White to move. How should White proceed?
8/1p6/1K6/8/P7/2k5/P7/8 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
K and P endgame
About Author
White to move. How should White proceed?
8/1p6/1K6/8/P7/2k5/P7/8 w – – 0 1
Kb5
kc5 then a5,
h
I just clicked this link at facebook.
To my surprise the link was reported as abusive. And maybe it is, because i first went on the wrong square with the king.
after Kb5 I don’t see how black can save the game
Very nice.
Kb5 and everything fails.
If b6 Kxb6 and the a4 pawn easily promotes.
If Kd4 a5 and Kd5 Kb5 Kd6 Kxb6 and a5 pawn promotes.
If Kb2 a5 Kxa2 Kb5 Ka3 Kxb6 Ka4 a6 and promotion soon to follow.
I suppose the key position is:
8/1p6/8/PK6/8/k7/P7/8 b – –
where White’s king prevents the advance of the Black king and the a2 pawn also prevents a lateral move.
The black king must take a2 to fall back to b2, allowing the pawn on a5 to eventually queen.
1. Kb5
–br
Kc5 and a5
1.Kc5! Kb2 2.a5 Kxa2 3.Kb6 +-
kc5
Kb5 should work out for white. The black king can not prevent promoting the pawn.
1.Kc5! Kb2 2.a5 (2.Kb6? Ka3 3.a5 Kb4!) Ka3 (or Kc3) 3.Kb5 Kb2 4.Kb6
1.Kc5 is obvious enough …
‘face off’ the bK by taking the opposition. Black cannot draw by advancing the pawn, and has no useful K-move.
Kc5 Kb2 a5 Ka3 Kb6 Ka4 a3
Kc5 and then queening the a4-pawn
1.Kc5 should work…
A. 1…Kb2 2.a5 Ka3 (…Kxa2 3.Kb6 Ka3 4.Kxb7 and a-pawn queens)3.Kb5 Kany 4. Kb6 and wins
B. 1…Kd3 2.a5 Kc3 3.Kb5 Kany 4. Kb6 wins the pawn and queens
Well, for example:
1 a5? Kb4 2 a3+ Ka4! is a draw, as white loses the a5 pawn due to zugzwang.
I first thought about:
1 Kb5? Kb2 2 a5 Ka3 3 Kb6 Ka4? 4 a3 as a win, but of course black has 34 .. Kb4! 4 a3+ Ka4 draw. Also 3 Kc5 Ka4 4 Kb6 Kb4 5 a3+ Ka4 leads nowhere.
However, the winning line is:
1 Kc5! Kb2 2 a5 Ka3 3 Kb5
and now it is black who is in zugzwang.
The essential thing is to keep the black K from a4 until
the lead pawn has K protection.
Kb5 b6
Kxb6 Kb4
a5 Ka4
a6 1-0
Mark
kb5
1. Kc5 Kb2
2. a5 Ka3
3. Kb5 Kxa2
4. Kb6 and wins
i think it’s 1.kc5 kb2 2.a5 wins.u
1.Kc5 Kb2 2.a5
2…Kxa2 3.Kb6 1-0
2…Ka3 3.Kb5 Kxa2 4.Kb6 1-0
2…Kc3 3.Kb5 and Kb6 Kxb7 follows
Hi, thank you very much. good job.
1.Kb5 DOES NOT win.
1.Kb5 Kb2
2.a5 Ka3! (not Kxa2)
and it is a draw. White takes a5 when black takes b7.
Howeever if
1.Kc5 Kb2
2.a5 Ka3 does NOT work because white can now play 3.Kb5 and he wins.
1.Kb5? Kb2
2.a5 Ka3!
3.Kb6 Kb4! (3…Ka4? 4.a3! 1-0)
4.a3+ Ka4! and draw
(e.g. 5.Kxb7 Kxa5)
however 1.Kc5 wins
1.a3! winning +-
1. a3? Kb3! draws
(mirrored from Grigoriev, 64, 1932, which is anticipated by Ebersz, Sakk, 1922, #139)