Black to move. Can Black survive this game? No computer please.
5k2/8/5P2/5K2/1R6/1b6/8/8 b – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Must know endgame pattern
About Author
Black to move. Can Black survive this game? No computer please.
5k2/8/5P2/5K2/1R6/1b6/8/8 b – – 0 1
Interesting position, Black can draw.
The idea is that Black should never let the White King to reach the f6 or e6 square thus allowing him to push his Pawn.This can be achieved only by one move :
1…Bd5!
* 1…Ba2? 2.Rb8+ (2.Kg6 Bf7+ 3.Kg5 Bd5 Draw, see main line.) 2…Kf7 3.Rb7+ Kg8 (3…Ke8 4.Kg6 winning. (b1 square is controlled by the Rook)) 4.Kg6 winning. (b1 square is controlled by the Rook);
* 1…Bc2?+ 2.Ke6 Bg6 3.Rb8+ Be8 4.f7 winning. (Or even 4.Ra8 Kg8) 4…Kg7;
* 1…Bd1? 2.Ke6 g4 is mined. White wins.
2.Rd4 [2.Kg6 Bf7+ 3.Kg5 Bd5] 2…Bb3 3.Rd8+ Kf7 4.Rd7+ Kf8 5.Re7 Ba2 6.Ke5 Bb3 [Also fine here is 6…Bb1 drawing. 7.Rd7 =] 7.Rb7 Bc4 [Also good here is 7…Ba2 8.Kf5 Bc4 9.Kg6 Bd3+ draw.; Of course not 7…Bf7? 8.Rb8+ Be8 9.Ke6 White wins.; Also not 7…Bg8? 8.Rb8+ White wins.] 8.Rb4 Ba2 =
Also 1…Bg8? 2.Rb8 Kf7 3.Rxg8! wins.
To learn more about this position, move all the pieces one file to the left. Now Black lacks the necessary “elbow room” for his Bishop, and loses.
Move all the pieces right one file, or down one rank, and the same thing happens.
Move all the pieces two files to the right, however, and now it’s a draw again.
This is one of the positions average players should already have memorized. It’s also discussed in Lev Alburt’s Chess Training Pocket Book: 300 Most Important Positions and Ideas.