Mined Squares on Defense: Only One Move Holds
Black to play and draw
PlayIdentical locked pawns, but now you are the defender and it is your move. That one tempo flips the result from a loss to a draw, and only if you find the single move that holds. It is not the one that guards the pawn.
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The Same Position, and Only One Move Saves It
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.
This is the previous position with the other side to move, and the result flips from a White win to a draw. It flips only if you find the one move.
c5 is your mine. Kings on e6 and c5 is a reciprocal zugzwang. Occupy c5 on your own initiative and White plays Ke6 and wins. You have to arrive there after he commits to e6.
Kb5 is the only move. It stands one step from c5, ready to answer Ke6 with Kc5. The natural pawn-guarding retreats Kc7 and Kb7 both lose, because White wins the race to e6.
The pawn is not the point. Even when the d5 pawn eventually falls, White's king takes the opposition in front of your d6 pawn and the ending is drawn. What you cannot survive is losing the mined-square race.
In this drill the attacker knows the map. Play Kb5 and hold.
Keep going
The Bishop Pawn Escapes
White to play and draw
When the Bishop Pawn Loses Anyway
White to play and win
Let the Rook Pawn Queen, Then Mate
White to play and win
All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)