| PawnSac: < KNIGHT AND PAWN ENDINGS > Some players below class A may wonder why black resigned. It could seem premature
as there might be drawing chances. One of the great perks at CG is that
up and coming hopefuls can learn from mini tutorials posted by stronger more experienced players. Here's a fun study that illustrates some tactical ideas for such positions. ( see the final game position above )
For the last several moves black has tried to use the alternating attacks against the F and A pawns to establish a repetition. White breaks the draw attempt with his last move 62.Kf5! The point; Knights can't defend at a distance like a B, R, or Q. So the best approach is often to liquidate the distant pawns, thus eliminating the need to defend them. Ater ..Nxa4 63. Nd6+ Kf8 64. Nc4 white will win back the A pawn. 
click for larger viewThe white N also guards the b6 & b2 squares, so the black N will have to
return via c5 or c3, OR move the K. So...
..Nc5 65. Nxa5 Nd7 66. Nc6 Kg8
click for larger viewblack avoids the fatal mistake ..Kf7 , when Ne5+ forces the exchange of
knights and the pawn queens. Now white turns his attention to the H pawn. 67. Ne7+ Kf7 68. Nd5 Kg8 69. Nf4 Kf7 70. Nxh5
click for larger viewwhite has won the H pawn, and now proceeds to take away critical squares from black's knight. ..Kg8 71. Ng3 Kf7 72. Ne4 Kg8 73. h5 Nf8 (..Kf7 74.Ng5 Kg8 75.Ke6 is the same thing) 74. Ng5 Nd7 75. Ke6 
click for larger viewWhite takes away the g6 and h7 squares from black's knight, while also restricting the black K to the back rank. Now if ..Nc5+ 76. Ke7 and the pawn will be escorted to Queenhood. No better is ..Nf8+ which allows a very pretty finish. 76. Ke7 Kh8
(hoping for Kxf8? =) 77. f7 Kg7 78. Ne6+ Nxe6 79. h6+! 
click for larger viewWhite's intermezzo check forces the K to a more distant square (either ..Kh8 or ..Kxh6) when Kxe6 and Ke7 queens and wins. Of course Hjartarson didn't see all this when he resigned.
It was not necessary. He knows in principle (as do all GM's)
what will happen with such endings, and realized it is dead lost (as does the reader now!). Enjoy! Have fun playing around with this and similar endings. | 
Kibitzing
