An old rivalry: Bishop vs Knight

by Karsten Müller
3/30/2021 – Who is better - bishop or knight? This is an old question and the answer usually is: "It depends". At any rate, the duel knight against bishop is often intriguing and full of surprise. In the diagram position the knight seems to give White good chances to win the game, but in fact Black's bishop can secure the draw. How?
Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.
 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.Ba4 Ngf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Re1 Be7 7.c4 0-0 8.Nc3 a6 9.h3 Qc7 10.d3 Ne5 11.Bf4 Bd7 12.Bc2 b5 13.Bxe5 dxe5 14.cxb5 axb5 15.a4 bxa4 16.Bxa4 Rab8 17.Qc2 Rfd8 18.Red1 Ne8 19.Nd2 Nd6 20.Bxd7 Rxd7 21.Nc4 Nxc4 22.dxc4 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Nb5 Qa5 25.g3 g6 26.Kg2 Rxd1 27.Qxd1 Qa2 28.b3 Qb2 29.Qd7 Bf8 30.Qd3 Qa1 31.Nc3 Qe1 32.Ne2 Qa1 33.Ng1 Qb2 34.Nf3 h6 35.h4 Qa1 36.Qc2 Be7 37.Qd2 Bf8 38.Qc2 Be7 39.Nh2 Qd4 40.Qe2 Bf8 41.Ng4 h5 42.Nh2 Be7 43.Qc2 Qa1 44.Nf3 Kf8 45.Qd2 Qb1 46.Qe3 Qb2 47.Qd3 Ke8 48.Ne1 Kf8 49.Qc2 Qd4 50.Nf3 Qa1 51.Qd2 Qb1 52.Qh6+ Kg8 53.Qe3 Qb2 54.Qd3 Kf8 55.Ng1 Ke8 56.Qe3 Kf8 57.Kh2 Qc2 58.Nf3 Qb2 59.Qd2 Qb1 60.Qe2 Qa1 61.Qc2 Ke8 62.Kg2 Kf8 63.Ng1 Kg8 64.Ne2 Qe1 65.Nc3 Qa1 66.Qd3 Bf8 67.Nb5 Qa2 68.Qe3 Qa1 69.Nc3 Qb2 70.Na4 Qa3 71.Qc3 Be7 72.Nb6 Qa6 73.Na4 Qb7 74.Qe3 Qb4 75.Nb2 Qb7 76.Kh2 Qb6 77.Qd3 Qb7 78.Na4 Qa7 79.Qc3 Qc7 80.Qc2 Qa5 81.Nb2 Qa8 82.Kg1 Qa1+ 83.Kg2 Qa8 84.Qd3 Qb7 85.Na4 Qa7 86.Nc3 Qa3 87.Nb5 Qa1 88.Qd7 Bf8 89.Qb7 Qb1 90.Nc7 Qd3 91.Ne8 Qd8 92.Qd7 Qa8 93.Nf6+ Kg7 94.Ne8+ Kg8 95.Kh2 Qa2 96.Nf6+ Kg7 97.Ne8+ Kg8 98.Kg2 Qa8 99.Nf6+ Kg7 100.Qe8 Qb7 101.Qd8 Qe7 102.Qxe7 Bxe7 103.Nd7 Bd6 104.Nb6 Kf8 105.Kf3 Ke8 106.Na4 Kd7 107.Nb2 Bf8 108.Nd3 Kd6 109.Ke2 Bh6 110.Kd1 Bf8 111.Kd2 Be7 112.b4 cxb4 113.Nxb4 g5 114.hxg5 Bxg5+ 115.Kd3 h4 116.gxh4 Bxh4 117.f3 Bf2 118.Ke2 Bc5 119.Nd3 Bd4 120.Kd2 Kc6 121.Kc2 Kb6 122.Kb3 Ka5 123.Ka3 f6 124.Nc1 Bc5+ 125.Kb3 Be3 126.Ne2 Bd2 127.Ng3 Kb6 128.Nh5 f5 129.Ng7 fxe4 130.fxe4 Kc5 131.Nxe6+ Kd6 132.Kc2 Bh6 133.Nd8 Kc7 134.Nf7 Bf4 135.Kc3 Kc6 136.Nd8+ Kd7 137.Nb7 Who is better - bishop or knight? This is an old question and the answer usually is: "It depends". At any rate, the duel knight against bishop is often intriguing and full of surprise. In the diagram position the knight seems to give White good chances to win the game, but in fact Black's bishop can secure the draw. How?
Black to move and draw
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Afanasiev,N2519Pingin,A22441–02020B51Khanty-Mansiysk Governor Cup 16th5

Endgame theory constitutes the foundation of chess. You realize this in striking clarity once you obtain a won endgame but in the end have to be content with a draw in the end because of a lack of necessary know-how. Such accidents can only be prevented by building up a solid endgame technique. This is Karsten Müller‘s fi rst DVD and the grandmaster from Hamburg and endgame expert, here lays the foundation for acquiring such a technique. The fi rst part of his training series can be started without any endgame knowledge, only a knowledge of the rules of chess is assumed.

Karsten Mueller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

ChessBase Magazine #200

 

ChessBase Magazine Extra #199

 

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Mueller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

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