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1.Kf2 Kh1
2.Nf5 Kh2
3.Ne3 Kh1
4.Nf1 h2
5.Ng3# ..wicked! more..more.. lol
Not so tricky anyway…
The only difficulty is to force via zugzwang Black to push h2 and then checkmate via Ng3 (with white king on f2) or f2 (with white king on f1)
With retroanalysis, we come to the conclusion that the knight must be in the first case at f1 (Nf1 h2 Ng3#) and in the second at g4 (Ng4 h2 Nf2#)
1. Kf2 (obvious) Kh1
and now, White must avoid at all costs 2… h2 by preparing a checkmate on g3, so
2. Ne2 Kh2
3. Nc3 Kh1
4. Ne4 Kh2 (the eye of the beast was once again looking g3)
5. Nd2 (aiming f1) Kh1
6. Nf1 h2
7. Ng3#
Let’s check the other White possibility, i.e. 2. Nf5
1. Kf2 Kh1
2. Nf5 Kh2
3. Ne3 Kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3# with a gain of two moves
Note that if the initial position was with a black king at h1 instead of h2, there is no solution at all because 1. Kf1 or 1. Kf2 both meet 1… h2 and the knight can’t intervene at f2 or g3 delivering mate.
This idea is rather old (Bonus Socius manuscript in 1200 shows a manoeuvre like this), but this very position is reached after a few moves in a study from Daniel
(Daniel, The Chess Amateur, 1913)
This is a key position in studies and in the infamous ending NN / p, White sacrificing a blocading knight h2 to achieve either a corner mate at a1 respectively h1 or chasing the black king to delver a mate at a8 respectively h8.
(See chronologically Kling & Horwitz, Loyd, Troitzky, Plotytsin…)
If you are on the black end of this, you feel like a total moron, and believe me, I have been in this kind of endgame before on the losing end. With this set up, zugzwang can sometimes be used to win this by forcing black to trap his king in the corner. If white is to win this, the first move is absolutely forced:
1. Kf2
To keep the black king trapped on the h-file. Continuing:
1. …..Kh1
Now, the problem to solve is this- force black to play h2 and be able to play Ng3# on the next move. So, for this to work, the knight must be maneuvered to f1 with all the other men in this exact position with black to move. From the present position, black is threatening to play h2 on move 2 and force white’s king to give way or stalemate black. This stalemate threat forces white to play the knight to the only square from which he can reach g3 on the very next move to prevent black from playing 3. …h2:
2. Nf5 Kh2 (h2 3.Ng3#)
The rest is now easy:
3. Ne3 Kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3#
1. Kf2 kh1
2. Nf5 kh2
3. Ne3 kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3 mate
1. Kf2 kh1
2. Nf5 kh2
3. Ne3 kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3 mate
Kf2
Kf2
Kf2
1.Kf2 Kh1
2.Nf5 Kh2(h2 Ng3#)
3.Ne3 Kh1
4.Nf1 h2
5.Ng3#
1. Kf2 Kh1
2. Nf5
2. … h2
3. Ng3#
2. … Kh2
3. Ne3 Kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3#
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,Okay puzzle – not so tricky.
White wins the game.
Example
=======
1.Kf2 Kh1
2.Nf5 Kh2
3.Ne3 Kh1
4.Nf1 h2
5.Ng3++ Mate
White wins the game.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
I first thought that white can only hope for a stalemate. Then realized that white may be able to force a win if it can limit black king to h1 / h2.
Working backwards from the mating position, finally got the correct answer.
1. Kf2 Kh1
2. Nf5 Kh2 (h2 3. Ng3#)
3. Ne3 Kh1
4. Nf1 h2
5. Ng3#
1.Kf2 Kh1,2.Nb3 Kh2, 3.Nd2 Kh1, 4.Nf1 h2, 5.Ng3#.