Defending a passed pawn from the front
This is a Black-to-move Pawn endings endgame study. With best play, the result is black wins; the solution runs 10 half-moves.
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Defending a passed pawn from the front is a Pawn endings endgame study from the Climbchess curated set of 80 positions. Black's king stops White's dangerous passed pawns by positioning itself directly in front of them. Learn why frontal defense is often the key to holding against multiple threats.
Position: Black to move. Result with best play: black wins. Solution length: 10 half-moves.
FEN: 8/3P4/6P1/3P4/8/3k4/4p3/6K1 b - - 0 1
Solving guide (move by move)
Show step-by-step solution
Try the position yourself first — endgame technique compounds when you struggle through the calculation before peeking.
- Black:
e2e1q - White:
g1g2 - Black:
e1e4 - White:
g2h3 - Black:
e4f5 - White:
h3h4 - Black:
f5d5 - White:
g6g7 - Black:
d5g8 - White:
h4h5
About Pawn endings
Opposition, key squares, triangulation, breakthrough.
Related endgames
Underlying chess concepts
Endgame technique reduces to a small number of recurring patterns: opposition, key squares, zugzwang, fortress, breakthrough. Climbchess catalogues 4,505 interpretable patterns extracted from Leela Chess Zero via sparse autoencoders. Browse the methodology or jump straight into the trainer to attempt this exact position interactively.
Frequently asked
Is this position a win, draw or loss?
With best play: black wins. Black moves first.
What is the key idea?
Black's king stops White's dangerous passed pawns by positioning itself directly in front of them. Learn why frontal defense is often the key to holding against multiple threats.
How long is the solution?
10 half-moves (5 full moves) of forced or near-forced play.
Where can I practise it?
Open the Climbchess trainer using the deep-link button — the position loads pre-set so you can play it out against the engine.