Chess fundamentals/Part I/10

by José Raúl Capablanca

10. A CLASSICAL ENDING

Example 23.—In this position White's best line of defence consists in keeping his Pawn where it stands at R 2. As soon as the Pawn is advanced it becomes easier for Black to win. On the other hand, Black's plan to win (supposing that White does not advance his Pawn) may be divided into three parts. The first part will be to get his King to K R 6, at the same time keeping intact the position of his Pawns. (This is all important, since, in order to win the game, it is essential at the end that Black may be able to advance his rearmost Pawn one or two squares according to the position of the White King. )

1.	K - Kt 3	K - K 6
2.	K - Kt 2

If 2 K - Kt 4, K - B 7; 3 P - R 4, P - Kt 3 will win.

2.	........	K - B 5
3.	K - B 2	K - Kt 5
4.	K - Kt 2	K - R 5
5.	K - Kt 1	K - R 6

The first part has been completed.

The second part will be short and will consist in advancing the R P up the K.

6.	K - R 1	P - R 4
7.	K - Kt 1	P - R 5

This ends the second part.

The third part will consist in timing the advance of the Kt P so as to play P - Kt 6 when the White King is at R 1. It now becomes evident how necessary it is to be able to move the Kt P either one or two squares according to the position of the White King, as indicated previously.^[1] In this case, as it is White's move, the Pawn will be advanced two squares since the White King will be in the corner, but if it were now Black's move the Kt P should only be advanced one square since the White King is at Kt 1.

8.	K - R 1	P - Kt 4
9.	K - Kt 1	P - Kt 5
10.	K - R 1	P - Kt 6
11.	P × P

If K - Kt 1, P - Kt 7.

11.	........	P × P
12.	K - Kt 1	P - Kt 7
13.	K - B 2	K - R 7

and wins.

It is in this analytical way that the student should try to learn. He will thus train his mind to follow a logical sequence in reasoning out any position. This example is excellent training, since it is easy to divide it into three stages and to explain the main point of each part.

The next subject we shall study is the simple opposition, but before we devote our time to it I wish to call attention to two things.

1. See page 37.