Introducing The Problem Corner
With the assistance of Maine chess player John Gaspar, we are pleased to announce The Problem Corner, a new feature that will appear on the Not for Kids Only link. Interesting problems and (after a few days' thinking time) their solutions will appear regularly. Selected problems will be of the intermediate/advanced variety so put on your thinking caps and get solving!
White to move and draw.
Based on a theme from Reti.
The Solution:
After 1. Kxh8! h5, the White king cannot possibly catch the pawn (2. Kh7 h4 3. Kh6 h3 4. Kh5 h2 is hopeless), nor can he reach his own pawn to support its promotion. However, he can approach both goals simultaneously: 2. Kg7! h4 3. Kf6 h3 4. Ke6 (now the king is close enough to support the c-pawn) 4. ... h2 5. c7 Kb7 6. Kd7 h1=Q 7. c8=Q+ is a draw.
Of course, the Black king may try heading off White's pawn earlier. After 1. Kxh8 h5 2. Kg7 h4 3. Kf6, Black can play 3. ... Kb6. Then White continues the strategy with 4. Ke5! Now if 4. ... h3 5. Kd6 h2 6. c7, = as in the main line above, or if 4. ... Kxc6 5. Kf4 and the White king is within the "square" of the Black pawn (5. ... h3 6. Kg3 h2 7. Kxh2, =).
There are other variations, but the White king always manages either to stop the h-pawn or to queen the c-pawn.
Comments
If I were Black, and White played 1.Kxh8, I would probably play h5 instead of h6.
Posted by: Chuck | April 2, 2010 11:30 AM
That was interesting.
Posted by: Steve Morgan | March 31, 2010 12:50 PM
1.Kxh8 h6 2.Kg7 h5 3.Kf6 h4 4.Ke6 h3 5.c7 h2 6.c8=Q+ Kb6 7.Qh8
If the king moves to b6 before move 4,
White is threatening to be able to catch the pawn and draw.
If Kb6 on move 4, Kd7 h3 5.c7 h2 6. c8=Q h1=Q draw.
Posted by: Matthew | March 30, 2010 8:57 PM