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Apr-29-04
 | | offramp: Bronstein could have forced a simple draw with 61...Bc6; but he found a way to keep the game alive in a most surprising way.
63.a7 would lose to ...Bc6.
66....h2 would lose to 67.d7.
A facinating little ending! |
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| Jun-30-05 | | refutor: can someone explain 5. ...Be7 to me? i guess the idea is that eventually the bishop on d2 is going to move again? |
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| Sep-01-05 | | Resignation Trap: <refutor> The maneuver ...Bb4+, Bd2, ...Be7 is also seen in some Queen's Indian variations. The idea is that White has an "extra" move over those positions where Black simply moves his Bishop directly to e7 from f8, but that the Bishop isn't too well placed on d2. Alekhine also liked to play this maneuver, see Fine vs Alekhine, 1937 for example. For a Queen's Indian game with this idea, see Kasparov vs Karpov, 1984 . |
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| Sep-01-05 | | Resignation Trap: Be careful, pretenders, Mikhail Moiseyevich is watching you! Botvinnik's entry in his notebook read: "Dutch (Be7-b4  e7) a la Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky . Played not at all badly and after mistakes Szabo (?) gained an excellent game. 'Br' played in the center (c7-c6) and, when everything was already good, indulged on the 22nd move on the trappy move of a7-a6. Szabo gained the initiative and took control, but 'Br' immediately returned to defense and defended with all his might in time trouble. Of course, he was lost, but on the resumption with accurate defense he saved the endgame on move 71. He defends resourcefully, actively! But what about his repertoire, eh?" |
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| Aug-28-10 | | VincentL: "Very Difficult"
Is this black to play and win, or draw? For me at least, that is the initial question. The first crazy thoughts I have are to play 62.... Bc6 and after 63. Kxc6 queen on h1 with check, followed by Q x white´s new queen on a8 This isn´t possible, surely. or is it (the "sensible" move is 62.... g3)? Ah, maybe it is !
62......Bc6 63. Kxc6 g3. Now if 64. hxg3 h3 ! 65. a7 h2 66. a8=Q h1=Q+ 67. Kb6 Qxa8. Is this real? There is still work to do.
But before I look to see how to stop the d pawn, 64. h3 must be considered. Now the trick
doesn't work; there isn't time for black to play h3 before g3. So it must be the "boring" 62.... g3. Now white can take or decline the pawn. If white takes, black´s h pawn just becomes the g pawn captured. Let´s assume white captures. So 63. hxg3 hxg3 64. a7 h2 64. a8=Q g1=Q+. Now the idea is surely for black to take a perpetual. This doesn't look too difficult - if the white king gets to c8 black can check with the bishop. This perpetual isn't very difficult to see, and is not Saturday level. I am missing something.
My time has run out; let´s see what happened in the game. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | VincentL: Ah... yes. Black can play Bc6 later, and so white must be careful about queening on a8. I didn't consider this move order. The game is drawn with best play, surely. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | dzechiel: Black to move (62...?). Material even. "Very Difficult." Black's choice of moves is rather limited here. The white a-pawn is the one that black must be concerned about. I spent a lot of time here trying to demonstrate to myself that 62...g3
was losing, but I kept coming up with more ways for black to draw. I now think it's the key. White has three tries to deal with this:
- 63 d7
- 63 a7
- 63 hxg3
On 63 d7 Kxd7 64 Bxg3 hxg3 65 hxg3 Bh4 66 a7 Bf3
and the bishop and king will be able to stop both pawns. On 63 a7 Bc6 64 d7 Kxd7 65 hxg3 hxg3 66 Bxg3 Ba1
with a book draw. Lastly there's
63 hxg3 h3 64 g4 Bd7
Not 64...Kd7 as the bishop will need access to c6 as above. 65 a7 Bc6 66 d7
If white doesn't move the d-pawn now, black will play 66...Kd7 blocking the pawn and supporting his bishop. Play will go something like 66...d7 Kxd7 67 Kb6 Bg2 68 g5 Ke7 69 Bf4 Kf7 70 Kc7 Kg6 71 Kb8 h2 72 Bxh2 Kxg5 once again with a drawn position.
Time to check. |
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Aug-28-10
 | | Phony Benoni: Well beyond me. But I've never played good chess on Saturday. I somehow got convinced that 62...g3 wouldn't hold, and Black would have to try for a draw with 62...Bg6, looking to hold the a8-h1 diagonal. I didn't conceive anything that happened in the game, or even the "Waitzkin Trick" (queening with skewer). |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Loque7771: I considered 62. ...g3 first to play for a draw, but then it occurred to me that maybe it could be played for a win.
Why not 62. ...Bg6 with a threat of 63. ... Be4 or if white plays 63.Kd4 just g3
I'm sure that there is a simple explanation why my plan doesn't work. Sorry for the inconvinience:) |
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| Aug-28-10 | | tacticalmonster: 1) a6 pawn seems impossible to stop
2) Black must push and promote his kingside majority with check 3) opposite-colour c7 bishop is hampered in and out of play Candidate: 62 g3 and Bg6
a)62...g3 63 hxg3 h3 64 d7! (64 a7?? Bc6! 65 d7 Kxd7 66 Bf4 h2 ) Bxd7 65 g4 Bc8 66 Kb6 Bxa6 67 Kxa6 Kf6 68 Bf4 h2 69 Bxh2 Kg5 = b)62...g3 63 hxg3 hxg3 64 d7! Bxd7 (64...Kxd7 65 a7! g2 66 Bh2 ) 65 a7! g2 66 Bh2 c)62...Bg6 63 Kd4 g3 64 d7 Kxd7 65 Bxg3 hxg3 66 hxg3 Kc8= I don't see a win for Black. With best play, Black can hold the balance but not more. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | tacticalmonster: d) 62...Bg6 63 d7 Kxd7 64 a7 Be4 65 Kd4 Bf3 66 Bf4 g3 67 hxg3 hxg3 68 Bxg3 Kc8 = |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Once: <Phony Benoni: I somehow got convinced that 62...g3 wouldn't hold, and Black would have to try for a draw with 62...Bg6> <Loque7771: Why not 62. ...Bg6 with a threat of 63. ... Be4 or if white plays 63.Kd4> Mark me down for 62...Bg6 too!
This was my thinking: I can't see a way for black to win here. A pawn down and his king and bishop in a passive position. I played with g3, but it kept coming up with drawn or lost positions, and the lines were hideously long. If I can nail down the a pawn and prevent white from settling into c6, the draw ought to be assured. Ideally I would like to sink my king into a new retirement home on d7. So I thought why not reposition the black bishop onto the long diagonal? There it would defend a8 and c6. Something like this: 62...Bg6 63. Kd4 (if 63. Kc6 Be4+) Be8 (threatening Bc6) 64. Kc5 and we have repeated the position. Fritz seems to agree. From the starting position, he rates both 62...Bg6 and 62...g3 as level, but everything else loses for black. And then the doubts creep in. 62...Bg6 seems awfully simple for a Saturday. Are we about to see someone with the brain the size of a small planet, or a much better engine than my vanilla Fritzie, demonstrate why 62...Bg6 is a forced win for white and 62...g3 is the only way to draw? Presses the <kibitz> button with trepidation ... |
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Aug-28-10
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: I saw the game-saving line for Black, but not how White in turn saved a half-point for himself. Excellent defense by Szabo after Bronstein's stunning resource, and a great example of the fine art of keeping one's head after an unpleasant surprise. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | patzer2: Bronstein finds a clever draw in a Bishop and Pawn endgame with 62...g3!, which provides the solution for today's Saturday puzzle. At a glance, I first thought it might be a win for Black because of the possibility of a winning skewer after 62...g3 63. hxg3 h3 64. a7 Bc6 65. Kxc6 h2 66. a8=Q? h1=Q+ 67. Kc5 Qxa8  . However, among several other good possibilities for White to hold, I missed the draw 62...g3! 63. hxg3 h3 64. a7 Bc6 65. Kxc6 h2 
click for larger view66. Bb6! h1=Q+ 67. Kc7!, when play might continue 67...Qd5 68. a8=Q Qxd6+ 69. Kb7 Qd7+ 70.Ka6 Qd3+ 71. Ka7 Qa3+ 72. Kb7 Qf3+ 73. Kb8 Qf8+ 74. Ka7 Qa3+ 75. Kb7 Qf3+ =. If 63. d7 or 64. d7, then two good drawing options are: 63. d7 Kxd7 64. Bxg3! =
64. d7 Bxd7 65. g4 Bc8! = |
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| Aug-28-10 | | lost in space: Black to play for what? Win or draw.?
After a while I think Black to play and draw.
I tried it with 62...Bg6 but was no sure about it. Then I tried 62...g3 and was also not sure about it. Time to peek and see the solution (without boring you with my lines) |
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| Aug-28-10 | | sethoflagos: At first glance, this looks like a very straightforward Bg6-e4 to control the queening square a8. But then 63 Kd4 spoils the party.
The only other possible 2-move route to the key diagonal is Bh5-f3. But Pg4 is in the way, so it must be moved. So win, lose or draw, 63..g3 is mandatory.
I'll enjoy looking at the continuation later! |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Eduardo Leon: The a pawn seems unstoppable, since black cannot play 62...♗c6, but... Holy crap! Black has two pawns against one in the kingside, and he can use the common pattern of sacrificing the g pawn to promote the h pawn, which means that, if ...♗c6, ♔xc6, h1=♕+, black controls a8. This can only mean one thing: heavy loads of calculation. But black cannot go wrong if he prepares the way for his h pawn: <62...g3!>
If white naïvely continues the pawn race, he promotes first, but black promotes with check, getting an easy draw: 63.a7 g2 64.a8=♕ g1=♕+. White can stop the black pawns with 63.d7, but black would nonetheless get the draw easily: 63...♗xd7 64.hxg3 h3! (64...hxg3?? 65.a7 ♗c8 66.♔b6 g2 67.♗h2 ) 65.g4 (65.a7 ♗c6! 66.♔xc6?? h2 ) ♗c8 66.a7 ♗b7 =. So, if white wants to fight for a win, he must let black make some progress. <63.hxg3 h3!>
Again, not 63...hxg3?? 64.d7! .
<64.g4!>
Since 64.d7 transposes to a provably drawing line, white prefers to indirectly control h2. The text economizes a tempo that can now be used to advance the a pawn. <64...♗c6!>
It was evidently too late for 64...♗d7 (*), 65...♗c8 and 66...♗b7. So now black protects a8 in one move, the fact this places the bishop en prise notwithstanding! Since 65...♔d7 , which leaves white with only one possibility. <65.d7 ♔xd7>
And, in this position, it is impossible for white to win, for example, 66.♔b6 ♗f3 67.a7 ♔e6 68.♗f4 ♔f6 69.♔c7 h2 70.♗xh2 ♔g5 =. ---
(*) It is amazing how Bronstein found 64...♗d7! 65.a7 ♗c6, and then Szabo found 66.g5!, keeping the fire burning for as long as they could, even if they knew the result would be a draw anyway. This possibility did I not realize. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | gofer: In this sort of situation move order is so important, that I think there is a win, but only if I get the
move order 100% correct.
Ideas
1) Force the king to take my LSB on the a8-h1 diagonal, so that I promote with check on h1.
2) Promote on g1 while the king is still on the a7-f1 diagonal, so that I promote with check on g1.
3) Keep the king protecting Pd6 from promoting and from Bc7 getting into the game!
4) Either promote with g3 hxg3 h3 and go for h1 promotion or g3 hxg3 hxg3 and go for g1 promotion. 62 ... Bg6
63 Kd4 g3
64 d7 g2 66 d8=Q g1=Q+
64 hxg3 hxg3 65 d7 g2 66 d8=Q g1=Q+
64 a7 g2 65 a8=Q g1=Q+
At which point, I think that black may have a win, but is probably drawing. So I am hoping that this is the answer.
The point being that with the bishop on g6 black has excellent chances of drawing at worst, where as with the bishop
on e8 it is a little less happy. Obviously, black could try for draw by repetition... 62 ... Bg6
63 Kd4 Be8
64 Kc5 Bg6 etc etc
But that seems a little timid... Time to check... |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Eduardo Leon: <Phony Benoni>, <Loque7771>, <Once>, your 62...♗g6 is perfectly fine. In my case, I went for 62...g3, because I think I once saw something similar and, being myself too lazy to come up with ideas of my own, I often rely on detecting patterns that have previously worked. (Sometimes, I even rely on detecting patterns that have not worked, but could work this time.) But your 62...♗g6 is even better. Of course, after 63.♔d4, black still has to find 63...g3, but this time, not in order to draw, but in order to win! <62...♗g6! 63.♔d4?> This move is actually bad. White should take the draw with 63.d7!, preventing the devastating effects of 63...g3. <63...g3! 64.hxg3> It is not like white can choose, can he?
<64...h3!>
Again, not 64...hxg3?? 65.d7! g2 (65...♔xd7 66.a7 g2 67.♗h2 ) 66.♗h2 ♔xd7 67.a7 . But now the question arises: How should white play? It turns out he has no reasonable move. Now, 65.d7 ♔xd7 66.a7 meets 66...♗e4!, a hard blow in an "otherwise winning" position for white; and 65.g4 meets the sadistic 65...♔d7!, preventing the very same 66.d7. ---
All else being equal, Bronstein was known to prefer the most beautiful moves. So it is possible that he decided that the initial position is a draw anyway, so why not play a contrived variation in which it seems like he narrowly escapes defeat. ---
In conclusion, 62...♗g6 was objectively as strong as 62...g3 and even allows some winning possibilities if white is not careful enough. I have no chess engine at hand and my analysis might be flawed. If so, please let me know. |
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Aug-28-10
 | | OhioChessFan: I had 62...g3 63. hxg3 h3 64. g4 Bc6 which seems to hold though Bronstein's line seems more clear cut. |
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Aug-28-10
| | OhioChessFan: These are the kind of positions Lasker had such a wonderful way of explaining. Patiently and gently walking you through the maze of moves, showing why the timing of each is the key, not giving the whole answer, but enough to get you to work some. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Eduardo Leon: <OhioChessFan>, being able to calculate 64...♗d7 draws is a luxury. Unless you are very self confident, you do not indulge in such displays of calculating ability unless you actually need to do so to change the result of the game. Or unless your name is (or, well, was) David Bronstein. |
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| Aug-28-10 | | adr2: Black has difficult position because white has two advanced passed pawns,white king occupy square c6 for light squared bishop so neither black king and bishop can stop a pawn.
First line only shows in draft motif of bad placed white king. 1..g3
2.a7 Bc6
3.Kc6 gh2
4.a8Q h1Q+
but second line lead to draw:
1...g3
2.d7 (to cover the bishop)kd7 and if bad
A. 3.Bb8 g2
4.a7 g1Q+
5.Kb4 Qg2 or
B.3.hg3 h3
4.a7 and draw |
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| Aug-28-10 | | Marmot PFL: If black just wants a draw, why not just 62...Bg6? |
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| Aug-28-10 | | awfulhangover: I thought it was easy. Just 62......Bc6 63. Kxc6 g3. Now if 64. hxg3 h3 ! 65. a7 h2 66. a8=Q h1=Q+ 67. Kb6 Qxa8. I missed that with king on c6 white can play d7. I'm a fool. |
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