in this position could Black have won with B vs N...

[Dan]

[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "2009.1.29"]
[Round ""]
[White "CM_Blaze"]
[Black "Chessmaster 10th Ed."]
[TimeControl "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C05 "]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nc6 8.Ndf3 f6 9.exf6 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qxf6 12.Rd1 e5
13.dxe5 Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Qxe5+ 15.Be2 Be6 16.Nf3 Qf6 17.O-O O-O 18.Bb5 Rad8 19.Bxc6 bxc6 20.Rc1 Bd7 21.b4 Rde8 22.Rfe1 Rxe1+
23.Rxe1 Re8 24.h3 Kf8 25.Rxe8+ Bxe8 26.Qe3 Qe7 27.Qd4 Qe4 28.Qxe4 dxe4 29.Nd2
[d]4bk2/p5pp/2p5/8/1P2p3/7P/P2N1PP1/6K1 b - - 0 29
29. ...Bf7 30.Nxe4 Bxa2 31.f3 Ke7 32.Kf2 Kd8 33.Ke3 Kc734.Kd3 Kb6 35.Kd4 Bd5 36.Nd6 g6 37.h4 a6 38.Ne8 Kb5 39.Nc7+ Kxb4 40.Nxa6+ Kb3 41.Nb8 Kb4 42.Ke5 Kb5 43.Nd7 Ba2 44.Kd4 Kb4 45.g4Be6 46.Nc5 Bc8 47.Ne4 Be6 48.Ke5 Bf7 49.f4 c5 50.f5 h5 51.g5 gxf5 52.Kxf5 c4 53.g6 Bg8 54.Kg5 Bd5 55.Kf4 Bg8 56.Kf5 c3 57.Nxc3Kc5 58.Ne4+ Kc6 59.Nf6 Bc4 60.Nxh5 Kd6 61.Nf6 Be6+ 62.Kg5 Ke7 63.h5 Kd6 64.h6 Bc4 65.g7 Kc5 66.h7 Kb6 67.h8=Q Kb5 68.Qb8+ Ka469.Qb7 Ka3 70.Nd5 Bxd5 71.Qxd5 Kb4 72.g8=Q Kc3 73.Qc4+ Kb2 74.Qb8+ Ka1 75.Qa6# 1-0

[AdminX]

I don't think so. They say Bishops are normally stronger than Knights in the endgame. However here I think white may have a small edge if there is any in this position because of the number of black's isolated pawn islands. That coupled with the fact that material is even does not look like a winning advantage for black.

[AdminX]

Hi again,

I just played over the game. In the diagram below:

[d]8/7p/2p1b1p1/4K3/1k2N1PP/5P2/8/8 b - - 0 48

White already has the advantage, however 48. ... Bf7? may have been the losing move. I noticed that white gave black a chance to get back into the game at move 55, see diagram

[d]8/8/6P1/3b2Kp/1kp1N2P/8/8/8 w - - 0 55

Here white played 55. Kf4? however 55. g7! was winning.

[d]8/8/6P1/3b3p/1kp1NK1P/8/8/8 b - - 0 55

However black played the losing 55. ... Bg8 where 55. ... c3! was better.

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.01.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "CM_Blaze"]
[Black "Chessmaster 10th Edition"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C05"]
[PlyCount "149"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. c3 c5 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8.
Ndf3 f6 9. exf6 Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxf6 12. Rd1 e5 13. dxe5 Ndxe5 14.
Nxe5 Qxe5+ 15. Be2 Be6 16. Nf3 Qf6 17. O-O O-O 18. Bb5 Rad8 19. Bxc6 bxc6 20.
Rc1 Bd7 21. b4 Rde8 22. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. h3 Kf8 25. Rxe8+ Bxe8 26.
Qe3 Qe7 27. Qd4 Qe4 28. Qxe4 dxe4 29. Nd2 Bf7 30. Nxe4 Bxa2 31. f3 Ke7 32. Kf2
Kd8 33. Ke3 Kc7 34. Kd3 Kb6 35. Kd4 Bd5 36. Nd6 g6 37. h4 a6 38. Ne8 Kb5 39.
Nc7+ Kxb4 40. Nxa6+ Kb3 41. Nb8 Kb4 42. Ke5 Kb5 43. Nd7 Ba2 44. Kd4 Kb4 45. g4
Be6 46. Nc5 Bc8 47. Ne4 Be6 48. Ke5 Bf7 49. f4 c5 50. f5 h5 51. g5 gxf5 52.
Kxf5 c4 53. g6 Bg8 54. Kg5 Bd5 55. Kf4 Bg8 56. Kf5 c3 57. Nxc3 Kc5 58. Ne4+ Kc6
59. Nf6 Bc4 60. Nxh5 Kd6 61. Nf6 Be6+ 62. Kg5 Ke7 63. h5 Kd6 64. h6 Bc4 65. g7
Kc5 66. h7 Kb6 67. h8=Q Kb5 68. Qb8+ Ka4 69. Qb7 Ka3 70. Nd5 Bxd5 71. Qxd5 Kb4
72. g8=Q Kc3 73. Qc4+ Kb2 74. Qb8+ Ka1 75. Qa6# 1-0

[Dan]

I played the game at longer time controls - 35 sec/move vs 40/60 moves/min...

and the game did end in a draw... will post when I get home...

1.7 gHz celeron