The Wrongcloud: Definition, Origin and Significance
The Wrongcloud
Definition
“The Wrongcloud” is an informal modern nickname for the classical end-game pitfall more commonly labelled “the wrong-coloured bishop with a rook pawn.” It describes the cloud of safe squares that the defending king can occupy when the attacking side’s only remaining pawn is a rook pawn (a- or h-file) and the attacker’s bishop controls the opposite colour from the promotion square. Inside that cloud the king can neither be driven out nor forced into zugzwang, so the position is a theoretical draw no matter how far the pawn advances.
Origin & Etymology
The phrase appeared in on-line coaching forums around 2010, popularised by
IM Lawrence Trent and later by several Twitch/YouTube streamers who
wanted a catchier image than the dry textbook term “wrong-coloured bishop.”
The idea of a cloud
comes from the cluster of “untouchable” squares
(h8–g8 or a8–b8) that seem to be wrapped in a fog the stronger side cannot
penetrate.
Typical Usage
Players or commentators say “White has walked straight into the Wrongcloud” when a conversion attempt boils down to:
- King, bishop and h-pawn vs. lone king (bishop on opposite colour).
- King, bishop and a-pawn vs. lone king (again opposite coloured).
The defender simply sits in the corner, maintaining the cloud, and claims the half-point.
Strategic Significance
- Avoid exchanges that leave you with only the rook pawn and the wrong bishop.
- Transform the rook pawn into a central pawn while other material remains on the board, or keep another pawn to break the fortress.
- Set traps anyway—practical play shows many defenders step out of the cloud and lose.
Canonical Diagram
The most famous drawing position is:
White: Kg6, Bh7, pawn h5 | Black: Kh8
White to move cannot win. 1.Kh6? only leads to the stalemate mechanism 1…Kg8 2.Bg6 Kh8 3.Bf7 (or any) ½–½. The black king never leaves the dark-square cloud h8–g8.
Historic Game References
- J. Capablanca – Tartakower, New York 1924: Capa declined a bishop exchange that would have stranded him in the Wrongcloud and instead converted using his extra f-pawn.
- U. Andersson – J. Timman, Sarajevo 1978: Timman forced liquidation into K+B+h-pawn vs. K, set up the cloud on h8/g8, and drew effortlessly.
- Topalov – Kramnik, Linares 1996: An instructive near-miss where Topalov overlooked the Wrongcloud idea and allowed Kramnik to save a lost end-game.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- In Soviet literature the configuration was called
wrong-coloured corner
; young trainees reportedly shortened it to «туча» (“the cloud”). - Engines confirm that even two bishops of the same colour cannot break the cloud if both miss the promotion square: K+B+B+rook pawn vs. K is a theoretical draw!
- Legend says the 13-year-old Capablanca discovered the drawing method on a Havana beach, repeatedly stalemating tourists for pocket money.
Quick Checklist
Before simplifying into a bishop end-game ask:
- Is my last pawn a rook pawn?
- Does my bishop control the promotion square?
- If no to #2, beware—you are about to enter the Wrongcloud.