Bondar, 2000
White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
4k3/p7/PpPBK3/1Pp5/8/2P5/8/1r6 w – – 0 1
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Bondar, 2000
White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
4k3/p7/PpPBK3/1Pp5/8/2P5/8/1r6 w – – 0 1
if it were me i’d go with the simple approach:
B b8, a7, b6, and c5
along with:
c4 Rc1
Kd5 Rd1
Ke4 Rc1
Kd3 etc.
if that doesn’t work i guess i lose. …or draw. …or win because it looks good and the other guy doesn’t want to fight it out
I don’t see a Black win here. For White to win, White’s king needs to reach a7 without getting trapped there, so Black at least draws if the Black king can get to the corner first. Therefore, White needs a path that holds Black’s king at bay.
1. c7 Re1+ (2. c8(Q or R)# is threatened)
2. Be5 (Not 2. Kd5 Kd7)
2. … Rxe5+
3. Kd6 (Not 3. Kxe5 Kd7)
3. … Rd5+
4. Kc6 (Not 4. Kxd5 Kd7)
4. … Rd8
5. Kb7 (Not 5. cxd8(Q)+ Kxd8; 6. Kb7 Kd7; 7. Kxa7 Kc7 and the White king can’t get out of the way to advance the a-pawn)
5. … c4
6. Kxa7 Rc8
7. Kb7 Kd7
8. a7 Rxc7+
9. Kxb6 Rc8
10. Kb7
Now White should be able to promote a-pawn, exchange the promotion for the rook, and promote the b-pawn for the win.
1 c7! Re1 2 Be5 Re5 3 Kd6! (3 Ke5? Kd7 =) Rd5! 4 Kc6! Rd8 5 cd8 Kd8 6 Kb7 +-
The hard part is seeing that White does not have to recapture the rook, my brain automatically visualized taking the rook the first half minute of trying to figure this problem out.
-Justin Daniel
I just realized my solution was not quite correct. 1 c7 Re1 2 Be5 Re5 3 Kd6 Rd5 4 Kc6 Rd8 is all optimal, but 5 cd8? Kd8 6 Kb7 c4! and White can not win: 7 Ka7 Kc7 traps the White king with stalemate to come, and if white goes after the c pawn black still draws in the resulting endgame.
Hence, 5 Kb7! c4! 6 Ka7! is the only way to win, then 6…Rc8 7 Kb6 Kd7 8 a7 Kd6 9 Ka6! and the advance of the b pawn wins. Very cool puzzle.
-Justin Daniel
Bb8 and white wins easily.
wow nice blog. i liked it
Bc5 should do the trick
arctic knight
1. c7!
Pawns need to be pushed: 1.c7 Re1+ 2.Be5 Te5:+ (only move) 3.Kd6! (why bother calculating if the pawn ending is won?) 3.-Rd5+ 4.Kc6 and the pawn will promote.
bc5 and win i think
“Bb8 and white wins easily.”
1. Bb8? may be hoping for Rxb5?? 2. c7+- but fails to 1. -, Kd8! 2. Bxa7?, Kc7 followed by R….a8 -+.
I prefer the good looking 1. c7 but it seems that black can still give a long fight afterwards. 1. -, Re1+ (forced to avoid immediate promotion) 2. Be5, Rxe5+ (now 3. Kxe5+ only draws even if white may be able to force black’s pawn to c4 and win it). 3. Kd6!, Rd5+! 4. Kc6!, Rd8! (Now 5. cxd8Q draws. Kxd8 6. Kb7, c4! (important move to play) 7. Kxa7, Kc7 = (without c4 played white would win with c4 here)). 5. Kb7! with many simple threats e.g. 6. cxd8Q, Kxd8 7. Kxa7, Kc7 8. c4 or the simple 6. Kxa7 at once (after which white can still win the rook and promote the pawn).
There are not many good ressources left here for black as Kd7? won’t help against cxd8Q and c4 won’t help against Kxa7. Black should try 5. -, Rd7 here which may give white the best chance to fail.
E.g. 6. Kb8??, Rxc7! (Rd8+?? 7. Kxa7) 7. Kxc7, c4!! = ending in a similar line as above.
But 6. Kxa7! seems to win though. Rxc7+ 7. Kxb6, Kd7 8. a7, Rc8 9. Kb7!, Rc7+ (what else against promotion) 10. Ka6!, Rc8 11. b6 and black cannot avoid 12. b7+- (even 11. -, Kc6 won’t help).
Very long calculation without using board or moving pieces. So it may be totally wrong if I am overlooking something or even am calculating with figures suddenly being on other squares.
That’s why I always liked end games. Material is mostly down so much that you can calculate (or at least try it) very deep.
Hope it is right. 🙂
Best wishes from Germany
Jochen
1. c7 Re1+
2. Be5 Rxe5
3. Kd6
When it comes to 1 Bb8.
1… Kd8 Ba7 Rb5 Bb8 Kc8 a7 Ra5 and I don’t see how to progress
I think better is 1. c7 Re1 2. Be5 Re5+ 3. Kd6 (Ke5 Kd7 and black runs to the corner and gets stalemated) Rd5+ 4. Kc6 Rd8 5. d8Q+ Kd8 6. Kb7 +-
1. c7 Re1+
2. Be5 Rxe5+
3. Kd6 Rd5+
4. Kc6 +-
I did not find a solution, so I cheated and asked Rybka. Hehe, the solution is awesome and quite funny. A beauty.