White to move. White is up a pawn but it is a double pawn. Is it enough to win?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
King and Pawn endgame
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White to move. White is up a pawn but it is a double pawn. Is it enough to win?
It is, by playing c5+ white converts it in a clear pawn up.
1.c5+! the only move, and indeed one, which does not activate the king 🙂 – on the other hand, whites king activity is sufficient, isn’t it?
1…bxc5+ what else?
[1…Ke6 2.cxb6 axb6 3.a4 Kd6 4.b4 Kd7 5.c4+-]
2.Kc4! a6! a “dirty little trick” – it’s all about counting tempi
3.a3! of course!
[3.a4? a5! white is in zugzwang 4.Kd3 Kd5= and black has it’s draw]
3…a5
4.a4 black is in zugzwang now
4…Kd7
5.Kxc5 Kc7
6.b4+- white wins with ease
greetings
c5+! does it — I agree with vohaul’s analysis. It forces Black to double his pawns (because it is check), and then with the King recapturing, white has more moves than black to wait and in a move or two will put black into zugzwang and then gobble the pawn when the black king has no choice but to retreat.