So here are three rules for winning when you have a Pawn on the 5th rank, and your opponent has no pieces but his King. They are:

• Get your King to one of the critical squares in front of your Pawn
• Push your Pawn to the 6th rank only when your King is on one of the escort squares or when you take the “opposition” by moving the Pawn
• Push your Pawn to the 7th rank only when you do not give check by moving the Pawn

Follow those three rules, and you will always have a good plan for this ending. We’ll review the first of these rules in today’s blog post, and the second and third rules in future blog posts.

Before we explore these rules further, there are a couple of matters that need to be cleared up for beginning players.

What is the “fifth rank?”

When I refer to the fifth rank, I mean the rank that runs from a5 through h5 for White, and a4 through h4 for Black. If we say that the Pawns start on the second rank (a2 through h2 for White, a7 through h7 for Black), then moving a Pawn one step forward puts him on the third rank, another step on the fourth rank, etc., until the Pawn ultimately reaches the 8th rank where it promotes. So the “fifth rank” doesn’t refer to a rank in absolute terms, it refers to a rank in relative terms: it’s one rank for White and another rank for Black. It refers to the fifth rank counting from your side of the board. If you’re White, then it’s a5 through h5; but if you’re Black, it’s a4 through h4. See the diagram below.

White's fifth rank is highlighted in red; Black's fifth rank is highlighted in green

What are the critical squares for a Pawn on the fifth rank?

A second matter to clear up is the term “critical squares.”

I use the term “critical square” for a square that, if occupied by your King, guarantees a favorable result. (Some writers, Averbakh, for example, call these “key squares.” Quoting Averbakh:

These … squares … are called — in the theory of pawn endings — key squares, since the occupation of any one of them by the white King leads to the attainment of White’s ends (the promotion of the pawn).”

Yuri Averbakh, Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge, p. 40.

For the stronger side (the side with the Pawn), there are three critical squares when the Pawn is on the fifth rank. Those squares are the square directly in front of the pawn and the squares on either side of that square. So for a Pawn on e5 (as in the diagram below), the critical squares are at d6, e6, and f6.

The critical squares for a Pawn on the fifth rank

Get your King to one of the critical squares in front of Your Pawn

So here’s the rule: for Pawns on your 5th rank, you must first get your King to one of the critical squares, i.e., the square directly in front of the Pawn, or one of the two squares on either side of that square. If you can do that, you can always win.

We’ll look at more rules for this ending in future blog posts.

The short answer is, “no.”

The long answer is a little more interesting, and has a surprise in it. First, let’s look at what happens when you try to checkmate a lone King with a King and Knight.

King and Knight can’t checkmate a lone King.

In order to checkmate the enemy King, you must, at a bare minimum, be able to check the enemy King when he is in the corner of the board and cover the three possible escape squares. So let’s say that the Black King is sitting on h1. Since the King can’t check the enemy King (the King giving check would also be in check himself), the check must be delivered by the Knight. That means that the Knight would have to check the King at h1. So the Knight would have to sit on f2 or g3. Let’s imagine that the Knight is on f2 and delivering check to the enemy King at h1. Like so:

Now we just have to add the White King to cover the possible escape squares. If we put White’s King on h3 or g3, it covers two escape squares (h2 and g2), but it leaves g1 open.

And if we put the White King on f1 or f2 to cover the g1 square, that leaves h2 open as an escape hatch. As it turns out, there is no way to cover the four squares needed to construct the checkmating position. There is just no way to make a position where the King and Knight can checkmate the lone enemy King.

If you doubt me on this, I encourage you to get out a chess board and try to set up a checkmate position. It can’t be done.

But the King and Knight can sometimes mate the enemy King.

Here’s the surprising part: the King and Knight can checkmate the enemy King in certain positions if we give Black a little more material — i.e., where Black has a Rook-pawn.

First, you should know that this is merely theoretical; it will almost never come up in a real game. (Reuben Fine called this a “problem position.”) But it is helpful to know the idea, if only to know how the pieces react with one another. So here’s the idea.

In this position, White can checkmate the enemy King with two beautiful moves:

• 1.Nf1 (stalemating the Black King, and so forcing his next move)
• 1…h2
• 2.Ng3 mate

Beautiful, isn’t it? But let’s make the position a little tougher. Let’s change the starting position of the pieces so that the White Knight starts at f4, like this…

… we actually have a mate in 6. Check this out!

• 1.Ne2! Kh2 (otherwise White will play 2.Ng3 mate)
• 2.Nc3 (White could also play 2.Nd4 and then 3.Nf5 here) Kh1
• 3.Ne4 Kh2 (Again forced, else White mates immediately)
• 4.Nd2 Kh1
• 5.Nf1 h2
• 6.Ng3 mate

Speaking of Stalemate

It is possible to stalemate Black with a King and Knight. In this position, for example:

White is two moves from checkmate, and wins with either 1.a8(Q) or 1.a8(R) or any other move (though other moves would take a little longer) except for one: 1.Nf3?? stalemate.

It would be better in this type of position to get the Knight out of the way, forget about it, and just win with the Queen and King against King. If you need to review the procedure for checkmating with a King and Queen against King, just click the preceding link.

So there you have it, Phil — you can’t win with a King and Knight against a King. But I hope it turned out to be a little more interesting than you thought at first!

The dictionary defines “desperado” as “a bold or violent criminal.” Whether the “desperado” Rook be a criminal or a hero depends on whether it’s your Rook or your opponent’s. Regardless, we will see him acting bold and violent in today’s lesson.

A “desperado Rook” is a Rook that offers to sacrifice itself over and over again, in the hopes that the enemy King will capture the Rook. If the King ever does capture the Rook, the game will end in a draw by stalemate.

Examples of the “Desperado Rook”

Take this position for example (moves in bold font indicate the main line):

White to move and draw

Black is threatening 1…Qxa4, when White has only one legal reply: 2.Kb1, and is checkmated immediately by 2…Qd1 checkmate.

But it’s White’s move, and he has a drawing resource. He can play 1.Rd4+!

(This is the only way to avoid losing the game.) Now if Black captures the Rook — 1…Kxd4 — it’s stalemate; the game is a draw. So White has offered the rook as a sacrifice, knowing that if black captures it, the game is a draw.

Tip — How to recognize the desperado Rook draw!

The secret to recognizing this possible tactic is to see that the White King would be in stalemate if it were his move and his Rook were not on the board. In this particular case, White notices the relative positions of the White King in the corner and the Black Queen standing a Knight’s move away.

Any time the lone King is in the corner with the enemy Queen a Knight’s move away, it’s stalemate if it’s the King’s move. (This stalemate can come up a number of different ways, and it’s very important in Q v P endgames where White has a c-pawn or f-pawn on the 7th rank.)

Back to the main line

But to return to our position — instead of capturing the Rook, Black could try to avoid it. So he wisely plays 1…Ke3. In which case, White plays 2.Re4+!!

Again the white rook offers itself up. If either the King or the Queen captures the Rook, White is stalemated and the game is a draw.

2…Kf3. Black still avoids the capture.

3.Rf4+.

And White continues the pursuit. This is why the rook is called a “desperado.” Like before, if Black captures the Rook, the game ends in stalemate.

3…Ke2

Black decides to try something different, hoping to somehow avoid the desperado.

4.Rf2+!

But the Rook will not be denied.

Black has two choices: he can either capture the Rook or move the King to protect the Queen. If he captures the Rook, it’s instant stalemate as in the other instances. But if 4…Kd1 (or …Kd3), 5.Rxc2 Kxc2 stalemate!

In this variation, the rook has shown both his bold and violent nature.The desperado Rook valiantly offered himself as a sacrifice in order to save the White King from certain doom.

Here are two desperado Rook positions from Lev Alburt and Roman Pelts:

(If you’d like that great beginning chess book, check out this link:
Comprehensive Chess Course Volumes I & II (Chess Course Volumes 1 & 2 From beginner to advanced player in 24 lessions 3rd Revised and Enlarged Edition, Volume 1 & 2).)

In both of the following diagrams, White is to move and draw. I’ll have links to the solution for both problems before the end of the week.

White to move and draw

White to move and draw

Many times, inexperienced players will heedlessly push their passed Pawn, completely oblivious to the opponent’s defensive resources. They may have read Irving Chernev’s classic book for beginning chess players, “Logical Chess: Move by Move.” (It’s the first book I read with any understanding – every move for every game is explained.) He said (several times, if I recall correctly), “passed pawns must be pushed.”

That is true, but not always true, and not true of King and Pawn v. King endings. For these endings, it’s more important to push the King! Max Euwe said this:

As to the passed pawn, textbooks often say that one should advance it as far and fast as one can, but rather we should say: advance the passed pawn only as far as is necessary. In … basic pawn endings … the most important principle is that of getting the king into play, as far forward as possible, and in fact this is nearly always the first thing to be done.” (See A Guide to Chess Endings, p. 41-42.)

So, for example, in the simple King and Pawn endings that have appeared in this blog, the first thing to do … almost always … is: forget the pawn – push the King!!

If you’ve played much chess at all, you have probably gotten to the point where you understand that being a piece down (or even a couple of pawns down) means you’re probably going to lose. Unless there is some strong edge or the possibility of an attack, being significantly down in material means you’re going to lose. And you resign.

And your opponents feel the same way. You win a Knight; opponent resigns.

Or you get to an endgame with a good passed pawn. Winning ending; opponent resigns. You Queen a Pawn; opponent resigns.

And so it goes. Most games played with long time controls end with either very simple mates (Queen and King against King) or one of the players resigns in an obviously losing position. (Unless, that is, the game ends in a draw.)

In any case, relatively few games end with checkmate or the impending threat of checkmate.

So how is the average player to get practice with checkmate patterns when the opponent always resigns long before checkmate?

One solution is just to get a book with checkmate patterns (such as Reinfeld’s book 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate). But that isn’t quite the same as practicing against an opponent.

The solution – Play Speed Chess

The solution to the problem of practicing checkmates against a live, resisting opponent, is to play speed chess. Preferably 5-minute games or shorter.

A much higher percentage of fast time-control games end in checkmate than longer games do. The reason is because of the time control. With a short time control, your opponent knows that though you may be a Knight ahead, turning that Knight into a win might be difficult — it might not be obvious what to do to win with that extra Knight, and you end up losing on time. A lot of speed chess games end with one of the players losing on time, but a lot of them end with checkmate. The reason is because players are less likely to resign when behind by a Pawn or even a piece. The possibility of winning (or drawing) the game because the opponent’s time runs out keeps players playing in positions that they would otherwise resign.

The way to use this to your advantage is to take advantage of the increased possibility of studying interesting mating patterns. If you play even a few speed games, you will likely have one or more games end in checkmate. After the game, review the game, especially the checkmate, and see if you can learn anything about the pattern. Is there a better way to do it? Did the opponent have a defense he overlooked? Then review the mating pattern a few days later.

You could even make a database of checkmate patterns from your own games. I find this to be very helpful for review.

And if you’re looking for blitz opponents, try one of the online chess sites, you can probably find a blitz game in less than 15 minutes from reading this!

If you saw my other article about how to win with a King and Pawn against King, you may remember that the attacker has to get his King in front of his Pawn. Specifically, (for a Pawn that is on its 2nd, 3rd, or 4th rank) the attacker has to get his King to one of the three squares that are two squares in front of the Pawn in order to be sure to force a win.

Critical Squares to Win with King and Pawn against King

To defend against the King and Pawn, White needs to prevent the King from reaching one of the critical squares. And the best way to do that is to get his own King to one of the two squares directly in front of the enemy Pawn.

Stop and Telestop Squares as Defensive Positions

From the following starting position, the defense proceeds as follows:

• 1…Ke8
• 2.Ke5 (moving to the telestop square)

The White King on the telestop square -- second best defensive square

• 2…Kf7
• 3.Kf5 (gaining the “opposition” to prevent Black from getting in front of his Pawn)

The opposition as a defensive resource

• 3…e6+
• 4.Ke5 (this time, moving to the “stop square”)

• 4…Ke7
• 5.Ke4 Kf6
• 6.Kf4 e5+
• 7.Ke4 Ke6
• 8.Ke3 Kd5
• 9.Kd3 e4+
• 10.Ke3 Ke5
• 11.Ke2 Kd4
• 12.Kd2 e3+
• 13.Ke2 Ke4
• 14.Ke1 Kd3
• 15.Kd1 e2+
• 16.Ke1 Ke3 stalemate

Stalemate! It's a draw.

The primary point to keep in mind is preventing Black from getting in front of his Pawn, and keeping your own King on the Stop and Telestop squares whenever possible. When those squares are unavailable, move to oppose the enemy King. That procedure will get you a draw every time. But you must proceed carefully; thoughtless defense can turn a draw into a loss in a single move!

Even a single Pawn can be the difference between winning and losing. This simple fact is vital for beginning chess players to understand. The material at your disposal is important — and that means every Pawn is important. Just winning a Pawn can be the edge that allows you to win; and losing a Pawn can be the edge that allows your opponent to win.

That little material advantage — a single Pawn — often comes down to the question of winning the King and Pawn vs. King ending.

Of course, knowing how to defend the ending can be the difference between a loss and a draw — but that will be the subject of a future blog post.

Use your King to fight!

The first simple rule to remember in most King and Pawn endings is this: get your King in front of your Pawn. If you do just that, you’ll win a lot more endgames. (And this rule applies to more than just King and Pawn endings.)

So the first rule is to get your King in front of your Pawn. A corollary to that rule is that you should not move your Pawn until your King is in front of your Pawn. Rather than impulsively pushing your Pawn as quickly as possible, you should advance your Pawn only when the way has been prepared by your King, driving the enemy King back to unfavorable positions.

The critical squares

In order to quickly decide whether you can win a King and Pawn ending, you should know that your Pawn has a critical square — in fact, it has three critical squares. The squares are called “critical” because you can win the game if your King can occupy one of those squares, while you will probably draw the game if you can’t. (Your opponent might blunder, of course; but analysis should never proceed on the hope or belief that your opponent will make a mistake.)

Note that these critical squares are only for the King and Pawn v. King endgame. There are different critical squares for different kinds of King and Pawn endgames.

The critical squares for all the Pawns except the Rook-pawns (i.e., Pawns on the b- through g-files) is the square that is two squares in front of the Pawn and the squares immediately adjacent to that square — unless the Pawn stands on the fifth rank, when the critical squares are moved back one row, directly in front of the Pawn. We’ll cover how to promote the Pawns on the c- through f-files in this article. The Knight-pawns (Pawns on the b- or g-files) and Rook-pawns (Pawns on the a- or h-files) have slightly different rules and procedures. We’ll cover those in a future blog post and video.

Here is a diagram showing the critical squares for a White Pawn on e2.

The Critical Squares for the White Pawn at e2

The d4, e4, and f4 squares are called “critical squares” because if White can occupy any one of them, he is guaranteed to win with best play. On the other hand, if Black can prevent White from occupying any of the critical squares, he is guaranteed a draw with best play. (Black need not occupy the critical squares — he need only prevent White from occupying the critical square in order to draw.)

The ending would proceed something like this.

• 1.Kd2 Ke7
• 2.Ke3 Kf7

Black realizes he can’t prevent White from getting his King to one of the critical squares, so he maneuvers to get the opposition.

• 3.Ke4 Ke6

How Does White Make Progress?

Now White has occupied the critical square, but Black has the opposition. How does White make progress?

• 4.e3!

White to Move and Draw - Black to Move and Lose

Now White has the opposition! Black must give way. (We should note that if it were White’s move in this position, Black would be able to draw the game. As it is, he must allow the White King to advance.)

It is also important to note that when the Pawn moved forward, the critical squares also moved forward. White must keep his King in front of the Pawn! His new objective: get the King to one of the new critical squares on d5, e5, or f5. Black moves:

• 4… Kd6
• 5.Kf5! Ke7
• 6.Ke5 Kd7
• 7.Kf6 Kd6
• 8.e4 Kd7
• 9.e5 Ke8

Now White has to “squeeze” Black off of the promotion square. This is a critical moment, and beginners can go wrong here. 10.e6?? would be a big mistake that throws away the win. Black would play 10…Kf8, and now 11.e7+ Ke8 and now White must choose between 12.Ke6 stalemate and moving the King away so that Black can capture the Pawn. Remember the rule: King in front!

• 10.Ke6 Kd8
• 11.Kf7

The White King in Position to Escort the Pawn to the Promotion Square

From this square, the King protects all the squares leading to the promotion square. The Pawn just marches in.

• 11… Kd7
• 12.e6+ Kd8
• 13.e7+ Kd7
• 14.e8(Q)+ …

And White wins.

In the next installment, we’ll see how to defend this position — how to draw with a King against a King and Pawn.

International Master Davorin Kuljasevic scored five wins and four draws at the 2010 Pula Open in Croatia to become the first Knight Raider to enter the elite ranks of the approximately 1,000 grandmasters worldwide.

The news item says that Kuljasevic is Coratian, and as I couldn’t find him listed on the “top” lists at uschess.org, he has likely played in the U.S. only very recently.

Nevertheless, it’s a great achievement for Kuljasevic, Texas Tech, and the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence.

I found a really nice free chess database online. It’s 365chess.com.

The site boasts a 3.5-million game database, which is regularly updated. It has several nice search functions The site has a very clean appearance and the interface works very well. Registration is free, though registration is required to search the database.

You can search the database by player names, by a particular board position, or using the opening explorer.

The one down-side is that you must be a “supporter” (i.e., pay for the service) in order to download games as pgn files. The up-side is that the service costs only $10.00 per year. Very inexpensive database!

Overall, the site is very nice and can allow you to do a lot of opening analysis for free.