King and pawn versus king endgame

The endgame is an endgame in chess, in which only a peasant or more farmers are on the board except the two kings. The winner is usually the party that first promotes a pawn on the opponent's home row in a lady. If all farmers abgetauscht or can the defending king hinder the opponent's king in the occupation of a so-called key field before the last remaining on the board of farmers and the game ends in a draw. With a single edge farmers, the attacker can only win if the defending king can reach no field in front of the farmers and can not include the attacking king on the promotion square.

One of the most well-known studies on the endgame composer Richard Réti. The two purposes simultaneously serving King maneuver along a diagonal has since been referred to as Réti maneuver.

• 2.1 Key Fields

• 3.1 form a Yeomanry
• 3.2 Bauer breakthrough
• 3.3 stalemate avoidance

Elementary pawn endings

The central concepts of elementary endgames " king and pawn " against " King " include Zugzwang, Opposition and key fields. Also helpful is the knowledge of the square rule and the triangular maneuver.

In the following, it is assumed that white is the party with the farmers.

Square rule

The square rule facilitates the calculation of whether a king can catch up with the opponent's pawn to the conversion, if it is not supported by his own king ( for example, because this is far away).

One thinks of a square whose one edge of the farmer reaches to the baseline. The other side is formed in the direction of the opponent's king.

Square rule: If the black king is in the square, or it can enter, then he can reach the farmers up to its conversion.

This means in this example: Is Black the train, then the black king enters the square and bring the farmers: 1 ... 2 Kf4 b5 b6 Kd6 KE5 3 4 5 b7 Kc7 b8D Kxb8.

If, however, the white train, then the black king is late by 1 b5.

Exceptions:

• A farmer on the 2nd row is due to its double step treated the same as a farmer on the 3rd row.
• The square rule can only be used at a pawn that can be stopped by any other different from the king figure.
• Example: Study of Ladislav Prokeš, Gros, 1938

The square rule was first formulated by the Austrian chess master Johann Berger (1845-1933), but see to the Réti maneuver.

Opposition and zugzwang

The article Zugzwang shows an important example, when White can win or when the game ends in a draw. Achieved Black this type of position with White to train, then the game is drawn.

Black plays correctly, then White can not win this position. True is 1 ... KC8! If 2 KB6 Kb8! ( Opposition ) 3 c7 KC8. This is a position of mutual Zugzwangs with white on the train: Either Black is stalemate or the farmer is lost.

At the same situation the second attempt leads Kd6 Kd8! ( Opposition ) 3 c7 KC8.

Failed in this example would be the black answer 1 ... Kd8? . It follows 2 Kd6 KC8 3 c7. Thus the Zugzwangsstellung with Black is reached at the train. It follows 3 ... KB7 4 Kd7 and then converting and White wins. Analog verliefe 1 ... Kb8? 2 KB6 KC8 3 c7 Kd7 4 KB7

Rule 1: White wins only if his king, while covering his peasants supported the 7th row and then the pawn to a queen.

Black tries to prevent this, especially with the help of the motif opposition.

Rule 2: Pulls the farmer with chess bid on the 7th row and he is covered by his king on the 6th row, then the game is drawn is ( The black king moves behind the farmers ). Serves the same without chess bid, wins White.

Key fields

An important concept in elementary pawn endings are the key fields. Entering a key field by the king assures the achievement of a specific part of the target. Depending on the position type can be, for example conversion or farmer's profit.

Considered in the final king and pawn against King: Did the King of the farmers are entering a key field, so the transformation of the peasants is not to prevent with proper game and the game is won. In the prediction of settlements can be canceled in a variant branch, if such a position is reached.

Some basic considerations in this position show that if the white king gets on one of the fields b6, c6, d6, b7, c7, d7, then he can force the pawn and win the game. These fields are key fields.

The following rule applies to farmers who are not marginal farmers:

Has the farmer the line between the 4th and 5th rows are not exceeded, there are three key fields. They are two rows in front of the farmer on his own and the two adjacent lines.

After midline crossing, there are six key fields. They are one and two rows in front of the farmer on his own and the two adjacent lines ( see diagram ).

In the battle of the kings for the key fields, the methods of circumvention and the Abdrängung sometimes play an important role.

In the final game the king and pawn against king edge, there are always two key fields. They are located next to the promotion square of the pawn on its neighboring line, regardless of the exact position of the border farmers. The occupation of one of the two key fields by the king prevents both draw by march of the king of the weaker side of the Conversion field as well as the imprisonment of the king of the Bauer page.

Pawn endings with blocked peasant couple

A white and a black pawn blocking each other, so there are positions in which the game can still be decided. It is useful to know these to possibly handle in such a final or avoid a settlement there.

Key fields

For a blocked peasant couple entering a key field assured by the king, with proper continuation of winning the blocking farmers. This rule often applies even if other farmers on the board are. The farmer income may be crucial game. The battle for a key field is often performed in this final with the opposition.

The diagram shows the key fields of white with a cross, the key fields of black were marked with the black dot. For farmers blocked on the two central lines, there are six key fields. They are a number of farmers and bordering the blockade farmers. If the blocked peasant couple on a line, the closer to the edge of the chessboard, so there may be fewer than six key spring

In the example, this means entering a key field for white farmer profit and thus game win because the king is after beating the farmers in elementary pawn ending immediately on a key field.

For Black entering a key field though, also farmer income, but is a draw the game if it succeeds the defending king to take the Nahopposition before the farmers immediately after beating the farmers and thus to defend all three key fields in the elementary pawn ending. This is very often possible.

Pawn endings with several farmers

Formation of a Yeomanry

In the right diagram can be divided into the farmers candidates, guardian and helper. From the perspective of the farmer is white on h3 a candidate. A candidate is not a pawn, because the line in front of him is indeed free of black farmers, but on the line to the left or right of him is still at least one guard. The guard for white candidates on h3 is the black pawn on g6. He guards the h- and the f-file in front of him. Although a pawn ending rule states: The candidate prefers! ( First the candidate, then pull the helper ) does not mean that White should just let march through the h-pawn to h8. As a black guard waiting for g6, succeeds the formation of a Freibauerns only with the support of the peasants on g3, which in this example is the helper.

From the perspective of White: Candidate: h3 helpers: g3 own Guardian: c4, g3, h3 foreign Guardian: c6, d7, g6

From the perspective of Black: Candidate: d7 helpers: c6 own Guardian: c6, d7, g6 foreign Guardian: c4, g3, h3

To help a candidate to a breakthrough, it usually requires at least as many helpers in the vicinity of the candidates as there foreign guards are present. White on the train can start with the trains h3 - h4, g3 - g4, h4 - h5 a breakthrough. Likewise, Black can prepare with d7 -d5 a breakthrough. Because the breakthrough of black is faster than that of White, White should not start with 1 h3 - h4, but exploited by first c4 - c5, that the black candidate is staying on d7 yet behind his helpers c6. The black pawn on d7 is so backward.

Bauer breakthrough

A farmer breakthrough is the violent formation of a pawn by pawn.

This design was shown in 1766 by Carlo Cozio. Goal of a farmer breakthrough is the formation of a far advanced pawn. White on train wins: 1 b6! cxb6 2 a6! bxa6 C6 c6 - c7, together with 3 - C8D. Also wins for white 1 ... axb6 2 c6! bxc6 3 together with a6 a6- a7 - A8D. (But not with 1 ... c6 c7? 2.a6! (Or 1 ... a7 - a6? 2 c6! ) ) Is black at the train, then he can this b7 - b6 prevent breakthrough with or with 1 ... Kf5 the square of the c-pawn to enter, so that the opening does not lead to success (after b6 cxb6 2 3 4 c6 a6 bxa6 Ke6 keeps the king on the farmers ).

Another breakthrough in the pawn ending is to be found in the article about Carlo Salvioli. The motif is also present in Springer playoffs, because there is no far-reaching figures.

Stalemate avoidance

Standing next to the farmers board edge ( on the 2nd or 7th row, or on the b- or g-line ), so there is a defense game to stalemate.

Solution:

1 Kc3! KB5 2 b4! Ka4 Now would be after 3 KC4? Black tortie. 3 b5! Kxb5 4 Kb3 and the opposition of white lead to the conquest of one of the key fields a4 or c4, which secures the win.