White to move. What is the best continuation for White? Which side is better?
8/8/7p/2p5/2P1K3/1kP1P3/8/8 w – – 0 0
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Kf4 wins for White
Kf4 wins for White
1.Kf4? Kxc4! =
Kf4 Kxc4
e4 then what?
I take it back. Giving 1.Kf4 a “?” is too harsh.
White has to avoid 1.Kd5? h5!, but any other first move draws, AFAICT.
1.Kf4 Kxc4
2.e4 Kb5
… saves Black.
Bah. Somebody stop me before I blunder again.
1.Kd3!
… wins.
Kd3? Really? Looks like Black will win the pawn race. So white must leave d3 to defend h1, Black captures on c4, then catches the e-pawn and can return in time to win white’s last c-pawn and control the promotion square. Here’s a sequence:
1. Kd3 h5
2. e4 h4
3. Ke2 h3
4. Kf3 h2
5. Kg2 Kxc4
6. e5 Kd5
7. e6 Kxe6
8. Kxh2 Kd5
9. Kg2 Kc4
10. Kf3 Kxc3
11. Ke3 c4
and black wins
I like Kf5, here’s what I’ve got so far:
1. Kf5 Kxc4
2. e4 h5
3. e5 Kd5
(if 3. ..h4, white wins the race)
4. e6 Kd5
(if 4. h4, e7 wins)
5. Ke6 h4
6. Ke7 h3
7. e7 h2
8. e8=Q
I like Kf5.
Help! I’m talking and I can’t shut up! Yes, 1.Kd3 wins if Black obliges with:
1…Ka4? 2.e4 Ka5 3.e5 Kb6 4.Ke4 Kc6 5.Kf5 Kd7 6.Kf6 Ke8 7.Kg6 Ke7 8.Kxh6
… but 1…h5! holds the fort. If 2.e4 h4 3.Ke3 Kxc4 =.
It’s been obvious for some time to everybody but me that I need a gin and tonic before I post any more incompetent analyses of this position.
1. Kd3 h5
2. e4 h4
3. Ke2 h3
4. Kf3 h2
5. Kg2 Kxc4
6. e5
6.Kxh2 holds for White.
1. Kf5 Kxc4
2. e4 h5
3. e5 Kd5
(if 3. ..h4, white wins the race)
After 3…h4 both sides queen and it’s a draw.
Given
1. Kf5 Kxc4
2. e4 h5
3. e5 Kd5
(if 3. ..h4, white wins the race)
after ..h1=Q for Black, white has Qe6# thanks to the pawn on c3, so black can not promote
4. e6 Kd5
(if 4. h4, e7 wins)
5. Kf6 h4
6. Kf7 h3
7. e7 h2
8. e8=Q h1=Q
9. Qe6#
again, the pawn on c3 covers a critical square, so black can not promote on move 8.
Sorry, I don’t understand. After:
1.Kf5 Kxc4
2.e4 h5
3.e5 h4
4.e6 h3
5.e7 h2
6.e8=Q h1=Q
7.Qe6+
… isn’t mate. In fact, it actually loses to 7…Qd5+.
… isn’t mate — Black, white wins the race)
after ..h1=Q for Black, white has Qe6# thanks to the pawn on c3, so black can not promote
Kf5! Kxc4
e4! h5
Kg5! +-
To anon@6:25, sorry, I was looking at the line:
2. e4 h5
3. e5 Kd5
Your point is accurate. I think correct is:
2. e4 h5
3. Kg5!
(not e5) when the c3 pawn protects d4 and the e4 pawn protects d5, blocking Black’s king from approaching the pawn on e4
if
3. .. Kxc3
4. e5
Black’s king can not catch white’s pawn
if
3. .. Kd3
4. e5
and Black’s king is still too far away
if
3. .. h4
4. Kxh4
and Black is still stuck as above
leaving
3. .. Kb5
which I’m still looking at, but, I think it progresses like the Kd5 line, except maybe white promotes with check which is even better
I think that covers it. 😮 But, if I made a mistake, I’m sure someone will find it!
Kf5! Kxc4
e4! h5
Kg5! +-
Sorry, no. Either 3…Kxc3 or 3…h4 is good enough to draw.
gwash said…
Kf5! Kxc4
e4! h5
Kg5! +-
not so fast with the +- because
…Kxc3
now white has to advance his pawn or lose – no time to take on h5
e4 h5
and again white has to advance the pawn or lose
white queen, then black queens and has an extra pawn. However, white draws by checking until a 3 time repitition occurs or the 50 move rule kicks in – there’s no such thing as perpetual check in the rules.
stu
1.Kf5 Kxc4
2.e4 h5
3. Kg5! Kxc3
4. e5
Black’s king can not catch white’s pawn
That’s true, but:
4…h4
5.Kxh4 Kb2
6.e6 c4
7.e7 c3
8.e8=Q c2
… is a textbook draw.
Stu,
Are you trying to tell me that after all the idiocy I’ve posted upthread that I’ve finally got it right?
For those of you that are struggling with what I believe is a draw at best for White…
Try the position without the White c3 pawn and see if this clarifies the draw for you.
White’s c3 pawn is of no consequence.
Your friend in chess,
Peter / chesstoplay
Very interesting endgame.
1. Kf4! is stronger than Kf5 because
a. saves one tempo if u have to chase the h Pawn.
b. lures black K to d5 in some variations (note that e8Q-a8+ capturing black’s h1Q becomes possible).
E.g.
1. Kf4 Kxc4
2. e4 h5
3. e5 Kd5 (h4 4. e6 h3 5. Kg3)
4. Kf5! (now the Qa8 diagonal check is possible)
4… h4 (BK cannot escape diagonal check 🙂
5. e6 h3
6. e7 h2
7. e8Q h1Q
8. Qa8 any
9. QxQ wins
PS: Peter, the c3 pawn is important because it prevents black from promoting c5 Pawn quickly, and pawn controls d4 square.
Also just occurred to me. If
1.Kf4 Kxc4
2.e4 Kb5 !?
3.e5 h5
4. Ke5! wins
or
3… Kc6
4. Kf5 wins.
It’s interesting that Ke4-f4 forces black to move the BK away from the e pawn in this variation, so black wastes more time than white.
Correction
1.Kf4 Kxc4
2.e4 Kb5 !?
3.e5 h5
4.e6 Kc6
5.Ke5! wins
Cheese,
1.Kf4 Kxc4
2.e4 Kb5 !?
3.e5 h5
3…h5? does indeed lose, but 3…Kc6! wins for Black.
3.e5? is a blunder. 3.Ke5, 3.Kf5, and 3.Kg5 are all good enough to draw.
You’re right 3.e5? is a blunder.
Then it looks like a draw.
? Then 4. e6 wins
The study end in a draw, coz after e8=Q black has c3-c2, and the knight pawn can’t be taken coz it will end in stalemate when king on a1.
This is a draw.
1.Kf4 Kxc4
2.e4 Kb5!
3.Kf5 Kc6
4.Kf6
(4.Ke6 h5)
4…Kd7!
5.Kf7 Ke6
1.Kf5 Kxc4
2.e4 h5!
3.Kg5
(3.Kf4 h4!)
3…Kxc3
4.e5 h4!
5.Kxh4 Kb2
6.e6 c4
7.e7 c3
8.e8Q c2
9.Qe2 Ka1
MK