Pablito15

A problem I often have with endings: they always teach you about distant opposition and da da da, but what is more important than distant opposition is being able to advance to a critical square without losing it. Is it true to say that "if the board is empty and you have the opposition you should be able to get the king to almost any square you want?" (apart from the corners)


Black to play and win

Ok. So this position is fairly simple, one can look at it and say if black gets to d1 or d3 he has won, as white loses control of the critical c2/3 squares. So attempting to look at successes/failures from a "end game rule" point of view:

1. Kf3?? Keeps a distant opposition but gives up direct opposition to Kd3! 2. Kf4 (no more direct opposition) but after Kd2! white now has the diagonal opposition and presumably a draw.

2. Kf2?? draws immediately to Kd2..

3. Kg2! Keeping the distant opposition without giving white an opportunity to win a direct opposition. White to play (Kd1/2/3 lose quickly to Kf1/2/3 so white tries) Kd3. Now black must advance without giving up opposition. He has two options Kf1 & Kf3. Kf1 looks good to win e2 & therefore d1, but it loses to Ke4 for white. Kf3 on the other hand, which looks like a dead draw, wins. White responds with Kd2, black with Kf2, and now white picks a way to lose: Kd1, Ke3 loses control of the critical d3, and Kd3, Ke1 loses control of the critical e1. This time the threat of Ke4 is not the same as the black king is a step closer. It's still confusing, as if we count the moves both sides need to march to b3/b6, take two pawns, then step aside, White will queen before black. But black won't step aside in this position:

Kg2, Kd3, Kf3, Kd2, Kf2, Kd3, Ke1, Ke4, Kd2, Kd5, Kc3, Kc6, Kxb3, Kxb6:


(whoever plays wins by force)

White has another way of trying to defend rather than 1. Kd3, he can try 1. Kc3. But we reach the same critical position after 2. Kf1, Kd3:


black to play and win.

It's so simple in a king and pawn V king situation.. You simply note the key squares and move to them. But when the key squares are things like d1 and there are more pawns on the board it becomes complicated. Anyhow! if anyone knows a text that explains similar positions really well do share! Silman I find gives me little.

Just2Good

There is no way black can win this position.

__________________
.
"The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."

~ Isaiah Berlin ~

Pablito15

Sure there is! Ke1 and they'll either reach the position one image above with black to move, or he will get in behind.

Just2Good

Oh yeah, I missed that. Is there anything else though?

__________________
.
"The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."

~ Isaiah Berlin ~

Pablito15

For white? he can play 1. Kc3 to try and complicate things, when 2. Kf2?? or Kf3?? would lose the opposition, but black still wins after Ke1!

Then white has 3 responses, Kd3 is met by Ke1 reaching the position above again, and Kd2/Kc2 are met with black simply taking the opposition again