The g and h Pawns vs the h Pawn: How the Defender Draws
Black to play and draw
PlayWhite has the g- and h-pawns against your h-pawn, and he has just played h3. It is a draw, but only if your king keeps choosing the right square, g8 or h8. The rule: think of the end. When White takes back on g6, your king must still be able to step to h8. Then g7 comes with check, and after Kg8 and Kg6 you are stalemated. If your king already stands on h8 at that moment, it has to go to g8, g7 comes without check, and the pawn queens.
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g and h vs the h-Pawn: the Defender Holds
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.
Kh8 looks as good as Kg8, but it loses. White's king invades h6, and at the end your king already stands on h8 when White takes back on g6. It has to go to g8, g7 comes without check, and the pawn queens.
In pawn endings, whose move it is counts as much as the material. In the book position with the g- and h-pawns against the h-pawn, White's h-pawn still on h2, White wins with Black to move and only draws with White to move. Here White has played h3, and with you to move it is a draw.
White's plan. The only winning plan is a king invasion on h6. With the pawn on h2 it wins because that pawn can still move one square or two. After h3 that choice is gone, but one wrong king step still lets the invasion win.
Your squares. Until White plays g6, each White move leaves your king one right square, g8 or h8. The test comes at the end: when White takes back on g6, your king must still be able to step to h8, so that g7+ Kg8 Kg6 is stalemate.
In this drill you defend after 1.h3. One wrong king step and White's plan works.
Keep going
g and h Against the h-Pawn: The Winning Half
White to play and win
Triangulation: Losing a Move to Win
White to play and win
Corresponding Squares Behind the Passed Pawn
White to play and win
All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)