Endings

Originally posted by Ragnorak
Here's a thread I wrote on it.
Thread 32573

D

Thanks for that - I'll use it as a refresher

Originally posted by richjohnson
Another point that should be learned early on in endgame study is that if you can get to a position with a lone K vs K+p, if your opponent's K is behind the p it is a draw. (eg Game 2791376 ) I'm not sure if opposition matters.

the principle at work there is the 'key squares'. after white occupied one of black's f-pawn's key squares, there was no way for black to dislodge it from there, so it was a draw. if black king could have reached any of the key squares first, even if the king was behind the pawn initially, it would've been 0-1.

here's a couple of diagrams of the key squares.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_and_pawn_versus_king#Other_pawns

Originally posted by richjohnson
Another point that should be learned early on in endgame study is that if you can get to a position with a lone K vs K+p, if your opponent's K is behind the p it is a draw. (eg Game 2791376 ) I'm not sure if opposition matters.

Thats not quite accurate. Now if you are speaking of all in a row i.e.
White Ke4, Pe5
Black Ke6

Then, yes it is a draw. However there are exceptions when the kings are further away or off to the sides of the pawns.

Originally posted by zebano
Thats not quite accurate. Now if you are speaking of all in a row i.e.
White Ke4, Pe5
Black Ke6

Then, yes it is a draw. However there are exceptions when the kings are further away or off to the sides of the pawns.

Meaning when the king has time to move in front of the pawn it's a win?

Originally posted by Mahout
Meaning when the king has time to move in front of the pawn it's a win?

Close but not quite. See my first post.

theres many different kinds of opposition and i just learned about this about a week ago.if white can get 2 spaces ahead of his pawn its always a win if he is 1 but doesn't have the opposition then he will draw.

Originally posted by kmac27
theres many different kinds of opposition and i just learned about this about a week ago.if white can get 2 spaces ahead of his pawn its always a win if he is 1 but doesn't have the opposition then he will draw.

False. This still depends on the location of the pawn. As pointed out by both Regicidal and myself, a setup like this:
white: pawn on e5 with a king on e6
black King on e8

White wins whether he has the move or not (no opposition or opposition respectively).

true that is the only exception but if the pawn were down one more and so were both kings and black had the opposition then it would be a draw. if only the person who was up a pawn like would always have that luxuary 😀

GM Howell's book Essential Chess Endings is an excellent resource that lays out principles in these positions in a very concise manner. The most common endings are considered the most. Very suited for RHP1200-1700 players, IMHO.

Originally posted by Mahout
Meaning when the king has time to move in front of the pawn it's a win?

if a central pawn has not reached the 5th rank, its key squares are the 3 horizontal squares which are at a 2 square's distance in front of the pawn. for example, if white pawn is at d2, its key squares are c4, d4 and e4.

if the attacker's king occupies any of the three squares, he wins. if the defender reaches them first it's a draw. it doesn't matter where either of the kings are besides that, front, back, left or right.

so, even moving the attacking king in front of the pawn draws if the defender can block the attacker from reaching any of the squares (if the pawn has not reached the 5th).

after a central pawn gets to the 5th rank or farther, the key squares are 1 square closer. so if the pawn is at d5, its key squares are c6, d6 and e6. otherwise it's the same as before.

check my previous link for diagrams and further explanation.

Originally posted by Mahout
[fen]8/8/8/8/8/6KB/8/4N1k1 w - -[/fen]

White to move checkmate in two: to get here the black king had to first be forced to the corner of the opposite colour to the Bishop

The comment is wrong. The inferior King has to be forced to where
the Bishop DOES control the corner square. The solution is obvious : -
1. Nf3+ Kh1 2. Bg2 mate.

Originally posted by Essex 3
The comment is wrong. The inferior King has to be forced to where
the Bishop DOES control the corner square. The solution is obvious : -
1. Nf3+ Kh1 2. Bg2 mate.

Mahout's original statement is wrong, but I think you're misreading it a little as well. He meant that to get to the diagrammed position you need to get the inferior king into the opposite corner, and then force it across to the correct corner.

The inferior King doesn't have to be first forced to the opposite coloured corner, but I'm sure it does happen in some games. It just has to be forced to an edge, and then to the bishop coloured corner.
Game 1121956

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
Mahout's original statement is wrong, but I think you're misreading it a little as well. He meant that to get to the diagrammed position you need to get the inferior king into the opposite corner, and then force it across to the correct corner.

The inferior King doesn't have to be first forced to the opposite coloured corner, but I'm sure it does happen ...[text shortened]... as to be forced to an edge, and then to the bishop coloured corner.
Game 1121956

D

Thanks - my text was imprecise.

Originally posted by Ragnorak
The inferior King doesn't have to be first forced to the opposite coloured corner, but I'm sure it does happen in some games.

true. but defending the KNB, the best defence is to first try to stay in the center, an that failing head to the opposite colored corner. anything else just makes it easier to the attacker.

Shinidoki's Endgame lesson 1:

never underestimate the power of a pawn




White to move.





above position was taken from the following game: (after 26. Rc1 g5)



[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2007.04.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shinidoki"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1825"]
[BlackElo "2008"]
[ECO "D31"]
[TimeControl "900"]

1. d4 {[%clk 0:15:00]} d5 {[%clk 0:15:00]} 2. c4 {[%clk 0:14:57]} e6 {[%clk
0:14:56]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:14:54]} c6 {[%clk 0:14:54]} 4. f3 {[%clk 0:14:48]}
Nf6 {[%clk 0:14:49]} 5. e4 {[%clk 0:14:44]} dxe4 {[%clk 0:14:41]} 6. fxe4
{[%clk 0:14:43]} Bb4 {[%clk 0:14:40]} 7. e5 {[%clk 0:14:34]} Ne4 {[%clk
0:14:23]} 8. Ne2 {[%clk 0:14:28]} O-O {[%clk 0:13:44]} 9. Qd3 {[%clk
0:14:25]} Nxc3 {[%clk 0:13:24]} 10. Nxc3 {[%clk 0:14:12]} c5 {[%clk 0:12:50]}
11. d5 {[%clk 0:14:03]} exd5 {[%clk 0:12:41]} 12. cxd5 {[%clk 0:14:00]} Re8
{[%clk 0:12:25]} 13. Bf4 {[%clk 0:13:46]} Qh4+ {[%clk 0:11:43]} 14. g3 {[%clk
0:13:34]} Qg4 {[%clk 0:11:03]} 15. Be2 {[%clk 0:13:27]} Qf5 {[%clk 0:10:53]}
16. O-O-O {[%clk 0:13:16]} Na6 {[%clk 0:10:32]} 17. Qxf5 {[%clk 0:12:58]}
Bxf5 {[%clk 0:10:25]} 18. Bxa6 {[%clk 0:12:39]} bxa6 {[%clk 0:10:20]} 19. a3
{[%clk 0:12:30]} Bxc3 {[%clk 0:10:09]} 20. bxc3 {[%clk 0:12:28]} c4 {[%clk
0:10:08]} 21. Kd2 {[%clk 0:12:21]} Rab8 {[%clk 0:09:58]} 22. Ke3 {[%clk
0:11:42]} Rb3 {[%clk 0:09:39]} 23. Kd4 {[%clk 0:11:39]} Bd3 {[%clk 0:09:37]}
24. Rxd3 {[%clk 0:10:49]} cxd3 {[%clk 0:09:33]} 25. Kxd3 {[%clk 0:10:49]}
Rxa3 {[%clk 0:09:27]} 26. Rc1 {[%clk 0:10:46]} g5 {[%clk 0:09:16]} 27. Kd4
{[%clk 0:10:24]} gxf4 {[%clk 0:09:10]} 28. gxf4 {[%clk 0:10:23]} Rd8 {[%clk
0:08:57]} 29. c4 {[%clk 0:10:20]} Ra2 {[%clk 0:08:32]} 30. d6 {[%clk
0:10:16]} f6 {[%clk 0:07:57]} 31. c5 {[%clk 0:10:08]} Ra5 {[%clk 0:07:10]}
32. c6 {[%clk 0:09:46]} Kf7 {[%clk 0:06:18]} 33. c7 {[%clk 0:09:34]} fxe5+
{[%clk 0:05:55]} 34. fxe5 {[%clk 0:09:31]} Ra4+ {[%clk 0:05:42]} 35. Kd5
{[%clk 0:09:24]} Rc8 {[%clk 0:05:18]} 36. Rf1+ {[%clk 0:08:46]} Ke8 {[%clk
0:05:14]} 37. Ke6 {[%clk 0:08:43]} Rxc7 {[%clk 0:04:27]} 38. dxc7 {[%clk
0:08:23]} Rc4 {[%clk 0:04:23]} 39. Kd6 {[%clk 0:07:51]} {NN resigns}
1-0