Home :: Improving at Chess - a route through the maze

Queen against Pawn

Submitted by DrDave on Sat, 28/08/2010 - 21:50
Not much of a contest? Well, this can be tricky if the Pawn is nearly a Queen itself - as might happen if you had a Pawn each and both were racing to promote.  If your Pawn became a Queen, could you still win by stopping the opponent's Pawn? This sheet tells you how - if it can be done at all.

Case 1. Centre Pawn on the Sixth

+-----------------+
|.+.+K+.+|
|+.+Q+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.ip+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
If White can blockade the Pawn by putting the Queen or the King in front of the Pawn (say, d1) White will win, of course.

  Even if the Queen and the King are both distant, White still wins.

  Bring the Queen in with checks and make the Black King blockade or lose the Pawn; then bring in the King.

1. Qd5 d2 2. Kd7 Kc2 3. Qc4+ Kb1 4. Qd3+ Kc1 5. Qc3+ Kd1

  Now White can move the King:

6. Ke7 Ke1 7. Qe3+ Kd1 8. Ke6...

  The King creeps forward until it gets within range (Case 2)...

Case 2. Centre Pawn on the seventh

+-----------------+
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+K+.+|
|+.+Q+.+.|
|.+.0.+.+|
|+.i.+.+.|
+-----------------+
With the White King close, White wins by attacking the Pawn with the King.

1. Qc3+ Kd1 2. Ke3 Ke1 3. Qxd2+ Kf8 4. Qf2#

Case 3. Rook's Pawn on the seventh

+-----------------+
|.+.+K+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|Q+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|pi.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
With the White King distant, a Rook's Pawn (a-Pawn or h-Pawn) draws:

1. Qb4+ Ka1

  ...and White has no time to move the King closer because of stalemate.

Case 4. Knight's Pawn on the seventh

+-----------------+
|.+.+K+.+|
|+.+Q+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.i.+.+.|
|.0.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
With the White King distant, b-Pawn (or g-Pawn) loses.

  White wins as in case 2: there is no stalemate trap.

 

Case 5. Bishop's Pawn on the seventh

+-----------------+
|.+.+K+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+Q+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+p+.+.+|
|+k+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
With the White King distant, a c-Pawn (or f-Pawn) draws:

1. Qb3+ Ka1!

  ...BUT...

Case 5b. Bishop's Pawn on the seventh

+-----------------+
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.+.+.+|
|+K+Q+.+.|
|.+.+.0.+|
|+.+.i.+.|
+-----------------+
With White King not so distant, and on same side as the Black King, White wins (just!) by threatening mate:

1. Kc2 f1=Q 2. Qd2#

  Other squares can also work: Kc1 and Ke3 in the diagram above.

Chess Quotes

From: Dan Scoones

Moments when you should sense DANGER in chess:

  1. There has been a change in the pawn structure. Your opponent has 8 and you don't have any.
  2. Your opponent begins to throw pawns at your eyes.
  3. You have a postion won but your opponent has a gun.
  4. The Director tells you not to bother turning in your scoresheet after the game.
  5. Before game begins you notice your opponents 1st initials are 'GM'.
  6. After completing your development you sense your opponent playing the endgame.
— -- I don't know the composer of this - anyone? By the way, I.M. George is distinguished local player! Ian isn't actually an IM but he won the West of England Championship last year