"The great mobility of the King forms one of the chief characteristics of all endgame strategy. In the middlegame the King is a mere 'super', in the endgame, on the other hand - one of the 'principals'."

🔸 Aaron Nimzowitsch

@UnityChess

Amsterdam, 24th July 1974. In the 8th round of the IBM tournament, Vladimir Tukmakov (USSR) is in play v. Hans Ree (Netherlands).

@UnityChess

⚪️#214 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Hansen,SuB (2583)
🔸Semcesen,D (2464)
🔸Bistro Stella Limhamn Malmo 2018

14.Nfe5! [White is slowly tightening his grip on the position.]

[14.Rb1!? Qc7 15.Nfe5 Rd8 16.Nxd7 Nxd7 17.a4 c5 18.dxc5 Bxb2 19.Qxb2 bxc5 20.Rbc1 Bc6 (20...cxb4 21.Nd6 Qb8 22.Nxb7 Qxb7 23.Bf3+–) 21.b5 Bd5±; 14.Ba3 Ba6 15.Rd2 Bxc4 16.Rxc4 Nd5 17.Rdc2 Qb7 18.b5 c5 19.dxc5 Nxc5 20.Bxc5 bxc5 21.Rxc5 Rxc5 22.Rxc5 Rc8 23.Qc4 Rxc5 24.Qxc5 Nc3 25.Qc4+/=]

14...a5 15.bxa5 b5 [15...bxa5 16.Bf3 a4 17.Qc2±]

16.Nb6 Nxb6 17.axb6 Nd5 18.Nd7 Qd6 19.Nc5 Rcb8 20.Bf3 Bc8 21.b7 Bxb7 22.e4±

1–0

⚪️#214 (Endgame-White to Move)
🔸Pridorozhni,A (2567)
🔸Kryakvin,D (2588)
🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018

29.Qxf5! [29.Qf3 Bf8 (29...Qc2 30.Ke2 c4 31.bxc4 Qxc4+ 32.Kf2 d3 33.f5„) 30.h3 h4 31.d6 Bxd6 32.Qxb7+ Kh6 33.Qa8 Bxf4 34.Qh8+ Kg5 35.Qd8+ Kh5 36.Qh8+; 29.Kf3 Qg4+ 30.Kf2 Qd1 31.Be1 d3 (31...Qxb3 32.f5 gxf5 33.Qxf5+ Kg8 34.Qe6+=) 32.f5 Bf6 33.Qe8 Bd4+ 34.Kf1 gxf5 35.h4 Bg7 36.Qe6 Qg4 37.Bd2 Qxh4 38.Qxf5+ Kg8 39.Qe6+ Kh8 40.Qc8+ Kh7 41.Qf5+=]

29...gxf5 30.Ke2 Bf8 31.Kd3 Bd6 32.g3 h4? [32...Kg7 33.h3 Kf7 34.Kc4 Ke8 35.b4 cxb4 36.Bxb4 d3 37.Be1 Kd7 38.Kxd3=]

33.Kc4 h3?? [33...hxg3 34.hxg3 Kg8 35.b4 cxb4 36.Bxb4 d3 37.Bc3=]

34.b4 cxb4 35.Bxb4 d3 36.Bd2 Kg6 37.Kxd3 Kh5 38.Ke2 Kg4 39.Bc3 Bc5 40.Be5 b5 41.axb6 Bxb6 42.d6 Kh5 43.Bf6 Kg6 44.Bg5

1–0

🔸Pavlodar Open 2018
🔸Round 3
⚪️Agmanov,Zhandos (2368)
⚫️Khanin,S (2510)
🔸0-1

26...Rd4! [A multi-purpose move: 1– defending the central e4–pawn. 2– threatening 27...exd3, winning a piece. 3– gaining an important tempo to play ...Bc8.]

[26...Rfe8?! 27.fxg6 hxg6 28.Re3! △Be2 28...Qxh2 29.Rh3 △Qh4 29...Bc8 30.Rxh2 Bxg4 31.Be2 Be6 32.Kc1-/+]

27.f6? [¹27.Be2 Bc8! △B×f5 28.Qg3 Qxg3 29.hxg3 gxf5–+ △Be6]

27...exd3! [27...exd3 28.Rxe5 dxc2+ 29.Kxc2 Rxg4–+]

⚪️#215 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Popov,Iv RUS (2590)
🔸Aliyev,Ravan (2351)
🔸Baku Open 2018

Unity Chess Strategy Multiple Choice 215
public poll

A) Rb1 – 7
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 70%
@PouyaMO1360, Jonas, Nikhil, @ItisHo3ein, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @A_Somewhat_Cool_Guy, Matthew

B) Q×f4 – 3
👍👍👍 30%
@RahmaniArapardaz, @SophiaCat_does_Chess, JANU

C) Rd1
▫️ 0%

👥 10 people voted so far.

⚫️#215 (Endgame-Black to Move)
🔸Kabanov,N (2450)
🔸Bocharov,D (2533)
🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018

Unity Chess Endgame Multiple Choice 215
public poll

C) e3 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 67%
@PouyaMO1360, Masoud, Nikhil, @LonelySheriff, @Steve_The_Great, @Sophia_Giraffe

A) Be3+ – 3
👍👍👍👍 33%
Jonas, @A_Wild_Richard, Matthew

B) Rf8
▫️ 0%

👥 9 people voted so far.

Magnus Takes All At Côte d’Ivoire Rapid & Blitz

http://bit.ly/2Vz8PXi

Congratulations to Magnus Carlsen for winning Côte d’Ivoire, the first leg of 2019 #GrandChessTour with 2 rounds to spare!!

A perfect finish also saw Magnus Carlsen end as the 2700 chess blitz no. 1, by the smallest possible margin!
#GrandChessTour