Race

From the Promotion Monster lessons, you know that there are different ways to get a pawn to the other side. The difference with this lesson is that now not only you, but also the opponent has a passed pawn! Both sides try to reach the other side with their pawn as quickly as possible. In chess, when two opposing pawns are competing against each other, we talk about a race.

In this lesson we will look at four different situations in which both sides need the same number of moves to be able to promote. Yet one player obtains a winning advantage.

In Example 1, we see that the one who promotes first simultaneously controls the promotion square of the other pawn.

In Example 2, the pawn that reaches the other side first promotes with check, leaving no time for the opponent to promote. After all, the check must be answered first.

In Example 3, we see that you are not obliged to move immediately with your passed pawn. Stepping into the square with the king first to catch the enemy pawn and moving your own passed pawn later can be very effective.

In Example 4, both players promote to a queen, but the one who promotes first has a trick (a skewer) that wins the queen!

What do you have to do?

Decide the race in your favor. This can be done by moving quickly with your pawn and promoting before the other, promoting with check, catching the opponent's pawn or by capturing the enemy queen with a skewer after promotion.