Here are the solutions to this week’s endgame quiz!
Question 1
This is called the Centurini position. White needs to get his bishop to b8 to win. For example, if white could magically play 1. Bb8 then after 1… Bg1 2. Bg3 Ba7 3. Bf2 would win for white.
If black’s bishop were on, for example, e5, white would play 1. Bf6 Bh2 Bd4 and get to b8 via a7.
If white moves his bishop away from d8, black will run his king to a6 to guard the a7 square. However, white has 1. Bg5 Kb6 2. Be3+ Ka6 3. Bc5!
Black must move his bishop (a king move would allow Ba7). And after, for example, 3… Be5 4. Be7 (threatening Bd8-c7) Kb6 5. Bd8+ Kc6 6. Bf6, white gets the tempo he needs to get to a7.
Black moving first doesn’t change anything. For example, 1… Bd6 2. Be7 Bh2 3. Bg5 transposes.
Question 2
This is called the Vancura position. In order to win, white would need to guard the pawn with his king, and then move his rook away from a8. Black can prevent this by attacking the pawn from the side so that the rook can’t move, and then checking white’s king as soon as it moves to guard the pawn. Example: Rb6 Kc5 Rf6 Kb5 Rf5+ Kb6 Rf6+ Ka7 Rf7+ =
Moving the rook behind the pawn with Rf1-a1 is only correct after white’s pawn advances to a7. Here it would lose, since white can hide his king on a7 and then activate his rook.
Rf5 would lose to for example Ra7+ Kf6 Rh7 Ra5 a7 Ke6 Rh6+ Ke7 Rh8 Rxa7 Rh7+ winning the rook.
Question 3
One advantage of knowing theoretical positions is that you can play with the specific goal of reaching them. Here, white to move can reach a Lucena position and win via Ka5 Ra8+ Kb6 Rb8+ Ka6 Ra8+ Kb7.
Black to move has time to get his king in front of the pawn with Rc8! Here, Rxc8 Kxc8 and Rc5 Rxc5 Kxc5 Kc7 are both drawn king and pawn endgames. After a move like Rb1, then Kc7 and black draws.
Question 4
In this study by Greco, it seems at first that white must be winning. However after Ra1+ Rf1 Rxf1+ Kxf1 Bh3!! black achieves a wrong-bishop ending and draws. Another example of looking for opportunities to transpose to a well-known endgame.
Question 5
Surprisingly, gxf3? leads to a theoretical draw. Black will never be able to advance the f pawn, since white will maintain control over f2 with the king and bishop, and if black’s king goes to e3 or g3, it will be checked-away. For example, gxf3 Kf2 Ke4 Bc5 Rb2+ Kf1 Kf4 Bd6+ Ke3 Bc5+ =
On the other hand, Rxf3+ wins for black, since white cannot maintain a similar blockade. Ex. Rxf3+ Kg2 Rd3 Bc7 Kg5 Be5 Rd5 Bb8 Rd2+ Kg3 Rd3+ Kf2 Kh4 with g3 next -+
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