Distant opposition help required

Hi, I understand main principles of the opposition and distant oppositions but still struggle from time to time to find the right move when kings are too far away.

Are there any concepts I could use to quickly calculate?

As I understand, the main principle is that the player whose turn to make a move should place the king on the same color opposing the other king (with odd number of squares in between).

But I have been doing some endgame drills and failed again in this position

It seems like the drill taught you what you needed to know... the simplest way to think about distant opposition is to use the "rule" of same color odd number of squares, there's not another "easier" rule.

And what do you mean to avoid it? Like if your opponent can draw with opposition? There's no way to avoid it, if a position is drawn then it's drawn.

Thanks for your answer. I know that if my opponent wins the opposition it's a draw. Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my answer.

If you can, please look at the 2 examples I attached in my first messages.

1. If white moves Kf4 and wins the opposition, which is the most logic move for me here - it's actually a draw. The winning move for white is actually Kf5 allowing back to gain the opposition next move.

2. Is there a way to quickly determine that the only winning moves for white is Kb2 and Ka3? All other moves are just a draw. Even though opponents king at the other end of the board and I have a pawn to make a waiting move if needed.

@1 @2
The point is that your king must conquer the square in front of you pawn.

@7

Kf4? draws, Kf5 wins.

#1: A fundamental K+P ending, where things are simple and staightforward.

The important thing is NOT allowing the Black king to reach d7, when it's is a trivial draw. And the one and only move to stop ...Ke8-Kd7 is 1.Kf5.

Now after 1...Ke8 2.Ke6, we have another fundamental position of a mutual zugzuang- it is a win with Black to move, and a draw with white to move.

Black can try a last desperate trick, but it should not work if white is not careless.

Thank you! Now is so much more clear!

A more important concept than that of an opposition is the key square. The opposition is only relevant when fighting over the control of such squares and if there are no key squares in the position one should not try to use opposition. So your first task before trying to use opposition should be to determine the key squares.

In the first two positions white should know about the key squares of a (non-wing) pawn on the 6th or third rank and figure and figure out a way to get his king into one of these squares. Opposition can help to guide you search but it is not a replacement for concrete calculation. For example, notice that in the first position 1. Kf5 Kf7 2. Ke5 only wins for white because the pawn on d6 prevents black from maintaining the opposition with 2... Ke7. This is something that has to be calculated and cannot be derived from any general principles.