Whilst going though ‘Endgame Studies’ by Hans Bouwmeester
I came across this ‘easy to solve position.’ by N.G. Grigoriev.
‘and easy’ was my first impression. It looks like child’s play.
White to play and win. Simple. Play 1.f4 and White Queens with check.
Then you spot after 1.f4 that with Black to move here.
The Black King can step into the Queening square and catch the f-pawn.
OK in that case.
Try 1.h4 and the Black King is too far away to catch the h-pawn.
But Black plays 1...d5 and it is Black who queens with a check!
Let’s go though a pawn race variation where Black ignores the fact
that White will promote with a Queen check. We might get ideas.
FEN
8/p2p4/8/8/8/k7/5P1P/7K w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/p2p4/8/8/8/k7/5P1P/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. f4 d5 2. f5 d4 3. f6 d3 4. f7 d2 5. f8=Q+ Kb2 {The easiest win here is....} 6. Qb4+ Kc2 7. Qxd2+ {Yes. This O.K.} 7... Kxd2 8. h4 {Pawn race number two. This time the Black King cannot get into the promotion square.} 8... a5 9. h5 a4 10. h6 a3 11. h7 a2 12. h8=Q {And White will play 13.Qa1 and it is 1-0.}
So from that variation we see that Black must chase after the f-pawn after 1.f4.
But if Black chases the f-pawn, somewhere, somehow White must steal a tempo.
FEN
8/p2p4/8/8/8/k7/5P1P/7K w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/p2p4/8/8/8/k7/5P1P/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. f4 {The Black King has to go into the f-pawn's Queening square.} 1... Kb4 {Now What? 2.f5 Kc5 and Black still catches the f-pawn.} 2. h4 {So White must run this pawn which we know the Black King cannot catch.} 2... d5 {We also know that this pawn promotes with a check.} 3. f5 {Pushing on and still threatening to Queen with a check before the Black d-pawn.} 3... Kc5 {Stepping into the promotion square...and getting closer to the h-pawn.} 4. h5 {Again this is the only move that wins. But White still needs to gain a tempo.} 4... d4 {That pawn will promote with a check. Where does White get the extra move from?} 5. f6 {The King has to catch this pawn as it will promote with a check before the d-pawn.} 5... Kd6 6. h6 {The pawns are working well together. Maybe now you see how White wins a tempo.} 6... d3 7. f7 Ke7 {Only move. Black cannot allow 8.f8=Q+} 8. h7 d2 {Now What? Black will promote with check.} 9. f8=Q+ {The tempo stealing move.} 9... Kxf8 10. h8=Q+ {It is White who promotes with a check. A wonderful piece of chess handicraft.} 10... Ke7 11. Qd4 {White picks up the d-pawn and it is a simple win.}
Queening with a check is often the main winning or drawing idea in a
pawn race. Here the idea was missed and Black missed a study like draw.
shouresh - Gajo Richie RHP 2022 (White to move)
White played 1.Ke4 to stop Black playing 1...Kd5 entering the pawn
promotion square. Black resigned but Black could have drawn this game.
FEN
8/8/p7/8/2k3P1/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/8/p7/8/2k3P1/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Ke4 {And Black resigned but....} 1... Kc5 {2. g5 Kd6 and Black can catch the g-pawn. If White tries.} 2. Kf5 {The obvious 2.Ke5 allows 2...a5 and Black will promote 2nd but with a check!} 2... Kd6 {If the White King moves onto the g-file it blocks the g-pawn and losses an important tempo.} 3. Kf6 {To stop Ke7 and Kf8.} 3... a5 {Black promotes 2nd but with the all important check.} 4. g5 a4 5. g6 a3 6. g7 a2 7. g8=Q a1=Q+ {A clear draw.} 8. Kg6 Qg1+ 9. Kf7 Qxg8+ 10. Kxg8
Next another study like RHP game I think there is a very strong
chance that I and quite others on here may have lost this as well.
Gary Weaver - virgiltavi RHP 2022 (First we shall see what happened.)
FEN
8/8/4kpK1/8/4P1P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 71
[FEN "8/8/4kpK1/8/4P1P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 71"] 71. Kg7 Ke7 72. Kh7 Kf7 73. e5 fxe5 74. g5 e4 75. g6+ Kf6 76. g7 e3 77. g8=Q e2 78. Qe8 {1-0. But Black had a draw.}
Now look at this drawing variation based on the opposition.
FEN
8/4k1K1/5p2/8/4P1P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
[FEN "8/4k1K1/5p2/8/4P1P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kh7 {Black played 1...Kf7 the only move that draws is....} 1... Kd7 {Gaining what they call the distant opposition.} 2. Kg8 Ke8 3. Kg7 Ke7 {White wants this position with Black to play. We try some variations.} 4. Kg6 Ke6 5. Kh6 Kd6 6. Kh5 Ke5 7. Kg6 {Black does not take the pawn.} 7... Ke6 8. Kh7 Kd7 9. Kh8 Kd8 10. Kg8 Ke8 11. Kh7 Kd7 12. Kh8 Kd8 13. e5 {Seeing not other way White can try this.} 13... Ke7 {Not 13...fxe5 because then the g-pawn Queens with a check.} 14. exf6+ Kxf6 15. Kh7 Kg5 {Draw.}
Next a game sportingly sent in by the winner although they missed snappier win.
venda - Quanto RHP 2023
FEN
6rr/k1p1q3/2n1pn1b/PpNp1p2/1P1P2pp/2PNP2P/4QPPB/R3K2R w KQ - 0 23
[FEN "6rr/k1p1q3/2n1pn1b/PpNp1p2/1P1P2pp/2PNP2P/4QPPB/R3K2R w KQ - 0 23"] 23. Ne5 Nxe5 {Here White played Bxe5 but Qxb5 with the threat of Qb2 mate wins.} 24. Bxe5 c6 {White now spots the Qa3 mate idea so more in hope than expectation played.....} 25. Ra4 {Black should ignore the Rook and play gxh3 to get their own attack going.} 25... bxa4 {OOPS!} 26. Qa6 {Checkmate.}
Quanto need not worry too much there are 100’s (yes 100’s) of RHP examples of
players grabbing a free piece only to get checkmated. Here are just three of them.
Perfect 10 - gbjames RHP 2010
Black should play 20...Ne6. Instead it went 20...Bxd1 21.Qc8 Checkmate.
afzalskhan (1405) - 1992 RHP 2011
Black should play 20...Bxf6 Instead it went 20...Bxa1 21.Qe7 Checkmate.
paulross - mikearmstrong RHP 2011
Black should play 20...Qd4+ Instead it went 20...Qxh1 21.Qxe7 Checkmate.
By all means take loose free pieces but always hesitate before you do.
Look at what may happen next. It may not be a blunder. It may be a trap.
