"thinking the knight is difficult for me..."
This was dropped on me a few years ago.
The Black Queen NEVER moves. The Knight cannot take the Queen
nor can the Knight move onto a square attacked by the Queen.
Set up on full sized board - do it in your head for full benefit.
Get the Knight from b1 to c1.
Having acheived this. (eventually). Test it by moving the Knight.
Remember the Knight must never land on a square attacked by the Queen.
You should now have this.
Again in your head get the Knight from c1 to e1
Then from e1 to f1 till you cover the whole first rank.
Ignoring of course a1, d1 and g1 as these are all attacked by the Queen.
Then from here get the Knight to a2 and from there to c2. etc
going along each rank left to right landing on an unattacked square
in that order left to right. (you can skip the 4th rank).
You have to clear the whole board in that order ending up on g8 (h8 is attacked)
Do each mini-test in your head. Some are 5 seconds solutions, others......
It will most likely drive you insane but when they lock you up you will
have mastered the Knight Move.
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Edit: (The Blog: How do I do it?) I dropped this exact postion like this into the DB
with 1-0 + mate. and said; "Go find."
I then moved the pattern along the ranks and switched the Knight about
then I did the same with Black (0-1 + mate).
I found at least one example from each set postiton in some cases dozens.
But the rest is me. That game where I am figuring out what is in the player's heads.
(see below) You won't get that from a DB. That's me and my experienced
eye stepping in. Right or wrong I'm offering the reasons why.
Lifted from the Blog.
mrshogi - Imnotkasparov RHP 2005
Where we back track seven moves before the mate and see what is going
on in both players minds.
[FEN "3q2k1/1b1n1pp1/4p1p1/3pP1N1/2pP4/2P5/r1B1QP1P/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Nxf7 {Tricky dicky. 1...Kxf7 Bxg6+ and Qxa2. Fair swap, Rook and two pawns for two pieces. Black throws in a spoiler.} 1... Rxc2 2. Nxd8 Rxe2 3. Nxb7 Rc2 {This is where Black's analysis stopped. He picks off the c3 pawn and his c-pawn is the candidate for promotion. } 4. Ra1 Rxc3 5. Ra8+ {6...Kh7 (best) 7.Nd8, the Knight nicks the e6 pawn and White's e-pawn is also a candidate. Black is having none of that.} 5... Kf7 6. Nd6+ {He's hooked, there is no escape.} 6... Ke7 7. Re8