White to move and checkmate in 6.
3k4/8/2PK4/p7/7p/1P5p/7P/8 w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
King and pawn endgame
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White to move and checkmate in 6.
3k4/8/2PK4/p7/7p/1P5p/7P/8 w – – 0 1
in fact there´s not so many moves available, that´s why it´s not so hard to find this:
1. c7+ Kc8
2. Kc6 a4
3. b4 a3
4. b5 a2
5. b6 a1Q
6. b7#
if 1. ..Ke8, then
2. Ke6 Kf8
3. Kf6 Kg8
4. c8Q+ Kh7
5. Kf8 a4
6. Kg7#
greets, jan
a bit too obvious
I must be missing something here. It seems to be a matter of simply moving to Kb6, capture the a-pawn, and pushing the 2 connected pawns to promote.
1. c7+ Ke8
2. Ke6! Kf8
3. Kf6! Kg8
4. c8Q+ Kh7
5. Qf8 a4
6. Qg7++
or
1. c7+ Kc8
2. Kb6 and in 4 moves the b-Pawn mates at b7.
Pretty, obvious, yes.
1. c7 Kc8 (else 2.c8Q)
2. Kc6 a4
3. b4!
Of course, ba4 is a draw by stalemate. The hard part, maybe, about this problem is that one might assume that white needs to queen the move after black to win, but white will never queen:
3. …..a3
4. b5 a2
5. b6 a1(Q)
6. b7#
6 moves? Let me see…
1. c7+ Ke8
2. Ke6 Kf8
3. Kf6 Kg8
4. c8=Q Kh7
5. Qf8 Kh6
6. Qh8#
1. Kc5 (a) Kc7
2. Kb5 Kd6
3. Kb6 and black loses on the next move, whether playing the K or the a pawn
1. … (b) Kc8
2. Kb6 K any
3. Kxa5 and black has lost
Sorry about 6-move mates, can’t think that far ahead.
Mark
Cute one, with the more visually appealing line being:
1. c7+ Kc8 (Ke8 see below)
2. Kc6 a4
3. b4 a3
4. b5 a2
5. b6 a1=anything
6 b7#
Amusingly, I actually had far more trouble finding the mate in 6 when black just allows white to queen immediately (I missed 3. Kf6 below thinking that black could play Ke8 in response):
1. – Ke8
2. Ke6 Kf8 (only move to stop c8=Q#)
3. Kf6 Kg8 (still only move to stop c8=Q#)
4. c8=Q+ Kh7
5. Qf8 a4
6. Qg7#
Now that it’s there, I see it too!
Give me the last ten moves!!
c7 and the fat lady sings
mate with the b-pawn
Josh,
That is why the problem states white to move and mate in 6, not white to move and win.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,as usual bright minds of this blog has given the essential moves for this chess puzzle – nothing much to add. – Good.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
The h-pawns are completely useless and are just there, I think, to avoid using tb6-online.
Furthermore, this is not a correct problem, because if 1…Ke8, following Jan’s answer, we have the cooks
5.Qb7+
5.Qc7+
5.Qd7+
5.Qg4,
with Qg7# to follow.
Regards!
Cortex