Hila Batsford Chess Library Technique for the Tournament Player Mark Dvoretsky and Artur Yusupov With a contribution from Vladimir Vulfson Translated by Steven Lovell ® An Owl Book Henry Holt and Company *22 eed New York aatOLSHenry Holt and Company, Inc. Publishers since 1866 115 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011 Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Mark Dvoretsky and Artur Yusupov All rights reserved, First published in the United States in 1995 by Henry Holt and Company, Inc. Originally published in Great Britain in 1995 by B.T. Batsford Ltd. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-72757 ISBN 0-8050-3900-7 (An Ow! Book: pbk.) First American Edition—1995 Printed in the United Kingdom Ail first editions are printed on acid-free paper-o wW98 7654321 Editorial Panel: Mack Dvoretsky, John Nunn, Jon Speeiman General Adviser: Raymond Keene OBE Managing Editor: Graham Burgess Contents Symbols 4 Preface (Mark Dvoretsky) 3 Part 1: Theory of the Endgame 1 How to Study the Endgame (Mark Dvoretsky) 1 2 Improving your Technique (Mark Dvoretsky) 7 3 Theory and Practice of Rook Endgames (Mark Dvoretsky, Artur Yasupov) 44 4 From the Simple to the Complex: the theory of ‘endgames with opposite-coloured bishops (Mark Dvoretsky) 9 Part 2: Endgame Analysis 5 Typical positions with Rooks and connected passed pawns (Vladimir Vulfson) 102 6 Adventures on Resumption Day (Mark Dvoretsky) 114 7 Knight Solo (or what pure horsepower is capable of) (Artur Yusupov) 120 Part 3: Technique 8 Exploiting an Advantage (Mark Dvoretsky) 128 9 Techniques of Grandmaster Play (Artur Yusupov) 178 10 The Lessons of one Endgame (Mark Dvoreisky) 185 11 Analysis of a Game (Artur Yasupov, Mark Dvoretsky) 195 Part4 12 Examples from Games by Pupils of the Schoot (Artur Yusupov) 214 Index of Analysts and Commentators 235 Index of Games 237 Index of Studies, 240Symbols !! Excellent move ! Good move 12 Interesting move 21 Dubious move 2 Badmove 2 Blunder + Check’ ++ — Double check Win White to play and win Draw White to play and draw = White to play draws; Black to play loses 1s White to play loses; Black to play draws += White to play wins; Black to play draws W White to play B Black to play Ch Championship Weh World Championship {D) Diagram follows Preface Mark Dvyoretsky You may already be acquainted with the first two books based on ‘material from the Dvoretsky-Yusu- pov school for gifted young chess players (Training for the Tourna- ‘ment Player and Opening Prepa- ration). In that case you will already know our guiding princi- ples. We held in the school several sessions devoted to various areas of chess development. The aim of the sessions was not at all to impart ‘concrete knowledge — we had too little time for that. Tt was much ‘more important to point out weak- nesses in our pupils’ play and help ‘them to get rid of them, to demon- strate the most effective ways of studying chess, to acquaint them with the general laws, ideas and methods which underpin the game. You are now looking at our third book (there will be five in all). Itis based on our work atthe third ses- sion of the school, which was de- voted to the problem of improving mastery of the endgame. In the last few years the rules governing many tournaments and matches have been fundamentally changed — these days games are hardly ever adjourned. Before, when you entered an ending, it was possible to work out its complexi- ties at home, but now you have to do this at the board. If you are not equipped with excelient know- Jedge and, even more importantly, ‘an understanding of the principles ofthe endgame, itis far from easy to cope with this task, especially ‘when you consider the fatigue that builds up during a game. But of ‘course mistakes in the endgame are the last that occur in a game— there is no way of putting them right! Clearly, the importance of techni- ‘cal mastery of the endgame bas sharply increased in our time. Thave on my bookshelves quite a few solid tomes on endgame theory. Is it realistic to take in and remember all the information con- tained in them? As it turns out, there is no need to do this. When ‘you read the first part of the book, ‘you will see that your own system. of endgame knowledge can and should be extremely compact and simple to master and remember.