Knight v Bishop (part 46)

SO far I have covered those bishop-v-knight endings from my praxis that began with seven or six pawns aside but did not end in draws (there were none starting with eight pawns aside).

The player with the knight won the seven-pawn endings by the narrow margin of 9-8, which surprises me as the more pawns on the board, other things being equal, the more the position favours the knight.

However, the player with the knight won the six-pawn endings by the wide margin of 21-7, which also surprises me - this time by the extent of the knight's dominance.

Taking both sets of endings, the knight leads the bishop by 30-15, which seems more reasonable.

I now move to bishop-v-knight endings from my praxis that began with five pawns aside but did not end in draws.

Black has just captured on f6 in Spanton (147) - PR Scott (141), Barbican (London) Rapid 1991. Who stands better, and by how much?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White has two isolated pawns, but one is holding up two black pawns on the kingside and the other is passed. Black has more space on the kingside, but White has the more-centralised king. Stockfish12 reckons White is winning; Komodo12.1.1 gives White the upper hand (+.81).

40.Kf4 b6 41.Ne2 h4?

It is hard to guess the thinking behind this move, but Black is in big trouble anyway. The engines give best-play as something like 41...Ke6 42.Nd4+ Kd6 43.Nf5+ Ke6 44.c3 a5 45.Ne3 b5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4, with their evaluations fluctuating between White having a winning advantage and 'just' having the upper hand.

42.gxh4 Bh5 43.Ng3 Bg6 44.Kxg4 Ke5 45.c3 c5 46.Kf3 a5 47.h5 Bh7 48.h6 Kf6 49.Kf4 b5 50.e5+ Kg6 51.Nf5 1-0 (Time)