20 Jun '08 13:13>1 edit
Originally posted by SwissGambitThanks SwissGambit, very interesting!
Let's say Black avoids the stalemate. In that case, I think White wins by forcing the Black King up the board.
1... Kb1 2. Be3 Ka2 3. Kc2 Ka3 4. Bd4 Kb4 5. Kb2 Kb5 ?
And if Black keeps getting pushed up the board, White's King will squeeze in and win the f7 pawn. The desperate try 5...c3+ 6. Bxc3+ Kc4 7. Kc2 d4 8. Be1 d3+ 9. Kd2 Kd4 10. Bf2+ Ke4 11 ...[text shortened]... complex ending, so it is possible I have missed something, but I like White's chances so far.
I looked at it, well, I'm actually still looking at it. I hoped to find a brilliant way to prove to myself that this was actually a draw, but honestly I can't.
The question I'm asking myself on this line is if the bishop in d4 can both hold the pawns and stop the black's king from going to oscillate between g7 and g8 (at that point I don't see how white can force a win, but I might very well be missing something).
I agree with you on the case the king being stalemated, but in the line you give in the quoted text, how would the game proceed after 5. Kb2 Kb5 ? It seems to me that in order to win white will need his king around f7, and his bishop on the a3 f8 diagonal. But in this case can't black just advance his passed pawns, even without the support of his king?
Thanks again for the time you spent on this. I'll study the position further and try to come up with some lines...
Cheers,
J34