Bishop Endgame: Winning by Giving a Pawn Away
White to play and win
PlayTwo passed pawns, and the winning move gives one of them away. The b-pawn wins as long as Black's king cannot get behind yours. Every move, ask: can his king reach the square behind my king? If not, the remaining pawn wins.
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Give the g-Pawn Away
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.
First, the natural move that only draws: Bc3+. After Kxg6 the race begins, but your bishop on c3 stands in the black king's path. Kd3 hits it with tempo, and his king reaches c4, behind yours.
Two passers do not always beat one. What matters is which ending you can reach by force.
Transpose, do not hoard. 1.Bd2! gives up the g6 pawn on purpose. What is left is bishop and pawn against bishop of the same color, and that ending is won here.
Why it is won. The defense in these endings is king behind king: the defending king must reach the square behind the attacking king before the pawn is escorted through. After the g-pawn falls, Black's king is one tempo short of doing it.
The finish. With the pawn on b5 and the kings locked, the bishop challenges the diagonal that guards b6. The defender cannot reach the other diagonal in time, and the pawn goes through.
In this drill you must be willing to throw a pawn away to win.
Keep going
Centurini: Same-Colored Bishops
White to play and win
The Wrong Bishop's Bodyguard Pawn
White to play and win
Rear Opposition: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
All 24 bishop endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)