I have always said that endgame is so critical in chess and it is very painful not to be able to convert an advantage into a win.
Here is a perfect example. It is Black to move. Black is up a pawn but the Bishops are on opposite colors. If Black wins, he will tie for first in the national championship. The title was in his hand.
Can you win this position if you are Black? Can you hold this position if you are White? Play it out against a friend or against your computer. Michael Aigner is White and he held GM Fedorowicz to a draw to tie for 2nd and won the under 2400 prize.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Is it Black to move?
Nice excercise. I thought at first white has an easy draw by exchanging queens, but then the black king can penetrate alont the dark squares very easily. I couldn’t even come close to holding as white against my computer.
This position looks somewhat familiar. –fpawn
fpawn, have you tried playing the position? How did it go?
;P
As Black I could win if the program allowed me to exchange queens. As White, I couldn’t hold the draw with or w/o the queens on-board.
[Event “Polgar’s Endgame”]
[White “Rybka 2.1 mp 32-bit”]
[Black “likesforests”]
[Result “0-1”]
[Time “00:32:52”]
[TimeControl “0+10”]
[SetUp “1”]
[FEN “5q2/p5kp/1p1p2p1/3P2b1/8/1P3B1Q/P5KP/8 b – – 0 1”]
1… Qe7 2. Qe6 Qxe6 3. dxe6 Kf6 4. Bd5 Ke5 5. Bc6 Kd4 6. Kf3 d5 7. Be8 Kc3 8. Ke2 d4 9. Bb5 Bf6 10. Bc6 Kb2 11. a4 Kxb3 12. Kd3 a6 13. Bb7 b5 14. axb5 axb5 15. Bf3 Ka3 16. Bd1 b4 17. Kc4 h5 18. Bc2 g5 19. Bb3 h4 20. Bd1 d3 21. Kxd3 b3 22. Ke4 b2 23. Bc2 Ka2 24. Kf5 Bd8 25. Ke4 b1=Q 26. Bxb1+ Kxb1 27. Kd3 Kc1 28. Kd4 Kd2 29. Ke5 Ke3 30. Kd6 g4 31. Kd7 Bg5 32. e7 Bxe7 33. Kxe7 {White resigns} 0-1
if you go on ICC and do a finger fpawn you will get this for the first line.
1: NM Michael Aigner, Life Master, USCF 2309 (+31), FIDE 2266 (+33)
: fpawn(FM) watch: 2 FIDE points needed (lost 10 at Las Vegas Masters, gained
6 at National Open, gained 14 at Pacific Coast Open, gaining 23 at US Open)
************
so fpawn is Michael Aigner the person who played the actual game as white.
Mike, I watched the game live. I was cheering for you all the way. Nice game. we were able to watch you on video.
no one can remeber moves … but exchanging the queens is a great idea if there are some minor pieces on board (opposite coloured bishops breath the smell of a draw – but if there are lot’s of pawns, moreover on different wings of the board, there is a chance for a win for the stronger side)
my first move – as black – without thinking – would have been
1…qf5
2.qg3 (to avoid exchange?) 2…bf4
3.qf2 be4
and blacks pieces are active – white’s position is a mess (no lanes for the queen e.g.) – look at the poor king … and black’s h-pawn does look very threatening, does it?
it’s VERY fine to find more and more endgame studies here – i’m an “endgame freak” and i “hoover” them up! THX @Susan
greetings, your’s Vohaul
After 1…Qf5 2.Qxf5 gxf5 3.Kf2 I easily hold the draw against Rybka and Crafty. I think your 1…Qf5 has to be an error, see my PGN.
I can win as Black no matter what now. As White, I can only hold the draw if Black makes a mistake. Mistakes can be very subtle here.
[Event “Bishop-Queen Endgame”]
[White “likesforests”]
[Black “Rybka 2.1 mp 32-bit”]
[TimeControl “0+5”]
[SetUp “1”]
[FEN “8/p5kp/1p1p4/3P1pb1/8/1P3B2/P4K1P/8 b – – 0 3 “]
3…Kf6 4.Ke2 Ke5 5.Kd3 f4 6.Be4 h6 7.h3 Bf6 8.Bf3 Bh4 9.Be4 b5 10.Bf3 b4 11.Kc4 Be1 12.Kd3 Bf2 13.Be4 Be3 14.Bf3 Bc5 15.Be4 Bf2 16.Bf3 a5 17.Be4 Bg3 18.Bf3 Bh4 19.Be4 Bf2 20.Bf3 Bb6 *