Difficult endgames

[Nordlandia]

Is this winning for white?

[d]6k1/p4pp1/5b1p/1bp5/8/2p4P/P3RPP1/5RK1 w - - 0 29

[pgn][Event "Guadeloupe"]
[White "Alina l'Ami"]
[Black "Lionel Buisson"]
[Site ""]
[Round ""]
[Annotator ""]
[Result "1-0"]
[Date "2017.07.08"]
[WhiteElo "2304"]
[BlackElo "1988"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Setup "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p4pp1/5b1p/1bp5/8/2p4P/P3RPP1/5RK1 w - - 0 29"]

{After a roller-coaster journey, I landed in the following position: White to play. How would you assess it? Is it better, worse or equal for White?} 29. Rfe1 {is what I played but it was not correct.} (29. Rc2 {Is the precise way, literally forcing Black to take one exchange back.} Bd3 30. Rfc1 $16 {since the c3-pawn is sort of hanging, Black must make a decision between the devil and the deep blue sea: which bishop should he give away? It doesn't matter, as White should be winning anyway.} )Bxe2 {played without thought, which is not surprising giving the clock times.} ({However,} 29... Bd3 $1 30. Re3 c4 31. Rc1 c2 $13 {would have given Black just as many hopes as White could have. The resulting position is rather complicated, with a very unusual material imbalance. Personally, I would take Black since White's rooks are lacking freedom of speech.} )30. Rxe2 Bg5 31. Kf1 Bd2 32. Re8+ Kh7 33. Ke2 {and White's win becomes a matter of mathematics.} Bg5 34. Kd1 Kg6 35. Ra8 Bf6 36. Rxa7 Bd4 37. f3 f5 38. a4 Kg5 39. a5 g6 40. a6 c4 41. Rd7 1-0

[/pgn]Source: http://en.chessbase.com/post/chess-in-g ... t-part-one

[Nordlandia]

This is won for black. Although some saving possibilities for white (h1 square) need to be taken into consideration.

[d]8/3b3p/3b4/p5P1/5k1P/1B3N2/P4K2/8 b - - 0 41

[Vinvin]

Is this winning for white?

[d]6k1/p4pp1/5b1p/1bp5/8/2p4P/P3RPP1/5RK1 w - - 0 29
Source: http://en.chessbase.com/post/chess-in-g ... t-part-one

After the given line : 29.Rc2 Bd3 30.Rfc1 :

Code: Select all

FEN: 6k1/p4pp1/5b1p/2p5/8/2pb3P/P1R2PP1/2R3K1 b - - 3 30

Stockfish_170801_x64_modern:
 48/56	03:49	 3 349 324k	14 599k	+2,38	30. ... Bc4 31.Rxc3 Bxc3 32.Rxc3 Bxa2 33.Rxc5 Be6 34.Ra5 Kh7 35.Rxa7 Kg6 36.f3 Kf5 37.Kf2 g5 38.Ra5+ Kg6 39.Ra6 Kf6 40.Rc6 h5 41.Ke3 Kf5 42.Rc5+ Kg6 43.Kf2 f6 44.Ke3 h4 45.Kf2 Kg7 46.Rc6 Bd5 47.Rc7+ Kg6 48.Rc5 Ba2 49.Rc6 Bd5 50.Ra6 Bc4 51.Ra4 Be6 52.Ke3 Bd7 53.Ra8 Be6 54.Ra6 Bb3 55.Rc6 Kf5 56.Rc3 Be6 57.Ra3
 48/73	03:49	 3 349 324k	14 599k	+1,81	30. ... Bxc2 31.Rxc2 Kf8 32.Kf1 Ke7 33.Ke2 Bd4 34.Kd3 Ke6 35.Re2+ Kd7 36.Kc2 h5 37.f3 f6 38.h4 g6 39.Re1 Bf2 40.Re4 Bd4 41.Re2 a6 42.Re1 Bf2 43.Rd1+ Kc7 44.Kxc3 Bxh4 45.Kc4 Bf2 46.a4 Bd4 47.Rb1 a5 48.Rb5 g5 49.Rxa5 Kb6 50.Rb5+ Ka7 51.Kd5 Ka6 52.Rb8 h4 53.Rc8 Kb6 54.Kc4 Kb7 55.Rd8 Kb6 56.Rb8+ Ka6 57.Re8 Kb6 58.Rg8 Ka6 59.Rg7 Kb6

And after 30...Bxc2 31.Rxc2

Code: Select all

FEN: 6k1/p4pp1/5b1p/2p5/8/2p4P/P1R2PP1/6K1 b - - 0 31

Stockfish_170801_x64_modern:
 30/47	00:06	 112 049k	17 797k	+1,82	31. ... g5 32.Kf1 Bd4 33.Re2 f6 34.Ke1 Kf7 35.f3 h5 36.g4 a5 37.Kd1 h4 38.Re4 Be5 39.Ra4 Bc7 40.Kc2 Ke6 41.Kxc3 Ke5 42.Kc2 Kd6 43.Re4 Kd5 44.Re7 Be5 45.Ra7 Bd4 46.Rxa5 Ke5 47.Ra7 Kf4 
 56/66	21:09	 17 969 618k	14 160k	+2,27	31. ... Bd4 32.Kf1 f5 33.Ke1 Kf7 34.Re2 Kf6 35.Kd1 c4 36.Kc2 Kg5 37.Re7 Kf6 38.Rc7 Bxf2 39.Rc6+ Kg5 40.Kxc3 Kh5 41.Kxc4 g5 42.Kd5 f4 43.Ke4 Be1 44.Re6 Bf2 45.Kf3 Bb6 46.Re2 Bg1 47.Rc2 Bb6 48.Rc4 Kg6 49.Rc8 Kh5 50.Ra8 Kh4 51.Rb8 Ba5 52.Rc8 Bb6 53.Rc3 Kh5 54.Rc6 Ba5 55.Ra6 Bb6 56.Ra3 Kg6 57.Rd3 Kh5 58.Rd5 Kh4 59.Rd6 Kh5 60.Ke4 Bg1 61.Rf6 Bb6 62.Rc6 Bd8 63.Kf5
 57/67	21:09	 17 969 618k	14 160k	+1,99	31. ... Kf8 32.Kf1 Ke7 33.Ke2 Bd4 34.Kd3 f5 35.Re2+ Kd7 36.f3 Bf6 37.Re1 Bd4 38.Kc2 Bf6 39.a4 Kd6 40.a5 Kc6 41.Rb1 Kd5 42.Rb7 Kc6 43.a6 f4 44.Rb1 Be5 45.Kd3 Bf6 46.Rb7 Bd4 47.Ke2 Bf6 48.Rxa7 Kb6 49.Ra8 Bd4 50.Kd3 Kb5 51.Kc2 Kb6 52.a7 Kb7 53.Rf8 Kxa7 54.Rxf4 Kb6 55.Rf8 Kb5 56.f4 Kc6 57.Re8 Kd7 58.Ra8 Kd6 59.g4 Kd5 60.Re8 Bf6 61.Kd3 Kc6 62.Rf8 Kd6 63.Rg8 Ke6 64.Re8+ Kd5

[Nordlandia]

Possible endgame between Kasparov vs Navara.

[d]8/2k3p1/4p1b1/6r1/1NNK1p2/8/P7/7R b - - 0 49

Someone with high-end hardware evaluate this position. On my system Stockfish/Komodo thinks it's winning but i'm not 100% convinced yet.

[pgn][Event "Saint Louis Rapid 2017"]
[Site "Saint Louis"]
[Date "2017.08.16"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Navara, David"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2812"]
[BlackElo "2737"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7R/4kpp1/2P1P1b1/6P1/1N1K1p2/8/P2r3p/8 w - - 0 43"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

43. Kc5 fxe6 44. c7 h1=Q 45. c8=N+ Kd7 46. Nb6+ Kc7 47. Rxh1 Rg2 48. Nc4 Rxg5+
49. Kd4 Be8 50. Ne5 Rh5 51. Rg1 g5 52. Rg2 Bb5 53. Rc2+ Kb6 54. Rb2 f3 55. Nbd3
Ka5 56. Ke3 Bxd3 57. Kxd3 Ka4 58. Ke4 f2 59. Rxf2 Rh4+ 60. Ke3 Ka3 61. Rg2 Rh1
62. Nc4+ Kb4 0-1

[/pgn]

[yanquis1972]

dont have superfast HW & only 5 man TBs, which is pretty crucial, but i accidentally left the position on overnight; after 300mins the eval was only +3. (edit: engine was asmfish)

closed out of it in my morning fog but i do think it was still trending upwards...hope someone with a proper setup will give it a go. i was quite shocked it wasn't simply a decisive eval; i wonder the chances a human would have of converting this against a machine (assuming it is won, ofc).

[Nordlandia]

Isn't this position winning, - both bishops is essentially big pawns. So taken that into consideration white is half-piece ahead. Knight maneuvering might trigger zugzwang.

Fabricated position (removed rook and queen) between [White "Caruana, Fabiano (2807)"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru (2792)"].

[d]6k1/2p2p1p/1b3pb1/p1p1p3/P1P1P1P1/1N5P/1P1N1P2/6K1 b - - 0 25

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Isn't this position winning, - both bishops is essentially big pawns. So taken that into consideration white is half-piece ahead. Knight maneuvering might trigger zugzwang.

Fabricated position (removed rook and queen) between [White "Caruana, Fabiano (2807)"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru (2792)"].

[d]6k1/2p2p1p/1b3pb1/p1p1p3/P1P1P1P1/1N5P/1P1N1P2/6K1 b - - 0 25

most likely a fortress draw.

all files seem to be logically closed: a,c,e blocked pawns, b, f twice backward features, center d inaccessible, only remaining g and h files seem to be too narrow a thoroughfare to try breaking through.

black should avoid changing even a single bishop though.
any N vs B endgame should be won.

what do the endgame gurus say?