King and pawn vs. king endgame

Hello ! 

Im interested in how to promote a pawn in king and pawn vs. kings endgame. Today, when i was playing i couldnt do it because my opponent would force stalemate.

a, h pawn endings if the defending king can reach the corner always a draw.

There is nothing White can do here. This is a draw for multiple reasons. First off, the White King must be in front of his own pawn to have any chance, it's lateral to the pawn, and secondly, you have a rook pawn, which never works, ever, provided the Black King can get to f8 or anywhere in front of the pawn on the g or h file. It's already on h5, so fat chance there. What you need to do is sit down in front of a board and pieces, not a computet screen, and study an endgame manual. I would recommend the one by Jeremy Silman.

The posted position is a draw for two reasons.

1. Rook pawns are always a draw if the opponent's king can make it to the corner (usually just the bishop's square e.g. f8 in this case).

2. Non-rook pawns only win for you if your king can occupy one of the three critical squares (always in front of the pawn).  The key squares are a line of 3 squares in front of the pawn.

e.g. of "critical squares"

White pawn on d3: c5, d5, e5
White pawn on d4: c6, d6, e6
Black pawn on f6: e4, f4, g4

And in the posted position it's both a rook pawn where the enemy king can get to the corner and the white king cannot get in front of the pawn anyway.

If you don't own a chess book on these basic endgames, there are now many videos on youtube which explain these basic pawn endgames.

To add to waffle's key squares, for a pawn on the 5th, the key squares become only 1 rank infront of the pawn.

Now that that's been answered, here are two positions that are winning for white, but I see players accidentally draw.

Right. In the first you should step forwards with your king and eventually can win the black a pawn. In the second 1. Kh6 and you're able to force the king from the corner.

In the first diagram, use opposition to win black's a pawn (or get really far in front of the pawn).

In the second diagram step to the rook file (h6) to avoid the stalemate tricks.

It seems simple once you've been told but I've seen plays at the club move around for a bit then say "oh this position must be a draw" which makes me cry

Oh yeah, that's right.  My post after yours is a good example.  White wins, but with the knight pawn there's a small trap.

You beat me to it.

Are there any other good positions like this that can trick people?  Maybe I'd be tricked in one too?  These are two that I've seen.

It's surprising how many players don't take the time to really learn these well, it's applicable to so many endgames. You need to know at every point if trading to a pawn endgame is winning.

On the TT there has been GM's not understanding pawn endgames with 1 pawn each side and that's no exaggeration.

Maybe this one, because a lot of people think opposition is the goal, not key squares.

Have you seen these? http://www.chess.com/blog/Scottrf/pawn-endgames

Oh, this looks familiar.  I'm guessing Kc2 running to b5 is the answer.

I have to admit though that Kd2 with the opposition looks winning... or is that already an error?

Kd2 Ke8 Kc2 (avoiding Kd3?) and you can reach b5 no problem (I hope).

Kd2 is equal

@waffle : I think the corresponding square to b3 is c7, so Kd2-c2 shouldn't work

Kd

2 is draw:

Glad you shared it because I fell for it!

What's interesting to me is after 1.Kd2 Ke7 2.Kc2 that 2...Kd8 also draws and white can go on taking the opposition as he likes 3.Kb2... but it's getting him nowhere.

Reminds me of a note I made (or maybe I read it?) that opposition is only useful if you can use it to breakthrough to something important.  Here white can use opposition to force his way to the 8th rank, but black's happy to let him do it as long as he doesn't touch the key squares.

Thanks again.

Yes but then Ka4 and white can get to the 8th rank

But yes, you're right, he can't win.

Yeah opposition is just a tool.

1. Kd2 Ke7 2. Kd3 Kd8?? is losing though, pretty easily.

Yes, I was thinking 2.Kc2 may win but Kb3 Kc7 is a draw.

There's a ~3000 rated engine that doesn't know how to evaluate these endgames, although I'm sure it would play them correctly. (tcec.chessdom.com/stage_4.php?ig=45, http://tcec.chessdom.com/stage_4.php?ig=79)