The Extra Pawn That Cannot Win

Black to play and draw

White is a pawn up and it is worth nothing. His passer is a rook pawn, his own king is in front of it, and your king boxes that king in on the h-file. The rule says draw, and the tablebase agrees.

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The Extra Pawn That Cannot Win

Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

An extra pawn is not a win when the pawn is a rook pawn and the king in front of it cannot get out of its own way.

The rule. If the passed pawn is a rook pawn, the attacking king stands in front of it, and the defending king boxes that king in on the rook file, the ending is drawn. That is exactly this position. The blocked a-pawns on the other wing change nothing at all.

How to box him in. Do not blockade the passer and do not go near the queenside. Shadow the white king one file away: Kf5 against Kh5, Kf4 against Kh4, Kf6 against Kh6. Each of those is the only move.

The finish. The white king is pushed up in front of his own pawn to h7 and h8 while your king holds f7 and f8. He has no way to make room, and the pawn never queens.

In this drill you are a pawn down and completely safe. Learn the boxing pattern and you will save these in practice.

Keep going

The Stalemate That Saves

Black to play and draw

Corresponding Squares: Dedrle's Draw

Black to play and draw

Two Passers and a King on a Leash

White to play and win

All 62 king & pawn positions Follow the full curriculum (free)