Bishop & Pawn vs King

How to Play This Endgame

This endgame is usually a simple win — the bishop controls the promotion square while the king escorts the pawn. The critical exception is the 'wrong bishop' with a rook pawn: if the bishop doesn't control the promotion square color (e.g., a dark-squared bishop with an a-pawn promoting on a light square), the position is drawn. The defender simply parks the king in the corner. This concept affects decisions throughout the entire game.

Practice Tips

• →Set up the B+P vs K position on a board and practice against a friend or engine.
• →Focus on the key concept: Wrong bishop with rook pawn. Understanding the principle matters more than memorizing exact moves.
• →Upload your endgame positions to chess.rodeo for free Stockfish analysis — see where you went wrong and what the engine recommends.

Related Bishop Endgames