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The first thing I noticed is that the bishop on f4 is pinned, so that black can play …Rxg5 and white can’t capture the rook.
The downside is that white seems to get the pawn right back with Re7+ and then Rxh7, but it doesn’t work:
1 … Rxg5
2 Re7+ Kd8
3 Rxh7? Rgf5
4 Rh4? g5! wins the bish.
So black gets two connected passed pawns, which should be enough to draw.
Black can force a draw with:
1. … Re5
2. Bd3 Rxe4
3. Bxe4 Rxf4+
4. Kxf4
White has no access once Black transfers the king to g7/h8.
jcheyne
I think there may be multiple ways to draw
Method 1:
1. … Rxf4+
2. Rxf4 Rxf4+
3. Kxf4
White has an extra bishop but no way to penetrate the black fortress
Method 2:
1. …. Re5
2. Bd3 Rxe4
3. Bxe4 Rxf4+
Once again white cannot penetrate.
Other variations are possible but the key ideas are to exchange white’s rook and sacrifice the exchange for his black-squared bishop.
Thanks
Tom
I would say black should try to play for the win. And take the draw if neccessary so I would start with
1 … K-D7
2 K-G5 or K-G4 than take the draw with RxB
Black takes twice on c5, travels to b2 with his King and plays Kb2-a1-b2 forever.
Whites King or Bishop can never penetrate.
If White takes on b3 with his Bishop, Black can choose between a2xb3 with a dead draw or try to win with Kxb3.
I once had an adjourned game with a similar theme.
It looked totally lost for me but if the opponent didn’t play the right first move, I had a draw with a similar completely closed position. In that case because the extra bishop had to stay behind to stop a passed pawn.
He’d done zero analysis, thinking it was a trivial win, and we shook hands two moves later, me half a point richer. Guess the lesson is “if your opponent doesn’t resign totally lost looking adjourned games check for any tricks!”.