A rook's pawn on the seventh is the classic draw in queen against pawn - but only with the stronger side's king far away. Let the king get close and the stalemate defence collapses.
Here White has the king on g7 and a pawn on h7; Black has the king on e5 and the queen on d4. Black to move, and Black wins (per the tablebases): the king on e5 is close enough to help the queen stop the pawn and deliver mate.
Compare it with the drawn version, where the king stands far away: the same rook's pawn is a salvation in one case and a loss in the other. The king's distance decides everything.
Drag a piece onto the board, or click a piece and then click the squares. The cross beside the pieces sweeps every piece of that colour off the board, and a single piece can be dragged off the edge.
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It is the mating side to move. Find mate in one.
Openings, endgame positions and breakthrough studies - the set-up appears on the board.
With a series of checks forcing the king in front of the pawn. In those tempi your own king comes up and settles the game.
While the king defends it, the queen cannot manage alone: your own king is needed, or the position is drawn by stalemate.
Usually ten to twenty: that is how long the king needs to reach the pawn in short steps.
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