Black to Play
Published in Chess Puzzles
- Solution: As in our more complex puzzle last time out, just because you can push a passed pawn two squares, it doesn’t mean you have to. For example, in this position, Black pushed the f-pawn two squares, a natural move. However,after 1...f5 2.Kb4! [putting the White king “in the “square of the pawn. Losing would be 2.b4?? f4 3.b5+ Kb7]2...Kd5 3.Kc3 Ke4 4.Kd2 Kf3 5.b4 f4 6.b5 Kg2 7.b6 f3 8.b7 f2 9.b8=Q f1=Q is a draw. The winning method is: 1...Kd5 2.b4 [Now the King move doesn’t work because Black’s king can oppose the White king: 2.Kb4 Kd4 3.Ka5 f5 4.b4 f4 5.b5 Kc5!(Same idea as in the main line—slow the pawn down for a bit and force the White king to a square where he will lose to a queen check) 5...f3 6.b6 f2 7.b7 f1Q 8.b8Q Qa1+ 9.Kb6=) 6.b6 Kc6 7.Ka6 f3]and NOW 2...f5 3.b5 f4 4.b6 Kc6! 5.Ka6 f3 6.b7 f2 7.b8Q f1Q+ 8.Ka5 Qa1+ 9.Kb4 Qb1+ This is a very important lesson in king and pawn endings. When you are in a pawn promotion race, make sure—if you’re queening first or second—you’re able to get the first check (often by forcing the opposing king to a “checking square”)
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