White to move. Is this a win, draw or loss for White?
5N2/5k1K/7B/8/5p2/6p1/8/8 w – – 0 0
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This has to be a draw. Once the Bishop takes the Pawn, Black will capture the Knight and no more mating material.
White can win.
(Knight’s key squares are g6,e5,f3 and g1)
1.Ng6 g2 (if 1…f3 2.Ne5 and takes on f3)
2.Ne5+ Kf6 or e6
3.Nf3 Kd5 or f4
4.Ng1 Ke4 5.Bf8! f3 6.Bc5 and wins.
If 5…Kd4 6.Kg6 Ke4 7.Bc5 winning.
of course white has always a draw, but maybe he can win this. I didnt found a way till now. Here are some ideas.
1.Ng6 g2
2.Ne5+ Kf6
3.Nf3 Kf5
I think this is one critical position.
4.Bf8 (to activate the bishop)
4. .. Kg4
5.Ng1 f3
6.Bc5 Kg3 (black must prevent Bg2)
7.Bd6+ Kf2
8.Nh3+ is winning, but after
7. .. Kg4
8.Bc5 is forced i think, with repetition.
still thinking…
Tobe
oh i missed an importaint variation.
4.Nh4+ Kg4
5.Ng2: f3
6.Ne3 Kg3 = (f2,Kf3,Ke2 or f2,Kh2,Kg1)
Tobe
It is a win for white, but will take a lot of moves to do so.
Beautiful analysis, Pharaoh. (Don’t you have a typo on Black’s third? Shouldn’t that be “Kd5 or f5“? Okay, I’ll stop nitpicking now.)
Per the tablebases, you’ve nailed White’s fourth: after 3…Kf5 4.Ng1! is the only move to win. Tobe, you have the right idea, but your seemingly insignificant transposition (4.Bf8 instead of 4.Ng1) is fatal, for exactly the reason you yourself point out (4.Bf8? Kg4).
If white wants it can draw, a piece for a pawn and its over.
A.Munoz
womancandidatemaster.blogspot.com
Yes, it’s a win for white.
1. Ng6! g2 2. Ne5+ Ke6 3. Nf3 Kf5 4. Ng1!
and now
4. .. Kg4 5. Kg6 f3 6. Be3 Kg3
7. Kg5 f2 8. Bf4# (!)
or
4. .. Ke4 5. Bf8! f3 6. Lc5 Kf4
7. Kg6 Kg3 8. Kg5 f2 9. Ld6#
Nice checkmate patterns.
Black might be better off jettisoning the pawns and make white prove he knows the bishop+knight ending. More than one grandmaster has gone astray and allowed a draw.