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White to Play

Pete Tamburro on

Published in Chess Puzzles

At first glance this position looks like a draw. If the White king heads over to the kingside too far, the c4 pawn will run to queen on c1. Black can't come over to help out on the queenside for the same reason, so it seems to be a standoff. HOWEVER, White can win!


Here we go! 1.Kd4 Kg4 2.h4 Kh5 3.Ke4 Kg4 4.Ke3 Kh5 5.Kf3 White just did a little triangulation with his king. He will do that again. Also, he has remained in the "square" of the c4 pawn. You draw a diagonal line to f1 and make a quadrangle. If the king is inside it, he can stop the pawn. Now Black is forced to retreat, but to what end for White? 5...Kg6 6.g4 Kh6 7.h5 Kg5 8.Ke3 Progress has been made. It's the same position as before, but the pawns have moved up. 8...Kh6 9.Kf4 Just barely in the "square." 9...Kg7 10.g5 Kh7 Here, things change. Because the king has to worry about the c-pawn he has to pick the right pawn move. 11.g6+!! White only draws with 11.h6 Kg6 11...Kh6 12.Ke3 How is going backwards helping? Well, he's really triangulating to go to e4, then f4, forcing the Black king to go to g7. White wants the king on f4 with it being Black instead of White on the move. Thus, the little triangle maneuver loses a move in order to win. 12...Kg7 13.Ke4 Kh6 14.Kf4 Kg7 15.Kg5!! The star move! The White king leaves the square because he knows he's close enough to mate. 15...c3 16.h6+ Kg8 17.Kf6 c2 18.h7+ Kh8 19.Kf7 c1Q 20.g7+ Kxh7 21.g8Q+ Kh6 22.Qg6# I can’t emphasize enough how important this endgame is to remember.

 


Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.

 

 

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