Opposite Bishops: How Separated Passers Actually Win
White to play and win
PlayOpposite-colored bishops often draw, but here both black pieces are tied down. His king must stay in front of your c-pawn, and his bishop alone holds back your f-pawn. The rule: walk your king toward the pawn the bishop is holding back.
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March at the Piece That Holds the Pawn
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.
Your c-pawn queens on c8, a light square his dark bishop can never control, so his king must stay in front of it. His bishop on e7 is all that stops your f-pawn. Do not push yet: after f6, Bxf6 takes it and the win is gone.
Opposite-colored bishops draw most endings, and two extra passed pawns are no guarantee of anything. What wins is not the distance between the pawns but the state of the defenders.
Check who holds what. Black's bishop is dark-squared and c8 is a light square, so it can never cover the c-pawn's queening square. That chains the black king to the front of the c-pawn. The other passer is held only by the black bishop, from a distance.
The winning plan. March your king at the pawn the bishop is holding back. Kd5-e6 attacks the bishop on e7. Once it moves, first guard the c6-pawn your king just left (Be8), then f5-f6 and f6-f7 come with the king escorting: Kf5-g6-g7. The bishop has to be given up for the f-pawn, and the c-pawn does the rest.
The move order matters. Pushing f5-f6 before the bishop is dislodged simply drops the pawn to Bxf6 and the game is drawn. Improve the king first.
In this drill you convert against a defence that never cracks. Attack the restraining piece, not the blockade.
Keep going
One Diagonal Stops Both Pawns: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
The Knight's Pawn Saves the Draw
White to play and draw
The Opposite-Colored Bishops Fortress
Black to play and draw
All 19 opposite bishops positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)