After Ke2 in the first game maybe try 1...Kb6 2.Bxd5 Re8 3.Kd2 Re5 now if 4.Bxc6 then Rc5 5.Nd5 Kxc6 6.Nxc7 Kxc7 and I guess 7.Rxc5 is a draw and if 7.b4 7...Rxc1 8.Kxc1 Kc6 I guess is a draw too.

Hi chesstv,

I wish it were so, but it isn't. After 24...Kb6 25.Bxd5 Re8+ 26.Kd2 Re5, White has at least two promising approaches. First, he can retreat and reload: 27.Bg2, and after, say, 27...d5 play 28.Nd3. If the basic ending where Black has all three center pawns is a draw where Black has to be careful, the two-pawn version is a likely loss. One White plan is to prepare b4-b5, breaking up Black's center, and another is try to arrange for the same sort of combination as in the game, leaving him with an extra pawn in the king and pawn ending.

Second, I think the line you gave works too - but for White. After 27.Bxc6 Rc5 28.Nd5+ Kxc6 29.Nxc7 Kxc7 30.b4 Rxc1 31.Kxc1 and the further moves 31...Kc6 32.Kc2 Kd5 33.Kd3, we have fundamentally the same sort of ending as in the game. Black will eventually run out of tempo moves, White will park the king on d4 and win by creating a diversionary outside passed pawn. For example:

33...Kc6 34.a4 Kd5 35.f3 (This is useful, not random, as it lets White temporize in some variations with Kc3 without allowing ...Ke4.)

Try #1: 35...h5 36.h4 f6 37.g4 Ke5 38.gxh5 gxh5 39.Kc4 d5+ 40.Kd3 and White is ready to push the queenside pawns and/or play Kd4.

Try #2: 35...g5 36.g4 h6 37.h3 f6 38.Kc3 (Though obvious and the point of White's play with 35.f3, it's not just the only winning move, it's also the only non-losing move!) 38...Ke5 (38...Kc6 loses thematically: 39.Kc4 d5+ 40.Kd4 a6 41.b5+ axb5 42.axb5+ Kd6 43.b6 Kc6 44.b7 Kxb7 45.Kxd5 etc.) 39.b5 Kd5 40.Kb4 Ke6 41.a5 Kd7 42.Kc4 followed by 43.Kd5 is obviously dead won.

The variations can be multiplied, but the basic point (winning by eventually creating a diversionary outside passed pawn) is always the same, and it's just a matter of finding an accurate move or two here and there.

Is there some setting that make the video look normal in stead of all stretched out, or are these just uploaded that way?

Video looks fine to me, dancin! Maybe it's your flash player. When I right-click the video, there's a stretching option, but it doesn't do anything for me. Try it out.

dan, it's because the player has a different aspect ratio. It is possible to make the squares more 'square' by selecting a slightly wider area when recording, then when it gets processed by the site, the sides get 'squeezed in' making it square. I believe this is at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so if you record a square, it will stretch the sides just a bit, so you have to record a box that is 4:3 ratio width to length.

Board is not stretched for me, it looks fine. I have two grey bars on the left & the right. (In the past some videos -don't remember if all- were indeed stretched.)

Thought this was a really good video. I've never seen that variation of the Scotch, and to be honest I really wouldn't want to play it as black, but it is really great how you showed the vast differences just a few seemingly insignificant moves can make. It reminds me of a while back when I was a super duper beginner (instead of a somewhat experienced beginner like I am now ) and I was learning about the Kh1 or Kh8 moves I kept seeing GM's and higher rated players make, and it took a while to grasp the significance that in-between moves can have, especially when they are checks on the king! In fact, my first ever tournament game, I pretty much won due to an in-between checking move. Although not the same thing, this video is a similar concept on those 'mysterious' rook moves that you see so often. Thanks for your efforts!