Corresponding Squares: Drawing Dedrle's Pawn Ending

Black to play and draw, after Dedrle, 1921

Play

You are Black and you draw. Your b4 pawn is the target: if White's king reaches c4, d4 or e4, it wins the pawn and the game. The rule: answer every white king move with its corresponding square. With his king on the second rank, yours stands on d6 or e6. On the third rank, d3, f3 and h3 call for d5, while e3 and g3 call for e5. Further up, keep to the d- and e-files and take the opposition sideways.

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Corresponding Squares: Dedrle's Draw

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.

First the trap. Kc6? looks natural and loses: White's king walks to g3, g4 and f4, and White wins.

Dedrle's 1921 study is the cleanest introduction to corresponding squares in a pawn ending. The b-pawns are locked, so there is no fortress to build and no pawn race to run: there is only a set of squares, and a rule for shadowing the enemy king.

The key squares. White wins if his king reaches c4, d4 or e4, because from there he collects the b4 pawn and his two pawns decide the game. Your entire task is to keep him off all three.

The correspondence. Work backwards from the key squares. White's king on d3, f3 or h3 must be answered by your king on d5. His king on e3 or g3 must be answered by e5. While he is still on the second rank, you wait on d6 or e6. When he comes further up, you hold the lateral opposition, walking the d- and e-files.

Why guessing fails. The pairs are not symmetrical: three white squares map onto the single square d5. Guess and you lose, count and the draw is easy.

In this drill the defensive moves are only moves. Learn the table.

Keep going

The Wing Pawn Is Bait

White to play and win

Fix the Pawns and Draw

Black to play and draw

The Tempo Count Decides

White to play and win

All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)