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      Home  >  Chess Improvement • Chess Puzzles  >  Tricky endgame

      Tricky endgame

      Difficult endgame, Puzzle Solving


      White to move and win.

      8/B7/k7/2K4B/8/N7/8/2b5 w – – 0 1

      Hidebrand, 1963

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      14 Comments

      1. Yancey Ward Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 4:13 am

        Wow, two pieces en prise! And I don’t see a way to save them both! Given the problem, the piece white must save has to be the knight since mate with the two bishops won’t work due to interference from black’s remaining piece.

        I would try:

        1. Kc6 Ka7 (forced as 2. Bb6 wins)
        2. Nc4

        and now black has fewer options for moves. The bishop is forced to f4/g5/h6 if it moves and the king can be corralled into the corner. However, I really need a board for this problem. There are just a lot of different variations.

      2. Anonymous Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 4:25 am

        I tried to make he sleak 1.Kc6 work, however, after 1…Kxa7 [1…Bxa3?? 2.Bb6 and white wins] I do not know how to continue. It “feels” good but where is the win?!

        The alternative 1.Nb5 Be3+ also looks interesting but I could not find a win after either 2.Kc6 or 2.Kb4. Somebody please enlighten me!

        Beelze

      3. krishna Rachuri Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 5:01 am

        1) Bg3- B X h6 +
        2)Kf3–

        Then Black cannot move his king. He just has to move his balck bishop to some square to complete the step.

        Then Bd2+.

        Am I right…

      4. Anonymous Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 5:18 am

        Bg6

        Arctic Knight

      5. baincardin Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 7:47 am

        it is tricky! and challenging indeed! ^_^

      6. Jochen Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 8:00 am

        Hmmm. I must be overlooking something as this looks not as tricky to me!? There are not many moves that looks senseful and the short forced line is easy calculated.

        1. Bb6! and the threat 2. Kc6 (e.g. after 1. -, Bxa3+) 3. Bd3# forces 1. -, Be3+ (or Kb7 after which white simply plays Nc4 and keeps the material advatage) 2. Kc6, Bxb6 3. Be2+ and now white wins the bishop after
        3. -, Ka5? 4. Nc4+ (fork) or better
        3. -, Ka7 4. Nb5+, Ka6!? (to keep in contact with the knight as long as possible) 5. Nd6+! followed by the fork Nc4+ or Nc8+.

        It’s cute. I hope the solution is right!

        Best wishes from Germany
        Jochen

      7. Hugh Jarce Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 8:16 am

        Bb6! does the trick.

        If KxN, it is easy. Kc6 and mate with the white squared Bish.

        If B check, Kc6, Bxb6, it is slightly harder. Be2+, Ka7 (If Ka5, Nc4 wins the bishop), Nb5+, Ka6, Nd6 discovered check and no matter which square Black chooses there is a knight fork. After that we just have to hope white remembers how to mate with Bish and Horse

      8. Anonymous Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 8:23 am

        oops Bb6

        Arctic Knight

      9. aam Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 8:41 am

        1. Bg6

        if
        1. … Bxa3+
        2. Kc6 and 3. Be2#

        if
        1. … Be3+
        2. Kc6 Bxg6
        3. Be2+

        now if 3. … Ka5, 4. Nc4+ and 5. Nxg6
        or if 3. … Ka7
        4. Nb5+ Ka6 (else the bishop and the game is lost)
        5. Nd6+ Ka7
        6. Nc8+ wins back the Bishop on g6.

        N/B/K vs K is a win, see
        http://www.chesskit.com/training/endgame/KBNk/1/index.php

      10. Anonymous Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 8:43 am

        I’m not worried about the knight..Bb6! Bxa3 Ka6 seems to win, since the existence of the black bishop takes stalemate out of the equation and black cannot do anything to stop Be2 mate. But I’m too lazy to look find something if black does not take the knight 🙂

        -Anand Nair

      11. Consul Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 11:46 am

        1. Bb6 .. Be3+, “better” than Bxa3 which loses earlier without putting any trouble
        2. Kc6 .. Bxb6
        3. Be2+ .. Ka7 or knight fork at c4
        4. Nb5+ .. Ka6 or loses the B instantly
        5. Nd6+ and after one or two moves follows a fork.

      12. Anonymous Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 5:26 pm

        1.Bb6 (threat Bc8# save the N)
        1…Be3 is challenging
        2.Kc6 forces Bxb6

        and now White has a BN-B win
        3.Be2+
        3…Ka7 or the N gets the B
        4.Nb5! Ka6 – to save the B
        5.Nd6+ and now N forks K/B

        Whose study is this? Let us thank the artist for their artistry.

      13. aam Reply
        October 31, 2009 at 9:05 pm

        I keep getting the files mixed up!

        Meant 1. Bb6 but hallucinated and typed 1. Bg6.

        Yesterday, meant 1. Bc2, but typed 1. Bb2.

        Getting old…

        Agree with those of you who think 1.Bb6 is the way to go.

      14. Cortex Reply
        November 1, 2009 at 8:51 am

        You’re all correct, guys.

        1. Bb6 is effectively the key move.

        Now, the complete references :

        Hildebrand, Schach Echo, 1963, #398

        Hildebrand composed since 1945 and is rather prolific. Is he alive now? I don’t know, but in my trusty study database (Van der Heijden does a great work by collecting studies), there is a joint composition with Katsnelson in 2004 in Springaren. Any news from Hildebrand?

      Leave a Reply to aam Cancel reply

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