The Instructor 11 - Discoveries in Rook Endgames - Dvoretsky.pdf

The Instructor

Discoveries in Rook Endgames
In my previous article, I introduced some analyses of minor-piece endgames,
taken from my ing endgame textbook. We spoke of well-known
positions which had been poorly annotated in other books on the endgame. The
existing theory of endgames is full of misdirection; I hope I have cleared up a
little bit of it. On the other hand, it’s more likely that I will also have helped to
create more: after all, the very process of studying a huge number plex
positions makes it extremely difficult to avoid errors, even with a most serious
and attentive attitude towards the analysis. So I will be grateful for anything my
readers may contribute - while the book is still unpublished, it’s not too late to
make corrections.
The Now let’s talk about rook endgames. I remind you that one of my articles, with
new analyses of two rook endgames already known to theory, has already been
Instructor published, in , February 2001.
Mark Dvoretsky Yeliseyevich - Pytel Trstenik, 1979
Black to move
In order to select the best approach for
Black, it is useful to keep in mind the
famous rule formulated by Siegbert
Tarrasch: The rook belongs behind the
passed pawn - yours, or your opponent’s.
This is the most active place for the rook.
After 1...a5? 2. Rxe6 Re4 (intending Kf7) 3.
Re7 Kf8 4. Ra7 Rxe5 5. Kf2, the extra pa