Another endgame I ran into (while looking for opposite bishop endings) that was similar is Arthur Bisguier-Mijo Udovcic, Zagreb (3) 1955. The pawn break and the king penetration differs from what we have seen.

I agree. The difference is referred to is the move order. It is useful to see that. I coded that Spassky game in my Spassky database (Chessbase) with an endgame medal. It did not find that game in time for my study group when we looked over rook endings, but there is so much anyway.

Thanks GreenLaser, that game you mention indeed has a very, very similar endgame :) Actually, after Spassky's 45. Kh2 and my opponent's 4... Kh7 we reached the exactly same position, but with a different side to move. And after Spassky's 57. Kd6 and my opponent's 21... fxe5, we also reached the same position but with a difference side to move.

And GreenLaser, I think the g3-f4 plan before or after the king walk is just a transposition. There is nothing black can do about it anyway. The reason Spassky had to play g3 first though was that black played 45... Ra1, preventing 46. Kg1 while I could play 5. Kg1.

I found an ending similar to yours in Boris Spassky-Eugenio Torre, Hamburg TV 1982. Spassky's method differs from yours in that he played g3 and f4 before the king's journey to the center. Your note to Black's move twenty is close to Spassky's game.

Phobetor, you are right.  I thought, blindfolded (just reading the blog) that after Kb2, the black rook would be lost early enough for White to win. Looking at it with ChessBase, I found it draws (and sometimes White is happy). My idea of 3...Ra1 4.g4 hxg4 5.h5+ Kg5 6.fxg4 Kxg4 7.h6 loses  to Ra2+ 8.Kg1 Kg3 9.Kf1 Kf3. Better is 5.fxg4 Ra4 6.a7 (anyway!) Ra3 7.Kg2 Kh7 8.Kf2 Kg6 9.Ke2 Kh7 10.h5 which wins.  I have recently looked at this ending with only 3 pawns each on the kingside. Having 4 is different. Reducing the number of black pawns to 3 at the start or later is important.

Once again, great write up, as I'm horrible at endgames. this helped

GreenLaser, please give some concrete variations to support your statements. "I think that if Black plays Rxg2, White will get the king to b1 (or b2, if Rxf3) and white will win." is very vague. Like I said, what if, after white plays Kf1-e1, black plays Rxg2? You continue with Ke1-d1? Then black plays Rf2. If Kc1 then Rxf3, Kb2 Rf2+ Kb3 Rf1. Eventually black will play g7-g5 and start running the h-pawn. How does white win so easily?

Phobetor wrote, "@ GreenLaser, I'm not sure white can get to a7 without risks. After Ke1 at some point with the pawn still on a6, can't black just play Rxg2? And maybe even after Kd1 play Rf2 with Rxf3? White loses alot of pawns just to get his king to a7 then. Maybe it wins too, but it looks much more risky to me. The way I played it there was really nothing black could do. There were no counterchances for black at all. And about 3... Ra1, it wouldn't help black in my strategy. I could just play Kh2, g3 and move my king along the first two ranks to the b-file." I think that if Black plays Rxg2, White will get the king to b1 (or b2, if Rxf3) and White will win. With 3...Ra1 4.g4, as I suggested is good. If 4.Kg3,Ra2. Your 4.g3 is good and opens more squares, just as 4.g4 does. This is with the pawn still on a6. However, the weakness of e5 and the ability of the king to hide on the e-file to gain a tempo, wins in your line. Without that, R on a8 and pawn on a7, is a standard draw.

@ GreenLaser, I'm not sure white can get to a7 without risks. After Ke1 at some point with the pawn still on a6, can't black just play Rxg2? And maybe even after Kd1 play Rf2 with Rxf3? White loses alot of pawns just to get his king to a7 then. Maybe it wins too, but it looks much more risky to me.

The way I played it there was really nothing black could do. There were no counterchances for black at all.

And about 3... Ra1, it wouldn't help black in my strategy. I could just play Kh2, g3 and move my king along the first two ranks to the b-file.

@ smj63: Hehe, well, Kh3 actually wasn't really part of any strategy at that point :) I was in time trouble and considered g2-g4 at that point which isn't that great I think. I'm actually not sure if the plan of g2-g4 instead of g2-g3 and f2-f4 would also win. At least in the game I didn't have to worry about that, since I saw that g2-g3, f3-f4xe5 would win.

Worked on it for awhile, but all I got right was the 1st move - Kh3, the one you said "don't be confused this isn't a great move."

It seems 3...Ra1 was needed to prevent the king from escaping. 3...Ra2 let the king out, so 4.Kg1 was possible with the idea of Ka7, the usual winning idea in this type of ending. I suppose on 3...Ra1, 4.g4 hxg4 5.h5+ Kh7 {5...Kg5 6.fxg4 Kxg4 7.h6} 6.fxg4, the king will cross over to the queenside and reach a7. The note 20...Ra6+ ending with 23.Ke6 wins is correct. 23...Kh7 24.Kd6 g6 35.Rc8+- or 24...Kg6 25.Re8.