Opposite Coloured Bishops – part 4

Continued from Part 3. The following positions have rooks on the board in the beginning.

(6) Berry Jonathan (2272) - Yoos Jack (2371)
2000 B.C. championship (6), 23.04.2000

With rooks it is often hard to give a definitive evaluation of a position, one can just talk about winning or drawing chances. But it is very important to correctly evaluate the simplified pure ending with bishops of opposite colours, in order to make a right decision at the critical moment. 42...Bc6 White's up two pawns, so he is probably winning. 43.Bd8! Bxe4 44.Bxc7 Bc6 45.g5!? Diagram

White intends to play Bc7-d8-f6, and Rh4. Black's response seems to be forced... 45...f5 But is it? ? [45...Re1+!? 46.Kh2 Re2! 47.Rg4 Kf8 was certainly better. White is tied up to defence of g2, and Black can has good drawing chances.] 46.gxf6+ Kxf6 47.Rf4+ Kg7 48.Bb6 Re2 49.Rf2 ! note that White did not have this option if Black activated the rook on move 45. Also now that the double g5 pawn is traded off, the endgame without rooks is easier to win for White. 49...Re1+ both players correctly evaluated the position without rooks as winning for White. 50.Kh2 Be4 51.Bd4+ Kg8 52.Kg3 Bd3 53.Kh4 Re7 54.Kg5 Rf7 Otherwise Rf2-f6xg6 was going to be unpleasant. 55.Rxf7 Kxf7 56.g4 Diagram

56...Bc2 57.h4 Bd3 58.h5 gxh5 59.gxh5 Ke6 60.h6 Bh7 61.c4 Bd3 [61...Kf7 62.b5 Bd3 (62...Kg8 63.c5 Be4 64.c6) 63.c5 Kg8 64.c6+-] 62.c5 Kf7 Black seems to have blocked everything, but White has prepared a breakthrough. [62...Be4 63.b5] 63.b5 ! 63...axb5 [63...Be4 64.c6] 64.c6 ! 64...bxc6 65.a6 c5 66.a7 [Be4 66.h7 ] 1-0