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Chess Lesson #15

Chess Lesson #15

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If it is White to play, can the Pawn queen?

Can the Pawn queen if it is Black to play instead?

2 edits
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Originally posted by Bowmann

If it is White to play, can the Pawn queen?
[/b]
It took me 15 moves to checkmate Fritz 8 from this position (above) with white. Better play on my part could have led to checkmate in 14.

Thanks Bowmann. I believe these problems, concerned with the fundamentals of king and pawn endgame play, are critical to chess improvement. Such problems form the building blocks of more complex positions, such as the one I present below.

In an OTB tournament last spring, two C players reached the position below with black to move. The game ended in a draw, which an A player claimed was the appropriate result. Was the A player correct?

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Originally posted by Bowmann
[fen]6k1/8/6K1/6P1/8/8/8/8[/fen]

If it is White to play, can the Pawn queen?

Can the Pawn queen if it is Black to play instead?
If it's white's move then Kh6 or Kf6 wins from Kf8/h8 g6 Kg8 g7 forces the king to the h-file and the Kf7/h7 wins in a couple. If it's black's move then Kh8/f8 then the white king easily gets to h7 or f7. White then queens and mates soon.

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Originally posted by Wulebgr
It took me 15 moves to checkmate Fritz 8 from this position (above) with white. Better play on my part could have led to checkmate in 14.

Thanks Bowmann. I believe these problems, concerned with the fundamentals of king and pawn endgame play, are critical to chess improvement. Such problems form the building blocks of more complex positions, such as the o ...[text shortened]... ed was the appropriate result. Was the A player correct?

[fen]8/8/4kpp1/8/4K1P1/8/8/8 b[/fen]
Of course not. Every move which does not allow white to exchange pawns immediately wins.

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Originally posted by Bowmann
[fen]6k1/8/6K1/6P1/8/8/8/8[/fen]

If it is White to play, can the Pawn queen?

Can the Pawn queen if it is Black to play instead?
Yes.

No.

D

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Originally posted by Ragnorak
Yes.

No.

D
what?

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Originally posted by Mephisto2
what?
LOL. I meant...
Yes.

Yes. 😛

D

3 edits
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Originally posted by Bowmann
[fen]6k1/8/6K1/6P1/8/8/8/8[/fen]

If it is White to play, can the Pawn queen?

Can the Pawn queen if it is Black to play instead?
Yes it can. White's king has reachd the 6th rank before it's pawn and thus can keep the oppositon to the black king.
White plays Kg6f6
And if black plays f8,
g5-g6, Kf8g8
g6-g7, forcing Kg8h7
Kf6f7, Kh7h6
g8=Q

White plays Kg6f6
If black plays h8
Kf6f7, Kh8h7
g5-g6+, Kh7h6
g6-g7, Kh6g5
g8=Q

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I don't have the time to do the notation. If it is black to play the black king can play either f8 or h8. Whichever it does, the white king can move to the 7th rank of the f-file or h-file depending on the black king's move. Giving the white pawn a clear path to the 8th rank for promotion.

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Originally posted by zakkwylder
[b]Yes it can. White's king has reachd the 6th rank before it's pawn and thus can keep the oppositon to the black king.
White plays Kg6f6
And if black plays f8,
What if black plays Kh7!?

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Originally posted by propawnkiller
What if black plays Kh7!?
it doesn't matter.

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Originally posted by zakkwylder
it doesn't matter.
Hint: The NEXT move is Kh8

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Originally posted by propawnkiller
Hint: The NEXT move is Kh8
You're right. I guess I missed that one.

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Is there anybody below 1600 who finds out the solutions and posts the correct variations?

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