White to move. Can you save this game for White?
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White to move. Can you save this game for White?
1.Nd3 Kxd3 2.Kd6 e1Q 3.f8Q=
Well, that would lose outright to Qb4+, so you better come up with some better idea. I got to admit I don’t have any either…
Wow, after following the first line given above, if after 3..Qb4+ 4. Ke5 and then 4..Qxf8 is stalemate, very nice
Now that’s really nice! Tricky endgame stuff…
However, if after 4.Ke5 Qd4+ 5.Kf5 Qf2+ white is lost.
Alex: Then just go back to 6. Ke5 and the circus continues
I saw this, but I was studying the continuation
6. Ke5 Qg3+ 7. Kf5 Qf3+ 8. Ke5 Qd5+ 9. Kf6 (all other moves for the white king are bad) but I don’t see any mates for the black, so I guess that this should be the correct answer (I didn’t check all possibilities, so I guess there’s some room for speculations here).
The first line given does indeed draw, as does:
1.Nd3!! Ne6 2.Kc4/Kd5/Kd6
My Friends: If I (the anonymous of the first reply) post a comment to a 6-piece position, you can be sure that it is correct.
Why? See this: Endgamedatabase
M. Endgamedatabase,
Your solution is correct, but i didn’t need a database to save this one.
There are different solutions.
In fact, it’s mindlessly easy (I played it against Fritz 10) :
1.Kd6 Ne6
2.Kxe6 e1Q+
3.Kf6
and then the white king can just dance around it’s f-pawn.
A bishop-pawn on the 7th rank can draw very easily against a Queen (provided the black king is far away, which is the case).
In fact, this “difficult endgame” is more difficult to lose than to draw !
Steven
M. Endgamedatabase,
Your solution is correct, but i didn’t need a database to save this one.
There are different solutions.
In fact, it’s mindlessly easy (I played it against Fritz 10) :
1.Kd6 Ne6
2.Kxe6 e1Q+
3.Kf6
and then the white king can just dance around it’s f-pawn.
A bishop-pawn on the 7th rank can draw very easily against a Queen (provided the black king is far away, which is the case).
In fact, this “difficult endgame” is more difficult to lose than to draw !
Steven
Words fail me.
M. Endgamedatabase,
Your solution is correct, but i didn’t need a database to save this one.
There are different solutions.
In fact, it’s mindlessly easy (I played it against Fritz 10) :
1.Kd6 Ne6
2.Kxe6 e1Q+
3.Kf6
and then the white king can just dance around it’s f-pawn.
A bishop-pawn on the 7th rank can draw very easily against a Queen (provided the black king is far away, which is the case).
In fact, this “difficult endgame” is more difficult to lose than to draw !
Steven
Words fail me.
Upon reading these last 3 words, I would like to add the same : words fail me.
And quote Jeremy Silman, p. 137 “Complete Endgame Course” : “A c/f-pawn on the 7th rank can draw against a Queen if the stronger side’s King is far away from the action”
Reason : stalemate chances !
If you know it better, come with some arguments instead of 3 silly words.
If you know it better, come with some arguments
Okay, I’ll elaborate.
Steven doesn’t seem to have misspelled any words in his post. Other than that, virtually nothing he said is correct.
— 1.Kd6 loses;
— the final position (after 3.Kf6) is not drawn.
Dear Mr. Anonymous,
1.Ke6 loses:
1…e1Q (controls the e-file) 2.f8Q Qb4+ followed by 3…QxQ
Or 2.Ng4 Qe6+ etc.
Only 1.Nd3 draws.
Yours Truly Mr. Endgamedatabase 🙂
Correction: 1.Kd6 loses (1.Ke6 impossible). Rest like above.
For the record:
1.Kd6? (1.Nd3!) Ne6? (1…e1=Q!) 2.Kxe6 e1=Q+ 3.Kf6
… is good enough to draw, but neither side has played optimally in Steven’s line.