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Old Endgame, New Twist

Old Endgame, New Twist

Only Chess

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White to move



Does anything change?

The original version of this endgame problem appears in Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and likely other places before that.

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What should be 'changing'?

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Originally posted by heinzkat
What should be 'changing'?
Are you familiar with Capablanca's position?

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Originally posted by Wulebgr
White to move

[fen]8/5ppp/8/1p3PPP/8/6k1/6p1/6K1 w - - 0 1[/fen]

Does anything change?

The original version of this endgame problem appears in Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and likely other places before that.
For the sake of others who have not seen this type of problem before, I will simply say that I do not believe the slight difference in position alters the outcome.

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Originally posted by Wulebgr
Are you familiar with Capablanca's position?

[fen]8/ppp4k/8/PPP5/8/8/8/7K w - - 0 1[/fen]
Yes. But I wonder what the aimed 'change' is. Still haven't found it.

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Originally posted by heinzkat
Yes. But I wonder what the aimed 'change' is. Still haven't found it.
Wulebgr is being a little vague, but I'm assuming he's asking if the outcome of the game changes due to the different position.

In the new position, I still don't see how black can prevent white from winning, so I guess I'll have to answer that nothing changes. If black has a trick up his sleeve, I'd sure like to see it.

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Originally posted by Mad Rook
Wulebgr is being a little vague, but I'm assuming he's asking if the outcome of the game changes due to the different position.

In the new position, I still don't see how black can prevent white from winning, so I guess I'll have to answer that nothing changes. If black has a trick up his sleeve, I'd sure like to see it.
so how does white manage to win? I do not see it, other than a draw 😕

1 edit
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Originally posted by range blasts
so how does white manage to win? I do not see it, other than a draw 😕
Using the diagram in the OP's post, white begins with 1.g6. Black has to capture the g6 pawn, otherwise white will just capture on f7 or h7 and promote on the next move. So, black has to play either 1...fxg6 or 1...hxg6. Let's assume black plays 1...fxg6. Then white plays 2.h6. Now, regardless of which white pawn black captures, the other white pawn will promote.

Edit - And as far as I can tell, if black tries to push the b-pawn closer to promotion, once white promotes a pawn to a queen, the queen can fork the black king and b-pawn.

2 edits
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Originally posted by Mad Rook
Using the diagram in the OP's post, white begins with 1.g6. Black has to capture the g6 pawn, otherwise white will just capture on f7 or h7 and promote on the next move. So, black has to play either 1...fxg6 or 1...hxg6. Let's assume black plays 1...fxg6. Then white plays 2.h6. Now, regardless of which white pawn black captures, the other white pawn will pr ...[text shortened]... romotion, once white promotes a pawn to a queen, the queen can fork the black king and b-pawn.
Yes, the answers is: nothing changes. White wins due to the breakthrough (White is even almost forced to break through).

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If we tweak Capablanca's basic position another way, White still wins.

White to move