Passed pawns and promotion races
In short
When both sides have passed pawns, count the moves each needs to promote. The side that queens first often wins, but check whether the new queen arrives with check or can stop the other pawn immediately.
By the end you can
- Count pawn races
- Use promotion tactics
The lesson
When both sides have passed pawns, count the moves each needs to promote. The side that queens first often wins, but check whether the new queen arrives with check or can stop the other pawn immediately.
Passed pawns must be pushed: a passer on the sixth rank ties down enemy pieces, and tactics like deflecting the blocker or sacrificing to break through appear often.
Key points to remember
- Count moves to promote for both sides
- Queening with check gains a tempo
- Passed pawns must be pushed
Examples
Show the solution
64. Qc6+ Qxc6+ 65. Kxc6 Kg2 66. b8=Q
Show the solution
49... f3+ 50. Kf2 fxe2
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: promotion puzzles, advanced pawn puzzles.
Homework
15 promotion puzzles.
More endgames lessons
- Mini-games: pawn wars and queen vs pawns (Foundation)
- Can the king catch the pawn? The rule of the square (Novice)
- King and pawn vs king: opposition (Class F)
- The Lucena position: building a bridge (Class E)
- The Philidor defence: holding rook endings (Class E)
- Converting extra material (Class E)