The race that is only a draw — Chess Library

The same kind of race as its winning cousin, one detail different — and the result is a draw. Both sides queen, and neither queen achieves anything.

Lesson

White to move. Main line: 1. a4 h6 2. a5 h5 3. a6 h4 4. a7 h3 5. a8=Q h2 6. Qh8 h1=Q

1. a4 is the only move that holds. It looks like White is fighting for a win here; the tablebase says the position is drawn no matter what, and every other first move actually loses.

That is the honest lesson of pawn races: the same shape can be a win, a draw or a loss depending on one tempo, and the only way to know is to count rather than to hope.

Put this next to the winning race and step through both. The positions look alike and the results are not.