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For players under 2100, Rook vs Bishop is won 40% of the time. The drawing technique is counter-intuitive, so if your opponent doesn't know it, you have chances to win.
Showing posts with label bishop endgames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bishop endgames. Show all posts
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Rook vs Bishop
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For players under 2100, Rook vs Bishop is won 40% of the time. The drawing technique is counter-intuitive, so if your opponent doesn't know it, you have chances to win.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Queen vs Bishop
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This article may be too simple for some readers, but in my Bishop and Pawn vs Bishop and Centurini Position articles I frequently said Q vs B is an easy win. Then I witnessed a tragicomedy, and thought maybe I should offer a couple tips! :)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Centurini Positions
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A Centurini Position is one where one of the two diagonals in front of the pawn is less
than four squares in length. These are almost always won.
Bishop and Pawn vs Bishop
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View Tragicomedy
If Knight endgames are about flashy tactics, Bishop endgames are about subtle finesse. Enjoy and learn from my selection of five practical positions.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Karpov-Hort, Budapest 1973
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A fascinating and instructive endgame. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, and that it teaches you something. Feel free to ask if you have any questions! :)
B+N+P vs B+2P
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This ending is a great example of how a bishop, knight, and king can work together. It's shamelessly stolen from "Analysis on The ENDGAME" by ugralitan, but his article didn't cover these lines. I hope you will find this annotated game enjoyable and educational. :)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Capablanca-Corzo, 1901
I recently acquired "Capablanca's Best Chess Endings". Over the coming week, I plan to share some of these games with you.
The first game was a let down, because Corzo blundered away the Cuban Championship by playing 29...Nf5. After 30.Kxg4 and 31.Bxf5 or 31.Bxg4 White's playing an endgame that even I can evaluate as won (a passed pawn with pawns on both wings).
Then I played out the position against Rybka, and I didn't win! Perhaps this tells me something about Capablanca. He didn't show endgame genius in this game, but he did demonstrate superb technique we should seek to emulate.
It also tells me I need to spend more time studying bishop vs knight endgames!
The first game was a let down, because Corzo blundered away the Cuban Championship by playing 29...Nf5. After 30.Kxg4 and 31.Bxf5 or 31.Bxg4 White's playing an endgame that even I can evaluate as won (a passed pawn with pawns on both wings).
Then I played out the position against Rybka, and I didn't win! Perhaps this tells me something about Capablanca. He didn't show endgame genius in this game, but he did demonstrate superb technique we should seek to emulate.
It also tells me I need to spend more time studying bishop vs knight endgames!
Bishop & Pawn vs Knight
This is the most common minor piece ending, so it's definitely good to know.
The attacker often must force his opponent into zugzwang in order to win. That's because bishops can "lose a move" much easier than knights can.
1.Kc7 Kc5 2.Bc6 (zugzwang). If Black moves his king, he loses his knight. If Black moves his knight, White's pawn can queen.
Sometimes, the attacker can corral the enemy knight, restricting its movement. If the knight becomes immobilized, the attacker wins easily.
The defender draws if he can get in front of the pawn or protect his knight.
1...Be6 2.Ne3 Bd7 3.Ng2 Bh3 4.Ne3 =
Bishop & Pawn vs Knight is drawn roughly 70% of the time. Even if the attacker promotes, they still have to win another endgame--Queen vs Knight.
The attacker often must force his opponent into zugzwang in order to win. That's because bishops can "lose a move" much easier than knights can.1.Kc7 Kc5 2.Bc6 (zugzwang). If Black moves his king, he loses his knight. If Black moves his knight, White's pawn can queen.
Sometimes, the attacker can corral the enemy knight, restricting its movement. If the knight becomes immobilized, the attacker wins easily.
The defender draws if he can get in front of the pawn or protect his knight.
1...Be6 2.Ne3 Bd7 3.Ng2 Bh3 4.Ne3 =
Bishop & Pawn vs Knight is drawn roughly 70% of the time. Even if the attacker promotes, they still have to win another endgame--Queen vs Knight.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Bishop Endgames
I. Same-Color Bishop Endings
1. A two-pawn advantage is often decisive.
2. A one-pawn advantage often leads to a draw. The defending king steps in front of the pawn, on a square not controlled by the attacker's bishop.
3. Fix your pawns on squares that your bishop can't control.
I. Opposite-Color Bishop Endings
1. If the defending bishop can stop all the attacker's passed pawns, while remaining on a single diagonal, it's often a draw.
2. The attacker should fix their pawns on squares their bishop can't control.
3. The defender should fix their pawns on squares their bishop can control.
Does this seem oversimplified? Well, it is! I want to focus most of my energy on rook and pawn endings. Simple rules can guide me for the rest.
[Addendum: An opposite-color bishop ending with other pieces is not drawish at all. He who takes the initiative wins because it's like having an extra piece when attacking.]
1. A two-pawn advantage is often decisive.
2. A one-pawn advantage often leads to a draw. The defending king steps in front of the pawn, on a square not controlled by the attacker's bishop.
3. Fix your pawns on squares that your bishop can't control.
I. Opposite-Color Bishop Endings
1. If the defending bishop can stop all the attacker's passed pawns, while remaining on a single diagonal, it's often a draw.
2. The attacker should fix their pawns on squares their bishop can't control.
3. The defender should fix their pawns on squares their bishop can control.
Does this seem oversimplified? Well, it is! I want to focus most of my energy on rook and pawn endings. Simple rules can guide me for the rest.
[Addendum: An opposite-color bishop ending with other pieces is not drawish at all. He who takes the initiative wins because it's like having an extra piece when attacking.]
Friday, August 10, 2007
2 Bishops vs 4 Pawns Endgame
Anyone can win with two bishops against a lone king, but what if that king happens to have four pawns as bodyguards? How many pawns can two bishops take on and win?
The power of the bishop pair is undeniable and fascinating.
[Event "2 Bishops vs 4 Pawns (c)"]
[White "likesforests"]
[Black "Rybka"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "3k4/pp3pp1/8/8/8/8/2BBK3/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Bc3 g6 2. Bd4 {Provoking Black's pawns to move forward and create weaknesses that my bishops can exploit.} b6 3. Bd3 {Black's a- and b-pawns are blockaded.} Kd7 4. Bc4 Ke7 5. Ke3 Kf8 6. Bf6 {Black's f- and g-pawns are blockaded.} Kg8 7. Kd4 {Now that all the pawns are blockaded, my king marches up the board to capture them.} Kf8 8. Kd5 g5 $5 {Desperation.} 9. Bxg5 Kg7 10. Ke5 Kg6 11. Bf6 {Swiftly restoring the f- pawn blockade.} Kh5 12. Bxf7+ (12. Kf5 Kh6 13. Bxf7 a514. Bg6 a4 15. Be5 a3 16. Kf6 a2 17. Bf4# {This is a risky but brilliant checkmate!}) 12... Kg4 13. Bc4 {Restoring the a- and b-pawn blockade.} Kf3 14. Kd6 Kg4 15. Kc7 Kf5 16. Bc3 Ke4 17. Kb7 a5 18. Kxb6 a4 19. Kb5 Kf3 20. Kxa4 Kg4 21. Bd4 Kg5 22. Bd5 {To checkmate with two bishops, take away squares from the enemy king one by one.} Kg6 23. Kb5 (23. Be6 Kg5 24. Be5 Kg6 {A slight improvement.}) 23... Kg5 24. Kc6 Kg4 25.Kd6 Kf4 26. Ke6 Kg5 27. Ke5 Kg6 28. Kf4 Kh6 29. Kf5 Kh5 30. Bf2 {Once the enemy king is on the edge, the checkmate is quick and easy.} Kh6 31. Kf6 Kh5 32. Bf3+ Kh6 33. Be3+ Kh7 34. Kf7 Kh8 35. Be2 Kh7 36. Bd3+ Kh8 37. Bd4#{Checkmate. 3:17} 1-0
The power of the bishop pair is undeniable and fascinating.
[Event "2 Bishops vs 4 Pawns (c)"]
[White "likesforests"]
[Black "Rybka"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "3k4/pp3pp1/8/8/8/8/2BBK3/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Bc3 g6 2. Bd4 {Provoking Black's pawns to move forward and create weaknesses that my bishops can exploit.} b6 3. Bd3 {Black's a- and b-pawns are blockaded.} Kd7 4. Bc4 Ke7 5. Ke3 Kf8 6. Bf6 {Black's f- and g-pawns are blockaded.} Kg8 7. Kd4 {Now that all the pawns are blockaded, my king marches up the board to capture them.} Kf8 8. Kd5 g5 $5 {Desperation.} 9. Bxg5 Kg7 10. Ke5 Kg6 11. Bf6 {Swiftly restoring the f- pawn blockade.} Kh5 12. Bxf7+ (12. Kf5 Kh6 13. Bxf7 a514. Bg6 a4 15. Be5 a3 16. Kf6 a2 17. Bf4# {This is a risky but brilliant checkmate!}) 12... Kg4 13. Bc4 {Restoring the a- and b-pawn blockade.} Kf3 14. Kd6 Kg4 15. Kc7 Kf5 16. Bc3 Ke4 17. Kb7 a5 18. Kxb6 a4 19. Kb5 Kf3 20. Kxa4 Kg4 21. Bd4 Kg5 22. Bd5 {To checkmate with two bishops, take away squares from the enemy king one by one.} Kg6 23. Kb5 (23. Be6 Kg5 24. Be5 Kg6 {A slight improvement.}) 23... Kg5 24. Kc6 Kg4 25.Kd6 Kf4 26. Ke6 Kg5 27. Ke5 Kg6 28. Kf4 Kh6 29. Kf5 Kh5 30. Bf2 {Once the enemy king is on the edge, the checkmate is quick and easy.} Kh6 31. Kf6 Kh5 32. Bf3+ Kh6 33. Be3+ Kh7 34. Kf7 Kh8 35. Be2 Kh7 36. Bd3+ Kh8 37. Bd4#{Checkmate. 3:17} 1-0
Bishop & Knight Mate
Emboldened by a blog entry and a lecture from chesslectures.com, I relearned the Bishop & Knight vs King mate.
The steps to this mate are simple:
1. Push the enemy king to the edge of the board.
2. Force him to the correct corner.
3. Mate him.
You must force the enemy king into the corner that's the same color as your bishop to mate him. Mostly, you simply take away his safe squares one by one.
The scary part is, to force him into the corner, you must allow the enemy king to leave the edge of the board for a few moves, risking escape! Watch moves 8-12 carefully.
[Event "Bishop & Knight Mate"]
[Date "2007.08.10"]
[White "likesforests"]
[Black "Nalimov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "1k6/8/1K1N4/6B1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kc6 Ka7 2.Nb5+ Kb8 3. Nc7 Kc8 4. Be3 Kb8 5. Bd4 Kc8 6. Ba7 Kd8 7. Nd5 Ke8 8. Bd4 Kf7 9.Nf4 Ke7 10. Kc7 Ke8 11. Bf6 Kf7 12. Bg5 Ke8 13. Kd6 Kf7 14. Kd7 Kf8 15. Ke6 Ke8 16. Nh5 Kf8 17. Be7+ Kg8 18. Kf6 Kh7 19. Bf8 Kg8 20. Ke7 Kh7 21. Kf7 Kh8 22. Bg7+ Kh7 23. Nf6#
The steps to this mate are simple:
1. Push the enemy king to the edge of the board.
2. Force him to the correct corner.
3. Mate him.
You must force the enemy king into the corner that's the same color as your bishop to mate him. Mostly, you simply take away his safe squares one by one.
The scary part is, to force him into the corner, you must allow the enemy king to leave the edge of the board for a few moves, risking escape! Watch moves 8-12 carefully.
[Event "Bishop & Knight Mate"]
[Date "2007.08.10"]
[White "likesforests"]
[Black "Nalimov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "1k6/8/1K1N4/6B1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Kc6 Ka7 2.Nb5+ Kb8 3. Nc7 Kc8 4. Be3 Kb8 5. Bd4 Kc8 6. Ba7 Kd8 7. Nd5 Ke8 8. Bd4 Kf7 9.Nf4 Ke7 10. Kc7 Ke8 11. Bf6 Kf7 12. Bg5 Ke8 13. Kd6 Kf7 14. Kd7 Kf8 15. Ke6 Ke8 16. Nh5 Kf8 17. Be7+ Kg8 18. Kf6 Kh7 19. Bf8 Kg8 20. Ke7 Kh7 21. Kf7 Kh8 22. Bg7+ Kh7 23. Nf6#
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