Daily Chess Improvement: Simple Calculated Endgame!

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White to move! How should white proceed? Please post out more than just a one move answer.

Susan Polgar June 6, 2020 improvement 3 Comments

3 comments

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AravindBaskar says:
June 6, 2020 at 2:26 am
a4! wins. Black king cannot reach a8-e8-e4-a4 square region on time while White king is within reach of the black pawn through d5.
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Umashankar says:
June 6, 2020 at 10:18 am

1.a4 h5 2.Kd5 h4 3.Ke4 Kg6 4.a5 Kg5 5.Kf3 +- If 1…Kf7 2.a5 Ke7 3.Kc7 +-
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Yancey_Ward says:
June 6, 2020 at 2:41 pm

Yes, that is the essential element of this position- the white king is one move from getting into the square of the black pawn after black plays h4, but the black king is two moves from getting into the white pawn’s square after white plays a4. So, 1.a4 wins- white then just moves the king through d5-e4-f3-g2 any time black moves the pawn, and white moves the a-pawn forward any time black moves the king.