I am practicing to become a chess mentor for kids. Part of the curriculum involves a pawn game. A pawn game is when both sides have eight pawns on the starting squares. Whoever gets a pawn to the other side of the board first wins. There are no pieces.
I am trying to figure out the solution to this variant. I can't find a solution anywhere online. I feel it in my bones that this game can be definitively solved as a win for one side or a definite draw. I feel like one side has a forced win somehow.
In my analysis without a computer I found that in many cases black can force a zugzwang of white runs out of moves first and has to play something undesirable. Otherwise there are many games in which white can use the first move advantage to gain extra space and mobility. Sometimes it looks like white gets a promising position in this way if black has fewer moves.
I noticed many things. First a stalemate is unlikely because without the kings, it is impossible for the sides to pass back and forth with no zugzwang. Second if the possibility to create a hanging pawn structure through releasing the tension occurs, then the side which captures first often loses because the hanging pawns can create a passed pawn. Maybe there are more typical patterns you can figure out.
So far in my analysis of looks like black often wins due to white running out of moves first. Can somebody find the clear solution to this variant?
Thank you very much.
There is a sub variant of this in which both sides have only four pawns located in the c, d, e, and f files. This might be easier to solve for sure.
If black simply copies white's moves up until certain (not all) capturing opportunities, then black should win.
@InkyDarkBird said in #3:
> If black simply copies white's moves up until certain (not all) capturing opportunities, then black should win.
I started with the pawn game with only four pawns each. I found that white wins assuming en passant because white is faster to get control over the board. The problem for black is that he can't always copy white if white gains more space and control. In theory the first move should be a winning advantage if black cannot create counterplay.
Maybe I could make a study ignoring the kings in the corner to demonstrate my point.
I made a study on the simplified four pawn game. According to my analysis 1.e4 is a win for white.
https://lichess.org/study/ORdmNFQD/EttSv6SM
The most challenging line is 1...c5 from black.
Otherwise white will have an easier time controlling the center due to the first move advantage. This will ultimately force a zugzwang followed by a win for white due to en passant.
....none of your positions in the study consider the possibility of black copying white's moves.
@InkyDarkBird said in #6:
> ....none of your positions in the study consider the possibility of black copying white's moves.
Black can't copy white's moves.
1.e4 e5 2.c3.
If 2...c5 white answers 3.c4 with black in zugzwang.
If 2.c6 then white answer 3. D4.
White controls the center first and will capture of black continues copying.
3.d5 4. Exd5, cxd5 5. Dxe5 and white is up a pawn and winning.
Interesting. If I was teaching kids to play for the first time, I'd teach them first how to checkmate with a queen and king vs king. Then I'd show them pawns and the idea to promote. Most high level games are won because of promotion ideas and not some beautiful middlegame checkmate attack.
Great idea to create this pawn game.
@trothan said in #7:
> Black can't copy white's moves.
> 1.e4 e5 2.c3.
> If 2...c5 white answers 3.c4 with black in zugzwang.
> If 2.c6 then white answer 3. d4.
This solution works.
I am wrong.
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