Vladimir Tukmakov:

Opposite-coloured bishops
endgames
The process of chess education always has the
same order: first of all student should study
the rules or the basic principles, then the exact
knowledge of the most important positions,
after that he has to analyze and solve the
problems from the real games and finally
practice over the board.
Very important note: the rules are extremely
important if the students are not very strong
players. The higher the level of the pupils the
more important become the exceptions from
the rules.
These thesis are also true for the theme of the
present article.
Basic principles of opposite- coloured bishop
endgames:
1. The drawish tendencies of these endings
are very high. One (or even two) extra pawn
is very often not enough for the win.
Moreover the material is not the decisive
factor. Much more important is the activity of
the King and the presence of passed pawns.
2. Zugzwang for the opponent is a very
effective weapon to reach the win for the
stronger side.
3. On the contrary, passive tactic is the
normal mechanism for the defensive side. So
called fortress is the main hope for the
defender.
Basic positions

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FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

This is the basic position for endings with

opposite coloured bishops. White's winning
plan is quite easy. After the check ( doesn't
matter Bh5 or Bb5) white king marches to d7
or f7 accordingly.

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This position is also winning for white. If it's
his turn to play, after 1. Ke5 he gets the the
position from previous diagramm. If Black to
move, after
1...Kd6 2.Kg5
White also wins.
So, we can draw the conclusion that central
pawns on the 6th rank always win. The task of
the defender is much easier if the opponent
has the flank pawns.

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1.Bd5 Kf8!
1...Kh8?? 2.Kf5+.
In the next position it is extremely important
who is to move first:

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With White to move 1.Kg5 decides

immediately. With Blacks move he can
escape.
1...Kf6!
The only move! If Black allows Kg5 position
becomes lost.
2.Bd4 Kf5 3.g7 Bc4 4.h6 Kg6=.

This position is also hopeless for Black:

1...Kh7 2.Bd4 Lf7 3.Ke5 Kg7 4.Kd6+-

The evaluation of the position becomes more

complicated with passed pawns on the 5th
rank.

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White to play - Blacks move doesnt make a
difference.
1.Lg5 Kd7
1...Kf7 2.Kd4 and King goes to d6.
2.Lh4 Lg8 3.Kf4 Kc6 4.Kg5
and wins.

But if we take the other bishops, the result

of the game also changes.

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Very important position. With white's move
1. Bg5 or 1. Bc5 he wins. But with Black to
move the situation changes dramatically:
1...Bd7!
Otherwise e5e6 decides.
2.Kf4 Kf7=.
White has no possibility to move e5e6.

Black also has defensive resources in the next

position:
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

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1.Bh5
1.Bc4 Kg7=.
1...Ke7!
And Black have no enough space to penetrate
his king on g6. For example:
2.Bg6 Bb2 3.Kg4 Ba1 4.Kh5 Bg7 5.Bh7
Kf7=.

This is a very easy draw. White pawns are too

close to each other. The longer the distance
between the pawns - the more difficult the
defense. For example the next position is lost
for Black:

The same idea saves Black in the next

position

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1...Be8!
Just in time! With white to move 1. e5 wins
easily.
1...Bd7 2.e5+.
2.e5 Bf7 3.Kd4 Kd7=.
The same mechanism : Black controls d5
pawn and e6 square.
It is very important to know basic positions
with isolated pawns.

FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

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1.Bf3
Now white king goes to e6, with easy win.

But if the black King and the Bishop

exchange places, the evaluation of the
position is different.

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Usually a distance of two files between the

pawns gives good chances for win but there
are exceptions.

This position is easily won for White - quite

unexpectedly. If:
1...Bc1
With idea 2...Be3. After 1...Bd6 2.Bf3 Zugzvang.
2.d6! Kb8 3.Kc6+.

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Draw. Black bishop controls the important
diagonal h2-b8 and prevents the movement of
white pawns. Or

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This position is draw. For example:
1.Bb5 Bb4 2.Bc6 Kb6 3.Bb7 Kc7.
But the situation becomes different if well
move the white King into the right place.
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

Now armed with theoretical knowledge we

can move to practice. If you know the basic
positions you may get the impression that this
kind of endings are quite easy to play. It is an
illusion! Even the strongest grandmasters
make mistakes.
Fridman D. : Guseinov G.
Istanbul (ol) 2012

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At the first glance Black has no major
problems. The passed a4 pawn is blocked and
there is no obvious way for white to make
progress on the kingside.
52...Ba5?
Black didn't realize the danger of his position.
To reach the draw he should find the only
move: 52...Kg6! 53.f4 (53.Bh5 Kh5 54.Kf5
e4! 55.g4 Kh6 is just a draw) 53...ef4 54.gf4
4

h4 this pawn is very important and ensures

counterplay which is enough for a draw.
53.f4!
Not 53.Bh5? Kh5 54.Kf5 e4!=.
53...ef4 54.gf4 Kf6
54...Kg6 doesn't change the outcome of the
game 55.Bh5! Kf6 (55...Kh5 56.Kf5 Kh6
57.Ke6 Kg7 58.Kd6) 56.Be2.
55.Bh5 Bb4 56.Be2
The winning method is very instructive!
56...Ba5 57.Bd3 Bb4 58.Kf3 Bc3 59.Kg4
Ba5 60.Kh5 Bb4 61.Kh6 Bc3 62.Kh7 Bd2
63.Kg8 Ke7 64.f5 Bc3 65.Bc2 Bd2 66.Kg7
Bc3 67.Kg6 1:0.
The outcome of the next game is also quite
unexpected:
Aronian B. : Naiditsch A.
Istanbul (ol) 2012

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The position looks drawish but the passed d
pawn gives White some practical chances.
39.d6 h5 40.Kf1 Be5 41.d7 Ke7 42.Ke2 Bc7
43.Kd3 Kd6 44.Ke4 Kc6 45.h4
45.a4 a6.
45...a6
45...b5 46.cb5 Kb5 creating his own passed
pawn was also possible: 47.Kd5 c4 48.Ke6
Bd8=.
46.Bg6 Bd8
46...Kd7 looks simpler. For example 47.Bh5
Ke6 48.Bg4 Kf6 49.Kd5 Be5 or 50.a4
(50.Kc6 b5! 51.Kc5 (51.cb5 c4 52.ba6 c3)
51...bc4 52.Kc4 a5) 50...Bc3 51.Kc6 Ba5
52.h5 Kg5=.
47.Bh5 Bh4 48.Be8 Bd8?
Decisive mistake! Black still had a draw:
48...Kc7! 49.Kf4 (49.a4 Bg5 50.Kf5 Bh6
51.Kf6 Kd8) 49...b5 50.cb5 ab5 51.d8D Kd8
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

52.Bb5 Bf2 53.a4 Be1 54.Ke5 Kc7. The f

pawn will cost Black the bishop but his
passed c pawn creates enough counterplay for
a draw.
49.Kf4 b5 50.Ke5 bc4 51.Ke6 c3 52.Bg6
Kc7 53.f4 Bh4 54.f3 Bg3 55.Ke7 Bh4
56.Ke8 a5 57.Bc2 c4 58.f5 Bd8 59.f4 Bh4
60.Ba4 Bd8 61.Kf7 c2 62.Bc2 Kd7 63.f6 Bc7
64.Ba4 Kd8 65.Kg8 1:0.
Kurajica B. : Karpov A.
Skopje 1976

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33...h4
The position looks like a fortress for white but
Karpov tries to convert minimal advantage
34.g3 Kf7 35.Ke3 f5 36.Kf4 Kg6 37.Ke3
Kurajica quite understandably doesn't want to
change the nature of the position. Also
possible was 37.gh4!? Kh5 38.Kf5 Bf3 39.d5
Bd5 40.Bb2 g6 41.Kf6 Bb3 42.d4 Bc2 43.Ke5
Kh4 44.d5=.
37...Kh5 38.Bb4 g5 39.Kf2 Ba2 40.Ba3 Bb1
41.Ke2 Ba2 42.Bc1 Be6 43.Kf2 Bc8

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44.d5?!
5

Suddenly Bosnian grandmaster changes his

tactic without any reason. He could continue
to keep waiting, maintaining the fortress.
44...cd5 45.d4 f4! 46.gf4
46.g4? Bg4 47.fg4 Kg4+.
46...g4 47.Kg2 Bf5 48.Kf2
Now (and also on the previous move) 48.c6
was possible, activating the bishop. But
unlucky mixture of different tactics led
Kurajica to an eventual loss.
48...gf3 49.Kf3 Be4 50.Kf2 Kg4 51.Bb2?
51.c6!?
51...Kf4 52.Bc1 Kg4 53.Bb2 c6 54.Bc1 Kh3
55.Kg1 Bg6 56.Kh1
56.Ba3 Kg4 57.Kf2 Kf4+.
56...Bh5 57.Kg1 Bd1!
Zugzwang! 57...Bd1 58.Kh1 (58.Bb2 Kg4
59.Kg2 Bf3 60.Kf2 Kf4 61.Ke1 Ke3+)
58...Kg4 59.Kg2 Kf5 60.Kf2 Ke4+.
0:1.
It is possible to explain the course and the
result of this game by authority of legendary
world champion and weak technique of old
times. But the following examples are quite
fresh.
Leko P. : Shirov A.
Eilat 2012

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It is not easy at all to evaluate this endgame
properly. Passed e pawn, very active king and
a possibility to create one more passed pawn
on the king side gives Black some winning
chances. But the draw tendencies are also
very high.
31.Bf2?!
Leko prefers to keep the position as it is,
without drastic changes. However he had the
good possibility to change the situation
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

decisevely: 31.f5! Kc6 32.Bd4 Bc8 33.Bf6

Bf5 34.Ke3 Kd5=.
31...Kc6 32.Ke3 Kd5 33.Bh4 f5 34.Bf6 Bc6
35.b4?
White should continue to stand, maintaining
the fortress, but it is not as easy as it seems:
35.Be7 Ba4 36.Kd2 h5 37.Bh4 Kc5 38.Be1
(38.Be7 Kb5 39.Bd8 Kb4 40.Kd1 c3 41.bc3
Kc3 42.Bf6 Kb4) 38...Kd4 39.c3 (39.Bf2 e3
40.Be3 Ke4 41.Ke2 h4) 39...Kc5 40.Bh4 Kb5
41.Bd8 Bb3. Using the idea of zugzwang
Black creates very serious problems every
time.
35...cb3
35...c3 36.Bc3 Ba4 was also possible.
36.cb3 h5 37.Be7 Be8 38.Kd2 Kd4 39.Bf6
Kc5 40.Kc3 Bb5 41.Be7 Kd5 42.Kd2 Bd3
43.Kc3 Bf1 44.Kd2 Kd4 45.Bf6 Kc5 46.Be7
Kb5 47.b4 Kc4 48.Ke1 Bd3 49.Kd2 Kb3
50.Ke3 Kc3
Zugzwang again!
51.Bh4 Kb4 52.Be1 Kc5 53.Bh4 Bb5 54.Be1
Bd7 55.Bh4 Kb5 56.Be1 h4! 57.Bh4 Ka5
58.Kd4 Kb5 59.Be7 a5 60.Kc3 Be6 61.Kd4
Bc4 62.Bh4 Bf1 63.Be7 Ka4 64.Kc3 e3
65.Bh4 Ka3 66.Kc2 a4 67.Be7 Ka2 68.Bc5
e2 69.Bb4 a3 0:1.
The next position seemed quite trivial at the
first glance.
Topalov V. : Svidler P.
Bilbao 2014

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The material is equal. Of course White has
some hopes connected with "a" pawn but
Black's defence is quite easy.
43...h4?!

The first step in the wrong direction. Much

simpler was 43...Kg5=, aiming for h4 and g3
in the case of f2f3.
44.f3 Kg5 45.Kd3 Kf6 46.Kc4 Ke7 47.Kb5
Bf2 48.Kc6 Be1 49.Bf5 Bd2 50.Kb6

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50...d5?
Inappropriate activity! He should continue to
stand, keeping the fortress: 50...Be3 51.Ka6
Kd8 52.Kb7 Bd2 53.Kb6 Be3 54.Kc6 Bd2
55.Kd6 Bc3 56.a5 (What else?) 56...Ba5
57.Ke5 Bd2=.
51.a5 Kd6 52.a6 Be3 53.Kb7 Bf2 54.Bc2
Bg1 55.a7 Ba7 56.Ka7 Kc5 57.Kb7 Kd4
58.Kc6 e4 59.Bd1! 1:0.
On the contrary, the evaluation of the next
position looks obvious.
Dreev A. : Artemiev V.
Moscow 2014

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It looks that two connected passed pawns
should lead to a win for Black.
36.Bd1! Kf7 37.Bb3 Ke6 38.e4 fe4 39.fe4 b5
40.Bd5
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

White won a pawn but it didn't change the

situation a lot. The passed pawns should
guarantee the win.
40...Kd6 41.Bg8 h6 42.Kd2 Be5 43.h4 Kc5
44.Bf7 Kb4 45.Be8
The only move: 45.Kc2 Ka3; 45.Bg6 Ka3.
45...g5?
Strangely enough, this natural move missed
the win. The g6 pawn is not important at all.
After 45...a6! 46.Kd3 (46.Bg6 Ka3) 46...Ka3
passed pawns are running and White cannot
stop them.
46.hg5 hg5 47.Bd7!
Brilliant idea!
47...a6 48.Bc8! a5 49.Bd7! a4 50.Kd3 Ka5
51.Bg4 Kb6 52.Bd7 Kc5 53.Be8 Kb4
54.Bd7 Kb3
The only possibility to play for win.
55.Bb5 a3 56.Bc4 Kb2 57.Bf7 Bf6 58.Be6
Be5 59.Bf7 Bf6 60.Be6 Bd8
60...a2 61.Ba2 Ka2 62.Kc4 Kb2 63.Kd5=.
61.Kd4 a2 62.Ba2 Ka2 63.Kd5 Kb3 64.Kd6
Kc4 65.Kd7 Kd4 66.Kd8 Ke4 67.Ke7 Kf5
68.Kf7 g4 69.Kg7 Kf4 70.Kg6 Kg3 71.Kg5
Kg2 72.Kg4 .
But grandmaster do not only make mistakes.
Some of their decisions are real masterpiece!
Topalov V. : Shirov A.
Linares 1998

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47...Bh3!!
Fascinating idea of Shirov, since black has to
push his two pawns a4,d5 as quickly as
possible. The bishop would obstruct the way
of the king on the natural square e4, while on
h3 it wins a precious tempo.

47...a3 48.Kf2 a2 49.Ke3 Bg4 50.g3 Kf5

51.Bd4=;
47...Be4 48.Kf2 Kf5 49.g3=.
48.gh3
No different is 48.Kf2 Kf5 49.Kf3 Bg2!
50.Kg2 Ke4 51.Bf6 d4 52.Be7 Kd3 53.Kf2
Kc2 54.Bb4 d3+.
48...Kf5 49.Kf2 Ke4 50.Bf6
50.Ke2 a3 51.Kd2 d4 52.Ba1 f5+.
50...d4 51.Be7
51.Ke2 a3+.
51...Kd3! 52.Bc5 Kc4 53.Be7
53.Bd4 Kd4 54.Ke2 Kc3 55.Kd1 Kb2+.
53...Kb3
With possible continuation 53...Kb3 54.Bc5
d3 55.Ke3 Kc2 56.Bb4 a3+. 0:1.
In conclusion I would like to present two of
my own games. It is true that in the beginning
the rooks are also present on the board. But
this circumstance makes the situation even
more complicated. You have to assess
properly the option of trading the rooks.
Tukmakov V. : Vasiukov E.
Tbilisi 1971

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1...Rb8
1...Ba2!? 2.Ra1 Rc8 3.Bc3 Bd5 4.Ra7. After
1...Rc8!? White has had difficult choice:
2.Rc8 Kc8 3.Bf8 g6 4.a3 h5, with a bishop
endgame which is hard to assess. For
example, 5.f3 Kd7 6.Kf2 Bc4 7.Ke3 a5 8.b4
ab4 9.Bb4 Bf1 10.g4 Bc4 11.Kf4 Be2 12.gh5
gh5 13.Kg3 Bd1 14.f4 and now only 14...Kc6
leads to a draw. Another option was 2.Bc3,
like in the game.
2.Bc3 Rc8
2...a5!? 3.a3 a4.
FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov

3.Rd1 Ke8 4.f3 a6 5.a3 Rc4 6.Kf2 Kd7

7.Ke3 Rh4
7...g5!?
8.h3 Rc4 9.Kd3 Rc8
9...g5!?
10.Kc2 Rc4 11.b3 Rc8 12.a4 Rb8 13.b4
Ke7?!
13...Ke8.
14.Bd4! Ke8 15.Kc3 Rc8 16.Bc5 a5 17.Rd3
Kd7 18.Rd2 h5 19.Kd3 Bb3
19...g5!?
20.Ke3 Ke8 21.Bd6 Rc3
21...ab4 22.a5 Rc3 23.Kf2.
22.Kf2 Rc2?
The wrong choice. Black had more chances to
survive keeping the rooks on the board.
22...ab4 23.a5 Bd5 24.Bb4 Rc4.
23.Rc2 Bc2 24.ba5 Bd3
The natural 24...Ba4 25.a6 Bb5 26.a7 Bc6
was loosing after 27.g4 g6 28.Kg3 Kd7
29.gh5 gh5 30.f4 Ba8 31.Kh4 Bf3 32.Kg5
Ke8 33.h4 Kd7 34.a8D Ba8 35.Kh5 and "h"
pawn will cost Black a piece.
25.g4 g6 26.Kg3 Kd7 27.gh5 gh5 28.Kh4
Bf1 29.a6 Kc8 30.a7 Kb7 31.Bc5 Bg2
32.Kg3 Bf1 33.h4 Be2 34.Kf4 Bd1 35.a5
Be2 36.Bb6 Bd1 37.Ke3 Ba4 38.a6 Ka8
39.Kd4 Bb5 40.Kc5 Ba6 41.Kd6 Be2 42.f4
Bd3 43.Ke7 Bg6 44.Kf6 Kb7 45.Bd4 Ka8
46.Kg5 Kb7 47.f5 Bf5 48.Kh5 Be4 49.Kg5
1:0.
Andersson U. : Tukmakov V.
Biel 1996

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30.Rc2
As in the previous game my opponent had a
difficult choice: to trade the rooks and play
the opposite-coloured bishop endgame or to
8

play with the rooks on the board. It seems to

me that trading the rooks leaves more chances
to save the game. 30.Rd1 Ba4 (30...Rd1
31.Kd1 Kd5 32.Bd2 Kc4 33.Kc2 Ba4 34.Kc1
h5 35.h4) 31.Rd5 (31.Rd2 Rb5 32.a3 c5
33.Rb2 Kd5) 31...cd5 32.Bg5 d4 33.Kd2.
30...Ba4 31.Rc1
31.Rd2.
31...Rd7 32.Bd2 Rf7 33.e3?!
Automatic responce, but this move weekens
f3 square. 33.Bh6 f4 looks unplesant but it
was the lesser evil.
33...Rd7 34.Rc3 Rg7 35.Ra3 Bb5 36.Rc3
Rg6! 37.Ra3 a6 38.Rc3 Rh6 39.h4 Rg6
40.Bc1 Kd5 41.Bd2 Rd6 42.Rc1 Ke6
The road g6h5g4f3 now open for the
Black monarch!
43.Bc3 Rd3 44.Bb2 Ba4 45.Ke2 Bb5 46.Ke1
Ba4 47.Ke2 Rd5 48.Bc3 Kf7 49.Bb2 Kg6
50.Ba1 Kh5 51.Bb2 Kg4 52.Bc3 Bb5 53.Ke1
Kf3
Full domination!
54.Rc2 Bd3 55.Rb2 c5 56.a3
56.bc5 Rc5 57.Bd2 b5 was also bad.
56...c4 57.a4 b5
57...f4 was even stronger.
58.ab5 ab5 59.Ra2 h5 60.Rb2?!
60.Ba1 was more stubborn.
60...f4 61.gf4 ef4 62.ef4 Kf4 63.Ra2 Kg4
64.Ra7 Kh4 65.Rg7 Kh3 66.Bf6 Bc2 67.Rg3
Kh2 68.Bg5 Rd1 69.Ke2 Rd3!
Forcing the trade of the rooks.
70.Bf4 Rg3 71.fg3
71.Bg3 Kg2 72.Kd2 Bd3 73.Bh4 Kh3.
71...Kg2 72.Be5 Bd3 73.Ke3 Kf1 74.Bc3
Bb1 75.Bd2 Kg2
75...Kg2 76.Be1 Bd3. As it usually is in such
positions, zugzwang is the decisive method:
77.Kf4 Kf1 78.Bd2 Ke2. 0:1.

FIDE Surveys Vladimir Tukmakov