Black to move. Is this a win or draw? How should Black proceed?
8/8/8/6pp/8/k5PP/1p6/1K6 b – – 0 1
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Win for Black
1. Kb3 g4
2. hxg4 hxg4
3. Ka3 Kc2
4. Ka2 and the pawn queens.
1… Kb3
2.g4 hxg4
3.hxg4 (forced, else the pawn will fly to queendom) Kc3
4.Ka2 Kc2
5.Ka3 b1Q
0-1
1….Kb3 2.g4(2.h4,gxh4),hxg4 3.h4(3.gxh4,Kc3-+),g3 -+
1…Ka4 does the trick in achieving opposition.
if 2. Ka2 then 2…b1Q or whatever followed by 3…Kb3
and if 2. Kxb2 then 2…Kb4
Win for black!
It’s never a draw. 😉
1. … Kb3
2. g4 hxg4
If 2. h4 what follows is almost the same.
I.)
3. h4 g3
4. hxg5 g2
5. g6 g1=R#
II.)
3. hxg4 Kc3
4. Ka2 Kc2
5. Ka3 b1=Q
6. Ka4 Qa6
7. Ka3 Qb3#
1 .. Kb3 2 h4 gh 3 gh Kc3 4 Ka2 Kc2 wins.
If 3 g4 h3 wins.
On 2 g4, there are similar lines.
Olimat
Seems quite straightforward:
1 .. Kb3
2 h4 gxh4
3 g4 h3
4 g5 h2
5 g6 h1=R#
or:
1 .. Kb3
2 h4 gxh4
3 gxh4 Kc3
4 Ka2 Kc2
5 Ka3 b1=Q
6 Ka4 Qb6
7 Ka3 Qa5#
If 1 .. g4?, 2 h4 Kb3 stalemate.
1…Kb3 2 h4 gxh4 3 gxh4 (3 g4 h3 wins) Kc3 0-1
Same with 2 g4
I would try another approach and use Zugzwang to promote the b-pawn.
..Kb3 forces
g4 hxg4 (or h4 gxh4)
if
hxg4 Kc3!
Ka2(only move) Kc2
Ka3 b1Q
on any other than hxg4 => g3, g2, g1Q
1…Ka4? 2 Kxb2 Kb4 3 Kc2 Kc4 Kd2 Kd4 5 Ke2 Ke4 6 Kf2 =
You just can’t enter the key squares because the pawns will prove to be more important than the opposition.
After 1 Ka4, it’s a draw.
Kb3, then white has to move his a or b pawn, which black takes. now if white takes back, it’s just enough tempo to play Kc3 and queening the b-pawn. if white pushes, black would queen first and an immediate checkmate follows.
Win for Black: 1..Kb3! forcing white
pawns to move. 2.g4(or h4) hxg4 3.hxg4 Kc3! Black queens b2 pawn
if 3.h4 g3 black mates white first
1. .. Kb3, white pushes either h4 or g4, black takes pushed pawn, either white takes pawn or push pawn ahead, black Kc3, white in zugswang goes to Ka2, black Kc2 wins.
1… Kb3 2. anypawnmove pxp 3.pxp kc3! 4. Ka2 …
why not simply 1… kb3 2. g4 hxg4 3. hxg4 kc3?
Why not just … Kb3? then either pawn move by white, black captures the pawn, white recaptures the pawn and then black plays Kc3.
What’s the problem with 1… Kb3? 2. g4 hxg4 (3. hxg4 Kc3 -+) 3. h4 g3 4. hxg4 g2 5. g5 g1=B#
This is too easy, so obviously I missed something…
1. … Ka4 leads to draw.
1. … Kb3 wins. Zhe white king cannot move, so whit must push the pawns:
2. h4 gxh4
3. gxh4 (g4 is mate in 4) Kc3
4. Ka2 Kc2
5. Ka3 b1Q
6. Ka4 Qb6
7. Ka3 Qa5/b3#
1……Kb3
2.g4 (2.h4 gxh4 3.gxh4 (3.g4 h3! (3….hxg4?? draw)4.g5 h2 5.g6 7.h1Q#))
2…..hxg4
3.hxg4 (3.h4 similar continuation as above. Black queens in G file with a check and mate)
3…..Kc3
4.Ka2 (forced) 4…..Kc2
5.Ka3 b1Q 0-1
After 1… Ka4 2. Kxb2 Kb4 it’s a draw.
Black can win with 1. … Kb3, white must move a pawn, black takes. If white takes back then Kc3, and promote b-pawn. If white advances, black runs pawn to queening square and checkmates.
As far as I can tell, Kb3 just adds moves. What about just:
1. … h4
2. gxh4 gxh4
3. Kc2 Ka2
and the pawn will queen.
All ways go to Rome…I propose:1…h4 2.g4 Ka4 3.K:b2 Kb4 4.Kc2 Kc4 5Kd2 Kd4 6.Ke2 Ke4 7.Kf2 Kf4 8.Kg2 Ke3 9.Kh2 Kf3 -+
KB3! Black only has to achieve this position with locked pawns to promote the b-pawn with opposition or alternatively promote a pawn first to deliver a mate. Either way its KB3 and black is lost.
Oops! I mean’t white is lost!
1…Ka4 does the trick in achieving opposition.
Win for black!
Right answer, wrong reason. The opposition doesn’t matter here, since if the b pawn falls, and the h pawns are exchanged off, White can always arrange it to play Kg2 immediately after Black played Kxg4, and take the opposition himself.
Six man tablebases show that Ka4 is a draw after Kxb2.
1. Kb3…
If 1…h4 then 2.g4 and black wins.
If 1…g4 then 2.h4 and black wins.
Anonymous said…
1…Ka4 does the trick in achieving opposition.
Win for black!
———
Right answer, wrong reason. The opposition doesn’t matter here, since if the b pawn falls, and the h pawns are exchanged off, White can always arrange it to play Kg2 immediately after Black played Kxg4, and take the opposition himself.
——–
a2 is the key square for Black King… occupy and win. Instructive position as Black wins whoever moves first.
White to move:
If Kc2 loses after Ka2.
If h4 or g4, black locks up pawns and forces Kc2.
Black to move:
Kb3 then after h4 or g4 black captures.
If White retakes Black returns K to a3 forcing Kc2.
If White advances remaining pawn black pushes pawn and mates in 3 after h1=Q or g1=Q