This was an actual position in the last round of the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls. This was a game that had 1st place implication.
There are 2 critical lessons here:
1. Endgame study: Sometimes one game can decide the entire tournament and most likely it will come down to the endgame phase. That is why I always recommend young players to study more endgames. Endgame is the foundation of chess.
2. Time management: 30 second increments is a normal part of International competition. This is why I chose to use this element in the Polgar event to help our players more battle ready for International play. The important lesson here is Time Management!
In the position above, White was practically surviving on the increments while Black still had plenty of time left. And that proved to be the deciding factor of the game because White did not have enough time to calculate all the lines out and eventually lost. Black went on to finish 2nd in the tournament.
It is White to move. Only one move can save the game for White. Everything else loses. Now imagine of having to find the right plan in less than 30 seconds. That was the situation that White was in. Can you find the right game saving plan in 29 seconds?
NO I can’t Susan. but I would play Nd3+ attacking the pawn on c5 and thus forcing the black king to d6 to protect it.
then the king can go to b3 to get the pawn on a3.
but I have no idea if this is a winning line or losing line. but it is active.
I think Nd3+ is right, forking the king and pawn on c5. The black king does not protect the c5-pawn by moving to d6, since the black N is protected by the king when it takes c5. Better for black to move towards white’s hindmost pawn (h3), since the bishop cannot reach it. The next move for white would be Nd7 (after taking c5), to attack f6, to open up the way for the pawn on f4 to promote.
1.Nd3+ Ke4 2.Nxc5 Kf3 3.Nd7 Kg3? probably loses for Black–White will win a piece by chopping on f6, moving the N, and pushing the P (h-pawn vs. N is generally favorable for Black, but I don’t see anything here….)
Instead, 3…Bg5! looks drawish: 4.Kxd4 Kg3 5.Kd5 Kxh3 6.Ke6 Kxg4 7.Nxf6 and now the ending looks drawish (but still worth White’s playing out) after 7…Bxf6! 8.Kxf6 h5.
Bill Brock, Chicago
I played this out on Fritz 8 and drew using the following line (Fritz played black) 1.Nd3+ Ke4 2. Nxc5ch Kf4 3. Nd7 Kg5 4. Kd3 h5 5. gxh5 Kxf5 6.Nb6 Bh6 7. Kxd4 Kg5 8. Ke4 f5+ 9. Kf3 Kxh5 10. Nc4 Bc1 11. Ne3 and white can continue to suffle knight between e3 and c4.
The trouble with endgames is that they come after several hours of tough play and the mind is fatigued.
But after 1. Nd3+ Ke4 2. Nxc5 Kf3 3. Nd7(??), doesn’t 3. … Ke2 force promotion of the d-pawn??
Possibly 1. Nd3+ Ke4 2. Nxc5 Kf3 3. Kd3 with ideas like 3. … Kg2 4. Ke2 Kxh3 5. Kf3. Very complicated to analyze to the end, but essentially try to keep the Black king bottled up and the knight guarding the d3 square. Hard for Black to make progress. Black can try attacking the a-pawn, or moving the king to g5 and playing … h5 to capture on f5, so White has to be vigilant, but Black has to watch for threats against f6 as well.
I think I could draw as White.
But after 1. Nd3+ Ke4 2. Nxc5 Kf3 3. Nd7(??), doesn’t 3. … Ke2 force promotion of the d-pawn??
I don’t think so: 4.Nxf6 d3 5.Nd5 and White is better.
1.Nd3+ Ke4 2. Nxc5ch Kf4 3. Nd7 Kg5
That’s logical, too
Bill Brock, Chicago
My 30-second guess was Nc2, attempting to kill the a3 pawn. My 90-second guess is Nd3, blocking the connected passed pawns and threatening to capture the c5-pawn.
In a real game, you have more than 30 seconds, because you have time to think while your opponent moves.
My 5-second guess was Nc2, attacking the bishop and the a-pawn. If 1…Bc1, then 2. Kxc5 and the black king is tied down defending d4.