All's not well that ends not well

The following game, from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament, pits Black Puma, who has recently had a number of hammering wins, against calchess10, who has been having a difficult tournament, but who played well enough to reach the following postion after 41 moves.


True, Black is two pawns down, but knowledge of the two kinds of endgames (see "All's well that ends well") that are in play here should help him hold the draw.

42.Kg3 hxg4 43.hxg4 g5 44.f4 gxf4+ 45.Kxf4 Kg6

Here we have a pretty straight-forward Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Black should be able to establish light-square blockades of the two pawns, and hold the game to a draw.

46.g5 Bc2 47.Be7 Ba4 The blockades are established, although Black would do well now to exchange the King's and Bishop's roles, putting the Bishop to work on the Kingside and the monarch to work on the Queenside. Otherwise he runs the risk of White using his King to escort the a-pawn up the file, eventually winning the Black Bishop; and then bringing his King over to help the other pawn advance to the Queening square.

48.Ke4 Bb3 49.Kd4 Kf7 As expected.

50.Kc3 Kxe7

Oh, no... 50...Ba2 51.Bf6 Ke8 etc. and the Black King will get to the Queenside while his Bishop holds off the g-pawn from afar. This transition in the game to a pure pawn endgame gives White the win.

51.Kxb3 Kf7 52.Kb4 Kg6 53.a4 Kxg5 54.a5 Black resigns

A pity.

By the way, above I mentioned that knowledge of "two kinds of endgames" would come to Black's aid. Had he recalled the frustrations of the K vs K + RP + wrong-colored-Bishop (see "All's well that ends well"), he could have, before our second diagram, played 45.,.Bxg4, instead of 45...Kg3. The Black King would have plenty of time to then hurry to a8 to blocade the last pawn, a task from which he could not be chased away.

My congratulations to Black Puma on toughing out a fine win, and my applause to calchess10 on getting oh-so-close...