White just played 44. Be7. It is now Black to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for Black? How should Black proceed?
8/4Bk2/1bp1p1pK/p1p1P3/P1P2P2/8/7P/8 b – – 0 44
Hou Yifan – Humpy Konery (WWC Seminfinal – game 1)
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
If 44.Be7 Kxe7 45.Kxg6 Bd8 46.h4 Kf8 48.h5 Kg8 49.h6 Bh4 draw, right moves: 44.h4! win.
1 … kxe7
2 Kxg6 … bd8 followed by kf8
2 h4 … kf7
how does the above sound?
How can it possibly be a loss for Black if you’re asking, “How should Black proceed?”?
1… Resigns??
my guess is black wins — take the bishop
Dear Susan
Pl make the board orientation showing the white position as at bottom and black at top….we have to have a1 cell at the left bottom corner…that is the way rybka etc show it…what is shown here is just opposite to that….that is not convenient…Regards, Vijay/Muscat
the problem here is, that black will lose a pawn with every legal move. doing the obvious and taking the bishop is a trap, i guess, because white will capture on g6 and threaten both to advance the h-pawn and attack the e6-pawn with the king and if that one should fall, it’s all over for sure. i think the most agreeable pawn to lose would be the one on c5, as this doesn’t give white a passed pawn. so let’s try:
1. … Bc7
2. Bxc5 Bd8
3. h4 Bc7
4. Bd6 Bd8
5. h5 gxh5
6. Kxh5 Be7
7. c5 Bd8
8. Kg4 Be7
9. f5 exf5
10.Kxf5
maybe black can hold this and keep everything blockaded. no idea, what will happen, when a5- and c5-pawns are exchanged. all other tries seem to be doomed. greets, jan
When I was watching the game I thought that Black had reached a fortress position and could hold as long as the King could hold on to the White square. Humpy gave up the c5-pawn which I think is correct. But I think the exchange a a-for-c pawns later was the tipping point.
“Paradox said…
How can it possibly be a loss for Black if you’re asking, “How should Black proceed?”?
1… Resigns??”
lol, it could be: “This is a loss for Black: the solution is hope they don’t see it, and play Bc7… or even keep pushing pieces around the board as fast as possible and running the opponent out of time”. 😀
I’m willing to bet Bc7 and a draw. Give the pawn on c5, otherwise white will get the a-pawn on the next move anyway and then have a passed pawn.
I know it’s not Kxe7 because… well… that would be too obvious lol.