This is the actual position of a LIVE game between GM-elect Hoyos and IM Lugo at the 2007 SPICE Cup. It is White to move. Who is winning? White or Black?
“So taking the bishop cannot be correct.” But taking the bishop leads to a simple draw. So the questions “Who is winning? White or Black?” can be answered by “not black, that’s for sure”.
The question is if white can win this, I am not quite sure. But I think so but I have no time for a closer look.
Then the rook must come down and be traded for the pass pawn, white’s pawn will be taken by the bishop. Rxc7 is also a draw for reason’s pointed out by robin.
Agree with jochen. Black cannot be winning as taking the bishop draws immediately. The only try must be 1.h5 b4 2.axb4 axb4 (I’d rather the queening square was white)
OK, so what now? Maybe 3. Re7 must at least draw. I think white is probably winning. Perhaps someone can forge a win from there.
In white’s defense there wasn’t much time left on the clock when this position was reached. Monroi showed something like 2 minutes if I remember correctly.
white is winning!1.Rc7 Kc52.h5
easy one
sorry,typing mistake…
white is winning!1.Rc7 Kc7 2.h5
easy one
If Rxc7 followed by h5, white will queen first, but black will then queen with check. So taking the bishop cannot be correct.
“So taking the bishop cannot be correct.”
But taking the bishop leads to a simple draw.
So the questions “Who is winning? White or Black?” can be answered by “not black, that’s for sure”.
The question is if white can win this, I am not quite sure. But I think so but I have no time for a closer look.
Black won!
I could only get a draw as white:
1 h5 b5
2 a3xb4
Then the rook must come down and be traded for the pass pawn, white’s pawn will be taken by the bishop. Rxc7 is also a draw for reason’s pointed out by robin.
Agree with jochen. Black cannot be winning as taking the bishop draws immediately. The only try must be 1.h5 b4 2.axb4 axb4 (I’d rather the queening square was white)
OK, so what now? Maybe 3. Re7 must at least draw. I think white is probably winning. Perhaps someone can forge a win from there.
The fact the Black won shows us how bad some 2495 players can play in an endgame!
This isn’t another one of those goofy puzzles where white’s move is c5xb6, followed by an easy win for white is it?
3…Bf4
4. Re4 Bd2
In white’s defense there wasn’t much time left on the clock when this position was reached. Monroi showed something like 2 minutes if I remember correctly.
SqueegeeBob
white is winning. But I would NOT have found it in a game – it took me 40 min moving the pieces with a whole bunch of mistakes
really an interesting endgame
( 1. h5 – same line) 1.Rh7-e7!
[1.Rh7xc7+ Kc6xc7 2.h4-h5 b5-b4 3.a3xb4 a5xb4 4.h5-h6 b4-b3 5.h6-h7 b3-b2 6.h7-h8Q b2-b1Q+ 7.Kh1–g2=]
1…b5-b4 2.a3-a4?
[2.a3xb4 a5xb4 3.h4-h5 (3.Re7-e4 Kc6xc5 4.Re4xb4=) 3…b4-b3 4.Re7-e2 Kc6xc5 5.h5-h6 Bc7-a5 (5…Bc7-d8 6.Re2-f2! Bd8-a5 7.Kh1–g2!) 6.Kh1–g2! (6.h6-h7 Ba5-c3 7.Kh1–g2 (7.Re2-d2 b3-b2 8.Rd2-d1 Kc5-c4=) 7…b3-b2=) 6…Kc5-c4 black cant advance: 7.h6-h7 Ba5-c3 8.Re2-e4+! (8.Re2-e8 b3-b2 9.Re8-c8+ Kc4-b4) 8…Kc4-c5 (8…Kc4-d3 9.Re4-b4!) 9.Re4-e3+-]
2…b4-b3 3.Re7-e3 b3-b2 4.Re3-b3 Bc7-e5 5.Rb3-b5?
[5.Kh1–g2! (or h5 — same line) 5…Kc6xc5 6.Rb3-b5+! Kc5-c4 7.h4-h5 Kc4-d3 8.Kg2-f3 (8.h5-h6) 8…Kd3-c2 (8…Be5-c3 9.h5-h6 Bc3-b4 10.h6-h7 (10.Rb5-d5+ Kd3-c2 11.h6-h7 b2-b1Q 12.h7-h8Q) 10…b2-b1Q 11.h7-h8Q) 9.h5-h6 b2-b1Q 10.Rb5xb1 Kc2xb1 11.Kf3-e4 Be5-a1 12.Ke4-d3 Kb1–a2 13.Kd3-c4 Ka2-a3 14.Kc4-b5 Ba1–c3 15.h6-h7 Ka3-b3 16.h7-h8Q Bc3xh8 17.Kb5xa5=; 5.h4-h5 Kc6xc5 6.h5-h6 Kc5-c4 7.Rb3-b6? (Rb5! = , same line as above) (7.Rb3-b7 Be5-c3 8.h6-h7 Bc3-b4 9.h7-h8Q b2-b1Q+ 10.Kh1–h2 (10.Kh1–g2 Qb1–e4+) 10…Bb4-d6+) 7…Be5-c3 8.h6-h7 Bc3-b4 9.h7-h8Q b2-b1Q+ 10.Kh1–g2 Qb1–e4+ 11.Kg2-f1 Qe4-f3+ 12.Kf1–g1 Bb4-c5+]
5…Be5-c3 6.Rb5-b3 Kc6xc5–+