White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
8/8/pppp4/8/PPPP4/7k/8/7K w – – 0 1
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White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
8/8/pppp4/8/PPPP4/7k/8/7K w – – 0 1
Draw.
A win, for black that is.
I’ll post here for both this and the subsequent puzzle. By now, dozens of others have most likely posted this, too.
This one (White king on h1; Black king on h3) should be a win for White:
1. a5 bxa5 (1. … b5; 2. d5 with similar result)
2. d5 cxd5
3. c5
Now either … axb4 or …cxc5 allows White to queen first, with check, which should win.
The subsequent puzzle (White king on h2; Black king on h4) should be a draw because, though White queens first, it happens without check (whichever pawn queens).
1. a5 bxa5
2. d5 axb4
3. dxc6 b3
4. c7 b2
5. c8(Q) b1(Q)
6. Qxa6 draw
1. b5 cxb5
2. a5 bxc4 (not … bxa5)
3. axb6 c3
4. b7 c2
5. b8(Q) c1(Q)
6. Qxd6 draw
1. c5 dxc5
2. a5 cxd4
3. axb6 d3
4. b7 d2
5. b8(Q) d1(Q)
6. Qf4+ Qg4
7. Qh6 with perpetual or
7. Qxc6 draw
Also
1. d5 cxd5
2. a5 dxc4
3. axb6 etc. to a draw
White wins. Queen checks with mate!
White has the opposition. Therefore he wins!!!!!!
Unlike the first position where
(1) b5 axb5
(2) c5 bxc5
(3) a5 leads to a white draw since white queens first, here black queens one move later with mate, so black wins.
I think white wins, but I am too lazy to calculate. This is the idea.
1.Kg1 Kg3 2.Kf1 Kf3 3.Ke1 Ke3 and now 4.B5 or 4.C5. The idea is that now the white king can stop the black pawn while the black king cannot stop the white pawn.
#1 White wins. 1.a5 ba5 2.d5 cd5 3.c5
and a queen will appear on c8 with check. Or 1.-b5 2.d5 cd5 3.c5 etc
I have the same solution than anon 8:07
I think to force the promotion into a check white must play a5 first:
1.a5 bxa5 (if 1…b5 then 2.d5 cxd5 3.c5 dxc5 4.bxc5)
2.d5 cxd5
3.c5 dxc5
4.bxc5
1 a5 loses to 1 …b5. If
2 d5 bxc4 wins, otherwise black can lock up the pawns and then march over with the K to win them.
1 Kg1 seems like an interesting try, but isn’t 1…Kg4 better than 1…Kg3, to get the K closer to winning the pawns.
To anon 12:31, 1.a5 doesn’t loose to 1…b5 because whites promote by giving check.
1.a5 bxa5 (1…b5 2.d5 cxd5 3.c5 dxc5 4.bxc5 b4 5.c6 b3 6.c7 b2 7.c8Q +-) 2.d5 exd5 3.c5 and White queens on c8 with check.