Endgame: No Stalemate

Picture 1. White to move and win in 3 moves.

A rook-pawn on the 7th rank supported by its own King draws against a Queen if the enemy King can’t also join in the attack. The usual tactic of forcing the Black King to occupy the square in front of its pawn, so that Whit’s King gains a move to come closer, doesn’t work because of stalemate. But here the presence of a second Black pawn on g4 evokes another possibility. It allows White’s Queen to trap Black’s King for two moves, without fear of stalemate, as White’s g-pawn plays to g3 and g2. During the interim, White’s Queen slices through to unstoppable mate.

1. Qb3     g3

2. Qc2      g2

3. Qc1  mate

(1-0)

 

      Picture 2. White wins with 3.Qc1.

Endgame: Shielding Off

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White’s monarch can proceed toward Black’s pawn at a7, in the same number of moves, with three different first moves: Kd7, Kd6, or Kd5. Only 1. Kd5, however, prevents Black’s King from maneuvring to the critical diagonal of retreat (h2-b8) to connect to c7, which encloses White’s King at a7. The inexact play 1. Kd6?, for example, draws after 1….Kd4 2. Kc6 Ke5 3. Kb7 Kd6 4. Kxa7 Kc7 5. Ka8 Kb6 6. a7 Kc7 stalemate. Thus, when approaching an area or particular square with your King, try to find moves that also hamper the movement of the enemy King.

Picture 1. White to move and win.

1. Kd5 Kb4

2. Kc6 Ka5

3. Kb7 Kb5

4. Kxa7 Kc6

5. Kb8 Kb6

6. a7        

(1-0)

Picture 2. White played 6.a7 … winning for White.

(source: Pandolfini’s Endgame course,1988)

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End Game - Clearance

Black's extra pawn confers obtrusive advantage, and if allowed to play 1....d5, he wins comfortably. White's natural try is 1.Ke4, but after 1....Kf8  2. Kd4 Ke7 (2.....f5 is also good)  3. Kd5 f5, he loses both e-pawn and the game. White must strike immediately to derive benefit from his aggressively placed King. The solution? He can dump his e-pawn to push Black's King out of the picture. Therefore, 1. e7 Kf7   2. e8/Q+  Kxe8. Now White must tread carefully, as 3. Kxf6? Kd7   4. Kf5 Kc6  5. Ke4  let's Black's King reach the critical outside square, 5....Kc5. The right way is 3. Ke6! f5  4. Kxf5 Kd7  5. Ke4 Kc6 6. Kd4, and White recovers just in time.

1. e7          Kf7

2. e8/Q+   Kxe8

3. Ke6       f5

4. Kxf5     Kd7

5. Ke4      Kc6

6. Kd4

         Draw

(source: Pandolfini's ENDGAME Course)

   

A Third Mate In Four

White Moves And Wins.

On the back row, Black's King has a mere two squares - h7 and h8 - to play with, but there's also refuge at g7. White sniffs the danger and moves in with his own King.

1. Kf7 Kh8
2. Ng6+ Kh7
3. Nf8+ Kh8
4. Bf6 mate
(1-0)

(source: Pandolfini's EndGame Course)