Gukesh's knights rule

by Karsten Müller
12/17/2024 – Knights are tricky pieces and using their power often requires precise calculation. In the diagram position, which is from a game Gukesh and Wei Yi played at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest 2024, Gukesh found a way to win with his knights. What did he do?
Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Be2 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.d3 Nc6 7.Bg5 0-0 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nd5 Be6 10.Qd2 a6 11.0-0 b5 12.Bb3 Kh8 13.a3 Rb8 14.h3 g6 15.c3 Bg7 16.Ba2 f5 17.Ng5 Bg8 18.exf5 gxf5 19.f4 c4 20.dxc4 bxc4 21.Bxc4 exf4 22.Nf3 Na5 23.Ba2 Nb3 24.Bxb3 Rxb3 25.Nxf4 Qb6+ 26.Rf2 Rb8 27.Rd1 Rxb2 28.Qxb2 Qxb2 29.Rxb2 Rxb2 30.Rxd6 a5 31.Rd8 Bxc3 32.Nd5 Rb1+ 33.Kf2 Rd1 34.Rxg8+ Kxg8 35.Nxc3 Rc1 36.Nb5 Rc2+ 37.Kf1 Kf7 38.Nfd4 Rc1+ 39.Ke2 Kf6 40.Nd6 Rc3 41.N6b5 Rc1 42.Ke3 Rg1 43.Kf2 Rc1 44.Ne2 Rb1 45.Nbc3 Rb3 46.a4 Ke5 47.g3 Rb6 48.Ke3 Rb4 49.Kd3 h6 50.Ke3 Rb3 51.Kd3 Rb4 52.Ng1 Rb8 53.Nf3+ Kf6 54.Nd4 Rd8 55.Ke3 Rc8 56.Kd3 Rd8 57.Nce2 Rb8 58.Nf4 Rb1 59.Nd5+ Ke5 60.Nc3 Rh1 61.Nf3+ Kd6 62.h4 Rh3 63.Ne2 f4 64.Nfg1 Rh1 65.gxf4 Rxh4 66.Nf3 Rh1 67.f5 h5 68.Nc3 h4 69.Ne4+ Kd7 70.Ne5+ Kd8 71.f6 h3 72.f7 Rf1 73.Ng5 h2 74.Ngf3 Ke7 75.Nxh2 Ra1 Gukesh's knights rule Knights are tricky pieces and using their power often requires precise calculation. In the diagram position, which is from a game Gukesh and Wei Yi played at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest 2024, Gukesh found a way to win with his knights. What did he do?
White to move and win
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gukesh,D2764Wei,Y27621–02024B5045th FIDE Olympiad 20247.1

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

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

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