Mad bishops and knights

by Frederic Friedel
4/14/2021 – Recently we showed you a unique theme in chess endings: the defending side puts his king into a stalemate position, after which the remaining piece – a rook or even a queen – becomes suicidal, offering itself for capture. Many readers found that fascinating, and asked for more. Today we look at two other pieces that can do the same. Have fun with some astonishing new examples.

ChessBase 18 - Mega package ChessBase 18 - Mega package

Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

More...

It all started with this game in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational in which Jorden van Foreest miraculously saved a lost endings against world-class GM Teimour Radjabov with a seldom seen "mad rook" strategy. There are some very deep studies that illustrate this motif. The kamikaze piece is usually a rook or a queen, and it takes great strategic insight to avoid taking it without at the same time relieving the stalemate.

Now the question arises: can other pieces become similarly suicidal? Before we answer this question, here are some further remarkable examples that were sent to us, by Emil Vlasák, the author of the original Mad Queen article. 

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.Qb1! And now Black sacrifices a knight, rook and queen to set up the stalemate threat. After that White sacrifices both his bishops and rooks, and a knight, in order to execute a long, breath-taking manoeuvre to capture the mad rook safely. 1.Rff6?? Rxf6 Try 1.Qb2? Queen does not guard h7 as we will see later. Nc6+ 2.Rxc6 Ra8+ 3.Kxa8 Qb7+ 4.Kxb7 Rh7+ 5.Bg7 Rxg7+ 6.Rf7 Rxf7+ 7.Ne7 Rxe7+ 8.Bd7 Rxd7+ 9.Rc7 Rxc7+ 10.Ka8 Ra7+ 11.Kb8 Rb7+ 1...Nc6+ 1...Qc7+ 2.Nxc7 Nc6+ 3.Rxc6 3.Kc8 Rxh8+ 4.Kd7 Rd8+ 5.Ke6 Nd4+ 6.Kf6 3...Rxh8+ 4.Ne8 Rxe8+ 5.Rc8 Rxc8+ 6.Kxa7 Rc7+ 6...Ra8+ 7.Kb7 Rb8+ 8.Kc6 Rc8+ 9.Kd5 Rd8+ 10.Kxc5 7.Qb7 Rxb7+ 8.Ka8 Ra7+ 9.Kb8 Rb7+ 10.Kc8 Rc7+ 11.Kd8 Rd7+ 12.Kxd7 1...Rb7+ 2.Rxb7 Nc6+ 3.Ka8 Qxh8+ 4.Rb8 2.Rxc6 Ra8+ 2...Rxc6 3.Qb4+ cxb4 4.axb4# 2...Rb7+ 3.Qxb7 Qxb7+ 4.Kxb7 Rh7+ 5.Ne7 Rxe7+ 6.Rc7 Rxc7+ 7.Kb8 2...Qxh8+ important line 3.Rf8 Qxf8+ 4.Bc8 4.Rc8? Qd6+ 4...Rxc6 4...Ra8+ 5.Kxa8 Rxc6 6.Ka7! s přehozením tahů 5.Kxa7 Qd6 6.Nb5! hrozí De1 mat. čD musí zůstat na diagonále f8-a3, aby kryla hrozbu Db4 mat. Rc7+ 7.Bb7 Rxb7+ 8.Kxb7 Qd7+ 9.Ndc7 3.Kxa8 Qb7+! 3...Qa7+? 4.Kxa7 Rh7+ 5.Ne7 Rxe7+ 6.Rc7 Rxc7+ 7.Qb7 Rxb7+ 8.Ka8 Ra7+ 9.Kb8 Rb7+ 10.Kc8 Rc7+ 11.Kd8 Rd7+ 12.Kxd7 3...Qxh8+? 4.Rf8 Qxf8+ 5.Rc8 4.Kxb7 Rh7+
After Black has ridden himself of his pieces, it is now White's turn to go on a sacrifice orgie. 5.Bg7! 5.Ne7 Rxe7+ 6.Rc7 Rxc7+ 7.Kb8 Rb7+ 8.Kc8 Rc7+= 5...Rxg7+ 6.Rf7 6.Ne7? Rxe7+ 7.Rc7 Rxc7+ 8.Ka8 Ra7+ 9.Kb8 Rb7+ 10.Kc8 Rc7+ 11.Kd8 Rd7+ 12.Ke8 Re7+ 13.Kf8 Rf7+ 14.Kg8 Rg7+ 15.Kh8 Rg8+ 16.Kh7 Rg7+ 17.Kh6 Rg6+ 18.Kh5 Rg5+ 19.Kh4 Rg4+ 6...Rxf7+ 7.Ne7 Rxe7+ 8.Bd7 Rxd7+ 9.Rc7 Rxc7+
10.Ka8! Now comes a 21-move walk by the white king along the edge of the board before the suicidal rook can be safely captured. 10.Kb8 Rc8+ 11.Kb7 Rb8+ 12.Kc7 Rxb1 13.Nxb1 stalemate 10...Ra7+ 11.Kb8 Rb7+ 12.Kc8 Rc7+ 13.Kd8 Rd7+ 14.Ke8 Re7+ 15.Kf8 Rf7+ 16.Kg8 Rg7+ 17.Kh8 Rg8+ 17...Rh7+ 18.Qxh7 18.Kh7 Rg7+ 19.Kh6 Rg6+ 20.Kh5 20.Qxg6? 20...Rg5+ 21.Kh4 Rg4+ 22.Kh3 Rg3+ 23.Kh2 Rg2+ 24.Kh1 Rh2+ 24...Rg1+ 25.Qxg1 25.Kg1 Rg2+ 26.Kf1 Rf2+ 27.Ke1 Re2+ 28.Kd1 Rd2+ 29.Kc1 Rd1+ 30.Kb2 Rd2+ 31.Ka1 or 31.Qc2 31...Ra2+ 32.Qxa2 and mate in five more moves. 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
Aleksejev,A-White to play and win-1–019701.p Karseladze MT Lelo
Polasek,V-Black to play,W-1–02020EG 222
Henneberger,M-White to play and win-1–01925Chemnitzer Tageblatt

Thank you, Emil, for these positions. I spent an hour checking all the lines – and wondering how this kind of thing in a composition can even be possible. It boggles the mind!

Mad bishop

We now come to the next mad piece. Here's a study that makes use of a suicidal bishop:

 
V.Rudenko/T.Georgiev, 1962
White to play and draw

You might think the correct win begins with 1.Bxg6. But think about it. 1...Bxg5 2.Be4 Kf2 3.Bxc6 Kg3 4.Bf3 Bd2 5.Bb7 Bxa5 leads to a win by Black. You know that you can move the pieces on the board to follow what I am saying?!

The only way for White to draw starts with the improbable move 1.g3!! Bxg3 2.a6! Kf2 (threatens 3...Bg2#) 3.Be4 Bxa6 4.Bd3! Bc8 (4... Bxd3 is stalemate, and 4...Bb7 doesn't work because of 5.Ba6 Ba8 6.Bb7 Bxb7 stalemate). 5.Ba6! Bd7 6.Bc8! Be8 7.Bd7 Bf7 8.Be8 Bg8 9.Bf7 Bh7 10.Bg8 Bxg8 1/2-1/2. Now we know how a mad bishop can save a game.

Mad knight

 
A,Khachaturov, Shakhmaty 1985
White to play and win

Black threatens to capture the bishop. The black knight cannot be taken because that is stalemate, so White must play 1.Bb8! Nd6! After 1...Kxb8 2.Kxb5 White easily wins, e.g. 2...Ka8 3.Nc6 bxc6+ 4.Kxc6 Kb8 5.b7 Ka7 6.Kc7. So 2.Bc7 (2...Bxd6 is stalemate) Now the black knight becomes suicidal: 2...Nc4! 3.Nb3! Nd2 4.Nc1! Nb3 5.Na2 Nc1 6.Nb4 Nd3 7.Nc2 Nb4 8.Na1 Nc2 9.Nb3 Nd4 10.Na5 Nb3 11.Nxb7 Nc5+ 12.Kb5! (12. Nxc5? is stalemate, and 12.Kb4 Na6+ is a draw) 12...Nxb7 13.Kb4! 1-0.

You may, like me, not immediately believe that the above two positions could be sound, and may have a number of "but-what-if" and "why-not" questions. Then analyse them on our replayer below, clicking on the fan icon to get engine analysis for the moves you try.

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.g3! 1.Bxg6? Bxg5 2.Be4 Kf2 3.Bxc6 Kg3 4.Bf3 Bd2 5.Bb7 Bxa5-+ 1...Bxg3 2.a6! Kf2 3.Be4 Bxa6 4.Bd3! Bc8 4...Bxd3 stalemate. 4...Bb5 5.Bxb5 cxb5 6.c6 Bxe5 7.c7 Bxc7 stalemate. 4...Bb7 5.Ba6 Ba8 6.Bb7 Bxb7 stalemate. 5.Ba6! Bd7 6.Bc8! Be8 7.Bd7 Bf7 8.Be8 Bg8 9.Bf7 Bh7 10.Bg8 Bxg8 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
Rudenko/Gorgiev,V-White to play and draw-½–½19623.hm Zaporozhskaya Pravda
Khachaturov,A-White to play and win-1–01985Shakhmaty v SSSR

Did you enjoy the escapades of these crazy pieces? We are still in search of crazy pawn studies, if they are actually possible. Any suggestions?

Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.