Blitz Endgame - is it really a draw?

Blitz Endgame - is it really a draw?

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DS

Joined
07 Dec 07
Moves
2100
11 Apr 10
1 edit

I just played a blitz game online and my opponent resigned in the endgame position below. Although I am really bad at chess, as you can see, I wanted to know did he really need to resign in the final position or did he actually have a draw after the deflection beginning :

42. Ba4+! Kxa4 43. Kxc2 Kb5 44. Kd3 Kc6 45. Ke4 Kd6 46. Kf4 Ke6 47. Kg5 Kf7 48. Kh6 Kg8 (forced) 49. g5! and it's a stalemate!

This is very probably not best play as I think it is the longest piece of analysis I have ever tried to do on one of my games and think I need a lie down. Perhaps black can play 46. h6 or something I don't understand and then prevent the black king getting to h6 instead. However, in that case is it not then a K v K+P endgame but it's an outside pawn and that I think is a well-known draw for people that know about these things.

After 46. h6 then he should be able to prevent me from queening so by either blockading or exchanging one pawn and then retreating his king into the corner in h1 and I can't make progress. I would be very grateful if someone who understands endgames could possibly look at this for me. Many thanks in advance for any comments,
Mick

[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2010.04.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "tyrtel"]
[Black "SV40"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1587"]
[BlackElo "1601"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[TimeControl "3"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 c5 3. d5 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bd2 O-O 7. e4 Nfd7 8. f4 a6
9. Bd3 e6 10. Nf3 exd5 11. cxd5 b5 12. a3 c4 13. Bc2 Re8 14. O-O Nc5 15. b4
Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bxa1 17. Qxa1 Nd7 18. Bc3 f5 19. Bh8 Qe7 20. Nxd6 Rf8 21. Ng5 Nf6
22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23. Nxc8 Rxc8 24. Ne6 Rxe6 25. dxe6 Qxe6 26. Qe5 Qxe5 27. fxe5
Kf7 28. Kf2 Ke6 29. Re1 Rd8 30. Re2 Rd5 31. Kf3 Rxe5 32. Rxe5+ Kxe5 33. h3 Kd4
34. g4 fxg4+ 35. hxg4 Kc3 36. Be4 Kb2 37. Ke3 Kxa3 38. Bb7 Kxb4 39. Bxa6 c3 40.
Kd3 Kb3 41. Bxb5 c2 0-1

IC

Joined
30 Aug 06
Moves
28651
11 Apr 10
1 edit

Originally posted by Diodorus Siculus
I just played a blitz game online and my opponent resigned in the endgame position below. Although I am really bad at chess, as you can see, I wanted to know did he really need to resign in the final position or did he actually have a draw after the deflection beginning :

42. Ba4+! Kxa4 43. Kxc2 Kb5 44. Kd3 Kc6 45. Ke4 Kd6 46. Kf4 Ke6 47. Kg5 Kf 41. Bxb5 c2 0-1

[fen]8/7p/6p1/1B6/6P1/1k1K4/2p5/8 w - - 0 42[/fen]
How can white stop black from queening?

A

Joined
09 Mar 10
Moves
1460
11 Apr 10
1 edit

Black's plan is to trade the h pawn for white's g pawn.

Following your initial analysis, after 46. Kf4 Ke6 47. Kg5 instead of 47...kf7(?), black plays 47...ke5! followed by 48...kf4 and white is clearly lost - white can take the h pawn, but black will grab the g pawn, and will leave the white K behind.

There's little white can do. If he tries to obtain the opposition by playing 46.Kd4 (to keep black away from the g pawn), black just plays 46...h6. For example, 47.Ke4 Ke6 48.Kf4 kd5! (49.Ke3 Ke5; 49.Kf3 g5; 49.g5 h5) and black will soon pick up the g pawn with a clear win.

c
Grammar Nazi

Auschwitz

Joined
03 Apr 06
Moves
44348
11 Apr 10

Without any large amount of analysis, my first instinct is that black can win.

o
Art is hard

Joined
21 Jan 07
Moves
12359
11 Apr 10

I'm terrible at endings, but what about, following the given line, 46.g5?

For example:

M

Joined
12 Mar 03
Moves
44411
11 Apr 10

Originally posted by orion25
I'm terrible at endings, but what about, following the given line, 46.g5?

For example:
[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/6p1/1B6/6P1/1k1K4/2p5/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ba4+ Kxa4 2. Kxc2 Kb5 3. Kd3 Kc6 4. Ke4 Kd6 5. g5 Ke6 6. Kf4 Kf7 7. Kg4 Kg7 8. Kh4 h5 9. gxh6+ Kxh6 10. Kg4 *
[/pgn]
Instead of 6. ... Kf6?, black wins easily with 6. ... Kd5

o
Art is hard

Joined
21 Jan 07
Moves
12359
11 Apr 10

Originally posted by Mephisto2
Instead of 6. ... Kf6?, black wins easily with 6. ... Kd5
Yes, that's it, thanks. I knew it was probably wrong but couldn't find the answer.

IC

Joined
30 Aug 06
Moves
28651
11 Apr 10
1 edit

Originally posted by orion25
Yes, that's it, thanks. I knew it was probably wrong but couldn't find the answer.
You had the right continuation though IMO you just missed the 6th move found by Mephisto2.
Very nice ending.

N
10. O-O

Kalispell, MT

Joined
05 Jul 08
Moves
23554
12 Apr 10
1 edit

Originally posted by orion25
Yes, that's it, thanks. I knew it was probably wrong but couldn't find the answer.
Well... I think actually it may have prudent to play Kc5... else things are slower for
black to win...



Things are quite a bit slower to the win here (although black still wins) where black
will have to play h5 for en passat with his king poised to recapture or white can
decline and chase the black king to d7, where eventually white must stop his chase
and allow black to come to aid the pawn

don't get it?... well here is what it looks like

and thats en passat - forced capture

- now to the opposition - without the possibility of h6 😉



Now you don't have to calculate all this mess out - its not that bad thank goodness
simply put, you want to try to hold off your opponents king in space - to as little
space as he can possibly have - for as long as possible. Thats a pretty general rule
in pawn endings.

Thats not the only way! Its quite simple - lets just check real quick...
White would love to get behind those pawns...that'd make his day...

and ruin yours!

to do this, if black is awake, white will have to contest the 4th rank
before the e file - and have at least the opposition, or be ahead a file.

the f file is not available for passing! and if white doesn't have 2 moves
to back the black king off he'll run into f5! oops!

This illustration makes it all clear. Enjoy!
(see... c5 is pretty 🙂 )



-GIN

DS

Joined
07 Dec 07
Moves
2100
12 Apr 10

Many thanks to everyone for helping me understand this! I also see now the importance of 44..Kc5 keeping the white king out of the game. By the way, how do you paste in these boards that you can play through? Thanks again!

o
Art is hard

Joined
21 Jan 07
Moves
12359
12 Apr 10

Originally posted by Diodorus Siculus
By the way, how do you paste in these boards that you can play through? Thanks again!
Just copy and past the PGN and add the [pgn ] and [/pgn ] tags (without the spaces) at the start and the end, respectively. If you want it to start from a given position just add the FEN with the fen tags.