Games

/

Entertainment

White to Play

Pete Tamburro on

Published in Chess Puzzles

We'll call this the Knight Before Christmas puzzle. All White has to do is figure out a way to force the black knight off attacking b8.


A study by J.Kling, 1867: 1. Nb4 (Another way, same idea is 1. Ka8 Kd5 2. Nb4+ Ke6 3. Nd3 Kd6 4. Ne1 Kc7 5. Ka7! Kc6 6. Nf3 Kd6 7. Ng5 Ke7 8. Ne4 Kd8 9. Nc5) 1... Kc7 (1... Ke7 2. Nd5+ Kd8 3. Nb6 Kc7 4. Nxd7 Kxd7 5. b8=Q or 1... Ke5 2. Nd3+ Kd4 3.Nf4 Ke5 4. Ng6+ Kd5 5. Ka8 [5. Ne7+ Kc5 6. Nf5 Kc6 7. Nh4 Kb5 8. Ng6 Ka5 9. Nf8] 5... Nb6+ 6. Kb8 Nd7+ 7. Kc8 Kc6 8. Nf8) 2. Nd5+ Kc6 3. Nf6 Nxf6 4. b8=Q There were many variations, but as you can see from the solution, what White has to do is figure out the knight path necessary, no matter how much it wanders away from the scene of the action, to attack the black knight. No matter how hard the black king tries it can't prevent it. Such a simple looking position, yet a great creative idea in a very practical position.

 


Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.

 

 

Comics

Pedro X. Molina Kevin Siers Dustin Poorly Drawn Lines Spectickles Darrin Bell