White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
Capablanca – Ed. Lasker, 1914
8/7p/4k3/4P3/ppP1K3/7P/P7/8 w – – 0 40
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Must know K & P endgame
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It seems to me that the only chance for white to win or draw is with 1. c5, the two main variations being
1. c5 b3 2.axb3 a3 3. c6 a2 4. c7 a1=Q 5. c8=Q+ Kf7 6. e6+ Ke7 7. Qd7+ Kf6 8. Qf7+ Kg5 9. e7 and there should be a good possibility of advancing the pawn, which is all I can see.
1. c5 b3 2.axb3 axb3 3. Kd3 b2 4. Kc2 b1=Q 5. Kxb1 Kxe5 however is only a draw.
I thought of 1. Kd3 in order to play b3 2. a3, however Kxe5 and surely it is black who is winning.
Dunno looks like a draw by what I can see.
Kd3 leads to draw for white. Kd4 looses after a3 followed by b3
could go like this
Kd3 Kxe5, c5 Kd5, c6 Kxc6, Kc4 b3, axb3 axb3, Kxb3 Kd5, then the white king goes to the h8 and dead draw.
all other moves loses (I am however not a computer so there is a small margin for error)
1. Kd4 loses to …a3; the white K can’t do any thing to prevent 2…b3 and a pawn promotes.
1. Kd3 K:e5 2. c5 Kd5 3. c6 K:c6 4. Kc4 b3 5. ab a3 6. b4 leads to a draw – as soon as the black K takes the b-pawn and heads for the h-pawn, white pushes the h-pawn as far as possible to create time for his K to get to g1 after taking the a-pawn.
The only thing I can see is 1 Kd3! Ke5 2 c5! Kd5 3 c6 Kc6 4 Kc4 b3
5 ab3 ab3 (5…a3!? 6 Kc3 Kb5 7 b4!
Ka4 8 b5 Kb5 9 Kb3 =) 6 Kb3 = White will be able to get back in time to stop the Black h pawn.
Other options lose for White:
A) 1 Kd4? a3! and White can not prevent 2…b3, winning for Black
B) 1 c5? a3! and again …b3 will win for Black.
Correct result is a draw
-Justin Daniel
Ah, but 1. Kd4 does is: b3 2. axb3! does it: if 2… a3, white reaches the corner and has connected passed pawns, and is 2. … axb3 3. Kc3 b2 4. Kxb2 Kxe5 and white is close enough to c4 to protect the pawn.
However, care must be taken with the movement of the h pawn: white must use them in order to promote the c pawn as though they not exist, white cannot win in any conditions if black were allowed to win the c pawn.
Actually, this position is incorrect. The position should be reversed with Capa playing White and with Black to play, not White:
8
7p
p7
3k1pPP
3p4
3K4
P7
8
Lasker played 40…Ke5 and Capa answered with 41.h6. Edward Lasker resigned because of the threatened 42.g6.
if 1.c5 b3 2. axb3 a3 =
but 1.Kd4 b3 2.axb3 a3 3.Kc3 Kxe5 4.Kc2 +-
Xargon the true
1. c5 doesn’t work due to b3 and either the b or a pawn queens. White has to stop the pawns with 1. Kd3 in which case he draws. Everything else appears to lose.
1Kd4+- easily
It’s a win, because Capablanca is White.
White must be very carefull.
If 1.Kd4, then 1…a3! and 2…b3 black wins.
So, white have to play for a draw :
1.Kd3 Kxe5 2.c5 Kd5 3.c6 Kxc6 4.Kc4 b3 5.axb3 a3 6.Kc3 Kb5 7.b4 (or 7.h4 h5 8.b4) Ka4 8.b3, and white king will have enough time to go to f1 after black takes h2 pawn , so – draw
kd4 to stop A pawn wins
h
1.c5 runs into b3 2. c6 b2 and win or 2 axb3 a3! and black wins again.
so.. first move must be to protect .. 1. Kd4
now b3 2 axb3 axb3 3. Kc3 ends up as 2 against 1 pawn endgame which should be win for white??
so black tries 1..-a3! 2. c5 b3 and black wins ..
Have a nice sunday all from sunny Gvarv 😉
1.c5? is a losing move as 1…b3 wins
i think white can seal the game if he plays Kd4 or Kd3.
seems to be a draw!!! atleast white black can force a draw for sure.
Kd3 is draw, any other white’s move is lose for white
In my opinion is draw after:1.Kd3!(1.Kd4 a3-+)1…K:e5 2.c5 Kd5 3.c6 K:c6 4.Kc4 b3 5.a:b3 a3 6.Kc3 Kb5 7.b4 a2 8.Kb2 K:b4 9K:a2=
1/2-1/2
c5 wins easily if playing a fish
but a good player will reply with b3 when the queening threat will liquidate everything and draw
only other 1st move for white to draw is Kd3
on any other white 1st move, black’s a3 will cook White’s goose
Easily? c5 looses
c5 b3
axb a3 wins for black
The only move is Kd4
1. c5 a3 then b3
I think black wins with this method even if it is white’s turn.
1. Kd3 Kxe5 (1. … b3?! 2. axb3 axb3 Kc3 + – or 2. … a3 3. Kc2 a2 4. Kb2 Kxe5 + – or 1. … a3 2. Kc2 Kxe5 3. Kb3 Kd4 4. Kxb4 + -) 2. here the person with the tempo is losing (i think). Because, 2. Kc2 Kd4 – + or 2. Ke3 b3 – + or 2. c5 Kd5 – + So white can just play 2. h4 but black will reply with 2. … h5 passing on the tempo to white. So white is losing. Thereford, 1. Kd3 which looks like a correct move is wrong and 1. Kd4 which looks like a wrong move is right. 1. Kd4 b3 2. axb3 axb3 3. Kc3 b2 4. Kxb2 Kxe5 5. Kb3 + – so white’s winning.
P.s. I may be wrong.
Sorry. 1. Kd4 loses after a3. 1. Kd3 loses to Kxe5. I think its lost for white.
1. Kd3 Kxe5 2. c5 Kd5 3. c6 Kxc6 4. Kb4 b3 5. axb3 axb3 6. Kxb3 Kd4 7. Kc2 Ke3 8. Kd1 Kf2 9. h4 Kg3 10. Ke2 Kxh4 11. Kf2 Kh3 12. Kg1 =