Portal:Chess/Selected article/30
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The chess endgame of a queen versus pawn (with both sides having no other pieces other than the king) is usually an easy win for the side with the queen. However, if the pawn has advanced to its seventh rank it has possibilities of reaching a draw, and there are some drawn positions with the pawn on the sixth rank. This endgame arises most often from a race of pawns to promote.
We will call the side with the queen the attacker and the side with the pawn the defender. Assume that the attacker has the move.
If the pawn is not beyond its sixth rank, the attacker (to move) usually wins easily, but there are a few exceptions. The winning process is to either get the queen on a square in front of the pawn and getting the king over to help win the pawn or to check the defending king until it is forced in front of the pawn and using that tempo to bring the king closer, until it can assist in winning the pawn. After the pawn is won, the attacker has an elementary checkmate.
