[Next]
- #9
- I had this position as white while
- playing a speed chess game on the
- internet. I was not able to win it.
- It always helps to go back and
- look at positions that failed for
- some reason and try to figure out
- what you could have done
- better.
- The game proceeded ......
[Next]
- Kd5. Not much choice here.
[Next]
- Kc8. Black knows that he must always
- move straight back if he want to
- draw.
[Next]
- Kd6. But this will not win.
[Next]
- Kd8. Now Black has opposition. If
- White pushes the pawn he will
- stalemate black or be forced to give
- up the pawn.
- But there is a way that White can
- reach this position with black
- to move which will give white
- the opposition and the win.
[Next]
- If we back up to this position,
- what should White play
- here?
[Next]
- The answer is that White is going to
- triangulate between the
- squares d6, c5 and d5.
- There are a couple of key points
- here....
- White is going to reach the last
- diagram with Black to move instead of
- White to move.
- Black can never go to c7 becaue the
- move Kc5 would win easily for white.
- Play will proceed....
[Next]
- Kd8
[Next]
- Kd4
- It would not have mattered if White
- had gone to this square first and
- then c5 second.
[Next]
- Kc8
- Black doesn't have the option of
- triangulating himself. If he tries
- to go to c7 then Kc5 will win
- easily.
- (Black might have an easier time
- drawing if his king weren't confined
- by the back rank.)
[Next]
- Kd5
- Now we have reached the same positon
- with Black to move. This makes all
- the difference in the world.
[Next]
- Kd8
[Next]
- Kd6
- Now White has opposition and will win
- as follows ...
[Next]
- Kc8
[Next]
- c7
- Oh what a difference it makes if it
- isn't black's turn in this position.
[Next]
- Kb7
[Next]
- Kd7 wins easily. Note if Ka7 then White should play Kc6! because queening the pawn stalemates!
See the next section for more- complicated endgames.