White to move and win.
k7/2pK4/1bP5/8/8/8/8/2B5 w – – 0 1
Krikheli, 1985
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1.Kc8 wins
Must be something like 1. Kc8, Be3! 2. Ba3!, Bc5 3. Kxc7!, Bxa3 4. Kd7 and black cannot stop white’s pawn.
The harder thing is certainly the win if black does not try to defend the pawn but to get a draw with KB vs KBP but I think this should be won as the bishop does not have sufficient space on the left of the pawn. But I am not sure here and (atm) unable to calculate the whole endgame out.
One line may start like 1. Kc8, Ka7 2. Bf4, Ba5 3. Bxc7, Bd2 4. Kd7, Ka6!? 5. Bd6, Ba5 6. Bb4, Bb6 (that’s why Ka6 was a good move, Bc5 does not pin the bishop) 7. Bc3 (some kind of zugzwang as Ka7 8. Bd4), Kb5
This looks good as the black king has to leave the edge and I remember a (slightly) similar study but I do not see how to proceed here.
Maybe I am totally wrong but I cannot imagine any other way for white to free his pawn and get a better position at the same time.
Hmmm, good one, I am curious to read the other posts so far.
Best wishes from Germany
Jochen
1. Kc8!
@ Jochen:
in your line (1. Kc8, Ka7 2. Bf4, Ba5 3. Bxc7, Bd2 4. Kd7, Ka6!? 5. Bd6, Ba5 6. Bb4, Bb6)
5.Bd8 is much easier.
5. .. Bf4
6.Be7 and Bd6 next.
Tobe
Jochen
1.Kc8 Ka7 2.Bf4 Ba5 3.Bxc7 Bd2 4.Kd7 Ka6 5.Bd8 wins very easy
if 5…Bf4 6.Be7 and 7.Bd6 and the work is done!
Jochen
you are right, it’s not a tactics problem really, but an endgame technique excersize. So far you are the only one to consider some real difficulties that white may face
instead of 5. Bd6, try 5. Bd8. Black has to play 5… Bf4, and then 6. Be7 and Bd6 – standard maneuvre in such positions
black actually can gains an extra tempo compared to your variation:
1. Kc8 Be3 2. Ba3 Bf4 3. Bb4 Ka7 4. Ba5 Ba6 5. Bxc7 Kb5 6. Kd7 (6. Kb7?? =) and black still has some tricks in his hat, for example 6… Bg5 7. Bg3 Bd8. I believe white should win there though
I wonder how people “solve” problems here by proclaiming “1. Kc8!”. Sometimes they even go on to praise each other for “nice solutions”. I remember an opposite-color endgame posted here, which was nicely solved by a whole bunch. Now I analized it in depth, and it appears to be a Dvoretsky style excersize that had no “solution” (black supposedly had to draw but in reality white wins). LOL.
I guess Susan should repost such positions where no corect answer was given by the crowd
This Bd8-Be7-Bd6 line is a good one. Thanks for showing.
Last ano, thanks for your other variation, too, which shows that such end games have more live than you think on the first glance.
And by the way I fully agree with your statement about some “solutions”.
In former times I probably wouldn’t have been able to get to the position with KBP vs KB but I probably would have known this technique.
6 years without practical chess may have taken away the basic skills, but some years with Susan Polgar’s Blog have sharpened the other ones at the same time. 😉
Best wishes from Germany
Jochen
back to chess after work:
yeah, white wins: 7… bd8 8. bf4 (just waiting) and after 8… ba5 (or bb6) 9. bc7 be1 10. bd8 we have the position above. This means black has to play 8… Kc5 if black king reaches d5, he pulls a draw. so9. bc7 be7 (9… bg5 10. bd6 +-) 10. ba5 bd6 11. bb4 +-
**such end games have more live than you think on the first glance**
the crowd kibitzing Jako-Bacrot game on ChessAssistant discussed Jako’s bad ethics cause the position was a dead draw in their opinion and jako was playing for win. The draw was not that dead as Jako showed. But who cares for the position if Rybka and Nalimov show 0.0?
**some years with Susan Polgar’s Blog have sharpened the other ones at the same time. ;)**
if know a bit of Russian, try kasparovchess.crestbook.com – the analytical section is very instructive and the crowd posting there is rated FIDE 1800-2800 (sic).