The opposite-colored bishops endgame is a

chess endgame The endgame (or ending) is the final stage of a chess game which occurs after the middlegame. It begins when few pieces are left on the board. The line between the middlegame and the endgame is often not clear, and may occur gradually or with ...

in which each side has a single

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

and those bishops operate on opposite-colored squares. Without other besides pawns and the kings, these endings are widely known for their tendency to result in a draw. These are the most difficult endings in which to convert a small advantage to a win. With additional pieces, the stronger side has more chances to win, but still not as many as when bishops are on the same color. Many players in a poor position have escaped a loss by trading down to such an endgame. These endgames are normally drawn when one side has a one-pawn advantage. Two or even three extra pawns may not suffice for a win either, since the weaker side can create a blockade on the squares on which their bishop operates.

General principles

Edmar Mednis Edmar John Mednis (; March 22, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American chess player and writer of Latvian origin. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1980. Biography Mednis' family were refugees in 1944 during World War ...

gives two principles for endgames with bishops on opposite colors: # If a player is down he should look for drawing chances in an endgame with only the bishops and pawns. # With (

queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

or rook) on the board, having bishops on opposite colors favors the side with an attack. Ian Rogers gives three principles when there are only the bishops and pawns: # Two connected pawns are not sufficient to win unless they reach their sixth . # If the attacker has two widely separated

passed pawn In chess, a passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth ; i.e. there are no opposing pawns in front of it on either the same or adjacent files. A passed pawn is sometimes colloquially called a passe ...

s that cannot be controlled by the opposing bishop on a single diagonal, they usually win. # When the attacker has an outside passed pawn, it should be stopped by the bishop only when the

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

can block the opposing king.

Drawing tendency

In endings with opposite-colored bishops, a advantage is much less important than in most endgames and position is more important. Positions where one side has an extra pawn are usually drawn, and it is not uncommon to have two extra pawns (occasionally more) and to be unable to make progress. About half of the endings with a bishop and two pawns versus a bishop on the opposite color are drawn. (By contrast, over 90% are won if the bishops are on the same color.) Zugzwang is a tool that often helps the superior side win an endgame. It is a fairly common occurrence in endings with bishops on the same color but is much less common in endgames with opposite-colored bishops. The weaker side should often try to make his bishop ' by placing his pawns on the same color of his bishop in order to defend his remaining pawns, thereby creating an impregnable

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

. The attacker should generally put his pawns on squares of the opposite color as his bishop to prevent a blockade.

Bishop and pawn versus bishop

This is almost always a draw. The attacker's bishop is practically useless and the defender should draw if his

can reach any square in front of the pawn that is not of the color of the attacking bishop; or if his bishop can permanently attack any square in front of the pawn. These endings are trivially drawn 99% of the time.

Bishop and two pawns versus a bishop

About half of these positions are drawn. In most other endings, a two pawn advantage is usually an easy win. For comparison, if the bishops were on the same color squares, over 90% of the positions would be wins. There are three general cases, depending on the two pawns. In most endings, a pair of connected pawns have the best winning chances, but in these endings, a widely separated pair of pawns have the best chances unless one of the pawns is the

wrong rook pawn In a chess endgame of a King (chess), king, Bishop (chess), bishop, and Pawn (chess), pawn versus a bare king, or, less commonly, a king, rook (chess), rook, and pawn versus a bishop and king, a wrong rook pawn is a (a pawn on the a- or h-file) w ...

Doubled pawns

With

doubled pawns In chess, doubled pawns are two pawns of the same color residing on the same file. Pawns can become doubled only when one pawn captures onto a file on which another friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the white pawns on the b-file and e-file ...

, the position is a draw if the defending king can reach any square in front of the pawns that is not of the color of the attacker's bishop. The second pawn on the is of no help, so this is like the ending with only one pawn. If the defending king and bishop cannot accomplish this, the first pawn will win the defending bishop and the second one will promote.

Isolated pawns

With

isolated pawn In chess, an isolated pawn is a pawn that has no friendly pawn on an adjacent . Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. The square in front of the pawn may become a good outpost for the opponent ...

s (on non-adjacent files), the outcome depends on how widely separated the pawns are. The more widely separated they are, the better the winning chances. The rule that holds in most cases is that if only one file separates the pawns the game is a draw, otherwise the attacker wins. The reason is that if the pawns are more widely separated, the defending king must block one pawn while his bishop blocks the other pawn. Then the attacking king can support the pawn blocked by the bishop and win the piece. If only one file is between the pawns, the defender can stop the advance of the pawns. See the diagram. If three files separate the pawns, the pawns normally win. However, there are positions where the defender can set up a blockade, especially if one of the pawns is the

. In this position from Yuri Averbakh, Black draws since the bishop can restrain both pawns on the same diagonal with the help of the king and the white bishop is helpless. :1. Kd5 Kf6! The white king will not get to e6. :2. Kc5 Ke7 :3. Kb5 Bf4 :4. Kb6 Kd8, draw. An example is the game N. Miller vs. A. Saidy, American Open 1971. White in this position because he knew a "rule" articulated by Fine in the first edition of '' Basic Chess Endings'': "If the pawns are two or more files apart, they win." Since here three files separate the pawns, White assumed his position was hopeless. However, the position is actually a fairly straightforward draw, since "White's King has such a powerful active location that he can keep Black's King from penetrating either side of the board.". Play might continue 1. Bh3+ Ke7 2. Bg2 Kf6 3. Bh3 Kg5 4. Bg2 Kf4 5. Kc4! Bd4 6. Kd3 Bg1 7. Bc6 Kg4 8. Bg2! Bf2 9. Kc4! Kf4 10. Kd3 Ke5 11. Kc4, when, "Clearly there is no way for Black to break the blockade."

Wrong rook pawn

If one of the two pawns is the wrong rook pawn (i.e. an a- or h-pawn whose queening square is the opposite color from the squares on which the superior side's bishop moves), a

may allow the inferior side to draw irrespective of how far apart the two pawns are. This is illustrated by Alekhine– Ed. Lasker,

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1924.
complete game
Three files separate Black's two pawns, but the players agreed to a draw after 52.Bb1 Kg7 53.Kg2. Alekhine explained in the tournament book that White "can now

sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...

his Bishop for the -pawn inasmuch as the King has settled himself in the all-important corner". If one of the pawns is the wrong rook pawn, it does not matter how widely separated or how advanced the pawns are. The outcome depends on whether or not the defending king can get into the corner in front of the rook pawn and sacrifice his bishop for the other pawn.

Recap

Grandmaster Jesus de la Villa emphasizes the importance of this endgame and gives this breakdown depending on how many files separate the pawns: * If the pawns are separated by two files: # Two normally win # With a and a the position is usually a draw, but there are winning chances if the knight pawn is not far advanced and the attacking bishop controls its promotion square # with a and a central pawn the endgame is a draw * If the pawns are separated by three files: # With a knight pawn there are drawing chances if the pawn is far advanced # With a rook pawn the position is usually won * If the pawns are separated by four files :: The ending is won because the attacking king gets between the pawns.

Connected pawns

Positions with

connected pawns In chess, connected pawns are two or more pawns of the same color on adjacent , as distinct from isolated pawns. These pawns are instrumental in creating pawn structure because, when diagonally adjacent, like the two rightmost white pawns, they ...

are the most complex case, and the result depends on the and of the pawns and the colors and locations of the bishops. If one of the pawns is a (on the a- or h- file) the position is normally drawn. If the pawns are on the opposite color as the defender's bishop, the defender may be able to blockade the pawns and draw. If both pawns can safely reach the sixth rank, they win unless one is the

, i.e. the rook pawn that promotes on the square of the same color as the defending bishop. The ideal drawing setup is seen in the diagram at left. Black's king (on a square not of the color of the opposing bishop) and bishop stay two ranks in front of the pawns, with both defending against a pawn advance (here d6 by White) to the same color square as the bishop. The defending bishop must maintain an attack on the pawn on the same color square as itself, so that the attacking king is not allowed to advance. If White the other (unattacked) pawn, Black's bishop itself for both pawns, with a draw. (If the second pawn is protected and advances instead, the position is also a draw.) In the diagram position, Black on move passes (i.e. a waiting move that maintains the attack on the pawn) with 1... Bb8! 2. Ke4 Bc7! 3. Kf5 Bb8! and so on. White cannot make progress: 4. d6+ is met, as always, by 4... Bxd6 5. exd6+ Kxd6 with an immediate draw; 4. e6 gives Black an unbreakable blockade on the dark squares; and White can never prepare for d6+ by playing Kc5 because Black plays ... Bxe5. A similar position with White's pawns on the sixth rank is a win because the black bishop has no room to move and maintain the attack on the pawn on d6, thus Black is defeated because of zugzwang. In the position at right, Black loses immediately. Black, on move, must give way with either bishop or king, allowing White to move e7, winning, or else play the hopeless 1... Bxd6 2. Kxd6. If White is to move in this position, he plays a waiting move such as 1. Kc6, placing Black in the same predicament (1... Ke8 2. Kc7#).

More pawns

Draws are possible with more pawns. This is an example of a drawing fortress with opposite-colored bishops when three pawns behind. White simply keeps his bishop on the h3 to c8 diagonal. (See Fortress (chess)#Opposite-colored bishops.) Positions with three pawns versus none are wins 90% of the time.

Examples from master games

Berger vs. Kotlerman

In Berger versus Kotlerman, the pawns are separated by two files, but the game was drawn. : 1. Ke2 b3 : 2. Kd1 Kb4 : 3. Bh7 Ka3 : 4. Bg6 Kb2 : 5. Bf7! Ka2 : 6. Be6 Ka3 : 7. Bf5! If 7...b2, then 8.Bb1. If Black keeps his king near the b-pawn, then White moves his king. If the king goes to g2 trying to displace the white king, White moves the bishop.

Piskov vs. Nunn

In this game Black has an inferior position, but he draws by exchanging queens and rooks, giving up two pawns, and reaching a drawn endgame: :37. Bf6 Qh5! :38. Qxh5 gxh5 :39. Rxe8+ Bxe8 :40. Be7 Bg6 :41. Bxc5 Kf7! :42. Bxd4 a6 :43. a3 Bd3 :44. c5 Bc4 :45. d6 Ke6 :46. Kf2 Kd7 The blockade has been set up. Black's pawns can be protected by his bishop and White's

s cannot make any progress. The game continued: :47. Kg3 Be6 :48. h4 Kc6 :49. ½–½

Nunn

In this position from Nunn (a slight modification of a

simultaneous game In game theory, a simultaneous game or static game is a game where each player chooses their action without knowledge of the actions chosen by other players. Simultaneous games contrast with sequential games, which are played by the players taki ...

), White wins: : 1... Be1 : 2. Kf6! Bh4 : 3. Kf5 Kd6 : 4. g3 fxg3 : 5. Bg2 Kc7 : 6. Ke5 g4 : 7. hxg4 and White wins easily by supporting the g-pawn with the king. Black loses because he cannot defend the pawn on g5 with the bishop from d8 or e7. If the black king were on b8, then 1...Ba5 would draw.

Sokolov vs. McShane

In the game between Ivan Sokolov and Luke McShane, Black discards his pawn and goes for a

stalemate Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check and has no legal move. Stalemate results in a draw. During the endgame, stalemate is a resource that can enable the player with the inferior position ...

defense: : 1... c4!? : 2. Bxc4 Kf8 : 3. h5 Ke7 : 4. Bb3 Kf8 : 5. f6 Ke8 ½–½ and a draw was agreed because White cannot break through, e.g. 6.Ba4+ Kf8 7.h6 Bxf6 8.Kxf6 stalemate.

Lautier vs. Rublevsky

In an endgame with opposite-colored bishops, positional factors may be more important than (see quotes below). In this position, Black sacrifices a pawn (leaving him three pawns down) to reach a

. : 1... Kf5! : 2. Kxf7 Bh5+ : 3. Kg7 Bd1 : 4. Be7 ½–½ After 4...Be2 5.Kh6 Bd1 6.h5 Black just waits by playing 6...Be2.

Kotov vs. Botvinnik

Another position illustrating the principle stated above is from the game Kotov–Botvinnik, Moscow 1955. Grandmaster Lev Alburt writes, "Black has an extra pawn, but his opponent appears to have a reasonable

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

in place." However, Botvinnik finds a way to create another

. :1... g5!! 2. fxg5 2.hxg5 h4 3.Bd6 Bf5 4.g6 Bxg6 5.f5 Bxf5 6.Kxb3 Kg2 costs White his bishop and the game. :2...d4+! Black must keep his b-pawn. :3. exd4 Black has gone from being a pawn up to temporarily being a pawn down, but he has a won game. If 3.Bxd4, then 3...Kg3 4.g6 Kxh4 5.Kd2 Kh3!! 6.Bf6 h4 7.Ke2 Kg2!. :3... Kg3! Not 3...Kg4? 4.d5! Bxd5 5.Bf2, drawing. :4. Ba3 4.g6 Kxh4 5.g7 Kg4 also wins. 4.Be7 Kxh4 5.g6+ Kg4 wins. :4... Kxh4 5. Kd3 Kxg5 6. Ke4 h4 7. Kf3 Or 7.d5 Bxd5+. :7... Bd5+

Fischer vs. Donner

In this game between

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Chess Champi ...

and Jan Hein Donner, White was winning, but Black had a swindle to save the game by getting to a drawn opposite-colored bishop endgame. Play continued: : 30... Rxc2 : 31. Bxf5 Rc1 : 32. Qxc1 Bxc1 : 33. Kf1 h6 If 33.d5, then 33...Ba3 stops the pawn. : 34. Ke2 Kf8 ½–½ If Fischer had won this game, he would have tied with

Boris Spassky Boris Vasilyevich Spassky (; January 30, 1937 – February 27, 2025) was a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky played three world championship matches: he lost to Tigra ...

for first place in the 1966 Piatigorsky Cup tournament.

Fischer vs. Polugaevsky

In this position from a game between Fischer and Lev Polugaevsky a pair of rooks had just been exchanged. An endgame with opposite-colored bishops was reached, with three pawns to two, which was a dead draw.

Vidmar vs. Maróczy

In this 1932 game between

Milan Vidmar Milan Vidmar (; 22 June 1885 – 9 October 1962) was a Slovenian electrical engineer, chess player, chess theorist, and writer. He was among the top dozen chess players in the world from 1910 to 1930 and in 1950, was among the inaugural recip ...

and

Géza Maróczy Géza Maróczy (; 3 March 1870 – 29 May 1951) was a Hungarian chess player, one of the leading players in the world in his time. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the Grandmaster (chess), International Grandmaster title from FIDE in 1 ...

, White was three pawns ahead, but was unable to win. Pawns are doubled on the rook , which would give White the

, making the white bishop unable to assist in promotion. The game ended in a draw on move 129, because checkmate was impossible. Before the end, two insignificant underpromotions to bishops occurred.

Advantageous with positional considerations

As stated above, in endgames with opposite-colored bishops, positional factors may be more important than material differences.

John Nunn John Denis Martin Nunn (born 25 April 1955) is an English chess grandmaster, a three-time world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician. He is one of England's strongest chess players and was form ...

makes two points: # Usually, the number of

s is more important than the total number of pawns. # Small changes in the

pawn structure In a game of chess, the pawn structure (sometimes known as the pawn skeleton) is the configuration of pawn (chess), pawns on the chessboard. Because pawns are the least mobile of the chess pieces, the pawn structure is relatively static and thus ...

may have a large effect.

Against weak pawns

In some cases with more pawns on the board, if one side has weak pawns then it is actually advantageous to the other side to have the bishops on opposite colors. In the 1925 game of Efim Bogoljubov versus Max Blümich, White wins because of the bishops being on opposite colors making Black weak on the black squares, the weakness of Black's

s on the , and the weak

on the . The game continued: : 29. Kd2 Ke7 : 30. Kc3 f6 : 31. Kd4 Be6 : 32. Kc5 Kd7 : 33. Kb6 g5 : 34. Kxa6 Kc7 : 35. Bb6+ Kc8 : 36. Bc5 Kc7 : 37. Bf8 f5 : 38. Bxg7 f4 : 39. Bf6 f3 : 40. gxf3 exf3 : 41. Bxg5 Bxh3 : 42. Bf4+

Positional advantages

Although endgames with opposite-colored bishops tend to be drawish, even with a material advantage, in some cases positional advantages can be enough to win with the same material on both sides. In this position from a 1956 game between Reinhart Fuchs and

Ratmir Kholmov Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov ( Russian: Ратмир Дмитриевич Холмов) (13 May 1925 in Shenkursk – 18 February 2006 in Moscow) was a Russian chess Grandmaster. He won many international tournaments in Eastern Europe during his ...

, Black's positional advantages enabled him to win. In this 1976 game between Bojan Kurajica and

Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, ⁣and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...

, the material is even but Black has pinned down White's pawns and is preparing to break through. Black needs to create another weakness or passed pawn to win. White resigned after move 57.

As a defensive resource

Occasionally opposite-colored bishops endings offer a defender better prospects for a draw than same-colored bishops endings. The weaker side can set up a color-blockade, so the side with the extra material or exchange cannot attack.

Liem vs. Svidler

Smyslov vs. Vaganian

Additional pieces

If both sides have an additional matching piece, the situation is much more complex and cannot be easily codified. Generally, the presence of the additional pieces gives the stronger side more winning chances. Glenn Flear calls these "NQE"s ("Not Quite Endgames"). The

initiative Popular initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...

is important in these types of endgames.

Knight

With each side having a knight in addition to the bishops, the main idea is for the stronger side to create two

s. If this can be done then the exchange of knights is acceptable for the stronger side. However, the exchange of knights may benefit the defender, especially if there is only one passed pawn and he has no other weaknesses. This endgame occurs in about 0.6% of games between high-rated players.

Rook

If each side has a rook in addition to the bishop, the stronger side has far more winning prospects. The attacking rook can have an influence on both colors of squares. Sometimes exchanging the rook for the defender's bishop breaks a fortress. Sometimes the defending bishop can be sacrificed for pawns to result in a rook and bishop versus rook endgame that can be drawn. The most difficult problem encountered by the stronger side is usually in breaking a blockade by the opposite bishop. These endgames occur in 2.8% of the games between high-rated players.

Example

This type of endgame was reached in a 2006 game between

Veselin Topalov Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (pronounced ; ; born 15 March 1975) is a Bulgarian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and former FIDE World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. Topalov became FIDE World Chess Champion by winning the FIDE ...

and Levon Aronian, see the first diagram. (The game and analysis is o
this page
and the game score is als
here
) White was able to make slow progress (see the second diagram, showing the position after 72 moves). The game concluded: : 73. Rd4! Be6+ : 74. Kf8 Ra8+ : 75. Bd8 Bg4 : 76. c6 1–0 Black resigned because the pawn will advance to c7 and Black cannot defend against rook attacks on the seventh rank and the h-file.

Queen

When each side has an additional queen, the stronger side has good winning chances thanks to such themes as checkmate that do not exist in many other endgames. However, the possibility of exchanging queens is a paramount concern. The stronger side should try to get two widely spaced passed pawns before exchanging queens. Defending squares of the color of the stronger side's bishop can be difficult if there are weaknesses or threats on both sides of the board. The stronger side must increase his advantage before exchanging queens and sometimes this is done with a direct attack on the king. These endgames occur in 0.8% of the games between high-rated players.

History

The earliest opposite-colored bishop endgame in the

ChessBase ChessBase is a German company that develops and sells chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates an internet chess server for online chess. Founded in 1986, it maintains and sells large-scale databases containing the moves of recor ...

database is an 1862 game between Louis Paulsen and

Adolf Anderssen Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen (6 July 1818 – 13 March 1879)"Anderssen, Adolf" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 385. was a German chess master. ...

in their unofficial

world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

match. It was a draw because of the wrong rook pawn. Play continued: : 55. Bf5+ Kh2 : 56. Bc2 h4 : 57. Be4 ½–½ This 1620 game between an unknown player and

Gioachino Greco Gioachino Greco ( – ), surnamed Cusentino and more frequently ''il Calabrese'', was an Italian chess player and writer. He recorded some of the earliest chess games known in their entirety. His games, which never indicated players, were q ...

was won by Black on move 50.

Quotes

* "In endings with bishops of opposite color, material means NOTHING, position EVERYTHING." —

Cecil Purdy C.J.S. (Cecil John Seddon) Purdy (27 March 1906 – 6 November 1979) was an Australian chess player and writer. He was awarded the International Master title in 1951 and the Grandmaster of Correspondence Chess title in 1959. Purdy was the fi ...

(''emphasis in the original'')

References

Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Edgar Walther vs. Bobby Fischer, 1959

Fischer Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher. People with the surname A * Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official * ...

draws two pawns down {{Chess, sp=us Chess endgames Chess theory