Liburkin 1949, presented by Andreas
White to move. How can White save this game?
8/3B4/3P4/8/7k/8/7p/2K4b w – – 0 5
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tricky B + P endgame
About Author
Bh3! and draw
Petrotal
if … Bc6,
Bg2! Bxg2
d7
Petrotal
Bh3! and draw
Indeed. If 1…Kxh3 2.d7 and Black’s extra bishop isn’t enough. And if 1…B any 2.Bg2, after which White either queens or keeps Black from queening.
why not Bc8 , Be8 or Be6 Bf5?
Because White needs to force his Bishop to be captured on g2 so that when Black queens (first and with check) then White can move Kb2 or Kd2, and Black has no check and no way to stop White from queening because the Black Bishop on g2 and Black King on h4 are blocking the Black Queen from checking.
why not Bc8 , Be8 or Be6 Bf5?
1.Bc8? Bc6
1.Be8? Bf3
1.Be6? Bc6
1.Bf5? Bc6
… all win for Black. White’s problem is that Black threatens to promote with check use his queen to stop White’s d-pawn.
Notice that Black can’t play 1…Bg2 in response to any of your proposed first moves for White. If he did, White could continue 2.d7 h1=Q+ and now Black can’t stop White from queening. Thus 1.Bh3! and 2.Bg2! Black can’t capture the White bishop on g2, because then he’ll be unable to catch White’s d-pawn.
1. Bh3 Bc6 2. Bg2
computojon:
White has to move Kd2 precisely after black plays h1=Q+. Kb2 allows Qd1, and Kc2 allows Be4+.