Even Experienced Players STRUGGLE With This Chess Endgame Puzzle| Endgame Study To Master Opposition

[@avshiloh2438]

LOVE your explanations!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you found the video useful!

[@mozartk465]

This is very nice, but I think there is an easier way at 13:02. Black just moved Kf8, and you say to advance the pawn to g5. But that lets Black take the opposition, which is confusing. Easier is White Kh7. I think there is a problem at 13:06. Black just moved back to Kg8 (taking opposition), and you say White Kf6. But that allows Black Kh7. Isn't that a stalemate if you push the pawn. Otherwise, to avoid 3-time repetition you'll eventually need to move White Kg6 and Kh6, so that Black Kf7 allows Black the whole e-file, avoiding stalemate. (I'll edit this if I'm wrong. Still thinking ...)

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

At 13:02. yea you are right, it was easier to move Kh7, I was too focused to explain the mirroring part. For the 13:06, the same, I wanted to emphasize that mirroring move, but even if black would play Kh7, instead of Kf8, white would respond to Kf7, securing the promotion square and it's not a stalemate, because black has the H8 square available. So it would be Kf6 Kh7, Kf7 Kh8, Kg6 Kg8, KH6 Kh8, G6 Kg8, G7 Kf8, Kh7 and white promotes next turn

[@tykemorris]

I agree. Kh7 is a much better move or at least quicker. Once at h7, you no longer have to worry about black blocking your pawn. Even if Black goes to Kf7, your next move is Pg5 and you have a red carpet to promotion.

[@tykemorris]

Good one. At the 8:00 mark you said the white pawn was forced to capture. I thought white could simply advance his pawn to Pg3. I had to look at it again but you are right. If Black stops there on the third rank and waits for his king, it is a draw.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Yea, either way it's a draw

[@niravapurv4578]

4:06. with a pawn on g4, the key squares is f6, g6, and h6 right? Not f5, g5, and g5. With pawn on 4th rank, and king on 5th rank, white only wins if they have opposition. So the 5th rank squares are not key squares per definition because white does not have a reserve tempi move to regain opposition if they dont have it. The definition of a key square is that its winning if the king can land there even without nesesarily having the opposition. In this posiotion here white wins because they have opposition.

[@lajos-berenyi]

One definition comes from the other. For g4 pawn the key squares are f6, g6, and h6, but you can get your king there from f5, g5, and h5, if you have the opposition. So in my opinion the best way to remember is: you win, if your pawn is in front of the half board, means 5th rank if you white, and your king is in front of your pawn. Or if the pawn behind the half board, means 4th, 3th or 2th rank, you can win only if your king is in front of the pawn with two ranks, or only with one rank, but you have the opposition.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You are correct, maybe I miss informed, but this is the way I learned it, when trying to promote your pawn using opposition and your pawn is on the 4th rank, move your king in front of the pawn by also gaining opposition, and after that you could easily keep opposition when you advance on the 5th rank. But you are correct, your king being on the 5th rank, while your pawn is on the 4th rank is a win only if you have opposition, if not, it's a draw

[@niravapurv4578]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv yes yes, i understood it was a explaition issue. And its nice with this basic explantion. The variation you showed is correct ofc, just the words could be missunderstood. So i think its good this little comment is here in case somebody wonders about it. Your variation is clearly winning as you maintain opposition or outflanking :) witch this video was about.. keep up the good work.. interesting possitions, Ty.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

@@niravapurv4578 thank you, and thank you for your clarifying comment as well, after I read it, I realize that I've should have worded better because maybe it's clear for players with a higher elo, but for a beginner who just started playing it would not be so obvious and your comment is perfect to clarify this.

[@niravapurv4578]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv Yeh the comment is hopefully clearifying. anyways we are not perfect, i seen hanging pawns gone totaly wrong in explalining triangulation too. the video is stil out there.. he does a triangulation and says one side is winning. But the possiton is wrong since the opponent can just trianglatet too.. For triangulation to work one need a king that cant go to a corresponding square that is somewhat blocked or controlled by a pawn.. and he just chose a possition that does not work and is not winning. We all do mistakes :) and this mistake was just in the wording, so probably most understand, or they learn these nuances later. what you could do is make another video that explaines or expands the understanding of key squares. just an idea if you wanted to clearify for your audiences.. if not i think this comment is enough if somebody start wondering about it, the first thing i usualy do is to go in the comment section :)

[@beaconite4249]

Good lesson. At 11:20 I think I might have figured out the Kg1 move prior to this to retain my pawn as a g-pawn but I’m almost certain I would have played g4 and not g3. Hopefully I remember this if it ever comes up. 😊

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you found it useful. I am sure you will remember it next time you would encounter a situation like this.

[@donj2222]

Excellent presentation, thanks.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CC-ii3ij]

Fantastic lesson!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Glad you liked it!

[@reneflug4243]

Thanks ! :)

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You're welcome!

[@advocatusdiaboli9971]

At this position kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJe5l4emfJmWeKM would not moving king to f3 also work? As I see it: if black moves pawn h3, white can move pawn g3. If black does h2, the white king will catch up to g2 when pawn is on h7, taking it if it dares to transform. If black does not move h3 after white king went f3, but instead moves the black king, white moves king to g4. Now the black pawn cannot escape anymore.

[@niravapurv4578]

All your logic works except your last move Kg4 is met with h2. So after Kf3, h3, g3, Kd7, you are saying "If black does not move h3, but moves the king... you probably visualises the pawn on wrong square as pawn is already on h3. So the white king can't go g4, since black has h2. White would be loosing since the black pawn will promote.

[@johnkesich8696]

Is there anything wrong with 1. Kg1

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

no

[@tykemorris]

He says no, but if Kg1 is your first move, then unless black advances his pawn, it will take 5 moves by White to capture the pawn. By then black will have the pawn protected with the black king on g6. The reason you start with Kf2 is because it forced black to advance his pawn one space. Otherwise white Kg3 means the black pawn is doomed. By starting with Kf2, Black must advance the pawn to keep your king from g3. Now black king can't get there in time to protect his pawn as it is too far away. So black must change strategy and continue to advance his pawn.