2k5/K1p5/8/1PP5/8/pB2p3/8/8 w – – 0 2
White to move. How can White stop Black’s pawns from advancing? No computer please 🙂
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Very unique endgame
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Not humanly possible to stop both pawns. This must be a trick puzzle.
looks like a draw, with both sides making 1 queen each
White wins
b6 b6
b6 e2
b7 kd7
Ba4+ ke7 (or e6)
g8(Q) e1(Q)
Qe8+ k any
Qxe1
b6 does not win.
Yea, it looks like white can force blacks king to e6 or e7 and take his queen!
One problem in robert’s line, black can throw in the intermediate a2 and divert white’s bishop. White will not have the check on a4.
-Justin Daniel
Very unique is an oxymoron.
1. Ba4 a2 (e2 is easier)
2. b6 cxb6
3. cxb6 a1Q
4. b7+ Kd8
5. b8Q+ Ke7
6. Qe8+ Kd6
7. Qd7+ Kc5
8. Qc6+ Kb4
9. Qb5+ Kc4
10. Qe5+ K??
11 Qxa1
Black could try
1. …. Kd7
2. b6+ Ke6
3. bxc7 a2
4. c8Q+
which also loses.
“Very unique” is not an oxymoron: it’s just Trolgarese for ‘unique’.
Michel what if
1 Ba4 c6!!??
better to play b6 first and then transpose.
a2 is a better try than e2 but not enough
Robert,
You are right. I am struggling with
a similar variation
1 Ba4 Kd7
2. b6+ c6
I don’t see a win for white now.
I am confused by b6 first. There seem
to be many variations.
Robert:
here are some variations after b6
1. b6 a2
2. b7+
(2 Bxa2 e2; 2 Ba4 c6)
2. …. Kd7
3. Ba4+ c6
Is see no win for white.
Michael,
1. b6 a2
2. b7+ Kd7
3. Bxa2! e2
4. Be6+! Kxe6
5. b8Q e1Q
6. Qe8+
and white win
Well I guess white wins the
resulting KQBp against KQp endgame…
It’s not about “stopping pawns”.
1.Ba4 threatening mate
1…c6 2.b6 e2 3.b7+ Kd7
4.b8=Q e1=Q 5.Qd6+ Ke8 6.Bxc6+ Kf7
7.Bd5+ Kg7 8.c6 Qf2+ 9.Kb7 Qb2+
10.Kc7 Qc2 and 11.Qe5+ wins
Anonymous, It’s not that easy, since 6. Bxc6+ is illegal …
white wins
1.b6 cxb6
2.cxb6 e2
3.b7+ kd7
4.b8=q e1=q
5.ba4+ k-moves
6.qe8+ skewers the black queen
if 1…e2
2.b7+ kd7
3.b8=q e1=q
4.ba4+ kd6
5.qd8+ kc5
6.qxc7+ wins