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1. b6+ Kxp 2.h4 a5 3. h5 a4 4. h6 a3 5. h7 a2 6. h8=Q a1=Q 7. QxQ
if pxp then Kxp and black’s b pawn can NOT be stopped from being Queened.
b6 is the winning move
i’m ok with Sam , all variations with b6 is winning for the white.
For exemple :
-the variation of Michael is right!
-other variation :1 b6-Kb6 2 h4-Kc6 3 h5-Kd6 4 h6-Ke6 5 h7-Kf7 6 h8=Q +-
Or : 1 b6 if the King go in a8 or b8 we use the same idea that previous variation.I have a good question for the internet chess player if the white player 1 ab6. Is this draw , win , or lose for the white?
yes, b6+ is winning
if pxp then Kxp …
Kxp seems to yield an even K+Q position.
Better is 1. … b5! which will not only queen the b pawn, but eventually allow black to win whites Qh8 by a king skewer.
(italic tags didn’t work)
Was discussing 1. bxa6 Kxa6 which leads to draw, whereas 1. bxa6 b5 leads to black win
A heavy one.
Very beautiful!!
1.b6+ Kb8! 2.h4 a5 3.h5 a4 4.h6 a3 5.h7 a2 6.h8Q a1Q 7.Qg8!
(avoiding stalemate by 7.Qxa1)
7. … Qa2 8.Qe8 Qa4 9.Qe5 Ka8 10.Qh8
and wins.
b6+ wins
a draw it seems:
1. b6+ Kb8! 2. h4 a5 4. h5 a4 5. h6 a3 6. h7 a2 7. h8Q (bishop promotion is a draw) a1Q! 8. Qh2+! (Qxa1=) Ka8 9. Kc8! and white still doesn’t win because of Qc1+! 10. Qc7! Qc3! and on Qxc3=, while the white king can’t hide from checks
ah yes sir tempo, sir howling belly..
nice job … if you didn’t use a computer
I didn’t use a computer. But I had seen this one before. It’s problem 64 from Papa Polgar’s Chess Endgames puzzle book. It took me about 6 hours to find the whole line a few years ago. It made a great impression on me because of it’s beauty and hidden complexity.
The position with the rook pawns just before promotion occurs in a puzzle of David Joseph, 1922 – the last one at the back of Chessmaster3000 owner’s manual. The tricky manoeuvring of the White queen rang a bell and in a minute I found the reference.
Anonymous said…
a draw it seems:
1. b6+ Kb8! 2. h4 a5 4. h5 a4 5. h6 a3 6. h7 a2 7. h8Q (bishop promotion is a draw) a1Q! 8. Qh2+! (Qxa1=) Ka8 9. Kc8! and white still doesn’t win because of Qc1+! 10. Qc7! Qc3! and on Qxc3=, while the white king can’t hide from checks
10:39 AM
***********
the trick here is not 8. Qh2+! but rather 8 Qg8 mates.
However I congratulate you. your method is much better than the standard method which leads to an easy mate. in your case finding 8 Qg8 is very difficult and most practical attempts will be 8. Qh2 or similar. so your method is the practical way to go for a draw I am sure it will work 90% of the time or better.
Tommy, Why not Qxa1????
oh, okay i see the stalemate now, does seem like a draw after all
amazing puzzle ! Looks like ‘papa Polgar’s book is worth buying. A question: what if W promotes to a Rook instead of Queen ? He cannot win in that case (tempo, Sir howling’s line doesn’t work as W has no check at e5), but can Black win, after W plays Rg8 ?
To answer with 6 years delay to samikd:
Very tricky endgame, in fact!
okie, let’s see your line
After the correct moves
1. b6+! Kb8!
2. h4 a5
3. h5 a4
4. h6 a3
5. h7 a2
now
6. h8R loses, but the win is very difficult because of stalemate tricks and the lack of freedom of the Black King.
However, after
6… a1Q
7. Rg8 Qa2
8. Re8 Qf7
9. Re6 Qf8+ (and not Qxe6 stalemate!)
10. Kd7 (Re8 Qd6# means instant death) Qf5
11. Kd8 Qd5+ (and not Qxe6, déja vu)
12. Ke7 Kc8, Black King enters in action at last, with a long but technical win.
Source: Joseph, Sunday Express, 1921, modified in Ceskoslovenska Republika, 1923 by an anonymous composer.