28. ENDINGS WITH ONE ROOK AND PAWNS
The reader has probably realised by this time that endings of two Rooks and Pawns are very difficult, and that the same holds true for endings of one Rook and Pawns. Endings of two Rooks and Pawns are not very common in actual play; but endings of one Rook and Pawns are about the most common sort of endings arising on the chess board. Yet though they do occur so often, few have mastered them thoroughly. They are often of a very difficult nature, and sometimes while apparently very simple they are in reality extremely intricate. Here is an example from a game between Marshall and Rosenthal in the Manhattan Chess Club Championship Tournament of 1909-1910.
Example 59.
In this position Marshall had a simple win by R - B 7 ch, but played P - B 6, and thereby gave Black a chance to draw. Luckily for him Black did not see the drawing move, played poorly, and lost. Had Black been up to the situation he would have drawn by playing R - Q 3.
| 1. P - B 6 | R - Q 3 ! |
Now White has two continuations, either (a) P - B 7, or (b) R - B 7 ch. We have therefore:
| (a) | 2. P - B 7 | R - Q 1 ! |
| 3. R - R 5 ch | K - B 5 |
and White will finally have to sacrifice the Rook for Black's Pawn. Or—