What does white do?

What does white do?

(This is not a game in progress!)

1. Kf1 h3
2. Nf2+ Kh2
3. Ne4 Kh1
4. Kf2 Kh2 ( if h2 then 5. Ng3# )
5. Nd2 Kh1
6. Nf1 h2
7. Ng3#

Only 4. Ne4 is slightly difficult to find

Originally posted by Fat Lady
1. Kf1 h3
2. Nf2+ Kh2
3. Ne4 Kh1
4. Kf2 Kh2 ( if h2 then 5. Ng3# )
5. Nd2 Kh1
6. Nf1 h2
7. Ng3#

Only 4. Ne4 is slightly difficult to find

wow... fair play.

'that' is the reason I will never be a brilliant chess player 😞

Originally posted by onyx2006
wow... fair play.

'that' is the reason I will never be a brilliant chess player 😞

Nonsense. Next time you see this puzzle (or, heaven forbid, you actually achieve it in a real game) you will remember that the secret is to end up forcing your opponent to trap himself with his own pawn in the corner and that your knight must be in a position to deliver mate when this happens. After that it is surprisingly easy to work out the details.

Originally posted by Fat Lady
1. Kf1 h3
2. Nf2+ Kh2
3. Ne4 Kh1
4. Kf2 Kh2 ( if h2 then 5. Ng3# )
5. Nd2 Kh1
6. Nf1 h2
7. Ng3#

Only 4. Ne4 is slightly difficult to find

Interesting.

Originally posted by Red Night
Interesting.

It is, isn't it?
The dogma that one cannot win with only a knight, that a knight only can at best give a draw, isn't true in all positions!
One can actually win with a sole knight, if you only have a opponents pawn to your aid!

Originally posted by FabianFnas
It is, isn't it?
The dogma that one cannot win with only a knight, that a knight only can at best give a draw, isn't true in all positions!
One can actually win with a sole knight, if you only have a opponents pawn to your aid!

It was nice to see an interesting puzzle in the chess forums.

Thanks Fabian

When are you going to bring back move-a-day?

Originally posted by Red Night
It was nice to see an interesting puzzle in the chess forums.

Thanks Fabian

When are you going to bring back move-a-day?

I could have placed the puzzle in the "Posers and Puzzle" forum but then I would hint that it actually was a puzzle. In the "Chess Only" forum it could have been a position in a common game and I was seeking advice about it.

You liked the "A move a day" thread, didn't you? I did too. But I had time to do this in those days, I don't have the time needed now, I'm afraid.

The "A move a day" thread ( Thread 42736 ) was just an demonstration what I really wanted from the RHP staff. A set up game between two of RHPs top notch players, playing a move a day for us to comment, despite it was a game in progress. I posed this idea at "Site Idea" forum at Thread 42150 and I still am up to this idea!

Originally posted by FabianFnas
[fen]8/8/8/8/6Np/8/5K2/7k[/fen]

What does white do?

(This is not a game in progress!)

but why cant black just push its pawn up???

{see next post}

Originally posted by EmLasker
but why cant black just push its pawn up???

Black is moving down the board here. And Black does indeed move his pawn with 1 ... h3. Then ... h2 is discussed as an option later.

If the board were flipped but the pieces remained in the same positions, it's a draw--White just can't get the Black king trapped in front of his pawn.

Another one of my favourites is this:



What does white do?

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Nonsense. Next time you see this puzzle (or, heaven forbid, you actually achieve it in a real game) you will remember that the secret is to end up forcing your opponent to trap himself with his own pawn in the corner and that your knight must be in a position to deliver mate when this happens. After that it is surprisingly easy to work out the details.

OK - I'll note this advice and later on I'll try to solve it without looking at the solution!

Originally posted by FabianFnas
It is, isn't it?
The dogma that one cannot win with only a knight, that a knight only can at best give a draw, isn't true in all positions!
One can actually win with a sole knight, if you only have a opponents pawn to your aid!

And something similar gave rise to an argument in a tournament (with a cash prize) when there was only two kings and a knight on the board. The player without the knight was timed out and claimed a draw as the opponent had insufficient material to mate. The player with the knight claimed a win because checkmate is still possible (even though it requires a mistake from the opponent). In the end the aribiter called it a draw as it wasn't possible to "force" a checkmate.

1. Kb4 Kxa6
2. Rh5 Ka7
if 2. ... Ra7 then 3. Bxb5++
3. Rxb5 Ka6
4. Rb7++

nice puzzle aldso :-)