Knight v Bishop (part 37)

White has just captured on d4 in Olivia Smith (2033) - Spanton (1937), 63rd Hampstead (London) U2200 2018. Who stands better, and by how much?

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White has more space, but the bishop is bad and Black has much the better pawn-majority. Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon Black is winning.

32...g5 33.Ke3 Kg6 34.Bf1 Nc5 35.fxg5 hxg5 36.h4

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36...g4?

This throws away the win. 36...gxh4 and 36...Na4 win easily, as do most reasonable moves.

37.Kf4 Kh5!?

Probably not 37...Na4?! 38.h5+! Kxh5 39.Kxf5.

38.Kxf5 g3?!

The engines reckon Black draws with 38...Kxh4, but their best-play continuation is a long and quite-sharp one, viz 39.Kf6 Kg3 40.Be2! Kf4 41.Bxg4! Kxg4 42.Ke7 Nb7 (other knight moves also draw) 43.Kd7 a4 44.Kc6 Na5+ 45.Kxd6 Nxd4+ 46.Ke7 Nxb2 47.d6 a3 48.d7 a2 49.d8=Q a1=Q 50.Qxb6.

The text may also draw, but is less clear and, in my opinion, sets White fewer problems (although OS goes wrong immediately).

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39.Kf4?

White has to attack, eg 39.Kf6 Kxh4 40.Ke7 Kg4 41.Bg2 Kf4 42.Kxd6 Ke3 43.Bh1!? Kf2 44.Ke5 Kg1 45.Be4 (45.Bf3 Kf2) Nxe4 46.Kxe4 g2 47.d6 Kf1 48.d7 g1=Q 49.d8=Q, when Komodo11.01 reckons White has a slight edge, but Stockfish12 rates the position as dead-equal.

39...Kxh4

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40.Kf3?

This definitely loses. White again had to attack Black's queenside, starting with 40.Kf5, when Komodo11.01 reckons 40...a4 gives Black the upper hand, but Stockfish12 again rates the position as dead-equal.

40...Na4 41.Kg2

If 41.b3, then 41...Nc5 and 42...Nxb3.

The text is Komodo11.01's choice, but all moves lose.

41...Kg4 42.Be2+ Kf4 43.b3 Nc5 44.Bd1 Ke3 45.Kxg3 Kd2

White loses because the bishop has no targets and her king is out of play.

The game finished:

46.Bg4 Nxb3 47.Bf5 Kc3 48.Kf2 Kxc4 49.Ke1 Kxd5 50.Kd1 Nd4 51.Bd3 Kc5 52.Kc1 Nxb5 53.Kb2 d5 54.Be2 Nd4 55.Bd1 b5 56.Kc3 b4+ 57.Kb2 Nb5 58.Bc2 d4 59.Bd3 Nc3 60.Kb3 a4+ 61.Kb2 Kd5 62.Ka1 Ke5 63.Kb2 Kf4 64.Bg6 Ke3 65.Kc2 Ne4 66.Be8 d3+ 67.Kb2 Nc3 68.Bh5 d2 69.Kc2 d1=Q+ 70.Bxd1 Nxd1 71.Kxd1 Kd3 72.Kc1 Kc3 73.Kb1 Kb3 74.Ka1 Kc2 0-1