Study Puzzle of the Day 11/1/2021
How to exploit the awkward rook’s position? White to move and win (L. Kubbel, 1914) (First try to solve the study without moving the pieces!)
Continue ReadingHow to exploit the awkward rook’s position? White to move and win (L. Kubbel, 1914) (First try to solve the study without moving the pieces!)
Continue ReadingQuite a few ways not to lose, but only one idea wins! White to move and win (J. Fritz, 1950) (First try to solve the study without moving the pieces!)
Continue ReadingIn the endings with one pawn each, White usually wins, especially when Black does not have a strong, far advanced passed pawn. In positions without passed pawns, the victory is mostly a matter of technique, and is achieved by gradually isolating the opposing king from the pawns. We will get to know the winning […]
Continue ReadingSometimes, in blocked positions with a solid pawn structure, the knight can be superior to the rook. We see one such exceptional situation in the following position, which arose with reverse colors in the game Bronstein-Olafsson, Portoroz Interzonal Tournament in 1958.
Continue ReadingIn positions with more pawns, the basic problem is how to pull the rook behind the opponent’s pawns. A very nice example of opening a new file and winning a key pawn with the help of zugzwang can be seen in the game Matanović-Larsen, Interzone tournament in Portoroz 1958.
Continue ReadingAlso in positions with 5 against 4 pawns, the knight is in a subordinate role, especially when the pawns are on both wings. The next position with the reversed colors occurred in the game Bondarevski-Averbakh, Szavno Zdroj 1950.
Continue ReadingThe next exceptional position in which Black wins due to the awkward position of opposing pieces, arose in the game Sternberg-Pawelczak, Berlin 1964.
Continue ReadingWhen pawns are on both wings, due to its “short legs” the knight is most often markedly inferior. An example of the “stretching” of opposing pieces above the limits of endurance can be seen in the ending of the game Chernikov-Stein, USSR 1966.
Continue ReadingIn endings with 4 against 3 pawns on the same wing, the same rules apply as in similar endings with 3 against 2 pawns. Black usually draws easily, except when his pawn structure is severely weakened. The same goes for positions with 3 against 3 pawns on one wing with one passed pawn, who […]
Continue ReadingWith pawns on both wings, the rook is distinctly superior to the knight unless Black has a strong far advanced pawn or can create mating threats. One such exceptional situation was dealt with by L. Prokeš in a study published in 1944.
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