White to move. How should White proceed?
2k5/8/1PpK1p1p/8/1Pp1PP2/8/8/8 w – – 0 1
Fontana 1944, presented by Andreas
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
King and Pawn tactic
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1 e5 fe5
2 f5 c3
3 f6 c2
4 f7 c1Q
5 f8Q Kb7
6 Qa8 Ra8
7 Kc7 wins
if
6 Kb6
7 Qb8 Ka6
8 Kc7
One try that doesn’t quite do it:
1.e5 fxe5
2.fxe5? c3
3.e6 c2
4.e7 c1=Q
5.e8=Q+ Kb7
6.Qd7+ Kxb6
7.Qc7+ Ka6
8.Qxc6+ Qxc6+
9.Kxc6 Ka7!
True that the e5 pawn should be preserved to prevent future checks by the black queen.
1.e5 fxe5
2.f5!
(Not 2.fxe5?)
I guess black can’t just push the c pawn:
1. e5 c3?
2. e6! c2
3. e7 c1Q
4. e8Q+ Kb7
5. Qxc6+ Kb8
6. Qc7+ Ka8
7. Qb7 mate
Oh right, I got ahead of myself, after 5. Qxc6+, Qxc6
So what DOES white do then?
”So what DOES white do then?”
1. e5 c3?
2. e6? c2
3. e7 c1Q
4. e8Q+ Kb7
5.Qd7+ Kxb6
6.Qc7 Ka6
7.Qxc6+ Qxc6+
8.Kxc6 Ka7!=
whereas in the case
1.e5 c3?
2.exf6! c2
3.f7 c1Q
4.f8Q+ Kb7
5.Qe7+ Kxb6
6.Qc7 Ka6
7.Qxc6+ Qxc6+
8.Kxc6+- in this case the f6 pawn is not there so white wins!
Pharaoh