Quick answer
Connected Passed Pawns is an endgame technique: promotion race and tempo. Work from the first evidence position for Connected Passed Pawns, and begin by testing d5.
Begin from d5 in 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k b - - 0 1. Count the material, king routes, promotion squares and reserve tempi before applying a theoretical rule. The evidence answer is: Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: d5.
In the Connected Passed Pawns example, notice: side Black; pieces Black pawn d6, White pawn e4, White king e1, Black king h1; legal first moves d5, Kg2, Kh2, Kg1. Use the inventory as a reading aid for this position alone rather than as a template for other games.
Material and result question
The first evidence board tests promotion race and tempo; the second board tests promotion race and tempo. Use direct FEN setup to reconstruct A and direct FEN setup to reconstruct B when the evidence includes move text. Definitions for adjacent ideas are on the Chess Wiki and the Endgames hub. Then compare Material Values with Protected Passed Pawn, Rook Versus Pawn, Rook Behind A Passed Pawn around the active rook before the pawn push.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side Black; pieces Black pawn d6, White pawn e4, White king e1, Black king h1; legal first moves d5, Kg2, Kh2, Kg1; B contains side Black; pieces Black pawn d5, White pawn e4, White king f2, Black king h2; legal first moves d4, dxe4, Kh3, Kh1. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of the conversion move order.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:3p4 | r4:8 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K2k / r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3p4 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:5K1k | r8:8: start with the active rook before the pawn push; then test the conversion move order; keep the side-to-move tempo separate from a reserve pawn move; use the pawn's promotion square as the transfer check; and reserve the defender's fortress setup for the exception.
Conversion or defense plan
On the first board, calculate d5 after d5 and write down the opponent's best reply around the active rook before the pawn push. On the second board, calculate d4 after d4 and check the conversion move order. Separate the practical conversion question from the result question; side to move and one checking distance can change the conclusion. In this case the useful condition is the defender's fortress setup.
Key claim: Connected Passed Pawns is illustrated here by promotion race and tempo; the first concrete test is d5. The board anchor is 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k; the example is intentionally narrower than the topic label and should not be generalised without checking the surrounding position..
Practical boundary: To answer “What exact king, pawn, and move-order conditions decide connected passed pawns, and how should each side play them?”, compare the recorded setup with d4 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 8/8/8/3p4/4P3/8/5K1k/8. The evidence records No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication and the second board signature r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3p4 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:5K1k | r8:8. The false-positive test is whether the side-to-move tempo appears without a reserve pawn move, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: promotion race and tempo
Show answer
Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: d5.
Why this position is here: Connected Passed Pawns is represented by promotion race and tempo. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k b - - 0 1
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this connected passed pawns position?
Answer cue: Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: d5. The first candidate to test is d5. Replay d5 on board anchor 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-2: promotion race and tempo
Show answer
Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: d4.
Why this position is here: Connected Passed Pawns is represented by promotion race and tempo. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/8/3p4/4P3/8/5K1k/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/8/3p4/4P3/8/5K1k/8 b - - 2 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this connected passed pawns position?
Answer cue: Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: d4. The first candidate to test is d4. Replay d4 on board anchor 8/8/8/3p4/4P3/8/5K1k/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-3: promotion race and tempo
Show answer
Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: e4.
Why this position is here: Connected Passed Pawns is represented by promotion race and tempo. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/8/3p4/8/4P3/4K3/6k1; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/8/3p4/8/4P3/4K3/6k1 w - - 2 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this connected passed pawns position?
Answer cue: Connected Passed Pawns: calculate both promotion paths and include checks before assuming the faster pawn wins. Candidate line: e4. The first candidate to test is e4. Replay e4 on board anchor 8/8/8/3p4/8/4P3/4K3/6k1 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
Reading the line
Read the first example (id example-1) as a complete record: continuation d5, source tablebase. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/3p4/8/4P3/8/8/4K2k; no opening history is inferred from the diagram. If A does not expose promotion race and tempo, correct the evidence before relying on the prose.
Read the second example (id example-2) separately: continuation d4, source tablebase. Its feature is promotion race and tempo; inventory side Black; pieces Black pawn d5, White pawn e4, White king f2, Black king h2; legal first moves d4, dxe4, Kh3, Kh1. Compare what changes between d5 and d4.
Boundary cases
The main mistake to avoid with Connected Passed Pawns is applying a remembered endgame rule while ignoring side to move, king placement or an unverified result. In A, the missing condition must be located in r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:3p4 | r4:8 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K2k after d5; in B, test it against r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3p4 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:5K1k | r8:8 after d4.
For Connected Passed Pawns, the first board's evidence boundary (after d5) is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. The second board's evidence boundary for Connected Passed Pawns is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. If a trusted source or careful calculation changes the conclusion around the pawn's promotion square, update both the evidence record and this article.
Practice from a real game
play the position for both sides, record the critical tempo, and verify the exact FEN against the cited tablebase before publication. Start with A's side to move and r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:3p4 | r4:8 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K2k; record two candidates, the reply to d5 and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3p4 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:5K1k | r8:8; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Protected Passed Pawn, Rook Versus Pawn, Rook Behind A Passed Pawn through a reserve pawn move. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line d4; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Connected Passed Pawns: Syzygy tablebase verification reference, 1chess.online editorial scope. Source ids are tablebase, original-analysis. Primary evidence hook: tablebase. Comparisons and practice notes are editorial. Evidence revision: 2026-08-remediation-r2.
Scope note for board pair r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:3p4 | r4:8 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K2k / r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3p4 | r5:4P3 | r6:8 | r7:5K1k | r8:8: this page does not claim that d5 is an engine principal variation, that an exact endgame result is verified when the evidence says it is not, or that a tool output replaces human calculation. The conclusion is limited to the recorded boundary and the exception the side-to-move tempo.