Help me analyse a chess position.?

Question

I'm playing with the white pieces and I have a King on g3, a Rook on a1 and a pawn b2. Black has a King on d5, Bishop on e6 and pawns on h3 and b3. Black to move. Is this a drawn position? I know how to make it draw, but can I go for a win?

Answer 1

You're in a much better position than black because neither one of black's pawns can move and the bishop can only move in four squares or else the pawn is gone. Meanwhile, your rook can go basically anywhere. Just keep playing and wait for a fork to come up.

Answer 2

I think it seems a clear draw, for example 1..Ke5 2.Re1+

Kd5 3.Rh1 Ke4 and the Black King cannot leave the Bishop because of the Rook so Black and White cannot achieve its position in any case.

Hope this will help:)

Answer 3

I don't see how either side can force a win, really.  Black's Bishop can continue to guard both pawns and Black's King can be moved any time.

Also, with correct play, Black can avoid forks for pins/skewers. So if Black knows their stuff, you can wait all day for a fork to come up, and it isn't going to happen.

White's King must help guard against the advance of Black's h-pawn.  So it really can't help out with attacking the Bishop.  But if an exchange is forced by black on the Kingside, then Black's King is in a better position to take out White's b-pawn and promote.

White's Rook basically has to camp out either on the 3rd rank, between the pawns, or on the h-file, behind Black's passed pawn.  But if it camps out on the h-file, Black might be able to force an exchange of pieces along the upper h-file ranks and then either queen the pawn or else have its King in a better position to take over on the b-file.

If your Rook forks the two pawns and also attacks the Bishop along the e-file, Black's King can guard the Bishop, making an exchange impossible.  If you, as White, exchange, then your King has to take out the h-pawn, giving Black's King more than enough time to get to your b-pawn, take it out, and promote its own b-pawn.

I don't think either side can force a win, but a mistake by either side could cost them the game.

I think it's a drawn position with correct play by both sides, simply because the Kings can move any time they want.