Endgame riddle V. Smyslov - P. Benko solved!

The rook endgame was really tricky to defend and both sides made a number of mistakes. However, the analyses indicate that the initial position was a draw.

Zoran Petronijevic sums up his findings:

• 1. Smyslov and Mikhalchishin think that the initial position is won for White but our analyses indicate that it is a draw.
• 2. The easiest way for Black to make a draw is probably 42...Rc6, which defendson the 6th rank.
• 3. The game move 44.Rh1!? is an interesting attempt to play for win.
• 4. 44...g5 is a mistake after which Black is lost. 44...Rg8! draws. In this line 50...g4 is an important resource that was found by Charles Sullivan. Without 50...g4, Black is lost.
• 5. 46.Ra1 is a mistake, which gives the win away. But the strong 46.Re4 should lead to a win.
• 6. 46...Kc7 is an instructive mistake that loses. At first, I thought that the prophylactic move 46...Rb8 would lose as well. However, with the help of  Alberto Oggero, Charles Sullivan, and last but not least, Karsten Mueller, we now know that this move leads to draw. In this fascinating line readers can find a lot of astonishing ideas for Black.
• 7. 48.b5 is a mistake after which the position is even again.
• 8. 50...Rb6 is very strong – Black defends on the 6th rank.
• 9. 51...Kc8 leads to a draw but makes things more difficult for Black. Easier was 51...Kd8.
• 10. 55... Kb7 is a mistake, after which Black is lost. After 55...Kc8! Black can draw.
• 11. After the careless 62.Rf6 the position is again drawn.
• 10. 62...Re4 was the last mistake in this very interesting and instructive game. After this move Black is finally lost.

Thanks to the help of a lot of endgame lovers (Charles Sullivan, Alberto Oggero, Karsten Müller, and a lot of other analysts who suggested interesting lines in the ChessBase comment section), we are now closer to the truth. I don't want to say that we know the truth, but we are closer to it.

Links

• Endgame riddle: Is Smyslov right or is he wrong?
• Riddle solved: Benko vs Kortschnoi
• Historical riddle: Benko vs Kortschnoi
• Historical riddle: Schlechter vs Lasker 1910
• Riddle solved: Lasker was winning
• Historical riddle: Petrosian vs Tal, Curacao 1962
• Riddle solved: Tal could have drawn!
• The historical puzzle: Botvinnik vs Bronstein 1951    
• Solution to the historical riddle Botvinnik vs Bronstein 1951: Bronstein could have drawn
• How sound was the endgame Spielmann-Rubinstein?
• Riddle solved: Spielmann could have drawn!
• Could Petrosian have held against Fischer?
• Petrosian could have held!
• The old riddle of Fischer vs Taimanov
• Riddle solved: Fischer was winning
• The old riddle of Botvinnik vs Fischer
• Riddle solved: Fischer could have won
• Historical riddle: could Kramnik have defeated the computer?
• Kramnik could have defeated Fritz