White to move. Is this a win for White or is it a draw?
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Endgame improvement – Must know endgame
White to move. Is this a win for White or is it a draw?
win for white
Anonymous at 8:22:00 technically has given complete answer to the problem.Details are
1.Kd4 Kc6
2.Ke5 Kd7
3.d4 Now black is in zwugszwang and has to give up a pawn.
win for white starting with Kd4. right?
Kd4 and white wins
Kd4 is the move you are looking for:
1. Kd4
This forces black to play Kc7 or Kc6 in order to protect the pawns:
1. …..Kc7
2. Ke5
Now, black can protect the e6 pawn with Kd7, but white will just play d4 forcing the king away. I will cover both main lines:
2. …..Kd7
3. d4
A waiting move to force black’s king away from e6:
3. …..Kc8 (Kc7/Ke8 no better)
4. Ke6 Kd8
5. Kf7 Kd7
6. e5 Kd8
7. e6 and the black pawn falls.
At move 3 in this line, black can’t prevent white from taking control of e8:
3. …..Ke8
4. Ke6 and the black king will have to give way to one side or the other.
Finally, back at move 2, black could choose to not protect e6, but the result is no different:
2. …..Kd8
3. Ke6 Ke8
4. d4 Kf8 (Kd8 we have seen)
5. Kd7 Kf7
6. e5 e6 (only thing left)
7. d5 ed5
8. e6 and white will queen far ahead of black.
Its a draw
Its a draw…
Its a draw…
Looks like a win for white.
First, white can force capture of black’s e6 pawn:
1.Kd4
Let’s first look at the line where black gives the pawn up (not sure if anyone would do so if there was no trick to it).
1…e5 gives up the pawn:
2.Kxe5 Kc7
3.Ke6 Kd8 (only move to hold on)
4.d4 Ke8
5.e5 Kd8 (5…Kf8 is not much different)
6.Kf7 Kd7
7.e6+ Kd8
8.d5 (a waiting move to put black in zugzwang)
8…Kc8/Kc7
9.Kxe7
And white soon promotes and wins with 10.Kf7 11.e7 12.e8=Q being unstoppable.
Now let’s see a more spirited attempt by black.
1…Kc6 is a try which fights to try and keep both pawns but fails to zugzwang:
2.Ke5 Kd7 (Black hangs on)
3.d4 (a waiting move to put black in zugzwang)
3…Kd8/Ke8
Either black king move leads to about the same thing as after 3.Ke6 in the 1…e5 variation:
If black’s reply was 3…Kd8,
4.Kxe6 Ke8
5.e5 (another waiting move to gain the opposition and force a concession from black)
5…Kd8 (Again, Kf8 is not too different)
6.Kf7 Kd7
7.e6+ Kd8
8.d5 Kc7/Kc8
9.Kxe7
And white will promote at least a pawn and win as illustrated before.
If black’s reply was 3…Ke8,
4.Kxe6 Kd8
5.Kf7 Kd7
6.e5 Kd8
7.e6 Kc7/Kc8
8.Kxe7
And you know the rest of the story, assuming white doesn’t accidentally, or deliberately, stalemate black later due to carelessness.
I probably had some sub-optimal moves for either side but I don’t think black can do much to stop white’s promotion(s).