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ANNOTATED GAME
The Two Bishop Endgame
ethansiegel (1827) vs. nicolso (1793)
Annotated by: ethansiegel
(1986)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B43), Kan, 5.Nc3
ethansiegel (1827) vs. nicolso (1793)
Annotated by: ethansiegel
(1986)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B43), Kan, 5.Nc3
 Interactive |
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35... e3 |
Stymying that threat, but this doesn't really solve black's problems. | ||||||||
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36. Rf5 |
Now the threat is Rh5 followed by Rh8#. | ||||||||
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36... Be4 |
Of course not pushing for the queen, which gets black checkmated, but this is the final mistake, and allows white to win in a more roundabout way. | ||||||||
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37. Re5 |
Okay, look. I appreciate that there's more than one way to win a won game, and that to many, that means to look for the win that happens in the least number of moves. (The computer prefers Rg6 here.) But here's the thing, this move is best for me for two reasons: 1.) It forces the rooks off the board (or white wins the bishop), and 2.) that simplifies to an endgame where ***I see the win***. | ||||||||
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37... Rxe5 |
Best. | ||||||||
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38. Bxe5 |
This is what I was hoping for. Can you see what's going to happen? | ||||||||
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38... Bxg6 |
Yes, black is going to play Bxg6, with temporary material equality. But the e-pawn will fall in two moves, and black's other pawns are too far away from his king to save. The best he can do is wind up in a K+B+P vs. K+P endgame or a K+2B vs K endgame, both wins for white. | ||||||||
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39. Bd4 |
There is no saving the e-pawn. | ||||||||
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39... a4 |
Pushing his own pawns in hopes of queening one or causing a white mistake. | ||||||||
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40. Be6+ |
I like this in-between move. White _could_ just play Bxe3, but this puts a wet blanket on black's queening ambitions. | ||||||||
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40... Kh7 |
There is no good move here. | ||||||||
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41. Bxe3 |
Now. | ||||||||
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41... a3+ |
Trappy. Making white fight for it. Note that b3 doesn't get white's c-pawn off the board; white plays c3 followed by Ka3, Bc1 and winning both pawns for nothing. | ||||||||
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42. Kb1 |
! Smart. Of course not 42. Ka2 (Bxc2), but also not 42. Kb3, as a2! creates headaches for white. | ||||||||
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42... Bxc2+ |
I was shocked to see this, but there's no good answer to the threat of Bc5 followed by the cleanup of the black pawns. This leads to an instructive two bishop endgame. | ||||||||
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43. Kxc2 Kg6 44. Kb3 Kf6 45. Bc4 |
Step 1: clean up black's remaining pawns, to shut down any shenanigans. | ||||||||
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45... Ke5 46. Kxb4 |
1 down, 2 to go. | ||||||||
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46... Ke4 47. Bc5 |
This is the most powerful part about two bishops in the endgame: they create a wall one space in front of them and two impassable diagonal walls. The king is stuck, and can mount no threats. | ||||||||
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47... a2 48. Bxa2 |
Two down, one to go. | ||||||||
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48... Kf4 49. Bd4 |
It's faster to get the bishop out of the way and just get there with the king. | ||||||||
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