Bishop and Pawn vs Bishop: Defusing the Interference
Black to play and draw
PlaySame position, but Black is to move, and now it is a draw. The saving idea is not the bishop. It is the king. It has to reach c5, and from there it takes away the square White needs for the interference.
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The King Guards the Interference Square
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
In same-color bishop endings the stronger side wins by deflecting the defending bishop off one diagonal and interfering on the other. The interference needs one thing: a square where the interposing bishop is protected.
Take that square away. The interfering bishop lands on c6, defended by the king on c7. Bring your own king to c5 and c6 is attacked twice, so the capture Bxc6 can no longer be answered by Kxc6.
It is a race for one tempo. Only Kd4 draws here. With White to move first, the same position is a win.
In this drill you defend with the move in hand. March the king to c5 and the extra pawn is nothing.
Keep going
The Short Diagonal
White to play and win
The Wrong Bishop Draw
Black to play and draw
The Cutoff That Arrives One Tempo Late
White to play and draw
All 24 bishop endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)