chess-The Oxford Companion to Chess - First Edition by David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld

BASIC ENDGAME 25
posnionrhar can be won onl, illhe En MolE LAw
R+A \. N+N. Ths r e endinsofteh Whrre lcrr
winning chances bu1 has not been analysed thor-
Q v. rinor piece Whire wiN.
O v. two minor pieces. Black endeavours lo sei
up a bar.ier prevenring the app.oa.h ot whire\
king. Black usually draws lhis way witn B+B, as
sho*n by Lolli. orwith N+N. as sho$n by Bilguer
and Lasa. White oien wins against B+Nr Black
basdiffi cultyreachingo.eof thelewknoNnnarrier
positions. the 6rst ofvhich was Siven by Lnlli.
Q v. three minor pieces. Drawn.
QB+KB+N+N v. Q. white wi.s.
O v. R. While qins. ,^ definilive analysh was
published by Crosskiu in 1895. A computer
analysn by Slrohlcio and Zagler shoNed that $e
winning pro@ss should rale at most 31 noves.
O v R and ninor piecc. DkNn.
R+reo minor pieces v. Q. DraNn.
R+R+minor piece v. O. White wins.
'ahe resulii witn ooly one or two paNns on thc
board have long been known, and are delailed in
P;P v. P. Many books iiom those by Loli
(17631 and sr.rN (1789) 10 those by L NrNovtcn
i1938) and F,Nr (1941) contain erors. The cnd_
game was maslered b, cR'GoiEv in tne 1920s and
1930s.
(4) Piec.s asainst PdwN
Minor nie€ v P. Drawn.
N+N !' P lhis. the nosr difiiolt ol all basic
etrdsames. w6 bnl||antly re'carcheJ by Tr.irTk!,
wh;nuh!khed hr ,naly(is in buol' torn rn 1914.
_lhe wi.ning nethod is lo corner lhe black king and
rhe. release the pawn so thal it can be moved, lhus
obviaftg thc possibilily ol a slalemale defence.
While wins il rhe black pawn, scurely blocked by a
knight. is.olartherfoma.dlbana4, b6, c5, d4, e4,
f5, g6, o. h4-knos. as the Troitzky line. Ii
Black\ king h incertain defi.cd areas While ma,
{in whcn rhe paNn is farther advan@d. (See
R v. L Whitc wins ifhis king is ncarlhe Pa*n,
bur sometimes d.aNs Nben his king is lar away
R v. two paMs. ti the pawns are isolated tnc
rcsults are no1lery diffcrenl lron tbose with R v.
!. Il 1he pawns arc united White wins if his king cad
conlronr tnem, but m.y Iosc if his kins is tar
R v. three uniled pasns. rcPAYE!, adding
,mno ant dis.oleries lo ecdicr $ork b! ulhe6,
nJde, thoroueh errmrnaron. DUbl,sh,nihr en,k
in avErB^Ks'sireadse While*i.sithjsking hable
lo conlronl the pasns unless tbey are lar ad,anced.
Ov. P. WhiteNinseasilyexccptwhenbis king is
far a*ay and Black nas a BP or RP o. tbe seventh
Q v. iwo or three paNns. whitc sins nnless the
pawns are tai advanced and his king is lar a*.y.
Minor Picc€ + P v. ninor piece Drasn if
Black\ king conlronts the pasn or il tbere are
bishopsoloppositealour. Whiie marwinilhehas
a wel advanced fiank pasn shich fte blact king
can.ot conJronl. The principal analysts oI these
endings are KiinS and Rfr lor N+P v. N, LuiSi
Centn.ini (182G1900) lor B+P !. B or lhe same
..lon. and Averbakh for N+P Y. B.
R+P v B. Whire sins. cuRErzx,-coRNrz.
Centurini, and Josei Vancura (1898 1926) all
investigatcd thn endine. The pawn sbonld trol be
advanced too sooni ii this hdppens rheie are dmw
ins possib nies with RP a.d BP,
R+P v. B+!. There atc many draNing posi_
dons, but when this ending oeu$ in Pla, the
pawn.are trequenLl! blockedon rhc \ame tue qilh
BlaLk s bahop guarding hr Pa\n, anJ WhLle cai
w,n morl ot lhcQ po\ilrons $irh some e\ceprinn\
for lhe rook\ pa*n. ln the 1950s cstRoN dis_
overed one position ofthis tlPe that can be won
onl, if rhr litt! mo\e ldw Lr \u