Author: KarinsDad
Date: 14:17:10 04/23/99
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On April 22, 1999 at 16:48:36, Craig Stevens wrote: [snip] >> >>Insufficient winning material for both sides is always a draw. If one side has >>insufficient winning material and his opponent's flag falls, then it is a draw, >>not a win. > >I was told by a tournament director a couple months ago that when I had two >pawns versus the other players knight and my flag fell that it was a loss, not a >draw because I could somehow step into a mate because my pawns were blocking >access to two squares! If I would have known that I would have just given up >the pawns! But what if a player is low on time and the other player refuses to >snatch available pawns and just plants a knight in front of a pawn and waits it >out. I guess eventually you would get a 3 fold rep, but that might take a >while! In the mean time I lose? Is this correct? Yes. This is correct. Here is the FIDE rule concerning it: 6.9. Except where Articles 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 apply, if a player does not complete the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time, the game is lost by the player. However, the game is drawn, if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player by any possible series of legal moves ( i.e. by the most unskilled counterplay). This means that if you played terrible and your opponent could win by checkmating you, you still lose (even though a knight and king alone cannot normally checkmate). If you want to force a draw quickly (i.e. you are low on time), there is a better way than trying for a 3 fold rep. Just push the pawns. Either he takes or you get a queen. Once it is KNK, it is automatically a draw. If it would have been KQKN as opposed to KPPKN, then there is no position on the board that would result in a checkmate for the KN side, hence, it would have been a draw. Sorry about the confusion due to my lack of being clear on the rule. KarinsDad :)
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