Great video!

Very nice, thanks for the video.

Nice Endings!!

Thank you! I really would like to grow to be a great player... enthusiasms really are contagious!

Really enjoyed this rook ending video!

I think the problem with 1...Ke5 in the second ending is that white has Re7+ Kf6 Rc7 with definite advantage.

What if Black plays ...c5 instead of Rf3 after Rxc3? It clears the c file for the rook to check the white king. This is automatically played by black in the endgame simulator of the site, and I never managed to win it

Thanks for the video

pikuels: You don't specify, but I guess you're referring to the first example, Capablanca-Tartakower. After 35.Kg3 (that was where we started) 35...Rxc3+ 36.Kh4 you're suggesting 36...c5, so that the rook can more actively fight against White's plan of g6, Kg5-f6. That's a good thought, but one problem is that White's king doesn't have to go to f6; h6 will do quite nicely! So: 37.dxc5 Rxc5 38.g6 a6 (to save the pawn and prepare ...b5) 39.Kg5 b5 40.axb5 axb5 41.Kh6 Rc1 42.Rb7 Rh1+ 43.Kg5 Black's king is still passive, his pawns are falling and White's soon to be two connected passers will carry the day.

The best move after 36.Kh4 is 36...a6, immediately going for a passer (and trading pawns along the way). Note that the rook already has access to c6 anyway, as long as he doesn't push the c-pawn. After this it's very complicated, but the last time I checked White was winning after 20+ moves of heavy-duty analysis.

augelmo: Like pikuels, you make a good suggestion. Unfortunately, here too I think Black achieves a draw. Thus 29...Ke5 30.Re7+ Kf6 31.Rc7 Ke5 32.Rxc6 Ke4 33.Rxc5 Rxa2 and the activity of Black's king prevents White from achieving anything. One possible line is 34.b4 Rb2 35.b5 f4 (that again!) 36.exf4 Kf3 with a perpetual or at least a repetition, e.g. 37.h4 Rb1+ 38.Kh2 Rb2+ 39.Kh3 Rb1 40.Kh2 Rb2+ etc. Activating the king works!

Good video!!