Answers.Body: <p>I sometimes wish it was that simple...But no. Here an example of a position where if you move your king first then the game will end in a draw instead of a win.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;White to win&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;2k2K2/8/pp6/2p5/2P5/PP6/8/8 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>The right solution is:
  <strong>1.a4!</strong> and white wins after <strong>1...b5 2.Ke7-Kc7 3.a5</strong> or
  <strong>1...Kd7 2.a5!</strong>
  The good-looking and intuitive <strong>1.Ke8?</strong> leads only to a draw after <strong>1...b5 2.a4-Kc7 3.Ke7-Kb6 4.Kd8-b4!</strong> and white cannot take the pawn c5 after <strong>5...Ka5</strong> because of stalemate.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: after 1. a4 Kd8! I can't see any white win. Black maintains the opposition and white has no breakthrough
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Answers.Text: 1. a4 Kd8 2. a5 bxa5 3. Kf7 Kd7 4. Kf6 Kd6 5. Kf5 Kc7 
  6. Ke5 Kc6 7. Ke6 Kc7 8. Kd5 Kb6 9. Kd6+-
Answers.UserDisplayName: MikeTrans
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Answers.Text: Same move sequence like above after moves like 2...b5 or 4...a4 5.bxa4, the c5 will fall and black loses. In a pawn breakthrough you must count the tempi you lose causing your opponent to enter opposition - or to gain opposition. The one who has the opposition at the end wins unless it's a stalemate.
Answers.UserDisplayName: MikeTrans
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Answers.Text: And probably a perfect rule of thumb is: Once a free pawn has reached the 5th line, and other pieces are blocked, then the opposition doesn't matter anymore if the king can go beyond the pawn (6th line and beyond), the free pawn wins.
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Answers.Body: <blockquote>
  <p>Is it true that, at the start of a king-and-pawn endgame, players should generally advance their kings to the center prior to any pawn moves?</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Generally speaking this is true. More specifically you should aim to get the king ahead of your pawn(s). This is because there are &quot;key squares&quot;  ahead of passed pawns in these types of endings whereby, if you can get your king to one of those squares you can force promotion and a win. If not it is a draw.</p>
  <p>This is the canonical position:</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;White to play and win, Black to play and draw&quot;]
  [fen &quot;5k3/8/8/8/8/8/5P3/5K3 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Ke2 (1. null Kf7 2. Ke2 Kf6 3. Kf3 Kf5 4. Kg3 Kg5 5. f3 Kf5 6. f4 Kf6 7. Kg4 Kg6 8. f5+ Kf6 9. Kf4 Kf7 10. Ke5 Ke7 11. f6+ Kf7 12. Kf5 Kf8 13. Ke6 Ke8 14. f7+ Kf8 15. Kf6 =) Kf7 2. Kf3 Kf6 3. Kf4 Ke6 4. Kg5 Kf7 5. Kf5 Ke7 6. Kg6 Kf8 7. f4 Kg8 8. f5 Kf8 9. Kf6 Kg8 10. Ke7 Kg7 11. f6+ Kg6 12. f7 Kg5 13. f8=Q 1-0 
  </code></pre>
  <p>The obvious exception to this rule is when the opponent has an immediate threat which must be countered first.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: Another obvious exception is when you can force promotion at once by advancing a passed pawn or starting a pawn break.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
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Answers.Text: @NoamD.Elkies Yes, if the opposing King isn't in the square of a pawn, then advancing that pawn is likely a good move.
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Body: <p>Is it true that, at the start of a king-and-pawn endgame, players should generally advance their kings to the center prior to any pawn moves? I wouldn't expect this to be true in every case, but is it true much of the time?</p>
  <p>The following position illustrates this situation:</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;White to win&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;8/1p2k1pp/1p6/8/8/7P/P1P2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>White has only one move that can win the game:</p>
  <blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> <strong>1. Kg2</strong></p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>And then, regardless of black's next move, white must play</p>
  <blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> <strong>2. Kf3</strong> or <strong>2. Kg3</strong></p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Is the correct move in this situation something that I should spot immediately, or does one need to perform a lot of calculation first?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-06-19T22:53:07.477Z
Comments.Text: keywords: opposition as a tool, key squares as stepping stone plan goals
  distant opposition, opposition field to rule all oppositions types and reasoning, if you like visio spatial reasoning over turn by turn calculations.  Goes well with square of the pawn other timing to spatial planning methods.  King plays curling with other king, in front of pawns, so yes better get ahead of the pawns first. so in general. if lots of pawns left center might not commit in vain to a side and keep some flexibility as the horizon fog lifts.
Comments.UserDisplayName: dbdb
Tags: <strategy><kings><pawn-endgame>
Title: King-and-pawn endgames: Is it usually best to move your king first?
ThreadText: # King-and-pawn endgames: Is it usually best to move your king first?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-06-15)
  
  Is it true that, at the start of a king-and-pawn endgame, players should generally advance their kings to the center prior to any pawn moves? I wouldn't expect this to be true in every case, but is it true much of the time?
  The following position illustrates this situation:
  [Title "White to win"]
  [FEN "8/1p2k1pp/1p6/8/8/7P/P1P2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
  
  White has only one move that can win the game:
  
   1. Kg2
  
  And then, regardless of black's next move, white must play
  
   2. Kf3 or 2. Kg3
  
  Is the correct move in this situation something that I should spot immediately, or does one need to perform a lot of calculation first?
  
  **Tags:** strategy, kings, pawn-endgame
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: keywords: opposition as a tool, key squares as stepping stone plan goals distant opposition, opposition field to rule all oppositions types and reasoning, if you like visio spatial reasoning over turn by turn calculations.  Goes well with square of the pawn other timing to spatial planning methods.  King plays curling with other king, in front of pawns, so yes better get ahead of the pawns first. so in general. if lots of pawns left center might not commit in vain to a side and keep some flexibility as the horizon fog lifts.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-06-15. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  Is it true that, at the start of a king-and-pawn endgame, players should generally advance their kings to the center prior to any pawn moves?
  
  Generally speaking this is true. More specifically you should aim to get the king ahead of your pawn(s). This is because there are "key squares"  ahead of passed pawns in these types of endings whereby, if you can get your king to one of those squares you can force promotion and a win. If not it is a draw.
  This is the canonical position:
  [Title "White to play and win, Black to play and draw"]
  [fen "5k3/8/8/8/8/8/5P3/5K3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Ke2 (1. null Kf7 2. Ke2 Kf6 3. Kf3 Kf5 4. Kg3 Kg5 5. f3 Kf5 6. f4 Kf6 7. Kg4 Kg6 8. f5+ Kf6 9. Kf4 Kf7 10. Ke5 Ke7 11. f6+ Kf7 12. Kf5 Kf8 13. Ke6 Ke8 14. f7+ Kf8 15. Kf6 =) Kf7 2. Kf3 Kf6 3. Kf4 Ke6 4. Kg5 Kf7 5. Kf5 Ke7 6. Kg6 Kf8 7. f4 Kg8 8. f5 Kf8 9. Kf6 Kg8 10. Ke7 Kg7 11. f6+ Kg6 12. f7 Kg5 13. f8=Q 1-0 
  
  The obvious exception to this rule is when the opponent has an immediate threat which must be countered first.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: Another obvious exception is when you can force promotion at once by advancing a passed pawn or starting a pawn break.  
  > **username_6**: @NoamD.Elkies Yes, if the opposing King isn't in the square of a pawn, then advancing that pawn is likely a good move.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2024-06-15. Score: 3
  
  I sometimes wish it was that simple...But no. Here an example of a position where if you move your king first then the game will end in a draw instead of a win.
  [Title "White to win"]
  [FEN "2k2K2/8/pp6/2p5/2P5/PP6/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  The right solution is:
  1.a4! and white wins after 1...b5 2.Ke7-Kc7 3.a5 or
  1...Kd7 2.a5!
  The good-looking and intuitive 1.Ke8? leads only to a draw after 1...b5 2.a4-Kc7 3.Ke7-Kb6 4.Kd8-b4! and white cannot take the pawn c5 after 5...Ka5 because of stalemate.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: after 1. a4 Kd8! I can't see any white win. Black maintains the opposition and white has no breakthrough  
  > **username_2**: 1. a4 Kd8 2. a5 bxa5 3. Kf7 Kd7 4. Kf6 Kd6 5. Kf5 Kc7  6. Ke5 Kc6 7. Ke6 Kc7 8. Kd5 Kb6 9. Kd6+-  
  > **username_2**: Same move sequence like above after moves like 2...b5 or 4...a4 5.bxa4, the c5 will fall and black loses. In a pawn breakthrough you must count the tempi you lose causing your opponent to enter opposition - or to gain opposition. The one who has the opposition at the end wins unless it's a stalemate.  
  > **username_2**: And probably a perfect rule of thumb is: Once a free pawn has reached the 5th line, and other pieces are blocked, then the opposition doesn't matter anymore if the king can go beyond the pawn (6th line and beyond), the free pawn wins.  
  
  ---
  
  