Promotion: Knight

Promotion: Knight
Compiled by Penguincw

Games when a pawn promotes to a

. They usually promote to a knight to avoid stalemate or to create a fork.

EXAMPLES

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Here promotion to a queen would be stalemate.

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(1/2-1/2)

But to a knight is checkmate.

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(1-0)

2) Here's a more prettier one (composed)

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Mate threatened on a6. 1...b1=Q loses to 2.Qxa6 (or the rook).

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(1-0)

But 1...b1=N is mate.

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(0-1)

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If 1...g1=Q (or a rook or bishop) then 2.Rf1# (discovered check, rook pins queen)

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(1-0)

However, 1...g1=N+ foces a draw with 2.Kg3 Nxf3 3.Bxf3+ and the remaining king & bishop are a draw (white can secure the draw right away after 3...Kg1 4.Bg2

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(1/2-1/2)

4) This one I found on Wikipedia (the following diagram has one difference than the original).

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Here 1.exd8=Q loses to 1...Qf1#

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(0-1)

But 1.exd8=N+ wins with 1...K any (e.g. Kc7) 2.Nxf7 any move (e.g. Nf6) 3.Nxh8 leaves white up a piece in this endgame with an easy win.

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(1-0)

Hopefully after reading this, you understand the power of promotion to a knight. Sometimes, promotion to a queen or knight is the difference between winning and losing. Games in order by date.

44.f8=N+ 1-0
Schlechter vs H Wolf, 1904
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 44 moves, 1-0
22...exd1=N# 0-1
Robbins vs Showalter, 1890
(C59) Two Knights, 22 moves, 0-1
99.f8=N+
Janowski vs O Chajes, 1913
(C49) Four Knights, 108 moves, 1-0
7...fxg1=N+
Korody vs Bologh, 1933
(D08) Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit, 8 moves, 0-1
8.gxh8=N# 1-0
H Reinle vs Lange, 1936
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 8 moves, 1-0
38...f1=N# 0-1
H Mueller vs K Junge, 1942
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 38 moves, 0-1
44.f8=N
Furman vs Keres, 1948
(E15) Queen's Indian, 56 moves, 1-0
28.f8=N# 1-0
A Sandrin vs P Le Cornu, 1949
(A16) English, 28 moves, 1-0
42...f1=N+
Tal vs Spassky, 1954
(A60) Benoni Defense, 45 moves, 0-1
57.g8=N, 79.c8=N+
V Zurakhov vs Koblents, 1956
(C11) French, 80 moves, 1-0
34...f1=N+ 0-1
Larsen vs C Munoz, 1957
(A15) English, 34 moves, 0-1
7.fxg8=N+
D Fidlow vs A Maier, 1959
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 8 moves, 1-0
60...g1=N
Aranov vs Karpov, 1962
(C10) French, 71 moves, 0-1
49...h1=N+
Szabo vs Ivkov, 1964
(A56) Benoni Defense, 93 moves, 0-1
49...d1=N+
W Sauermann vs N A Preo, 1968
(C81) Ruy Lopez, Open, Howell Attack, 50 moves, 0-1
34...exf1=N+
Tarjan vs Ljubojevic, 1969
(B57) Sicilian, 27 moves, 0-1
29...f1=N+ 0-1
Z Mestrovic vs Gligoric, 1971
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 29 moves, 0-1
40.exf8=N+ 1-0
Gulko vs K Grigorian, 1971
(A55) Old Indian, Main line, 40 moves, 1-0
43.c8=N+
P C Griffiths vs Miles, 1974
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 43 moves, 0-1
71.g8=N+
L Day vs Timman, 1980
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 93 moves, 1/2-1/2
27...gxf1=N+
Chandler vs Karpov, 1983
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 30 moves, 0-1
87.d8=N+
Karpov vs Timman, 1986
(A15) English, 105 moves, 1-0
8.gxh8=N# 1-0
T Moore vs NN, 1989
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 8 moves, 1-0
30...gxh1=N+ 0-1
S Atalik vs Miles, 1993
(E81) King's Indian, Samisch, 30 moves, 0-1
90.b8=N
Adams vs Miles, 1993
(B72) Sicilian, Dragon, 122 moves, 1/2-1/2
39.c8=N+ 1-0
P Cramling vs A Galliamova, 1994
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 39 moves, 1-0
36.f8=N+ 1-0
Shirov vs Z Almasi, 1996
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 36 moves, 1-0
40.h8=N# 1-0
W Strum vs J McManus, 1997
(C35) King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham, 40 moves, 1-0
37.dxc8=N+
N Szuveges vs M Ninchich, 1999
(D06) Queen's Gambit Declined, 39 moves, 1-0

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