Hello and welcome back for another episode! This month, we will be looking at King and Pawn puzzles!
In today’s episode, I will be providing you with the locations of the different pieces on the board. It is your job to figure out the solution by pausing the podcast before moving on. Today, we will be looking at 3 puzzles each around a different endgame theme starting from Easy and working our way to Hard.
Here is your first puzzle - White has a king on b2 and a pawn on g5. Black has a king on c4. It is white to play.
Please pause and find the solution before moving on.
Solution coming in 5 seconds.
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This puzzle demonstrates the ‘Rule of the Square’. If you draw a diagonal from the white pawn until you reach the end of the board. Now, imagine another line starting at the ending square of the diagonal and extend it upwards until it reaches the rank of the pawn. If the black king can enter that square, the pawn can be caught. If he cannot - the pawn will promote.
Time to move on to the next puzzle. White has a king on f1 and a pawn on d4. Black has a king on h8. It is white to play.
Please pause and find the solution before moving on.
Solution coming in 5 seconds.
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This puzzle discusses the concept of Critical Squares / Key square which is exclusive to king and pawn endgames. As long as the king is in one of these squares they can force pawn promotion. Such ideas of Key Squares can take the forms of - shouldering, opposition, and boxing out.
To determine Key Squares - if the pawn is on the 2nd through 4th rank - as long as the king is in any of the 3 squares that are 2 ranks above the pawn, you can force promotion. For example - if the pawn is on d4, the king can occupy c6, d6, or e6 to force promotion.
This changes when the pawn is on the 5th-7th rank, the king can occupy any of the 3 squares that are 1 or 2 ranks in front of the pawn.
There is some funky behavior for rook pawns, but the general rules applies.
The last puzzle is a bit of a tough one.
White has a pawn on b3, a pawn on g4, and a king on f3. Black has a pawn on a6, b5, and a king on g5.
Please pause and find the solution before moving on.
Solution coming in 5 seconds.
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This has been coined as ‘Stopping two pawns with one’ and International Master Silman as the ‘Fox in the Chicken Coupe’. The idea is, you can lock up two pawns with one by preventing your opponent from advancing their pawns without giving you a passed pawn. Then, on the other side of the board, you lure the king further down the board and away from their pawns. Once they are far enough, you can abandon your extra pawn, collect the two of your opponent’s, then promote your own. This has more practical effects with more pawns on the board, especially if you can keep distracting them.