Tal Converts a Passed a-Pawn into a Forced Checkmate

This game from Tbilisi 1986 shows Mikhail Tal’s technical strength in a long endgame rather than a tactical attack.
After a flexible opening (Reti / English structures), the middlegame simplified early with multiple exchanges. By move 16, queens were off the board and the position transitioned into a balanced rook and minor-piece endgame. Tal gradually improved his pieces, exchanged bishops, and reached a rook ending where structure and king activity became critical.
The key moment came when Black created and advanced a passed a-pawn on the queenside. White was forced into passive defense as Tal coordinated his king and rooks to support promotion. Once the pawn reached a2, White’s rook became tied down, allowing Black to activate freely.
After promotion, Tal avoided shortcuts and converted methodically. The final phase demonstrates classic rook-and-king technique: cutting off the king, forcing it toward the corner, and delivering a precise checkmate on h7.
Instructive takeaways:
How to convert a passed pawn in a rook endgame
Why king activity matters more than material
How rook coordination leads to mating nets
Chapters included for clarity.
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