winning with two bishops

hard, long puzzle. But it is good practice, and a good endgame senario that usually ends in a draw. However, you can win with 2 bishops, however hard it is.

There probably was a faster way, but I didn't see it.

At the end the dark-squared bishop did some unneccessary dancing... 45....Be3+ 47. Kh1 Be4# However, good puzzle! This is something every player needs to know!

Here's a shorter Fritz-generated mate.

if there is a faster way you shouldn't put this as a puzzle, but maybe as sequence of moves...

dammit Fritz got it faster by 3 moves! (or possibly more?!)

Yes, it is 15 moves at the least. See http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&lang=en. Put in the position in this extremely reliable endgame tablebase and it says black can force mate in 15 moves.

Yeah, I figured there was, but yours doesn't work because after Be4+, Ka2 and it would go back and forth. But yeah, fritz got it right. Of course, some of the moves in fritz's line aren't forced.....