As I thought, I did indeed miss several wins in the rook-and-pawn ending.
Spanton (1854) - Hana Palkova (1874)
Sicilian Closed
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nge2 a6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 d6 7.d3 e6 8.Be3 Nge7 9.Qd2 Nd4 10.Nd1 Nxe2+!?
This surprised me. Normally Black waits for c3 to be played before exchanging, but the move is liked by Stockfish10 and Komodo10.
11.Qxe2 Rb8 12.c3 0-0 13.d4 b6 14.Qd2 Bb7 15.Bh6 f5!?
15...Bxh6 16.Qxh6 cxd4 17.cxd4 Nc6 18.d5 was played in Gyula Horvath (2420) - Laszlo Zsinka (2355), Hungarian Championship 1993 (1-0, 31 moves).
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.exf5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 exf5 19.f4 Ng8 20.Nf2 Nf6 21.d5 Qd7 22.Rfe1 Rfe8 23.c4 b5 24.b3 bxc4 25.bxc4 Rb4 26.Qc3 Kf7 27.a3 Rbb8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Re1
The game looks set for an early draw, but HP decides to unbalance the position.
29...Ne4!?
I thought this was simply a mistake, but I misjudged the energy Black's position gets from having a passed pawn.
30.Nxe4 fxe4 31.Re3 Qa4 32.Qb3 Qxb3 33.Rxb3 e3 34.Kf1 e2+?!
Better, according to the engines, is 34...Re4, when one line they give runs 35.Rb7+ Kf6 36.Rd7 Rxc4 37.Rxd6+ Kf5 38.Re6 Rc2 39.Rxe3 Rxh2 with equality.
35.Ke1 Re4 36.Rb6 Rxc4 37.Rxd6 Ra4 38.Rc6?!
38.Rd7+ seems stronger.
38...Rxa3 39.Rxc5 Ra1+ 40.Kxe2 Ra2+ 41.Kf3 Rxh2 42.Rc7+ Ke8 43.Ra7 Rd2 44.Ke4 Rg2 45.Rxh7 Rxg3 46.Ra7 Ra3 47.Ke5 a5 48.Rg7 Rg3?
Presumably missing White's reply. Correct is 48...Re3+ 49.Kd6 Rb3 with what the engines reckon is just a small edge for White.
49.f5 g5 50.Ra7?
White is still much better after this, but stronger was 50.f6.
50...Ra3!?
Objectively best, according to the engines, is 50...g4, but the simple pawn-winning reply 51.Rxa5 makes a human understandably look for something else.
51.Ke6
Still even more convincing is f6.
51...Re3+ 52.Kf6 g4 53.Rxa5?
Winning is 53.Kg7, followed by pushing the f pawn.
53...g3 54.Ra2 Rd3?
54...Kd7 draws, as does 54...Rf3, according to the engines.
55.Ke5?
Winning is 55.Re2+ eg 55...Kf8 56.Ke6 Ra3 57.d6 Rd3 58.d7 Rd1 59.f6 Rd3 60.Rc2 Re3+ 61.Kf5.
55...Re3+ 56.Kf4 Rd3 57.Ke4 Rb3 58.Rg2 Ke7 59.Ke5 Re3+ 60.Kf4 Rd3 61.Rxg3 Rxd5 62.Kg5 Kf7 63.Ra3 Rd7 64.Ra6 Rb7 65.Rh6 Rb1 66.Rh7+ Kg8 67.Ra7 Rg1+ 68.Kf6 Rf1 69.Ra5 Rf2 70.Ke6 Re2+ 71.Kf6 Rf2 72.Ra8+ Kh7 73.Ke6 Re2+ 74.Kf7 Rb2 75.Re8 Rf2?
This loses. The rook needs to be able to check from the flank, so easiest is 75...Rb5, eg 76.f6 Rb7+ 77.Re7 Rb8.
76.f6 Rb2
 |
| White's last chance to win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
77.Re7?
Winning is 77.Kf8, eg 77...Kg6 78.f7 Rb7 79.Re6+ Kf5 80.Rh6 Rb8+ 81.Kg7 Rb7 82.Kg8.
77...Rb8 78.Ke6+ Kg8 79.Kf5 Rb1 80.Re4 Kf7 81.Re7+ Kf8 ½–½
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