Checking From a Safe Distance

Black to play and draw

Play

Down to a bare king and queen against a passed pawn, you still hold the draw. The queen checks the enemy king until it can never hide long enough to promote.

No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.

Checking From a Safe Distance

Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

With only a queen against a queen and an advanced pawn, the defender relies on perpetual check. The single queen is such an active harasser that the attacker usually cannot shelter the king in time.

Distance checking. Keep the queen as far from the enemy king as the checks allow. From long range the queen cannot be captured or blocked cheaply, and it can still return check after check.

Refuse the swap. The attacker's main winning try is to interpose the queen and force a trade into a won king and pawn ending. Recognize that moment and either sidestep or keep the checking chain alive.

In this drill you must hold with the queen alone. Miss one check or allow the wrong trade and the passed pawn decides the game.

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