Knights on the rim...

Submitted by hicetnunc on Mon, 08/24/2009 at 1:53am.

You know what they say about Knights on the rim ? They're dim. If my English is correct, the word somewhat relates to the light.

Well, I recently ran across a funny position. Could there possible be places for Knights where they just become so dim that...they disappear !

Kind of "black holes" or something like that ?!

Look at the following position :

Now let's come back to the initial position, and suppose white tries something different and plays 1.Kf6 instead of Kf4 - how could black reply ?

» posted in Tu souris et tu continues

| 146 reads | 5 comments

Comments:

by Dinkydoe - 2 months ago
Netherlands

Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 455

I know the saying as :" A knight on the rim is grim" ;p

by lubo - 3 months ago
Sofia Bulgaria

Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 458

I must admit after I found the mistake in the third diagram and camed with different solution to the second diagram I checked my answers with the endgame tables. There I found the only solution to the first position. Actually, 58.Kf6!! is something I couldn't come up myself.

Thank you very much for the puzzles.

For the "carefull reader" ... a tough puzzle. Tougher than most of the top GMs...

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5695

but since you know the "knight on the rim is dim"... then ;) you'll do better than all thouse GMs.

by hicetnunc - 3 months ago
Neuilly-sur-Seine France

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 3178

lubo, you're completely right. Unfortunately, 3.Nf2! (instead of 3.Kf5) is a draw in the second puzzle... Too bad

And you're right that 58.Kf6! is the correct move, which actually forces a draw (I thought these endings with two connected passers were won, but not always).

by lubo - 3 months ago
Sofia Bulgaria

Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 458

Nice puzzles,

Though the second puzzle is actually mistaken.... after 3.Nf2 the game is draw.

On the first... simple 1.Ne4 (instead of 1.Nh1!) also "cuts the mustard" (if my english is correct ;)) )

And at last.... in the first position 58.Kf4 is a mistake. The only saving move for white is 58.Kf6!!.

by Torkil - 3 months ago
Germany

Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 1327

That's a nice twin puzzle!

In the first one I tried 1.Ne4 , which I think probably works just as well, but of course only 1.Nh1 makes it a twin with the second puzzle.

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