Checkmate with Pawns

It has been nearly ten years since I was checkmated by two pawns in a complex and beautiful position on the Internet Chess Club. That game was the solitary example in my database of a rare and mostly theoretical possibility.

This week added two more. A Social Chess game that ended Tuesday had this finish.

Black to move

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49.b2 50.f6

Of course, he could have played 50.Ka2, leading to 50...Kc2, 51...b1Q and mate to follow.

50...Kb3 51.fxg7 a2#.

Yesterday, in a one-minute bullet game, I capped a series of games against my opponent with a nice victory. I won the series 9-4. In the finale, my opponent managed to shed a bishop in the early middle game, then two pawns.

Black to move

Here we transition into a simple pawn endgame. When there are seconds remaining, it is important to reduce counterplay.

34...Rxb2 35.Rxb2 Bxb2+ 36.Kxb2 c5 37.Kc3 c4 38.Kd2 Kc5 39.Kc2 d4 40.Kb2 e4 41.Kc2 e3 42.Kd1 Kd5 43.Ke1 Ke4 44.a4 d3 45.a5 d2+

White to move

I would play 46.Ke2, if I were in my opponent's position. Perhaps he thought he might walk into stalemate, or perhaps with so little time left, he did not think about it.

46.Kd1 Kd3 47.a6 e2#.