Black to move. What is the best move for Black here?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Important King and pawn endgame
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Black to move. What is the best move for Black here?
1…Ka7
2.Kxc7 a3
3.Kd8 a2
4.c7 a1=Q
5.c8=Q Qxd4+
6.Qd7+ Qxd7+
7.Kxd7 b5!
And as long as the Black King stays off b7, his pawn is immune. When White takes the pawn, Black takes the opposition and the draw with …Kb7.
Kh2 to avoid being checked then push his h pawn foward, hell win the race and then force an exchange of queens and likely win the game.
jb.
…, Kh2;
Kx, h5;
Ke2, h6;
f2, h7;
f1q, h8 q
etc jb
anon_4:49 said:
“Ka7 to avoid being checked then push his h pawn forward: hell, win the race and then force an exchange of queens and likely win the game.”
Yeah, that’s my first impression — just don’t lose any tempi with pawn checks or promotion checks and get your own queen first. I’m too tired to check out any variations, but that principle has to be right, and Ka7 has got to be the right move because of it.
Best move for black is, pretty obviously, f1/q+.
I would go with 1…Ka7 to draw.
Then 2. Kxc7 a3 3. Kd8 a2 4. c7 a1 = Q 5. c8 = Q Qxd4+ 6. Qd7+ Qxd7+ 7. Kxd7 Ka6
Then 8. Kc6 b5 9. Kc5 Ka7 will hold the draw after 10. Kxb5.
Example: 10…Kb7 and the standard game-saving opposition has been reached. Ex: 11. Kc5 Kc7 12. b5 Kb7 and white yields, or 11. Ka5 Ka7 12. b5 Kb7 13. Ka4 Kb6 etc.
Why not …kb8? did I miss something?
anon_8:15 asked…
“Why not …kb8? did I miss something?”
Yes, you did. …Kb8? loses a tempo, for after the white pawn marches d5 and d6, if c7xd6, then c7+! or if not, then d6xc7+! and either way black loses a move running the king away again and white queens. Black’s giving up the c-pawn immediately with …Ka7, doesn’t give an extra tempo to white by checking when advancing pawns.
Anonymous said…
“Best move for black is, pretty obviously, f1/q+.”
Bwahahahah. That’s even better than
“Black is so lost!”
Are we all looking at the same game?
>Best move for black is, pretty obviously, f1/q+.Agreed, the game that I see is over!
the board is upside don, took me 1 min or so to work out that one…
Where is the post I wrote yesterday? Have I been too tired to post it? Argh!
There is one variation that is missing here. After 1. -, Ka7 white has another chance then playing Kxc7.
2. d5!?, a3
3. d6 and now the obvious a2 which gives black the queen first loses!
Black has no give away the right to queen first with 3. -, cxd6 which draws easily.
Btw. I like anonymous’ (4:49) pawn moves. They are much better than the simple f1Q.
(That’s why I do not like the board upside-down.)
Jochen