Force a Draw With the Philidor!

Halloween is coming up! This week we'll learn how to force a draw with the Philidor, then play ghost chess!

This is for ChessKid Ellie.

Philidor and Lucena are king and rook endgames, with one side having an extra pawn. In the Lucena position, you will win. In the Philidor, you will draw (the losing side can draw if played correctly).

In other words, if you know these positions, you will win a drawn game, and draw a lost one!

Philidor's position occurs when:

1. Your king is able to block the pawn, and prevent the king from hiding in front of the pawn.

2. Your rook is able to land on the 6th rank (or 3rd rank) and block the king.

3. Their pawn is on the 5th or 6th rank, but not the 7th!

 

Here's an example. Stop checkmate, and draw!

Now if White wants to keep checking you, that's fine! You can go back and forth (staying on the pawn's file to block him).

It will be a draw by repetition. If instead White pushes the pawn, you immediately bring your rook back to the first rank and "check from behind."

And because the king can never hide in front of his pawn (and can never leave it) the game will end in a draw by repetition again! If the pawn is ever captured that is an automatic draw too.

Now you try! Black to move and draw, either by stalemate or Philidor.

 

Now, ghost chess works like this. All the pieces move the same except your long-range pieces. Those (the Q,R,B) can all go through ONE of their own pieces. They cannot go through their opponent's pieces.

This would be a bad move for White's first turn, do you see why?

Because of 1...Qxd5 of course! Have fun and don't eat too much candy .

Ask Coach Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl) more questions here!

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