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. 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 Template:Ref harvard. After the pawn is won, the attacker has an elementary checkmate Template:Ref harvard.
Queen versus a pawn on the sixth rank
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |      | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
In this position, Black is to move, but White wins.
- 1... Kg2
- 2. Qg4+ Kf2
- 3. Kb7 Ke3
- 4. Kc6 f2
- 5. Qd1 Kf4
- 6. Qf1 and White wins Template:Ref harvard.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Exceptions can occur when the king blocks the queen on a file or diagonal, as in the second position.
- 1. Qh1+ Kb2
- 2. Qb7+
and Black responds
- 2... Kc1
repeating the position. If the white king is anywhere else, the queen can pin the pawn and allow for the queen and then the king to approach Template:Ref harvard.
Queen versus a pawn on the seventh rank
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
In order for the defending side to have a chance at a draw (with the other side to move), the pawn must be on its seventh rank and the king must be near by (plus a few drawing positions with the pawn on the sizth rank, as above). The attacking side wins if the pawn is a knight pawn (b- or g-files) or a central pawn (d- or e-files). For bishop pawns and rook pawns, the result depends on the ___location of the kings. If the attacking king is close enough to the pawn, it wins; otherwise a draw results.
First note that the attacker may win easily, depending on the ___location of the kings. In this position, White wins by 1. Qg5! followed by 2. Qc1 (see algebraic chess notation), and then the white king is brought nearer to win the pawn. If the black king is on any other square around the pawn, the position is a draw Template:Ref harvard.
Central pawn or knight pawn
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
In this position, White wins. It takes several moves, but it is not difficult.
- 1... Ke3
Black threatens to queen the pawn. White prevents this by forcing the black king in front of the pawn.
- 2. Qh4 Kd2
- 3. Qd4+ Kc2
- 4. Qe3 Kd1
- 5. Qd3+ Ke1
Without the immediate threat of promotion, White has gained a tempo that can be used to bring his king closer. This process is repeated.
- 6. Kc6 Kf2
- 7. Qd2 Kf1
- 8. Qf4+ Kg1
- 9. Qe3+ Kf1
- 10. Qf3+ Ke1
And now White can again bring his king closer.
- 11. Kd5 Kd2
- 12. Qf2 Kd1
- 13. Qf4+ Kc2
- 14. Qe3 Kd1
- 15. Qd3+ Ke1
- 16. Ke4! Kf2
- 17. Qf3+ Ke1
- 18. Kd3
and White wins the pawn and then checkmates. The winning process with a knight pawn is the same Template:Ref harvard.
Rook pawn
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
The process above doesn't work against a rook pawn. The reason is that when the king was forced in front of his pawn, he could move out the other side on the next move. With a rook pawn, this file isn't available, and there can be a stalemate.
In the first position, if the procedure above is tried,
- 1. Qd4+ Kb1
- 2. Qb4+ Kc2
- 3. Qa3 Kb1
- 4. Qb3+ Ka1!
and now the position is a stalemate unless White lets the black king back to the b-file. White can make no progress Template:Ref harvard.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |  | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
White can win similar positions if his king is close enough to the pawn. In the second position, white's king is close enough to win — by allowing the pawn to promote but then checkmating the king Template:Ref harvard.
- 1. Qf6+ Kb1 (if 1... Kc2 then 2. Qa1 wins)
- 2. Qf1+ Kb2
- 3. Qe2+ Kb1 (3... Kb3 allows 4. Qe5 followed by 5. Qa1)
- 4. Kc4! a1=Q
- 5. Kb3
and White checkmates.
If the white king was on e3, the win is simple:
- 1. Qd2+ Kb1
- 2. Kd3 a1=Q
- 3. Qc2#
Bishop pawn
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
A bishop pawn may also draw, but for a different reason (a different stalemate position).
- 1. Qb6+ Ka1!
- 2. Qd4+ Kb1
- 3. Qb4+ Ka1
- 4. Qc3+ Kb1
- 5. Qb3+ Ka1!
and White can't take the pawn because stalemate would result Template:Ref harvard. White wins if his king can reach b3 in two moves or d2 in one move, because it can assist in checkmate and White can't take the pawn because stalemate would result Template:Ref harvard.
If the defending king is not on the side of the pawn near the corner and the attacking king is close enough, the game can still be won — often by letting the pawn promote and then checkmating.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
In the second position in this section, the king must be prevented from getting to the other side of his pawn, otherwise he can employ the stalemate defense.
- 1. Qb3! Kd2
- 2. Qb2 Kd1
- 3. Kf3! Kd2 (3... c1=Q 4.Qe2#, or 3... c1=N gives White a winning endgame)
- 4. Kf2 Kd1
- 5. Qd4+ Kc1
- 6. Qb4! Kd1
- 7. Qe1# Template:Ref harvard.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
The third position shows another win for the attacker, since his king is close and the defending king is not (yet) near the corner.
- 1. Qc4+ Ke1
- 2. Qe4+ Kf1
- 3. Kf4 Kg1 (the black king gets to the corner, but White has moved his king close enough to checkmate.)
- 4. Qd4 Kh1
- 5. Kg3 (of course, not 5. Qxf2 stalemate)
- 5... f1=Q
- 6. Qh8+
and White checkmates on the next move Template:Ref harvard. Note that it is possible to win with a bishop pawn on the seventh rank and the king in the corner if the attacking king and queen are in the proper position.
References
- Fine and Benko 2003 Reuben Fine and Pal Benko (1941, 2003). Basic Chess Endings. McKay. ISBN 0-8129-3493-8.
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- Müller and Lamprecht 2000 Karsten Müller and Frank Lamprecht (2000). Secrets of Pawn Endings. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-255-5.
- Seirawan 2003 Seirawan, Yasser (2003). Winning Chess Endings. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-348-9.
- Snape 2003 Snape, Ian (2003). Chess Endings Made Simple: How to Approach the Endgame with Confidence. Gambit Publications. ISBN 1-901983-97-8.