White to move. Is this a draw or loss for White? How should White proceed?
8/8/p5b1/P7/1Pk5/8/1K6/8 w – – 0 1 (I saw this in the latest issue of Chess Today)
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Must know endgame
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white can draw by running into a1 corner
Muslim cleric: Here’s how to beat wives ‘He’s tried admonishing, he’s tried banishment – but nothing’
Posted: February 05, 2009
11:50 pm Eastern
An Egyptian Muslim cleric has instructed that husbands should not beat their wives to the point that their beauty is scarred or bones are broken, but that it should be clear that: “A word would be enough for any wife with lofty morals, but with you, words do not help.”
The instruction comes from Egyptian Cleric Galal Al-Khatib, whose sermon was broadcast on All-Rahma Television Dec. 24. The sermon has been interpreted by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, an independent nonprofit that provides translations and analysis of media reports from the Middle East.
The cleric explains there are three stages of discipline for wives under Islam: Admonishment, banishment and beating.
Of the two solutions posted so far, I prefer Aaron K’s.
LMAO!
I think black can force a win if White king moves to a1.
1.Ka1 Kb3 and now white is forced to push b pawn
2.b5 axb5 black wins
I think both 1.Ka2 and 1.Ka3 give white the draw.
i vote for loss: ka1 will lead to the forced pawn push … staying on a2 and a3, black will put the bishop on b3 forcing the white pawn forward.
1. Ka1 loses because 1… Kb3 forces White to move the b pawn. Otherwise I think it is a draw because the bishop is on the wrong color to force the promotion of the rook pawn.
actually, 1 Ka1 loses on the spot to 1… Kb3, forcing white to play 2 b5 axb5 and black no longer has a wrong-colored bishop.
Likewise, 1 Ka2 Kc3 2 Ka3 Bf7 3 Ka4 Be6 4 Ka3 Bb3 5 b5 axb5 6 a6 b4#
Thus 1 Kc1! and the white K meanders on the c and d files until black’s K gobbles the pawns on b4/a5. Only then will the white K head for a1. Due to the distance between a5 (which black’s K must capture) and b2 (the critical square for white’s K when his pawns disappear), white should reach the drawing square easily.
White draws.
Note that both 1 Ka2 and 1 Ka3 lose to 1 … Kc3, after which white’s K gets trapped and black’s a pawn will become a b pawn. I already gave the line for 1 Ka2. Here’s what happens after 1 Ka3:
1 Kc3
2 Ka2 Bc2
3 Ka3 (3 Ka1 Kb3 -+)
3 Bb1
4 Ka4 Bc2+
5 Ka3 Bb3 -+
Thanks Susan for this instructional endgame!!
Very nice, Chris!
Chris seems to be right completely. Thanks, Chris!
If I could lead this to Lucena position, then it’s a draw.
Just let him gobbled my two pawns, presto! A draw…