Mined Squares: Pawns Neither King Can Approach
White to play and draw
PlayTwo squares are mined here: c4 for your king, b6 for his. The rule: never step onto your mined square first, or you fall into zugzwang. Wait one step away from c4, and if he steps onto b6, step onto c4 at once.
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Mined Squares: c4 and b6
White 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.
Step on the mine now and it blows up under you. After Kc4 he answers Kb6, and you are the one to move: your king has to let go of b5, and after Kd5 Kxb5 you lose.
When the pawns are frozen and only the kings can move, the position turns into a map of corresponding squares. Sometimes just one pair corresponds, and that pair is mined: whoever steps on their own mine first falls into zugzwang.
The mines here are c4 and b6. Kc4 attacks the c5 pawn, but Black replies Kb6, defending c5 and attacking b5. You must move, and b5 falls. The mirror image is just as true: if the black king reaches b6 while it is your turn, Kc4 puts him in zugzwang instead.
Neither pawn can be approached. Because neither king can approach, neither pawn can ever be won. Your king waits on b3, c3 and d3, always one step from c4. The black king waits on a7, b7 and c7, always one step from b6.
In this drill the attacker knows the mines. Stay off c4, stay within a step of it, and the half point is yours.
Keep going
Winning with a Frozen King
White to play and win
The Bishop Sacrifice That Buries a King
White to play and win
The Floating Square: When One Pawn Must Queen
Black to play and win
All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)