Is this position so difficult, or is everyone still trying to recover from too much food and drink over the holidays?

Thanks for posting the position.
Just been too busy playing in the snow.
I hope to respond by this weekend.

My immediate reaction is that black is better.
White’s Strengths:
I’m not sure!

White’s Weaknesses:
Isolated h pawn and doubled/isolated f pawns. Inactive position of the king.

Black’s Strengths:
More active rook and king.

Black’s Weaknesses:
Isolated d pawn.

White doesn’t have many moves available. White’s king is needed to defend the h pawn, so cannot stray too far towards the queenside. Moving the queenside pawns would create a target for black to attack. White’s rook is needed to defend the c2 pawn.

Black’s king’s mobility is reduced by the need to defend the d pawn. As black I would be aiming to provoke a weakness on the queenside to try and tie white’s pieces down further. Then I would aim to use the black king to attack further and give up the d pawn if necessary.

I would aim to push the queenside pawns to a5 and b5, provoke the a pawn to move with …Ra4, and if white does play a2-a3, return the rook to c4 and play …b5-b4.

For example if white plays passively, 1…b5 2. Re2 a5 3. Rd2 Rh4 (forcing the white king away from the queenside) 4. Kg2 Ra4 5. a3 Rc4 6. Re2 b4 7. axb4 Rxb4 8. c3 Rb7 and aim to move the black king to attack the queenside pawns.

If white moves the queenside pawns black gains a target, for example, 1…b5 2. c3 (2. b3 gives black the opportunity to invade with 2…Rc3 followed by moving the king forward) a5 3. Rd3 (to protect c3 and aiming to play b3) b4.

I think if white tries to activate the rook a similar position arises, 1…b5 2. Re2 a5 3. c3 b4 and black can aim to play …Ra4 to induce a weakness on the queenside to exploit.

Yes, good. Clearly the advance of the black queenside pawns is the key. I'm not sure about allowing all the queenside pawns to be exchanged, though, in the game I managed to keep some on the board.

Hello,
I'm a newcomer :)
I'm 22 years old and I have 1890+ fide elo, I'm weak in tactics and endings, i hope this site will fix me :D

I didn't read your answers in this topic so this is my answer:

Black has more advanced and active pieces than White.
The pawn structure is pretty equal, White has doubled pawns while Black has an isolated pawn.
Both of them have 3 pawns islands but due to the position of the black rook the white pawns on the kingside seems weaker.
The white pawns on the queenside are at home and they are pretty strong.
Black is better if he doesn't let the king and the rook to advance.

White King can't move to e2 without losing his pawn in h2 (while the rook is on the 4th rank).
White Rook can't move away the second rank without losing the c2 pawn.
The plan is to pressure the queenside to weaken white pawns.
1... b5 2. b3? Rc3 3. Ke2 a5 with the plan of 4...a4 and the black king sneak in the queenside to make a passed pawn.
1... b5 2. c3 a5 with the idea of b4 to tie the white rook in defence, if cxb4 the axb4 and the white rook must stay in the second rank
1... b5 2. others:
the black plan is to have a pawn in b4, maybe supported by a5, and the rook on the 4th rank to cut off the white king from the queenside with the menace Rh4, while improving his king position to the queenside.

I hope it's the right solution

The queenside pawn advance is definitely the right way!

Ok, everyone has the right idea, my next few moves were: 28...b5 29 Kg2 b4 (to fix his queenside) 30 Kg3 g5 (to stop any kingside counterplay) 31 Kh3 a5 32 Kg3 a4 33 Kh3 a3 (forcing a weakness in White's queenside structure - the black king will probably need an entry square) 34 ba: ba: 35 Kg2, but now what? How does Black win this position without allowing any counterplay?

I think the move is 35...Rc3 to prevent 36. Rd3 and to target the f3 pawn, locking the king to the g2-g3 squares.
The white rook must stay on the second rank because 36. Re2 Kc5 37. Re7 Kd4 38. Rxf7 Rxc2 and i think the black is winning.
After 36. Kg3 Black continues his plan of Kc5-Kb4 (if Rxd5 ..Rxc2) (if Rd4+ ..Rc4, then if Rd2 ...Kc3 followed by ...Kb2).
If white tries to push h4 or f4 we play f6

I agree with Cristiano and ...Rc3. I've nothing else to add at this stage.

I think the move is 35...Rc3 to prevent 36. Rd3 and to target the f3 pawn, locking the king to the g2-g3 squares.
The white rook must stay on the second rank because 36. Re2 Kc5 37. Re7 Kd4 38. Rxf7 Rxc2 and i think the black is winning.

Yes

Any more specific ideas if White just moves his rook from e2 to d2? Lets face it White is almost in zugzwang and Black can win without allowing any counterplay whatsoever!

When i wrote the previous message I was a bit scared about 35...Rc3 36. Re2 d4 37. Re8 and I preferred the "safest" 36...Kc5 but now I notice that it was only an hallucination because 37. Re8 is a losing move.
So the plan is to exchange the black 'd' pawn for the white 'c' pawn to promote our 'a' pawn:
35...Rc3 36. Re2 d4 37. Rd2 Kc5 38. Re2 d3
39. Re3 Rxc2 40. Rxd2 Rxa2 wins
39. cxd3 Rxd3 40. Rc3+
if 40. Re5+ Kb4 41. Rxg5 Rd2 I think Black is winning even if White acts greedy:
42. Re5 Kc3 and White loses
42. Rxh5 Rxa2 43. Rh8 Rc2 44. Rb8+ (44.Ra8 Rc5) Kc3 45. Ra8 a2 and Black wins easily with the 46...Kb2 47. Rb8+ Kc1 48. Ra8 Kb1 manoeuvre
40...Kd4 41. Kg3
if white rook moves away from the second rank we'll play ...Rd2, then if rook checks ...Kc3
41...Rc3 42. Rd2+ Kc4 43. Kg2
43. Re2 Kd3 44. Re7 Kc2 45. Rb7 Kc1 46. Rb5 Rc2 or 46. Ra7 Kb2.
43...Rc1 44. Re2 Kc3 Black will play Rc2 followed by Kb2, winning.

I'm a bit drowsy so i hope i didn't any mistake :)

Not bad, I am pretty sure that pushing ...d3 at the right moment would win, and I certainly considered it, but I actually won without this by freeing the c3-square for my king.
Still, I think you both have the right idea, so well done!!

Thanks for this example Tony. It's the sort of position that I find an interactive discussion helps as opposed to reading an example given in a book.

I put the rest of the game online, plus a few remarks.

Time for another?

Time for another?

Maybe, but there seems to be so little general interest!