White to move. How should White proceed?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Bishop and Pawn endgame
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White to move. How should White proceed?
Nice puzzle Susan. I enjoyed this one.
At the moment (it is about half past 2 o’ clock in the night) I just see 1. b5 2. c6 with 2.-, Bxc6 (of course not bxc6) and an endgame like the one I talked about in the “similar” puzzle (okay, probably these puzzles are not similar at all but they do look so ;)).
White has wrong bishop but perhaps….
Argh, now I see black can play g5 at once to kill the last white pawn so that variations seem to lead to a drawn endgame.
I should rethink after having slept over it.
Perhaps we can ‘force’ black to move f6-f5 to take him the chance to play g5….
Hmmm, the black pawns are much faster than in the other puzzles (or better said: the white ones are slower….)….
Yeah, better rethink that and go to bed now.
Greetings,
Jochen
b5 f5
c6 Pxc6
Pxc6 f4
Kd8 f3
c7 f2
Bh3
i think this bishop move secures c8
and f1
wolverine
I perfer this board to the green one that was given earlier. Easier to solve for some reason. Hmmm….
b5 f5
c6 Pxc6
Pxc6 f4
Kd6 f3
c7 f2
Bh3
kd6 seem to be better move.
i think this bishop move secures c8
and f1.
wolverine
Greetings,
1. b5 f5
2. Bxb7+! Bxb7
3. c6 Bxc6
4. bxc6 f4
5. Kd7 f3
6. c7 f2
7. c8 Check and wins
Best Regards
King.
Ofcourse I should add c8=Q
Best Regards
King
1. Bxp & either 2. b5 or BxB.
Goodnight,
AL from Brooklyn
1.b4-b5 Ka8-a7
2.b5-b6+ Ka7-a6
3.Bc8xb7+ Be4xb7
4.c5-c6 Bb7-c8
5.b6-b7 Bc8xb7
]6.c6xb7 Ka6-b5
7.b7-b8Q+ etc.
Very nice puzzle: It took me quite long to see the pattern: Bishop exchange and c6( with the other pawn already on b5) imprisoning black’s bishop…then easy win
I’ve seen patterns with an imprisonned rook (white: pawn f7 and pawn g6 imprisonning black’s rook on g7 could be an example) or a knight (generally on the side of the board) but I’ve never seen this “bishop imprisonment” pattern before.
Thanks a lot.
Jean-Luc
btw. dear friends….
1.b5 f5
2.c6! is also winning – and for practical reasons – it wins with a bishop more over the board …
a win can also be achieved after
1.b5 f5
2.Bd7!? (a little tricky, but it works)
there is no need to sacrifice the bishop – however, sacrificing a piece is the most impressive way to win…^^
greetings
Greetings
1. b5 g5!? ( Is most precise)
2. Bxb7+ ( c6? Bxc6!draws) Bxb7
3. and c6 wins like above.
King.
@king – any move loses after 1.b5 – so what?
ROFL
Ahhh, in the end it is so easy… nice one!
“1.b5 f5
2.c6! is also winning”
but how is that winning? That was my first thought, too (read above), but is it really winning? Can you give variations!?
Wolverine, what shell “Pxc6” be? It can’t be P like pawn, because after your moves
” b5 f5
c6 Pxc6″ it is mate in 2 (Bb7+ and b6#) but it can’t be the bishop, too, because white answers Pxc6, too, and white’s bishop can’t do that.
So what do you mean with your given variation!?
Greetings,
Jochen
vohaul, any move does not win, after 1. b5 g5!?(Gives white a chance to go wrong with 2. c6), only 2.Bb7+ wins in that line.
My Regards.
King.
b5 f5
c6 Bxc6
bxc6 bxc6
Bxf5
clear win for white. this way also preserves the bishop. I was correct in my line b5 followed by c6 for white. ill agree it would be bad for black to exchange pawns. my line would have won anyways. this is my revised line of play. ill give credit to vohaul for seeing that my line was indeed the more efficient win.
wolverine
b5 f5
c6 bxc6
Bb7+ Ka7
b6++
b5 f5
c6 Bxc6
bxc6 bxc6
Bxf5
i have no idea why i exchanged pawns if it was a real game definitly more thought would have gone into it instead of the one minute i spent analyzing this. either way whether the bishop captures or the pawn captures its a win for white using b5 c6 line of play. the bishop sacrifice is also a win. so as usual theres many variations to a problem.
wolverine
Wolverine you are wrong, why are you only considering 1…f5? and not 1…g5!? where your line no longer works.
Regards
King.
interesting variation using g5.
c6 g5
hxg5 fxg5
Bxb7 Bxb7
c6 Bxc6
bxc6 g4
Kd7 g3
c7 g2
c8+ a7
Kc7 g1
Qb7++
the g5 move still allows the mate because of the advanced white pawn. this variation i wouldnt use the c6 line of play.
wolverine
b5 f5
c6
this line allows for c6 because i can just trade things off take his pawns and promote the h pawn.if he takes my c6 pawn then its an easy mate.
b5 g5
hxg5
this line doesnt allow for that strategy.i would have to say the g5 move is the better option although it never occured to me when i was playing the moves out.
wolverine
wolverine you are simply repeating the line I mentioned in my earlier post… my point is 1…f5? Gives more winning chances to white, while 1…g5!? Forces white to find the only winning move from interesting alternatives… according to Kasparov it’s known as Resistance, this is why Strong players defend inferior if not losing positions well.
My Regards
King.
i didnt look at your line of play. i just did the line of play that would win for white. i just told you g5 makes it harder but my point is i wouldnt play c6 if g5 was played. as far as kasparov i dont like the guy. if you want to quote someone to me quote bobby fischer the only tru champion of chess.
wolverine