The first move is the star move!

1. d6+!! exd6+ Black can do no better. If he moves his King, White cleans up with 2.d7, walks his King to f7 with appropriate timing, and garner Black's Pawn for an easy win. 2. Kd5! Kc8!! Trap. 3. Kc6!! Not 3. Kxd6? which draws after 3... Kd8 ... Now the threat is 4.e7. 3... Kd8 4. Kxd6 Now White has won the Pawn while taking the opposition, and the latter makes all the difference. 4... Ke8 5. e7 1-0 [Horowitz I.]

A hasty appraisal discloses (1) White is a Pawn ahead (2) White has two protected passed Pawns (3) Black has a protected Pawn and (4) the White King is quite a distance away from its passed Pawns and will most likely not be able to assist in their advance. The denouement rests on this last point.

1. Kd4 Kg4 2. h4 Kh5 So far, so good. White has made a little progress. 3. Ke4 Kg4 4. Ke3! Kh5 5. Kf3! Editor's note: Triangulation forces king to give ground while remaining in the c4 pawn's square. 5... Kg6 6. g4 Kh6 7. h5 Kg5 8. Ke3 Kh6 9. Kf4 Kg7 10. g5 Kh7 11. g6+ Kh6 12. Ke3! Kg7 13. Ke4 Kh6 14. Kf4 Kg7 15. Kg5! c3 16. h6+ Kg8 17. Kf6 c2 18. h7+ Kh8 19. Kf7 c1=Q 20. g7+ Kxh7 21. g8=Q+ Kh6 22. Qg6# 1-0 [Horowitz I.]

This is a very important defensive tool. Sometimes the defender can find a stalemate defence in more complex positions.

1. Kg4 In the actual Chigorin-Tarrasch game in 1905, White played 1. gxf6?? gxf6 2. Kg4 Ke4 and Chigorin resigned in lieu of 3. Kh5 Kxf5 4. Kh6 Kg4 5. Kxh7 Kh5! (5... f5? 6. Kg6!=) 1... Ke4 2. g6! h6 3. Kh5! and Black has no way of proceeding since 3... Kxf5 would be stalemate! 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Davidson) This ending has actually been "cooked" by IM Jovan Petronic, and his suggested defense (2...Kc8!) is perhaps as brilliant as the attempt made by Davidson.

1. c5! THE right moment for the breaktrough. Black must not be given time for 1...Kc8, consolidating his position. 1... bxc5 If 1... dxc5 2. d6 cxd6 3. Kxd6 and all Black's pawns will fall. 2. Kb5 Kd7 2... Kc8! IM Jovan Petronic 3. a4?? (3. Kxa5 c6 4. dxc6 d5 5. Kb5 d4 6. Kc4 Kc7!=) 3... Kb7 (3... Kd7) 4. Kxa5 c6 5. dxc6+ Kxc6 6. b4 d5 7. b5+ Kb7 8. b6 c4 (8... d4) 3. a4! Not at once 3. Kxa5 as after 3... c6 Black has counterplay. 3... Kc8 Whereas if now 3... c6+ (instead of 3...Kc8) 4. dxc6+ Kc7 5. b3 and Black is helpless. 4. Kxa5 Kb7 5. Kb5 Ka7 6. Kc6 Kb8 7. a5 Kc8 8. a6 Kb8 9. a7+ Kxa7 The rest is no strain on White. 10. Kxc7 Ka6 11. Kxd6 Kb5 12. b3 Kb4 13. Kc6 1-0 [Chernev I.]

(study by Grigoriev, 1931)

1. h4! The obvious attack on Black's Pawns would lead to the following: 1. Kf7 g5 2. Kg7 Kb3 3. Kxh7 Kc4 4. Kg6 g4 5. Kf5 Kd5 6. Kxg4 Ke6 7. Kg5 Kf7 and Black reaches h8 with an automatic draw against the Rook Pawn. 1... h5 If 1... h6 2. h5 Kb3 3. Kf7 wins at once or if 1... Kb3 2. Kf7 Kc4 3. Kxg7 Kd5 4. Kxh7 Ke6 5. Kg6 Ke7 6. Kg7 keeps the King at arm's length and wins. Now comes the point of the position 2. Kf8! This move keeps g8 open so that after 2...g5 3.hxg5 White's Pawn will Queen with check. The natural continuation 2. Kf7 allows 2... g5 3. hxg5 h4 4. g6 h3 and both sides Queen with a drawn result. 2... g6 3. Ke7! Here too if 3. Kf7 or 3. Kg7 the reply 3... g5 4. hxg5 h4 leads to a draw. The move actually made keeps the square g8 open for White's Pawn to Queen with check. 3... g5 Or 3... Kb3 4. Kf6 and White captures both Pawns and wins. 4. hxg5 h4 5. g6 h3 6. g7 h2 7. g8=Q+ Ka3 8. Qg2 1-0 [Chernev I.]

(study by Grigoriev 1932)

1. Nb4 h5 2. Nc6 Not 2. Nd5+? Kf3 (diagonal opposition). 2... Ke4 2... h4 3. Ne5 h3 (3... Kf4 4. Ng6+) 4. Ng4+ and the knight succeeds in halting the pawn on the sixth rank. 3. Na5!! Visually paradoxical, but since f1 is now the best square for the knight, easy to understand. 3... h4 4. Nc4! Black cannot prevent Nd2-f1 or Ne5-g4. Not 4. Nb3? Ke3 erecting a king barrier. Similar to diagonal opposition, the king negates the knight's two most active moves. 4... h3 5. Nd2+ Ke3 6. Nf1+ (=) Another example of how the knight, despite its inherent clumsiness, can prove agile if it can create a dual route to a key defensive square. 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Mohring-Pribyl, Hradec Kralove 1977) A Practical example of the Averbakh fix of the Fine rule. As Averbakh pointed out, all pawns need to reach the fifth rank to guarantee a win. Fine's rule of two pawns is not enough, as demonstrated by Averbakh in the example from practical play.

1... Nd3+ 2. Ke4 Nf2+ 3. Kf4 Nd3+ 4. Ke4 Nf2+ 5. Kf3 Nh3! Or 5... Nd3 6. e6+ Ke7 7. g5 6. Ke3 Ng5 7. Kd4 Ke8 8. Kd3 Kf7 9. Ke3 Nh3 10. Kf3 Ng5+ 11. Kg3 Kg7 12. Kf4 Nh3+ 13. Ke3 Kf7 14. Kd4 Ke7 15. Kd5 Nf4+ 16. Kc4 Nh3! Black defends in accordance with the rule. 17. Kd4 Ng5 18. Kd5 Nh7 19. Ke4 Ng5+ 20. Kf4 Nh3+ 21. Kf3 Ng5+ 22. Kg3 Kf7 23. e6+ Kf6 Now the blockade suffices to hold. 24. Kh4 Ne4 25. Kh5 Nd6 26. Kh6 Ne8 27. Kh5 Nd6 To stop the e- and g-pawns (from e8) if White tries to break through with g5. 28. Kh4 Ne4 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Toth-Miles, Reggio Emilia 1984) Here White's fractured queenside pawn structure, and weak-c4 square give Black a positional advantage.

1... Ke7 2. Kc2 Kf6 3. g4? Better was 3. Nh2 intending g3,f3 according to Miles. 3... g6! Planning ...h5 creating more white weaknesses. 4. Kd3 Alternatively: a) 4. Nd2 h5 5. Nxc4 dxc4 6. f3 Ke6! intending ...b5, ...g5! (Miles) b) 4. Nh2 h5 5. f3 Ne3+ intending ...Ng2xh4; the knight is only temporarily out of play on h4. 4... h5 5. gxh5 gxh5 6. Ng5 Kf5 7. Nh7 Nd6 8. f3 Nf7 9. Ke3 Nh8! 10. Ng5 Or a) 10. Kf2 Ng6 11. Kg3 Nf4 12. Kf2 Ne6 trapping the knight on h7. b) 10. Nf8 Ng6 11. Nxg6 Kxg6 12. Kf4 Kf6 The white king will have to give ground and Black can combine a king advance with creating an outside passed pawn on the queenside. 10... Ng6 11. Nh3 c6! Zugzwang. 12. Nf2 Nxh4 13. Nd3 Ng6 14. Nb4 Ne7 15. Kf2 a5 16. Nd3 Ng6 17. Kg3 Nf4! 18. Ne5 Or 18. Nxf4 h4+ () 18... Ne2+ 19. Kh4 Nxc3 20. Nxc6 Nxa2 21. Ne7+ Ke6 0-1 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(N+N+P)

1... Kf3 2. Kh1 Kg4 3. Kh2 Kh4 4. Kh1 Kh3 5. Kg1 Kg3 Now it is White to move and the Black king can force it's way to f2. 6. Kh1 Kf2 7. Kh2 Ng2 8. Kh3 Kf3 9. Kh2 Nf4 Completing the transfer of the knight. But before the decisive action, Black must again manoeuver to pass the move to White. 10. Kh1 Ke2! Not 10... Kf2 11. Kh2 and Black has got the tempi wrong. 11. Kg1 Ke1 12. Kh1 Kf1 13. Kh2 Kf2 14. Kh1 Nf5 15. e7 Ng3+ 16. Kh2 Nf1+ 17. Kh1 Ne2 18. e8=Q Neg3# 0-1 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

By all laws of the Medes and the Persians and of chess, White is hopelessly lost in the diagrammed position. His King cannot stop the Black Pawn from queening, while Black's Bishop can stop White's Pawn. Yes it is all an illusion.

1. Ke7!! How this move affects theissue is decidedly unclear. The King even blocks the advance of its own Pawn. So much for apperances. White now threatens 2.Kf6 which wins Black's Pawn, for 2...Bd3 is countered by 2.e7. Black's reply is forced. 1... g5 2. Kd6 (!!!) This move raises a question: Is White a member of the Dodgers? For home plate is in the opposite direction. But White is really on the right track, threatening 3.Ke5 to approach Black's Pawn. That Pawn must scamper. 2... g4 3. e7 Bb5 4. Kc5 (!!!) The secret is out. By attacking the Bishop, White gains a precious tempo. If the Bishop is not saved, White can queen. If it is then White's King is in the "square" of Black's Pawn and makes a timely return to catch it. 4... Bd7 5. Kd4 Kb6 Or 5... g3 6. Ke3 g2 7. Kf2 6. Ke4 Kc5 7. Kf4 Kd6 8. e8=Q Bxe8 9. Kxg4 A neat object lesson on how the shortest distance between two point may not always be a straight line in chess. If you really absorbed that lesson you could have solved this ending at the outset. 1/2-1/2 [Horowitz I.]

(study by Centurini 1847) When Bishops are of the same colors, that is, they control the same colored square (in the digram, black), an extra Pawn is sufficient to decide the game. First glance here gives the impression of a draw. For Black's Bishop controld the queening square of the Pawn, and there doesn't seem to be a way of driving the Bishop from the diagonal. But there is!

1. Bh4 Kb6 Black's move is forced, for White was threatening Bf2-a7-b8 challenging the Black Bishop and driving it off the diagonal. Then Black has no defense: e.g. (Place White's Bishop at b8), 1... Bg1 2. Bg3 Ba7 3. Bc7! and White must queen perforce. 2. Bf2+ Ka6 3. Bc5! The point of this move will become clear later on. Now, if Black could pass, White could make no headway. But Black is in zugzwang: he must move. 3... Bg3 Or other squares on the diagonal. 4. Be7 Threatening 5.Bd8, followed by 6.Bc7, etc. 4... Kb6 To prevent that threat. 5. Bd8+ Kc6 Reaching almost the same position as the diagram, with one vital difference. Black's Bishop is now at g3 instead of h2. 6. Bh4! Thus White le to challenge the Bishop and swing over to the other side by the gain of a tempo. 6... Bd6 7. Bf2 As previously mentioned, there is no defense to Ba7-b8, etc. 1-0 [Horowitz I.]

(study by Streltsov, correcting Averbakh 1962)

1. Bb5 f3 or 1... h3 2. Bd7 h2+ 3. Kh1 f3 and 4. Bxg4 (4. Bc6? Kf2 5. Bb7 Ke1! (5... g3? 6. Bxf3) 6. Ba6 (6. Kxh2 Kf2) (6. Bc6 f2 7. Bb5 f1=Q+ 8. Bxf1 Kxf1 9. Kxh2 Kf2 10. Kh1 Kg3 11. Kg1 Kh3 12. Kh1 g3 13. Kg1 g2) 6... g3 7. Bb7 g2+ 8. Kxh2 Kf2) (4. Bc8 f2 5. Ba6) 4... Kxg4 5. Kxh2 Kf4 6. Kg1 Ke3 2. Bd7 Kf4 3. Be6 g3 Or 3... h3 4. Bd7 Kg3 5. Be6 f2+ (5... h2+ 6. Kh1 f2 7. Bc4= White is only surviving this ending due the fact that one of Black's pawns is a rook's pawn, and the corner affords extra stalemate defences. Even with the pawn on g3 White can shuttle with the bishop - even ... Kxf1 is stalemate) 6. Kf1 h2 7. Bd5= 4. Bd7 4. Bh3! is most accurate - see the main line. 4... Ke3 5. Be6 Ke2 6. Bh3! Streltsov. 6. Bg4 g2 7. Bh5 h3 8. Bg4 h2+ 9. Kxh2 Kf2 winning was Averbakh's original solution. 6... Ke1 7. Bf1 f2+ 8. Kh1!= 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Tal-Polugaevsky, USSR Ch 1974)

1... Bc2 Also winning is 1... Kg6 2. Kd6 Kf5 (zugzwang) 3. Ke7 g6 4. Kf7 Bc2 (Polugaevsky) 2. Kd6 Bf5 3. Ba3 Kg6 4. Bc1 Kh5 4... Bg4 and ...Kf5, ...g6 wins more easily according to Polugaevsky. 5. Ke7 g6 6. Kd7 Kg4 Or 6... a3 7. Bxa3 Kxg5 (Polugaevsky). 7. Kd6 Kg3 8. Kc5 Kf3 9. Kd4?! A better try was 9. Kc6! Kg4 10. Kd6 a3 11. Bxa3 Kxg5 12. Bc1+ Kh4 13. Kc5 g5 14. Kd4 g4 15. Ke3 Kg3 16. Bd2 Kh2 9... Kg4 White resigned in view of ... Bb1, ...Kf5 when he will soon be forced to surender a second pawn due to zugawang. 0-1 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Geller-Ivkov, Budva 1967) A typical good position for the knights, with many pawns and a blockaded structure that leaves one of the bishops bad. This in turn handicaps the good bishop which cannot be exchanged, removing the usually powerful option of reaching good bishop versus vs. knight.

1. Kd2 Ba4 2. f3 Bc6 3. Nc3 Preventing possible counterplay with ...Ba4. 3... Bd7 4. Kc2 Be8 5. Kb3 Bd7 6. Nd5 Bc6 7. Ka3 Black is, not surprisingly, in zugawang. Of course not 7. Nc7+ Kd7 8. Nxa6?? when 8... Bb7 traps the knight. 7... a5 Also insufficient are 7... Bd7 8. Nc7+ () 7... Be8 8. Nc7+ () 7... Bb7 8. Ka4 8. Kb3 Kd7 Or 8... Bd7 9. Nc7+ Kf7 10. Nb5 9. Nxf6+ Ke6 10. Nd5 10.Ng8 or 10.Nh7 are also possible. 10... Kd7 11. Nc3 After 11. Nc3 Kc7 12. Nb5+ Kb6 13. Nbd6 and Nf7, white wins more material. 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Botvinnik-Furman, Training Game 1961)

1... Kf8 Or 1... Nc7 2. a4 a6 3. a5 bxa5 (3... Nd7 4. bxa6 Nxa6 5. Bxd5) 4. b6 Nb5 5. b7 Nd7 6. Bxd5 2. a4 Ke7 3. Ba3+ Kd7 4. f3 Nc7 5. Bf8 g6 6. Kf2 Ke6 7. Kg3 Nd7 8. Bh6 f5 9. Bf4 Ne8 10. fxe4 fxe4 11. Kh4 Nd6 12. Bxd6 Kxd6 13. Kg5 Ke6 14. h3 Nf6 15. Kh6 Nh5 Planning to start counterplay with ...Nf4! 16. Bb3! Ng3 17. Kxh7 Kf5 18. Bxd5 g5 19. Kg7 g4 20. hxg4+ Kxg4 21. Be6+ 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Shapiro 1914) Despite the two pawns on the sixth, White actually wins here since he can create threats against the black king and sometimes win a pawn with check.

1. Rd2+ Kb1 If 1... Ka3 2. Rd3+ and Rxg3 or 1... Ka1 2. Kb3 and Rd1 mate! 2. Kc3! Kc1 If 2... h2 3. Rd1+ Ka2 4. Rh1! or 2... g2 3. Rd1+ Ka2 4. Rg1! in each case with decisive zugzwang. 3. Ra2 Kd1 3... Kb1 4. Re2 g2 (4... h2 5. Re1+ Ka2 6. Rh1) 5. Re1+ Ka2 6. Rg1 and wins. 4. Kd3 Kc1 5. Ke3! h2 Or 5... g2 6. Kf2 etc. 6. Ra1+ Kb2 7. Rh1! Kc3 8. Kf3 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by A. Sahini, 1634) White to play draws with:

1. Kh1 f3 2. Rxf3! Kxf3 stalemate! From the starting position, Black to play wins after 1...f3+ 2.Kh1 (2.Rxf3 h1(Q)+ 3.Kxh1 Kxf3 and wins.) 2...g2+ 3.Kxh2 gxf1(N)+ or gxf1(B) and wins! Not gxf1(Q)?? or gxf1(R)?? stalemate! 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Ed. Lasker)

1. Kd6 White is threatening to win with 2.Ra8+ Kf7 3. e6+ Kf6 4. Rf8+ Kg7 5.e7. There is in fact only one good defence. 1... Re1!! This move stops the e-pawn's advance after 2.Ra8+ Kf7. Alternatively: a) 1... Rh6+? 2. e6 and wins b) 1... Rd1+? (this seems plausible but in fact the rook is misplaced on d1) 2. Ke6 and 2... Kf8 (2... Kd8 3. Ra8+ Kc7 4. Ke7 Rh1 5. e6) 3. Ra8+ Kg7 4. Ke7 Rd2 5. e6 2. Ke6 As mentioned above 2. Ra8+ Kf7 2.Ra8+ Kf7 gets nowhere since the back rook indirectly controls e6. Now the black king faces a vital choice. Which way should he run? Dr. Lasker pointed out that the black king should always fo to the "short side of the pawn." There is a very important general principle here. Thknk of the board as cut into two by the file of White's pawn. Then there is a "long side" consisting of the a, b, c, d files, and a "short side" consisting of the f, g, h files. As we shall see in a moment, Black is going to have to defend by checking from the side with his rook. As always in rook endings, the rook require some space in which to operate. Therefore, Black's king goes to the short side leaving the rook the long side for its checks. 2... Kf8! 3. Ra8+ Kg7 4. Re8 Ra1! Threatening flank checks. 5. Rd8 5. Kd7 Ra7+ 6. Kc6 Ra6+ 7. Kb7 Ra1= 5... Re1! 6. Re8 Ra1 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Lucena) English-speaking chess players always refers to this and similiar positions as the "Lucena position" and it is spuriously supposed to have been included by him in his manual in 1497! Together with the Philidor position - form the fundamental theory of rook and pawn against rook.

1. Rg1+ Kh7 White has two winning methods... this is the "bridge" technique. 2. Rg4! White wishes to interpose the rook in order to terminate Black's checks. 2... Rd1 3. Kf7 Rf1+ 4. Ke6 Re1+ 5. Kf6 Rf1+ 6. Ke5 Re1+ 7. Re4 By playing k to the fourth rank, White successfully "built his bridge," i.e., arranged to interpose the rook. 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Doras, 1902) White cannot win by the normal method of building a bridge (Lucena position) since the b6 pawn obstructs the king. But there is a way:

1. Rd2+ Ke7 2. Rd6!! The only way to win. 2... Rc3 If 2... Kxd6 3. Kc8 Rc3+ 4. Kd8 wins! If 2... Ra1 3. Kc7 Rc1+ 4. Rc6 3. Rc6!! Rxc6 4. Ka7 and wins. 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

These occur mostly as a result of both sides queening a pawn. They should normally be a draw, but exceptions occur when there are mating possibilities.

1. Qb2+ Kg3 2. Qg7+ Kh3 3. Qh6+ Kg2 4. Qg5+ Kf1 5. Qf4+ Kg2 6. Qg4+ Kh2 6... Kf1 7. Qe2+ Kg1 8. Qf2# 7. Kf2 and wins. 1-0 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(study by Lolli, 1763)

1... Qh4+ 2. Qh7 Qd8+ 3. g8=Q 3. g8=R is the same if 3. g8=N Qd4+ 4. Qg7 Qxg7+ 3... Qf6+ draw!! (Editor's note: Black has endless checks on the a8-h8, a1-h8, or h1-h8 lines. Amazing!) 1/2-1/2 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Ciocaltea-Unzicker, Moscow 1956) The black king is brought into the white half with ideas of mating nets, cross-checks, the further weakening of the white pawns, and of being well-placed to exploit the exchange of queens.

1... Kf6 2. Qd8+ Ke6 3. Qe8+ Kf5 4. Qd7+ Ke4 5. Qe7+ Kd3 6. Qd7+ Kc2 7. Qe7 Kd2 8. Qd7+ Ke2 9. Qe7+ Qe6 10. Qb7 Kf2 11. Qg2+ Ke1 12. Qg1+ Ke2 13. Qg2+ Kd3 14. Qf3+ Kd2 15. Qf4+ Ke2 16. Qc7 f5 17. Qc2+ Kf3 18. Qg2+ Ke3 19. Qb2 Qc4 20. Qa3+ Qd3 21. Qc5+ Kf3 22. Qc6+ Qe4 23. Qc3+ Kf2 24. Qc5+ Qe3 25. Qc2+ Qe2 26. Qc6 Kf1+ 27. Kh3 Kg1 28. Qc5+ Qf2 29. Qe3 f4 Avoiding stalemate and reaching after 30.Qc1+ Qf1+ an easily won pawn ending. 0-1 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

(Timman-Nunn, Wijk aan Zee, 1982) An example of a good fortress is Timman-Nunn up to and including move 13.

1. Ra3 Qb4+ 2. Ka2 Qc5 3. Kb2 Kg5 4. Rb3 Kf4 5. Rd3 Ke4 6. Ra3 a5 7. Rd3 a4 Reaching the position in a study by Grigoriev. To draw White needs to keep the queen out of c1 and a1 and to maintain the rook on the rank using a3 and d3. 8. Ra3 Qb4+ 9. Ka2 Kd5 10. Rd3+ Kc5 11. Ra3 Qc4+ 12. Kb2 Kb4 13. Rd3 Qe4 14. Ka2?? 14.Ra3 holds. 14... a3! After 14... a3! 15. Rb3+ (or 15. Kb1 Qe1+ 16. Ka2 Qc1 17. Rb3+ Ka4 winning.) 15... Kc4 16. Rd3 Qe2 0-1 [Speelman; Wade; Tisdall]

The safest place for the Rook, in endings of Queen against Rook, is close to his King. Once out in the open, the Rook is no match for the fleet-footed Queen. In the diagrammed position, the Rook is in no danger. White's object therefore is to force the Rook away from the protection of the King, to any other square in fact, where it will be exposed to the threat of capture. White accomplished this object by playing three moves which bring about the position in the diagram, but with Black to move.

1. Qd4+ Ka8 The King must move to the last rank, since 1... Ka6 allows 2. Qa4# 2. Qh8+ Ka7 Again forced, the reply to 2... Rb8 3. Qa1# 3. Qd8 Now white has the desired postion, with Black to move. (Editor's note: Black cannot avoid exposing himself to mate or the loss of his rook. Try it out for yourself!) 1-0 [Chernev I.]