Bishop and Knight Pawn: Holding Ponziani's Draw
Black to play and draw, after Ponziani, 1782
PlayWhite has a bishop and a pawn, you have only your king, and it is a draw. His bishop on h7 is shut in behind the g6 pawn, and giving it up leads to a pawn ending you can hold. The rule: stay in the corner in front of the pawn, on h8 and g8, and never step aside to f8.
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The Buried Bishop: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
Kh8 is your only drawing move. Kf8 loses: after Kf6, your king must go to e8, and the g-pawn queens.
An extra bishop and pawn are not always enough. In this position, known since Ponziani in 1782, the bishop has no safe escape.
The buried bishop. With the pawn on g6 and the bishop on h7, the bishop's only exit is g8, next to the defending king. Giving it up leads to a pawn ending.
The defender's squares. Your king stays in the corner, on h8 and g8, in front of the pawn. Stepping aside to f8 lets the white king reach f6 or h7, and the pawn queens.
In this drill you defend. Every king move counts, until the stalemate.
Keep going
Bishop Against Connected Pawns: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
Do Not Put the King In Front of the Pawns
Black to play and draw
Locked Knight Pawns: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
All 24 bishop endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)