[Event "Capablanca - Kostic"]
[Site "Havana CUB"]
[Date "1919.03.25"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Black "Borislav Kostic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Opening "Russian Game: Cozio Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.24"]
[UTCTime "16:53:15"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I will leave this endgame study with advice that I have already repeated several times.

PRO TIP: In an endgame, get your king up the board as much as possible. Once there is no more fear of getting checkmated, the king is a fighting piece that can help you win the game! Activate it as best you can.

Here is a famous example from Capablanca. Skip ahead to move 49 to see the endgame. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 Be7 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rfe1 Nc6 12. d4 Rfe8 13. Bb5 a6 14. Ba4 b5 15. Bb3 Na5 16. Re3 c6 17. Rae1 Kf8 18. Bf4 Nb7 19. h3 h6 20. Bh2 Bd8 21. Rxe8+ Bxe8 22. a4 c5 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. Bd5 Ra7 25. Bxe4 Be7 26. axb5 axb5 27. dxc5 dxc5 28. Bb8 Ra8 29. Bg3 Ra7 30. Bb8 Ra8 31. Bg3 Ra7 32. Ne5 Nd8 33. b3 Ne6 34. Bd5 Nd4 35. c3 Nf5 36. Bh2 b4 37. g4 Nd6 38. c4 Ra3 39. Re3 Nc8 40. Bb7 Na7 41. Bd5 f6 42. Nf3 Nc6 43. Nh4 Nd4 44. Nf5 Nxf5 45. gxf5 Bd7 46. Be4 Ra6 47. Rd3 Bc6 48. Bxc6 Rxc6 49. Kg2 $1 { With so many pieces traded, it's clear neither side will be getting checkmated. Now is the time to activate our king! } 49... Ra6 50. Kf3 Ra2 51. Bg3 $1 { In a perfect world we would keep bringing our king up the board. First we defend the f2 pawn. } 51... Ke8 52. Bf4 Ra6 53. Be3 Ra1 54. Kg4 { Now that the f2 pawn is again solidly defended, we keep bringing our king up in the endgame! } 54... Ra7 ( 54... Rh1 55. h4 { This wouldn't have stopped Capablanca from marching his king further up the board. } ) 55. Kh5 $1 Kf7 { Black stops us from reaching the g6 square - the optimal square to apply pressure to black's pawns. [%csl Bg6] } 56. Rd5 Ra3 57. Rd7 Ke8 58. Rd3 Kf7 59. h4 Ra7 60. Rd5 Ra5 $6 ( 60... Rc7 $1 { Black surely wanted to avoid this passive defense, but it might have just worked out. } 61. Bf4 Ra7 62. Bg3 Bf8 63. Bf4 Be7 64. Bd2 Ra3 { With best play, black might have still had a draw here... } ) ( 60... Ra3 $2 $16 { The move black wants to play doesn't work. White will transpose to this on move 63. } ) 61. Rd7 Ke8 62. Rd3 Kf7 63. Rd5 $1 { But with several precise moves from white, we are now able to make further progress. After these incoming piece trades, our king is able to enter further. } 63... Ra3 64. Bxc5 Bxc5 65. Rxc5 Rxb3 66. Rc7+ $1 Kf8 67. Kg6 $1 { With white's king so active, and black's king so passive, white is certainly winning now. } 67... Rf3 68. Rf7+ Ke8 69. Rxg7 Rf4 ( 69... Rxf2 70. h5 $18 { Capablanca will win both the f and h pawns whenever he feels like it. Black can do nothing against white's active king. } ) 70. h5 Rxc4 71. Kxh6 Kf8 72. Rb7 Rg4 73. f3 ( 73. Kh7 $1 { [%cal Gh5h6] } 73... Rg5 74. h6 Rxf5 75. Kg6 $1 Rxf2 76. Rb8+ Ke7 77. h7 $18 { Capablanca found this key winning idea (which depends on the active king and passed h pawn) only two moves later. } ) 73... Rg5 74. Rxb4 Kf7 ( 74... Rxf5 75. Kg6 $1 { If black played the "obvious" move, the king returns to its active post and wins the game. } 75... Rxf3 76. Rb8+ Ke7 77. h6 $18 { [%cal Gh6h7,Gh7h8] } ) 75. Rg4 Rxf5 76. f4 Ra5 77. Rg7+ Kf8 78. Rb7 f5 79. Kg6 Ra6+ 80. Kxf5 Ra5+ 81. Kg4 Ra6 82. Kg5 $1 { Notice how Capablanca is never quick to push his pawns, but first seeks to activate his king as much as possible before pushing any pawns. } 82... Rc6 ( 82... Ra5+ 83. f5 $18 { The f pawn will protect the white king from lateral checks, so we can keep walking up the board to further support these pawns queening. } ) 83. f5 Kg8 84. f6 Rc1 85. Rg7+ Kf8 86. h6 $18 { 1-0 Black resigns. A fitting finish. Black's king is completely dominated and white's king dominates. Remember that your king is a fighter. Get your king up in the endgame! } 1-0