White to move. Can White hold this? How should White proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Knight and Pawn endgame
About Author
White to move. Can White hold this? How should White proceed?
1.b7 Na6
2.Kc6 h5
3.Kb6 Nb8
4.Ka7 h4
5.Kxb8 h3
6.Ka7 h2
7.b8(=Q) h1(=Q)
Now it is a draw.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Sayan
1. b7 Na6
2. Kc8 h5
3. Nc6 h4
4. Nb4
Even better than that:
8.Nd3+ Kg2
9.Qb2+ Kg3
10.Qe5+ Kf3
11.Qd5+
wins!
Neither king can help block the passed pawns. Black’s hope is to trade the knight for the pawn. So why not “attack” the knight first?
1. Nc6 Na6
2. b7 black moves – can’t move N
3. Ng4! Nb8+
4. Kc7 wins the Black N and White queens.
TT
TT, I think still it is a draw.
1.Nc6 Na6
2.b7 h5
3.Nb4 Nb8+
4.Kc7 h4
5.Kxb8 h3
6.Kc8 h2
7.b8(=Q)+ Kg2
8.Qb7+ Kg1
Black will only move his King in g2 and g1.
and now it will be draw.
Sayan
rubypanther, you think in better way. But still it’s draw.
4….. Nb8
5.Kxb8 h3
6.Kc8 h2
7.b8(=Q)+ Kg1
Now Black will move King in g2 & g1, and a draw.
Sayan
ano 4:57:00
if black plays 10…..Kg2, then?
Sayan
Sayan,
1.b7 Na6
2.Kc6 h5
3.Kb6 Nb8
4.Ka7 h4
5.Kxb8 h3
6.Ka7 h2
7.b8=Q h1=Q
8.Nd3+ Kg2
9.Qb2+ Kg3
10.Qe5+ Kg2
11.Qxg5+ Kf1
12.Qc1+ Kg2
13.Qb2+ Kg3
14.Qe5+ Kg2
15.Qe4+ Kg1
16.Qe1+ Kh2
17.Qh4+ Kg2
18.Nf4+
wins.
I haven’t yet convinced myself that White has a win from the starting position. But your line in post #1 looks better to me than it does to you!
ano 4:57:00,
Great Idea!!! Brilliant Thinking!!!
Sayan
9:35:00:
elegant line, but there is no need to play the queen endgame. there is a standard way to make black move his king onto the big diagonal:
6. Nf3 Kxf3 7. Ka7 h2 8. b8q h1q and qb7 +-
axel
btw, 1. b7 na6 2. kc8? proposed above doesnt work: black promotes g-pawn and wins a tempo since white cant queen with a check: 2… g4! and it’s easy to see its a draw
happy new year to all!
Axel,
You’re right that 6…Kxf3? loses, but
6.Nf3? g4! =
Here’s another pretty twist in this fascinating ending. What if Black tries to run with his h-pawn instead of his g-pawn? Then we get:
1.b7 Na6
2.Kc6 g4
3.Kb6 Nb8
4.Ka7 Kh3
5.Kxb8 g3
6.Nd3 Kh4
7.Kc8 g2
8.Ne1!
yeah, you are right. my mistake
axel
I fired up Fritz & accessed the online tablebase, & I’m still confused.
With the clock ticking, I would almost certainly play 1.b7 Na6 2.Kc8 even if it’s wrong 🙂
The studylike Kc6-Kb6-Ka7-Kxb8-Ka7 seems too slow, but it allows White to hang on to the horsie.
1.b7 Na6 2.Kc8 g4 3.Nc6 Kh3 4.Nb4 g3! 5.Nxa6 g2 is indeed a draw. (But not 4…Nxb4?? 5.b8/Q g3 6.Qxb4 g2 7.Qd4 and wins with standard Q v P zugzwang).
The idea 1.Nc6 Na6 2.b7?? is answered by 2…Nc5+, probably winning.
I think 9:35 a.m. anon is right: very nice! And the refutation of the great try 6.Nf3?!! with 6…g4! is cool, too.
“1.b7 Na6
2.Kc6 h5
3.Kb6 Nb8
4.Ka7 h4
5.Kxb8 h3
6.Ka7 h2
7.b8=Q h1=Q
8.Nd3+ Kg2
9.Qb2+ Kg3
10.Qe5+ Kg2
11.Qxg5+ Kf1
12.Qc1+ Kg2
13.Qb2+ Kg3
14.Qe5+ Kg2
15.Qe4+ Kg1
16.Qe1+ Kh2
17.Qh4+ Kg2
18.Nf4+
wins.”
I think this position would be a draw even if the black knight wasn’t on the table.