Triangulation in King and Pawn Endgames
White to play and win, after Triangulation
PlayYou have the winning position, but the wrong side is to move. Triangulation is the maneuver that gives the move back to your opponent and drops him into zugzwang.
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Triangulation: Losing a Move to Win
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
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The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
d5 and d7 are the corresponding squares. Your king on d5 against his on d7, with Black to move, is zugzwang, and he has to give ground. Right now it is your move, so your job is to bring back the same position with him to move.
Triangulation is a way to lose exactly one move on purpose, so that the same position comes back with your opponent to move.
Find the corresponding pair. Here it is d5 and d7. Kings on those squares with Black to move is a zugzwang he cannot survive. With White to move it is nothing at all.
Walk the triangle. Your king goes d5-c4-d4-d5. Three moves, an odd number, so the obligation to move passes to the other side. The black king has no matching detour: the b6 pawn takes a7 and c7 away from it, and your king takes c6, d6 and e6.
Then break through. Forced off d7, the defender lets your king into d6 or e6, and the c5-c6 break decides.
In this drill the defense never cracks. Trace the triangle, restore the position with Black to move, and win.
Keep going
Corresponding Squares Behind the Passed Pawn
White to play and win
The Stalemate That Saves
Black to play and draw
Corresponding Squares: Dedrle's Draw
Black to play and draw
All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)