Endgame guide part 46 (queen+pawn vs queen endagmes)
# ♕ QUEEN + PAWN vs QUEEN ENDGAMES — MASTER CODEX In this category, both sides have queens and kings, but **one side has a pawn** (the *attacker’s pawn*) that is trying to promote or provide a decisive material advantage. Unlike simpler queen vs pawn endings, this one is *far from trivial or always winning for the extra pawn side*: many positions are drawn with correct defense, and converting an advantage often means navigating long, precise sequences with repeated checks, cross-checks, and fortress techniques. --- ## 🜁 1 — WHAT DEFINES THIS UNIVERSE ### **Principal Components** * *Attacking side*: King, Queen, and 1 pawn * *Defending side*: King and Queen * Pawn may be anywhere, but the *most critical cases* involve the pawn on or near the **6th or 7th rank**. This endgame is one of the **most common “piece + pawn vs piece” endgames** after rook + pawn vs rook, and is notoriously *difficult to analyze without tablebases*. --- ## 🜂 2 — GENERAL BEHAVIOR AND OUTCOME TRENDS ### 🔶 Strong Drawing Tendencies Unlike many other material advantages, a queen + pawn vs queen often **does not win automatically**, even with a seemingly advanced pawn. Multiple factors give the defender drawing resources: * **Perpetual checks** from afar * Ability to place defending king *in front of or close to pawn* * **Cross-checks and escapes** that reset the attack’s tempo * Fortress geometry based on the pawn’s file and king placement The result is: **many positions are drawn with precise defense**, even for some central pawn configurations. --- ### 📌 Historical Theorists Reuben Fine & Pal Benko (mid-20th century) believed this ending is *usually drawn* unless very specific conditions are met. Modern tablebase work (Müller & Lamprecht; Nunn) shows that *more positions are winning* than previously thought — but only with *very precise play*. --- ## 🜃 3 — CORE CLASSIFICATION OF QUEEN + PAWN vs QUEEN The outcome depends on **three key aspects**: --- ### **A — Pawn File**