The Rook Ending That Closed the Olympiad

The game, move by move

A quiet Ruy Lopez

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… e5
3. 2. Nf3
4. 2… Nc6
5. 3. Bb5 Bb5 — the Ruy Lopez
6. 3… a6
7. 4. Ba4
8. 4… Nf6
9. 5. d3 d3, the quiet way
10. 5… b5
11. 6. Bb3
12. 6… Bc5
13. 7. c3
14. 7… d6
15. 8. Bg5
16. 8… h6
17. 9. Bh4
18. 9… g5 g5, at the bishop
19. 10. Bg3
20. 10… Bb6
21. 11. a4
22. 11… Rb8
23. 12. Nbd2
24. 12… Ne7
25. 13. axb5
26. 13… axb5
27. 14. d4
28. 14… Ng6
29. 15. dxe5
30. 15… dxe5
31. 16. h4 h4, at the pawns
32. 16… Ng4

Everything comes off

1. 17. hxg5
2. 17… Nf4 Nf4, into the hole
3. 18. Bxf4
4. 18… exf4
5. 19. Nd4
6. 19… Bxd4
7. 20. cxd4
8. 20… Qxd4
9. 21. Qe2
10. 21… hxg5
11. 22. Rxh8+ The rooks come off on h8
12. 22… Qxh8
13. 23. O-O-O White castles long, at move twenty-three
14. 23… Qd4
15. 24. Nf3
16. 24… Qxf2
17. 25. Qxf2 The queens come off
18. 25… Nxf2
19. 26. Rd2
20. 26… Nxe4
21. 27. Re2
22. 27… f5
23. 28. Nxg5
24. 28… Bb7
25. 29. Bc2
26. 29… Kd7
27. 30. Nxe4
28. 30… fxe4
29. 31. Bxe4
30. 31… Bxe4
31. 32. Rxe4 The rook takes back A rook each. White has pawns on b2 and g2, Black on b5, c7 and f4, and the engine has it close to level.
32. 32… Rf8 Rf8, behind the f-pawn

b4, and the king walks in

1. 33. b4 b4 — the move that lost Re5 held. The pawn on b4 is a target, and the black king now has a road up the board to it. The engine’s score goes from under a pawn to more than four.
2. 33… Kd6 The king walks up
3. 34. Kd2
4. 34… Kd5 Kd5
5. 35. Kd3
6. 35… c6 c6 c5 was quicker. This gives White one chance, Rd4+.
7. 36. Re7 Re7, with three minutes left And the chance goes.
8. 36… Rg8
9. 37. Rd7+
10. 37… Ke5
11. 38. Re7+
12. 38… Kd6
13. 39. Rf7
14. 39… Rg4
15. 40. Rf6+
16. 40… Ke5
17. 41. Rxc6 The rook takes c6
18. 41… Rg3+
19. 42. Ke2
20. 42… Rxg2+ The rook takes g2, with check
21. 43. Kf3
22. 43… Rg3+
23. 44. Kf2
24. 44… Rd3
25. 45. Rb6
26. 45… Rd5
27. 46. Kf3
28. 46… Kd4 Kd4 — the king goes on
29. 47. Rc6
30. 47… Re5

The b-pawn

1. 48. Kxf4 The king takes the f-pawn Madaminov has let it go. The white king is now as far from the b-pawns as it can be.
2. 48… Re4+
3. 49. Kf3
4. 49… Kd3 Kd3, towards the b-pawn
5. 50. Rc5
6. 50… Rxb4 Rxb4 — and the pawn is gone Black’s b-pawn is passed, and the black king is beside it.
7. 51. Rd5+
8. 51… Kc4 Kc4
9. 52. Ke4
10. 52… Rb1
11. 53. Rd4+
12. 53… Kc3
13. 54. Rd3+
14. 54… Kc2 Kc2
15. 55. Kd4
16. 55… Rb4+ Rb4+ — and Dehtiarov resigned The b-pawn cannot be stopped, and the engine counts a forced mate. Uzbekistan won the match 2½–1½, and the Olympiad, at home.