White to move. Is this a win or draw? How should white proceed?
Daily Chess Improvement: Must Know R & P Endgame!
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White to move. Is this a win or draw? How should white proceed?
You have to ask yourself what is the nature of the K+P vs K endings after the exchange at h7- that is the critical question in determining whether to play 1.Kg3 or 1.Kf3. This puzzle is a kind of combination of a rook ending with some of the ideas developed with the recent K+2P vs K+P endings.
As for 1.Ke3, I need some time to think about it- black has the option of the check from e8, and I can’t quite figure out if white has thrown away the win with 1.Ke3. and I am too tired right now. Considering one of the other forward king moves seems convincingly won to me, I think 1.Ke3 must be a draw after 1. …Re8- it isn’t often there are two winning moves in these kinds of puzzles, unless there is a clear transposition path, and I don’t see that.
Ke3 is too hard to bother with, if the BK is blockading the h pawn when it’s supported by the WR on the h file then if the pawn advances to f6 the BR can just keep checking the WK without fear of capture because of stalemate or capture the f pawn if the WK moves onto the f file.
Obviously avoiding being captured by the WR.
1. Kf3 Rxh7 2. Rxh7 Kxh7 3. Ke4 and the pawn will queen
I think 1. Ke3 wins as well
1. Ke3 Re8+ 2. Kd4 Rd8+ 3. Ke5 Re8+ 4. Kd6 Rd8+ 5. Ke7 Rh8 6. f5 wins
No, I now think 1.Ke3 is drawn:
1. Ke3? Re8!
Almost surely the only drawing path for black- on every other line the white king gets too far inside black’s defenses. Continuing:
2. Kd4
I will discuss the alternatives in a moment:
2. …………Rh8
I am pretty sure black has a wider latitude here- he can put the king on h8 immediately or even check again from d8, but I am showing this line because it is definitive, and outlines the basic drawing motif
3. Ke5 Re8! (again, surely the only draw)
4. Kf5 Kh8! (forced now)
Now, white would like to advance the king to support the f-pawn, but there is one little problem he won’t be able to solve…….
5. Rh4
To protect the pawn…..
5. ………….Rd8 (black just waits)
6. Ke6 Rc8 (still waiting)
7. f5 Rb8 (still waiting)
8. f6
Now, black has to act- I think Ra8 will draw, but Rb6 is direct:
8. ………….Rb6
9. Ke7 Rf6 is cleanest of the draws. If white takes the rook, it is stalemate.
I can’t see any way for white to win this. If white gives up the h-pawn to free the rook, the resulting rook ending is drawn.
To finish this out, let’s demonstrate conclusively that 1.Kf3 wins, and why it wins if black keeps the rooks on the board:
1. Kf3! Rd8
2. h8Q! Rh8
3. Rh8 Kh8
4. Ke4! and I will leave the rest as an exercise- the ending is won for white.
Finally, at move 1 in the line above, black can move the king, but it won’t help because it costs him critical time:
1. Kf3 Kf7 (taking the king further away from h8)
2. Kg4 Kg7 (if Kg6, white pushes f5)
3. Kg5 and it should be obvious this is won- black’s rook can never leave h8 without allowing white to reduce to an easily won K+P vs K ending.