White to move. Can White win this?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Endgame
About Author
White to move. Can White win this?
Nope
I agree with Ben.
ah well… depends… how seriously is black likely to blunder?
id move b6,Kd6,Ke7,Kd8,Kc7 once my kings on c7 then id move my pawns a6, b7 forcing a trade with bishop on b7.im not thinking about blacks moves here just my moves. the first b6 move doesnt allow the king to do anything. the king on c7 allows for that trade i want.
This is deffinitely a draw for black.
If white’s first move is different than 1. b6 then black plays 1. … Ba6! 2. b6 (otherwise black would sac the bishop 2. … Bxb5) 2. … Kb7 and then black just keep shifting his bishop along the a6-f1 diagonal. White cannot break the blocade here. (Note that the move 1. … Ba6 works perfectly even after 1. Kb6).
So we have only to consider 1. b6 Ba6 2. Kc6 (otherwise 2. … Kb7 and follow the previous defence) 2. … Bb7+ 3. Kc7 (Kb5 Ba6+) Here black can shift his bishop along the squares a6-b7-c8. Whenever white king goes to b5 black plays Ba6+. As long as white bishop stays on the diagonal b8-h2 white cannot take the bishop on a6 or c8 due to stalemate. If white plays his bishop out of the b8-h2 diagonal, black can play Ba6 and then start shifting Ka8-b8-a8-etc. Again there is no way to break the blocade for white.
Wolverine: after a6 black captures with the bishop.
Here my ideas:
black’s main move is Ba6! a really strong move that forces b6 (what else?). Afterwards black plays Kb7 and the game is draw.
So white has to do anything against.
E.g. Kb6? Ba6!! =
So only move to prevent immediate draw seems to be wolverines b6. Then after Ba6 white can play Kc6 not allowing black’s king to b7.
But how shell white proceed? Black plays Ba6-b7-c8 and so on (if Kc7 just Bb7-a6 and that’s enough).
White has to play a5-a6 at any time, for that white’s king has to be on b5. But n. a6 Bxa6 n+1. Kxa6 is stalemate if white’s bishop still defends b8.
But if we give black’s king b8 then he plays his bishop to a6 and then Kb8-a8-b8-…. (and after white’s Kc7 black can again play Bb7-a6-b7…) and white’s king can’t go to b5.
So it really looks like a drawn position.
Have I overseen anything?
Just my 2 Cents….
Jochen
I don’t see anything other than draw.
— P. Anandh
Opposite coloured-bishops …
Wrong-colour wB …
bK in the corner already …
http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&lang=en …
draw
Kb6?
Draw. You can’t even scare your opponent if he realizes that you have the wrong rook pawn. I was looking for a move that at least complicates the defense, but 1…Ba6 always work
Hi,
1. Kd6 Ba6
2. b6 Kb7
3. Kd7 Bb5+
4. Kd8 Ba6
5. Bc7
… and this is a very nice position for a draw!
if white manages to capture the bishop with his king… yes, then there are chances…
draw. wrong bishop and the black king is in the corner in front of the pawn!
impossible to win that
Thought the following might work, but it isn’t. Anyone see a way to improve on white’s line?
first let’s assume that white leaves the b8 square to the black king (to avoid stalemate). e.g., assume the same piece placement (or put black’s b or king at a better place if you can), but place the white b on d4. Following that:
1. b6.
objective: find a way to play a6. if black’s bishop tries to go to a6-f1 diagonal, sneak in b7 with king’s support.
if
1. … ba6
2. kc6, bc8!
else if 2… bb7,
3. kb5, bc8
4. a6 1-0.
3. kb5, be7+
This looks like draw, isn’t it?
darn!
“Anyone see a way to improve on white’s line?”
No but black’s line. 🙂
“4. a6 1-0”
4.-, Bxa6+ 5. Kxa6 stalemate
Never surrender, if you don’t have to!
By the way:
2.-, Bb7 3. Kb5 Ba6+ (=)
Jochen
This has been quite a brain-teaser, and I’d say that this is a draw with correct play by black. Stalemate possibilities are many plus the queening square of the A pawn is the wrong color for this bishop. Bishop sac on a6 is always there or just Ba6 outright can lead to stalemate.