Bishop and Pawn vs Bishop: The Centurini Win
White to play and win, after Centurini
PlayCenturini analyzed these endings in the middle of the 19th century. The winning method has two steps: drive the enemy bishop off one diagonal, then interfere on the other. With the move, White wins.
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Centurini: Deflect, Then Interfere
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
d8 is dark, and both bishops are light-squared, so neither bishop controls the promotion square. Everything depends on d7. Black's bishop can watch d7 from two diagonals: c8 to h3, where it stands now, and e8 to a4.
Bishop and pawn against bishop of the same color is a fight over one square: the square in front of the pawn. The queening square itself is the wrong color for both bishops, so it never matters.
The defense. The defending bishop must control that advance square. It can usually do so from two different diagonals, and it survives by switching between them.
The Centurini method. Drive the bishop off one diagonal, normally by occupying the key square with your own bishop protected by your king. Then, when the enemy bishop takes up the second diagonal, interfere: drop your bishop across that line on a square your king defends. Taking it costs the defender everything.
The trade square. One detail carries the whole family: the bishop trade must happen on a square that does not block the pawn. Here the interference lands on c6, off the pawn's file and protected by your king. When every protected trade square sits on the pawn's own path, the win slips away.
In this drill you break a correct blockade. Deflect, then interfere.
Keep going
The King Guards the Interference Square
Black to play and draw
The Short Diagonal
White to play and win
The Wrong Bishop Draw
Black to play and draw
All 24 bishop endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)