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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 ♘

1)


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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)

3)


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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)

5)


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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

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
W 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

45.c8=N+
Antoshin vs Simagin, 1952 
(A04) Reti Opening, 89 moves, 1/2-1/2

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 
(A57) Benko Gambit, 93 moves, 0-1

46.c8=N+, 47.bxc8=N+ 1-0
S Schweber vs B Wexler, 1964 
(B42) Sicilian, Kan, 47 moves, 1-0

49...d1=N+
W Sauermann vs N A Preo, 1965 
(C81) Ruy Lopez, Open, Howell Attack, 50 moves, 0-1

34...exf1=N+
J Tarjan vs Ljubojevic, 1969 
(B56) 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

32.gxf8=N+
Stanishevsky vs Nikonov, 1981 
(B30) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1-0

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

56.d8=N+
Petursson vs Damljanovic, 1988 
(A53) Old Indian, 58 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

60.b8=N
S Shipov vs V Gagarin, 1994 
(E15) Queen's Indian, 60 moves, 1/2-1/2

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

33 games

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