Chess lessons › Chess endgames
Connected and protected passed pawns
A protected passed pawn ties the enemy king down, and two connected passed pawns keep a lone king out.
The idea
A protected passed pawn ties the enemy king down.
- The a4 pawn defends b5, so Black’s king cannot take it.
- Black’s king must stay near the b-pawn, so White’s king goes the other way.
- The g7 pawn falls, as Black’s king cannot come to defend it.
In a game: A protected passed pawn ties the enemy king down: use the time to win something else.
How the lesson begins
White’s pawn on b5 is passed, and it is protected: the pawn on a4 defends it, so Black’s king cannot take it. Black’s king must also stay in the square of the b-pawn, or the pawn runs to b8. So Black’s king is tied to the queenside, and White’s king is free.
Find the move
Black’s king cannot leave the b-pawn. Bring your own king across to win the g7 pawn.
A hint
Do not touch the pawns. Walk the king to g7.
Show the answer
1. Kf5
Kf5 heads for g7 by the quickest road. To defend g7, Black’s king would have to leave the square of the b-pawn, and the pawn would queen. So g7 falls for nothing. In fact every king move wins here.