Opposite Bishops: Beat the Wrong-Diagonal Defense

Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.

Two connected passed pawns usually beat an opposite-colored bishop, and the defender's only hope is to blockade the squares in front of them. When the bishop guards those squares from the wrong diagonal, it stops nothing.

Force the king to choose. On the a2-g8 diagonal the bishop merely watches e6 without attacking a pawn, so nothing ties the white king down. Bg5+ is the accurate check because it keeps the bishop covering both e7 and f6, the two squares in front of the pawns after e5-e6. Bb4+ keeps the win too, but only if you return to the same plan with Be1 and Bh4; forget it and Bc2 disrupts the pawns before they are ready.

Then outflank. Once the king has picked a side, the white king walks around to the other side and secures e6, from d6 or f6. When it stands in front of the pawns, e5-e6 goes through with support, f5-f6 follows, and connected pawns on the sixth win.

In this drill the defender will shuffle the bishop and try to reach a real blockade. Give the correct check, outflank on the free side, and push only when your king is in front.