Hi all,
I'm reading Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and I am stuck on his example 9, chapter 1 (pawn endings), and wondered if anyone could explain it for me.
The starting position is as follows, with white to move:
Capablanca says that White should move: "1. P - B 5 [or f5 in modern notation]". Black will then respond, he says, with "K - K 2 [e7]". However, Stockfish says that the best response for black is actually g6.
Capablanca addresses this alternative, saying that, if black responds with g6, white should advance pawn to f6. However, this seems to me to simply be an invitation for black to take the pawn with his king, since if black threatens the pawn on f6 by moving his king to e6, white can only protect it by moving pawn to g5, which will in turn be threatened by black pawn to h6 (capturing h6 and racing to Queen isn't an option, because black will capture the f6 pawn, and will still get there in time to catch the queen).
I cannot find any way to win from this position - stockfish stalemates me every time - and yet Capablanca says it's possible. How?
Thanks in advance if you can set my mind at rest and give me a chance of a good sleep tonight!
Hi all,
I'm reading Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and I am stuck on his example 9, chapter 1 (pawn endings), and wondered if anyone could explain it for me.
The starting position is as follows, with white to move:
Capablanca says that White should move: "1. P - B 5 [or f5 in modern notation]". Black will then respond, he says, with "K - K 2 [e7]". However, Stockfish says that the best response for black is actually g6.
Capablanca addresses this alternative, saying that, if black responds with g6, white should advance pawn to f6. However, this seems to me to simply be an invitation for black to take the pawn with his king, since if black threatens the pawn on f6 by moving his king to e6, white can only protect it by moving pawn to g5, which will in turn be threatened by black pawn to h6 (capturing h6 and racing to Queen isn't an option, because black will capture the f6 pawn, and will still get there in time to catch the queen).
I cannot find any way to win from this position - stockfish stalemates me every time - and yet Capablanca says it's possible. How?
Thanks in advance if you can set my mind at rest and give me a chance of a good sleep tonight!
1 f5 wins, but 1 g5 or 1 h5 as well.
Indeed after 1 f5 g6 2 f6 is the only winning move.
Indeed 2...Ke6 3 g5
If 3...h6 then 4 Kc5 wins.
1 f5 wins, but 1 g5 or 1 h5 as well.
Indeed after 1 f5 g6 2 f6 is the only winning move.
Indeed 2...Ke6 3 g5
If 3...h6 then 4 Kc5 wins.
@tpr said ^
1 f5 wins, but 1 g5 or 1 h5 as well.
Indeed after 1 f5 g6 2 f6 is the only winning move.
Indeed 2...Ke6 3 g5
If 3...h6 then 4 Kc5 wins.
Amazing, thanks!
@tpr said [^](/forum/redirect/post/8ofAfRi7)
> 1 f5 wins, but 1 g5 or 1 h5 as well.
> Indeed after 1 f5 g6 2 f6 is the only winning move.
> Indeed 2...Ke6 3 g5
> If 3...h6 then 4 Kc5 wins.
Amazing, thanks!
After 1.f5 g6 2.f6 Ke6 3.g5 h6 4.Kc5 hxg5 5.hxg5 the win is still not trivial, because black can wait with his king on f7-f8 and when white reaches Ke6 then Ke8 seems to hold the position...
BUT then after
Ke6 Ke8
f7+ Kf8
Kd7! Kxf7
Kd6
and black pawn is doomed as the white king reached the key squares for this blocked pawns positions which are he three squares in the row of the blocked pawn (d6-e6-f6 in this case)
After 1.f5 g6 2.f6 Ke6 3.g5 h6 4.Kc5 hxg5 5.hxg5 the win is still not trivial, because black can wait with his king on f7-f8 and when white reaches Ke6 then Ke8 seems to hold the position...
BUT then after
Ke6 Ke8
f7+ Kf8
Kd7! Kxf7
Kd6
and black pawn is doomed as the white king reached the key squares for this blocked pawns positions which are he three squares in the row of the blocked pawn (d6-e6-f6 in this case)
Senor Capablanca, an official diplomat for Cuba, said
Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight.
Senor Capablanca, an official diplomat for Cuba, said
Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight.
@EphraimGadsby said ^
Hi all,
I'm reading Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and I am stuck on his example 9, chapter 1 (pawn endings), and wondered if anyone could explain it for me.
The starting position is as follows, with white to move:
starting position.jpg (https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=Crv06txjmrwk.jpg&w=280&sig=15e61760f3d34205d1a3fead3e87362a5f08f5d1)
Capablanca says that ...
@EphraimGadsby said [^](/forum/redirect/post/yy2rcj8F)
> Hi all,
> I'm reading Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and I am stuck on his example 9, chapter 1 (pawn endings), and wondered if anyone could explain it for me.
>
> The starting position is as follows, with white to move:
>
> starting position.jpg (https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=Crv06txjmrwk.jpg&w=280&sig=15e61760f3d34205d1a3fead3e87362a5f08f5d1)
>
> Capablanca says that ...
Capablanca never had a kind word about Stockfish. :-)
Capablanca never had a kind word about Stockfish. :-)
