The importance of Key squares in CHESS today

It is white’s turn to move. To win the game white has to capture the h7 pawn and push its own pawn
to the promotion square. They have to start with 1.Ke7-f6. Other routes to the h7 pawn will allow black
to obstruct the white king from entering the key square later in the game. Let's make few moves to
prove this. 1.Ke7-f7 Kf4-e5 2.Kf7-g7 Ke5-e6 3.Kg7xh7 Ke6-f7. The black king is just in time to control
the key squares. Game will end in a draw.
White has to start with 1.Ke7-f6 trying to get to the h7 pawn and keep the black king as far as possible
from g7 or g8 key squares. 1…Kf4–e4 2.Kf6–g7 Ke4–e5 3.Kg7xh7 Ke5–f6. The black king is late and
white plays 4.Kh7–g8 opening the path for the pawn. Pay attention to the circumstance that in this case
the g8 square on the 8th rank does the supporting role.

It's white to move. 1.Qb6–a6+ Ka8–b8 2.Qa6–d6+ Qd1xd6 3.Ke5xd6 Kb8–c8 4.Kd6–e7. The white
king captures the supporting square and promotes the pawn. It is white to move. The fight goes for b7
or d7 key squares. 1.Kh6-g6 Kg8–f8 2.Kg6–f6 Kf8–e8 3.Kf6–e6 Ke8–d8 4.Ke6–d6 Kd8–c8 5.Kd6–c6.
Now black has to give up one of the key squares. 5...Kc8-d8 6.Kc6-b7 or 5...Kc8-b8 6.Kc6-d7.
It’s black’s turn to move. By playing 1…Ke6–f7 2.Kh5–h6 Kf7–g8, they don’t allow white to capture
the supporting square and achieve winning position by pushing the a pawn. We have the same position
but now it's white's turn to move. White can win as their king is able to capture the h7 key square.
1.Kh5–h6 Ke6–f7 2.Kh6–h7.

This is a famous study of Leonid Kubbel (was created in 1914). It is black to move. To win the game
they should capture the a5 pawn and prevent the white king from controlling the key square. The black
king can approach the a5 pawn through c4, c5 or c6 squares. The only move that allows black to win is
1...Kd5-c6. The two other moves (1...Kd5-c4 or 1...Kd5-c5) will allow white to survive.1...Kd5-c5 2.Kb8-
c7 Kc5-b5 3.Kc7-d6 Kb5xa5 4.Kd6-c5 and white controls the key squares. Let's go back to the initial
position. 1...Kd5-c6. This move restricts white king's options and keeps him far from the important
squares. 2.Kb8–c8 Kc6–b5 3.Kc8–c7 Kb5xa5 4.Kc7–c6 Ka5–b4 5.Kc6–d5 a6–a5 6.Kd5–d4 a5–a4
7.Kd4–d3 Kb4–b3 8.Kd3–d2 Kb3–b2. Black captures the key square and wins.
The following position presents an episode from Kacheishvili - Vaganian game played in 2000 in
Yerevan. 1…Qe3–f4+ .Black trades the queens and directs the king to the key square. 1…Qe3–f4+
2.Qb8xf4+ Kf5xf4 3.Kc4–d3 Kf4–f3 4.Kd3–d2 Kf3–f2. The black king has captured the key square and
the pawn has an open path to the promotion square. White resigned.

The position on this diagram is from one of the games of the 13th world champion Garry Kasparov.
1.f7–f8Q+ Qf3xf8 2.Qd6xf8+ Kg7xf8 3.Ke6–d7. The white king enters the key square and secures the
pawn's promotion.

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