Author: Ricardo Gibert
Date: 19:32:55 01/06/00
Go up one level in this thread
On January 05, 2000 at 21:33:17, Michael Claude Bennett wrote: >Is a positional draw a situation which can be clearly and unambiguously shown to >be a stalemate? e.g. Pandolfini's Endgame Course gives the following position >as a positional draw: White: King d1, Bishop g3 Black: King e3, Rook e2. Thanks. A positional draw is an essentially passive scheme that ensures a draw. In the example you give, a positional draw arises after 1.Kc1 Kd3 2.Kb1 Kc3 3.Kc1! and after 3...Re3 4.Bh4 is a positional draw, since monitoring the e1 square while the rook remains on the e-file is a passive scheme that secures the draw. This passive scheme relies on a more fundamental passive scheme (positional draw) that is the key to understanding this type ending, i.e 3...Rg2 4.Be5+ and now the B monitors the key c3 square. This type of position is the most important one for understanding this ending. The c3 square, 2 steps in front of K on c1 is a key square for control by the B. Black can now only churn around uselessly. White can temporize with the B (monitoring c3) or K (Kb1 & Kc1 with Black K on d3 and Kd1 & Kc1 with Black K on b3). This 2nd positional draw is the most important one to learn and handles 95% of the drawn positions in this type of ending (an analogous setup can occur anywhere on the board except the bad corner, not just the edges of the board. Useful to know for blitz). Recognizing the "bad" corners is the other important idea. The position you give illustrates that the problem is not the proximity to the corner that is bad, but rather the squares a1 & b1 that hold great danger for the defender. A simpler example of a positional draw is: W: Ke5, Pd4; B: Ke7, Pd5. The passive scheme here is for the Black K to loiter around, but _not_ on the d7 square until White captures the d5 pawn, then to take the opposition with Kd7 for a draw. White has nothing better to do than fall in with this or allow an inevitable 3-fold repetition of position.
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.