This is a repeat puzzle but it is important. White to move. Is this a win or draw? How should White proceed?
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a4! and black cannot prevent white to have one pawn protected by a second. Since the second one cannot be captured because the firclutest one queens, white wins.
1. a4! wins
1….bxa
2. b4+ Kb5 and white king captures the a pawn
If 1… bxc
2. b4+ Kb5
3. Kd3-Kc2-Kc3 and the white K captures the c pawns while the black K has to defend the advance of the b pawn
h4!!
h4!!
I actually played this; I am sure so did many others.
a4 is the fist move and white wins.
1. a4 bxa4
2. b5! Kd7
The free a-pawn is actually within reach of the white king. The white king has to first defend against this pawn (like Kc3 Kb2..). Once this is out of the way, the king has to go around to zap the black c-pawn. A good grind for 17/18 moves (seems much longer under time control).
a4!!
a4 leads to a win….
Sac A pawn, push “B” pawn then retrieve Black “A” pawn then fight for F5!Once you get the king to “F” file, king will retreat for fear of “B” pawn breaking away so opponent would have to gaurd both! Once you have taken the E5 square black should resign! March the pawns to victory staying ahead with the king -Montsalvat
a4 wins
1. a4¡ bxa4
2. b5+ Kb6
3. Kd3 +-
1. a4¡ bxc4
2. b5+ Kb6
3. Ke3¡Ka5
4. Kd2 Kb6
5. Kc3 +-
1. a4 cxb4
2. cxb5+ Kc5
3. Kd3 +-
a3-a4 is a crazy move that looks right to me. I’m weak on endgames, but I know the basic stuff that trading off and being left with a rook pawn only is a draw, and even if you have K&P vs K it can still be a draw if you don’t have the opposition. On the other hand, 1 a4 forces a protected passed pawn, no matter which capture black makes, and while the white king can run back and block the pawn from promoting, the black king can never capture the anchor of the passed pawn as then the passed pawn runs unfettered to the endzone and is unstoppable. So a4 has to be the move without even analyzing specific variations.
1.a4! +-
1.a4 bxa4 2.b5+ and White wins. The a4 pawn is first taken then White King comes around to snatch the c5 pawn and wins.
amar
Don’t you mean a4?
I think Anonymous @ 2:10 & 2:11 was repeating himself as well (& most surely meant 1. a4 both times). 🙂
To carry the thought further:
1. a4 disconnects Black’s pawns, and the check from b5 allows White’s king to reach the a-pawn.
1. … bxa4
2. b5+ Kb6
3. Kd3 Kc7 (3. … Ka5 to rescue the pawn fails to 4. Kc3 – Black’s king cannot penetrate and the pawn dare not move)
4. Kc3
White will get the a-pawn. Black has to decide which way to block White’s progress: along the a-file or around the end along the d-file. Either way, White gets through.
4. … Kb5
5. Kb2 Ka5
6. Ka3 Kb6
7. Kxa4 Kc7
8. Ka5 Kb7
9. b6 & so forth.
4. … Kd6
5. Kb2 Ke5
Black can’t go farther because the b-pawn will run.
I think that after a4, no matter how black captures, a proper check with a pawn will result in a won position for white.If black don’t captures at all, he looses imediately.
Best Regards from Brazil
a4, bxc4 (Bxa4 b5+ Kb6 Kd3-Kc3-Kb2-Ka3,) b5+ Kb6 Ke3-Kd2-Kc3
a4, bxc4 (Bxa4 b5+ Kb6 Kd3-Kc3-Kb2-Ka3,) b5+ Kb6 Ke3-Kd2-Kc3
king d4
Rather than just recite a bunch of moves from a chess engine, I’ll explain the principle behind the winning move.
Having two connected passed pawns, in which the forward pawn is passed and the rear pawn protects the front pawn, is powerful in a K+P ending because the opposing King can’t take the rear pawn without allowing the forward pawn to promote. Most of the time, this is a win against a single opposing pawn, and it’s often a win against two opposing pawns, if one of them is blocked by the rear pawn.
With 1 a4, White is guaranteed to get two connected pawns, of which the forward pawn is passed and also protected by the rear pawn. Black can do no better than get two non-connected pawns, of which one is blocked by White’s rear pawn. All White needs to do is pick up the loose pawn and then maneuver Black into Zugzwang to get the other pawn. Black can’t ever go after White’s rear pawn without letting the other promote.