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thenomalnoob

Feb 7, 2024

Pawn Endings: Beginner to Expert

Episode 1: Basic

The basic information of distant opposition:

- It's the concept applied for rectangle or square board and some "stuck" kings and pawns position.

Example:

Not an example:

- If the number of the squares between them is even, the king to go next has the distant opposition (with the best moves).

- If a king has the distant opposition, the best moves lead to the win.

Lesson 1: The Opposition

Of course a position consisting of just king versus king is drawn. The aim of this position is to illustrate the concept of opposition. White's king is trying to run down the board. It is your task to stop the advance of the White king.

Lesson 2: Distant Diagonal Opposition

The purpose of this position is to show an example of the distant diagonal opposition. This occurs when the kings are on the same diagonal with an odd number of squares between them. Here there is an even number of squares between them. The side to move can gain the distant diagonal opposition. In this position, it is White's move, and he wants to maintain the distant opposition. In this case, he has the distant diagonal opposition.

Lesson 3: The Distant Opposition

The purpose of this position is to show an example of distant opposition. This is when the kings are on the same line (rank, file, or diagonal) with an odd number of squares between them and it's Black's move. Equivalently if it's White's move, he will have the opposition if the kings are on the same line and there is an even number of squares between them. In this position, it is White's move. We want to gain the distant opposition.

Lesson 4: The Square of the Pawn

Can we stop the pawn?

Lesson 5: King and Pawn vs. King: The opposition

This is a basic, but very important ending illustrating opposition. When the kings are on the same line and the number of intervening squares between them is odd, then the player who has to move will lose the opposition. White's plan is to get the king to the sixth rank in front of the pawn.

Lesson 6: The Rook Pawn

Winning with a rook pawn is the most difficult, such as:

Lesson 7: King ending: Opposition and Overflanking

King versus king is, of course, a draw. But this will not be a normal chess game with checkmate. This position will be used instead to learn opposition and outflanking. White to play has the opposition. His goal is to reach f8 or h8 in at most 17 moves. Black will be trying to stop him. When the two kings face each other across an odd number of squares (one, three, or five), the side which does not have the move has the opposition. Since there are an even number of squares between the kings right now, White can gain the opposition because it is his move.

The green & red colored squares illustrate the squares between the kings.

Continue.......

thenomalnoob

Feb 10, 2024

Lesson 8: Cutting off the King

If it were Black's move in this position, he would be able to draw. White, with the move, will be able to win this position by cutting off the opposing king from the important squares.

Lesson 9: Shielding off the Opposing King

Black hopes to draw by quickly returning to the queenside. White needs to prevent this by shielding off the opposing king. Black to move would be able to draw by getting the king inside the square of the White pawn.

Lesson 10: The Critical Square

When there is only a rook pawn and kings on the board, the weaker side can draw if his king can reach the critical square.

Lesson 11: The Skewer

If both sides have passed pawns that queen at the same time, the side that queens first will usually have the advantage, often being able to give a check. Sometimes this check will be a skewer, also known as an x-ray. This is a tactic by which a piece is forced to move out of the way, exposing another piece to capture. Both sides are about to queen their pawn.

Lesson 12: The Basic Position

White will try to queen the pawn. Your goal as Black is to stop the pawn and draw. This basic position should be thoroughly mastered by every student. The Black king has obtained its best position in front of the opposing pawn. White will still be able to force the pawn to advance, and Black will only be able to prevent it from queening, if he understands the principle of opposition. A player has the opposition if the kings are on the same line, there is one square separating them and it's the opponent's move.

Note: - Don't use the opposition mechanically, if you have chance to threaten or capture the pawn, do it

- This is used to against the pawn which is not the rook pawn.