Primates 3.5 – Tomato Paste 0.5

Round 1 went well, with Tom, Don & Kristian all triumphiant while I drew on board 1 in an interesting endgame. I frankly was pretty closed to being busted, in a game that my only hopes lay in pushing for a Rook and Pawn endgame – which in fact happened.

Here is what happened next:

I have managed to force myself back into the game and now am up a rook for 2 pawns. White offered a draw and I accepted, not being sure if in fact I could stop that h pawn, especially with my king so far out of play.

Here is some analysis, which confirms my suspicions

56...Rf5 57.Kh6
This is pretty much forced (and what I expected to play). All other moves lose

- 57.h6 Rg5 58.b5 Rxg3 59.b6 Rg6 (59...f5?? throws the game away 60.b7 Rb3 61.Kg6 f4 62.h7 Rb6+ 63.Kf5 f3) 60.b7 Rb6 61.Kg7 Rxb7 62.Kf6 Rb6+ 63.Kxf7 Rxh6

57...f6
- 57...Rb5 (This doesn't work) 58.g4 Rxb4 59.Kg7 (59.g5 Rg4 60.g6 f5 61.Kg7 f4 62.h6 f3 63.h7 f2 64.h8Q f1Q 65.Qh5 Qe2–+) 59...Rxg4+ 60.Kxf7 Rh4 61.Kg6 Rg4+ 62.Kf7 Rh4 63.Kg6 Ke2 64.h6 Kf3 65.h7=]

58.Kg6 Rg5+ 59.Kxf6 Rxh5
- 59...Rxg3 (This doesn't work either) 60.h6 Rh3 61.Kg7 Rg3+ 62.Kf7 Rh3=

60.g4 Rb5 61.g5 Rxb4 62.g6 Rb6+ 63.Kf7 Ke2 64.g7 Rb8= ½–½