Endgame 1

[Joost Buijs]

That position is similar to this study:

[d]7k/8/8/8/6p1/4QpPb/5PpP/6K1 w - - 0 1

The winning methods consists of pushing the black king to the a-rank then quickly capture the bishop so the g-pawn can outrun the king.

Of course the question that remains is how do you push the king to the a-file, can you do this with a lone queen?

[Sven]

Of course the question that remains is how do you push the king to the a-file, can you do this with a lone queen?

Yes, that it easy, provided you mean "to the first rank", not to the a-file (which is easy as well but not sufficient for the solution). The first key position is wQf6, bKg8 with Black to move. Then White can push the king to the corner a8, and there you get a similar key position wQc6, bKb8 with Black to move. Now the rectangle for the king gets smaller step by step since you can always keep your queen top-right to the king. In some cases there might even be faster ways.

[Joost Buijs]

Of course the question that remains is how do you push the king to the a-file, can you do this with a lone queen?

Yes, that it easy, provided you mean "to the first rank", not to the a-file (which is easy as well but not sufficient for the solution). The first key position is wQf6, bKg8 with Black to move. Then White can push the king to the corner a8, and there you get a similar key position wQc6, bKb8 with Black to move. Now the rectangle for the king gets smaller step by step since you can always keep your queen top-right to the king. In some cases there might even be faster ways.

a-file or 1-rank, whatever.
Maybe I'm just blind for this position and I haven't been playing chess for almost 10 years, but I really don't see how you can get the king to the other side of the board.

[MikeGL]

Of course the question that remains is how do you push the king to the a-file, can you do this with a lone queen?

Yes, that it easy, provided you mean "to the first rank", not to the a-file (which is easy as well but not sufficient for the solution). The first key position is wQf6, bKg8 with Black to move. Then White can push the king to the corner a8, and there you get a similar key position wQc6, bKb8 with Black to move. Now the rectangle for the king gets smaller step by step since you can always keep your queen top-right to the king. In some cases there might even be faster ways.

a-file or 1-rank, whatever.
Maybe I'm just blind for this position and I haven't been playing chess for almost 10 years, but I really don't see how you can get the king to the other side of the board.

My lowly Dual Core running critter1.6 32bit announces mate in 59. But actual solution could be shorter (with matefinder engines)



[/img]

[Joost Buijs]

Yeah I see the pattern now.

Without having a physical board nearby to play out the sequence it was difficult to find.
I wonder why Critter finds this so quick at 40 ply, it must do a lot of extensions.

[BBauer]

In a related position I get this:

Code: Select all

FEN: 1k6/pBp5/P1P3K1/8/8/8/5r2/b7 w - - 99 157

Stockfish_16042402_x64_modern:
 8/2	00:00	 56	19k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 9/2	00:00	 63	21k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 10/2	00:00	 70	23k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 11/2	00:00	 77	26k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 12/2	00:00	 84	28k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 13/2	00:00	 91	30k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 14/2	00:00	 98	33k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 15/2	00:00	 105	35k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 16/2	00:00	 112	37k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 17/2	00:00	 119	40k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 18/2	00:00	 126	42k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 19/2	00:00	 133	44k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 20/2	00:00	 140	47k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 21/2	00:00	 147	49k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 22/2	00:00	 154	51k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 23/2	00:00	 161	54k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 24/2	00:00	 168	56k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 25/2	00:00	 175	58k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 26/2	00:00	 182	61k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 27/2	00:00	 189	63k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 28/2	00:00	 196	65k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 29/2	00:00	 203	68k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 30/2	00:00	 210	70k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 31/2	00:00	 217	72k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 32/2	00:00	 224	75k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 33/2	00:00	 231	77k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 34/2	00:00	 238	60k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 35/2	00:00	 245	61k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 36/2	00:00	 252	63k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 37/2	00:00	 259	65k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 38/2	00:00	 266	67k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 39/2	00:00	 273	68k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 40/2	00:00	 280	70k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 41/2	00:00	 287	72k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 42/2	00:00	 294	74k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 43/2	00:00	 301	75k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 44/2	00:00	 308	77k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 45/2	00:00	 315	79k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 46/2	00:00	 322	81k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 47/2	00:00	 329	82k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 48/2	00:00	 336	84k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 49/2	00:00	 343	86k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 50/2	00:00	 350	88k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 51/2	00:00	 357	89k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 52/2	00:00	 364	91k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 53/2	00:00	 371	93k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 54/2	00:00	 378	95k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 55/2	00:00	 385	64k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 56/2	00:00	 392	65k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 57/2	00:00	 399	67k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 58/2	00:00	 406	68k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 59/2	00:00	 413	69k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 60/2	00:00	 420	70k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 61/2	00:00	 427	71k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 62/2	00:00	 434	72k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 63/2	00:00	 441	74k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 64/2	00:00	 448	75k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 65/2	00:00	 455	76k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 66/2	00:00	 462	77k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 67/2	00:00	 469	78k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 68/2	00:00	 476	79k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 69/2	00:00	 483	81k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 70/2	00:00	 490	82k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 71/2	00:00	 497	83k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 72/2	00:00	 504	84k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 73/2	00:00	 511	85k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 74/2	00:00	 518	86k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 75/2	00:00	 525	88k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 76/2	00:00	 532	76k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 77/2	00:00	 539	77k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 78/2	00:00	 546	78k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 79/2	00:00	 553	79k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 80/2	00:00	 560	80k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 81/2	00:00	 567	81k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 82/2	00:00	 574	82k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 83/2	00:00	 581	83k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 84/2	00:00	 588	84k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 85/2	00:00	 595	85k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 86/2	00:00	 602	86k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 87/2	00:00	 609	87k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 88/2	00:00	 616	88k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 89/2	00:00	 623	89k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 90/2	00:00	 630	90k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 91/2	00:00	 637	91k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 92/2	00:00	 644	92k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 93/2	00:00	 651	93k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 94/2	00:00	 658	94k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 95/2	00:00	 665	95k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 96/2	00:00	 672	96k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 97/2	00:00	 679	97k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 98/2	00:00	 686	98k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 99/2	00:00	 693	99k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 100/2	00:00	 700	100k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 101/2	00:00	 707	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 102/2	00:00	 714	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 103/2	00:00	 721	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 104/2	00:00	 728	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 105/2	00:00	 735	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 106/2	00:00	 742	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 107/2	00:00	 749	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 108/2	00:00	 756	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 109/2	00:00	 763	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 110/2	00:00	 770	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 111/2	00:00	 777	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 112/2	00:00	 784	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 113/2	00:00	 791	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 114/2	00:00	 798	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 115/2	00:00	 805	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 116/2	00:00	 812	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 117/2	00:00	 819	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 118/2	00:00	 826	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 119/2	00:00	 833	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 120/2	00:00	 840	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 121/2	00:00	 847	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 122/2	00:00	 854	3k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 123/2	00:00	 861	4k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 124/2	00:00	 868	4k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 125/2	00:00	 875	4k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 126/2	00:00	 882	4k	 0,00	Bb7-a8
 127/2	00:00	 889	4k	 0,00	Bb7-a8

wich seams poor.
Kind regards
Bernhard