White must get his king to h6. So 1. Kh2 Kf2 (1. ... Be6 would allow 2. Kg3 and now white easily gets to h6 via black squares) 2. Kh3 Kf3 3. Kh4 Kf4 5. Kh5 Kf5 6. Kh6 Kf6 and now white can simply move his knight from h8 to g6 and back. If black moves his bishop, white captures on h7 and Black's king can't get close enough to protect the pawn.
The white king is not in a safe corner and can not build a fortress. The knight is immobile. If he gives the knight to the pawn the pawn becomes stronger. The knight is the only piece on the board that can not triangulate, even if he could move. The black king maintains opposition to f6, but the pawn can't take the knight after Ng6. So white can draw the position due to this stalemate trick. The king can not be forced to move from h6, blocking the pawns advance. The knight can also check the king forcing him to block the bishops escape. The irony of this puzzle is that the knight looks weak on first impression, and is in fact a symbol of strength. Another irony is that the knight is able to reverse the opposition because of the stalemate threat. So this demonstrates that a knight can triangulate!! Excellent!!
Originally posted by petrovitch The white king is not in a safe corner and can not build a fortress. The knight is immobile. If he gives the knight to the pawn the pawn becomes stronger. The knight is the only piece on the board that can not triangulate, even if he could move. The black king maintains opposition to f6, but the pawn can't take the knight after Ng6. So white can draw ...[text shortened]... e of the stalemate threat. So this demonstrates that a knight can triangulate!! Excellent!!
Liboerkin, 1950. A genious in making strong points with reduced material.
This is a pretty good one. But it wasn't very hard if you know about all that insufficient material stuff... the pawn can't ever be exchanged if black wants to win.
I can't see the save for white...he can hold a bit without moving his pawns, moving his king on h3 and g2 so as not to give away the critical f4 square, for example :
1.Kh3 Kf5
2.Kg2 h4
3.Kh3 and here hxg3 doesn't work but the waiting move Ke5! looks decisive, setting a zugzwang :
3...Ke5
4.Kg2 hxg3
5.Kxg3 Kf5
6.Kg2 Kf4
7.Kf2 c5 and white king loses the opposition and the game...
Originally posted by shorbock I can't see the save for white...he can hold a bit without moving his pawns, moving his king on h3 and g2 so as not to give away the critical f4 square, for example :
1.Kh3 Kf5
2.Kg2 h4
3.Kh3 and here hxg3 doesn't work but the waiting move Ke5! looks decisive, setting a zugzwang :
3...Ke5
4.Kg2 hxg3
5.Kxg3 Kf5
6.Kg2 Kf4
7.Kf2 c5 and white king loses the opposition and the game...
Did i miss something?
No, I screwed up...the black king is supposed to be on e6. 😳
EDIT: but as the position is I would play g4+ after Kh3.
endgame
24 Mar '08 13:33
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