The stalemate trap — pawn on the sixth

White wins White to move · Pawn endgames · Difficulty about Elo 1000

The plan

Stalemate lurks this close to the goal. The position has only three legal moves in total, and exactly one of them wins: the pawn has to go to the seventh rank, AS LONG AS the black king has not yet blocked its queening square and the neighbouring square stays free for the white king. Both king moves give up the point at once, because Black then reaches the square in front of the pawn in time. How narrow the needle's eye is shows in the counter-test: once the pawn stands on the seventh rank and the enemy king in front of it, there are five possible placements for one's own king — and from every single one, the same one move, the king beside the pawn, delivers IMMEDIATE STALEMATE. From two of these five the position cannot be won any more anyway. That is exactly the trap: the stalemating move is the most natural of all, because the king only wants to cover the queening square. The defender steers deliberately toward it — in the error line he has, four times in a row, exactly one holding move and finds it every time regardless, because all four lead the same way: in front of the pawn.

Rule of thumb: with the pawn on the sixth, it is the PAWN that moves, not the king — whoever saves a quiet king move for the end wins; whoever spends it too soon stalemates.

Why this level: Pawn on the sixth: the most famous stalemate pitfall

The solution, move by move

1. 1. g7 The ONLY winning move of three: the pawn occupies g7 WITHOUT check, as long as the black king does not block it. Both king moves give away the point (sideline).
   Sideline 1. Kg5 The king first — and the point is gone. That gives Black the time to sit down in front of the pawn. 1… Kg7 The ONLY holding move, and Black finds it in his sleep: in front of the pawn. 2. Kh5 Kg8 Again the only move. The black king shuttles between g7 and g8 and cannot be driven off. 3. Kh6 Kh8 And again only this one — into the corner, because otherwise the white king would occupy g7. 4. g7+ The check looks like progress, but it is the giveaway: the pawn goes to a square its own king may now never enter again. 4… Kg8 Forced — and exactly where Black wants to be. 5. Kg6 STALEMATE. The most natural move in the world, the king beside its pawn, and the whole point is gone. From all five possible king placements, this one move delivers stalemate.
2. 1… Kf7 The only move Black has left at all — and it doesn't help, because it clears h7 for the white king.
3. 2. Kh7 The king covers the queening square — the only winning move of seven. This exact placement was the whole point of the pawn move. Immediate promotion, by contrast, would only be a draw (sideline).
   Sideline 2. g8=Q+ The queen at once, even with check — and still only a draw. Of seven moves, only the king move to h7 holds the win here. 2… Kxg8 The king simply takes her: on g8 she was defended by no one. Bare kings. That is why in the main line the king goes first and the pawn only afterwards.
4. 2… Ke6
5. 3. g8=Q+ Now the queen may come, with check and defended. The quiet king move before it was the whole win.

More in Pawn endgames

• Connected passed pawns — advancing under cover White wins
• Rook-pawn race — the corner saves Draw
• The doubled pawn as a tempo reserve White wins
• Eat or run — the square backwards White wins
• Doubled rook pawn — the corner holds two as well Draw
• One pawn holds two — the saving trade Draw