The knightmare

by Karsten Müller
12/28/2021 – Usually, in open positions a bishop is stronger than a knight. But in chess there's no rule without exception! In the diagram position it is White who has the knight, and it is White to move and win. What would you 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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Training Position
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.b3 d5 4.Bb2 Nc6 5.Bg2 d4 6.0-0 e5 7.Na3 Bd6 8.Nc4 Bc7 9.a4 Rb8 10.Ba3 b6 11.e3 0-0 12.exd4 exd4 13.c3 Be6 14.cxd4 Nxd4 15.Bb2 Bg4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.h3 Be6 18.Re1 Rc8 19.Rc1 h6 20.Qe2 d3 21.Qf1 Re8 22.Re3 Bf5 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Rc3 Bb8 25.Qc1 Nf6 26.Nce5 Rxc3 27.Qxc3 Ne4 28.Qc4 Qc7 29.Nc6 Nd6 30.Qc1 Be4 31.Nfd4 Nf5 32.Qe1 Nxd4 33.Nxd4 Bxg2 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Kxg2 Qe5 36.Qxe5 Bxe5 37.Nf5 g6 38.Ne3 f5 39.f4 Bd4 40.Kf3 Kg7 41.Nd1 Kf6 42.Nf2 Ke6 43.Nxd3 a5 44.Ne1 Kd5 45.Nc2 h5 46.Ne3+ Kc5 47.Ke2 Bg7 48.Nc2 h4 49.gxh4 Kd5 50.Ke3 Bf6 51.h5 gxh5 52.Kd3 Bh4 53.Ne3+ Ke6 54.Ke2 Bf6 55.Kf3 Bd4 56.Kg3 Bf6 57.Nc4 Kd5 58.Nxb6+ Ke4 59.h4 Bd8 60.Nc4 Kd3 61.Ne5+ Kxd2 62.Nc6 Bb6 63.b4 axb4 64.Nxb4 Ke2 65.Nc6 Bf2+ 66.Kg2 Bxh4 67.Nd4+ Kd3 68.a5 Bd8 69.a6 Bb6 70.Nxf5 Ke4 71.Ne7 Bc5 72.Ng6 Kd5 73.f5 Bd4 74.Ne7+ Kd6 The knightmare Usually a bishop is stronger than a knight in an open fight. But no rule in chess without exceptions:
White to move and win
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Niemann,H2638Nguyen,T2577½–½2021A08FIDE Chesscom Grand Swiss 20213.48

Karsten Mueller 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.

ChessBase Magazine #204

ChessBase Magazine Extra #204

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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