This is supposed to be the final position between Aronian and Bacrot that was posted on various websites around the world. In this position, Black (GM Bacrot #9 in the world – 2725 FIDE Rating) inexplicably resigned. If this is the right final position, it would be a serious blooper and it costs him a spot in the final of the 2005 World Cup.
White will most likely play Kf4 next move. Can you find the plan for Black to draw?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
On this website, Bacrot he’s lost :
http://france-echecs.com/index.php?mode=showComment&art=20051213142735502
apparently, Bacrot resigned somewhat earlier, after 49.Bc5 presumably. The point is that 50.Kf3 wins fairly easily. The rest of the “recorded” game would be analysis by the players showing that 50.f5 only draws (it is impossible to win the bishop on a7 while at the same time keeping an eye on both the f- and h-pawn).
Even after 49. … Bc5 and 50. Kf3 I don’t see a clear white win !
Aronian did not play f5, it’s an error of the official website, so the white king can walk toward b7 and Bh3 do not let Bacrot’s king reach d7, c8
This is a tragic blunder in Bacrot’s part.
The strategy for white is to hold the pawn with the bishop while the king goes to the Q-side and forces the issue with the black bishop. Once that is done, he can return and push the pawn in.
No he cant. Black can play Ke7-d7 and white king can’t get to b7. If after Ke7 white plays Bg4!? black goes with the KING to Q-side to hold the pawn and holds the f pawn with the bishop on f8, to protect h6 pawn. If the white king tries to dislodge the bishop, he can move it. If white queens, he can scrifice the bishop and advance the h-pawn until the white bishop has to take it, than king grabs a pawn and its K vs K + B.
There’s one gotcha after Kf4, ke7, Ke5. It seems black has to play h5! to keep the bishop out of g4, else he will play bg4 and bh5, holding the hpawn AND protecting the f pawn when it gets to f7. THEN the white king can get to b7 and win, because there is no time for black to change the defenders K to Q-side and Bishop to F pawn.
After h5, if white tries do go to b7 black just sits with his king on d7 until White plays f6, when he goes back with the king. With some care, black can then advance his h pawn and force the white bishop to take it, leaving the f pawn for the king to grab. In the end, the black bishop can sacrifice itself for the a pawn.
It is not THAT simple (at least for me), but if you try to play with those 2 ideias I think you will convince yourself that it is indeed drawn.
I agree with Paulo. The Black king can stop the white King from coming to b7, and then protect the f8 queening square with the Bishop.
But of course..I may be wrong. Lets see what Susan says
but if White does NOT play 50.f5(?)but 50.Kf3, then Black doesn’t have access to d7, and loses. Which is what actually happened (at least in the sense that f5 was not played. Come on, it’s a spectacularly weak move, Aronian is much smarter than that…)
I haven’t analised the position after 50. Kf3 (befor f5?) in detail, but it sure seems to win for me. Maybe it’s really an eletronic board mistake? There were a lot of these during the broadcasts, but they usually were fixed after a short time.
The only way to no would be to ask one of the players.
even after 50.Kf3 its not clear how W is winning. True, he doesn’t have access to the light squares (d7 and c8) any more, but he has d6 and c7 which still stops the White K from coming to b7. And then he can protect f8 with the Bishop.
May be I am wrong..can someone provide some concrete lines please ?
Susan asked:
White will most likely play Kf4 next move. Can you find the plan for Black to draw?
I will ask another question:
If White (Aronian)doesn’t play “the most likely move”, can you find a plan for White to win?
Susan asked:
White will most likely play Kf4 next move. Can you find the plan for Black to draw?
I will ask another question:
If White (Aronian) doesn’t play “the most likely move”, can you find a plan for White to win?