DRAW. really??

Submitted by aareyes06 on Mon, 08/25/2008 at 12:28pm.

No. 1

Howdy All!

A while back I came across an interesting position in the June 1972 issue of Chess Digest Magazine. In this particular position, the annotator Master Ken Smith claimed a draw. I had a different opinion but sought to prove Mr. Smith correct. I am publishing my own findings with the hope that some scrutiny from the chess.com community will come to some definite conclusion. The position is as follows:

In all fairness, there are certain positions in which this position would be a draw, viz., when the king is too far to assist the queen. However, the white king is close enough to help and the white queen has many vital squares at her disposal. This is my analysis:

As this analysis shows, white can win this endgame. There doesn't seem that black can do much to stop the white queen. White has plenty of useful responses in order to avoid perpetual.

Blessings,

aareyes06

» posted in Endgames

| 908 reads | 9 comments |

0 votes:

Comments:

by figrock - 2 years ago
United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 1438

Looks as if white wins to me..!

by sioux02 - 3 years ago
Managua Nicaragua

Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 8

thank you for your post benws, i realy foun them quite educative, and the position is indeed a draw, but i think most of us sometimes overlook the obvious and usually good move

by srn347 - 3 years ago
California United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 268

Yes, it is drawn. So is this.

And even this(though it may not fit in).

And one more surprising draw.

by NM GreenLaser - 3 years ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 2348

I think we can find corresponding squares here. If White plays Qf3+, Black must play Kg1. If White plays Qe3, Black must play Kh1. If White plays Qe2, Black must play Kg1. If White plays Qd1+, Black must play Kg2. In your line, 10.Qe2 was answered by Kh1 instead of Kg1. I knew Ken Smith. I miss him and his Chess Digest chess literature.

by benws - 3 years ago
NC United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 1575

good try, but black has 3...Kg1! and white cannot make progress ( i think). white can only win if black's king was on the other side of his pawn or his king was closer.

by aareyes06 - 3 years ago
San Antonio, Texas United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 20

I appreciate your comments NM GreenLaser. I'm excited to have a Master comment on this example. I did want to ask about one more possiblity that I did not see mentioned in your examples. What if white takes a more direct approach? Perhaps I missed something, but here goes:

Blessings,

aareyes06

by NM GreenLaser - 3 years ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 2348

aareyes06, benws is correct. The queen wins against any pawn except the rook (a or h) or bishop (c or f) pawn. As you point out, if the king is close enough to help, there are exceptions. Here is a link to my article regarding the rook pawn showing the rule and the exception.

http://www.chess.com/article/view/queen-versus-rook-pawn-on-the-7th

by aareyes06 - 3 years ago
San Antonio, Texas United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 20

thank you for your post benws. i had not considered Kh1! It's amazing how sometimes the most unobvious is the most correct. that's why I could not find a line for black. the link you provided is extremely helpful. i encourage all to check it out!

by benws - 3 years ago
NC United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 1575

ah, unfortiantely this position is indeed a draw! all part of the art of queen vs pawn on teh 7th rank endgames. check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_versus_pawn_endgame

and scroll down to "bishop pawn." basically, when white's queen gets to g3, black plays ...Kh1! and Qxf2 is stalemate!

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