Chess Strategy
|---------------------------------------|
7 | ^R | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | #P | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | #P | | | | | | #P | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | #P | | | | | ^P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | #B | | | ^P | | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | | | #P | ^K | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 71
games of QUEEN V. QUEEN, ROOK V. ROOK, AND MINOR PIECE V. MINOR
PIECE, in which one player has a majority of pawns, or an equal
number of pawns, one of which is passed. As a rule the extra
---------------------------------------
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | #B | | | | | | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | ^Kt| | ^K | | #P | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 72
pawn leads to a win. There are, however, exceptions frequently
recurring in practice to which I must refer specially.
Diagram 72 shows an end-game with a Rook's pawn and a Bishop "of
the wrong colour."
White draws with 1. Kt-Q2, P-B7; 2. Kt-K4ch, K-Kt7; 3. KtxP, and
draws, as Black, in order to capture the White pawn, after KxKt
must give the White King access to the Rook's square, from which
he could not be dislodged except by a Bishop on White squares.
In Diagram 73 White cannot win although his Bishop is of the
"right colour" by 1. P-B7, KtxP; 2. BxKt, and White cannot win
the Rook's pawn. He can only attack the pawn from Kt7 or Kt8,
both of which are inaccessible as the Black King gets to Kt1. It
is a stalemate position. If the White
---------------------------------------
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | #K | | | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | ^P | | #Kt| | | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | ^K | ^B | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 73
pawn were still at R5, White's King could attack the pawn from R6
and secure the win.
In the position given, White could only win by keeping his passed
pawn, and indeed it is possible to win by gaining a move with the
Bishop. In the diagram it is White's move. Black with the move
could not play K-B2 because K-Q6 would follow. The Knight would
have to move, allowing the pawn to queen. Therefore White must
try to bring about the same position with Black to move. He can
do this, for instance, in the following way:
1. B-Kt3, K-B2 (now 2. K-Q6 would be bad on account of Kt-Q5, 3.
P-B7, Kt-Kt5ch, and KtxP); 2. B-R2, K-K2; 3. B-K5. Now White's
plan has succeeded; the same position has occurred, and it is
Black's move. As mentioned before, the King must not move, but
Knight's moves are of no avail. If 3. ... Kt-Kt4; 4. B-B6ch, the
Knight is lost, or alternatively the pawn queens. On 3. ... Kt-
B1, B-Q6ch decides, and on 3. ... Kt-Q1; 4. B-B6ch, K-K1; 5. BxKt
© 101ChessTips.com. All Rights Reserved.
