White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? How should White proceed?
8/kp6/3p2p1/p1p5/P1P1P2K/5P2/8/8 w – – 0 1
Post, 1941
Here is the idea: 1. Kg5 b6 2. Kg4 Kb7 3. f4 Kc7 4. f5 gxf5+ 5. exf5 Kd7 6. f6 Ke6 7. Kg5 Kf7 8.Kf5 d5 9. cxd5 c4 10. d6 c3 11. d7 c2 12. d8=Q c1=Q 13. Qe7+ 1-0
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
white to win
A bit like the famous Reti ending. White musk give his king both attacking and defensive duties and in chess a diagonal path can be a straight line. White may also need to sac a pen to get back in time after black comes first with his b5 pawn sac. There are a lot of cute tempo plays that make this ending quite hard to calculate. Nice puzzle Susan.
Of course, black is threatening b5 creating an immediate passed pawn. By the principle of being within the square of the queening pawn, white must move the king immediately to the g-file. For example, if he does (I am not trying to find the best line for white just yet):
1. Kg4 b5
2. cb5 c4
3. Kf4 c3
4. Ke3 c2
5. Kd2 picking up the pawn.
If he doesn’t:
1. f4 b5
2. f5 gf5
3. ef5 bc4
4. f6 c3
5. f7 c2
6. f8(Q)c1(Q)
And I don’t want to do a full analysis of this line, but this is a draw at best for white. He can, and probably should, in this line at least, exchange some pawns on the queenside:
1. f4 b5
2. ab5 a4
3. f5 gf5
4. ef5 a3
5. f6 a2
6. f7 a1(Q)
7. f8(Q) and, again, I don’t have the energy to do a full analysis, but I think, at best, white has a draw.
Now, of course, white can move the king to three different squares on the g-file, g3, g4, or g5- any of which serve to stop the b-pawn if black tries b5. Will continue in my very next comment due to length problems:
for me the idea is:
1.Kg5 b5
2.cxb5 c4
3.Kf4! g5+
4.Kd3! +-
Xargon, the true
black win (…b5)
for me the idea is:
1.Kg5 b5
2.cxb5 c4
3.Kf4! g5+
4.Kd3! Kb6
5.Kc4 Kc7
6.Kd5 Kb6
7.e5 dxe5 (or 7… c4 8.Kxc4)
8.Kxe5 +-
Xargon, the true.
if:
1.Kg5 Kb8
2.Kf4 Kc7
3.e5! g5+
4.Ke4 +- (no 4.Kxg5 b5!)
4…. dxe5
5.Kxe5 b5
6.cxb5 c4
7.Kd4 +-
Xargon, the true.
white to win.
The king should take the pawn on g file by Kg5 & then Kxg6. Then promote the f pawn to a queen.
Thanks for posting these problems.
Here is my take:
as u stated difficult
f4 b5, 2. f5 gxf 3.exf bxc or bxa
4.f6 a/c3 5.f7 a/c2 6.f8Q a/c1Q
7.Qxd6
if anybody is winning it would be black
it may be necessary to take the b pawn and Queen after Black
1.f4 b5 2.cxb c4 3.f5 gxf 4.exf c3 5.f6 c2 6. f7 c1Q 7. f8Q
I do not see how White can escape the checks
===
We are playing in the Chicago CICL playoffs tomorrow.
http://www.chicagochessleague.org/
wish us luck!!
With b5 coming I dont see how white can win. Its a draw…that too only if white plays correctly.
1. f4 b5 2. f5 gxf5 3. exf5 bxc4 etc
I don’t see a win, though it seems White can draw either with 1. f4, when both sides can promote after 1…b5; or by Kg4 to get within the Queening square to stop 1…b5 (in case of 2.cxb5 c4). If 1. Kg4 Kb8, then 2. f4 Kc7 and both Kings will either stay behind their own pawns, close enough to stop the opposing passers, or perhaps both could start launching pawns at each other in a Queening race with possibly a drawn result after all the dust settles. Phil
white to win. I think white should play Kg3.
wins, kg4 watching out for b5
h
1. Kg5 b5
2. cb5 c4
3. Kf4 c3
4 Ke3 c2
5. Kd2 black resigns
white can win by moving his king first towards c1 and exchanging cxb6…
Black can get a passed pawn by playing b5 and white can only catch by playing g3 now.
Then I think the idea of pushing the f pawn and when the black K captures the White K is already heading to the Q side to win.
Kg5. White wins
Thanks for posting these puzzles!
I believe this is probably a draw.
1.f4 b5
2.f5 gxf
3.exf bxa or bxc
4.f6 a3
6.f8Q a1Q
7.Qxd6
and Black is up two pawns, but White can check
-or this maybe better
1.f4 b5 2.axb a4
3.e5 dxe 4.fxe a3
6.e7 a1Q 7.e8Q
maybe white can hide behind the g pawn
Here is a link to our tourney today
http://www.chicagochessleague.org/
Maybe you can share it
Thanks
Steffen
Ah, yes. Study in “reserve tempo”
1. Kg5 b6
2. Kg4 Kb7
3. f4 and White patiently forces Black to move pawns and lose.
White wins by 1.Kg5
If now 1…b5? then 2.cxb5 c4 3.Kf4 is an easy win. Also 1…Kb8 loses, to 2.f4 b5 3.f5 because of promotion to Q with check.
The only move for black is 1…b6, but then white plays 2.Kg4!
Now 2…Kb7 loses the pawn endgame to 3.f4 and so on.
White wins.
1. Kg5!
(1.f4? b5! draws)
and now 1….Kb8
(if 1…Kb6 2.Kxg6 Kc7 3.Kg5 or
1…b5 2.cxb5 c4 3.Kf4)
2.f4!
(not 2.Kxg6? b5! draws)
2….Kc7
(if 2…b5 3.f5 and white queens with check)
3.f5 gxf5 4.exf5 Kd7 5.Kg6 Ke7
6.Kg7 and wins.
+/= pawn up in a queen endgame
I would say but it is probably wrong (read: did not check it with Fritz): 1. Kg4! (to stop b5 and be able to play f4) – Kb8, f4 – Kc7, f5 – gxf, exf – Kd7, Kg5! and black is going to loose not matter what he does (play Ke7/e8, b5, d5, etcetera)
1 Kg3
I would play Kg3 to be in posistion to cut off the passed pawn black can create after b5,cxb,c4 Kf3,c3,ke2,c2,Kd2
1. Kg3?? is an awful move. after 1… g5 white would be lucky to get a draw
White wins!
I give the critical line:
1. Kg5 ! (not 1. Kg4, g5!! and black blocks the f4 square for the white king.)
1. …,b5
2. cb5, c4
3. Kf4, c3
3. Ke3, c2
3. Kd2 and white is in time to prevent the black pawn to promote to queen.
Erik Fokke
Amsterdam
Hmm usually pawn endgames are easy but this one is difficult. I needed a computer.
Only one of the above solutions is correct.
When Suzan will post the answer ?