Endgame Focus 4

IN round five at Kenilworth I had white against a player with a Fide of 2007 and an ECF of 2032.

The full game can be seen at K5 but here I want to focus on the ending.

White has just captured on e3 - how would you assess this ending?

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White is a pawn up and has two black isolanis to play against. White also has an isolated pawn, but Stockfish14.1 reckons White is winning, although Komodo12.1.1 gives White 'only' the upper hand.

34...f6

Stopping ...Ng5. Not 34...Ne5? 35.Nc3 Rxd3 36.Rxe5 Rxc3 37.Rxh5+ Kg8 38.Ra5.

35.f4

Stopping Ne5.

35...Rd4

If 35...a5?! then 36.Nc3.

36.Kf2 a5 37.bxa5 Ra4 38.Nd2 Rxa3?

It makes more sense to capture the more-advanced pawn.

39.Nc4 Ra2+ 40.Re2 Ra1 41.Ke3 Nc5 42.Rb2 Na4

Or 42.Rg1 Kd4!? 43.Ne6+ Kc3 44.Rxg3 a6 etc.

43.Rb8+ Kh7 44.Rc8 c5 45.Nd6 g6!?

Presumably defending against a mating net, but now a second pawn drops.

46.Ne4 Kg7 47.Nxc5 Nxc5 48.Rxc5

My fourth rook-and-pawn ending of the tournament, but not one with any real drawing chances.

The game finished:

48...Kf7 49.Kd4 Ke7 50.Kc4 Kd6 51.d4 Ra4+ 52.Kb5! Rxd4 53.Rc6+ Ke7 54.a6 Rd1 55.a7 Rd8 56.Kb6 1-0