White to move. Is this a win or draw for White?
8/8/8/2p5/2Pk4/3P4/3K4/8 w – – 0 1
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K & P endgame
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White to move. Is this a win or draw for White?
8/8/8/2p5/2Pk4/3P4/3K4/8 w – – 0 1
Looks like Kc2 is winning for white
the only chance for white is to take possession of the 5th rank with the white king. So Ke2 of course! And then one has to be careful not to let the black king put up a “wall” on the sixth rank. Did not calculate it through though.
Looks like 1.Ke2 to me.
If 1. … Kc3
2. Ke3 and go on with the King to d5, should be no problem.
If 1. … Ke5
2. Ke3
If 2. … Kf5 3.d4 should win no matter if black takes cxd4 or moves the King, white can take the Pawn
and black cannot stop the double pawns with the wihite King in that case..
If 2. … Kf6 3.Kf4 Ke6 4. Ke4 Kd6 5. Kf5 will lead the white King to the black Pawn.
If 2. … Ke6 or Kd6 the same trick works.
I’m not sure, if Kc2 is correct. Looks like black can hold the position with 1. … Ke5. I
can’t see the winning moves for white. But 1. Ke2 is winning, so that doesn’t matter.
Kc2 feels right.
Ok, so let’s try it with some variations:
1.Kc2 Ke3?
2.Kc3 and black’s king has to move and give up control of d4, when
3.d4 wins for white.
1.Kc2 Ke5
2.Kc3 Kd6 and white can’t make any progress (3.d4 cxd4 4.Kd4 is drawn, of course, while 3.Kb3 Kc6 4.Ka4 Kb6 doesn’t go anywhere either)
So unless I missed something – which is very possible – 1.Kc2 doesn’t win for white due to 1…Ke5. Of course she could play 2.Kd2 and go back to square one.
1.Ke2 Kc3?
2.Ke3 wins for white, as she can play 3.Ke4 and 4.Kd5 and trade the c5 pawn for the d3 pawn, when the white king is in front of the pawn.
1.Ke2 Ke5
2.Ke3 Kd6
3.Kf4 and white wins due to the opposition:
3…Ke6
4.Ke4
I. 4…Kf6? 5.Kd5
II. 4…Kd6 5.Kf5
a) 5…Ke7? 6.Ke5
b) 5…Kd7 6.Ke5 Kc6 7.Ke6 Kc7 8.Kd5
8…Kb6 9.Kd6
Thus white can win with 1.Ke2, while 1.Kc2 draws unless she goes back to the starting position.
nice blog 🙂
1.Kc2 doesn’t win for white due to 1…Ke5. Of course she could play 2.Kd2 and go back to square one.
Too late: 1.Kc2? Ke5! 2.Kd2 Kd6 (e6, f6, f5) and the win is gone. Of course not 2…Kd4??, which, as you correctly point out, lets White get back on track with 3.Ke2!
simple:
1. Ke2 Ke5
( if: 2…. Kc3 3. Ke3-e4-d5 +-)
2. Ke3 Kd6
(if: 2…. Kf5 3. d4 +-)
3. Kf4 etc +-
The option on the queen side would be blocked with 1. Kc2 Ke5 2. Kc3 Kd6 3. Kb3 Kc6 4. Ka4 Kb6.
If Black move: 1. … Ke5 2. Ke3 +-
by stulzer
It’s a simple position, and White win after Ke2, but is winning also with Black on move.
The starting position may be more instructive with the King in c2 instead of d2, because Black on move force the draw.