Exercise 9.1Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
9
Endgame Essentials · Kapilash Chess Academy
The Bishop and the Wrong Rook Pawn
When an extra piece is not enough
In this lesson you will learn
- The wrong bishop: why bishop + rook pawn can be a draw
- How the defender reaches the corner
- How a bishop stops a pawn from far away
- Good and bad bishops in endings
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
9.1 The Wrong Bishop
A bishop and a rook pawn against a lone king is a draw if the bishop does not control the queening square and the defending king reaches the corner. An a-pawn queens on a8, a light square, so a dark-squared bishop is the 'wrong' bishop; for an h-pawn, h8 is dark, so a light-squared bishop is wrong.
Diagram 9.1White to move
Example 9.1 · The defender reaches the corner
White is a piece and a pawn up, but the bishop on c1 cannot control a8.
Once the black king sits on a8 or a7, White cannot drive it out: the bishop never attacks a8 and the king alone only gives stalemate. With the right bishop (light squares here), White would win easily.
TipWhen you are a piece down in the endgame, look for this draw. Exchange the pawns until only a rook pawn is left, and run with your king to the corner of the wrong colour.
9.2 The Bishop against Pawns
A bishop stops a passed pawn from a distance: it only needs to control one square in front of the pawn on the long diagonal. The bishop is much faster than the knight here, which is why bishops are usually better than knights when there are pawns on both wings.
Diagram 9.2White to move
Example 9.2 · The far-away bishop
The same material as before, but now the black king is far from the corner.
With the black king on h8, the a-pawn runs and the black king is too slow to reach a8. Whether bishop and rook pawn win or draw depends on one question: can the defending king get to the corner in time?
Diagram 9.3Black to move
Example 9.3 · Run to the corner
White's bishop is dark-squared and the a-pawn queens on a light square. Black to move.
The black king goes straight for the corner: d7, c8, b8 and a8. Once it is there, White cannot drive it out. Any other plan — for example, attacking the bishop — wastes the time the king needs.
Remember
- Bishop + rook pawn draws if the bishop does not control the queening square and the king reaches the corner.
- a-pawn: a8 is light; h-pawn: h8 is dark.
- A bishop stops a pawn from a distance on a diagonal.
- When defending a piece down, aim for the wrong-bishop corner.
Exercises · Lesson 9
Every exercise has been checked with a chess engine: exactly one move keeps the best result. Find it and play it on the board.
Exercise 9.2Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.
Exercise 9.3Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
Exercise 9.4Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.
Exercise 9.5Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
Exercise 9.6Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.
Exercise 9.7Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
Exercise 9.8Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.
Exercise 9.9Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
Exercise 9.10Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.
Exercise 9.11Find the move
Black to move
Black to move and draw.
Exercise 9.12Find the move
White to move
White to move and win.