White to move. How do you assess this position? How should White proceed? This was an actual game between 2 strong masters.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Bishop and Pawn endgame
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Draw?
white could try k to g2, h3, and if necessary, to g4.
if black tries to save the h-pawn with bg5, then white play be1 and wins the h-pawn. if black tries bf2 instead, then what? bd2 looks good. or go after the f6 pawn?
I think White might be able to win. I’d move 1. Kg2, etc.
Looks like a win for white to me. I agree with (the other) anonymous. White can bring 2 pieces to bear down on black’s h pawn while still protecting his own h pawn. Then black will be forced to trade bishops or lose his f pawn. After trading bishops, white will get his king to f5. If black tries to prevent the white h pawn from queening, the white king takes the black f and e pawns.
Not so sure this is a win. Black can give up on trying to save his h pawn and just get his king to e6 and his bishop to h6. White won’t be able to penetrate. Looks like a draw.
To continue, after winning the h-pawn, white can look for an exchange of bishops by posting his bishop at e3 protected by his king at g2, but after the exchange the black king can get to h6 and then alternate between g7 and h6 while the white king is stuck behind his h pawn. draw.
Actually, I think white does get through after an exchange of bishops
1. Kg2 Kf7
2. Kh3 Ke6
3. Kxh4 Bh5
4. Kg3 Bg4
5. Kf2 Bh5
6. Bc5 Bg4
7. Be3 Bxe3
8. Kxe3 Kf7
9. f4! Kg7
10. fxe5 fxe5
11. Kf3 …
So once faced with an offer of a bishop trade, black would have to back his bishop up to Bg7 After white pushed his pawn to h6, the black bishop would be forced to Bh8. Black tries to keep the white king from f5 but runs out of tempos since his bishop is stuck in the corner and he only has one free pawn move. White has unlimited tempos by keeping his bishop along the c1 – h6 diagonal protecting his h pawn. So then white eventually makes the following moves Kf5, Kg6, h7, Bh6, Bg7 forcing the trade and allowing the white pawn to queen.
I think that white have to play
1.Kg2 (is for not aloud 1.- h3
1. – Kf7
2.Be1 (because of 2.Kh3 Bf2)
Now black has the chance to attack the c4 porn with his king, but there is a importent finess in whites favour. If the black king comes to c5 white can pin bishop e3 with Bf2 and easy win for white. Ooh didnt notice that is so that white can sacrifice the bishop beacause the porn h5 will run.
2.- Ke6
3.Bxh4 f5
4.Bd8! (If 4- Kd6 5.Bb6)
Allan: “attack the c4 porn…”
🙂