4.1 An Endgame with 7 Pieces

Oops chooses a 7-pieces endgame to show that story telling could be erroneous. Besides the two kings the position in diagram 1 envolves all different chess pieces: Queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. The position is a (=/+)-position: White to move can draw, Black to move can win.

Diagram 1: A (=/+)-position

Diagramm 2: Type of position in dependence of the location of the whole complex of pieces (Leading piece: The white king)

Moving the whole complex of pieces around Oops finds a nice story (or rule):

The closer the white pawn to the 8. rank the better for White.

But Oops wouldn´t tell it that way. There are to many exceptions. So many, that it makes no sense to call it a rule (or a good story). Therefore Oops is - concerning rules - a sceptic.

Diagram 3: Value of the position with white to move in dependence of the position of the white king as the leading piece

Diagram 4: Value of the position with black to move in dependence of the position of the white king as the leading piece

Things run crasy if you are asked what are the best squares for the black king with White to move. Where to put the black king in order not to loose? The square c6 is easy to find. The square f3 is not. At least for Oops!

Diagram 5: Value of the position in dependence of the position of the black king

If 7-pieces endgames are so complex, what do we await from positions with more than seven pieces?

The following diagrams 6 and 7 show the situations for White to move and for Black to move respectivly.

In diagram 6 the black king may not be placed on one of the squares b8, b6, a1 and g5. Do you understand?

Diagram 6: Value of the position with White to move in dependence of the position of the black king

In diagramm 7 the black king should not move to one of the squares a5, b8, c8, e8, e7, f6, g7, h8 or h2 before it is White to move. That is not easy to see, or?

Diagram 7: Value of the position with Black to move in dependence of the position of the black king

Fundemental Positions and Color Codes

Color codes for the Representation of Positional Types without taking care of the right to move

4.2 An Endgame with 7 Pieces played by Masters

It is worth-while to have a look at a 7-pieces endgame played by two grandmasters. Very often the evaluation of the position changes because of absolute errors made by the players.

For example: Nepomniachtchi, I. (2784) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2778), Nations Cup Online vom 07.05.2020 (Source: ChessBase Online-Datenbank)

Diagram 8: Position after 71...Kxa4: (=/=)

After 72 Rd4 Qc1+ 73 Rd1 Qc5 74 Kf1 Qc4+ 75 Kg1 Qg8+ 76 Kf1 Qg4 77 Kf2 Qh4+ 78 Kg2 Qg5+ 79 Kf2 Qe5 White went on withe an error:

Diagram 9: Position after 79...De5: (=/+)

He played: 80 Rf1? (80 Rdd3 and 80 Rd7 both are drawn.).

After 80...b3 81 Kg1, s. diagram 10,

Diagram 10: Position after 79...Qe5: (=/+)

81...Qd4? was played by Black - instead of the only correct winnig move 81...Qc5+. The second error, but not the worst one, because it was not loosing.

The game went on with 82 Kh2 Qh8+ 83 Kg1 Qg7+ 84 Kh2 Qh7+ 85 Kg1 Qg6+ 86 Kh2 b2 87 Rxf4+ Kb3 88 R4f3+ Ka2 89 R3f2 Qh7+ 90 Kg1 Qd3 (s. Diagramm 11)

Diagram 11: Position after 90...Qd3: (=/+)

Now it is White who failed - the third error: 91 Kh2? (instead of playing the only correct move 91 Kg2 =). It follows 91...Ka3 92 Rf7 Qd6+ 93 Kg2 Qd5+ 94 R7f3+ Ka2 95 R1f2 Ka1 96 Kg3 Qd6+ 97 Kg2 b1Q 98 Rf1 Qxf1+ 99 Kxf1 Kb2 100 Ke2 Kc2 101 Re3 Qd5 102 Kf2 Qf5+ 103 Ke2 Qg4+ 104 Rf3 Qe4+ 105 Kf2 Kd2 106 Ra3 Qd5 107 Rg3 Qe5 108 Kf3 Qf5+ 109 Kg2 Ke2 110 Kg1 Qf2+ 111 Kh1 Kf1 and White resigned.