame. But it was with a twist. The purpose of studying endgames - beyond gaining the knowledge and techniques necessary to draw or win a given endgame - is developing one's ability to calculate. He asked the question, "Why?" Then he proceeded to provide the answer. Unlike estimation of positions which takes years of experience, one's ability to calculate can be improved in months or weeks or even days - depending on one's dedication to practice or in his words, regular exercise. Timed, purposeful exercises are the key. Almost any good endgame book will do, but he recommended starting with "Chess Endings" by GM Averbakh with a specific focus on king and pawn endgames to build up the calculating ability.

GM Goldin did not stop there. He went on to emphasize the necessity to calculate "move by move" throughout the changing position. He was emphatic, stating "The moment you stop calculating you lose your grip on the game." And again, "When you stop calculating and start 'thinking' you lose the game!" In case you are wondering, the exclamation mark is indicative of the emphasis he placed on this.

As an example he next gave a 'simple' endgame position (White: K-h7, p-d2; Black: K-f7, p-c4) with White to move asking how White might draw. We discovered rapidly that walking White's king down the h file towards the pawns did not work as it never really got closer to the pawns. It was a matter of calculation. Then most of us rejected the idea of moving the White king further away from the pawns to h8 as a bad idea (thinking). However, if you calculate it out this counter intuitive move works. Lesson learned. Thinking without calculation is indeed bad. We also saw here an application of Sherlock Holmes' famous dictum, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Or applying this deductive logic to chess, "When you have eliminated all the natural moves by calculation, then it is time to try - by calculation - the most unlikely moves no matter how counter intuitive or impossible looking."

With one more problem and two of his games - one as an IM and one as a GM - to demonstrate his practice of his personal dictum - "Calculate, always calculate!" There was much more, but if you want to find out what else was covered, come to one of his lectures or take an hour or more of his private lessons. He will be at the Dayton Chess Club every 1-2 months to play in the Game in 25 minutes on Friday night followed by lecture and lessons on Saturday and more lessons on Sunday.

Don't take my word for it, calculate it out yourself. Also take the time to compare GM Goldin's remarks about regular dedicated exercise with "deliberate practice" and what you find on the latter when you Google "deliberate practice."

End.