There is no zugzwang because Black can shift his rook back and forth between c5 and e5. White’s king cannot cross the fifth rank. His queen cannot create a passed pawn or give itself up favorably for the rook.
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Grischuk – J. Polgar Biel 2007 Black to play A knight and two connected pawns usually beat a knight. Why is this position different?
It’s different because of a blockade, 1 … Ng4!, and stalemate (2 Nxg4). White gave up one pawn but Black stopped the other, e.g.
2 Nc4 Nh2+ 3 Ke4 Nf1! 4 Ne3 Nxg3+ 5 Ke5 and now 5 … h5 is one way to draw.
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Ljubojevic – Smeets Amsterdam 2007 White to play White is in check and will lose the c5-pawn. What’s the difference between 1.Ke5 and 1.Kc7?
White can achieve the checking distance with 1 Kc7! Kxc5 2 Rb1!.
It doesn’t help Black to cut off the king by a rank with 2 …Rh7+ 3 Kc8 since the Black king can’t advance the pawn alone, 3 … Kd5 4 Rd1+! Ke4 5 Rc1 draws
In the game White lost after 1 Ke5?? Kxc5 2 Ke4 Kc4 3 Ke3 Kc3 4 Rc7! Re6+! 5 Kf4 Kc4 6 Kf5 Rh6 7 Ke4 c5 and so on.
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Dreev – Cifuentes Wijk aan Zee 1995 White to play On 1 Ng5 Black defends with 1…Nf6. What else can White do?
The sacrifice 1 c5! bxc5 2 dxc5 Nxc5 (not 2 … Bxc5 3 Rxd7 and 4 Bxc5) is strong after 3 Qc2.
Black’s knight is threatened and cannot get back to defend the kingside because 3 … Nd7 4 Qd2 costs a piece.
After 3 … Na6 4 Ng5! g6 and 5 Qa4! White either gets a decisive attack (5 … Nb8 6 Qh4) or wins material (5 … Nb4 6 Rxd6! Qxd6 7 Ne4).
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Vydeslaver – Psakhis Ramat Aviv 1998 Black to play Natural moves include 1 … Bc6 and 1 … a5/2 … b4. What else?
It’s an excellent time for 1… Rxc3! 2 bxc3 Bc6 since the e4-pawn is doomed (3 Qd3 Qa8 4 Bg5 Bxe4! 5 Bxe4? Nxe4 and Black wins in view of discovered check, 6 Bxe7 Nf2+ 7 Kg1 Nh3 mate).
The game went 3 Bg5 Nxe4 4 Bxe7 Qxe7 and 5 f6 Qb7! 6 fxg7 Rc8 7 Qg4 Nd2 8 Rf2 Bxg2+ 9 Rxg2 Rxc3 with more than enough compensation.
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Nimzovich – Marshall Carlsbad 1907 Black to play Is it too early for 1 … e4?
No, because after 1...e4! 2 dxe4 dxe4 3 Ng5 Black gets a fine initiative with the Spielmann idea, 3 … e3!. Then comes 4 fxe3 h6 5 Nge4 Ng4!.
Black would be winning after 6 Nf3? Qxd1+ 7 Kxd1 f5! (8 Nc3 Nf2+). The game turned in his favor after: