White to move. Is this a win, loss, or draw for White? No computer lines please.
1R6/8/8/8/7K/3pp3/k7/8 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Know your endgame
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I think white wins this game
1. Kg3 , d2
2. Rd8 , Kb2
3. Kf3 , Kc2
4. Ke2 , Kc1
5. Rc8+ , Kb2
6. Kd1
Black pawns are dead.
Greetings from Spain
Win for White … King in, Rook behind, check the bK away and cut it off, pick off the back pawn … win
1.Ke3 e2
2.Kf2
1…d2
2.Rd8 e2
3.Rxd2+
2…Kb3
3.Kf3 Kc2
4.Ke2
I think white wins starting with 1.Kg3 and then 2.Rd8 if 1…d2. (1…e2 loses to 2.Kf2 is obvious)
1. Kg3 d2 (1. … e2 can’t work because the king reaches the pawns to hold them at bay while the rook prevents the Black king from helping.)
2. Rd8
The only way to stop the pawn.
2. … Kb2
3. Kf3 Kc2
4. Ke2 Kc1
5. Rc8+ Kb2
6. Kd1
Black cannot advance the pawns without losing them, the king is cut off by the rook, and White will win.
If Black’s first move is with the king instead:
1. Kg3 Ka3
2. Kf3 e2
3. Kf2
Again, Black cannot advance the pawns, the king is cut off, and White picks up the pawns with Rd8.
In both cases, the rook keeps the Black king 1 column too far away.
Should be a win for White:
1. Kg3!
Now if Black just moves his king the White king approaches to the pawns and takes them, so Black has to move one of the pawns.
1. … d2 (e2 will lose directly because of Kf2 and the pawns are stopped).
2. Rd8! Kb2 (e2 will loose because of Rxd2+)
3. Kf3 Kc2
4. Ke2 and White will win both Black pawns and thus: 1-0
The only thing that saves white is the fact that the black king is on the second rank. If not white would be hopeless against the black pawns (and best he could reach was an end game KR vs KQ which may be draw in a real game).
Checking does not help as the black king reaches the rook soon.
So the best white starting move should be 1. Kg3 forcing d2 (any other move loses simply, e.g. e2 2. Kf2 and the pawns are stopped and grabbed easily by king and rook) 2. Rd8! (with the black king on a3 (or a1) now e2 would simply win here), Kb1 (e2?? 3. Rxd2+! +-) (what else?). The threat now is to play Kc1 so white does not have time to kid and must play 3. Kf3, Kc1 (or Kc2; white was threating simply 4. Kxe3 +-) 4. Ke2, Kc2 (Kb2? 5. Kxe3) 5. Rc8+, Kb~ 6. Kd1! (this seems to be the only way for white to proceed successfully) followed by 7. Re8 8. Rxe3
So I propose it is won by white if I have not overlooked anything important!?
With the black king on a3 it would be lost for white, with the black king on a3 it would be a bit more interesting: 1. Kg3, d2 2. Ra8+!?, Kb1!(Kb2? 2. Rd8(=)) and it should be won by black by marching to d1 or to b7 (via c2, b3 not via a2 or b2).
Nice endgame. I was thinking this must be lost for white for a long time. 🙂
Best wishes and good night
Jochen
win for black pawns on the sixth
No, it’s a draw because a rook takes with check.
The complicating factor for black is that the black king is on the second rank, but not in contact with the pawns. For example,
1. Kg3 d2
2. Rd8 e2? loses for black because of the rook check at d2, and
1. Kg3 d2
2. Rd8 Kb3
3. Kf3 Kc2
4. Ke3 draws, and, if
4. Rc8 Kd1
5. Ke3 Ke1
6. Rh8 d1(N) should also draw with proper play. What is left is,
1. Kg3 e2
2. Kf2 and the white king holds against the two pawns long enough for the rook to get the d3 pawn.
So, with Kg3, I think white wins when black replies with e2 and draws when black plays d2 first.
The last lines to consider are when white plays rook moves first.
1. Rd8 d2
2. Kg3 e2 loses as before, but
1. Rd8 e2 wins for black
and finally,
1. Re8 d2 wins for black.
With best play, this should be a forced draw, but white must play Kg3 as his first move.
Re8
The white king is too close to the black pawns. White should be easily winning after 1.Kg3. Say 1…d2 2.Rd8 Kb2 3.Kf3 Kc2(c1) 4.Ke2
If Black’s King were not on his own 7th rank, White would be in severe trouble. But as it is, White can catch the pawns provided he starts with 1.Kg3. The reason is that after 1…d2 2.Rd8 Black does not have the resource 2…e2 thanks to 3.Rxd2 check and both pawns fall.
But shift Black’s King to a3 in the starting position, and this resource is not available, so Black wins.
It’s a win for White starting with 1.Kg3 d2 2. Rd8 Kb2 3. Kf3 Kc2 4. Ke2 and White will be able to blockade the pawns with his King and be able to pick them off
White can draw because the white K can approach and the black K is poorly located on the 2nd rank.
(1) Kg3 d2 (if …e2 (2) Kf2 wins)
(2) Rd8 Kb (if …e2 (3)Rxd2+ wins)
(3) Kf3 Kc
(4) Rc8+ – now the R keeps checking unless
(4) … Kd1 (or K approaches rook in which case Rd8 and white K approaches to win). So
(5) Rd8 Now if …Ke1 6Rh8 threatens mate, or if
(5) … e2 6Ra1 – no this wins for black – well I don’t see it but there must be a draw for white here somehow
(5) Kf3
1.Kg3,e3 (1…e2 2.Kf2)
2.Rd8, Kb2 (2…e2 2.Rxd2+)
3.Kf3, Kc2
4.Ke2!, Kc1
5.Rc8+, Kb2
6.Kd1! …
7.Re8-e3
Kg3 d2
Rd8 Kb2
Kf3 Kc2
Ke2
is a win for white.
Kg3 e2
Re8 Kb2
Kf2 Kc2
Rc8+ If Kb2
then Ke1 should win for white.
If Kd2 Re3 any king move white should win.
As far as these puzzles of Susan’s go, it is never a loss for the side to move.