Friday October 6th, 2023: My very first endgame study has been published.

Knight plus pawn(s) versus pawns. This is definitely my favorite material of the last few months. Nevertheless, this study is not in the middle of the spectrum of my interests, but rather on an entertaining edge, since it is a geometric study. More on that later.

Extended Solution

In the submitted solution I gave the first four moves of both sides without any comment and without any technical line. I think I read once that with EGTB material there is no need for technical lines at all, but I would add such lines, if they contain interesting play.

White's knight is attacked, and only two squares are available. After 1.Ne3? Kf3 the knight has to move again, and none of the squares looks lovely. Here are some lines.

a. 2. Nc4 e4 3. Kb6 e3! 4. Ne5+ (4.Nxe3 Kxc3=) Ke4! 5. Nd3 Kd4 6. Kxc6 Kc3 =

b. 2. Nd1 e4 3. Kb6 Ke2! (3.. e3? 4. Nc3! +-) and the weakness of c2 saves the draw

c. 2. Nf5 Ke4 (3.. e4? 4. c4! +-) 3.Ne7!? c5 4.Kb6 Kd4! and again Black will get the c-pawn.

Sadly, none of these lines makes a thematical try. So, let's see the mainline.

1. Nd1 e4. There is hardly anything else. 2. c2 Kf2 3. Nc2 Ke2 4.c5! Kd3. Black's king is already chasing the knight. But that's only the beginning. 5. Ne1! Changing the direction is necessary. (5.Nb4? Kc4=)

5.. Ke2 6. Ng2 Kf3 7. Nh4+ Kg4 8. Ng6 Kf5 9. Ne7+ Ke6 10. Nxc6 Kd5 11. Kb6. A pawn has been won and now king and knight cooperate. 11.. e3 12. Nb4+. The e-pawn is not too dangerous. 12.. Kc4 13.Nc2 and White wins. The final two moves are of some importance, because the knight returns to c2.

However, there is one thing I have to discuss before we can go on. White could have played 12.Kb5, after which Black can force the events with 12.. e2 13.Nb4+ Ke4 13.Nc2. Again the knight returns to c2, and we have only spend one more king move on each side. This is a waste of time dual, I think, and I hope the judge thinks the same.

So, what's the study all about? A closed knight tour? Certainly, but it is also something more. That's why I submitted a diagram, thinking that maybe it would be forwarded to the judge. But things turned out differently. The diagram has been published with the solution!

By the diagram it immediately becomes clear that the knight first moved two times clockwise and then moved anti-clockwise a whole circle. That's the geometric motif I mentioned above.

As you probably know I love endgames. And NP vs PP is just about suitable for inclusion in an endgame textbook. That means a lot to me.

If you browse through the issue of Sinfonie Scacchistiche, then the page with my solution stands out because of my diagram. First I was a bit shocked, but now I like it quite a lot.

In the solution I point to Richard Becker's study (Akobia 80 MT, 2017), which I also mentioned last week in the blog. Here are some details too.

One final point. Becker's study has the following comment: "Knight's circuit shown in a logical setting for the first time."  Does that mean there are predecessors that I'm not aware of? I am very excited.

Addendum December 6, 2023: The big circle is not the only 8-move symmetric figure a knight can perform. I just found this example.