So easy to lose

I've been pretty happy with my endings lately, winning some that should be drawn, drawing some that should be lost.

But then, I lost this one that should be drawn.

Now, if I analyze with an engine, I easily see my mistakes, lots of small ones which all add up to a catastrophe. What I'd like to know, is how do I formulate a plan, when I look at this position how do I determine the best strategy?

I (black) started with Kf7, apparently the 1st inaccuracy, e4 was better... from slight advantage Black to slight advantage White.

My solution to your problem is hours on the Tactics Trainer and/or the Chess Mentor.

Don't feel to bad rooperi as there isn't a chess player alive who couldn't
improve their endgame skills.

At first glance e4 seems to do 2 nice things for black:

1- It prevents white from playing Kd3 or Kf3 after an initial Ke2.
2-It prevents an immediate f3.

However, upon further review after black's e4 white could still play f3 and
then later recapture the pawn.

I would not take a computer evaluation for 1 move too seriously(or even for
2 moves).  I would look at 3-move evaluations as being more realistic.

Can you post the entire sequence of moves?

Yeah, zank, I could, if you really wanted me to. But I'd like to figure out what a real good players sees when he looks at this position. What is the plan? Or is it really only about counting moves?

After whites f3 I think black should respond with f5, still keeping the white king from advancing.

your  main plan should be to get your king to the center and keep his out.

Im not a very good player, but I think your plan should be to play e4 and then work your king through to either g4 or c6, attempting to keep the opposition in order to force entry into important squares. My 2 cents!

Rooperi,

Since neither king has much operating room and there are no passed pawns it
almost seems as if a zugzwang can be created.

King and pawn endgames can be absolutely brutal.

The main plan is to advance your king to the centre and keep the opposition to the opposing king. The move ...e4 will make it difficult for the white king to keep opposition, f3 by white is what I call a 'faker' since f5 by black advances his cause. The other 'fakers' are c4 and h2 hence black has better than just a slight advantage because most of whites pawns are backward...and btw, these thoughts are simply my own at first glance...since my own endgame is prone to chess blindness.

Thanx everybody for your input

My first thoughts:

If Black can take the pawn on c4, he wins.
Thus White is forced and restricted to defend this pawn with his King for the rest of the game.

I don't like pushing with an immediate ...e4 at all.
I am happy to keep my King-side pawn chain intact and without weaknesses for now.

The c5 square is calling my King's name.
I simply march it immediately there and end any and all of White's hopes at counterplay.
Black can not lose once this is done.

Only after that is set do I tinker with K-side pushes to see if I can force White to mis-step.

--CM

Does the term "distant opposition" apply even if there is a pawn between the two
kings and an odd number of squares?

I was under the impression there could be no pieces between the kings?

Yes the term 'distant opposition' does apply, If black was to play ...Kf7, he still has the opposition and if he played ...Kf8 you know he just blew it, knowing how to triangulate is definately a big plus.

This isn't about opposition yet.  Opposition is only useful if you can use it to break through to something important (vital square/enemy weakness) -- otherwise it does nothing for you.  If it were immediately about opposition you would first need to count the spare tempo each sides pawns have.

The point of e4 would be to break up white's pawns after the f pawn moves (it can't stay on f2).  The far advanced weak c pawn + (soon to be) isolated e pawn + more pawns on original squares on kingside spell out easy zugzwang and win for black (oversimplifying it for plan like you asked for... only looked at this for 2 minutes on an analysis board so this is obviously not any kind of deep analysis just some things to notice).

If white leaves the pawn on f2 zugzwang will be even easier to achieve it seems like.

I like what frank zappa said though, don't beat yourself up too much, there isn't a player alive who couldn't improve his endgame skill.  I lose (much) easier K+P positions than this against my computer regularly enough lol.

It may be easy to lose, but with experience it becomes easier to win.