I finally took a trip across town to see the street sign put up in my honour.
(See
Blog Post 448 for more details how this happnened.)
Then passing ‘my street' just a few days ago I notice it had been nicked!
I wonder who did that? never mind. Have you seen a picture of my sitting room wall.
And now for no particular reason a selection of RHP endgame errors.
cakeys - Wilake RHP 2007
[FEN "8/6p1/1r3k1p/3pR3/1P3P2/8/1P4PP/6K1 w - - 0 31"]
31. Rxd5 Rxb4 {White's best chance for a win is to hold the outside passed pawn with Rd2.} 32. Rd7 Rxb2 {Now it's a draw. We continue because of the humorous finish.} 33. g3 g5 34. fxg5+ hxg5 35. Rd1 Kf5 36. Rf1+ Kg4 37. Rf2 Rxf2 38. Kxf2 Kh3 39. Kg1 g4 {White is forced to stalemate Black. playing Kf1 or Kf2 losses.} 40. Kh1
Next we see the aptly named Pawn Grabber v lauciusa RHP 2010
[FEN "2k5/8/1PK3p1/4p2p/4P2P/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 42"]
42. b7+ Kb8 43. Kb6 {This O.K. White can win this.} 43... g5 44. hxg5 h4 {The g-pawn promotes first g6-g7-g8=Queen or Rook is mate} 45. gxh4 {But that is stalemate.}
No series of stalemates would be complete without a clumsy automatic promotion.
chuphone - GudMerning RHP 2009
[FEN "8/8/8/8/7k/5rpp/3R3K/8 w - - 0 62"]
62. Kg1 {The easiest way to win this g2 and Kg3.} 62... h2+ {This too is OK but needs a bit more care.} 63. Kg2 {Now Rf1 with h1=Q+ is 1-0.} 63... Rf2+ {This is fine just one last wee pitfall to avoid.} 64. Rxf2 gxf2 65. Kxh2 {Now pause before promoting.....} 65... f1=Q {...OOPS! that is stalemate. Black should have taken a Rook when it is mate in a few moves.}
Next we see a series of game featuring this pawn pattern...
...and the dangers of playing for a win a drawn position.
randolf - TPOL RHP 2011
[FEN "8/1p6/p7/PP6/8/6k1/7p/7K w - - 0 1"]
1. b6 {Now Black safest move is 1...Kh3 because it removes the temptation of playing for a win.} 1... Kf4 {Black played 1...Kh3 stalemate, we look at what happen if they went for a win.} 2. Kxh2 Ke4 3. Kg3 Kd5 4. Kf4 {It's still not too late. 4....Kd4 keep the White King trapped on the Kingside.} 4... Kc5 5. Ke5 Kb5 6. Kd6 Kxa5 {It look like a Black win but....} 7. Kc7 {...it is a White win.} 7... Kb4 8. Kxb7 a5 9. Kc7 a4 10. b7 a3 11. b8=Q+ Kc3 12. Qb1
Next we see the same pattern but White chases the wrong pawn and loses a won ending.
vgunzler - Marko Krale RHP .2018
[FEN "8/1p6/pP6/Pk5p/1P1Kp2P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kxe4 Kxb4 {White played 2.Kf5 but after 2...Kxa5 the h-pawn lost the race v the Black a-pawn.} 2. Kd5 {This plan would have won for White.} 2... Kxa5 3. Kc5 Ka4 4. Kd6 Kb3 {The best way to try and save the game because the b-pawn promotes first. 4...Kb5 5.Kc7.} 5. Kc7 a5 6. Kxb7 a4 7. Kc6 a3 8. b7 a2 9. b8=Q+ Kc2 10. Qe5 Kb1 {Without the h-pawns this would be a draw.} 11. Qxh5 a1=Q 12. Qd1+ Kb2 13. Qxa1+ Kxa1 14. h5
Same idea and result as the previous game. White needlessly resigned.
26ab26 - samkon RHP 2015
[FEN "8/1p2r3/pP1K4/Pk1P4/2p5/8/8/8 w - - 0 58"]
58. Kxe7 c3 {Only looking a few moves ahead and failing to see a winning pattern White resigned.} 59. d6 c2 60. d7 c1=Q 61. d8=Q Qg5+ 62. Kd7 Qxd8+ 63. Kxd8 {This is what White expected and thought it was lost but we know better.} 63... Kxa5 64. Kc7 Kb4 {The main difference from the previous game is the Black pawn is a tempo down.} 65. Kxb7 a5 66. Kc6 a4 67. b7 a3 68. b8=Q+ Kc3 69. Qb1 {White can pick up the a-pawn without any trouble.}
White is presented with a won position from a draw game but fluffs it.
bttnpshrx - Tychoo RHP 2013
[FEN "8/1p6/pP6/k7/3K4/8/8/8 w - - 0 54"]
54. Kc5 {This game should have been a clear draw. Instead we get a draw via errors.} 54... Ka4 55. Kd6 Kb5 {Wrong. Kb3 is the drawing method. White is now winning.} 56. Kc7 a5 57. Kxb7 a4 58. Ka7 a3 59. b7 a2 60. b8=Q+ Ka4 {Now Qb2 is 1-0.} 61. Qe8+ Kb3 {Last chance for White to win it. Qe5 then Qa1 which cannot be prevented and it's 1-0.} 62. Qe3+ Kb2 {Now it's a draw though White went on a checking spree before giving up.} 63. Qd2+ Kb1 64. Qb4+ Kc2 65. Qa4+ Kb1 66. Qb3+ Ka1 67. Qd1+ Kb2 68. Qd4+ Kb1 69. Qd1+ Kb2 70. Qd2+
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