Queen vs Bishop Pawn: The Corner Trick
Black to play and draw
PlayYour bishop pawn draws here, because her king is just too far away. The rule: keep your king next to the pawn, and the moment she sets a trap, go to the corner a1. With your king there, taking the pawn is stalemate, and your pawn promotes with check.
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The Corner Trick: Invite the Promotion
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
Why the corner? With your king on a1, Qxc2 leaves you no legal move at all: stalemate, and a draw.
A draw you still have to defend. A seventh-rank bishop pawn holds against the queen when the enemy king sits outside the narrow winning zone. But the defense is not automatic: the stronger side circles the queen, changes wings, and hopes you will park your king on a losing square.
The corner is a stalemate haven. Behind a c-pawn the safe corner is a1. Your king is buried there, so the queen can never simply take the pawn: Qxc2 would be stalemate, and she never wins the tempo her own king needs. Step the other way, in front of the pawn, and you block it yourself while the enemy king walks up. Two squares, opposite results.
In this drill the queen will feint and set a trap. Take the corner a1 when she does, lean on the stalemate, and when her king comes close, promote with check: c1=Q+ and then Qb1+ are the only moves, and they hold the draw.
Keep going
Queen and Pawn versus Queen: Getting the King in Front
Black to play and draw
Queen vs Queen: The Skewer Check
White to play and win
Queen and Pawn vs Queen
White to play and win
All 18 queen endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)