- About Us
- Chess Improvement
- Chess Puzzles
- Chess Research
- College Chess
- General News
- Home
- Major Tournaments
- News
- Polgar Events
- Privacy Policy
- Scholastic Chess
- SPICE / Webster
- Susan’s Personal Blog
- Track your order
- USA Chess
- Videos
- Women’s Chess
- Contact Us
- Daily News
- My Account
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
Here, white can just exchange followed by Kf4. He will have h4 in reserve if black opposes with Kf6. In this type of position, getting the king on squares like f4 and g5 means that white can undermine the black f-pawn with a move like h5 if black protects g6 with the king:
1. Bf5! ef5 (gf5 discussed later)
2. Kf4!
Here, I am not sure if this is the only winning move, but if white plays a move like 2.h4, I am not sure that a move like Kg7 doesn’t draw for black. Now, I don’t think it really matters what black does with the king after 2.Kf4- the reserve move of h4 will always be there for white:
2. …..Kf6
3. h4 Ke6
4. Kg5 Kf7
5. h5 gh5
6. Kf5+-
Or, at move 3 in this line:
3. …..Kf7
4. Kg5 Kg7
5. h5 gh5
6. Kf5+- and ditto for other king moves at move 3 for black.
Back at move 2:
2. …..Kg7
3. Kg5 with 4.h4 and 5.h5 to come.
So, back at move 1, black can’t draw either with 1. …gf5, but white, I think, needs to play correctly:
1. Bf5 gf5
2. Kf4? Kf6!
3. h4 e5!
4. Ke3 Kg6
And white will take too long to go around the queen side of the pawn formation:
5. Kd2 Kh5
6. Kc3? f4!
7. gf4 ef4
8. Kd4 e3! (a trap for white)
9. Kd3
Here, the “obvious” looking 9.fe3 loses instantly to 9. …f3 and the black pawn can’t be stopped. Continuing:
9. …..Kh4
10.Ke2!
Again, 10.fe3 loses to f3. Continuing:
10. ….ef2
11.Kf2 with a draw (left as an exercise).
When black plays 1. …gf5, I think the right plan is to play Kd4 immediately:
1. Bf5 gf5
2. Kd4 Kf6
3. h4
And, now, black needs to keep white out of e5, but I don’t see a defense since white can keep pushing the h-pawn to lure the black king over to the g/h files:
3. …..e5
4. Kd5 f4 (what else?)
5. gf4 ef4
6. Ke4 or
3. …..f4
4. gf4 Kf5 (what else?)
5. h5 Kf4 (what else now?)
6. h6 and black won’t be able to win the f-pawn without losing the e-pawn at e4. Or
3. …..Kg6
4. Ke5 Kf7
5. h5 Ke7
6. h6 Kf7
7. h7 Kg7
8. Ke6 Kh7
9. Kf5+-.
it´s kind of hard to calculate, but maybe there is a zugzwang at the end of the line, if we play
1. Bxf5 exf5
2. Kf4 Kf6
3. h4 Kg7
4. Kg5 Kf7
5. g4 fxg4
6. Kxg4 Kg7
7. Kf4 Kf6
8. Kxe4
well, i´m not an expert at endgames, but this one might be won: two pawns against one and a superior king position. i don´t see a way for black to defend this, but i don´t know if i´ve been looking hard enough. 😉
greets, jan
1. Bxf5 should win easily for white
If 1. … gxf5, 2. Kd4 and black pawn structure will collapse
If 1. … exf5, 2. Kf4 and black pawn structure will collapse
In both the cases the ‘h’ pawn becomes crucial. It will march ahead and black must devote its king to stop that.
Kd4
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,this puzzle is the plum cake for White piece to win,to my understanding every combination leads to White piece win, except if White piece makes a blunder then the game leads to draw.
So its a wining for White piece – Initial move is “B*bf5” .
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
It seems like the obvious line is also the best.
1. B:f5 ef 2. Kf4 Kf6 3. h4 Ke6 4. Kg5 Kf7 5. h5 gh 6. K:f5 wins easily.
Bxf5
I like f3
Bf5 snacktime
The logic of this position is that Black must always be ready to meet Kf4, Kd4 or Kd6 with Kf6. Both Bishops are frozen in place. A move by White’s Bishop would hang the h3 Pawn, so if Black’s Bishop ever retreated, after the e or g Pawn moves, White could redeploy his Bishop to attack and win Black’s e4 Pawn. Meanwhile, White has to take care that Black’s counterplay with …Bg4: and Kg5 is never sufficient.
White can never force Black to play Kf6 when Kf4 or Kd4 is in the offing, because Black has too many squares (e7, f7, g7) on which to shuttle his King. So White’s King must reach d6.
1. Kd4 Kf6
2. Kc5 Ke7
3. Kc6 Kf7
4. Kd7! Kf6
5. Kd6
The key position. Black is in zugzwang. If
5. … Kf7
6. Ke5 Ke7
7. Bf5: e (or g)f5:
8. g4 wins a Pawn. Or
5. … Bg4:
6. hg4: Kg5
7. Ke5! Kg4:
8. Ke4: g5
8. Ke5 Kf3
9. Ke6:, and White wins after Kf2: 10. g4 or g4 10. Kf5. Or
5. … g5
6. Bf5: ef5:
7. Kd5 and White wins a Pawn.