Hello Tyson and all,
A nice couple of examples of what to do once the position is decisive.
But please, what about the foot in the other boot?
What if it is a theoretical draw?
Well a draw is a draw, right?
Not really, the defence might be called upon to prove they know how to half the
point.
A couple of examples.
Some theory followed by an extract from a Sunday morning clash somewhere in the
North-West English early-90s circuit.
Theory.
White: King on e5, pawn on e6.
Black: King on e7.
It is black to move and draw.
White has the opposition, fine, but black can snatch it back if he/she knows
how.
There are 3 legal retreat moves available.
Tossing a coin to decide whether to retreat vertically or diagonally gives you
a 50% chance of drawing.
Knowing theory makes it 100% a draw.
We shall examine how to draw, please work out for yourselves why the wrong
black king move loses.
1. ... Ke8
| Rule: When the king must retreat, stay on the file of the opposing pawn.
White must now give away the opposition.
Why?
Because the only move to keep the opposition is, 2. Kxe6, but this is illegal,
though some players with black might permit it an quickly claim a draw.
Yes, that extra white pawn on e6 is occupying the square the white king needs
to maintain the opposition.
||
2. Kd6 Kd8
| Now black has the opposition.
Note, had the white king waggled, 2. Kf6, then simply, 2. ... Kf8, black again
would have the opposition.
||
3. e7+
| A vain try, you never know, the black king might run away with, 3. ... Kc8
permitting white to promote the pawn.
Instead white could retreat the king, try some shuffling around hoping black
might become confused and go wrong.
Some ideas run:
(A). 3. Kd5 Ke7 4. Ke5 Ke8, stay on the file of the pawn, 5. Kd6 Kd8, we have
been here before, 3-fold repetition beckons.
(B). 3. Ke5 Ke7 4. Kd5 Ke8, stay on the file, 5. Kd6 Kd8, 3-fold repetition
beckons.
(C). 3. Kd5 Ke7 4. Ke5 Ke8, stay on the file, 5. Kf5 Ke7 6. Ke5 Ke8, black
yo-yos between e7 and e8, white cannot make progress.
||
3. ... Ke8
4. Ke6 stalemate.
| How bizarre!
White regains the opposition but it is of no value.
Instead any move which abandons the e7 pawn permits black, Kxe7, drawing.
||
Practical.
P. Benson vs B. Lund.
Uncertain precisely where and when this happened.
Played against black many times, lots of defeats, hardly surprising, he became
an FM sometime in the 80s.
This is Round 4 of 5, both are on 2 points from 3, each of us losing to a GM in
the previous game.
About move 60, allegro finish, not many other games in play, spectators and top
players in the Open enjoying the finale.
White: King on f5.
Black: King on e7, pawn on f6.
Cannot recall much of the game itself.
Did I give up a pawn for activity?
Did I drop a pawn but managed to grovel to this theoretical draw?
Who cares, here we are, draw available for white by force.
White to play.
1. Ke4
| What was that rule?
Something like, "Stay on the file"?
Could it be a player of 10 years of IBCA-battling not know the rule?
Upon seeing this move appear on the board there was an immediate change in body
language of my opponent.
My team-mate watching later reported to me that dropped shoulders suddenly
rose, facial expression previously deflated became somewhat animated.
||
1. ... Ke6
2. Kf4 f5
3. Ke3 Ke5
4. Kf3 f4
5. Ke2 Ke4
6. Kf2 f3
| All these moves were flashed out as quickly as circumstances of playing on 2
boards permit.
White is not showing any idea of how to draw this.
The assembled spectators had taken on a hush, no shuffling feet, no whispers,
the air could be cut with a knife.
White to play is about to seriously affect the final round pairings, an FM is
being gifted a full point when only a draw should be the correct result.
||
7. Kf1
| Positive body-language faded to dust.
Facial expression became an enquiring glare of, "Have you been winding me up?"
Suppressed giggles came from a few directions amongst the spectators.
Play quickly concluded.
7. ... Ke3
8. Ke1 f2+
9. Kf1
1/2-1/2
| Black 9. ... Kf3 is stalemate, anything else loses the f2 pawn.
Firm handshake quickly dissipated fears in the crowd that black might instead
shake white warmly by the throat.
It appears white had the necessary knowledge after all.
Now being close to almost twice the age I was then, I would heartily recommend
to my younger self such disrespectful behaviour should never be repeated.
I could be a right little tearaway in my did-30s.
Lesson: If you know how to draw a position then demonstrate it at the earliest
opportunity.
||
Paul Benson.
-----Original Message-----
From: Tyson Mordue - Email Address: dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
("tyson.mordue")
Sent On: 01/02/2023 13:17
Sent To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Ché - Email Address:
usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, eric.che.martin@xxxxxxxxx
subject: [usbca_chess] The opposition. Practical applications.
Che, Edward et al,
Well done, Edward.
Basically King g6 and Pawn g5 versus King on g8 is a win regardless of who it
is to move. You can also move all the pieces, and Pawn, to any file to the left
and also be winning. However, if the Pawn is on the a- or h-files there is no
win.
Consider the following position from Mordue vs Easton, Bristol League Congress
1984.
White: King f2, Rook e7, Pawns f4 and g5.
Black: King g6, Rook e4, Pawn e6.
White to play.
Have a good look before reading on.
I needed to win this game to share first place in the event. Objectively the
position is drawn, but I set one last trap.
91(!). Kg3
Deliberately allowing the check to tempt Black. He obliges.
91...Re3+??
Giving away the draw. Black should play 91...Re1 and after 92 Kg4 winkle the
King out with 92...Rg1+.
92. Kg4 Re1
So now we have the same position after 92 Kg4 in the last note but with White
to play. Once again this is your chance to have a good look if you didn't
earlier.
93. Rxe6+!
Simply going into a won King and Pawn ending. The real irony here is that Black
had played the French Defence (1 e4 e6) so that Pawn had stood there for 92
moves!
93...Rxe6
94. f5+ Kf7
95. fxe6+ Kxe6
96. Kh5 Kf7
97. Kh6 Kg8
98. Kg6
The opposition and the same position as in the puzzle.
98...Kh8
99. Kf7 Kh7
100. g6+ and Black resigned.
Only my second 100-mover and my first win at that length. The game was also
completed nine days after the end of the tournament because we had adjournments
in those days!
Here's a more complicated example:
Mordue vs Taylor GP, Monmouth 1993,
White: King g2, Rook e6, Pawns c5, g5, g3
Black: King b7, Rook c3, Pawn b4.
White to play.
Once again have a good look.
The rest of the game was played at express speed, Black because he was short of
time and me because I knew exactly what I was doing! I'd calculated it right to
the very end. It's 14 moves to the point at which Black resigned, but don't let
the length deter you from trying to envisage it from here.
44. Rb6+ Kc7
45. Rxb4 Rxc5
46. Rg4
Another tenet for you. Rooks belong behind passed Pawns, whatever the colour.
46...Kd7
47. g6 Rc8
48. g7 Rg8
49. Kh3 Ke6
50. Kh4 Kf7
51. Kh5 Rxg7
Black must take now before White goes 52. Kh6.
52. Rxg7+ Kxg7
53. Kg5
The opposition again.
53...Kf7
54. Kh6 Kg8
55. Kg6
White has deliberately refrained from advancing his Pawn to gain the
opposition. If the Pawn had been on g2 then I would be advancing g2-g4 next
move.
55...Kh8
56. g4 Kg8
57. g5
and voila! Our position yet again. Black resigned here.
I hope this helps in understanding King and Pawn endings better. Opposition is
key ... and it may make your opponent's resistance futile!
Regards,
Tyson
On 01/02/2023 03:57 Ché <eric.che.martin@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Well done edward.
If this doesn't make sense to anyone, be sure and read up on opposition, it
is a fairly easy concept to grasp, and one day, you'll be glad you did.
Stay well,
Ché
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On
Behalf Of Zolotarevsky ("eddyz69")
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 7:19 PM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] Here is the second attempt at the latest puzzle.
Hi all,
1. g7 Kh7
2. g8=Q+ Kxg8
3. Kg6 Kh8
4. Kf7 Kh7
5. g6+ Kh8
6. g7+ Kh7
7. g8=Q+ Kh6
8. Qg6#
Edward
