I seem to have carried on looking at T47 games after my brief exploration of openings played.
If I manage it, I hope to give details of some of the endgames reached, but while assembling this, I saw a number of under-promotions in a few games ( 11 of 1377, to be precise ! ).
Most of these are irrelevant, ie under-promotion makes no difference to the result, as the 'promoting side' was in full control. I suspect, in fact , that a lot of under-promotions are just to allow practise in unusual mating, especially if the opponent doesn't resign.
There was only one that was a necessary under-promotion, since creating a Queen would be an instant checkmate next move.
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| 118...h1N+ |
The knight promotion giving check should only have saved Black temporarily, as mate still follows rapidly with 119.Kf3 Nf2 120. Qxf2+ Kh1 121. Qg2#
Amazingly, Black must have thought his luck was in, as White played Kh4, and it took until move 160 before mate happened. Doubtless time trouble, and the "forking ability" of the knight is something to be wary of.
After this I had a quick look in other Team League games and found these two examples....
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| From T24 - 2004 |
Straightforward, but still nice to see 52... e1N#
But here is a very useful under-promotion to gain a draw...
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| From T41 - 2009 |
Again, promotion to anything but a Knight will result in mate, but 64...c8N+ is a great way to gain a draw, and on the magic 64th move !
Interestingly, go back to move 63 in the same game, and White misses the chance of a win. It wasn't time trouble as both players had plenty of it, but I think it was an assumption on White's part that the win was guaranteed.
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| Move 63....decision time |
Does it matter which move you choose ? Kxe4 ? or Rh2 ?
2 comments:
"Again, promotion to anything but a Knight will result in mate, but 64...e8N+ is a great way to gain a draw, and on the magic 64th move !"
Either your explanation is wrong (64...c1N+)or your diagram (one before last) is wrong; pawn on e-file instead of c-file.
"Does it matter which move you choose ? Kxe4 ? or Rh2 ?"
Yes, with Rh2 white wins easily since promoting the pawn will be non-excistent while with Kxe4 white has some work to do since promoting the pawn will be a fact.
A typo....just corrected. Thanks.
You are right, Rh2 is a win. In the game White captured the pawn and the neat Knight under-promotion gave Black a draw !
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