Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. Qxc2+
1.Qxc2+ ends the danger immediately. Black’s king protects c2, but White’s king protects it too, so ...Kxc2 would be illegal. The check makes the finish explicit.
Before applying a memorised queen-versus-pawn technique, always look for the direct capture. Here the geometry of the two kings makes the shortest solution the correct one.
The broader stalemate method matters when the queen cannot capture safely. This position is deliberately the simpler exception: calculate the board in front of you before reaching for a rule.