07.10.2004 S.Klimov “Disturbance of material balance” - 3

The third part of the article is devoted to the struggle of two light pieces against a Rook.

It's considered in the theory, that as a rule pieces are stronger in middlegame and a Rook and pawns are stronger in ending.

Light pieces cooperate successfully with other forces, especially in attack on the King. A party that has a Rook and pawns often simply has no time to queen them and turns out to be unable to defend its weak points from coordinated pieces.

On the contrary a Rook in ending not rarely turns out to be stronger than pieces – there are no already threats of checkmate, passed pawns get the decisive importance and light pieces, especially Knights, hardly withhold them.

The article is devoted to the exceptions to that rule – the cases, when an estimation of the position in the ending remains unclear, and to the methods of the struggle for both parts.

The part that has pieces applies the following methods:

- freezing on weak points of the opponent

- ceding of the files in case of the control of light pieces over the points of invasion

- combined attack on pawn at the squares of the same colour that Bishop

- conquering of supporting points for the Knight in the centre of the board, even at the cost of sacrifices of pawns.

The part that has a Rook must strive for the following:

- it's necessary to put the pawns to the squares of the same colour that the opponent's Bishop for prevention of possible attack on the King (and not only on it)

- at first opportunity to open the lines for Rooks or to invade Rooks, if the lines are already opened

- to hinder co-ordination of the opponent's light pieces

- to move passed pawns

- since a Rook isn't strong in defence of pawns' weak points, they are either to give up for counter-play or to defend indirectly, by means of creating a threat at "one's own wing".