pawn. In this position from Yuri Averbakh, Black draws since the bishop can restrain both pawns on the same diagonal with the help of the king and the white bishop is helpless. 1. Kd5 Kf6! The white king will not get to e6. 2. Kc5 Ke7 3. Kb5 Bf4 4. Kb6 Kd8, draw. An example is the game N. Miller vs. A. Saidy, American Open 1971. White in this position because he knew a "rule" articulated by Fine in the first edition of Basic Chess Endings: "If the pawns are two or more files apart, they win." Since here three files separate the pawns, White assumed his position was hopeless. However, the position is actually a fairly straightforward draw, since "White's King has such a powerful active location that he can keep Black's King from penetrating either side of the board.". Play might continue 1. Bh3+ Ke7 2. Bg2 Kf6 3. Bh3 Kg5 4. Bg2 Kf4 5. Kc4! Bd4 6. Kd3 Bg1 7. Bc6 Kg4 8. Bg2! Bf2 9. Kc4! Kf4 10. Kd3 Ke5 11. Kc4, when, "Clearly there is no way for Black to break the blockade." Wrong rook pawn If one of the two pawns is the wrong rook pawn (i.e. an a- or h-pawn whose queening square is the opposite color from the squares on which the superior side's bishop moves), a fortress may allow the inferior side to draw irrespective of how far apart the two pawns are. This is illustrated by Alekhine–Ed. Lasker, New York City 1924. (complete game) Three files separate Black's two pawns, but the players agreed to a draw after 52.Bb1 Kg7 53.Kg2. Alekhine explained in the tournament book that White "can now sacrifice his Bishop for the [d-pawn], inasmuch as the King has settled himself in the all-important corner". If one of the pawns is the wrong rook pawn, it does not matter how widely separated or how advanced the pawns are. The outcome depends on whether or not the defending king can get into the corner in front of the rook pawn and sacrifice his bishop for the other pawn. Recap Grandmaster Jesus de la Villa emphasizes the importance of this endgame and gives this breakdown depending on how many files separate the pawns: If the pawns are separated by two files: Two normally win With a and a the position is usually a draw, but there are winning chances