Passers Too Far Apart
White to play and win
PlayOpposite bishops usually draw, but separated passers are the exception. When the two pawns stand far enough apart, one bishop and one king simply cannot guard both.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
Passers Too Far Apart
Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Opposite-colored bishops draw most endings, but they have a famous exception: two separated passed pawns that stand far enough apart. When the gap is wide, a lone bishop cannot blockade one pawn while the king handles the other.
The winning idea. Push both pawns toward promotion so the defender is forced to assign his bishop to one and his king to the other. Once his pieces are split, advance the pawn the bishop guards. To stop it he must give up the bishop, and the second pawn costs him the game.
The distance rule. As a guide, passers separated by two or more files usually win because the defending bishop cannot cover both squares from one diagonal. Connected or nearly connected pawns, by contrast, are held by a single blockade.
In this drill you convert against a tablebase-perfect defender. Coordinate both pawns, stretch his pieces, and break through where the bishop cannot follow.