Misguided belief in the drawish nature of an endgame claims many a victim.
Sergei Begun White
Vladimir Stukalov Black
Astrakhan 1977
Philidor’s Defense C41
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 ♘f6 4 dxe5 ♘xe4 5 ♗c4 c6
Black prepares 6...d5. He would be secure after 6 exd6 ♘xd6 (7 ♗b3 ♗e7 8 0-0 0-0 9 ♘c3 ♘a6 and ...♘c5).
6 ♘bd2 ♘xd2 7 ♗xd2 ♗e7?
And he would have been close to equality after 7...d5 and 8 ♗d3 ♗e7.
8 exd6!
Now 8...♗xd6 9 ♘g5! and 9...♕e7+ 10 ♗e3 0-0 11 ♕d3 g6 12 0-0-0 favors White.
8...♕xd6 9 ♗c3!
Morphy-chess is 9 ♕e2! and 10 0-0-0. But White’s control of center files can also win an endgame (9 ♗c3! ♕xd1+ 10 ♖xd1 0-0 11 0-0 and 12 ♖fe1).
9...0-0 10 ♕xd6 ♗xd6 11 0-0-0 ♗c5? 12 ♘e5!
Now 12...♗xf2? 13 ♘xf7! (13...♖xf7 14 ♖d8 mate) threatens 14 ♖hf1 ♗e3+ 15 ♔b1 and a deadly discovered check.
12...♗b6?
Better was 12...b5 13 ♗b3 a5, when the threat of 14...a4 may gain time for 14...♖a7.
Then 14 ♘xf7 a4! is no more than perpetual check (15 ♘h6+ ♔h8 16 ♘f7+ ♔g8).
13 ♘xf7! ♖xf7 14 ♖he1
The threat of ♖e7 is fatal (14...♗c5 15 ♖d8 mate).
14...♔f8 15 ♗b4+ c5 16 ♗xc5+! resigns.
And 16...♗xc5 17 ♖d8 is mate.
Orestes Rodriguez White
Jaime Emma Black
Buenos Aires 1973
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 ♘f6 4 dxe5 ♘xe4 5 ♗c4 c6 6 ♘bd2 ♘xd2 7 ♗xd2 d5 8 ♗d3 ♘d7 9 b4!? g6 10 ♕e2 ♕e7 11 0-0 ♗g7 12 ♗g5 f6? (12...♕xb4!) 13 exf6 ♗xf6 14 ♖ae1 resigns.
Question 158: Was resignation justified?