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      Home  >  Chess Improvement • Chess Puzzles  >  Is it a win, or not?

      Is it a win, or not?

      Difficult endgame, Puzzle Solving


      White to move. Is this a win or draw for White?

      8/2k5/8/2p5/4p2B/1K2P3/6p1/8 w – – 0 2

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      15 Comments

      1. jcheyne Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 3:22 pm

        White wins by using the bishop both to prevent promotion and to spend tempi forcing Black out of opposition, a simplified version of which follows:

        Step 1: Eliminate the c pawn:

        1. Bf2 Kd6
        2. Kc4 Kc6
        3. Bg1 Kd6
        4. Kb5 Kd5
        5. Bh2 c4
        6. Kb4 c3
        7. Kxc3 Kc5

        Step 2: Eliminate the e pawn:

        8. Bg1 Kd5
        9. Kb4 Ke5
        10. Kc5 Kf5
        11. Kd5 Kf6
        12. Kxe4 Ke6

        Step 3: Promotion:

        13. Kf4 Kf6
        14. e4 Ke6
        15. e5 Kd7
        16. Kf5 Ke7
        17. e6 Ke8
        18. Kf6 Kf8
        19. e7+ Ke8
        20. Bh2 Kd7
        21. Kf7

      2. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 4:15 pm

        white win

      3. PetrS Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 4:51 pm

        I also think that white should win.

      4. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 7:03 pm

        Wow, those are REALLY useful remarks. Who care what you think unless you can prove it (in chess)?

        White can force a position with his king and bishop on d5 and h2, respectively, and black’s king on b5.

        Going from here there could follow 1.Kxe4 Kc4 and suddenly white has to be concerned about black’s c-pawn.

        For example 2.Kf3 Kd3 and 3.Kxg2?? is out of question because of 3…Kxe3.

        This suggests white should have transferred his bishop to g1 instead of h2 and only then advance his king to d5.

        Have to give it some further thought…

      5. Jorge Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 7:10 pm

        I also think this, but one thing is “believe” and other “to know”… 🙂

        Two things seems to be keys (to me):
        1) This position:
        W:e3,Bg1 (h2,f2),Kd5;
        B:c5,e4,g2,Kb5;

        White can take pawn e4, to stop g2 pawn with Kf3xg2 and stop too pawn c?

        For example, after 1.Bf2 Kb6 2.Kc4 Kc6 3.Bg1 Kb6 4.Kd5 Kb5

        and

        2) The position of the bishop, when g1 or f2 are squares of g1-a7’s diagonal, important for

        a)defend pawn e3,against the manioeuvre Kb5-c4-d3, and
        b) getting c1 square, by way of e4 – after pawn’s advance -.

        One line may be:
        5.Kxe4 Kb4 6.Kf3 c4 7.Kxg2 c3 8.e4 c2 8.Ae3!, winning.

        The attempt 5… Kc4 6.Kf3 Kd3 reflects the defense of e3, and after 7.Kxg2 c4 8.Kf3 c3 9.e4 c2 10.Be3! wins.

        This is for I think white is on top 🙂

        Bye!

      6. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm

        White wins
        1.Bf2 Kc6 2.Kc4 Kd6 3.Bg1 Kc6 4.Bh2 Kb6 5.Kd5 Kb5 6.Kxe4 c4
        and now the King manoeuvre that puts Black in Zugzwang:
        7.Kf3 c3 8.Ke2 Kc4 9.Kd1 Kd3 10.Bg1
        the game is over
        10…Kc4 11.Kc2 Kb4 12.e4 Kc4 13.Be3! Kb4 14.e5 Kb5 15.Kxc3 Kc6 16.Kd4 1-0

      7. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 7:42 pm

        “Wow, those are REALLY useful remarks. Who care what you think unless you can prove it (in chess)?”

        Ok then. I KNOW that white wins. Satisfied?

        Nowhere does it say “how does white win” or something like that. It only say if it’s a win for white or a draw. It is a win for white!

      8. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 7:59 pm

        its a draw, the bishop cannot lose or gain a tempo because of the special circumstances at the corner enprisoned with the pawn on e3, it has only g1, f2 and h2 and on these squares it cannot gain a tempo. black can hold the opposition to the white king and can prevent white from the breakthrough of his king to d5.
        fan of tal

      9. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 8:06 pm

        i was wrong, i have seen now that white can make the breakthrough to d5. with boshop on g1 white goes to c4 and on Kc6 plays Bh2.
        but i have to analyse the game that will arise from that continuation.
        susan i have seen your film my brilliant brain, i enjoyed it, your father was a very good father caring for his children!

      10. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 8:10 pm

        i think its a draw. if white makes the breaktrough to d5, his bishop must be on h2, but in that case black can destroy the white pawn e3

      11. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 8:24 pm

        Anon @ 2:42 – you are funny!

      12. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 8:26 pm

        jorge i think black must defend like this, and there is no 10.Be3
        1.Bg3 Kb6 2.Bh2 Kb5 3.Bg1 Kb6 4.Kc4 Kc6 5.Bh2 Kb6 6.Kd5 Kb5 7.Kxe4 Kc4 8.Kf3 Kd3
        if now 9.Kxg2 Kxe3 draw
        if 9.e4 c4 10.e5 c3 11.Kxg2 c2 13.Bf4 Ke4 draw
        the point is as long as the white bishop is on f2 or g1 the blackies cannot be forced to give way to d5, if white want to force it, his bishop must go to h2, and that gives black drawing lines

      13. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 8:36 pm

        dear susan can you give us the solution?

      14. Jorge Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 9:12 pm

        Anonymous, I think is possible to play finally Be3 – the way varies -.

        In position that you says:
        W:e3,Ah2,Ke4
        B:c5,g2,Kc4

        it’s possible not to move the king to f3, playing before Bg1. Then it’s a similar continuation (I think):)

        Bye!

      15. Anonymous Reply
        August 13, 2009 at 9:45 pm

        Bg3+ and Bh2, then Blk will be soon in zugswang and will have to give up his pawns so white will win.
        h

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