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Defence: the king in front of the pawn

The main defensive resource in king and pawn against king is to plant your own king squarely in the pawn's path. The stronger side then cannot break through: pushing the pawn runs into stalemate or into losing the pawn itself.

Here White has the king on d5 and a pawn on d6; Black has the king on d7. White to move, and it is nonetheless a draw (per the tablebases): White's king did not get in front of the pawn in time, and Black's king holds the defence right in front of it - the breakthrough attempt is met by stalemate.

The lesson: a pawn on the sixth with the defending king directly in front of it is a draw, even with the stronger side to move. The win is only there when your own king has already broken through ahead of the pawn.

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How to hold the draw

  1. 1Keep the king directly in front of the opponent's pawn - that is the first rule of the defence.
  2. 2Retreat straight back along the pawn's file, without drifting onto a neighbouring one.
  3. 3On reaching the last rank, stand directly in front of the pawn and take the opposition.
  4. 4If the enemy king comes forward with check, remember that stalemate in the corner saves the game too.

Common mistakes

  • Retreating the king sideways - then the enemy king takes a key square and escorts the pawn home.
  • Trying to attack the pawn from the side instead of blockading it from the front.
  • Forgetting about the opposition on the last rank: one step onto the wrong square loses the game.

Common questions

How do you defend king against pawn in a pawn ending?

Keep the king directly in front of the pawn and retreat along its file. On the last rank, stand in front of the pawn and take the opposition - that is a draw.

Why must the king not step aside?

The square it vacates in front of the pawn is taken at once by the enemy king, and the pawn goes through with the king's support.

Does stalemate save these endings?

Yes, it is a frequent resource: a king cornered with no moves while the opponent has a pawn gives a draw.

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