White to move. White is down a pawn but has a good Bishop versus Black’s horrible Bishop. Is this enough compensation? How should White continue? This was actually one of my online training games.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Good Bishop versus Bad Bishop
1. Rg8 RxR
2. PxR KxP
3. Bxc6
Is winning
Somebody already beat me to the main idea. I wondered if 1. Bxc6 would work as well (or better).
1. Bxc6 dxc6
2. d7 followed by Rg8
Does this work better? Bc8 won’t work to slow things down with this move order.
I guess I should have looked harder to start with. 1. Bxc6 doesn’t work because of 1. … Rh8. Too bad, I thought I had something.
Sorry, people…the solution you’re offering does NOT work. Using your solution, this is what happens in REALITY:
[FEN “1r6/3p1k1P/b1pPp3/1p3p2/pP2B3/P4PR1/1K6/8 w – – 0 1”]
1. Rg8 Rxg8 2. hxg8=Q Kxg8 3. Bxc6 Bc8!
You guys missed this rejoinder, didn’t you? In any case, GM Susan Polgar…I really don’t know about you…but I played this position against Deep Patzer…a free chess engine I installed in Arena. I couldn’t find a way in. This in my estimation is a draw.
1. Bxc6 Bxc6 Rh8 2. Bxd7 Rxh7 3. Bc6 Rh8 4. f4 Kf6 5. Rd3 Rc8 6. d7 Rd8
7. Rd6 Ke7 8. Rd3 Kf6 9. Rh3 Ke7 10. Rh7 Kd6 11. Bg2 Rxd7 12. Rxd7 Kxd7 13. Kc3 Kd6 14. Kd4 Bc8 15. Bf1 Bd7 16. Bd3 Bc6 17. Bc2 Bg2 18. … {½-½ User
Adjudication})
rg8 rxg8
Pxg8 kxg8
Bc6 Bc8 forced
Bxb5 e5
bxa4 kf7
I think this is winning as white can control the potential passwer by black and march the a and b pawns up.
maybe kc3 is more accurate to get in the “square” of the f and e black pawns before capturing the pawn on a4 since that bugger isn’t running away.
White’s winning also b/c of black’s passive bishop.
hmm, I was also looking at
1. Rh3!? Rh8
Kg7 transposes to similar positions discussed previously with the king further away after h8+
2. Bxc6 Ke8
I’m not sure here, so that’s when I went back to 1. Rg8
In the 1. Rg8 line, instead of Bc8 after Bxc6, another line could be
… Kf7
Bxd7
Interesting! Not so sure about this position… seems like is winning.. but couldn’t make a definite analysis on the plan. Probably activate the white king and infiltrate on the black squares..
To the last anon,
How does 1. Bxc6 Bxc6 Rh8 2.Bxd7 happen? as the black bishop is on a6, and when does black get two moves in a row? Only kidding. Likely you did not intend the second Bxc6 and it was a typo.
Even so I do like the 1. Bxc6 Rh8 line for white. With the continuation,
2. Bxd7 Rxg7 but then
3. Re1 threatening the backward isolated e6 pawn with check.
Now what?
3…e5 loses to 4.Bxf5 or Rxe5
3…Rh8 4.Bxe6+ again winning for white.
If 3…Rh6 protecting e6, this allows white to freeze the king side with
4.f4 and now white’s plan is to play Re3 and/or bring the King in, while black has to find a way to get the bad bishop in to help. It, at present, however, must stay to guard the b5 pawn. Even if it gets out somehow later, it will not have a target, as all white’s pieces and pawns are on dark squares (except, of course, white’s light squared bishop.)
I like white here, and I do not think this is a draw.
Henry…I tried your move 4.Bxb5 and this is what I got:
I had a look at your continuation after the forced move by Black after 3…Bc8. It actually leads to a win for Black! This is what happened when I tried your move 4. Bxb5:
[FEN “1r6/3p1k1P/b1pPp3/1p3p2/pP2B3/P4PR1/1K6/8 w – – 0 1”]
1. Rg8 Rxg8 2. hxg8=Q Kxg8 3. Bxc6 Bc8 4. Bxb5 Kf7! 5. Bxa4 Kf6 6. f4 e5 7. b5 exf4 8. Bd1 Bb7 9. a4 f3 10. a5 f2 11. Be2 Bg2 12. a6 f1=Q 13. Bxf1 Bxf1 14. a7 Bg2! 15. … {0-1 User Adjudication} 0-1
OK, so who is winning here?
White is winning for me:
1.Bxc6!
on 1… Rh8 I suggest the following
2.Rg8 Rxh7
3.Ra8 (on 3…dxc6 4.Ra7+ Kg8 5.RxRh7 KxRh7 6.d7 is winning for white)
on 3…Rh2+
4.Kc3 Rh1 (the best try on 4…dxBc6 5.d7! is lethal)
5.Kd4! dxBc6 (What else?)
6.RxBa6 Ke8
7.Ra7 Rd1+
8.Kc5 Rc1+ (or 8…e5 9. Kxc6 Rc1+ 10. Kd5 Rd1+ 11.Ke6 and black has to give the rook for the pawn d)
9.Kb6 Rd1 (or e5)
10.Kc7 and black will have again to give the rook for the pawn d)
I have done this without computer, please let me know if it is alright.
Loïc
Rg8, exchange and the advanced d6 pawn decides the game after bishop sacrifice at c6:
1. Rg8 Rxg8
2. hXg8 Kxg8
3. Bc6
Bxc6 Rh8
Bxd7 Rxh7
now white has the powerful pawn on d6 which will put pressure on black to prevent it from promoting. the game is essentially an easy win for white.
Bxd6 Pxd6
Rg8 Rxg8
Pxg8 Kxga8
Pd7
this is an even easier win for white if black decides to take the bishop on d6. you just trade pieces and black cant get to the run away pawn on d6.
wolverine
Bxd6 Rh8
Bxd7 Rxh7
now white has the powerful pawn on d6 which will put pressure on black to prevent it from promoting. the game is essentially an easy win for white.
Bxd6 Pxd6
Rg8 Rxg8
Pxg8 Kxga8
Pd7
this is an even easier win for white if black decides to take the bishop on d6. you just trade pieces and black cant get to the run away pawn on d6.
wolverine
Anon,
As I said in my second posting, I thought 5. Kc3 is better than an immediate 5. Kxa4.
Still, it’s not clear after 5.Kc3 e5 because of the weak d pawn
so after seeing the other notes, and immediate Bxc6 looks better. Good job guys (gals)!
Susan, great example of bad bishop is yesterdays 4 th game between Leko and Ivanchuk. In the final position, if black dark square bishop was on a different spot, black would have won the game!
oh boys and girls… i’ve seen no exact and satisfying analysis thus far – so i’ll add my two pence (mine’s and my little-chess-piece-set’s. however, with some side lines – e4specially those 1.bxc6 one’s, fritz the cat helped me a lot … )
1.Rg8!
(1.Bxc6!? Rh8 2.Bxd7 ( 2.Rg8 Rxh7 3.Ra8 Kf6 4.Rxa6 dxc6 5.Rxc6 Ke5 6.Rc5+ Kxd6 7.Rxb5 unclear) 2…Rxh7 3.f4 – the only move to keep the advantage, and hard to find…
( e.g. 3.Bc6 Rh8 4.d7 Ke7 5.f4 Kd6 6.Rc3 Ke7 white is better, but it is still a march) 3…Rh8 ( 3…Rh2+ 4.Kc3 Rh8) 4.Re3 only move… 4… Rd8 5.Bxe6+ Kf6 6.d7 Bb7 7.Re5 only move! but not very hard to find… ( 7.Kc3 Be4=) 7…Bc6 ( 7…Be4 8.Kc3 Bc6 9.Bxf5 Bxd7 10.Bxd7 Rxd7 11.Rxb5 Rh7 12.Ra5 Rh3+ 13.Kc4 Rxa3 14.b5) 8.Bxf5 Bxd7 9.Bxd7 Rxd7 10.Rxb5 Rd2+ 11.Kc3 Ra2 white is better ok – but what aq long way to go and possibly fail?)
1…Rxg8
2.hxg8Q+ Kxg8
3.Bxc6 Bc8
4.Bxb5 Kf7
5.Kc3! e5
6.Kc4 …
and white is better than in any other line after 1.Bxc6 … with rooks on the board – why to chose the complicated way, if there is is an easy one?) e.g.
6…Bb7 all other moves are even worse
(6…f4 7.Kc5 e4 8.Kb6 Ke6 ( 8…e3 9.Kc7) 9.Kc7 e3 ( 9…Kd5 10.fxe4+) 10.Be2 Kd5 11.b5 Kc5 12.Kxc8 Kxd6 13.b6;
6…e4 7.fxe4 fxe4 8.Kc5 Ke6 9.Bxa4 e3 10.Bb5 Bb7 11.Be2;
6…Ke6 7.Kc5 Bb7 8.Kb6 Bxf3 9.Kc7 e4 10.Bxd7+ Kd5 11.Bc6+ Kd4 12.d7+-;
6…Ke8 7.Kc5 Bb7 8.Kb6 Bxf3 ( 8…Bd5 9.Kc7 Be6 10.Bxa4+-) 9.Kc7 Kf7 10.Bxd7 f4 11.Bc8+-)
7.Bxd7 Bxf3
8.Bxf5 Ke8
9.Bc2 Kd8
10.Bxa4 Bb7
11.Kc5 e4
12.Bb5 e3
13.Be2 +-
resulting in an easy, clear and virtually not to be blundered win …
Thanks Vohal!
There is something wrong in: 1.Bxc6!? Rh8 2.Bxd7 ( 2.Rg8 Rxh7 3.Ra8 Kf6 4.Rxa6 dxc6 5.Rxc6 Ke5 6.Rc5+ Kxd6 7.Rxb5 unclear) 2…Rxh7 3.f4 – the only move to keep the advantage, and hard to find…
( e.g. 3.Bc6 Rh8 4.d7 Ke7 5.f4 Kd6 6.Rc3 Ke7 white is better, but it is still a march) 3…Rh8 ( 3…Rh2+ 4.Kc3 Rh8) 4.Re3 only move… 4… Rd8 5.Bxe6+ Kf6 6.d7 Bb7 7.Re5 only move! but not very hard to find… ( 7.Kc3 Be4=) 7…Bc6 ( 7…Be4 8.Kc3 Bc6 9.Bxf5 Bxd7 10.Bxd7 Rxd7 11.Rxb5 Rh7 12.Ra5 Rh3+ 13.Kc4 Rxa3 14.b5) 8.Bxf5 Bxd7 9.Bxd7?
9.Rd5 is a easy win
Rg8 and Bxc6, reminds me a little of that old Capablanca-Botvinnik game where Botvinnik sacs a bishop to attack a long pawn chain.
@ wim – i admit 9.Rd5! is much stronger than my 9.Bxd7? given in this side line, but i disagree on your optimistic estimation of an “easy win” after 9…Bxf5 for white…
greetings, Vohaul
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