White to move. What is the most accurate continuation for White?
1b6/8/1P1p4/P1k5/K7/2P2B2/8/8 w – – 0 51
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1.Bd5 Kxd5
2.Kb6
3.a6
4.a7
Hi Susan! This is my guess.
1. c4 White offering a pawn sacrifice.
1 … Kxc4 2. a6 Kc5 3. a7 and White goes on to promote a pawn. The Black pawn and Bishop can’t move.
1.Bd5 Kxd5 2.a6 is the easiest way to win.
1.Bd5 Kxd5 2.Kb5 Ke6 or anymove 3.Kc6
1 c4
followed by a6 and a7
Bd5. Nice.
I would go for
1. c4, a pawn sacrifice which allows the pawns to advance.
It seems that there are several ways to win. Any bishop moves (e.g. 1. Bh1) seems to force 1. -, d5 2. Bxd5 (if 2. -, Kxd5 3. Kb5! followed by 4. a6 wins quickly while 3. a6 wins, too) and the three pawns should win (though I do not think it is easy).
But the hammer is 1. Bd5! here forcing Kxd5 (it is a cool zugzwang position) 2. Kb5 and black cannot avoid a5-a6-a7 and pawn promotion.
Cool puzzle. Anyone knows for sure if the endgame with KBPPP vs KB after 1. Bh1, d5 2. Bxd5 is won?
Best wishes
Jochen
1. Bd5!, Kxd5 (what else?)
2. Kb5
and then
a6 and a7
Looks like 1.Bd5 followed by Kb5, a6, etc
Cesar Horta
Bd5
BD5!
Bd5!
Bd5 zugzwangs black, no ? If Kxd5 then Kb5 and the a-pawn can’t be stopped.
1. c4! looks strong. 1…K:c4 loses immediately to a6-a7 and a pawn queens on a8. So Black must play 1…d5 2. B:d5 and now the Black K can never move because of a6-a7 the B can never move because if it releases control of b7 then b7-b8 is also fatal.
Why not b7 to begin with?
Bd5 leads to zugzwang
if Kxd5 a6 followed by a7 taking advantage of the fact that the B on b8 remains trapped and nothing can stop one of the pawns queening.
c4 does not work as d5 followed by Bxd5 allows the B on b8 to escape and gives black an extra move to play with.