Chess Mentor Course 2

My second chess mentor course features the situation in which the knight prevails against the other light piece-the bishop. Here is a recent sample:

Li Chao (2613) - Barua,Dibyendu (2479)
Doeberl Cup Canberra AUS (5), 03.04.2010


One of the most unpleasant endgames for the bishop is the so called "French" one- a position that usually arises after the same defense. Even if there are pawns left only on one side of the board, the defender is in great danger for the various zugzwangs that can arise, and the lack of space. The bishop also is not much of a help in the defense. 40.Nc8+ White first gains some space. 40...Kf8 41.Kd8 Bc6 42.Nd6 Ba4


43.c4! Although the exchanges usually favour the defender here this one is perfectly justified, as White needs the e4 square for his knight. 43...dxc4 44.Nxc4 Bb5 45.Nd6 Bc6


Covering both e4 and e8, but the next moves forces a zugzwang. 46.h4! Ba4 47.Ne4 Bb5 48.Nf6 Ba4 Black cannot allow the opponent's king come closer. [48...Kg7 49.Ke7 with the threats Nf6-e4 (e8)-d6 and wins all the pawns. 49...Bc6 50.Ng4 and Nh6xf7 to follow.] 49.Nxh7+ Kg7 50.Nf6 Kf8 White won a pawn, and now needed only to discover the beautiful breakthrough idea in the pawn endgame. The win is: 51.Kc7?! [51.Nd7+! Kg8 a) 51...Kg7 changes nothing. 52.Nb6 Bb5 53.Ke7; b) 51...Bxd7 52.Kxd7 Kg8 53.Ke8! Kg7 54.Ke7 Kg8


55.h5!! (55.f5 gxf5) 55...gxh5 56.f5 exf5 57.g6 fxg6 58.Kd7 h4 59.e6 h3 60.e7 h2 61.e8Q+ check!; 52.Nb6 Bb5 53.Ke7 Bd3 54.Nc8 Kg7 55.Nd6 Be2 56.Nxf7] 51...Ke7 52.Ne4 Bc2 53.Nd6 Ba4 54.Nc8+ Ke8 55.Kd6 Bb5 56.Nb6 Kd8 57.Kc5 Be2 58.Na4 Bf3 59.Nc3 Ke7 60.Nb5 Kd7 61.Nd6 Ke7 62.Kb6 Bd1 63.Kc7 Ba4 64.Ne4 Bc2 65.Nf6 Bd1 66.Kc6 Be2 67.Kc5 Bd1 68.Kd4 Bf3 69.Ke3 Bd1 70.Nh7 Bh5 71.Kf2 Bd1 72.Kg3 Be2 73.Kg2 Bd1 74.Kf2 Bg4 75.Kg3 Bd1 76.Nf6 Be2


77.h5 gxh5 78.Kh4 Bd1 79.Nxh5 Be2 80.Ng3 Bf3 81.Nf1 Be2 82.Ne3 Kf8 83.Kg3 Bd3 84.Kf2 Kg7 85.Ke1 Kg6 86.Kd2 Bb5 87.Kc3 Kh5 88.Kd4 Kh4 89.Kc5 Ba6 1/2