Screwing the rabbit (part 1)

    The following position is one of my favorite.Quite easy to solve and very important for solving the endgame in part 2.

White has brought himself into a difficult situation. If it weren't for his a2 pawn, the game would have been over now. And  no matter what he does black will reach the pawn on a2 before white and secure the win.

Or not!

To avoid defeat it is important to trap blacks king on a2. The second diagram shows as hope. But hope must be reached, or more precisely we have to wolk to reach it. Two paths lead black to a2, either using the diagonal b1-h7 or a1-h8. All white has to do is follow the enemy and hunt his shadow. It’s whites move…

1.Kh8 Kf6 2.Kh7 Ke5 3.Kg6 Kd4 4.Kf5 Kc3 5. Ke4 Kb2 6. Kd3 Ka2 7.Kc2 and blacks king is trapped Ka1 8.Kc1 a2 9.Kc2 draw

 There is also something that white should never do. Playing 1.Kf8 is a bad idea. It may not look that way but the move Kf8 is losing tempo. Kf6 2.Kg8 Ke5 3.Kg7 Kd4 4.Kf6 (Kg6 Kc35.Kf5 Kb2 6.Ke4 Ka2 7.Kd3 Kb2… and pawn will be promoted) Kc3 5.Ke5 Kb2 6.Kd4 Ka2 7.Kc3 Kb1 8.Kb3 a2…