Lessons From Crete V: Keep Active

THE following endgame position arose in my round-five game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

White has just played 39.c4-c5

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I played the passive 39...Rd8, guarding the back rank, but soon lost after 40.Rxa6 Rc8 41.c6 Kf8 42.Kg3 Ke8 43.Kf4 Kd8 44.g4 Bxg4 45.hxg4 (the rook-and-pawn ending does not save Black) Kc7 46.Ra7+ Kxc6 47.Rxf7 etc.

Instead Black draws fairly comfortably after the active 39...Rc3 40.c6, and now the key move, 40...Kh7 (this could also be played before ...Rc3).

True, White can go a pawn up with 41.Rxa6, but Stockfish17 and Dragon1 call the position completely equal, a likely continuation being 41...Kh6 42.h4 Rc4 43.g3 g5 44.Ra5 g4 45.Bg2 Kg6, and White cannot make progress.

LESSON: passivity should be regarded as a last resort, only to be used when active play is demonstrably wrong.