[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.11.08"] [Round "?"] [White "Garcia Hernandez, Oscar"] [Black "Fewell, Ewen"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2218"] [BlackElo "1919"] [Annotator "peter"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2k5/1p4pp/8/1P6/2K3PP/8/8/8 w - - 0 36"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.03.01"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] {[#]} {Whilst watching the game Jaimie Wilson had quite rightly commented that the players were in a "tricky endgame with horseys". A few moves later the knights came off to reach this position. Pawn endings can be tricky too!} 36. Kd5 Kd7 (36... Kc7 37. Ke6 {leads to similar lines to the game.}) 37. b6 Ke7 38. Ke5 (38. g5 Kd7 39. h5 h6 40. g6 Ke7 41. Ke5 Kd7 $11 {the White king has no entry squares}) 38... Kd7 $11 (38... h6 $11) 39. g5 Kc6 $6 {whilst this leaves the position still drawn in theory it makes things harder for Black.} ( 39... Ke7 {Most natural and comfortably holds, though it is not easy to sure when you are playing with little time. I can only assume Black was worried about an h4 h5 h6 plan and White penetrating via f6 or d6, but in that scenario Black always gets the opposition. On the other hand if White does not get rid of the pawn on g7 then Black can hold even without the opposition as White lacks entry squares.} 40. h5 (40. Kf5 Kf7 41. h5 (41. Kf4 Ke6 $11) 41... g6+ 42. hxg6+ hxg6+ 43. Kf4 Ke6 $11 44. Ke4 Kd6 45. Kd4 Ke6 $11) 40... Kd7 41. Kf5 (41. h6 gxh6 42. gxh6 Ke7 $11) (41. g6 hxg6 42. hxg6 Ke7 $11) 41... Ke7 42. g6 (42. h6 gxh6 43. gxh6 Kf7 {Black gains the opposistion and holds easily}) 42... h6 43. Ke5 {White has the opposition but no entry squares} Kd7 44. Kd5 Ke7 $11) 40. Ke6 Kxb6 41. Kf7 Kc5 42. Kxg7 b5 43. Kxh7 b4 44. g6 b3 45. g7 b2 46. g8=Q b1=Q+ {this is a theoretical draw but it is easy to go wrong as the defending side} 47. Kh6 Qf1 48. Qg5+ Kd6 $6 {The position is still drawn but from a practical point of view this seems to be taking the king in the wrong direction. Black can only draw by repeatedly checking the white king. White will at some point interpose his queen and when he does so it is important from Black's perspective that his own king is not checked as that would force the queens off. Equally Black wants to leave lines open for his queen to check from all angles. Therefore it seems sensible to head towards somewhere like a4 or a3, starting with Kb4.} 49. Kg6 Qd3+ 50. Kg7 {threatening Qg6+. Note Qd4+ is met by Qf6+ winning} Kd7 51. h5 Qd4+ {the losing move} ( 51... Qc3+ {holds} 52. Qf6 Qg3+ 53. Qg6 Qc3+ 54. Kg8 Qc8+ $11 55. Kh7 Qf8 56. Qg7+ Ke8 $1 $11 {This is an exception to the general rule of keeping your king out of the way. When it is this close vs a rooks pawn the queen exchange leads to a draw.} 57. Qg8 (57. Qxf8+ Kxf8 $11) 57... Ke7 58. h6 Qf7+ 59. Qg7 Ke8 60. Kh8 Qf8+ 61. Qg8 Ke7 62. h7) 52. Qf6 Qg4+ 53. Qg6 Qd4+ 54. Kg8 { and here is the difference with the 51...Qc3+ line - Black cannot check along the back rank as his king is in the way} Qh4 55. h6 Qd8+ 56. Kg7 Qh4 57. h7 Qd4+ 58. Kg8 Kd8 59. h8=Q Qd7 60. Qhf6+ Kc8 61. Qe6 Kc7 62. Qxd7+ Kb8 63. Qge8# 1-0