White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? How should White proceed?
8/p7/1p2k3/8/1P3P2/3K4/8/8 w – – 0 5
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K and P endgame challenge
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1.b5 will stop the black pawns. after the king attacks the pawn, protect the pawn and eventually promote it or sacrifice it to get to the queenside pawns
Black is always threatening the create his own passed pawn on the queenside with a5- for example:
1. Ke4 a5
2. b5 a4
and white must retreat to pick up the pawn
3. Kd3 a3
4. Kc2 a2
5. Kb2 a1(Q)
6. Ka1 Kf5
7. Kb2 Kf4
8. Kc3 Ke5
9. Kc4 Kd6
10.Kd4 Ke6
11.Ke4 Kd6
12.Kd4 with only a draw.
Visually, the very first move that comes to my mind is b5 to prevent black from creating a passed a-pawn- he can create a passed b-pawn, but will lose the race with white’s a-pawn by a few moves:
1. b5 Kf5 and I think white can’t win (loses instead) by making a beeline to the queenside:
2. Kd4 Kf4
3. Kd5 Ke3 (Kf5 loses, I think)
4. Kc6 Kd4
5. Kb7 Kc5
6. Ka7 Kb5 and black wins.
So, white must stick with his f-pawn. Do we need further analysis? I don’t so since one of two things must arise the rest of the way- either black must allow white to queen the f-pawn, or black will find himself zugzwanged and forced to play a6 or a5 giving white a winning queen at a8.
Of course, I may be missing the obvious in this. I often do.:~)
This looks like one of the few king and pawn endings that you can play without calculating. The first move is obviously 1. b5, otherwise Black equalizes with 1…a5. From there it’s simply supporting the f-pawn and advancing it, no problem with stalemating the Black king since he’ll be forced to play …a5 or …a6 at some point when taking en passant mates.
1. b5 wins because of a possible en passant.
If Black plays for the pawns (1. … Kd5 2. Ke3 Kc5 3. f5, etc.), White will win the race.
If Black stays to guard against the f-pawn, the stalemate doesn’t work because of the loose pawns.
1. … Kf5
2. Ke3 Kf6
3. Ke4 Ke6
4. f5+ Kf6
5. Kf4 Kf7
6. Ke5 Ke7
7. f6+ Kf8
8. Ke6 Ke8
9. f7 Kf8
10. Kf6 a3 (or a4)
11. bxa3 (e.p.)
White wins with b5.
This should be a win for White. The winning move is b5! Using the b pawn to hold up both black pawns. Now the Black King can’t defend against both of White’s pawns.
b4 is white’s only chance to win, because it prevents a5. For example,
1. b4 Kd5
2. f5 Ke5
3. Kc4 Kf5
4. Kd5 Kf6
5. Kc6 Ke6
6. Kb7 Kd6
7. Ka7 Kc5
8. Ka6 and Black cannot defend the pawn
Thinking a bit more about the 1. b5 line:
1. b5 Kd5
2. Ke3 Kc5 (the only counterplay)
3. f5 Kb5
4. f6 Ka4
5. f7 b5
6. f8(Q)b4
7. Qf1 a5
8. Qb1 b3
9. Kd3 Ka3
10.Kc3 and it is over. There may be more tenacious lines for black other than getting the king caught at a3, but they seem to risk capture of the a-pawn by the white queen, and the king/b-pawn combo isn’t enough to force a draw.
1.b5 – obviously, to control the Q-side
1…Kd5 2.Ke3
Any winning attempt has to start with 1. b5; however, I don’t have time to analyze much further! It seems that the f pawn will have to serve as a major diversion to pull Black’s King just far enough away from defense of the a and b pawns. Phil
White wins, I think, with b5 followed by marching the K down to the 7 rank with the F pawn.
White should win with b5 & by marching the K down to the 7th rank along with the F pawn.
B5 seals the queens side.
1.b5 wins, e.g. Kd5 2.Ke3 Ke6 3.Ke4 Kf6 4.Kd5 Kf5 5.Kc6 Kf4 6.Kb7 Ke5 7.Ka7 Kd6 8.Kb6 +-
I am thinking 1 b5. Black cannot play a5 because of the en passant capture, and White can escort his f pawn down the board.
Easy, b5 and the rest is simple.
I think white should play 1. b5 in order to eliminate the black’s a5 move.
After that white has the advantage. the black king will not be able to pick white’s “f” pawn and get back to defend his “a” and “b” pawns.
V.P.
b5, of course
with 1.b5 white can tie down black`s queenside majority. the black king is then left helpless against the white king and the f-pawn. white can push to f7 and black will be in zugzwang.
it is a win for white.
1. b5 . . . and black has no good counter move as white king will then be attacking the black pawns. Should black defend the pawns the e4 pawn will soon get promoted to Queen.