The Pendulum: Holding a King and Pawn Draw
White to play and draw
PlayOne pawn each and the kings face to face. You hold the draw by swinging your king between two squares. Because each square does a different job and no single square does both.
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The Pendulum Defense
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.
Your king has two duties. From g3 it attacks f4. So the f-pawn can never advance. From g2 it covers f3 and stands in opposition to the black king. It cannot do both at once. So it swings.
Some king and pawn draws are held not by activity but by two squares and perfect discipline. The pendulum is a king that swings between them, doing a different job on each.
The two duties. On g3 your king attacks f4, so Black can never push the pawn there: f4+ would simply be captured. On g2 it covers f3 and stands in opposition to the black king. One square, one job, and the swing covers both.
Do not spend the spare move. Your a-pawn looks like a free waiting move. It is not: 1.a4? loses immediately to 1...f4!, which a king on g2 cannot answer. Keep the tempo in reserve, and if Black pushes the pawn later, the king steps to f1.
No slack. Kg3 and Kg2 are the only moves in their positions. Every other square loses.
In this drill you defend against relentless probing. Swing your king, and never touch the pawn.
Keep going
The King's Zigzag
White to play and win
Zigzag Around the Check
White to play and draw
Key Squares: The Winning Map
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All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)