British Endgame Study News
Syxcial number 63 June 2010
Edited and published by John Beasley, 7 St Janes Road, Harpenden, Herts AL5 4NX
ISSN1363-0318 t-nail:iohnbeaslev@mail.com
Some studies by
Jan Vaniura
Some studies by Jan Vaniura
This seems to have been one of the chess world's sadder tragedies. According to the
Czech Mald encyklopedie iachu, the endgame analyst and composer Jan Vandura
lived only from August 1898 to November 1921, and most of his sludies appeared
posthumously. But he produced work of high quality during his short life, and he
made two important contrjbutions to endgame theory. Seven of his studies appear in
the Russian editioD of Ave6akh (five in the English edition), eleven are in Cheron,
and five are in John Ntnn's Secrets of rook endings.
lb-after8KxhT
I appeared in Cusopis ieslcjch iachisti in 1916. 1 e8Q Rx€8 2 Bf8, and Black
must try ?..,Re2+. If White goes to the g-file now or later, Black wjll play...Re6, ard
meet g8Q by...Rg6+. 3 Kh3, therefore, and 3,,.Re3+ 4 Kh4 Re4+ 5 Kh5 gives la.
Can Black play 5...Rel and attack from below? No, 6 Bd6+ K- 7 ggQ Rhl+ 8 Kg4
Rgl+ 9 Bg3. Hence one more check,5...Re5+, and after 6 Kh6 Rel this line doesn't
work. But 7 Bc5! covers g I , and after 7...Re8 8 KxhT we have lb. Now Black's king
fatally restricts his rook: 8..,Rd8 (8...Rc8 9 Bf8 at once) 9 Be? Rc8 10 Bfll Rc7
1l Bd6 pinning. My computer doesn't se€ why the White king cannot start on hl.
ln 2, trom Casopis ieslclch iachistfr.1917,1 Rd1! Bg2 (gjven after l...Bc8 is 2 Rd4
Ba6 3 Kfi, but 2 Ra1 provides an elegant altemative) 2 Rd7+ KhB 3 Rd4! (see 2a)
and Black is helpless: 3...Bc6 4 Kf7 or3..,BB 4 Kg6, If 3...Bf1, either will do.
- special number 63, page 2 -
3 appeared in 28. Rijenio 1924. This time Black has a dark bishop, and White will
win if he can confine Black's king to the h8 comer. It is in fact sufficient fo. White to
(each 3a or an equivalent position - if he can do this, he can force a win wherever the
Black bishop goes - but Black can expect to draw if his kiog can safely reach fB or any
point west. So Whito must act quickly, and play starts I Rc3. The narural reply is
1...Kg7, but let us look at some altematives first. l...Bb8 2 Kf6, with 2...8f4 3 Rh3+
Kg8 4 Kg6 and if Black plays 4...KfB his bishop will be pinned, or 2...Bd6 3 Kf-/ and
the same. 1...8d6 2 Kf6 Bb4 (else much the same again) 3 Rg3, with Rg6 and Kfl to
follow. L..Kg8 2 Kf6, with a reflecrion of the position after l ..8b8 Kf6.
So we confirm 1,..K97, ard White musr reply 2 Rd3. The main line is 2...Kf8 (see
3b) 3 Ke6 Kg7 4 Rd2 (quickest) Bb8 5 Rb2 (again quickest) Bf4 6 Rg2+ Kh6 7 Kf5
giving 3c below, and White will soon reach a reflecrion of 3a (say 7...Bel 8 Rg6+
Kh? 9 Kf6 etc). Some sidelines are also of interesr, for example 2,..K17 3 RdTt Ke8
4 Ke6 Bf4, when 5 Rd3 (quickest) wjns even though Black has got as far away from
the comer as e8, and the study is well worth playing through with a computer.
Accordjog to Ken Whyld's Chess columns, 28. Rijen was a Prague daily, wrrn a
chess column edited by F. J. Prokop from 1924 to 1926. "28. fujen" means "October
28", the day in 1918 when what became thc firsr Czechoslovak ReDublic was founded.
The lovely little 4 (iestl slovo 1922) has been innocently reproduce.d several
times, including by Frink in the Chess Amateur tn 1923. I Bd7! (only here) Ke3
(1...Kfl makes things easy for White, 2 Kd4 Kf4 3 h4) 2 h4 Ke4 3 b5 KeS gives 4a,
and the natural continuation is 4 h6 Kf6 5 Be8 thoush 4 Be8 and 5 h6 also works.
- special number 63, page 3 -
5 (CesM sloto 1922) depends in part on 5a, which is reciprocal zugzwang. White
to play in 5a has only I Kg7 (any other king move allows l.,.Kg6 winnjng the pawn),
and after l...Rg6+ 2 Kfl/ Black has 2...Rh6 repeating the posirioni if i.stead 2 Kf8,
2...Kh6 again leads to capture of the pawn. But Black to play must rerear, 1...Kh4,
and now 2 Kg7 wins (2...Kh5 3 Rf8 Rg6+ 4 Kfl, or 2...Rh5 3 Rfs Rg5+ 4 Kf6).
Hence, in 5, not I Kfl Kh5 drawing but I KE, ready for l,..Khs 2 Kf/ winning-
But Black also has 1,..Rh5, met by 2 KO (quickest, though 2 Kg7 also wins) Rf5+
3 Ke6 Rh5 4 Kf6 and again Black has no good move (see 5b). (A minor nore in
passing: 5b isn't reciprocal zugzwang because White to play can triangulate.)
Al1 dght, so why not I Ke8, again ready for 1...Kh5 2 Kfl? Because Black has
1...Kh3, giving himself some extra room. Now, after 2 Kfi Rh4 3 Kg6 Rg4+ 4 Kf6
Rh4 5 Kf5, we have 5b with wIgbR/bK all down a rank, and 5...Rh6 holds the oraw-
It is almost a little textbook in itself.
6- draw 6a...6f - reciprocal zugzwang 69 - reciprocal zugzwang
6 (28, Rijen 1926) is another study that appears in the textbooks. lt depends on a
series of reciprocal zugzwangs, the most impofiant being 6f (kings on d3lb3) and 69,
Black to play in 6f, l.,,Ra2 (everything clse loses the pawn) 2 Kd2 (69) Rb2 3 Kd3
(6f again). White to play, 1 Kdz (anything else releases the pressure) Ra2 (69) 2 Kd3
Ra8, and 3 Rxcz can be met by 3...Rd8+ winning the rook. Given this, itis soon seen
that 6e back to 6a are also reciprocal zugzwang.
I
The solution to 6 now becomes clear: Ke7! (l Kd7? Kb?2, I Kd8? KbSz) Ka7
(l...Kb? 2 Kd'72) a\d so on down to 5 Ke3 Ka3. Now simpiest is 6 Kdz though
6 Ke2 and even 6 Ke4 do not forfeit rhe draw, and after 6...Kb3 7 Kd3 we have 6f.
- special number 63, page 4 -
7 - White can only draw
Vandura's most significant contribution to ondgame theory was his demonstration
that 7 (28. Rijen 1924) was only drawn- Suppose I Kb5, to ftee the White rook for
Rc8 etcr no, l-..Rf5+, and jf White advances Black will simply check on f6lfilf8 until
he comes back again, Nor will playing the king towards the rook heip, because Black
will play ...Rb6, and if White plays a7 Black will draw by .,,Ra6. According lo John
Nunn in ,Secreh of rook endings, this revolutionized the theory of R + aP v R, and
"many prc-I924 analyses appear incomprehensible to the modem eye because this
drawing method wasn't known". John goes so far as to call T "the Vandura draw".
In 8, also ftom 28. Njen 1924, White must avoid this, hence not I Kd3 (1...Rdlf
2 K- Rd6 etc) but I Kd2. Given as "main line" is 1...Kb8, and after 2 Ke3 (quickest)
Kc8 3 Rh8+ the given move is 3...Kb7 aiming for 7 although 3...Kc7 holds out for
one move longer. Now comes 4 Kf4 (quickest) giving 8a, and it is soon seen that
Black cannot reach a drawing position (given is 4...Kc7 5 Kf5 Rfl+ 6 Kg6 Rgl+
7 Kh7 Kd7 8 Rgt). Black has alternatives, but none leads to survival.
9a - 1 Kf5, after 3-..Ke7 9b - main line, after 4 Ne6
9 (28, Rijen 1924) is a worthy addition to the ranks of knight-agairist-rook shuFoff
studies. Try I Kt7 or I Kf6: no, l...RR+ 2 K- Rg3(+). Try I Kf5: no, 1...Re8
2 Ng6 Kd6 3 Nf8 Kc7 (see 9a), and 4 g8Q will be met by 4-..Rxtt+. Conect is
1 Kh5, and after 1...Re8 2 Ng6 Kd6 3 NE Black has nothing better rhan 3...Re1.
Now comes the second fine move; 4 Ne6! (see 9b). 4...Rh1+ 5 Kg6 Rgl+ 6 Ng5 is
clearly hopeless, hence 4...Re5+, but it is to no avail: 5 Kg4 Rel 6 Kfs Rfl+ (no
choice now, 6...Re5+ 7 Kf4 and no more checks) 7 Kg6 Rgl+ 8 Ngs. If Black tries
...Rel at move I, White plays 2 Ng6 Re8 3 Kh6 Kd6 4 Ntt with an easy w;n.
- special number 63, page 5 -
lob - after 10...897
Vandura's second major contribulion to endgame theory came in the ending
R + P v B with a side pawn and the bishop able to command rhe promotion square.
It had been known since the 1860s that White could win if he could successfully get
his pawn to the fifth rank, but it was believed that Black could hold the draw by a
fifth-rank blockade. Not so, said Vanaura, whose 10 appeared in 28. Aijen in lg?4.
I haven't seen the original source, which may well have been r€stricted in space, but
Dedrle and Mandler both published analyses of the study, and Ch6ron devoted nea(ly
four pages of his lzlrt und Handbuch der Endspiele Lo 1t with a host of variations and
subvariations. Here, I give just the main line, lelting readers interested in the details
consult the definitive computer analysis now available ro anyone with an Intemet
connection or the relevant CD. Be it noted that this being a theoretical study, whose
objective was solely to prove that White could force a wio, uniqueness of White play
was not an issue, Indeed, Black bcing wholly passive, inaccurate White play does not
lormally forfeit rhe win, though I imagine that there are places (for example, after
l0a) where a specific move or manoeuvre is needed in order to make progress.
I Kf4 Bd6+ (after l...Bd8 Ch6ron gives play to move 6, after l...B8lf6/c5/b4la3 to
move 5) 2 KfS Bc5 (Ch6ron devotes neady a page to answering Black's ahematives,
one line going lo move I l) 3 Rcl Be3 (altematives a.alysed to movc 6) 4 Rc4 (the
computer has shown that 4 Rc3 forces the win slightly more quickly) Bgl (see 10a,
altematives analysed to move 7) 5 Ra4 Bb6 (another page of analysis, one line going
to move 23) 6 Re4 Bgl (altemativcs analyscd to move l0) 7 Rc4 (now we are back at
10a but with Black to move) Be3 (altematives analysed
to move l5) 8 Ke4 Bd2 (altematives to move l l) 9 Rc2
Bh6 (altematives to move 10) 10 Rh2 Bg7 (see 10b,
altematives analysed to move 14) 11 Kf4 BE (alter-
natives to move 15) 12 KB Ba3 (altematives to move
16) 13 Ra2 Be7 (alternatives to move 16) 14 Re2 Bd8
(altematives to move 16) 15 Rd2 Gee 10c) and now the
solution in Harold van der Heijden's "Endgame study
database III" contirues 15...8c7 16 Rd4 Bb8 17 Kg2
while Chdron and the Russian e.dition of Averbakh
prefer 15...8e7 (Ch6ro[ analyses altematives to movc loc - after 15 Rd2
19) 16 Kf4 Bf6 (Chdron analyses 16...Bf4 to move 19) 17 Rd? Bc3 18 Kg3 Bel+
19 Kh3 with Rd5+ etc to follow.
- special number 63, page 6 -
lla-after3g8B+
After that blockbuster, which Ch6ron, who admired deep analysis, described as
"Die schdnste und schwierigste Studie" with this material, the rest will be a little
easier. Everything on this page appeared in28. Rijen in 1924. ln 11, I gxhT forces
Black to relieve the stalemate, and both 1...Nx97 2 KxgT and 1...N/Rf8 2 gxf8Q
R/Nxft 3 Kg7 will allow h8Q drawing at least. Hence 1,..Nd8, after which comes
2 Baz+ Kxaz (else 3 g8Q wins) 3 g8B+ giving 11a- Now 3...Ne6 gives stalemate,
and anything else ailows 4 Kg7 with h8Q to follow.
The novelty of 12 lies entirely in its first move: 1 Kh8! This deprives Black of a
check on a7 now or later, and allows White to use a winning method known since the
1840s: 1...Qf2 2 2 Qe4+ Qg2 3 Qel+ Qgl 4 Qd2 (a move which is possible only
because Black has no check) Qf2 5 Qd5+ Qg2 6 Qdl+ Qgl 7 Qf3+ Qe2 8 QhS+
Kgl 9 Bd4+ with mate or win of the queen-
l3a-lBg4,after3Kf2 13b - main line, 3..-Rxh7
How can White's bishop get on to the long diagonal in 13? Try I Bh3 for Bg2:
no, l...Rel+ 2 Kf2 Rgl, Try I Bg4i no, 1...Re3 2 Rh3 Relt 3 Kf2 (see 13a) Bc5+
4Kxe1 Kg2. TrylBd7: no, l...Rc5 (or 1...Relr and 2...Rc1, if prefened).
This leaves I Bc8 aiming for b7, when l...Rb5 allows 2 BS4 with a quick mate.
Hence l.,.Re7 - or should Black check on el first? The main line inserts the check,
1.,.Re1+ 2 Kf2 Re7, but in fact it makes no difference. White continues 3 Rh7!
luring the Black rook to the h-fiIe,3...Rxh7 (see 13b), and after 4 Be6 Rhs 5 Bg4
Black is helpless- We may note that the trick Black used ir 13a,.,.Bc5+ to force Kxel
and make space for ...Kg2, doesfl't work if White's rook and bishop are further up the
board; White can check with his bishop, and mop up at leisure.
- special number 63, page ? -
14 atrd 15 both appearcd in Ceskd slovo in 1922. lt 14, I Bh7 is needed to release
the stalemate, and after l...Kxft Black cannot be prevented from capturing on f6.
The second sacrifice 2 896+ is therefore necessary (see 14a) so that White can meet
the capture on f6 by 3 Be8/8h5. And if Black takes the bishop instead, 2...Kxg6, we
have 3 h7, after which 3..,Kxh7 4 Kd5 Kg8 (temporizing by 4...Kh8 doesn't help)
5 Ke6 KlIl 7 f7 gives a routine win.
In 15, I Bd7 Rxcs 2 f6! (see l5a below), and the Black rook is suddenly unable to
stop the f-pawn. 1...Rh5 allows an immediate fork, l...Rc4 ar immediate pin; l,..Rc3
for 2...RR will allow a oin rtext move. 1...Rc1 for 2...Rf1 a skewer next move.
Finally, 16 is the only one ofVaniura's studies which app€ars to have received any
kind of award (it was giveD 7th HM in Cesk6 slovo in 1924). lRhT+,andif l.-.Kxh7
then 2 Rh2r with stalemate. Henc€ 1...Qxh7+, but after 2 Rc2 Black must release the
stalemate (see 16a), and how is he to do so? 2...Qg8 allows 3 Rc8 pinning, and the
capture will restore the stalematel a move along the rank will allow 3 Rc8+ with a
fork or pin to follow (given as the main line is 2,..Qf7 3 Rc8+ Kg7 4 Rc7); and a
move on the file will allow an immediate pin or fork by 3 Rh2.
I do not know how these posthumous studies reached the public eye, but I can
imagine what Du(as (the chess columnist ol CesM slovo) and Prokop must have
thought when this archive became available to them,
My usual thanks to Harold van der Heijden's invaluable " Endgatne studJ databose
I " a4d to the BCPS Library. - JDB
- special number 63, page I -
