The 2023 Red Hot Pawn Christmas Quiz

[FEN "8/8/8/6P1/3p4/3k4/6K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
1... Ke4 {Black played one of the losing moves. 1....Ke3 2.Kf1 or 1....Kc4 2.g6 as in the game.} 2. g6 d3 3. Kf1 {The idea Black missed. The White King can prevent the pawn from promoting.}

[FEN "K5R1/8/8/8/8/8/pP5k/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Rh8+ {1...Kg3 2.Rh1 White wins.} 1... Kg2 {The Black King has to stop the Rook from reaching the first rank.} 2. Rg8+ Kf2 3. Rf8+ Ke2 4. Re8+ Kd2 5. Rd8+ Kc2 6. Rc8+ {6...Kxb2 7. Rb8+ Ka3 8.Rb7 and Ra6+} 6... Kb1 7. Rc7 {White calmly lets Black promote with a check.} 7... a1=Q+ 8. Ra7 {The Queen is trapped and if...} 8... Qxb2 9. Rb7 {A draw.}

[FEN "8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1"]
1. Rc2+ {This obvious move (my first attempt) losses.} 1... Kd6 {Why back here. Watch this bit of triangulating from Black. It wins.} 2. Re2 {If 2...Ke5 then 3.Kf3+ and 4.Kg2 draws. My original line. I thought it was too easy.} 2... Kd5 {The cute move. White has only one move.} 3. Rd2+ {Now Black plays Ke5...} 3... Ke5 {...and Kf3 is not a check.} 4. Re2 {To stop Re1+ and h1=Q} 4... Kf5 5. Rf2+ {White has to keep checking and this is the only check.} 5... Kg4 {6 Re2 Kg3 holding the h2 pawn. There follows Ra1 etc.} 6. Rf4+ Kg5 {White cannot stop Re1+ and h1=Q. 0-1.}

[FEN "8/8/8/2k5/8/4K3/3R3p/7r w - - 0 1"]
1. Kd3 {How the White King masks itself from the Rook check and h1=Q is very instructive.} 1... Kd5 2. Kc3+ {It seems odd to move the King away from the h-pawn but the idea soon becomes clear.} 2... Ke4 3. Rc2 {To stop Rc1+ and h1=Q.} 3... Kf3 4. Kc4 {The main idea. The King gives checking room to the Rook which is stopping Rc1+.} 4... Kg3 5. Rc3+ Kh4 {Don't be clever with 6.Kc5 Ra1 is 0-1.} 6. Rc2 {When not checking the Rook must go back to attacking the h2 pawn.} 6... Kh3 7. Rc3+ Kg2 8. Rc2+ Kg1 9. Rc1+ Kg2 10. Rc2+ Kg3 11. Rc3+ Kh4 12. Rc2 {A draw.}