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      Home  >  Chess Improvement  >  Endgame improvement

      Endgame improvement

      Endgame Improvement, Puzzle Solving


      White to move. How should White proceed?

      1R6/2r5/8/1B6/8/2K5/k7/8 w – – 0 1

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      23 Comments

      1. Pavan Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 3:21 am

        1.Bc4+ Ka1 (1…Ka3 2.Ra8+ Ra7 3.Rxa7#)
        2.Rb4!! Rd7 (this is the only rook move that captures the bishop and delays the mate)
        3.Ra4+ Kb1
        4.Bd3+ Rxd3 (if king moves to c1, 5.Ra1#)
        5.Kxd3 with an easy win

      2. jMac Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 3:28 am

        1.Bc4+ (a cross-check) Ka1 2.Ra8+ Kb1 3. Re8 (or f8-h8), threatening check on the first ranl.

      3. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 3:45 am

        I’m clueless about this endgame. I think black can draw.

      4. Joshua Green Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 4:21 am

        1. Bc4+ Ka1
            1. … Ka3  2. Ra8+
        2. Ra8+ Kb1  3. Rh8
        and Black is helpless due to the threat of 4. Rh1#.

      5. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 4:55 am

        1. Bc4+, Kb1
        2. Re8

        1. Bc4+, Ka1
        2. Ra8+, Kb1 (Must give check or rook can block with Rb1 when you try Re8 then Re1)
        3. Re8

        1. Bc4+, Ka3
        2. Ra8+

        VaRallans TTU-KR

      6. Chessforeva Dev Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 5:09 am

        That’s the corner-pain

      7. Tom Barrister Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 6:44 am

        While this ending is often drawn with correct play, White wins here due to the gain of two tempo via Bishop checks.

        1 Bc4+ Ka1 (forced)

        White would now like to play Ra8+, followed by Bc4+ and Ra1+. The problem is that Black’s Rook pins the Bishop. White’s next move deflects the Rook from its duties.

        2 Rd8

        e8, f8, g8,and h8 all work just as well. White now threatens mate by Rd1.

        2…. Rb7

        The only move that blocks mate without giving up the Rook.

        Now that the Rook no longer pins the Bishop, White can play the maneuver.

        3 Ra8+

        White has to be careful. A move such as 3 Bd3?? allows Black to play 3… Rb3+! which draws, as the checks, aided by stalemate threats, force White to eventually move the King away from the a3/b3/c3/c2/c1 area, allowing Black enough maneuvering room to fend off a mating net.

        3… Kb1
        4 Bc4+

        A second gain of tempo by checking, although this one isn’t necessarily critical, since White’s King is on the back row.

        4 …. Kc1
        5 Ra1+ and mate next.

      8. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 6:57 am

        Actually this is a pretty easy one. 1. Bc4 forces Ka1 (otherwise Ra8 mates), after which Rh8 followed by Rh1 mates. Black is forced to sacrifice the rook for the bishop to stave off immediate mate but mate quickly follows.

      9. fuzzylogic Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 7:07 am

        These endgames are similar to mating with rook vs king. By using the bishop to block checks and control important squares white can drive the black king back. Here the black king has already been forced to the border so the win is rather easy.

        1. Bc4+ Ka1 2. Re8 (threat Re1 mate) Rb7 3. Ra8+ Kb1 4. Bd3+ Kc1 5. Ra1+ and mate.

      10. Anand Gautam Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 7:39 am

        Easy win!
        1. Bc4+ Ka1 (If Ka3, Ra8+ wins)
        2. Rh8 Rb7 (to prevent Rh1 mate)
        3. Ra8+ Kb1
        4. Bd3+ Kc1
        5. Ra1+ Rb1
        6. Rxb1 mate

      11. Bacem Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 8:51 am

        Bc4+ and then Rb4 wins

      12. José María Lasso Frías Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 9:05 am

        Hello

        White wins…


        1. Bc4+, Ka1
        ( if Ka3 2. Ra8+ and 3 Rxa7# )
        2. Rd8
        winning

        The black root must capture the white bishop to avoid the checkmate

        Greetings from Spain

      13. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 9:23 am

        i think white should proceed with a mating manouver:
        1, Bc4+ Ka1
        2. Ra8+ Kb1
        3. Rh8 — no defence against Rh1 mate except giving up the rook.
        greets, jan

      14. ttv Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 9:53 am

        Try to do it in reality with your chess partner in that position.

      15. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 9:59 am

        White should easily win with 1. Bc4+ Ka1 2. Rd8 Rxc4+ 3. Kxc4

      16. KNOCKOUT2010 Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 10:06 am

        1. Bc4+ Ka1 2. Ra8+ Kb1 3. Re8 (ready to checkmate at Re1# ) *Black resigned because (a) If Kc1, white will checkmate at Re1# (b) If Rxc4, black lose the rook – not enough material to fight – KNOCKOUT2010

      17. Jorge Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 10:55 am

        From Spain…

        1)Bc4+,Ka1
        2)Ra8+,Kb1
        3)Re8!…. and 4)Re1++

        Greetings from Spain

      18. Georg Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 11:15 am

        1. Bc4+ Rxc4+ 2. Kxc4 winning
        1. Bc4+ Ka3 2. Ra8+ Ra7 3. Rxa7#
        1. Bc4+ Ka1 2. Ra8+ Ra7 3. Rxa7 winning
        1. Bc4+ Ka1 2. Ra8+ Kb1 3. Re8 winning, because of the mate-thread on e1. Black has to give the rook and that is winnig too. Correct?

      19. Consul Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 11:24 am

        1. Bc4+
        .. Ka1
        2. Ra8+(important for what follows)
        .. Kb1
        3. Rx8 (x = d to h)
        with no chance of interposition for the black rook.

      20. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 11:38 am

        1. Bc4+ (looks good) Ka1 (what else?)
        Now R(d,e,f,g,h)8 doesn’t work yet because of Rb7 planning Rb1, so first
        2. Ra8+ Kb1
        3. R(d,e,f,g,h)8 whith mate threat in first rank. Now Rb7 doesn’t work because the king is on b1, so therefore
        3. … Rxc4+
        4. Kxc4 and white wins.

      21. Anonymous Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 11:51 am

        This is not draw. All black moves are obrigatory.

        1. Bc4+ Ra1
        2. Rd1 Rb7
        3. Ra8+ Kb1
        4. Bd3+ Kc1
        5. Ra1+

        With mate in 1.

      22. Consul Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 1:03 pm

        I agree that the position is won, but the variation
        1. Bc4+ .. Ka1
        2. Rb4 allows Rb7, which prolongs the game, because it allows Rc7+ at some point. The variation
        2. Rd8 right away, allows Rb7 again, allowing interposition. I don’t mean the position is draw after these ones, but wastes time!
        The correct plan is to force the black king to a square where interposition is not possible, and then Ra8-d8-d1 will mate!

      23. Gilderoy Reply
        November 9, 2010 at 1:17 pm

        This is a very typical case of “reciprocal thinking”:

        If 1.Bc4+! Ka1 2.Rh8? Rb7! and White won’t win.

        So you correct the idea by physically eliminating the reason why your idea doesn’t work: here the interception on the b file.

        so 1.Bc4+! Ka1 2.Ra8+! Kb1 3.Rh8 and Black has to give up the whole rook in order to avoid mate

      Leave a Reply to KNOCKOUT2010 Cancel reply

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