Distant Opposition and Outflanking

Basic opposition is two kings one square apart. Real games start with the kings six ranks apart, and the fight for that eventual standoff begins with the very first king move. That fight is the distant opposition.

The counting rule. Kings on the same file, rank or diagonal hold a relationship: with an odd number of squares between them, the player who does NOT have to move holds the opposition, exactly as in the close version. Every approach must preserve that count. One careless step and the defender seizes the opposition instead, and with it the draw.

Opposition is a means, outflanking is the point. Holding the opposition forever achieves nothing; it is a lever for the real weapon. When the defending king must give way, you do not walk straight into him: you step diagonally around his shoulder, gaining a file. He blocks again, you win the duel again, you outflank again. Three or four cycles later your king stands next to the target pawn.

In this drill the pawns are fixed and only the kings play, which makes it the purest opposition exercise in the curriculum. Exactly one first move wins. The tablebase defender knows the counting rule perfectly; this is where you learn to out-count it.