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. White wants to drive your bishop off one diagonal with Bd7, then block the other with Bc6. The rule: when your king cannot get in front of the pawn, put it behind the enemy king. Here that means c5, where it guards c6.
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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
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
Going straight for c6 with Kd5 loses. After Bd7 Bd1, Bc6 gives check. Your king steps to c5, and the pawn runs to d7.
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 Bishop Cutoff: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
All 24 bishop endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)