White to move. Is this a win or draw?
5b2/8/6P1/5KBk/8/8/8/8 w – – 0 12
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White to move. Is this a win or draw?
5b2/8/6P1/5KBk/8/8/8/8 w – – 0 12
Kf6, Kf7
1.Bd2, 2.Kf6, 3.Kf7, 4.g7, 5.g8=Q. That’s my plan anyway. It should be winning for white, if white can exchange the bishops and white king is located at Kf7 to guide the pawn safely to queening square.
White can win if the black bishop leaves the f8-h6 diagonal through a move such as
1Be7 Bxe7
2g7
But I do not see a way to force black to do this.
1.Kf6 Be7 2.Kf7 Bf8 3.Bc1 white wins
wh wins by moving kf7 and bg7
h
One must keep, I believe, the black king out of h6, so the white bishop must remain on the c1-h6 diagonal for at least a move. The white king must advance to support the pawn, so this seems to imply that the first move should be
1. Kf6
Now, black has only a few moves with which to reply
A.
1. …..Be7
2. Kf7 Bf8 (only move to stop g7)
3. Be7 Bh6 (again, the only move)
4. Bf6 Kg4 (forced away from pawn)
5. Bg7 Bf4
6. Bc3 Bh6
7. Bd2 and the pawn cannot now be stopped. The best black can do is end up in a queen vs bishop ending by playing 7. ….Bd2.
B.
1. Kf6 Bg7
2. Kg7 wins
C.
1. Kf6 Kg4
2. Be3 Bb5 (Kh5 3. Kf7 wins)
3. Bd4 Bf8
4. Kf7 Kf5
5. Be3! and zugzwang is once again enforced. Black is forced to either lose or exchange the bishop, and the pawn will queen.
D.
1. Kf6 Bc5 (Bb4 or a3 is same)
2. Kf7! Bd4 (Bf8 see line A above)
3. Bf6 and zugzwang once more.
The key to this position is to drive the bishop away from covering the g7 square, or to drive the king away from attacking the g-pawn so that the bishop sitting on f8 can be captured. Combining these threats produces zugzwang leading to one or the other desired position.
There is:
1Kf6…
Black must move the bishop and will likely put white in check. White does not take black but sacrifices his own bishop and gains a queen.
White Win with Kf6.
If Kg4 Bc1 & Then Bishop will Enter to long diagonal
If Black play Bh6 or Bg7 it is immediate suicide
If Black Try Be7+, Dont take Bishop
Move King to F7
For other bishop moves too KF7 & If Black Try to come in to long diagonal cover with Bf6
did I miss any trick for black ??
1.KF6 with the idea Be7+ 2. Kf7 Bf8 3. Bc1 zugzwang (this is a key position)
if 1…, Ba3 2. Kf7 Bb2 3. Bf6 (white bishop is in the right place).
1…, KG4 2. BC1 now if 2…, Kh5 3. Kf7 (the same position saw it before)
2…, BB4 3. BB2 BF8 4. KF7 BH6(if 4…, Kh5 5. Bc1 it is the same) 5. BC1 winning
1.KF6 with the idea Be7+ 2. Kf7 Bf8 3. Bc1 zugzwang (this is a key position)
1…, Ba3 bishop moves 2. Kf7 Bb2 (2…, Bf8 3. Bc1) 3. Bf6 (white bishop is in the right place).
1…, KG4 2. BC1 now if 2…, Kh5 3. Kf7 (the same position saw it before)
2…, BB4 3. BB2 BF8 4. KF7 BH6(if 4…, Kh5 5. Bc1 it is the same) 5. BC1 winning
1. Kf6
if
1….. Bh6
2. Bh6 Kh6
3. Kf7 wins
if
1….. Ba3
2. Kf7 Bb2
3. Bf6 Bf6
4. Kf6 wins
if
1….. Ba3
2. Kf7 Kg5
3. g7 wins
Just some examples cited above… basically can’t see a way for Black to stop the Pawn..
White wins with 1. Kf6! (only one), Then two variants:
1…. Be7+ 2. Kf7! Bf8 3. Bd2 zugzwang
1…. Kg4 2. Bd2 Kh4! 3. Kf7 Kh5! 4. Be3 zugzwang.
My name is Bogar Guzman, thanks, I love endings.
Kf6
I would say :
1 Kf6!
if 1… Be7+, then 2 Kf7 ans black cannot stop the pawn
if 1 …Ba3 (threatening 2 g7 – Bb2+ and draw)
then 2. Kf7 – Bb2 (if 2…KxB then g7 and g8Q)
3.Bf6 and the pawn is not stoppable.
Didi I miss something ?
1.Be7 Bxe7
2.g7 Bf8
3.gxf8=Q
or
1.Be7 Bg7
2.Bf6 Bf8
3.Be5 …
Kf6 followed by Kf7 and White wins.
Chase the bishop from the diagonal with the help of some zugzwang motives:
1.Be7! Bh6 2.Kf6 Kg4 3.Bd6! Kh4 (3.-Kf3 4.Kf7 and Bf8) 4.Bf4! Bf8 5.Kf7 Kh5 6.Bc1/d2/e3 and black can resign.
Difficult but a win for white. 1. Kf6 Kg4 (Be7+ 2. Kf7 1-0) 2. Bc1 with Bb2, Kf7, Bg7 1-0
Easy win for white after Kf6,…Bc1,…Kf7,… Black Bishop can’t keep the white from promoting the pawn for long.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well already the commentors of this post had shown way for the white to win,so nothing much for me to add.
Sounds healthy blog with lot of thinking minds.
By
Venky [ Chennai – Indian ]
Kf6-Be7+, Kf7-Bf8,Be3 1-0
-Kg4,Bd2-Kh5,Kf7 leads to the the same position.1-0