Could Karjakin have grabbed on g5 at move 56 against Anand in the Candidates 2014? After 55...Rb2, we got the following position in Karjakin - Anand (Candidates 2014, round 13). Well, how about Nxg5, does it work?

[White "Karjakin"]
[Black "Anand"]
[FEN "8/8/6k1/4p1p1/4P1Pp/5P1N/1r1BK3/8 w - - 0 1"]

1.Nxg5 Rxd2+ 2.Kxd2 Kxg5 3.Ke3 h3 4.Kf2 Kf4 5.Kg1 Kg5 6.Kh1


Seems better (winning?) for white. Am I missing something?
3...h3 is wrong. The key is 3...Kf6!

[FEN "8/8/5k2/4p3/4P1Pp/4KP2/8/8 w - - 2 4"]


Note that:


White's king has to stay in the h-pawn's square, so it can't try to walk around the pawns.
Once white's king gets to h3, black should always be able to answer ...Kg5. If he does, then white's king can only retreat, unless he tries f4 there:




[FEN "8/8/8/4p1k1/4P1Pp/5P1K/8/8 w - - 8 7"]

1.f4 exf4


If anyone is better off here, it's black, but it's still a draw.


Or white can play 4.f4 immediately.




[FEN "8/8/5k2/4p3/4P1Pp/4KP2/8/8 w - - 2 4"]

4.f4 h3! 5.fxe5+ {What else?} Kxe5 6.Kf3 h2 7.Kg2 h1=Q+ 8.Kxh1 Kxe4 =


So the pawn endgame is a draw.