One Tempo Short: g and h vs the h-Pawn

Material counts for less in pawn endings than almost anywhere else on the board, and this g and h versus h position is a sharp demonstration. It is a win with Black to move and a draw with White to move. The only thing that changes is the tempo.

The only winning plan is Kh6. Forget breakthroughs and forget the corner. In this structure the stronger side wins by walking the king into h6, freezing the enemy king on the back rank, and only then breaking with g6. The whole game is about arriving at h6 with the opponent to move.

Steinitz's rule. Steinitz argued that pawns are best left on their original squares, because a pawn at home can advance one square or two. That choice is what fixes the tempo count. The invasion at h6 only converts if one of your pawns is still on the second rank and can pick its own pace. Here the h-pawn on h2 is exactly that reserve.

Why this one draws. With Black to move: 1...Kg8 2.Kh6 Kh8 3.g5 Kg8 4.h3 Kh8 5.h4 Kg8 6.h5 Kh8 7.g6 hxg6 8.hxg6 Kg8 9.g7 wins. With you to move, you must spend a move first, and the identical plan finishes with Black on h8 instead of g8: g7+ Kg8 Kg6 is stalemate. The surviving pawn is a g-pawn either way, so no rook-pawn corner is doing the saving. One tempo is.

In this drill you hold the balance a pawn up. Understand which side of the reciprocal zugzwang you are on, do not chase a win that is not there, and bank the draw.