Could you solve the pawn endings?

by Frederic Friedel
7/1/2025 – Last week we gave you four pawn endings to solve – on the diagrams, without engine support. Like the one on our thumbnail. White has six legal moves, all with his king. What should you play? Did you find the astonishing and subtle 1.Kf5!, the only move that ensures the win. Today we bring you the solutions to all four endgames, lucidly explained in YouTube Shorts by Volclus. Watch, listen and learn.
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Below are the four positions, which you can analyse with engine support (click on the fan icon). Below that are the video explanations by Volclus, a young chess player of decent strength, who makes videos is to help you improve and win at the game – while also being entertaining and not painfully boring. This is his channel.

Problem one: J. Genttner 1952
White to play and win
Problem two
White to play and win
Problem three: F. Sackmann 1913
White to play and win
Problem four: R. Reti
White to play and win

Here are the solutions to all four problems, nicely explained by Volclus, in YouTube shorts:

In this video course, GM Surya Ganguly joins IM Sagar Shah and drawing from his colossal experience, shares some uncommon endgame wisdom. The material mostly features positions with rook against rook and a pawn, and starts by covering the fundamentals.

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Frederic Frederic 7/1/2025 12:15
Thank you Frits. I have added it to the diagrams.
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 7/1/2025 11:19
Position 1: J. Genttner, Ceskoslovensky schach 1952, source to be found in Harold van der Heijden's endgame study database, version 4 (hhdbiv).

Position 3: F. Sackmann, 1913 (Dvoretsky's Endgame Manuel – original position not in hhdbiv, but adaptation by G.Josten 2004). The analysis doesn't mention the far easier win 1.Kf5 Kb6 2.Kf6 Ka6 3.Ke6 Kb6 4.Kd6 Kb7 5.Kd7! Kb6 6.Kc8. Instead, after 5.Kxc5?! Kc7 6.Kb4 Kb6! (not mentioned either) white has to find 7.c5+! as 7. Kxa4?? c5 is a draw, see Dvoretsky.

Position 4: R. Reti, source unknown (hhdbiv). Mention might be made of that after promoting to a queen with the second pawn, white is too late to mate black on a1.
Hhdbiv gives an nice adaptation by F. Fritz (really!):

Other readers should have no problem solving this one.
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