CBM Endgame training: Which way to go + knight tactics

by ChessBase
11/5/2011 – GM Karsten Müller's endgame instructions in ChessBase Magazine are extremely popular, and earning numerous players quite a few additional rating points in practical tournament play. Today Dr Müller concentrates turns his attention to knight manoeuvres, with examples derived from recent international games. This a free weekend lesson in endgame technique.
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Which way to go?

The knight has to take a fateful decision: which path should it take to stop the black pawns?

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6 6.0-0 d6 7.c3 Be6 8.Qb3 Qe7 9.d3 Nf6 10.Na3 0-0 11.Nc2 Bxc4 12.Qxc4 Qe6 13.Qxe6 fxe6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Nxe3 Nh5 16.Ra2 Nf4 17.Ne1 g5 18.g3 Nh5 19.Ng4 Kg7 20.Kg2 Nf6 21.Nxf6 Kxf6 22.Nc2 a5 23.b5 Nb8 24.Ne3 Nd7 25.d4 Ke7 26.Rd1 c6 27.bxc6 bxc6 28.Rb2 Rab8 29.Rdb1 exd4 30.cxd4 d5 31.Rb7 Rxb7 32.Rxb7 Rb8 33.Ra7 Rb4 34.Ng4 Kd8 35.exd5 exd5 36.Rxa5 Rxd4 37.Ne3 c5 38.Ra8+ Kc7 39.Ra7+ Kc8 40.Nf5 Rd1 41.Nd6+ Kd8 42.Nf7+ Kc8 43.Nd6+ Kd8 44.Nf7+ Kc8 45.Nxg5 c4 46.Ne6 Nf6 47.a5 Kb8 48.Rc7 Re1 49.Rc6 Ne4 50.Nd4 Rb1 51.f4 c3 52.f5 Rb4 53.Nf3 Kb7 54.Ne5 Rb2+ 55.Kh3 d4 56.f6 Rb5 57.a6+ Ka7 58.f7 Ng5+ 59.Kg4 Nxf7 60.Nxf7 Rd5 61.Nd6? Allows Black to interfere powerfully. 61.Ng5! is the right direction: d3 62.Nh3! 62.Ne4?! Rd4 62...c2 63.Nf2 Rd6 64.Rc3+- 63.Kf3 Rxe4 64.Rxc3 Rd4 65.Rc1 Kxa6 66.Ke3 Rd6 67.Rd1 Rh6 68.Rd2 Kb5 69.Kxd3 Kc5 70.Ke4+- 62...d2 62...c2 63.Nf2 d2 64.Rxc2 d1Q+ 65.Nxd1 Rxd1 66.Rc7+ Kxa6 67.Rxh7+- 63.Nf2 d1Q+ 63...Rd3 64.Nd1+- 63...Re5 64.Nd1+- 64.Nxd1 Rxd1 65.Rxc3 Kxa6 66.Rc7+- 61...Rxd6! This blow was probably overlooked by Reimold. I guess that he had expected 61...d3?? 62.Nc8+ and White wins, e.g. Ka8 62...Kb8 63.a7+ Ka8 64.Rb6+- 63.Nb6+ Ka7 64.Nxd5 c2 65.Nc3 Winning in the attack. It is also possible to stop the pawns with 65.Ne3+- 65...d2 66.Nb5+ Kb8 67.a7+ Kb7 68.Rc7+ Kb6 69.a8Q d1Q+ 70.Kh4+- 62.Rc8? Now it is all over. 62.Rxd6 still saves half a point as the queen cannot break the fortress after c2 63.Rxd4 c1Q 64.Rd7+ Kxa6 65.Rxh7= 62...d3 63.Rxc3 d2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Reimold,J2037Nabavi,P22140–12011C518th LGA Premium Cup6.52

Knight Tactics

Rook and knight can form a very powerful duo, when they are well coordinated. But they can also have big problems to find harmony. They following examples illustrates both cases.

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1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.Nf3 e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0-0 d6 8.a4 b6 9.f4 Bb7 10.Bf3 Nbd7 11.Kh1 Be7 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.e5 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 dxe5 15.fxe5 Ng4 16.Qxa6 Qc4 17.Qxc4 Rxc4 18.a5 Bc5 19.axb6 0-0 20.Nd2 Rb4 21.Nde4 Bd4 22.Ra4 Rxa4 23.Nxa4 Nxb6 24.c3 Be3 25.Nxb6 Bxb6 26.Bf4 Bc7 27.Nd6 f6 28.Bg3 Ra8 29.h3 Nxe5 30.Bxe5 fxe5 31.Ne4 Ra2 32.Rb1 Bb6 33.g4 Kf7 34.Kg2 Kg6 35.Kf3 h5 36.Ke2 hxg4 37.hxg4 Ra8 38.Rd1 Rh8 39.Rd6 Rh2+ 40.Kd3 Rxb2 41.Rxe6+ Kf7 42.Ng5+ Kf8 43.Rxe5 Rg2 44.Re4 Rg3+ 45.Kc2 Ba5 46.c4 Bb4 At first they outplay Black's rook and bishop combination: 47.c5! A nice tactical blow, which is deeper than it looks at first sight. Rc3+ 47...Ba5 48.Ra4 Bd8 49.Ne6+ Ke7 50.Nxg7+- 48.Kb2 Rxc5 49.Ne6+ Kf7 50.Nd8+! White's point 50.Nxc5? Bxc5 is only drawn, e.g. 51.Kc3 Kf6 52.Rf4+ Kg6 53.Rf5 Bd6 54.Kd4 Be7 55.Ke4 Bf6 56.Kf4 Be7 57.g5 Kh5 58.Rd5 g6= 50...Kf6 51.Rxb4 It is extremely difficult to win this endgame despite the clear extra knight as rook and knight do not coordinate well in this configuration. I only give sample lines in the following analysis as a full proof seems to be too deep as White's manovers often need a lot of time. Rd5 51...Rc8 52.Nb7 Kg5 53.Nd6 Rf8 54.Nf5 g6 55.Ne3 Re8 55...Rf3 56.Re4 Rf4 57.Re6+- 56.Nd5 Re5 57.Rd4 Kh4 58.Kc3 Kg3 59.Kc4 Kf3 60.Nf6 Kg3 61.g5 Kh3 62.Rd5 Re2 63.Kc5 Re6 64.Rd3+ Kh4 65.Kd5 Re7 66.Kd6 Re1 67.Rd5 Re3 68.Nh7 Kh5 69.Re5 Ra3 70.Nf6+ Kh4 71.Ke6 Rg3 72.Ne4 Rf3 73.Rb5 Rf1 74.Rc5 Re1 75.Kf7 Rxe4 76.Kxg6+- 52.Rf4+?! 52.Nc6!? seems to be more precise, e.g. Kg5 52...Rd3 53.Rb5 Ke6 53...Rg3 54.Rf5+ Ke6 54...Kg6? 55.Ne7+ Kh7 56.Rh5# 55.Nd4+ Ke7 56.Rf4 Kd6 57.Nf3+- 54.Rg5 Kf6 55.Rc5 Ke6 56.Kc2 Rg3 57.Rg5 Kf6 58.Rf5+ Ke6 59.Nd4+ Ke7 60.Rf4 Kd6 61.Nf3+- 53.Kb3 Rc5 54.Nd4 Kh4 55.Ne6 Rc1 56.Re4 Rg1 56...g5 57.Nd4 Rc8 58.Nf3+ Kg3 59.Ne5 Rc5 60.Kb4 Rc8 61.Rc4 Re8 62.Nc6 Re1 63.Kc5 Rd1 64.Ne5 Rd8 65.Rd4+- 57.g5+ Kh5 58.Re5 Kg6 59.Nf4+ Kf7 60.Rf5+ Ke7 61.Kc3+- 52...Ke5 52...Kg5? 53.Ne6+ Kh4 53...Kg6 54.Nd4 Kg5 55.Re4 Kh4 56.Nf3+ Kg3 57.Ne5+- 54.Re4 54.Nxg7? Rd2+ 55.Kc3 Rg2 56.Nf5+ Kg5= 54...g5 55.Ng7 55.Kc3!? Kg3 56.Nd4+- 55...Kg3 56.Nh5+ Kf3 57.Nf6 Rd6 58.Re5 Rxf6 58...Kf4 59.Rf5+ Ke3 60.Kc3+- 59.Rf5++- 53.Rf8 53.Rf5+? blows it: Ke4 54.Rf8 54.Rxd5 Kxd5 55.Nf7 Ke4 56.Kc3 Kf4 57.g5 Kf5 58.Kd4 Kg6= 54...Rg5= 53...Ke4 54.Ne6 g5? This gives White a clear and stable target. 54...Rd2+! 55.Kc3 Rd3+ 56.Kc4 Rg3 is more tenacious: 57.g5 Rg1 57...Rg4? 58.Re8 Ke5+ 59.Kc5 Kf5 59...Rg1?! 60.Nd4++- 60.Kd6+- 58.Rf2 Ke5 59.Nd8± and White should win in the long run. 54...g6? 55.g5 Rd6 56.Nf4 Rb6+ 57.Kc3 Rb5 58.Nh3+- 55.Kc3 Ra5?! The bodycheck 55...Ke3!? offers more resistance, e.g. 56.Rf5 Rd3+ 56...Rxf5?! 57.gxf5 g4 58.f6 g3 59.f7 g2 60.f8Q g1Q 61.Qc5++- 57.Kc4 Rd6 58.Rf1 Ke2 58...Rxe6?! 59.Re1++- 59.Rf6 Ke3 60.Rg6 Ra6 61.Kb5 Rd6 62.Rf6 Rd2 63.Ng7 Rd7 63...Rg2 64.Nf5+ Ke4 65.Nh6+- 64.Ne8 Rd4 65.Re6+ Kf3 66.Nf6 Kg3 67.Kc6 Rd3 68.Rd6+- 56.Kb4 Re5 57.Nc5+ The computer move 57.Re8!?+- wins quicker. 57...Ke3?! 57...Kd4 58.Rd8+ Ke3 59.Kb5 Kf4 60.Rd4+ Kg3 61.Kc6 Re3 62.Nd7 Rf3 63.Ne5+- 57...Kd5 58.Rd8+ Kc6 59.Rg8 Kd5 59...Rxc5?! 60.Rg6+ Kd5 61.Rxg5++- 60.Kb5 Kd6 61.Rg6+ Ke7 62.Kc4 Kf7 63.Ra6 Re1 64.Kd5 Rg1 65.Nd3+- 58.Kc4 Re7 59.Kd5 Rh7 60.Ke5 Rh4 61.Kf5 61.Kf5 Kf3 62.Kxg5+ Kg3 63.Rf3+ Kxf3 64.Kxh4+- 1–0
  • 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
Khachiyan,M2505Ginsburg,M23871–02011B8411th Metropolitan Invitational1

Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

Click to go to the ChessBase Magazine page

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Müller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

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

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