Opposite-Colored Bishop Endgames: Practical Winning Techniques by Blohberger and Basso
The saying goes: "opposite-colored bishops draw." Yet GM Felix Blohberger recently won a tournament game from two pawns down in precisely this type of ending. His opponent knew the general rule but missed the specific condition—fortress construction requires exact piece coordination, not just material count. This gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application inspired Blohberger and GM Pier Luigi Basso to create a course built around positional precision rather than abstract principles.
Beyond the Drawish Reputation
The course reframes opposite-colored bishop endgames through critical questions: when does the defending king stand close enough? Which color complex will be the breakthrough on? When does the pawn sacrifice create unstoppable threats? Blohberger delivers ten instructive positions isolating fortress mechanics—the exact squares that separate holding patterns from collapsing defenses. Basso adds five "Magical Endgames"—complex studies that challenge players to find the precise winning path where standard plans fail. The practical component comes from GM Andrea Stella, who analyzes eleven real tournament games where players faced these decisions under clock pressure.
This approach complements the authors' previous collaboration, Bishop Endgames - Essential Knowledge for the Practical Player, which covered same-colored bishop techniques. Together, the courses provide complete bishop endgame mastery—same-colored bishops where they compete for the same squares, and opposite-colored positions where control over the position, not material count, determines the result.
Course Features:
- 10 Chapters with core positional principles
- 5 Endgame-studies as test positions
- 11 Practical lessons by GM Andrea Stella
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Start converting "drawish" endgames into tournament points. Explore Opposite-Colored Bishop Endgames and learn when fortresses hold—and when they collapse.
INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHORS
Most endgame courses look boring. A lot of positions, a lot of moves. Impossible to remember.
This course is different. Very different.
Opposite-colored bishop endgames are called “drawish.” People say it all the time.
And yet tournaments are decided there.
Why? Because players don’t really understand them. They guess. They simplify. They hope.
We don’t hope.
You will learn when a fortress is real. When it’s fake. When two extra pawns mean nothing. And when one precise move wins the game.
GM Felix Blohberger gives you the core knowledge — clean, essential, powerful.
GM Pier Luigi Basso shows five Magical Endgames — positions that you will never forget.
And for the first time, we add a full Practical Session.
GM Andrea Stella brings eleven real tournament battles.
No theory talk. Real pressure. Real decisions. Real results.
This is not an academic course.
It’s an advantage.
When you reach these endings, you won’t guess.
You’ll know.