Two Passers on the Edge

Black to play and draw

Play

Connected passers on the g- and h-files look terrifying, yet opposite bishops turn them into a fortress. Your king sits in the corner and nothing can pry it loose.

No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.

Two Passers on the Edge

Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

When the passed pawns are pushed toward the edge, the opposite-bishop draw often becomes even easier. The attacking king has less space to work with, and a blockading king in the corner is almost impossible to outflank.

The method. Find the color your opponent's bishop cannot reach and plant your king there in front of the pawns. Your own bishop covers whichever advance square remains. The two pawns are now frozen.

The key nuance. Opposite bishops mean the attacker can never trade to reach a winning king-and-pawn ending, and he can never attack a blockade square of the wrong color. His only winning try is to overload your pieces, which correct placement prevents.

In this drill the opponent plays flawless technique looking for a single careless step. Keep king and bishop on their squares and calmly shuffle. The draw holds.

Keep going

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