Quick answer
Bishop Pawn and King is an endgame technique: same-color bishop ending. Work from the first evidence position for Bishop Pawn and King, and begin by testing Bf5.
Begin from Bf5 in 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8 b - - 1 1. Count the material, king routes, promotion squares and reserve tempi before applying a theoretical rule. The evidence answer is: Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bf5 Bd3.
In the Bishop Pawn and King example, notice: side Black; pieces Black king h8, Black pawn f7, Black bishop e6, White king f3, White bishop c2; legal first moves Kg7, Kg8, f6, f5, Bd7, Bc8, Bf5, Bg4+. Keep the piece census tied to this diagram—other positions with the same theme can look completely different.
Material and result question
The first evidence board tests same-color bishop ending; the second board tests same-color bishop ending. Sequence A is direct FEN setup. Sequence B is direct FEN setup. Compare them only after setting both FENs. Hub vocabulary: Chess Wiki · Endgames hub. Then compare Material Values with Knight And Rook Pawn, King Activity In Endgames, Pawn Endgame Calculation around the side-to-move tempo.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side Black; pieces Black king h8, Black pawn f7, Black bishop e6, White king f3, White bishop c2; legal first moves Kg7, Kg8, f6, f5, Bd7, Bc8, Bf5, Bg4+; B contains side Black; pieces Black bishop c8, Black king h8, Black pawn f5, White king c4, White bishop b3; legal first moves Bd7, Be6+, Bb7, Ba6+, Kh7, Kg7, Kg8, f4. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of a reserve pawn move.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:7k | r2:5p2 | r3:4b3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:5K2 | r7:2B5 | r8:8 / r1:2b4k | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:5p2 | r5:2K5 | r6:1B6 | r7:8 | r8:8: start with the side-to-move tempo; then test a reserve pawn move; keep the active rook before the pawn push separate from the conversion move order; use an outside passer used as a decoy as the transfer check; and reserve the defender's only active counterplay for the exception.
Conversion or defense plan
On the first board, calculate Bf5 Bd3 after Bf5 and write down the opponent's best reply around the side-to-move tempo. On the second board, calculate Bd7 after Bd7 and check a reserve pawn move. Separate the practical conversion question from the result question; side to move and one checking distance can change the conclusion. In this case the useful condition is the defender's only active counterplay.
Key claim: Bishop Pawn and King is illustrated here by same-color bishop ending; the first concrete test is Bf5. The board anchor is 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8; the example is intentionally narrower than the topic label and should not be generalised without checking the surrounding position..
Practical boundary: To answer “What exact king, pawn, and move-order conditions decide bishop pawn and king, and how should each side play them?”, compare the recorded setup with Bd7 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 2b4k/8/8/5p2/2K5/1B6/8/8. The evidence records No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication and the second board signature r1:2b4k | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:5p2 | r5:2K5 | r6:1B6 | r7:8 | r8:8. The false-positive test is whether the active rook before the pawn push appears without the conversion move order, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: same-color bishop ending
Show answer
Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bf5 Bd3.
Why this position is here: Bishop Pawn and King is represented by same-color bishop ending. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8 b - - 1 1
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this bishop pawn and king position?
Answer cue: Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bf5 Bd3. The first candidate to test is Bf5. Replay Bf5 Bd3 on board anchor 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-2: same-color bishop ending
Show answer
Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bd7.
Why this position is here: Bishop Pawn and King is represented by same-color bishop ending. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 2b4k/8/8/5p2/2K5/1B6/8/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 2b4k/8/8/5p2/2K5/1B6/8/8 b - - 3 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this bishop pawn and king position?
Answer cue: Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bd7. The first candidate to test is Bd7. Replay Bd7 on board anchor 2b4k/8/8/5p2/2K5/1B6/8/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-3: same-color bishop ending
Show answer
Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bd3+ Kxd3.
Why this position is here: Bishop Pawn and King is represented by same-color bishop ending. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/5p2/8/8/4K3/8/2B5/5b2; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/5p2/8/8/4K3/8/2B5/5b2 b - - 5 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this bishop pawn and king position?
Answer cue: Bishop Pawn and King: compare the fixed pawn color with the bishop's useful diagonals before exchanging. Candidate line: Bd3+ Kxd3. The first candidate to test is Bd3+. Replay Bd3+ Kxd3 on board anchor 7k/5p2/8/8/4K3/8/2B5/5b2 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
Reading the line
Read the first example (id example-1) as a complete record: continuation Bf5 Bd3, source tablebase. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/5p2/4b3/8/8/5K2/2B5/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram. If A does not expose same-color bishop ending, correct the evidence before relying on the prose.
Read the second example (id example-2) separately: continuation Bd7, source tablebase. Its feature is same-color bishop ending; inventory side Black; pieces Black bishop c8, Black king h8, Black pawn f5, White king c4, White bishop b3; legal first moves Bd7, Be6+, Bb7, Ba6+, Kh7, Kg7, Kg8, f4. Compare what changes between Bf5 and Bd7.
Boundary cases
The main mistake to avoid with Bishop Pawn and King is applying a remembered endgame rule while ignoring side to move, king placement or an unverified result. In A, the missing condition must be located in r1:7k | r2:5p2 | r3:4b3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:5K2 | r7:2B5 | r8:8 after Bf5; in B, test it against r1:2b4k | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:5p2 | r5:2K5 | r6:1B6 | r7:8 | r8:8 after Bd7.
For Bishop Pawn and King, the first board's evidence boundary (after Bf5) is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. The second board's evidence boundary for Bishop Pawn and King is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. If a trusted source or careful calculation changes the conclusion around an outside passer used as a decoy, update both the evidence record and this article.
Practice from a real game
play the position for both sides, record the critical tempo, and verify the exact FEN against the cited tablebase before publication. Start with A's side to move and r1:7k | r2:5p2 | r3:4b3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:5K2 | r7:2B5 | r8:8; record two candidates, the reply to Bf5 Bd3 and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:2b4k | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:5p2 | r5:2K5 | r6:1B6 | r7:8 | r8:8; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Knight And Rook Pawn, King Activity In Endgames, Pawn Endgame Calculation through the conversion move order. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line Bd7; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Bishop Pawn and King: Syzygy tablebase verification reference, 1chess.online editorial scope. Source ids are tablebase, original-analysis. Primary evidence hook: tablebase. Comparisons and practice notes are editorial. Evidence revision: 2026-08-remediation-r2.
Scope note for board pair r1:7k | r2:5p2 | r3:4b3 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:5K2 | r7:2B5 | r8:8 / r1:2b4k | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:5p2 | r5:2K5 | r6:1B6 | r7:8 | r8:8: this page does not claim that Bf5 Bd3 is an engine principal variation, that an exact endgame result is verified when the evidence says it is not, or that a tool output replaces human calculation. The conclusion is limited to the recorded boundary and the exception the active rook before the pawn push.