Knight-wheel
Peter's Problem World with FIDE Master of Chess
Composition
Peter Wong
Note that Peter's articles follow a chess problem
convention in using ‘S’ to represent the knight
(from the German word,
Springer). ‘N’ is reserved for a fairy piece called the nightrider.
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Some chess problems are constructed with the
aim of rendering certain tasks or maximum effects. A well-known
example of such tasks is the
knight-wheel.
A knight, when placed near the centre of the
board, is capable of making a maximum of eight moves, and if the piece plays
all eight possible moves in turn during the course of a problem’s solution,
the knight-wheel
theme is produced.
Usually the term knight-wheel is used
in cases where a black knight carries out the thematic play. When a
white knight makes the maximum eight moves instead, the task is called a
knight-tour.
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79. Harry
Tuxen
Deutsche Schachzeitung
1919
1st Prize
   
 
  
  
  
Mate in 2 |
Problem 79, composed nearly a
century ago, remains one of the best renditions of a knight-wheel.
White starts with 1.Sf3!, to
threaten 2.Sd2. This mate cuts off the queen’s guard along the
d-file, allowing Black to subtly defend by shifting the knight away
from d4, to create a potential
flight on that square. The eight knight moves all bring
about distinct white replies, as required by the theme.
1…Sc2 2.Qd3, 1…Sb3 2.Qxb1,
1…Sb5 2.Bxb7, 1…Sc6 2.Qd5, 1…Se6 2.Re5, 1…Sf5
2.Rg4, 1…Sxf3 2.exf3, 1…Sxe2 2.Qxe2.
The first five
variations are based on self-interferences – the knight closes a
vital defensive line of another black piece – a type of error with
more strategic interest than, say, a simple unguard. The latter
error is seen in the
by-play variation, 1…Rb2 2.Qxd4. This
well-constructed work shows a wealth of good play in a position that
is nonetheless pleasantly open and economical. |
In
Problem 80, the knight-wheel moves of the d5-knight remarkably serve
a double function. In addition to working as
defences that compel different white mates, the knight moves also act as
the
refutations of eight white
tries.
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First note that
set mates are already provided for the knight’s play: 1…Sxc3
2.Rb3, 1…Sb4 2.Rxb4, 1…Sb6 2.Rxb6, 1…Sc7 2.Rxc7,
1…Se7 2.Rxe7, 1…Sxf6 2.Rf7, 1…Sf4 2.Sd4,
1…Se3 2.Rf2.
Now White has eight thematic tries, most
of which generate a variety of threats, while a couple attempt to
maintain the
block position, but all are defeated by the black knight using
different moves.
1.Qa7? (threats: 2.Qf2, 2.Rf2) Sb6!,
1.Qb8? (2.Qg3, 2.Sd4) Sc7!, 1.Qa5? (2.Qxd5) Se7!, 1.Qd8? (2.Qxd5) Sb4!,
1.Qa1? (2.Qf1) Sxc3!, 1.Bd4? (2.Rf2) Se3!, 1.f7? (waiting)
Sf6!, and 1.Kg5? (waiting) Sf4!
The
key is the sole effective waiting move, 1.g5!, that leaves
the set play unchanged. |
80. Gustav
Jonsson
Schackvarlden
1939
Mate in 2 |
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Problem 82 poses an alternative of
rook + knight batteries to achieve two complete knight-tours.
After the try, 1.Rc8?, White’s threats
are any move by the c6-knight. Each of the eight possible knight
mates has to be individually forced, for the theme to be realized.
1…Ra8 2.Sb8, 1…Ra7 2.Sxa7, 1…Ra5 2.Sxa5,
1…Rxa4 2.Sb4, 1…Bd4 2.Sxd4, 1…Be5 2.Sxe5, 1…Be7 2.Sxe7, 1…Bd8 2.Sxd8,
but 1…b5! refutes the try.
The key 1.Rh3! leads to a similar
tour by the other knight, whose multiple threats are separated by:
1…Rh1 2.Sh2
1…Rg1 2.Sxg1
1…Re1 2.Sxe1
1…Rd1 2.Sd2
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1…Bd4 2.Sxd4
1…Be5 2.Sxe5
1…Bg5 2.Sxg5
1…Bh4 2.Sxh4
(1…Sc2
2.Rxc2) |
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82. Michael
Lipton
American Chess Bulletin
1957
1st Hon. Mention
 
Mate in 2 |
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83.
Michail Marandjuk
64 1980
Special Prize
Mate in 2 |
In Problem 83, White’s knight on
d5 executes a tour by making seven tries and the key, where each try is
defeated by a different move. When White shifts the knight, 2.Rd5
is threatened, but seven times Black has a foiling defence when the
knight impedes a prepared mating move.
That the tries all fail for a similar
reason – White self-interferes on a line controlled by another white
piece – greatly adds to the unity of the knight-tour.
1.Se3? Bg2! (2.Rxd3 stopped), 1.Sf4? Rd7!
(2.Rh4 stopped), 1.Sf6? Rh5! (2.Bg7 stopped), 1.Se7? Sb6! (2.Bc5
stopped), 1.Sc3? Sb4! (2.Qa1 stopped), 1.Sb4? Sc3! (2.Qxc3 stopped),
1.Sb6? Se7! (2.Qxa7 stopped).
Finally, the non-hindering 1.Sc7!
solves, 1…Bg2 2.Rxd3, 1…Rd7 2.Rh4, 1…Rh5 2.Bg7,
1…Sb6 2.Bc5, 1…Sb4 2.Qa1, 1…Sc3 2.Qxc3, 1…Se7
2.Qxa7. |
Have a
go at solving Problem 84, a gem which shows a task similar to the
previous example. Only seven pieces are used to accomplish this, though the
play is correspondingly less elaborate.
84. Gerhard Latzel
Die Schwalbe
1956
5th Hon. Mention
Mate in 2
Solution
to Problem 78 (To display, hold down your mouse button and select the
text below)
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>The white knight makes
seven tries and the key;
the former are refuted
in seven different ways,
despite Black’s very
limited force. 1.Sf6?
d5!, 1.Sxd6? g2!, 1.Sc5?
dxc5!, 1.Sc3? Kd4!,
1.Sd2? Ke6!, 1.Sf2?
gxf2!, 1.Sxg3? Kf4!. The
key 1.Sg5! has a threat,
2.Qe4, that is still
playable after 1…Kd4 or
1…Kf4. 1…d5 is answered
by 2.Qf6. It’s a pity
that the key prohibits
the 1…Ke6 2.Re2
variation.>
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