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| Friday, March 27, 2009 |
A rash advance of the Pawn would again be the wrong thing. The
right way of playing is indicated by a simple calculation. The
Pawn needs four moves to reach the queening square. But the black
King arrives there in the same number of moves, so that he can
capture the Pawn the moment he queens.
Consequently White will only be able to enforce the safe queening
of his Pawn if he can gain control of the queening square with his own King, thus protecting the Pawn at the time of queening.
Now, White needs three moves to bring his King up to his Pawn on
f4. In the meantime Black will have reached the square d6 and
after White's (4) K-f5 Black will block the further advance of
White's King by K-e7. However, White can force Black to give the
way free.
The maneuver by which he does this is one which occurs
in a similar form in nearly all Pawn endings and its thorough
grasp is therefore essential. Diagram 15 shows the critical
position.
+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | #K | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | ^K | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | ^P | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h
DIAGRAM 15.
White can win the game only by playing (5) K-e5. The technical
term for this move is "going into OPPOSITION." The Kings oppose
each other in one line on squares of the same color and the one
who has to move out of opposition--in this case Black's King--is
compelled to allow the advance of the opposing King to the next
line.
If Black plays K-d7, White answers (6) K-f6, and if Black
plays K-f7, (6) K-d6 would follow. Then, after Black's K-e8,
White repeats the maneuver by taking the opposition with (7) K-
e6, and again Black must back out with either K-d8 or K-f8, so
that White can advance to either f7 or d7. This clears the way
for the Pawn who now advances unimpeded to the queening square.
The important role which the opposition of the Kings play in Pawn
endings is still more strikingly illustrated by the situations
which would result if in the position of Diagram 15 White played
(5) P-e5 instead of K-e5. Black would then draw the game by
maintaining the opposition himself. He would play K-f7 and
although after (6) P-e6, K-e7; (7) K-e5 White has regained the
opposition he cannot keep it if Black continues correctly. The
move which saves the game for Black is K-e8. K-d8 or K-f8 lose,
as then White could go into opposition by K-d6 or K-f6. The play
in these three cases would be this: A: (7) ..., K-e8, (8) K-f6,
K-f8; (9) P-e7+, K-e8; (10) K-e6 and Black is stalemate, the game
is drawn.
B: (7) ..., K-d8; (8) K-d6, K-e8; (9) P-e7 and Black
must move K-f7 enabling White to obtain control of the queening
square by (10) K-d7. C: (7) ..., K-f8, (8) K-f6, K-e8, etc.,
similar to the play in B. |
posted by neptunus @ 5:14 AM
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