“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.” – José Raúl Capablanca
It can be extremely difficult to win an opposite-colored bishops endgame, even with 2 extra pawns. Here is one aesthetic example from the past. Black to move. Event: URS-ch sf Lvov Year: 1973 White: Makarichev, Sergey Black: Averbakh, Yuri Result: 0-1
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Here is one well known, older ending from a high class game where White missed a nice winning motif. Do you think you would find it? Event: Dos Hermanas White: Svidler, Peter WhiteElo: 2713 Black: Anand, Viswanathan BlackElo: 2781 Result: 1/2-1/2
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During this year’s Croatian Individual Championship we noticed an interesting endgame position. Black is to move. Can you find a win? Event: Croatian Individual Championship White: Zelčić, Robert WhiteElo: 2520 Black: Martinović, Saša BlackElo: 2555 Result: 1/2-1/2
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In a similar position, sometimes a reduction of material cannot save the weaker side even if it is attacking the remaining pawn by both the king and bishop. This rare case occurred in the game of the former world champion Max Euwe and the first ladies’ world champion- the legendary Vera Menchik, Hastings, 1930. […]
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If in similar positions with a tied king the bishop can protect its weak pawns on the other wing, a win will be possible only if somehow in some wondrous way a second passed pawn can be created. A brilliant, truly study-like example on the theme was contributed by the former world champion Mikhail […]
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When far advanced pawns are separated by at least two files, the stronger side will win provided its king can penetrate to the front of one pawn. Naturally, exceptions to this general rule are all positions with bishop and a wrong rook’s pawn. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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c ) Endings with Split Pawns In endings with split pawns prospects of winning are better and increase proportionally with the distance between the pawns. Generally, the weaker side draws only when pawns are separated by one file since then the king can simultaneously prevent the advance of both pawns. A typical position, analyzed […]
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