The Rook Ending and that Glow Moment

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Post Reply
Geoff Chandler
Posts: 3486
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
Location: Under Cover
Contact:

The Rook Ending and that Glow Moment

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed May 19, 2021 4:59 pm

I swithered where to put this, but here is OK. General Knowledge in the General Thread.

J. Aitken - J. Cock, West England Ch. 1959. (White to play)



Aitken played 51. Rh7 Rxa7 52. Rxh2+ draw agreed.

But James (I have entered that many games of his we are now on first name terms) added a '?' after 51.Rh7.

I got it, eventually, and without a doubt it would passed me by if I had not been told 'something on here.'

I dismissed the key idea because (a clue) is it not a rule of thumb you never give needless
check in a Rook Ending else you will just be chasing the King to potentially a better square.
(if it is not a 'Rule of Thumb' then it should be.....and make sure I get the credit for it.)

But what else? so I checked and checked again and...you know that glow moment chess sometimes gives you. I glowed.
James was a good Rook ending player. He missed it whilst hot at the board, I would have as well.

I 've never seen the idea before, or maybe I have and it never stuck (no glow).



Of course I've not table based it, I'll leave that pleasure to someone else.
(maybe the Black King can go to another square on the checks. I've gone random.)
Black has the first check, is there a perpetual nuisance in there. It's a wide open board.
However, there are no Queen fork tricks on, the f3 Rook is Queen defended.

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: The Rook Ending and that Glow Moment

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed May 19, 2021 6:02 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Wed May 19, 2021 4:59 pm
Of course I've not table based it, I'll leave that pleasure to someone else.
Mate in 29 after Rf2+ according to Lomonosov.

Geoff Chandler
Posts: 3486
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
Location: Under Cover
Contact:

Re: The Rook Ending and that Glow Moment

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed May 19, 2021 6:15 pm

Thanks Roger, I was actually a wee bit worried about.

I figured as soon as the Black checks dry up then it's a simple enough win.

I bet there are few squares where the White King cannot stray too else it is a perpetual.
The a8 Queen cannot block and if the Rook steps in then it may hang.

Have you seen the idea before. It is the kind of thing, once seen then the idea is part of the toolbox.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8453
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: The Rook Ending and that Glow Moment

Post by NickFaulks » Wed May 19, 2021 6:35 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Wed May 19, 2021 6:15 pm
Have you seen the idea before.
No. I actually got it quite quickly - once told it was there. I expect John Nunn knows all about it.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Post Reply