how to play chess endgames book

86 How TO PLAY CHESS ENDGAMES
D) Exchanging into a Rook
Ending
This is a common method of defence because
of the strong drawing tendency of rook endings.
The defender relies on activity and is
sometimes even prepared to give up material
to achieve it.
E4.12 r=:
Black played l...~xe4 2 ~xe4 ~e4 3 dxe4.
How do you evaluate his decision?
B
4.09
L.Psakhis - LB.Hansen
Istanbul OL 2000
E4.13 ***/
Was l litxd7+ a good choice?
1 ... d4!?
Hansen seeks to activate all his forces and is
prepared to sacrifice his d-pawn, which is sickly
in any case, to achieve this. I ... l!ac8? 2 lbf3
@f6 3 lbd4 i.d7 4 l!ael would grant White a
stable long-term advantage in view of his agile
knight and the weak dark squares in the black
camp.
2 lite2 .i.d5 3 l:!eS ~hd8 4 !!xfS+ @g8 5 ~f4
&c8 6 l!xd4 .bg2 7 llxd8+ li!.xd8 8 'ittxg2
l!xd2
This is the position that Black was aiming
for. White's winning chances are close to zero
because of the active rook on d2.
9 llcl @f7 10 @f3 @f6 11 a4 nds 12 llet
l!fS+ 13 @g2 l!gS+ 14 @ht l!cS 15 lle2 l!c4
16 b3 llc317@g2 g518 ~d2@e619 h3 hS 20
@h2 h4 21 Wg2 b6 22@h2 as 23 @g2 @e5 24
Wh21'2-1/z
The margin of the draw is often so great that
sometimes a pawn-down rook ending can be