20 Jul 07
2 edits
I thought I'd share some simple endgames that are a little tricky. If you have seen the position before or it is rather easy for you, allow some time before posting your answer so more can have a chance to figure it out.
Here is todays position
White to move. White is up a pawn, but the black seems to be better placed. Can white win or is this a draw?
20 Jul 07
i think e4 wins, as black king cant go for the left hand pawn as the e4 pawn will run and promote, so has to go to d6, allowing white pawns to come toward back rank. however, badly placed white king will mean pawns will find it hard to promote, so actually i might change my mind and say draw..
20 Jul 07
1 edit
Originally posted by Restless Soule3!! wins
I thought I'd share some simple endgames that are a little tricky. If you have seen the position before or it is rather easy for you, allow some time before posting your answer so more can have a chance to figure it out.
Here is todays position
[fen]5K2/2p5/8/2k5/8/2P5/4P3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]
White to move. White is up a pawn, but the black seems to be better placed. Can white win or is this a draw?
e4?? draws
20 Jul 07
Originally posted by DeepThoughtI threw beginner in the title because most people view endgame's with a few number of pawns as too easy..figure it would be nice to mess with them.
I thought that too, but it doesn't work - black retreats to d6 and white is actually in danger of losing. This is not a beginner's problem. In the end I used EGTB to see the answer - I think 2 clues are in order:
1) White can win.
2) The first move is counter-intuitive.
20 Jul 07
Originally posted by Restless SoulHa, fair enough. I hope you don't mind the hints - it's quite rare anyone pays attention to all the posts in a thread anyway so they probably won't make much difference.
I threw beginner in the title because most people view endgame's with a few number of pawns as too easy..figure it would be nice to mess with them.
20 Jul 07
Originally posted by Mephisto2I've seen this problem before and I think White's first move is very difficult to find. I remember this position because I learned how to win with queen against bishop pawn on the sixth when solving this puzzle.
There is nothing counter-intuitive about the first-move options. The analysing comments made above almost dictate the first move.
20 Jul 07
1 edit
Originally posted by HolyTTablebase, as in computer program that's running, or endgame book?
I cheated with an endgame tablebase. There is precisely one winning move for White, and it is definitely counterintuitive. And if Black plays the best possible response, then White also has only one winning 2nd move, and it is also counterintuitive. (And it's not e3.)
One is fine, the other is cheating.
20 Jul 07
Originally posted by Restless SoulWhat about 1.Kg7 then if Black plays 1...Kd5 it will be met with 2.Kf7 or 1...Kd6 will be met with 2. Kf6. The point is that White maintains the opposition against the black King, so that if Black ever tries to capture either of the white pawns, the White King can move in decisively to help advance the remaining pawn, and if necessary win the Black pawn in the process. If on the other hand Black tries to play idly, then White can begin to advance the e-pawn, because his King will be in position to support it. Probably way off here, but it looks good to me.
I thought I'd share some simple endgames that are a little tricky. If you have seen the position before or it is rather easy for you, allow some time before posting your answer so more can have a chance to figure it out.
Here is todays position
[fen]5K2/2p5/8/2k5/8/2P5/4P3/8 w - - 0 1[/fen]
White to move. White is up a pawn, but the black seems to be better placed. Can white win or is this a draw?
20 Jul 07
Originally posted by HolyTYou guys need to study basic endgames. Not only K+Q vs K + p (c- or f-file in this case) as fatlady pointed out, but also, and more importantly, about opposition. Black has two reasonable attempts to survive on his first move, and white's first and second move are excatly doing that: ensuring opposition, and from that the simple evolution towards the Q vs. pawn endgame. Nothing counter-intuitive about that.
I cheated with an endgame tablebase. There is precisely one winning move for White, and it is definitely counterintuitive. And if Black plays the best possible response, then White also has only one winning 2nd move, and it is also counterintuitive. (And it's not e3.)