White to move. Which side is better? How should White proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Bishop and Pawn endgame
About Author
White to move. Which side is better? How should White proceed?
Perhaps:
1. Bd7 f5 2. c6 f4 3. cb7 Bb7 4. Bc8 Bd5 5. b7 Bb7 6. Bb7 Ka7 7. h3 +-
if 2… g5 then 3.cb7 Bb7 4. Bf5
There might be few subtleties, but is seems like white should be able to stop black pawns and win
or… the best winning possibility is 3. Kd8! and then 4.c7! If 3… Bc6 then 4. Bc6 bc 5. Kc8 +-
hm… I am a bit sleepy today. 3. Kd8 actually does not win because of 3… bc. However 3. Kc8! ends the game (then 4. c7 and 5. Kd8) since there is no 3… bc anymore
So the final line is as follows: 1. Bd7 f5 2. c6 f4 3. Kc8 f3 4. c7 f2 5. Kd8 f1Q 6. c8R mate!
1. Bxb7 Bxb7 2. c6 if Bxc6 then Kxc6
if B a6 then b6 b7
3. b6 b7 bishop must take or promotion unstoppable
“1. Bxb7 Bxb7 2. c6 if Bxc6 then Kxc6
if B a6 then b6 b7″
Um, after Kxc6 just Kb8 and black wins easily.
I can see the Bd7 idea which wins a piece. However, I don’t think it is that simple since white will then be left with a wrong rook’s pawn.
It may be possible for white to stalemate the black king in order to convert the pawn to the right file. However, I don’t see the possibility happening in this position.
Thus, my conclusion that the position is a draw.
Bd7 f5
c6 and wins
if Bxc6
Bxc6 bxc6
b7+ and queens followed by mate
and if bxc6 (after Bc6) b7+ and wins
My thought process: If I could initiate an exchange on c6, my b6 pawn will queen: 1.Bb7 — 2.c6 now
1)If black takes with pawn I just advance b6 and queen
2) If He takes with bishop I retake and the files open for my b6 pawn
3) Something else?? Black could try to have counterplay with his pawns (which are not far advanced): I free the way for my c6 pawn with Kc8 (still garding the promoting square for the other pawn) and after c6-c7 black is lost
A line could be:
1.Bb7 f5 2.c6 f4 3.Kc8 f3 4.c7 f2 5.Kd8 f1Q 5.c8Q#
(black could resist more than that but I think he can’t distract from my queening ideas.)
That looks obvious even to me, and I am a very weak chess player. The h pawn can waltz in for a queen, since the black bishop can’t take it at any point due to Bxb7#. Once the pawn in for a queen, the white bishop just have to get out of the way for the queen to mate from h8
to gabor: yes you are weak 😉
Gabor, maybe you should adjust your screen brightness, I’m also having some difficulties in seeying black pawns in dark squares. Your analysis would be right if it wasn’t for the pawns in f6, g7 and h4.
My point of view is that it would be much better to “sign”(with name or pseudo) your answers (instead of “anonyme”).
What do you think?
We could give counter-answers or a sub-variation or a different idea or … and so on…
1. Bd7 f5
2. c6 f4
Black can not take pawn c6
3. Bxc6 Bxc6 and black is forced
to take the bishop or mate at b7
3. Kc8
Threatening c7
3 .. bxc6
If Bxc6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b7+
and queening and mate faster I
guess.
4. b7+ Ka7
5. b8Q+
And white win anyway
Ok, I can see the idea Bd7 and c6.
Lets analise if it is enought with good defensive moves.
1.Bd7 f5 2.c6 f4 3.Kc8(Kd8 is wrong because bxc6 and c5 controlling b7) f3
4.c7 f2 5.Kd8 f1=Q and 6.c8=Q++ or 6.c8=R++
Yes,white wins in six moves
All the other lines are draws because if black loses his bishop taking the b pawn…black draws easyly putting his king on h8 and just waiting for the draw offer.
(yes,white takes each pawn but cannot control h8 and the game is draw->theory:bad bishop and “a” or “h” pawn is draw is you can control the promotion square.Nobody can attack you there and the square is yours forever! and if the other has not other piece you cannot be checkmated.So simple like that.)
The best variation has been said very often now – it’s enough now I think so please not again the solution!
The other variation with the bad bishop isn’t that easy I think – without chess board I am not able to find out if that’s really draw.
In this case there is one thing that makes me think:
Black has to reach the “save” edge h8 without losing the f pawn and get the g pawn blocked at the sametime. Then white could stalemate the black king and force the g pawn to walk so that white’s h pawn can strike it.
With that g pawn the bad bishop isn’t that bad at all….
If I was white (and if I wouldn’t see the easy variation with the nice move Kc8) I would try that in any case….
Greetings,
Jochen
i would play Bx7+ followed by c6