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I am familiar with this endgame. All I will say is yes black can, but it’s not easy. To all you endgame fanatics out there…good luck.
The white king is on a good square so I would go with 1…Rg2+ and if white moves onto the h-file she blocks her own pawn while if she leaves goes to the 7th rank she loses her pawn after 2…Rh2. So say she goes to 2. Kf5. Then 2…Rh2 forcing her king to 3. Kg5 where the king is not on that good square g6 (the king is farther from the action). Then something like:
3…Kd4
4. h5 Ke5
5 Kg6 Ke6
6 h6 Rg2+
7 Kh7 Kf7
8 Kh8 Rh2
and now if white plays Kh7 black plays Rh1 followed by Rxh7+
and if white plays h7 black plays Kg6.
anonymous, Nice going. But…there is another line that doesn’t allow 9.h7 with the white king walking out of the corner and another half dozen moves or so before mate. Also, it’s more appealing visually.
king == “she” ? 🙂
– Vinay
What about:
1. … Kd4
2. h5 Ke5
3. h6 Ke6
4. h7 Rg2+
5. Kh6 Kf7
6. h8(N)+ Kf6
if 7 Kh7 then 7. … Rg1 mates or wins the N on the next move.
An improvement for “anonymous'” suggestion appears to be 8.. Kg6 9. h7 Ra2 with mate on the next move
tom d: I think after 3…Ke6 white plays 4. Kg7 instead of 4. h7. But your variation is a good one and one that I didn’t see.
general:
Yeah when I wrote that (I used “she” because I have to use either “he” or “she” to be gramatically correct and I am guessing that most of the people who visit here are girls so it would be easier to relate for them) I was thinking if a female takes the chess pieces, then maybe the most important piece (the piece that can 0-0 or 0-0-0) should be called the queen. I guess it depends on how you fantasize about the pieces. If whenever you attack your opponent’s king you fantasize it is the person sitting across from you, or when your king is being attacked you say to yourself “the chips are down I have to survive” then perhaps the pieces should switch places. But I think on most chess boards the pieces look pretty gender neutral, so it should not mess one up too much.
Hey Guys, There’s still a more interesting way to solve this. Not that I would have found it had I not already been familiar with it.
Anonymous you are so close and it really is slick; give it another try.
In anonymous’ variation, one could replace 8.-Rh2
with 8.-Ra2 9.Kh7 Ra6 10.Kh8 Rh6 ++ (not that it makes a big difference).
anonymous #2, Eureka! It makes a difference as far as the correct solution is concerned, because now the king doesn’t have the opportunity to walk for another half-dozen moves or so.
The position is from H. Hamdouchi-V. Topolov, Cap d’ Agde 1994. The current world champ played 1…Kd4? (question mark is not mine) and had to settle for a draw.
the best I can guess is this. the first move is most likely Rg2+ because it causes the white king to back up to the pawn. that gains a tempo. other moves allow the h pawn to move up immediately and be supported by the king.
However, I can not rule out other moves. but my guess is that every tempo is critical in the position so gaining a tempo would be important.
On Rg2+ I am assuming that Kh6 leads to a win for black. but I dont know for sure. that would have to be worked out.
the other 3 moves have to all be checked out also. Kh5, 6 and 7. Kh7 obviously loses the pawn and thus the game, so that leaves Kh5 and Kh6 along with Kh6 and possibly a quick look at Kh5 which does not make sense.
with that I give up. too hard for me.
I think it’s a draw…