HORSES FOR COURSES

In THE DANCING KNIGHT’S ‘WALK IN THE PARK’, we saw the amount of mayhem a knight can cause. To explore the beauty of knight maneuvers further, let’s have a look at this fantastic example from the book Practical chess Endings by Irving Chernev. (Created by A.S.Gurevich in 1927)

WHITE TO PLAY & WIN

At first it appears that white can’t prevent the black g pawn from queening. But there is a way…

1.    Ne4         

Now 1. … g1=Q is not possible due to 2. Nf2+. But black responds with

1.    …             Nd3!               

Protecting the f2 square.

          

What can white do now? 2.Qxd3 leaves him with an insufficient material advantage after the queening of the g pawn. 

White finds the only path to victory which is breathtaking as well as beautiful.

2.    Qf2 !!

This brilliant move wins it for white. Try to analyze until the end on your own.

2.    …             Nxf2

Why not? 2. … g1=Q loses to 3.Ng3+ while 2. … Nf1 is also hopeless after 3.Qh4+

3.    Ng3+        Kg1

Now comes the crowning move…

4.    Ng5 !

A ZUGZWANG !!!

Magnificent end to a brilliant combination. Black is forced to move a Knight & then he gets mated by a Knight check either on f3 or h3.

(For those who don’t know what Zugzwang means, it is a situation where the player who has the move is at a disadvantage because he has to move. Just look at the last position again. If Black can pass his move, then he won’t get mated. He loses because he has to move a piece. Read more about Zugzwang here.)     


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