Diag. 58
The King’s moves are outlined by the necessity of capturing the opposing passed pawn, after which the Black King is two files nearer the battle-field (the Queen’s side), so that the White pawns must fall.
1. K-Kt2, K-Kt2; 2. K-Kt3, K-B3; 3. K-Kt4, K-K4; 4. P-B4ch, K-B3; 5. K-Kt3, P-R4; 6. K-R4, K-B4; 7. KxP, KxP; 8. K-Kt6, K-K4, and so on.
For similar reasons the position in Diagram 59 is lost for Black. White obtains a passed pawn on the opposite wing to that of the King. He forces the Black King to abandon his King’s side pawns, and these are lost. I give the moves in full, because this is another important example characteristic of the ever recurring necessity of applying our arithmetical rule. By simply enumerating the moves necessary for either player to queen his pawn—SEPARATELY for White and Black—we can see the result of our intended manœuvres, however far ahead we have to extend our calculations.
1. P-R4, K-K3; 2. P-R5, PxP; 3. PxP, K-Q3
Now the following calculations show that Black is lost. White needs ten moves in order to queen on the King’s side, namely, five to capture the Black King’s side pawns (K-K4, B5, Kt6, R6, Kt5), one to free the way for his pawn, and four moves with the pawn. After ten moves, Black only
Diag. 59
gets his pawn to B6. He requires six moves to capture the White Queen’s side pawns, one to make room for his pawn at B3, and after three moves the pawn only gets to B6. White then wins by means of many checks, forcing the Black King to block the way of his own pawn, thus gaining time for his King to approach. As we shall see later on (p. 97), if the pawn had already reached B7, whilst under protection by his K, the game would be drawn.