Endgame Studies

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  • Endgame Studies

    I enjoy analyzing pawn endgames more than playing matches. I wanted to find out if anyone here has experience with a program called Freezer which I understand can be used to exhaustively analyze a pawn endgame containing more pawns or pieces than an endgame tablebase can handle. In effect it would create a tablebase for that specific endgame position.

    I have become obsessed with Position #135 in Basic Chess Endings (Neustadtl-Porges) which I believe is a draw and have thought about using Freezer or a comparable software to analyze it

  • #2
    Endgame Studies

    October 5, 2020

    From Basic Chess Endings:


    No. 135, Neustadtl-Porges

    


    White to play

    Fine says: In No. 135, White wants to occupy the square d4. To do so he must first occupy e4, with the Black king at c5. He has two squares (e3 and f3) from which he can approach e4, while Black has only one. Thus he can reach his goal by 1.Kf3 Kc6 2.Ke2 Kc5 3.Kf2 Kc6 4.Kf3 Kd5 5.Ke3 Kc5 6.Ke4 h4 (and so forth).

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    • #3
      Originally posted by George Best View Post
      I enjoy analyzing pawn endgames more than playing matches. I wanted to find out if anyone here has experience with a program called Freezer which I understand can be used to exhaustively analyze a pawn endgame containing more pawns or pieces than an endgame tablebase can handle. In effect it would create a tablebase for that specific endgame position.

      I have become obsessed with Position #135 in Basic Chess Endings (Neustadtl-Porges) which I believe is a draw and have thought about using Freezer or a comparable software to analyze it
      For those who wondered (like I did) what "Freezer" was, here is a link: http://www.freezerchess.com

      It seems that it is/was sold through Shredderchess.com but I don't see it listed on that site... has anyone bought it or used it?

      If you click on the "Buy Freezer now" link you end up in an online store with the Canadian price of 136.87 CAD (!)

      Anyone have this? Last "news" was from 2005...
      ...Mike Pence: the Lord of the fly.

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      • #4
        The Neustadtl – Porges, 1901 position is a famous ending, long known to be a win for White. The solution(s) is more than 20 moves long and well explained in the Averbach & Maizelis “Pawn Endings” books (first published in 1950 and respectively 1981) and in “Secrets of Pawn Endings” – Müller & Lamprecht (2000).
        All these books have been re-printed in the last decade and are available.

        I don’t know about Freezer but for the position mentioned, probably it would be as useful as Encyclopedia of Chess Endings I - Pawn Endings (2013) – diagram # 1816.
        Last edited by Emil Smilovici; Tuesday, 6th October, 2020, 11:29 AM.

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        • #5
          A good to know mini-exercise in king triangulation. I'll save that one for my students.

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          • #6
            Thank you for the responses and the book references. I just bought the kindle edition of "Secrets of Pawn Endings" and will see what I can learn further about this ending (Neustadtl-Porges 1901)

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            • #7
              I need an explanation regarding position #670 on page 204 of "Pawn Endings" by Y Averbakh and I Maizelis. In the left hand column on page 205 after the move 16 K-N4 (descriptive notation) it says "and P-B5+ wins". This means P-B5 wins for white. However, in the notes that follow labelled a, b and c, there is no immediate advance of the bishop pawn. I do not understand what "and P-B5 + wins" means in this context.
              Last edited by George Best; Saturday, 24th October, 2020, 11:08 PM.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by George Best View Post
                I need an explanation regarding position #670 on page 204 of "Pawn Endings" by Y Averbakh and I Maizelis. In the left hand column on page 205 after the move 16 K-N4 (descriptive notation) it says "and P-B5+ wins". This means P-B5 wins for white. However, in the notes that follow labelled a, b and c, there is no immediate advance of the bishop pawn. I do not understand what "and P-B5 + wins" means in this context.
                Position? FEN for a diagram.

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                • #9

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                  • #10
                    This is the position after white played K-N4 (descriptive). The text in the book reads as follows "16 K-N4 and P-B5+ wins". (+ meaning white wins) In the three continuations given in the book, there is no immediate advance of the bishop pawn. After black moves his king, I have noticed that engines contemplate pushing white's bishop pawn but then decide to move the white king instead. My specific problem is that I do not understand the quoted text.

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                    • #11
                      Endgame Studies

                      October 25, 2020


                      Actually George, when referencing a study, it would be good to give the year and the author rather than just the book and page.

                      I have three different editions of Maizelis and was forced to go down into the catacombs to find the book you cited. It is dusty there with lots of spider webs, and dangerous, because you could get a nasty shock if you have forgotten what shelves you booby-trapped.

                      Anyway, beyond the Olms books section, I found Batsfords and therein this:


                      Original study, as above:

                      

                      Neustadtl 1907

                      White to move and win

                      After these moves:

                      1.Kf3 Kc6 2.Ke2 Kc5 3.Kf2 Kc6 4.Kf3 Kd5 5.Ke3 Kc5 6.Ke4 h4 7.Kf3 Kd5 8.Ke3 Kc5 9.Ke4 Kb5 10.Kd4 h3 11.Ke3 Kc5 12.Kf2 Kd5 13.Kf3 Kc5 14.Kg3 Kd5 15.Kxh3 Ke4 16.Kg4 *


                      Position after 16.Kg4

                      

                      And here Averbakh/Maizelis write:

                      And 16…f5+ wins (for White)

                      The alternative lines discussed are: 16…Ke3, or Kd5 or Kd3

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                      • #12
                        Hi Wayne, I am new at posting and will provide diagrams in future. Thank you. I too thought that the text indicated as you say that White wins after pushing the bishop pawn but I found that engines don't like pushing the pawn. I would love to see the continuation that Maizelis was contemplating. I have yet to find the win if White does push.

                        The continuations given in the book are for the three possible black king moves and white does not push the pawn and yet white wins and so I am at a loss to know when Maizelis intended to advance the pawn. If white wins by the continuations given in the text a, b and c then why does he mention "and P-B5 (f5) wins"? It seems that White wins without the advance.
                        Last edited by George Best; Sunday, 25th October, 2020, 02:21 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Endgame Studies

                          October 25, 2020


                          My analytical engine gives:

                          (1...f5+ ( 1...f5+ { #12/26 } 2.gxf6 Kd3 3.f7 Kc2 4.f8=Q Kc1 5.Kf3 Kxb2 6.Ke3 Kc2 7.Qd6 g5 8.Qd2+ Kb1 9.fxg5 Ka1 10.g6 Kb1 11.g7 Ka1 12.g8=Q Kb1 13.Qg1#)

                          ( 1...f5+ { #12/26 } 2.exf6 Kd3 3.f7 Kc2 4.Kf3 Kxb2 5.f8=Q Kc2 6.Ke2 Kxc3 7.Ke3 Kb2 8.Kd2 c3+ 9.Kd3 Kc1 10.Qb4 c2 11.Ke3 e5 12.fxe5 Kd1 13.Qd2# )

                          ( 1...f5+ { #12/26 } 2.exf6 Kd3 3.f7 Kc2 4.Kf3 Kxb2 5.f8=Q Kc2 6.Ke2 Kxc3 7.Ke3 Kb2 8.Kd2 c3+ 9.Kd3 Kc1 10.Qb4 c2 11.Ke3 e5 12.fxe5 Kd1 13.Qd2# )

                          If White replies either 2.Kh4 or 2.Kh3 then Black wins.

                          Have to go, the Buffalo Bills and the Jets are slugging it out.

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                          • #14
                            Thanks Wayne. You are right that Black's f5 check loses for sure but I don't think that is what Maizelis was referring to.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by George Best View Post
                              I am at a loss to know when Maizelis intended to advance the pawn. If white wins by the continuations given in the text a, b and c then why does he mention "and P-B5 (f5) wins"? It seems that White wins without the advance.
                              To me it looks a translator/editor error. Russian editions did no mention f5 at all after Kg4.

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