White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? How should White proceed? No computer analysis please 🙂
4B1k1/5p2/7K/3b4/2r2Rp1/1p6/1P6/8 w – – 0 1
Kieseritzky, 1842
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Draw. with
bf7 & Rg4+
Short of a successful mating attack, I don’t see how white can win this, and I don’t see a way to net the black king. So I think the goal should be to draw. One could imagine a stalemate position by taking at f7 and g4 with the black pieces retaking both times:
1. Bf7 Bf7
2. Rg4 Rg4 with stalemate.
So,
2. …..Kf8
3. Rc4! Bc4
4. Kg5 Ke7
5. Kf4 Kd6
6. Ke3 Bg6
7. Kd2 Kd5
8. Kc1 Kd4
9. Kd1 Kd3
10.Kc1 and I don’t see how black gets the white king off of c1/d1/d2 without stalemating white. White draws, it seems, as long as he isn’t dumb enough to play to e1.
Is this a common draw position with King, bishop, and bishop’s pawn on rank 6 vs King and bishop’s pawn? Can’t ever remember encountering it in any of the thousands of games I have played.
Also, just to tie up loose ends,
1. Bf7 Kf8
2. Rc4 Bc4
3. Bc4 loses for black since the white king beats black to the queen side pawns, and white’s bishop can hold the remaining black king side pawn.
1.Rxc4 then Kg5. White should hold.
White can get an easy draw with
1. Bxf7+, Kxf7
(otherwise 2. Rxc4 wins)
2. Rxg4+, Rxg4
stalemate
I think this is the best white can expect from this position.
Bxf7+ Bxf7
Rxg4 Rxg4 (stalemate)
2 …. Kf8
3 Rxc4 Bxc4 should hold for White
Don’t see a way for white to save this game.
The following doesn’t work:
1. Bxf7+ Bxf7
2. Rxg4+ Kf8 (… Rxg4 will be stalemate)
The following also doesn’t seem to work:
1. Rxc4, Bxc4
2. Kg5, Be6
3. Bc6
(or 2. … f5, 3. Bc6 and 4. Kf4 blockading the pawns)
Will this hold though? The Black king will attack the white pawn on b2, and white cannot bring the king to defend it because of the f-g pawns.
So Black should win this line.
1.Bxf7+! Bxf7
2.Rxg4+ Kf8 (Rxg4 salemate)
3.Rxc4 Bxc4
4.Rg5 to d1 draw
aha! found it!
1. Bxf7+ Bxf7
2. Rxg4+ Kf8
if the rook is taken, it’s stalemate.
3. RxR, BxR
now the white king moves to a1 and hovers around a1, b1. If white succeeds, black cannot cannot drive the king away. So, Black must prevent it by taking the b1-h7 diagonal…
4. Kg5 Bd3
5. Kf4. Bc2
Now the white king comes to c1 and stays there. It protects the b pawn. You cannot drive it away — i.e., the black king cannot come to c2 or c1 to take the b pawn
Nice puzzle, eh? Cool!
Thanks, Susan!
Definitely not a loss for white since it is white to move – knowing how Susan phrases her questions.
1. Bxf7+ Bxf7 2. Rxg4+ =
Draw stalmate
1. Bf7 Bf7 2. Rg4 Kf8 (2… Rg4 Draw) 3. Rc4 Bc4 4. Kg5 and White has a draw when he gets his king to b1
1.Lxf7 Lxf7 (2..Kf8 3.Txc4) 2.Txg4 Kf8 (2..Txg4 and stalemate) 3.Txc4 Lxc4 4.Kg5 and the black king reaches c1 with a draw.