Answers.Body: <p>Assuming it is even white to move there, the real question is can white avoid the loss, and I would say the answer is "no".</p>
  
  <p>White is down two pawns, and black has the means to create passed pawns on both wings. This is just lost.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-19T23:09:50.253Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-19T23:09:50.253Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.Body: <p>Two pawns down you are doing well to get a draw. Your best chance is an opposite-coloured bishop endgame. At all costs you must prevent black from exchanging bishops or exchanging knight for light-squared bishop when you will be completely lost.</p>
  
  <p>What you have going for you in the starting position is that black's knight is badly placed on the edge of the board. I would probably start with Bf5 to tickle the white pawns on the queenside and follow up with bringing my king over to the kingside where I want to use my king and bishops to try and force a black bishop for knight exchange when drawing chances are good.. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-20T00:41:07.117Z
Answers.Text: Even an opposite-colored bishop ending should be lost easily since black can create two passers that are miles apart.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-20T07:15:30.480Z
Answers.Text: That's exactly what I managed. Opposite colored bishops in a draw situation, bishop and king pinning and blocking pawns. The black knight was of no use as it was stuck. I guess it was a bit ambitious to see if u could get a win!
Answers.UserDisplayName: MagicCoconut
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-20T11:02:41.570Z
Answers.Text: @MagicCoconut While I am glad you got the draw, I will take this one step further: Against any decent Master, I actually think that the opposite-colored-bishop ending is actually the easiest way to win this. White should actually keep the bishop pair, and see what happens. Simplifying this actually makes it easier. I decided to play this out versus Stockfish, and forced only the first two white moves to get to the point, but here is how easy it was:
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-20T11:03:43.063Z
Answers.Text: @MagicCoconut 1. Bf5 (Brian's move) b6 2. Kc2 (a pass move to allow the next two moves) Ng5 3. Bh4 Kf7 4. Bxg5 Bxg5 5. b4 (the comp considers this best, or otherwise it hates allowing a5) g6 6. Bc8 a5 7. bxa5 bxa5 8. Kb3 h5 9. gxh5 gxh5 10. Kc4 Kf6 11. Kd5 h4 12. Kc6 Bf4 13. Kb5 Bd2 14. Kc6 Kg5 15. Kxc7 Kf4 16. Kb6 Kg3 -+ And the rest is elementary.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-19T23:50:34.623Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-19T23:50:34.623Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Answers.Body: <p>Analysis by an engine shows at least 3 moves valuated around -1.0, so a draw is expectable. The engine went to Depth 36</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <pre><code>[Title "Engine Evaulation: -0.86"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Be4 b6 2.b4 a5 3.bxa5 Bxa3+ 4.Kc2 bxa5 5.Bxa5 Bd6 6.Bd5+ Kf8 7.Bc3 Nf4 8.Bf3 Kf7 9.Kd2
  </code></pre>
  
  <hr>
  
  <pre><code>[Title "Engine Evaulation: -0.91"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Bf5 b6 2.b4 Ng5 3.Kd1 Nf3 4.Bc3 Bf6 5.Bd2 Kf7 6.a4 Nxd2 7.Kxd2 a5 8.b5 Ke7 9.Be4
  </code></pre>
  
  <hr>
  
  <pre><code>[Title "Engine Evaulation: -.97"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Kd1 Bf6 2.Be4 c6 3.b3 Bc3 4.Bg3 Be5 5.Bg2 Bxg3 6.Bxh3 g6 7.a4 a5 8.Bg2 Kf7 9.Ke2
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-20T17:56:01.960Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-20T18:24:44.457Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-11-20T18:24:44.457Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: z100
Body: <pre><code>[fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I've played this out quite a few times, but no joy.
  Trying to get my endgame back to a reasonable level, after years not playing!!</p>
  
Tags: <bishop-endgame>
Title: For white - anything but a draw?
ThreadText: # For white - anything but a draw?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-19)
  
  ```
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  ```
  
  I've played this out quite a few times, but no joy.
  Trying to get my endgame back to a reasonable level, after years not playing!!
  
  **Tags:** bishop-endgame
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-11-19. Score: 9
  
  Assuming it is even white to move there, the real question is can white avoid the loss, and I would say the answer is "no".
  
  White is down two pawns, and black has the means to create passed pawns on both wings. This is just lost.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2019-11-19. Score: 4
  
  Two pawns down you are doing well to get a draw. Your best chance is an opposite-coloured bishop endgame. At all costs you must prevent black from exchanging bishops or exchanging knight for light-squared bishop when you will be completely lost.
  
  What you have going for you in the starting position is that black's knight is badly placed on the edge of the board. I would probably start with Bf5 to tickle the white pawns on the queenside and follow up with bringing my king over to the kingside where I want to use my king and bishops to try and force a black bishop for knight exchange when drawing chances are good..
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Even an opposite-colored bishop ending should be lost easily since black can create two passers that are miles apart.  
  > **username_0**: That's exactly what I managed. Opposite colored bishops in a draw situation, bishop and king pinning and blocking pawns. The black knight was of no use as it was stuck. I guess it was a bit ambitious to see if u could get a win!  
  > **username_1**: @username_0 While I am glad you got the draw, I will take this one step further: Against any decent Master, I actually think that the opposite-colored-bishop ending is actually the easiest way to win this. White should actually keep the bishop pair, and see what happens. Simplifying this actually makes it easier. I decided to play this out versus Stockfish, and forced only the first two white moves to get to the point, but here is how easy it was:  
  > **username_1**: @username_0 1. Bf5 (username_2's move) b6 2. Kc2 (a pass move to allow the next two moves) Ng5 3. Bh4 Kf7 4. Bxg5 Bxg5 5. b4 (the comp considers this best, or otherwise it hates allowing a5) g6 6. Bc8 a5 7. bxa5 bxa5 8. Kb3 h5 9. gxh5 gxh5 10. Kc4 Kf6 11. Kd5 h4 12. Kc6 Bf4 13. Kb5 Bd2 14. Kc6 Kg5 15. Kxc7 Kf4 16. Kb6 Kg3 -+ And the rest is elementary.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-20. Score: 2
  
  Analysis by an engine shows at least 3 moves valuated around -1.0, so a draw is expectable. The engine went to Depth 36
  
  ---
  
  ```
  [Title "Engine Evaulation: -0.86"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Be4 b6 2.b4 a5 3.bxa5 Bxa3+ 4.Kc2 bxa5 5.Bxa5 Bd6 6.Bd5+ Kf8 7.Bc3 Nf4 8.Bf3 Kf7 9.Kd2
  
  ```
  
  ---
  
  ```
  [Title "Engine Evaulation: -0.91"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Bf5 b6 2.b4 Ng5 3.Kd1 Nf3 4.Bc3 Bf6 5.Bd2 Kf7 6.a4 Nxd2 7.Kxd2 a5 8.b5 Ke7 9.Be4
  
  ```
  
  ---
  
  ```
  [Title "Engine Evaulation: -.97"]
  [fen "6k1/1pp1b1p1/p6p/8/6P1/P6n/1PB5/2K1B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1.Kd1 Bf6 2.Be4 c6 3.b3 Bc3 4.Bg3 Be5 5.Bg2 Bxg3 6.Bxh3 g6 7.a4 a5 8.Bg2 Kf7 9.Ke2
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  