1. … K-Q3 2. P-B3 K-B3 3. K-B4 and wins.
This settles all typical end-games of King and pawn against King. There is, however, one exception to the rules set out, namely, when a ROOK’S PAWN is concerned. Here the isolated King always succeeds in drawing if he can reach the corner where the pawn has to queen, for he cannot be driven out again. The Rook’s pawn affords another opportunity for the weaker side to draw. Diagram 55 will illustrate this, and similar positions are of frequent occurrence in practice. Here Black draws with 1. … K-B5. As he threatens to capture the pawn, White must play 2. P-R4. Then after the reply K-B4, White is still unable to cut the opponent off from the corner with K-Kt7, as the loss of the pawn is still threatened through K-Kt5. And after 3. P-R5 Black attains the position which is typical for this end-game, namely the opposition against the King on the Rook’s file. The latter cannot escape without giving up the contested corner, and the game is drawn. 3. … K-B3; 4. K-R7, K-B2; 5. K-R8, K-B1; 6. P-R6, K-B2; 7. P-R7, K-B1: and White is stalemated.
Diag. 55
End-games with a majority of one pawn, when both sides still have pawns, are much more simple to manipulate.
Such games result in positions of which Diagram 56 is a
Diag. 56
typical instance. Here White does not even need to Queen his passed pawn. The mere threat forces the win. For the pawn at Kt4 reduces the mobility of the Black King, in so far as the latter must at all times be ready to reach the queening square in as few moves as the pawn, or else the pawn would queen unmolested. The White King can therefore capture the opposing Bishop’s pawn in peace and then queen his own.
1. K-K4, K-K3; 2. P-Kt5, K-K2; 3. K-K5, K-B2; 4. K-Q6, and so on; or 1. … K-Kt4 KxP; 3. K-Q6, K-B4; 4. KxP, K-K3; 5. K-Kt7, and so on.