The story behind the game
Krush’s 2012 world championship encounter with Cramling offers a clear example of a relative pin. A bishop points through the e6-pawn toward the queen on c8. When Black’s bishop leaves e7, White can take a rook with the queen because the pawn recapture exposes the queen behind it. The resulting ending keeps White’s rooks active.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Improve a knight before the tactical opportunity arrives.
- A pawn pinned to a queen can move legally but may lose material.
- Count the whole capture sequence before rejecting a queen offer.
- After winning an exchange, keep the rooks active.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Nd4 centralizes the knight. White next arranges the rooks on the d-file. The move is one of several supported ways to improve the position; its purpose is coordination, not an immediate forced win. The later tactical opportunity arises only after Black’s pieces change squares.
Bh3 places the e6-pawn between the bishop and Black’s queen. This is a relative pin: the pawn may legally move because the piece behind it is a queen rather than a king. After Black’s bishop moves from e7 to f6, the rook on d5 becomes the tactical target. Check the new position before choosing a capture.
Qxd5 uses the relative pin to begin a favourable liquidation. Black’s pawn captures the queen, White’s bishop takes the queen on c8 and Black’s rook recaptures that bishop. Both queens and White’s bishop have gone, but Black has also lost a rook. White keeps two rooks and a knight against rook, bishop and knight: an extra exchange.
Rc7 brings a rook onto the seventh rank. Black creates queenside counterplay with b5. White reinforces the centre and shifts the active rook to b7 before improving the knight. The material advantage does not remove the need for coordination; keep the rooks useful while watching the remaining bishop and knight.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 15: Choose a central knight square
Which knight move from f3 places it on d4? In the game: Nd4. Nd4 centralizes the knight. White next arranges the rooks on the d-file. The move is one of several supported ways to improve the position; its purpose is coordination, not an immediate forced win. The later tactical opportunity arises only after Black’s pieces change squares.
Engine-supported alternatives
h4 Rc7 b3 Nd7 Nd4 Qc8 Nc6 Bf6 Rab1 Ne5 Nxe5 dxe5 · +0.31 · depth 19
Rac1 h6 b3 Qc8 Nd4 Rc7 Rc2 Re8 h4 Bf8 Rdd2 Nd7 · +0.25 · depth 19
b3 b5 · +0.22 · depth 19
Nd4 Qc8 b3 Rd8 Qe3 Bf6 Rd2 Qc5 Rad1 Qe5 Qxe5 dxe5 · +0.26 · depth 23
Move 21: Create a relative pin
Which bishop move lines up with the pawn on e6 and queen on c8? In the game: Bh3. Bh3 places the e6-pawn between the bishop and Black’s queen. This is a relative pin: the pawn may legally move because the piece behind it is a queen rather than a king. After Black’s bishop moves from e7 to f6, the rook on d5 becomes the tactical target. Check the new position before choosing a capture.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qb1 Rd7 b4 Red8 e3 Qc3 b5 axb5 axb5 Qb4 Rb2 Qc5 · +0.38 · depth 17
e3 Red8 Bf1 Bc5 h4 R5d6 Bc4 Bxd4 Rxd4 Rxd4 Rxd4 Rxd4 · +0.34 · depth 17
h4 a5 · +0.23 · depth 17
Bh3 Red8 · +0.15 · depth 23
Move 22: Count the complete exchange
Which queen capture takes the rook on d5? In the game: Qxd5. Qxd5 uses the relative pin to begin a favourable liquidation. Black’s pawn captures the queen, White’s bishop takes the queen on c8 and Black’s rook recaptures that bishop. Both queens and White’s bishop have gone, but Black has also lost a rook. White keeps two rooks and a knight against rook, bishop and knight: an extra exchange.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qxd5 exd5 Bxc8 Rxc8 Nf5 g6 Ne3 d4 Nd5 Nd7 Rxd4 Kg7 · +4.89 · depth 20
Bf1 Nd7 e3 a5 Bd3 Nf8 Rc2 Qb8 Bc4 Rdd8 Kg2 Bxd4 · +0.25 · depth 20
e3 Red8 Bf1 g6 b4 Qc3 b5 a5 Qf4 Kg7 Qf3 Bxd4 · +0.25 · depth 20
Move 25: Keep the rooks active
Which rook move enters the seventh rank from c2? In the game: Rc7. Rc7 brings a rook onto the seventh rank. Black creates queenside counterplay with b5. White reinforces the centre and shifts the active rook to b7 before improving the knight. The material advantage does not remove the need for coordination; keep the rooks useful while watching the remaining bishop and knight.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nc6 Nxc6 Rxc6 h6 Rxd5 Rxe2 Rxb6 Bc3 Rb8+ Kh7 Rb7 Bf6 · +5.03 · depth 20
Nf5 Rd8 Rdc1 Nd7 Rc8 Nc5 Rxd8+ Bxd8 b4 Ne6 Rc8 Kf8 · +4.86 · depth 20
Rc7 Be7 Nf3 a5 Rxd5 Bc5 e3 h6 Rcxc5 bxc5 Rxc5 Nd7 · +4.81 · depth 20
Every piece has a part to play.
Krush’s 2012 world championship encounter with Cramling offers a clear example of a relative pin. A bishop points through the e6-pawn toward the queen on c8. When Black’s bishop leaves e7, White can take a rook with the queen because the pawn recapture exposes the queen behind it. The resulting ending keeps White’s rooks active.
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 13–20. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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