Snoop Dogg taught me a Rook Endgame

blohmoremoney

Jan 5, 2016, 5:48 AM | 0

"He is I, and I am him, slim with the tilted brim" - Snoop Dogg

Taken from his 1993 break out single "Who Am I (What's My Name)", who was to know that Snoop Dogg's debut was to teach me a valuable Rook endgame lesson some twenty odd years later. It came to me in a Eureka moment .. for "He is I, and I am him".

From the lyrical hip hop flows to some may say dry positions from the Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings (Rooks II), I was faced with trying to defeat Shredder in Position 107

Position 107: White to Move

My plan here was to play 1. Rb7+ Kd6 2. b6 Kc6 3. Rc7+ and Black can't play 3. ... Kxb6 because of 4. Rb7+ skewering. Thus the Black King is cut off from the c-file.

I missed Black's defence against this idea. The following is my first (failed) attempt to convert.

How Shredder defended against my skewering plan

Instructive was Black's play in bringing his Rook closer so that after the skewer, his King defends the Rook.

In order to figure out the best plan, consider this instructive example first found in 1887!!

C. Salvioli 1887 White to Move

The White Rook defends the pawn, allowing the White King to move aside to allow progression. Only once the advance is secured can the White Rook be freed to drive the Black King from the d-file and build a bridge.

What is the difference between Position 107 and Salvioli's Position?

The White King and the White Rook are swapped around.

Show me the way Snoop Dog, for "He is I, and I am Him".

This gives idea of the outline of the winning plan, for the White King to take the place of the Rook, and White Rook to take the place of the White King.

I hope to next learn a lesson from Wu Tang Clan ... hopefully it won't take another twenty years

Snoop Dogg taught me a Rook Endgame

blohmoremoney's Blog