The Chess-Player's Text Book/Chapter 9

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A FEW examples, in which each party is left with his King and one or more Pawns. must conclude our Observations on the Endings of Games.

When each side has a single Pawn, and both are able to Queen at the same time, the battle is mostly drawn. It

DIAGRAM No. 47 Black.

White.

​sometimes happens, however, that one Pawn in Queening gives Check, and is enabled by that Check or another to win the adverse Queen. You will comprehend this better from an example (see Diagram No. 47) which is given by Cozio.

In this position you will win, notwithstanding Black plays first in consequence of your Pawn giving Check at the moment of becoming a Queen, ex. gr. :—

WHITE.	BLACK.
	1. P. to Q. R.'s 4th.
2. P. to K. R.'s 4th.	2. P. to Q. R.'s 5th.
3. P. to K. R.'s 5th.	3. P. to Q. R.'s 6th.
4. P. to K. R.'s 6th.	4. P. to Q. R.'s 7th.
5. P. to K. R.'s 7th.	5. P. to Q. R.'s 8th. Becoming a Queen.
6. P. to K. R.'s 8th. Becoming a Queen and giving Check.	6. K. moves.
7. Q. takes Q., and wins.

From this you may learn the importance of observing the relative positions of the Kings, when you are advancing a Pawn to Queen.

Although the two Pawns commonly win. there are very many cases where the game can only be drawn, especially when the single Pawn is on a Rook's file, and is opposed to an adverse Pawn on the same file, supported by the Kt.'s Pawn, as in the annexed Diagram, No. 48. In this case, whichever party plan's first, the game is drawn, and the same result occurs whether the B. King stands on his R.'s, Kt.'s, or B.'s square. Suppose you begin : — ​

DIAGRAM No. 48 Black.

White.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K. Kt.'s 6th. (If you play the K. forward instead Black moves his P. to the R.'s 3rd and you can do no more than draw the game.)	1. P. to K. R.'s 7th. (If he take the P. you can win.)
2. P. to K. Kt.'s 7th. Ch.	2. K. to Kt.'s sq.
And the game is drawn.

In the following (see Diagram No. 49) the game must also be drawn, whether White or Black begins :—

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K. Kt.'s 6th.	1. P. to K. R.'s 3rd. (If he take take the P. in this case you win. See Variation A.)
2. K. to his B.'s 5th.	2. K. to his B.'s sq.
2. K. to his B.'s 6th.	2. K. to his Kt.'s sq.
4. P. to K. Kt.'s 7th. (If you play the K. to his 7th, he answers with K. to Kt.'s 2nd, preventing the nearer approach of your King.)	4. K. to R.'s 2nd.

And you must either abandon the Kt.'s P., or give Black Stale-mate.

WHITE.	BLACK.
	1. P. takes P.
2. P. takes P.	2. K. to his B.'s sq. (best)
3. K. to B.'s 6th.	3. K. to Kt.'s sq.
4. P. to K. Kt.'s 7th.	4. K. to R.'s 2nd.
5. K. to B.'s 7th, and wins.

DIAGRAM No. 49 Black.

White.

​The result is the same when Black has a Kt.'s Pawn, instead of a Rook's Pawn, as you may speedily convince yourself by setting up the men as in the last Diagram, only substituting a Black Pawn at Black's K. Kt.'s 2nd, instead of the one at his R.'s 2nd, and playing thus :—

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K. Kt.'s 6th. (If you advance the R.'s P. he can take it, and always play his K. to the corner to stop your other Pawn, and for the result of your moving 1. K. to his R.'s 5th, see Variation A.)	1. K. to his B.'s sq.
2. K. to his B.'s 5th. (If to Kt.'s 6th, Black still retains his K. to Kt.'s sq., from whence you cannot dislodge him.)	2. K. to his Kt.'s sq.
3. K. to Kt.'s 5th.	3. K. to his R.'s sq.
4. P. to K. R.'s 6th.	4. K. to his Kt.'s sq. (If he take you win.)
5. P. to K. R.'s 7th. Ch.	K. to his R.'s sq.

And he is Stale-mated.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. K. to his B.'s 5th.	1. K. to his B.'s 2nd.
2. P. to K. Kt.'s 6th. Ch.	2. K. to his B.'s sq.
3. K. to his 6th.	3. K. to his Kt.'s sq. (If K. to his own sq, you win by playing P. to K. R.'s 6th.)
4. K. to his 7th.	4. K. to R.'s sq.
5. P. to K. R.'s 6th.	5. K. to Kt.'s sq. (Again, if he take you win, by moving your King to his B.'s 7th.)
6. K. to his 6th (best).	6. P. takes P. (If he retires his King again to the R.'s sq., you win by playing your K. to B.'s 7th, and obliging him to capture your Pawn, &c.)

And the same is drawn.

​The next Diagram (No. 50) exhibits a position from which White wins :—

DIAGRAM No. 50 Black.

White.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. K. to Q.'s 6th. (In a former edition of this Work the move of 1. P. to Q. Kt.'s 6th was erroneously given as the proper mode of play.)	1. P. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd or Variation A.
2. P. to Q. B.'s 6th. (If you take the Pawn Black can draw the game.)	2. K. to Q.'s sq.
3. P. to Q. B.'s 7th. Ch.	3. K. to Q. B.'s sq.
4. K. to his 6th.	4. K. takes P.
5. K. to his 7th.	5. K. to Q. B.'s sq.
6. K. to Q.'s 6th.	6. K. to Kt.'s 2nd.
7. K. to Q.'s 7th.	7. K. to Kt.'s sq.
8. K. to B.'s 6th.	8. K. to R.'s 2nd.
9. K. to B.'s 7th.	9. K. to R.'s sq.
10. K. takes P.	10. K. to Kt.'s sq.
11. K. to R.'s 6th (best), and wins.

WHITE.	BLACK.
	1. K. to Q.'s sq.
2. P. to Q. Kt.'s 6th.	2. Kt. to Q. B.'s sq.
3. K. to his 7th.	3. K. to Kt.'s sq.
4. K. to Q.'s 7th.	4. K. to R.'s sq.

DIAGRAM No. 51 Black.

White.

​

WHITE.	BLACK.
5. P. to Q. B.'s 6th.	5. P. takes P. (best.)
6. K. to Q. B.'s 7th.	6. P. to B.'s 4th.
7. P. to Q. Kt.'s 7th. Ch., and wins.

Although the forces here are exactly equal, many instructive cases arise, where, from an apparently trifling advantage of position, one party may win. Take the following (see Diagram No. 51) for example.

Here White, having the move, must win :—

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to Q. K.'s 4th.	1. P. to K. B.'s 4th.
2. P. to Q. Kt.'s 5th.	2. P. to K. B.'s 5th.
3. P. to Q. Kt.'s 6th.	3. P. to K. B.'s 6th.
4. P. to Q. Kt.'s 7th.	4. P. to K. B.'s 7th.
5. P. to Q. Kt.'s 8th. Queens.	5. P. to B.'s 8th. Queens.
6. Q. to her Kt.'s 5th. Ch. (By exchanging Queens, and thus getting your King from the file, where he obstructed the progress of your Pawn, before Black can do so, you win.)	6. Q. takes Q. Ch.
7. K. takes Q.	7. K. to his Kt.'s 5th.
8. P. to Q. R.'s 4th.	8. P. to K. R.'s 4th.
9. P. to Q. R.'s 5th.	9. P. to K. R.'s 5th.
10. P. to Q. R.'s 6th.	10. P. to K. R.'s 6th.
11. P. to Q. R.'s 7th.	11. P. to K. R.'s 7th.
12. P. to Q. R.'s 8th. Queens.	12. K. to his Kt.'s 6th.
13. Q. to K. R.'s sq. (And then bringing your King up to aid the Queen, you obviously win without difficulty.)

​In the following position (Diagram No. 52) White also wins, whether he have the first move or not :—

DIAGRAM No. 52 Black.

White.

Let us suppose Black to begin :—

WHITE.	BLACK.
	1. P. to K. R.'s 3rd. (If to K. R."s 4th, White must play his K. to B.'s 7th, then to B.'s 6th, and then, taking the P. next move, he will win easily.)
2. P. to K. R.'s 5th.	2. K. to R.'s 2nd. (If he take either P. with P., White must get the other next move to Kt.'s 6th, from whence the road to victory is evident.)
3. K. to B.'s 7th.	3. P. takes K. R.'s P. (If P. takes Kt.'s P., White takes P., Ch., &c.)
4. P. to K. Kt.'s 6th. Ch.	4. K. to R.'s sq.
5. P. to K.t's 7th. Ch., making a Q. and giving Mate next move.

The foregoing examples should suffice to afford you a tolerable insight into the movements and powers of the Chess-men individually, and prepare you to understand the more complex invaluations arising from the operation of these several forces when in combination altogether. Before advancing a step further, however, you are strongly recommended to play over the whole of the previous lessons carefully many times. When thoroughly master of the information they contain, and not till then, you may proceed to the study of the Openings.