What is winning strategy here?
Can't white win f pawn with Ke3-Kf4? Then White pawn majority could produce a passed pawn and win eventually.
Currently white pawns are completely safe against any king attacks. I don't see any immediate need for move a4. Move f4 would probably be bad. How could white win pawn f5 after that? Also white's own pawn cover is no longer completely impenetrable.
What is winning strategy here?
Can't white win f pawn with Ke3-Kf4? Then White pawn majority could produce a passed pawn and win eventually.
Currently white pawns are completely safe against any king attacks. I don't see any immediate need for move a4. Move f4 would probably be bad. How could white win pawn f5 after that? Also white's own pawn cover is no longer completely impenetrable.
Could you explain to me
in the positon above ,why white play a4 can get an advantage?
Stockfish is trying to outsmart you? It happens all the time to me also.
Well a4 and Ke3 are the best moves. Let's examine both more carefully.
White's main winning idea is attacking and winning f5. (10 move combo, 5 moves with king and pawn each, Kd4-e3-f4-xf5-xf6-away-f4-f5-f6-f7-f8=D). Black can choose defensive setup to prevent main idea, but then black will eventually run out of moves. Another option is to try counterattack on queenside. However black has no way to launch his counterattack fast enough.
Let's first consult Stockfish how he would defend against direct attack.
In overall defensive setup makes sense. Doesn't feel great to be stangled slowly into oblivion but what can you do?
Alright, let's throw in a curveball with 1. a4. What changes? Main idea of capturing f5 is still same in 3 moves. We just delayed our attack one move - for now. Can black pull off some tricks out of his sleeve to prevent our plan or start his own? Not much.
There is also something more. Played this early black has no good countermoves. Pawn is a distant menace for black. Retreating is not good, a5 paralyzing even more is a problem, distance makes this suicide pawn unworthy of chasing down. I believe you understand, that white never had intentions to protect a4-pawn as b2-c2-pawn shield is completely safe against king attacks. Also b4 and c4 are moves in couple important lines. White might even change his approach into something faster if black plays poorly.
@unikooma has some good analysis in their posts.
I saw 1. a4 but played the King moves slightly differently on instinct, but this way is also winning too.
@unikooma has some good analysis in their posts.
I saw 1. a4 but played the King moves slightly differently on instinct, but this way is also winning too.
Hi, if you play Ke3 after Black play d5, why you play a4 first,you can play Ke3 immediately
What's the difference?
@unikooma has some good analysis in their posts.
I saw 1. a4 but played the King moves slightly differently on instinct, but this way is also winning too.
Hi, if you play Ke3 after Black play d5, why you play a4 first,you can play Ke3 immediately
What's the difference?
Preference. Both endgame move orders/plans win for White theoretically. a4 puts more priority to first stopping the opponent Queenside pawn mobility whereas Ke3 first prioritizes pursuing the weak doubled pawns. My intuition for a4 first was probably because I deemed the doubled pawn weakness was a static weakness not going anywhere so it is more natural to address other things (like time to play a4). A dynamic weakness would be something which must be dealt with immediately before the weakness can go away. An uncastled King in the opening is a good example of a dynamic weakness. If the opponent neglects King safety, then you must actively attack the King, or keep the initiative; otherwise, you let the opponent castle and "fix" their dynamic weakness.
weaknesses being dynamic or static I got from IM Jeremy Silman, but I'm sure other titled players have discussed it before too.
In this endgame, it hardly matters as White has a theoretical win anyhow, but this is the underlining concept behind which move to play and for what reasoning. 
Stockfish is trying to outsmart you? It happens all the time to me also.
Well a4 and Ke3 are the best moves. Let's examine both more carefully.
White's main winning idea is attacking and winning f5. (10 move combo, 5 moves with king and pawn each, Kd4-e3-f4-xf5-xf6-away-f4-f5-f6-f7-f8=D). Black can choose defensive setup to prevent main idea, but then black will eventually run out of moves. Another option is to try counterattack on queenside. However black has no way to launch his counterattack fast enough.
Let's first consult Stockfish how he would defend against direct attack.
In overall defensive setup makes sense. Doesn't feel great to be stangled slowly into oblivion but what can you do?
Alright, let's throw in a curveball with 1. a4. What changes? Main idea of capturing f5 is still same in 3 moves. We just delayed our attack one move - for now. Can black pull off some tricks out of his sleeve to prevent our plan or start his own? Not much.
There is also something more. Played this early black has no good countermoves. Pawn is a distant menace for black. Retreating is not good, a5 paralyzing even more is a problem, distance makes this suicide pawn unworthy of chasing down. I believe you understand, that white never had intentions to protect a4-pawn as b2-c2-pawn shield is completely safe against king attacks. Also b4 and c4 are moves in couple important lines. White might even change his approach into something faster if black plays poorly.
Hi, thank you for your response
I use stockfish to analyse this position, it is amazing
Unless playig f4 or b4 , any other pawn moves will help white get an advantage(according to engine, I don't know whether the engine is right or not)
Even white play g4 at this position ,white may also win.
So what's the theory behind this? It really confuse me.
Other moves may keep the advantage. There must be some winning plan after each of them. Problem is these moves miss the best/fastest winning plan to go after and may give black more ways to defend and counterattack. After suboptimal moves win will become longer and more challenging.
@unikooma has some good analysis in their posts.
I saw 1. a4 but played the King moves slightly differently on instinct, but this way is also winning too.
Hi, if you play Ke3 after Black play d5, why you play a4 first,you can play Ke3 immediately
What's the difference?
Preference. Both endgame move orders/plans win for White theoretically. a4 puts more priority to first stopping the opponent Queenside pawn mobility whereas Ke3 first prioritizes pursuing the weak doubled pawns. My intuition for a4 first was probably because I deemed the doubled pawn weakness was a static weakness not going anywhere so it is more natural to address other things (like time to play a4). A dynamic weakness would be something which must be dealt with immediately before the weakness can go away. An uncastled King in the opening is a good example of a dynamic weakness. If the opponent neglects King safety, then you must actively attack the King, or keep the initiative; otherwise, you let the opponent castle and "fix" their dynamic weakness.
weaknesses being dynamic or static I got from IM Jeremy Silman, but I'm sure other titled players have discussed it before too.
In this endgame, it hardly matters as White has a theoretical win anyhow, but this is the underlining concept behind which move to play and for what reasoning.
"
weaknesses being dynamic or static I got from IM Jeremy Silman, but I'm sure other titled players have discussed it before too.
In this endgame, it hardly matters as White has a theoretical win anyhow, but this is the underlining concept behind which move to play and for what reasoning.
"
Right !
Thank you for your response !
White to move
According to engine, a4 is best,but why?