BOYS WILL BE GIRLS


What do boys want more than anything else in the world? To become a girl, of course! No? Well, in the looking-glass world of chess endings it's true. Take Eddie the e-pawn, for example. There's nothing he'd like more than to turn into Queen Edwina. The White King has lost his Queen and could certainly do with another one so he is going to try to help Eddie, while the Black King is going to try to stop him.


Take a look at the diagram on your right. Will Eddie become a Queen, or will the Black King stop him?


If you answered 'yes' you're not quite right. If you answered 'no' you're also not quite right.

The correct answer is: it depends whose move it is. If it's White's move he has two choices. He can continue to defend Eddie with Kd6-e6, which is STALEMATE, so, a draw. Or he can move his King away from Eddie, when the Black King will take him. Again a draw.


But if it's Black to play something different happens. he only has one possible move: Ke8-f7. Then White will play Kd6-d7 and because he is now controlling the queening square, e8, Eddie will become a Queen next move. And you know how to win with a King and a Queen, don't you? This position is VERY IMPORTANT. Look at it again and make sure you understand it.


Did you notice something strange about that position? In most chess positions you'd prefer it to be your move. In the topsy-turvey world of endgames, though, it's sometimes better NOT to have the move. There's a special word for this sort of position: a funny looking German word. ZUGZWANG. A position where you would rather pass than make a move. And of course you're not allowed to pass in chess!


If we move all the pieces back one square, we reach the position in the diagram. What happens now? Will Eddie become a Queen this time? In this position it doesn't matter whose move it is. If it's White's move he can only play Kd5-e5, which doesn't affect the result. So we'll assume it's Black's move.


What would you play next for Black? Can you stop Eddie becoming a Queen? THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN CHESS SO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.


Black has four moves in this position. His King can go to f6, d8, e8 or f8. Let's look first at Ke7-f6. White replies Kd5-d6. He's now got round the side of his pawn, which is where he wants to be. His next three moves will be Kd6-d7, e6-e7 and e7-e8=Q, and there's nothing Black can do to stop him. Now let's try Ke7-d8. White again plays Kd5-d6. Black goes Kd8-e8. White pushes his pawn: e6-e7. We now have the position in the first diagram with BLACK to move. You'll remember that White wins. If you try Ke7-f8 instead on your first move the same thing will happen. Now go back to the diagram and play Ke7-e8. White again plays Kd5-d6. Stop again and decide on your next move. Will it be Ke8-d8 or Ke8-f8?


If the King goes to d8. White plays e6-e7+, the Black King returns to e8 and we reach the position from the first diagram with WHITE to play. You remember the result? A draw. But Ke8-f8 is not the same thing. Now White plays, not e6-e7+ with a draw, but Kd6-d7 when White will get a new Queen for Christmas. So, returning to the position in the diagram, Black's only move to draw is Ke7-e8. IF YOUR OPPONENT HAS A PAWN ON THE SIXTH RANK BLOCKED BY YOUR KING AND IT IS YOUR MOVE, YOUR KING MUST GO BACK TO THE QUEENING SQUARE. This is very important! Remember it!


In our next diagram the White King in front of the pawn. What do you make of this position? Is White winning or is it a draw? Does it matter whose move it is?

Well' let's try White to move first. 1. Ke6-d6 Ke8-d8 2. e5-e6 Kd8-e8 3. e6-e7 and we've reached the first diagram with BLACK to move. You know what the result is? A win for White: Eddie becomes a Queen in two moves time. What about Black to move first? Go back to the diagram and start again. 1... Ke8-d8 2. Ke6-f7 (going round the side to control the queening square) 2... Kd8-d7 3. e5-e6+ and in two moves time Eddie will again become a Queen. So, with the pawn on the fifth rank and the King in front, it's a win with either player to move.

Now we'll move everything back one square again, giving the diagram on your right. Let's see if it makes any difference. Will Eddie become a Queen this time, or can Black stop him?

Suppose first it's White's move. We'll play 1. Ke5-d5 Ke7-d7 (the only good move - can you work out why? If he goes to f7 White wins by going round the side to d6, and if he goes back White comes forward again.) 2. e4-e5 Kd7-e7 3. e5-e6 and we've reached a position we know already with BLACK to play. Do you remember what Black's next move is? That's right. Ke7-e8 is the only move to draw.


Now try again with Black moving first. 1... Ke7-d7 2. Ke5-f6 (Now White can go round the side) 2... Kd7-d6 3. e4-e5+ Kd6-d7 4. Kf6-f7 (controlling the queening square) and White will get a new Queen. So this time it's a draw with White to move, a win for White with Black to move. Another ZUGZWANG position.


This position also shows you another important idea in endings. You will see that the two Kings stand two squares apart. When this happens we say that the player who does not have the move has THE OPPOSITION. This is usually an advantage. What it means is that if your opponent moves his King he has to give way and let you through. So, with Black to move he has to move his King to one side. This allows White's King to come round the other side. But if White moves first, whichever way he goes the Black King follows him and he can never get through. Have another look at the position with White to move. As you've seen, after 1. Ke5-d5 Black plays Ke7-d7, keeping the OPPOSITION, but Ke7-f7 instead would be a mistake because of Kd5-d6, and White gets round the side. Likewise, if White tries 1. Ke5-f5, what should Black play? This time he must play Ke7-f7, keeping the OPPOSITION, rather than Ke7-d7, allowing White to come round the side to f6.


The positions we've seen so far apply to all pawns except Alfie the a-pawn and Harry the h-pawn. With just a King and a Pawn against a King, it's much harder for Alfie to become Queen Alfreda, or for Harry to become Queen Harriet. In fact, all four positions are drawn with correct play.


For example, this sort of position, you remember, would be a win with either player to move with any pawn except Alfie or Harry. White to play: 1. Kh6-g6 Kh8-g8 2. h5-h6 Kg8-h8 3. h6-h7 and it's stalemate. Black can't move round the side because there's no i-file for him to move to!


Even in our next example, with White's King in front of the Pawn, controlling the Queening square, it's still a draw. With White to play we have 1. Kh7-h8 Kf7-f8 2. h6-h7 and it's White who is stalemated. Or with Black to play: 1... Kf7-f8 and White can choose between Kh7-h8 when he will be stalemated or Kh7-g6 when Black will be stalemated. But Black must be a bit careful here. 1... Kf7-f6 would be a mistake. White plays 2. Kh7-g8 which forces his pawn through. Black can always draw against an h-pawn by getting his King to f7.


Finally, there are some positions where the enemy King cannot catch the pawn.


Can the Black King catch Alfie in this position? The easy way to work this out is to draw a square on the board from White's Pawn to the queening square. If the Black King can move into the square he can catch the pawn. So, Black, to play, could draw with Kg2-f3 stopping Alfie by marching along the diagonal to a8. But if it was White's move he could push Alfie through to queen and Black's King would never quite catch up. Play it out and see what happens.


Finally, let's return to Eddie. This time he's back on his starting square, dreaming of becoming a Queen. Shall we see if we can help him?


It's White to move, and he can always win with best play. The idea is first of all to get in front of your pawn. If you need to do so, play a pawn move to take THE OPPOSITION. Then move round to the side so that you control the queening square and shepherd your pawn through to queen.


Here's one way to do it.


1. Ke1-d2 Ke8-d7

2. Kd2-e3


White moves in front of his pawn.


2... Kd7-d6

3. Ke3-e4 Kd6-e6 (Diagram)

4. e2-e3!


The key move. White takes the OPPOSITION and forces Black to give way.


4... Ke6-f6

5. Ke4-d5


White moves round to the side of the pawn.


5... Kf6-e7

6. Kd5-e5 Ke7-d7

7. Ke5-f6 Kd7-e8

8. e3-e4 Ke8-f8

9. e4-e5 Kf8-e8 (Diagram)


10. Kf6-e6!


And you should remember that this position with Black to move is a win for White. But 10. e5-e6 would only draw. So you always have to be very careful in this ending. Try to work out exactly what's happening in each position before you move.


One final thought. You've seen how even a very simple position with only two Kings and a Pawn can be quite difficult to get right. Imagine how much more difficult a position with lots of pieces on the board can be!

HELPFUL HINTS


1. Even just one extra pawn can often be enough to win. That is why you must always make sure you are at least equal in material at any point in the game unless you have a VERY GOOD REASON.


2. Just because there are not many pieces left on the board it doesn't mean that you should play faster. Instead you should be trying to look further ahead.


3. Remember: if you have a King on your SECOND RANK and your opponent has a Pawn on his SIXTH RANK on the same file as your King and a King defending it you MUST go back to the QUEENING SQUARE. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN CHESS: DON'T FORGET IT!


4. The OPPOSITION: If your King is TWO SQUARES away from your opponent's King on the same FILE and it is your opponent's move YOU HAVE THE OPPOSITION. In many endings, having the OPPOSITION makes the difference between a win and a draw, or between a draw and a loss.















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White to move