I was wondering whether any of you had any advice on how to win this bishop endgame I played it blitz so I wasn't dissapointed to much but I think it is pretty much essential knowledge beacuse I was a pawn up. Also I don't care at all about the middle game just the endgame thanks.
30.c5 looks like it may have been winning for you.
34.c5! bxc5 35.bxc5 would have given you a passed pawn and maybe the win.
One of Nimzowitsch's famous sayings is, "Candidate in front." When you have a pawn majority, advancing the candidate (unblocked pawn) is generally best. That would be your c-pawn in this case. All exceptions have rules, but this one is generally true and especially useful during blitz or rapid games. Advancing your b-pawn was a mistake.
Hello,
Is it so easy though after 34c5? because white could end up with the wrong rook's pawn. For example after 34 ... pxc5 35 pxc5 Kf4 36 Bb6 Be5 37 Kg2 h4 38 c6 h3+
39 kxp kxp 40 c7 Bxp 41 BxB is a book draw I think because black king can't be stopped from getting to a8. If this is the case, then 30 h4 was a mistake, because you are helping the weaker side reduce the number of pawns.
Also not so sure about 30c5 i.e 30 ...pxp 31 Bxp (if 31 pxp then Bf4+ followed by kd5 cannot be won by white I think) Now is the pawn endgame a win for white after 31... BxB 32pxB Kd5? probably so think black has to try 31... bf4+32 Kg2 Kd5 my feeling is black king is too active for white to win.
TwoMove> white could end up with the wrong rook's pawn.
Yes, if his opponent knows to sacrifice his bishop for the c-pawn leaving a wrong-coloured bishop for the rook-pawn ending, White's chances of converting go way down.
"Candidate in front" is a corollary to the "unit that holds two" (which may also be another Nimzowitch phrase). Notice at move 36 that black's b-pawn stops both your b and c pawn from advancing.
I think you can deviate earlier as well. 26. f4 followed by Kf3 and Ke4 will give you an endgame with a much more active king than the way it was played.
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