Chris Bellers
"Deux fous gagnent toujours, mais trois fous, non!"-- Alexander Alekhin, on the advantage of the Two Bishops at amateur level
This session looks mainly at endings involving BB vs. BN or NN and no other pieces. They demonstrate that, even where pawns are evenly placed, the two bishops are often enough to force a win.
If you have the two bishops, be prepared for patient manoevring, and do not assume an automatic win. Game 3.1 is a particularly long encounter where White gradually builds up a winning position but slips at the end and should have only drawn.
- 1. Opposite coloured bishops
- 2. Two bishops with an unbalanced pawn
position
- 2.1 Leonhardt - Bernstein, Barmen, 1905
- 2.2 Perlis - Baird, Barmen, 1905
- 2.3 Soultanbieff-Flohr, Folkestone, 1933
- 2.4 Zagorovsky - Bryson, Corr, 1994
- 2.5 Rubinstein - Gajdos, Bremen, 1905
- 2.6 Kasenfuss - Fine, Kemeri, 1937
- 2.7 Van Scheltinga - Fine, Amsterdam, 1936
- 2.8 Bellars - James, Paignton, 1976
- 3. Pawns blocked and/or balanced
- 4. Conclusion
Firstly, there is 'creeping round the edges'. In the following position, Black seems to have a successful blockade.
1.1 ?? - ?? (cb), 1995
(wKe4,Be6,Pb7,f5; bKf6,Bb8)
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Black must prevent Kg4, so ...Kg5 is necessary
[After 1... Kg5 the game is drawn: 2. Bc8 Bc7 3. Ke4 Kf6 4. Kd5 Bh2 5. Kc6 Ke7 6. Kb6 Bb8]
2. Kg4 Bb8
[2... Kg7 3. Kg5 Bd8+ 4. f6+ Bxf6+ 5. Kf5]
3. Kh5 Bf4 4. Bc8 Bc7
[4... Kg7 5. Kg4 Bc7 6. Kg5 Kf7 7. f6]
5. Kh6 Bb8 6. Kh7 Kf7 7. Be6+ Kf6 8. Kg8 Bd6 9. Bc8
Again, Black is in zugzwang, and must give way allowing the f-pawn to advance; once it reaches f7, the bK must go to f8, and the wK can go 'round to support the other pawn.
9... Ke7 10. Kg7 1-0
The other idea I learned the hard way. In the following position, Black had lost a [pawn in the opening, and is now forced to exchange rooks. However, I was not too unhappy about this as I assumed the position was drawn. What does it look like to you?
1.2 Soesan - Bellars, Paignton, 1976
(wKe3,Bd4,Rb2,Pa5,c4,f3,g3,h2; bKc6,Bg6,Rd7,Pa6,f6,g7,h7)
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[10... Ke6 11. c6 Be8 12. Kc5 also wins]
11. Ke5 Be8 12. Ke6 Kb5 13. Ke7 Bc6 14. Kf7 Kc4 15. Kg7 Kd5 16. Kxh7 Be8 17. Kg7 Ke6 18. h4 Kd5 19. Kf8 Bd7 20. Kf7 Bc6 21. Kxg6 Ke6 22. h5 Be8+ 23. Kg5 Bd7 24. Bc7 Kf7 25. Be5 Kg8 26. Kf6 1-0
2. Two bishops with an unbalanced pawn position
The two bishops are particularly powerful and this alone is often sufficient to win. The winning process consists of four steps:place the pieces in the best possible positions (i.e. where they cramp the opponent's pieces)
set up an outside passed pawn (or a potential outside passed pawn) - this means advancing the pawns as far as you can
if the opponent's king goes to the threatened sector, go to the other wing - either to capture pawns with the bishops or force an entry for the king
If the opponent does not try to stop the pawns with his king, then advancing the passed pawn will cost him a piece
2.1 Leonhardt - Bernstein, Barmen, 1905
(wKd3,Be3,g2,Pa2,b3,d4,d5,f4,h3; bKf8,Ng3,Bg7,Pa7,b7,e7,f7,g6,h7)
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[1... b6 2. d7]
2. Bxb7 Nf5 3. Bf2 Bh6 4. Ke4 Ne7 5. d5!
! cramping the Black pieces
5... f5+ 6. Kf3 a6
[6... a5 7. Bb6]
7. a4
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7... Bg7 8. Ke2
[8. b4 Bc3 9. b5 axb5 10. axb5 Ke8 11. Ba7 Kd7 and if now 12. b6 ? 12... Bd4 and the win is not straightforward]
8... Bc3
the second step is over; now we have the fourth idea
9. Kd3 Bb4 10. Bxa6 h6
[10... Nxd5 11. Kc4 Nc7 12. Kxb4 Nxa6+ 13. Kb5 Nc7+ 14. Kb6 Nd5+ 15. Kb7 winning]
11. Bb7 g5 12. fxg5 hxg5 13. Kc4 Bd2 14. b4
and soon won
...1-0
2.2 Perlis - Baird, Barmen, 1905
(wKd2,Bb6,c2,Pa3,b4,e4,f3,g3,h2; bKe8,Nd8,Be6,Pb7,c6,e5,f6,g7,h7)
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16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. a6 c5+ 18. Ke3
[18. bxc5 Nb8 19. Bxb8 Be8 20. Kd5 was simpler]
18... Nb6 19. Bxb6 Be8 20. Bxc5+ 1-0
Against a doubled pawn the two bishops will generally be able to force a gain of material, or an outside passed pawn.
2.3 Soultanbieff-Flohr, Folkestone, 1933
(wKg1,Nh1,Bd2,Pb2,b3,d4,e3,f4,h3; bKg7,Bc6,h4,Pa6,b7,e4,e6,f5,h6)
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1... Kg6 2. Kg2 Bd5 3. b4 Kf7 4. Ng3 Ke8 5. Ne2 Kd7 6. Nc3 Kc6 7. Kh2 Bb3 8. Kg2 Bc4 9. Kg1 Bd3 10. Kg2 Bc4 11. Nb1 b6 12. Kg1 Bd3 13. Nc3 Be7 14. Kf2 Bxb4 15. Nxe4 Be7 16. Nc3 Bh4+ 17. Kg1 Bc4 18. Kg2 a5 19. Kg1 b5 20. Kg2 h5 21. Kg1 Bb3 22. Kg2 b4 23. Ne2 Bd5+ 24. Kf1 Bc4 25. Be1 Bxe1 26. Kxe1 Bxe2 27. Kxe2 a4 0-1
2.4 Zagorovsky - Bryson, Corr, 1994
(wKh1,Nd4,Bd2,Pa5,b2,f4,g3,h2; bKg8,Bd7,f8,Pa6,b4,e4,f7,g7,h7)
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36... Bc5 37. Be3 b3 ! 38. Kg2 !! 38... Be6
[38... Ba4 39. Kf2 Bb4 40. Bc1 ! and Kf2-e3xe4]
[38... Bg4 39. Kf2 Bd1 40. Nc6 !]
39. Kf2
[39. Nxe6 Bxe3 40. Nc7 Bc5 41. Nxa6 Ba3 42. Kf2
[42. Kf1 Kf8 43. Ke2 Ke7 44. Kd2 Kd6 ! 45. bxa3 e3+ 46. Kxe3 b2]
42... Bxb2 43. Nc5 Bd4+]
39... Bd5 40. Nf5 Bb4 41. Bd4 g6 42. Nh6+ Kf8 43. Ng4 f5 44. Nf6 Bc6 45. Nxh7+ Ke7 46. Ng5 Kd6 47. Ke3 Bxa5 48. g4 Be1 49. Be5+ Kd5 50. gxf5 gxf5 51. Nh7 a5 52. Nf6+ Kc4 53. Ke2 Bb4
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54. h4 a4 55. h5 a3 56. bxa3
[56. h6 a2 57. h7 a1=Q 58. h8=Q Qe1#]
56... Bc3 57. Bxc3 Kxc3 58. h6 b2 59. Nxe4+ Bxe4 60. h7 b1=Q 61. h8=Q+ Kb3
An isolated pawn may be serious enough for a forced loss
2.5 Rubinstein - Gajdos, Bremen, 1905
(wKg1,Bd4,e2,Pa2,b2,e3,f3,g2,h2; bKf7,Nd6,Bc8,Pa6,b7,d5,f6,g7,h7)
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[2... Bb5]
3. Bc5 Ke6 4. Kd2 f5 ?
a positional blunder
5. b3 Nd6 6. a4 Nc8 7. Kc3 Ne7 8. Bd4 g6 9. Kb4 Bc6 10. Kc5 Kd7 11. a5 Nc8 12. Bd1 Na7 13. h4 Nb5 14. Bc2 Nc7 15. g3 Ne8 16. Be5 ! 16... Ke6 17. f4
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Where there is a weak colour complex the two bishops can usually clear a path for the king by constricting the enemy pieces
2.6 Kasenfuss - Fine, Kemeri, 1937
(wKg1,Nc2,Be3,Pa4,b3,d4,e5,f4,g3,h2;
bKg8,Bd7,e7,Pa7,b7,d5,f7,g4,g7,h5)
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outside passed pawn
7. Nd3 Bc2 8. Nc5 gxf4+ 9. gxf4 b6 10. axb6 axb6 11. Nd7 b5 12. b4 h4 13. Nc5 g3 14. hxg3 hxg3 15. Kf3 Bh4 16. Be3 Bd1+ 17. Kg2 Kg4 18. Bd2 Bf3+ 19. Kg1 Kf5 20. Be3 Be4 21. Bd2 g2 22. Nxe4 Kxe4 23. Kxg2 Kxd4 24. Kh3 Be7 25. Kg4 Kd3
and the d-pawn decides
1-0
Another theme is to exchange a B for N leaving pawns on the colour of the opposing B.
2.7 Van Scheltinga - Fine, Amsterdam, 1936
(wKh2,Nf3,Bd2,Pb4,c5,e4,f2,g2,h3; bKg8,Bd3,g7,Pa6,b7,e6,f7,g6,h7)
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Finally there is opposite coloured bishops theme
In the following game belongs in the 'blocked pawn structure' section, but soon becomes unbalanced.
2.8 Bellars - James, Paignton, 1976
(wKg1,Bd3,e3,Pa2,b2,c3,e4,f2,g3,h3; bKg8,Ne6,Bg7,Pa7,b6,c5,e5,f7,g6,h7)
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32. gxf4 Kg7 33. Kg2 Bd8 34. Kf3 h5 35. Bf2 Bc7 36. Be3 Bd8 37. Bc4 Be7 38. Bd2 Bd8 39. e5 Bh4 40. Be3 Be1 41. Ke4 Bh4 42. a4 a5 43. Bf1 Bd8 44. Kd5 Bh4 45. Be2 Bd8 46. f5 gxf5 47. Bxh5 Ng5 48. Bxg5 Bxg5 49. Kc6 Bd8 50. c4 Kf8 51. Kd7 Bh4 52. Kc7 Bg3 53. Kxb6 Bxe5 54. b3 Bc3 55. Kxc5 1-0
3. Pawns blocked and/or balanced
The defender drawing chances are greater, but still has a difficult
game. The winning process consists of 5 steps:
1. weaken the opponent's pawns
2. cramp the opponent's peces
3. clear a path for the king
4. after the king has penetrated as far as possible, force the exchange of the blocking piece
5. penetrate with the King and capture material
3.1 Berger-Tchigorin, Carlsbad 1907
(wKe1,Bf4,f5,Pa2,b3,c4,f2,g2,h3; bKe8,Nf6,Bc5,Pa7,b7,c6,f7,g7,h6)
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[2. Bc8]
2... Ne8 3. Ke2 Bd6 4. Bc3 b6 ?
[4... Kd8]
5. g3 f6 ?
step 1 is completed, and now (after the errors) there is a forced win! 6. f4 Bc5 7. Be4 Kd7 8. b4 Be7 9. Kf3 Nd6 10. Bd3 Ke6 11. g4 g5 ?
step 2 is now completed
[11... Kd7 12. Kg3 Kc7 13. Kh4 f5+ 14. Kh5]
[11... Kf7 12. Bd4 Ke6 13. a3 Kf7 14. c5 bxc5 15. Bxc5 Nc8 16. Bf5 Bxc5
17. bxc5 Ne7 18. Bd7 zugzwang - the wK will go to the Q-side]
12. a3 Nf7 13. Bf5+ Kd6 14. Bg6 Nd8 15. fxg5 hxg5 16. Ke4 Ne6 17. Bf7 Ng7
[17... Nf4 18. Kf5 Nxh3 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Kxf6 and id the N moves, the g-pawn
goes]
18. Be1 Kd7 19. Bc3 Bd8 20. b5 ! 20... Ke7 21. Bg8 Kf8 22. Bh7 cxb5 23. cxb5 Ke7
step 3 now complete: the wK now has a clear path
24. Bb4+ Ke6 25. Bg8+ Kd7 26. Kd5
zugzwang
26... Be7
[26... Kc7 27. Bf8 Ne8 28. Be6 Kb7 29. Bd7 Nc7+ 30. Ke4 a6 31. a4 axb5 32. axb5 Kb8 33. Bd6 Kb7 34. Bc6+ Kc8 35. Kf5]
27. Bxe7 Kxe7
step 4 now complete
28. Kc6 Ne8 29. a4 Nd6 30. Kc7 Ne4 31. Bb3 Nc5 32. Bc2 Ke6 33. Kb8
[33. Kc6 ? game continuation 33... Ke5 34. a5 Ne6 35. axb6 Nd4+ 36. Kb7 axb6 37. Bd3 when 37... f5 38. gxf5 Nxb5 draws by wrong RP]
33... Kd6
[33... a6 34. Kc7 axb5 35. axb5 Ke5 36. Kxb6 Kd6 37. Ka7 Kc7 38. b6+ Kc6 39. Be4+]
34. Kxa7 Kc7 35. a5 bxa5 36. b6+ Kc6 37. Be4+ Nxe4 38. b7 1-0
3.2 Tarrasch - Rubinstein, San Sebastian, 1912
(wKg2,Nh3,Bc2,Pa2,d3,f5,g3; bKd6,Ba6,d4,Pa5,d5,f6,g7)
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1... Ke5 2. g4 Be3
'stalemating' the knight - a common idea
3. Kf3
[3. Nf2 Bxf2 4. Kxf2 Kf4]
3... Kd4 4. Bb3 Bb7
[4... Bxd3 also wins 5. Bxd5 Bf1 6. Bb7 Bxh3 7. Ba6 Kc3 8. Kg3 Kb2 some delicate footwork on both sides here! it's the opposite coloured B possibilities that are at issue 9. Bc4 Bf1 10. Bxf1 Kxa2 11. Kf3 Bh6 12. Bb5 Kb3 13. Ke4 a4 14. Kd4 a3]
5. Ke2 Ba6 6. Bc2
[6. Bxd5 transposes to the previous note]
6... Bb5 7. a4 Bd7 8. Kf3 Kc3 9. Kxe3 d4+ 10. Ke2 Kxc2 11. Nf4 Bxa4 12. Ne6 Bb3 13. Nxd4+ Kb2 14. Nb5 a4 15. Ke3 a3 16. Nxa3 Kxa3 17. Kd4 Kb4 0-1
3.3 Bellars-Goodman, Paignton 1977
(wKg2,Bd3,e3,Pa2,b5,c3,e4,f2,g3,h3; bKg8,Nd7,Bd6,Pa7,b6,c5,e5,f7,g6,h7)
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26... Kf8 27. f4 Ke7 28. Kf3 Nf8 29. a4 Ne6 30. f5 Nf8 31. g4 f6 32. g5 Nd7 33. h4 Nf8 34. Bc4 Nd7 35. Bg8 Nf8 36. gxf6+ ?
(time trouble)
[36. Bxh7 Nxh7 37. fxg6 Nf8 38. g7]
[36. Kg4 best, idea h5 when White will have a passed pawn and King entry (step 3)]
36... Kxf6 37. Bg5+ Kg7 38. Bd5 Nd7 39. Be6 Nf6 40. c4 ?
closing the last entry point for the wK!
40... Ne8 41. Bd8
can White win at all? Black is cramped but what is White's plan? As it happens...
41... Bc7 ? 42. f6+ Kf8 ?? 43. Be7# 1-0
A tough one: White has to work hard for an opening before running out of pawns; Black's pieces are more active
3.4 ?? - ?? (cb), 1995
(wKg3,Bd2,d3,Pa3,b2,c2,f4,g4,h4; bKe8,Nc6,Bf7,Pa6,b7,d5,f6,g7,h6)
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[6. Bc3 Nd6 7. Bh3 Ne4+]
6... Nd6 7. Bg4 Ke7 8. Kf4 Be6 9. Bf3 Bf5 10. Bxd5 Bxc2 11. Ke5 Bf5 12. Be3
idea Bc5
12... Nf7+ 13. Kd4 Nd8 14. Kc5 Bc8 15. b4 Bd7 16. Bd2
[16. Bd4 Ne6+]
16... Bb5 ?! 17. Be4 Kf7 18. Kd6 Bc4 19. Kd7 Nc6 20. Kc7 Nd4 21. Bxb7 Nb5+ 22. Kb6 Nxa3 23. Bxa6 Be6 24. Kc5 Bf5 25. b5 Nxb5 26. Bxb5 1-0
The bishops are at their worst in blocked positions, and in positions where the pawns are all on the same side. Here, even an extra pawn may not be enough to win
3.5 Euwe - Alekhin, 3rd Match Game, 1937
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bb4 7. O-O O-O 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. Nd2 e5 11. Bb2 e4 12. Be2 b5 13. cxb5 cxb5 14. a4 bxa4 15. c4 dxc4 16. Nxc4 Nb6 17. Nxb6 axb6 18. Rxa4 Bb7 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. Qb1 Re8 21. Rc1 Qd6 22. Qc2 h6 23. Qc7 Qxc7 24. Rxc7 Rc8 25. Rxc8+ Bxc8 26. f3 Bb7 27. Kf2 Ne8 28. Ba3 Bd5 29. Be7 f5 30. fxe4 fxe4 31. Bd8 Nd6 32. Bxb6 Nc4 33. Bc7 Kf7(wKf2,Bc7,e2,Pd4,e3,g2,h2; bKg8,Nc4,Bd5,Pe4,g7,h6)
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else Bf4 and h5 frees the wK
3. Bh5+ Ke7
[3... Kf6 4. Bd8+ Kf5 5. g4+]
[3... Kg7 4. Bd8 gxh4 5. Bxh4 andBh4-g3-f4]
4. Bg4 Bb7
white can make no further progress with the Bishops, so offers to exchange the strong Knight
5. Be5 Nxe5 6. dxe5 gxh4 7. Kg1 Ba6 8. Kh2 Kf7
and White eventually had to settle for a draw.
Q
[34. h4 g5 35. Bh5+ Ke7 36. Bg4 Bb7 37. Be5 Nxe5 38. dxe5 gxh4 39. Kg1 Ba6 40. Kh2 Kf7]
41. Kh3 Bf1 42. Bf5 Ke7 43. Kh2 Be2 44. Kh3 Bf1 45. Bxe4 Ke6 46. Kxh4 Kxe5 47. Bf3 Kf6 48. Kh5 Kg7 49. e4 Bd3 50. e5 Bg6+ 51. Kg4 Kf7 52. Bd5+ Ke7 53. Kf4 Bh7 54. g3 Kf8 55. Be4 Bg8 56. Bf3 Ke7 57. Kg4 Ke6 58. Kf4 Ke7 59. Bg4 Bb3 60. Bc8 Kf7 Q
Endings with the pawns all on one side are ALMOST ALWAYS drawn if the superior side has 3 pawns or less, USUALLY drawn if he has 4 pawns
4. Conclusion
The two bishops are better than two knights or bishop/knight partnership in most normal positions.If the pawns are unbalanced, so that the side with the bishops can set up an outside passed pawn, it is virtually a forced win.
If the pawns are blocked, the slightest weakness in the pawn structure may be fatal.
The three ideas in all such endings are:
limit the opponent's mobility
stalemate the knight
exchange off pieces to transpose into favourable simpler endings (especially those where the opponent's pawns are on the same colour as their bishop