how to play chess endgames book

THE RIGHT
EXCHANGE
83
Kasparov returns the favour. 7 ... h6 would
have held the draw: 8 @g4 (8 h5 @g5 9 g4 g6
10 hxg6 @xg6 11 @g2 @g7 12 @g3 wn =; 8
g4 g5 =) 8 ... g6 9 b4 b5 10 a3 a6 and White cannot
gain the vital tempo: 11 Wf4 g5+ 12 Wg4
Wg6 13 hxg5 hxg5 =.
at least the torture will stop', allows the transition
to a lost pawn ending. In the following
game Black had had his back to the wall for
some time:
B
8 b4 bS 9 @f4 h6 10 @g4! 1-0
It is really surprising that Kasparov took the
risk of entering such a complicated pawn ending,
when there were several continuations
available to him in which he could prove sufficient
compensation for his pawn minus. To be
fair to Kasparov though, we should be aware of
the special psychological situation surrounding
this game. Before the tournament Kasparov had
already decided to declare his retirement from
professional chess after this game and he was
therefore under tremendous pressure, all the
more so as a draw in this game would have
secured a convincing tournament victory. As
he himself said in subsequent interviews, he
wanted to escape from the unbearable pressure
as quickly as possible and so he took the decision
to enter the pawn ending. Like Kasparov
himself, we are certain that under other circumstances
Garry would never have made this mistake.
Such a fully understandable psychological
wish, to terminate an unpleasant pressure situation
as quickly as possible, has deprived many a
player of the fruits of their stubborn defence. In
our database there are many examples in which
a player can stand it no longer and, acting in accordance
with the motto 'If it's not drawn then
4.06
V.Gavrikov - Y. Yakovich
USSR Ch (Kiev) 1986
Now Black could stand the pressure no longer
and acquiesced to a pawn ending. However,
if he could only have mustered enough energy
to continue to defend a slightly worse position,
he would have had good chances of a halfpoint:
1. .. !1f6?
After I .. Jib8! 2 c4 (2 Wf2 !? Wg8 3 We3 l"{c8
4 Wd4 l"{c6 5 c4 ;t) 2...~c8! 3 l"{xb6 h6 4 !1b5
!!xc4 5 l"{xa5 l"{c I+ 6 Wg2 l"{c2+ Black has excellent
chances of saving the game.
2!1fi@g8
2...l"{xfl+ 3 @xfl @g8 4 @e2 @f7 s @d3
@e6 6 @c4 @d6 7 @b5 @c7 8 c4 @b7 9 cs
bxc5 10@xc5 @a6 11 g4 +-.
3 );Ixf6 gxf6 4 wr2 @f7 s @e3 @e6 6 @d4
@f5
6 ... @d6 7 g4 h6 8 @c4 @c6 9 h3 @d6 10
@b5 @c7 +-.
7@d5 l-O
Another frequently-occurring mistake in exchanging
into a pawn ending is a far-too-generous
attitude to material. In his excellent book
Practical Endgame Lessons, Ed mar Mednis set
out the five golden rules for 'How not to win a
won game'. One of these rules states: "Give up