White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
8/8/K4p1p/5Pp1/2p3P1/7P/2P5/k7 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Endgame improvement
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White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
8/8/K4p1p/5Pp1/2p3P1/7P/2P5/k7 w – – 0 1
To me it looks like a straightforward win:
First off
1. Kb5 Kb2 2. Kxc4 Kxb2 3. Kd5 Kd3 4. Ke6 Ke3 5. Kxf6 Kf3 6. Kg6 Kg3 7. Kxh6 Kxh3 8. Kxg5 and there is no question.
1. Kb5 c3 2. Kc4 Kb2 3. Kd3 Kc1 4. Kxc3 5. Kd1 Kd3 and the pawn can run (though white can just as well take the time to defend the g pawn if needed).
I do not see a complication.
The general plan is to pick up the Black c-pawn with the king, then the black f-pawn, and queen. The white c-pawn, h-, and g-pawns can be left to their fate because the new white Queen is fast enough to take care of Black’s two remaining pawns.
So:
1. Kb5
Black has two obvious choices:
1. … Kb2 going after the white c-pawn
This loses straightforwardly:
2. Kxc4 Kxc2
3. Kd5 Kd3
4. Ke6 Kd4
5. Kxf6 and Black is lost
… but let’s look at Black’s other choice:
1. … c3 hoping to queen his own c-pawn
Now White has to be careful. 2. Kb4? loses, but…
2. Kc4! Kb2
3. Kd3! and Black is in Zugzwang; he loses the c3 pawn and does not even get to capture the c2 pawn.
This looks easy to me which is suspicious. It seems to me that white’s king has time to make it to d3 protecting his own c-pawn and forcing black away from his c-pawn on the next move:
1. Kb5 c3 (Kb2 2.Kc4 Kc2 3.Kd5+-)
2. Kc4 Kb2 (what else is there?)
3. Kd3 and black is in zugzwang and must move away from his pawn.
Loss for White
Oh, looking for complication, if 1. Kb5 Kb2 2. Kxc4 Kxc2 3. Kd5 Kd3 4. Ke6 Ke4 5. Kxf6 Kd5 white should not mechanically go for the h pawn since 6. Kg6 Ke6 7. Kxh6 Kf6 is a draw, but simply after 6. Kg7 the f-pawn can be queened.
Oh, sorry not even that is drawn, forgot the h5 square.
win for white…
1. Kb5
a) if 1…c3
2.Kc4 Kb2
3.Kd3
now, black loses the c pawn and the game
b) 1…Kb2
2.Kxc4 Kxc2
now, white will take the f6 pawn and queen the f pawn before black can try to queen the h pawn…
1Kb5 c3
2Kc4 Kb2
3Kd3 h5 (forced)
4gxh5
wh wins with zugswang with Ke3
han
White should win this with 1. Kb5
1. … c3
2. Kc4 Kb2
3. Kd3
Black must break off the protection of the c3-pawn and then White can march the c2-pawn down the board.
1. … Kb2
2. Kxc4 Kxc2
3. Kd5
White will gobble up the remaining Black pawns.
Susan: By “endgame improvement” do you mean that this is from a game that went wrong and we should improve on someone’s play, or that this exercise is meant to help us improve our endgame play? Just wondering.
I think it is a win for white.
Kb5 c3
Kc4 Kb2
Kd3 and the pawn falls
1. Kb5 c3
2. Kc4 (2. Kb4?? Kb2 -+)
2… Kb2 3. Kd3 +-
1.Kb5 c3
2.Kc4 Kb2
3.Kd3
got the c pawn 1-0
1.Kb5 Kb2
2.K*c4 K*c2
3 Kd4
1-0
actually it seems to be quite simple:
1. Kb5 c3
2. Kc4 Kb2
3. Kd3
Black is in zugzwang and will lose the c-pawn. white can now queen his own c-pawn or have the king-side-pawns for breakfast. greets, jan
PS Oh well, if
1. … Kb2
2. Kxc4 Kxc2
3. Kd5 Kd3
4. Ke6 Ke3
5. Kxf6
seems like win for white … black will end in Zugzwang situation …
Surely it’s a win, teacher! Let me explain. 1.Kb5!
A)1…Kb2 loses simply 2.Kxc4 Kxc2 3.Kd5 Kd3 4.Ke6 Ke3 5.Kxf6 Kf3 6.Kg6 Kg3 7. Kxh6 Kxh3 8.Kxg5 +-
so this leaves B)1…c3 2.Kc4 Kb2 3.Kd3! zugzwang and Black loses his pawn !
IMHO White wins.
1. Kb5 c3 (1. … Kb2 2. Kc4 Kc2 and White picks the f6 pawn with an easy win)
2. Kc4 Kb2
3. Kd3
Black is in Zugzwang and will lose the c3 pawn (and the game)
UD
white wins
1.Kb5 c3 2.Kc4 Kb2 3.Kd3 now black is in zugzwang ! 3…Ka3 4.Kxc3 Ka4 5.Kc4 and white wins.
This is an easy win for white.
1. Kb5 c3 (1…Kb2 2. K:c4 K:c2 and white gobbles the f-pawn and puts his king on h5 when black takes the h3 pawn) 2. Kc4 Kb2 3. Kd3 and 4. K:c3 or 4. gh depending on how black elects to die.
Suzan,
I think this is a draw.
1.Kg5, f3 2.Kf4, Kg2 3.Ke5, g2xf2 4.Kd6 , Ke2 5.d6xc6, f2 6.Kb2, f1=D 7.c2,
Then black keep on moving in order to give infinite cheks on white player.
Zugzwang after
1. Kb5 c3
2. Kc4 Kb2
3. Kd3
Lucymarie
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,as usual brainy minds here in this blog has already discussed the better moves,nothing much to add.
By
Venky[ Chennai – India]