Queen vs pawn on the seventh: when it wins, and when it's a draw

A queen against a pawn one step from queening usually wins, with a method that repeats until your king arrives. But against a c-pawn (or an f-pawn) or a rook's pawn, with the winning king far away, the defender has a stalemate trick, and it's a draw.

Winning: against a d-pawn

You have White. Black's d-pawn is on d2, one step from queening, with its king beside it.

White to move. Step through the method.

Check, then pin, until the king blocks its own pawn. 1.Qe4+ brings the queen nearer with check. Then 3.Qe3+ forces the king onto d1, in front of its own pawn. While it stands there the pawn can't move, and that's the moment you've been working for: 4.Kf4, one step closer with your king.

Repeat. Black's king comes out again (4...Kc2), and White starts over: 5.Qe2 pins the pawn, more checks drive the king back in front of it (8.Qc3+ Kd1), and the king takes another step (9.Ke3). Now it guards d2, and 10.Qxd2+ wins the pawn. Queen against king is a simple win.

Defending: against a c-pawn, the stalemate trick

You have Black now. With a c-pawn on the seventh and White's king far away, the same method breaks down.

White to move. Step through Black's defence.

White checks and pins as before, hoping to force the king in front of its pawn. But after 5.Qd2, Black has another idea: 5...Kb1! The king leaves the pawn and heads for the corner. After 6.Qb4+ Ka1, taking the pawn with Qxc2 is stalemate, so White never gets the free move it needs to bring its king.

The other moves lose: 5...Ka2? Qxc2+ and 5...Kb3? Qc1 both let White's king come.

The idea to remember

With the queen: check and pin until the king stands in front of its pawn, and use that move to bring your king one step closer. Defending a c-pawn or a rook's pawn on the seventh: run to the corner, because taking the pawn is stalemate.

Train it

These are endgame techniques OptiChess teaches as walkthroughs: the moves play themselves until a moment that matters, then you find the move, checked against the tablebase. More endings are in the chess endgame trainer.

Try it. Real positions, set at your level, every answer checked against the board. No account needed to start.

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Queen vs pawn on the seventh: when it wins, and when it's a draw

Winning: against a d-pawn

Defending: against a c-pawn, the stalemate trick

The idea to remember

Train it

More endgame techniques

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