Originally posted by arterioesIt looks like black is in zugzwang. He has 11 legal moves, and all of them look bad.
Could anyone post a possible continuation as to why black is losing here?
(1) 56. ... Bxf3 and black is sunk after the d-pawn queens with 57. d7 Bxf4 (nothing better) 58. d8=Q+.
(2) 56. ... b6 and 56. ... b5 both lead to the creation of another passed pawn on the b-file, and the bishop controls neither the b8 nor the d8 queening squares.
(3) 56. ... Kf8 and 56. ... Kf7 both give up the h-pawn, creating yet another passed pawn with the h8 queening square again out of reach of black's bishop.
(4) I believe all other bishop moves (Ba4, Bb5, Bd7, Be8, Bd5, Be4) lose to either 57. f4 or 57. d7, depending on whether the bishop ends up on the a4-e8 or a8-h1 diagonal. Possibilities include an exchange of pawns on f5 leading to a passef f-pawn (again the queening square is dark and therefore in white's grasp) or connected passed pawn on the d- and e-files. Either way, black is up a creek without a paddle.
The win is now something I spotted as a try on the previous page.
The Bishop gets tied to d7 and the BK has to hold the h-pawn,
White pushes to g6 (it has to be timed perfectly)
I wanted a WB on c5 with the BB not on d7 so the King
cannot got to f8.
However looking at where Topo has placed his Bishop it
may go to g7 then when the WP comes to g6. ...hxg6 WKxg6
The WK gets to f6 then to e7 and sees home the d-pawn.
(Ruxton will be laughing at me showing lines in opposite
Bishops endings - I'm famous for losing a couple of drawn ones.
Something must have struck - apparently you learn from your losses).
This WC match has some games in it I can understand.
Last time that happened was Kasparov v Short.
4-4 and Topo seems hot.
EDIT:
Ha - I see WW has the same line - yes the Bishop goes to g7.
(all clear now).
I don't think it can be held (well if Anand resigned of course it can't)
Before then, back when I first saw it (move 42)- I'm not sure if it can be held.
It's a bloody horrid thing to defend - and I should know.
I was not up to at when I had too on at least two occassions OTB.
These things are not always draws.
Wow, I thought this was a great endgame to watch. How'd that happen? Early on, even a pawn up it looked like there was no way for Topalov to break through with anything. Black was holding onto f6 for dear life, which looked like the only opportunity to create space. Great use of the bishop to block the e-pawn from advancing and restrict BK movement.
Anywhere in cyberspace that gives good annotations of these games to read through?