stunning pawn endgame

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22nd February 2009, 11:14am
#1
by LordJones3rd
Bristol Wales
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 617

Is this pawn endgame drawn or won?

22nd February 2009, 11:29am
#2
by Grakovsky
United States
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 917

I think it's a draw.

22nd February 2009, 11:34am
#3
by steevmartuns
Pennsylvania United States
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 526

I checked an endgame tablebase; with white to move it's a draw with perfect play on both sides (no mistakes).

22nd February 2009, 11:34am
#4
by bluechessmaster
Bristol. England
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 993

This is a draw. Provided Black plays correctly.

When white moves e4, as he must to save the pawn, then Black must go straight back e7 in order to take the opposition on whatever side white moves to. 

23rd February 2009, 06:12am
#5
by nimzovich
United States
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 753

This is a draw with either side to move (provided black makes the best and simple moves.)

Checking a tablebase can be instructive as mentioned above, but reviewing it in an endgame book, perhaps with a friend or vs. Fritz may be more illuminating for some.

23rd February 2009, 09:53am
#6
by claudi0
san luis Mexico
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 59
LordJones3rd wrote:

 

Is this pawn endgame drawn or won?

 


is adraw1!!

23rd February 2009, 09:57am
#7
by Nytik
Southampton United Kingdom
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 4616

Here is the position with perfect play from both sides.

27th February 2009, 11:00am
#8
by AfroDzEact
Toronto Canada
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 633
 

Its a draw

27th February 2009, 11:02am
#9
by smartens
Nebraska United States
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 386

the critical squares for white with a pawn on the 5th rank are the 3 squares on the sixth rank in front of the pawn.  if white can get his king to one of those squares ( in this case (d6, e6, f6) then white wins, else it's a draw.


Black can keep white's king from reaching those critical squares by playing Ke7 after white plays Ke4 (as was mentioned earlier).  After that if white pushes the pawn black takes, and if white moves his king adjacent the pawn, (like Kf5), black moves his king to directly oppose white's (with black ...Kf7), which prevents white's kind from reaching a critical square.  If white pushes, the situation just repeats until black is stalemated on the 8th rank.  (1. Ke4 Ke7 2. Kf5 Kf7 3. e6+ Ke7 4. Ke5 Ke8 5. Kd6 Kd8 6. e7+ Ke8 7. Ke6   stalemate).

1st March 2009, 08:38am
#10
by LordJones3rd
Bristol Wales
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 617
wealybinn wrote:

I thought black would win?!


 LOL. If that is the best you can do in an attempt at humour, your future doesn't look to bright

1st March 2009, 08:44am
#11
by Hawkinspal
Northern Ireland China
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 64

draw, its basic opposition theory

1st March 2009, 11:37am
#12
by rob9258
Oak Park United States
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 152

The logic to understanding this ending is simple: Black keeps his king in front of the pawn whenever he can (to keep it from moving forward), and in front of the White king when he can't (to keep the White king from getting in front of the pawn). If the White king can get in front of the pawn White wins. For example: 1.Ke4, Ke7 2.Kd5, Ke8?? 3.Ke6, Kd8 4.Kf7, and the pawn queens.

 

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