The Importance of Keeping Rooks behind Pawns

Haukenfrers - Jiganchine, 2004

 Black to move

The game ended with 1… b6?! 2. g4?? Rd4 –+

While researching for my recent book, I realized that White has good chances for a draw by playing 2.Kf2 followed by g3-g4, Rg1, etc. How could Black prevent this? I started thinking about whether starting with 1… Rd2 would be helpful, even though it seems like a potentially time wasting move. But after churning on this position overnight, FinalGen confirmed that this is the right approach – whatever it takes to not allow opponent’s rook to get behind the passed pawn! 

See my book for more examples of how computer-assisted analysis can confirm our ideas.