CBM Blog: The Fortress and a Cavalry Attack

by ChessBase
8/17/2011 – This all sounds very militaristic, but after all chess was originally a war game. Our endgame expert Dr. Karsten Müller gives us a lesson in the art of battle on the chessboard, with the construction of a fortress and a cavalry attack by a lone knight. The examples come from the Women's Grand Prix that just ended in Rostov, where the strongest female players gave us these valuable lessons.
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The Fortress

One of the main weapons of a knight against a bishop is the construction of a fortress.

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 Bf5 5.Nh4 Bg6 6.Qb3 Qc7 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.g3 e6 9.Bg2 Nbd7 10.0-0 Be7 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 e5 14.Be3 exd4 15.Bxd4 0-0 16.Bg2 Bc5 17.Bc3 Rad8 18.Qa4 Nf6 19.b4 Bd4 20.Bxd4 Rxd4 21.Qxa7 Rxc4 22.Rab1 Qb8 23.Qxb8 Rxb8 24.a4 Ne4 25.a5 Nd2 26.Rfc1 Nxb1 27.Rxc4 Rd8 28.Rc1 Na3 29.a6 bxa6 30.Rxc6 Nb1 31.Bf1 Rb8 32.Bc4 Nd2 33.Bd5 Rxb4 34.Rxa6 Rb8 35.Ra7 Rf8 36.Rb7 Rd8 37.Bxf7+ Kh7 38.Rb4 Rd4 39.Rxd4 Nf3+ 40.Kg2 Nxd4 41.h4 Kh6 42.f4 Nf5 43.Kh3 Kh7 44.g4 Nd6 45.Bd5 Kh8 46.Kg3 Nc8 47.Kf3 Ne7 48.Bb3 Kh7 49.Ke4 Nc6 50.Kd5 Nb8 51.Kd6 Na6 52.Bc2 Kh6 53.Be4 Nb4 54.Ke7 Na2 55.Kf7 Kh7 56.Bxg6+ Kh8 57.Bc2 Nc3 58.f5 Nd5 59.g5 Nf4 60.Be4 Nh5 61.Bf3 Nf4 62.Bg4 Nd3 63.Kf8? Ne5!
64.Bf3 64.f6 gxf6 65.gxf6 Nxg4 66.f7 Ne5 67.Ke8 Nxf7 68.Kxf7 Kh7= 64.Bh5 Ng6+ 65.Kf7 Nxh4 66.Bg4 Kh7 67.Bh5 67.Ke6 Ng6= 67...Kh8 After 67...Nxf5? 68.Bg6+ Kh8 69.Bxf5 Black has to open the gate: g6 70.Kxg6+- 68.f6 gxf6 69.gxf6 Nf5 70.Kg6 Nd6= 64...Ng6+ 64...Nxf3? 65.f6 gxf6 66.g6+- 65.Ke8 Nxh4 66.Be4 It seems that White has won the domination duel. But this is deceptive... 66.f6 gxf6 67.gxf6 Ng6 68.Kf7 Ne5+ 69.Ke8 Ng6 70.Bh5 Ne5 71.Ke7 Kg8 72.Ke6 Nc6= 66...Ng6‼ The point of Ruan Lufei's defence. 67.Kf7 67.fxg6 Kg8 68.Ke7 Kh8= is a secure fortress. 67...Nf4 68.Ke7 68.Bg2 Nh5 68...Nxg2?? 69.f6 gxf6 70.g6+- 69.Ke7 Nf4 70.Bf1 Nd5+ 71.Ke6 71.Ke8 Nf4= 71...Nf4+ 72.Ke5 Ng6+= 68...Nh3 69.g6 Nf4! Surprisingly even 69...Nf2?! saves the day in a study like way: 70.f6 70.Bf3 Nd3 71.f6 Ne5 71...gxf6? 72.Kf8+- 72.f7 Nd7 73.Bc6 Nf8 74.Be4 Ne6= 74...Nxg6+? 75.Ke8 Nf8 76.Kxf8+- 70...Nxe4 71.f7 Nf6 72.f8Q+ Ng8+ and White must either allow stalemate or the fortress 73.Qxg8+ Kxg8= 70.Kf7 70.f6 Nxg6+ 71.Bxg6 gxf6= 70.Bf3 Nd5+= 70...Nh5 71.Bd5 Nf6 72.Be6 Ng8 73.Kf8 Nf6 74.Ke7 Ne4 75.Bd5 Nf6 76.Bf3 Ng8+ 77.Ke6 Nf6 78.Bc6 Nh5 79.Be8 Nf6 80.Bf7 Nh5 81.Ke5 Nf6 82.Bb3 Nd7+ 83.Kd6 Nf6 84.Ke5 Nd7+ 85.Ke6 Nf6 86.Bc4 Ng8 87.Bd5 Nf6 88.Bf3 Ng8 89.Bd1 Nf6 90.Kf7 Ng8 91.Ke6 Nf6 92.Bb3 Ng8 93.Bc4 Nf6 94.Kd6 Nh5 95.Ke5 Nf6 96.Kf4 Nd5+ 97.Kg5 Nf6 98.Kf4 Nd5+ ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Stefanova,A2524Ruan Lufei2479½–½2011D11Rostov Women GP1

Cavalry Attack

Usually a bishop is more mobile than a knight. But there are exceptions to almost every rule in chess. Here White's knight performs real wonders and seems to be present almost everywhere on the board.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Bg5 Qd6 7.Nbd2 Be6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Nc4 Bxc4 10.dxc4 Rg8 11.0-0 0-0-0 12.Qe2 Qe6 13.Rad1 Qg4 14.g3 f5 15.Rxd8+ Rxd8 16.Re1 f6 17.Kg2 fxe4 18.Qxe4 Qxe4 19.Rxe4 Rd1 20.Re1 Rxe1 21.Nxe1 Kd7 22.Nd3 Bf8 23.g4 Ke6 24.f4 e4 25.f5+ Kd6 26.Nf4 Bh6 27.Ne6 Be3 28.Kf1 b5 29.b3 bxc4 30.bxc4 h6 31.Ke2 Bc1 32.h3 Bg5 33.Kf2 Bc1 34.Kg3 Be3 35.Kg2 Bc1 36.Kf2 Bd2 37.Kg3 Be3 38.a4 a5 39.Kg2 Bc1 40.Kf2 Bd2 41.Nd4 Bc3 42.Ne6 Bd2 43.Ke2 Bg5 44.Ke1 Be3 45.Kd1 Bg5 46.Ke2 Bc1 47.h4 Bb2 48.Ke3 Ke5
49.Nd8! 49.Nxc7? Bc1+ 50.Kf2 Kf4= 49...Bd4+ 49...Bc1+ 50.Ke2 Kf4 does not defend due to 51.Nxc6 Ba3 51...Kxg4 52.Nxa5 Bf4 53.Nb7+- 52.Nxa5 Bc5 52...Kxg4 53.Nb3 Bb4 54.a5 Bxa5 55.Nxa5 Kxh4 56.Ke3 h5 57.Nb3 Kg4 58.Kxe4+- 53.Nb3 Ba7 54.Nd2! White must deal with the counterplay first. Bb6 54...Kxg4 55.Nxe4 Kxf5 56.Kf3 Ke5 57.a5+- 54...e3 55.Nf1 Kxg4 56.Nxe3+ Kxh4 57.a5 Kg3 58.Nd5 h5 59.Nxf6 Kf4 60.Nd5+ Kxf5 61.Nxc7+- 55.h5 Kxg4 55...c5 can even be met by the following amazing computer line: 56.Nxe4 Kxe4 57.g5+- 56.Nxe4 Kxf5 57.Kf3 Ke5 58.Nd2 Kf5 58...Kd4 59.a5 Ba7 60.Ne4+- 59.Nb3 Kg5 60.a5 Ba7 61.c3 Kxh5 62.Nd4+- 49...Kd6 50.Kxe4+- 50.Ke2 Bc5 51.Nf7+ The greedy 51.Nxc6+? wins the bishop quickly but loses control, e.g. Kf4 52.Nxa5 Kxg4 53.Nb3 Ba7 54.a5 Kxf5 55.a6 Kg4 56.Na5 f5 57.Nc6 Bc5 58.a7 Bxa7 59.Nxa7 Kxh4= 51...Kf4 52.Nxh6 Bf8 52...e3 53.h5 Bf8 54.Ng8 Kxg4 55.Nxf6+ Kxf5 56.Nd7 Bh6 57.Nc5 Ke5 58.Nb3 Kd6 59.Nxa5 Kc5 60.Kd3 Kb4 61.Nxc6+ Kxa4 62.Nd4+- 53.Ng8 Kxg4 54.Nxf6+ Kxf5 54...Kxh4?! 55.Nd7+- 55.Nd7 Be7 55...Bg7 56.Nb8 Ke6 57.h5 Kd6 57...Bh6 58.Nxc6 Kd6 59.Nxa5 Kc5 60.c3 Bf4 61.Nb3+ Kxc4 62.Nd2+ Kxc3 63.a5+- 58.Ke3 Kc5 59.Kxe4 Bh6 60.Ke5 Bd2 60...Kb4 61.Nxc6+ Kxa4 62.Kd5 Bd2 63.c3 Bf4 64.c5 Kb5 65.Nd4+ Ka6 66.Ne6 Bc1 67.Kc6+- 61.Ke6 Kb4 61...Kxc4 62.Nxc6 Kc5 63.Kd7 Kb6 64.Nd4 Bf4 65.c4 Bh6 66.Ne6+- 62.Nxc6+ Kxa4 63.Kd7 Bf4 64.Ne7 Ka3 65.Nd5 Be5 66.Ke6 Bg7 67.c5 a4 67...c6 68.Kd6 cxd5 69.c6+- 68.Nxc7 Kb4 69.c6 a3 70.Nd5+ Kb5 71.c7+- 56.h5 Ke6 56...Kg5 57.Ne5 Bb4 57...Kxh5 58.Nxc6 Bb4 59.Nxb4 axb4 60.a5+- 58.Nxc6 Bc3 59.Ke3 Kxh5 60.Kxe4 Kg5 61.Kd5 Kf6 62.Kc5 Ke6 63.Kb5+- 57.Nb8 Kd6 58.h6 Bf6 59.h7 Bd4 60.Na6 Ke7 61.Nc5 Bh8 62.Nb7 What a knight! 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • 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.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Muzychuk,A2538Ruan Lufei24791–02011C65Rostov Women GP9

Since 1988 grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller from Hamburg has been playing for the Hamburger Schachklub in the Bundesliga, and in 1996 and 1997 he finished third in the German Championship. As an internationally renowned endgame expert he is the author of the endgame column in the ChessBase Magazine and the author of the Endgame Corner column on ChessCafe.com.

You will find a whole series of his very popular endgame DVD in the ChessBase Shop here.

Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

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