CBM Blog: Knight Geometry and the Fourth Phase of the Game

by ChessBase
7/5/2011 – How to get rid of the annoying pin: 70.Nxf7 or 70.Rxg5+? One move saves the day, one runs into a beautiful refutation. In his second example our endgame specialist Dr Karsten Müller explains that after the opening, middlegame and endgame, both sides can queen and start the fourth phase of the game. There's a lot to learn from these grandmaster instructions.
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Knight Geometry

How to get rid of the annoying pin: with 70.Nxf7 or with 70.Rxg5+.

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1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 a6 4.h4 b5 5.h5 b4 6.Nd5 Bb7 7.h6 Bf8 8.Bf4 d6 9.Bd3 e6 10.Ne3 Nf6 11.Bg5 Be7 12.f3 Nbd7 13.Qd2 a5 14.0-0-0 0-0 15.Bf4 c5 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.Bc4 Qb6 18.Nh3 Rfd8 19.Qe2 a4 20.Kb1 d5 21.exd5 exd5 22.Ng4 Re8 23.Bb5 Bc6 24.Bxc6 Qxc6 25.Bg5 Ncd7 26.Qd3 b3 27.Nxf6+ Bxf6 28.Bxf6 Qxf6 29.cxb3 axb3 30.a3 Ne5 31.Qxd5 Rad8 32.Qxb3 Rb8 33.Qc3 Rec8 34.Qd4 Rc4 35.Qd6 Rxb2+ 36.Ka1 Qxd6 37.Rxd6 Rb8 38.Rhd1 Rcc8 39.Rb1 Ra8 40.Rb3 Rc1+ 41.Kb2 Re1 42.Rd5 Re2+ 43.Ka1 Nc4 44.Nf4 Rf2 45.Rbd3 Kf8 46.Rd8+ Rxd8 47.Rxd8+ Ke7 48.Rh8 g5 49.Nd5+ Ke6 50.Nc7+ Kf6 51.Rxh7 Rxg2 52.Nd5+ Ke5 53.Ne7 Ke6 54.Nc6 Kf6 55.a4 Rf2 56.Nd8 Ne5 57.Rh8 Rxf3 58.h7 Rh3 59.a5 Ng6 60.Re8 Ra3+ 61.Kb2 Rxa5 62.h8Q+ Nxh8 63.Rxh8 Rc5 64.Rg8 Rc7 65.Kb3 Kf5 66.Rg7 Kf6 67.Rg8 Rc8 68.Rf8 Kg6 69.Rg8+ Kf5
70.Nxf7? runs into a beautiful refutation. 70.Rxg5+!? Kxg5 71.Nxf7+ Kf6 72.Nd6! saves the day as the knight joins forces with its king. But not 72.Nh6? Ke5! 73.Nf7+ Kd5 when the dominated steed will be caught sooner or later, e.g. 74.Kb4 Rf8 75.Ng5 Rf5 76.Nh3 Kd4 77.Ng1 Ke3 78.Nh3 Rh5 79.Ng1 Rh1-+ 72...Rc6 73.Nc4= 70...Rxg8 71.Nh6+ Ke6 72.Nxg8 g4 A tragicomical picture. White's king is just outside of the square and his knight is just not in time to catch the pawn. 73.Nh6 g3 74.Ng4 g2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tesik,C2299Chernyshov,K25640–12011B06XXX Zalakaros Open9

The Fourth Phase of the Game

After the opening, middlegame and endgame when both sides queen the fourth phase of the game starts. Alekhine had several instructive examples. The side which can give the first check usually wins resp the side with the safer king:

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1.Nf3 b6 2.c4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.e4 c5 5.g3 Nf6 6.Qe2 Bd6 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.0-0 Ng4 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxg4 0-0 12.Qd1 e5 13.Be3 Bc5 14.Ne2 Ne6 15.Qd2 Qe7 16.Rfd1 d6 17.Rac1 Rac8 18.b3 h5 19.Nc3 h4 20.Nb5 f5 21.exf5 Nd4 22.Bxd4 exd4 23.Re1 Qd7 24.Nxd4 Bxg2 25.Kxg2 Bxd4 26.Qxd4 Qxf5 27.Qd5+ Qxd5+ 28.cxd5 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 h3+ 30.Kxh3 Rxf2 31.a4 Rb2 32.Rc3 Kf7 33.Rc7+ Kf6 34.Rxa7 Rxb3 35.Rd7 Rb4 36.Rxd6+ Kf5 37.Rd7 g5 38.g4+ Ke4 39.d6 Rd4 40.Re7+ Kf4 41.Rf7+ Ke5 42.Rf5+ Kxd6 43.Rxg5 Rxa4 44.Rf5 Ra8 45.Kg3 Rb8 46.h4 b5 47.h5 b4 48.h6 b3 49.g5 b2 50.Rf1 Ke7 51.g6 Rb6 52.g7 Rg6+ 53.Kh4 Rxh6+ 54.Kg5 Rh2 55.Kg6 Rg2+ 56.Kh7 Rh2+ 57.Kg8 Ke8 58.Re1+ Kd7 59.Rd1+ Ke8 60.Rf1 Ke7 61.Rf7+ Kd8 62.Kf8
The Fourth Phase of the Game. After the opening, middlegame and endgame when both sides queen the fourth phase of the game starts. Alekhine had several instructive examples. The side which can give the first check usually wins resp the side with the safer king: 62...b1Q! The line that results after 62...Rg2? 63.Rf1! Rf2+ 64.Rxf2 b1Q 65.g8Q is winning for White, e.g. Qb7 66.Qg5+ Kc8 67.Rc2+ Kb8 68.Qd8+ Ka7 69.Ra2+ Qa6 70.Qc7+ Ka8 71.Rxa6# 63.g8Q Qb5! and surprisingly White can not win But not 63...Qb2? when the main guideline can be applied that the side that can give the first check wins: 64.Qg5+ Kc8 65.Qc5+ Kb8 66.Qc7+ Ka8 67.Qa7# 63...Qb4+?? too, is self-defeating: 64.Kg7+ Qf8+ 65.Qxf8# 64.Kg7+ 64.Qg7?? Qe8# 64...Qe8 65.Qxe8+ 65.Rf8 Rg2+ 66.Kh8 Rxg8+ 67.Kxg8= ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Papin,V2565Savchenko,B2630½–½2011A1764th ch-RUS HL2
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