[Event "Djerba Masters"] [Site "Djerba"] [Date "2024.02.22"] [White "Dardha, Daniel"] [Black "Bellahcene, Bilel"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2621"] [BlackElo "2516"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [FEN "8/5pp1/7k/1R5P/7P/1P4K1/3r1P2/8 b - - 0 43"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/x8kOwuem/l3Tu19SX"] [Orientation "white"] 43... Rd3+?? (43... f6) (43... Rd4! 44. f4 { By far White's most testing move. The goal is to play Kg3-g4 and sideline Black's king as to achieve a winning endgame due to the active king. } (44. b4 Rc4 45. f3 Rd4 46. Rb7 f6 47. b5 (47. Kf2 Rxh4 48. Ke3 Kxh5 { is similar. }) 47... Rb4 48. b6 Kxh5! 49. Rb8 Kg6 50. Kf2 { will lose the h-pawn, although Black can hold even without capturing it immediately. } 50... Rb3 51. Ke2 Rb4 52. Kd2 Rxh4 53. Kc3 Rh1! 54. Kc2 Rh5 { and Black will safely occupy the b-file before White's king can take "the underpass" behind the pawn to the a6-square. }) 44... f5! { Necessary, keeping White's king on the outs as well. } (44... f6 45. Kg4! Rd3 46. b4 Rb3 47. Rb8 { Threatening mate. } 47... g6 (47... Kh7 { From here, Black can only watch helplessly, and it does not matter what moves he plays: } 48. b5 Rb1 49. b6 Rb2 50. b7 Rb1 51. Kf5 $18 { and White's king proves decisive. }) 48. hxg6 Kxg6 { and Whtie wins as long as he is careful. For instance: } 49. h5+ (49. b5?? f5#) 49... Kg7 50. b5 Rb2 51. b6 Rb3 52. b7 Rb2 53. h6+ Kh7 54. Kf5 Rb6 55. Ke4 Rb4+ 56. Kd5??) 45. Kf3 Rd3+ 46. Ke2 Rc3 47. b4 Rc4 48. Kf3 Rc3+) 44. Kg4 { As shown in the above discussion, this is precisely what Black had to prevent! } 44... Rd2 45. Rb8 { Threatening mate. } 45... f5+ (45... Kh7 46. f4 { is similar to the above lines where White wins. }) 46. Kxf5! { White doesn't need the f-pawn! } 46... Rxf2+ 47. Kg4 { Again, mate is threatened! } 47... Kh7 (47... Rg2+ { fails, since White still threatens mate even without the king on g4! } 48. Kh3 $18) 48. b4 Rg2+ 49. Kf3 Rh2 50. Kg3 Rd2 51. Rf8 (51. b5 { also won, yes. For instance: } 51... Rd4 52. b6 Rb4 53. Kf3 (53. b7?? { is a dead draw, as the king can no longer hope to wiggle around the enemy rook to reach the b7-square. } 53... Rb5 54. Kf4 Rb4+ 55. Ke5 Rb6 56. Kd5 Rb1) 53... Rxh4 54. Rd8! Rb4 55. Rd6 { The rook is better aside the pawn than in front of it! } 55... Kg8 56. Ke3 Kf7 57. Kd3 Ke7 { Another critical position. White wins, but only with: } 58. Kc3! (58. Rg6?? { allows a draw with } 58... Kd8! 59. Kc3 Rb5 { and Black can draw with passive defense against a knight's pawn after the g- and h- pawns trade off! }) 58... Rb5 (58... Kxd6 59. Kxb4 Kc6 60. Kc4 Kxb6 61. Kd5 $18) 59. Kc4! Rxh5 60. Rd3! $18 { with the enemy king far too cut off. } (60. Rd1 Rh2 { gives Black more chances in a position where every tempo matters, since Black has a pawn, too. })) 51... Rb2 52. Rf4 Kh6 53. Kg4 Rg2+ 54. Kf5 Kxh5 55. Ke5 Rh2 56. Kd5 { White's king has no problem getting in front of the b-pawn, and the win is now (finally) trivial. } 56... Rd2+ 57. Kc5 Rc2+ 58. Rc4 { Black has seen enough. } 1-0