In this position (see Diagram 7), you will win either with or without the move; for if Black have to play, he is forced to allow your King to be moved either to B's 7th or Q's 7th sq.; and if you move you gain the opposition, by playing K. to B's 6th or Q's 6th, and then P. to K's 6th. It is evident that this would equally hold good if your Pawn were any number of squares less advanced; so that you invariably win, if you can succeed in placing your King on the sixth square of the file occupied by your Pawn, and in front of it; provided, of course, that the single King cannot attack the Pawn, so as to compel you to retreat in order to support it. It is perhaps scarcely necessary to observe, that if the Pawn be upon either of the Rooks' files, these remarks will not apply—this contingency will be considered hereafter.
Diagram 8.
| WHITE. | BLACK. |
| 1. K. to Q's 2d. | 1. K. to his 2d. |
| 2. K. to his 3d. | 2. K. to his 3d. |
| 3. K. to his 4th. | 3. K. to B's 3d. |
| 4. K. to Q's 5th. | 4. K. to K's 2d. |
| 5. K. to his 5th. | 5. K. to B's 2d. |
| 6. K. to Q's 6th. |
If he play K. to B's 3d, you advance P. to K's 4th, then to K's 5th, and on his afterwards moving K. to his sq., you gain the opposition, as shown before.
| 6. K. to his sq., or to B's sq. | |
| 7. K. to K's 6th. | |
| And then advances Pawn, winning. | |
Next, suppose Black has the move, and he will draw:—
| WHITE. | BLACK. |
| 1. K. to K's 2d. | |
| 2. K. to Q's 2d. | 2. K. to his 3d. |
| 3. K. to his 3d. | 3. K. to his 4th. |
| 4. K. to Q's 3d. | 4. K. to Q's 4th. |
| 5. P. to K's 3d, or to K's 4th. (ch.) | 5. K. to K's 4th. |
And it is clear that, play as you may, you can only draw the game.
The only exception in all the foregoing cases is to be found, as has already been remarked, when the Pawn is upon either of the Rooks' files. In these instances, Black will invariably draw the game when his King can be placed on any part of the file in front of the Pawn, it being quite immaterial at what distance the adverse King and Pawn may be. Even, as in the next example, the player of the single King will draw the game, if he have not the move, against two Pawns in a somewhat similar position. For White being to move, he can only play K. to R's 8th, to which Black must reply by K. to B's sq.; and if White then advance B's Pawn, it will be taken: or if he play R's Pawn, Black returns K. to B's 2d, and his adversary is stalemated. (See Diagram 9.)