North Devon Chess Blog: What happened next?

Sunday, 8 March 2009

This is a picture from round 1 of the Exeter Chess Congress. White to play: what happened next?

Mark Leonard said...: It looks to me like any king move wins, so I'm guessing g6+??; 9 March 2009 at 01:06
dfan said...: I'm guessing gxh6 e.p. and draw.; 9 March 2009 at 04:03
Mark Leonard said...: I never get these right. Is it a stalemate? Something like 1.Kd6 Kg7 2.Ke7 Kg6 3.Kf8 Kf5 4.Kf7 Kh8 5.g6?? =
Or did Black claim a draw using the 50-move rule?; 9 March 2009 at 04:43
Simon Waters said...: I'm with the almost any king move wins school of thought, so knowing club level chess - draw agreed.; 9 March 2009 at 08:58
Simon Waters said...: Ah maybe - Kf5, Kg7, g6??, Kh6 and white went home and kicked the cat?; 9 March 2009 at 09:04
Jack Rudd said...: I hadn't thought of that one, dfan, but no, black has not just played h7-h5. (If he had, he'd be the one kicking himself: h7-h6 would have drawn.)

Simon, you've got it almost right.; 9 March 2009 at 13:15
Simon Waters said...: Let's see the draw with white Kh6 I described, the draw with g6 when the King is on h8 already guessed.

White could push his king down the f file, play g6, g7, and draw like a normal KPvK. Or spotting that draw drop the g pawn, win the h pawn, and still draw....

Or, in similar style to mine we could end up with white Kf6, Pg7, Ph4, Black Kg8 Ph5 with Kh7, Kf7, Kh6, p-g8Q(?? Under promoting to a Rook wins still) drawn.

Save us the suspense.; 9 March 2009 at 17:29