The outside passed pawn: how to win a pawn ending with a decoy
Learn to use an outside passed pawn: run it to drag the enemy king away, take the pawns on the other side, and queen your remaining pawn.
The decoy
The black king attacks e4, and your king guards it. Your a-pawn makes the king choose.
Play a5: the pawn runs, and the black king has to go after it. a5 Kc5
1… Kc5 Kc5: the king goes after the pawn.
Play Kg4: the black king has left e4 alone, so your king heads round the e5 pawn. Kg4 Kb5
2… Kb5 Kb5: the king keeps going.
Play Kf5: your king stands next to the e5 pawn. Kf5 Kxa5
3… Kxa5 Kxa5: the king takes your pawn, far from the e-file.
Play Kxe5: your king takes the pawn. Kxe5
The a-pawn is gone, but it dragged the king away. Your e-pawn will queen.
Just in time
The black king attacks your a-pawn. Do not defend it: run with it.
Play a5: the pawn steps away from the king. a5 Kb5
1… Kb5 Kb5: the king stays next to the pawn.
Play a6: one more step, and the king is dragged to the edge of the board. a6 Kxa6
2… Kxa6 Kxa6: the pawn falls, but look where the king stands.
Play Kc4: your king heads for e5. Kc4 Ka5
3… Ka5 Ka5: the king tries to come back.
Play Kd5: next to the e5 pawn. Kd5 Ka6
4… Ka6 Ka6: the king has no way through.
Play Kxe5: the pawn is yours. Kxe5
One pawn for one pawn, and your king stands far closer to the last one.
The king first
Before the pawn runs, your king has to be ready for the trip to e5.
Play Kd3: your king guards e4 and is one step from c4. Kd3 Kc5
1… Kc5 Kc5: the king comes back to the centre.
Play a5: now the pawn runs. a5
The black king has to go after the pawn again, and your king walks in.
The pawn walks home
You won the e5 pawn, and the black king is on the far side. Your king goes ahead of the pawn.
Play Kd6: your king goes ahead, and it keeps the black king out. Kd6 Kb7
1… Kb7 Kb7.
Play Kd7: your king takes the squares in front of the pawn. Kd7 Kb6
2… Kb6 Kb6.
Play e5: the pawn walks on. e5 Kc5
3… Kc5 Kc5.
Play e6: nothing can stop it now. e6 Kd5
4… Kd5 Kd5.
Play e7: one step from queening. e7 Ke5
5… Ke5 Ke5.
Play e8=Q+: the pawn queens. e8=Q+
A new queen, and the ending is won.
Key ideas
- A passed pawn far from the kings is a decoy: the black king has to go after it.
- Push the pawn as far as you safely can: each step drags the king further from e5.
- You can give the outside pawn up. Your king wins the e5 pawn while the black king is away.
- Then your king goes ahead of your last pawn, and it queens.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the outside pawn on a4, where the black king just takes it.
- Moving your king away from e4 while the black king attacks it.