Avoid sidelining the knights
“A knight on the rim is dim. Its chances are slim.” “A knight on the side cannot abide.”
“A horse at the edge is a shame for the game.” “A knight on the rim is grim.”
These rhyming aphorisms all remind us of one thing, to keep our knights off of the side of the board. Simple math supports this concept. A centralized knight can move to as many as eight squares. One along the edge has no more than four. One stuck in a corner is reduced to two. So a major argument in favor of the edge prohibition is mobility.
When masters violate this rule, they do so because they think they have found exceptions. The aggressive and daring four-time U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura actually put both of his knights on the rim against the world’s best player once. But Magnus Carlsen is not easily bamboozled. Check this column’s featured game to see how he expertly handled his brash opponent.
Sometimes knights move to the side squares en route to better locations. See the following quick kill by Bobby Fischer, who sidelined his own knight to put his foe on the defense of a weak pawn. Then, suddenly, the game was over when the knight simply dived into the enemy position to win a queen. [Robert Fischer-J Terrone; New York simultaneous exhibition, 1964] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 Nd7 9.Nbd2 Bf6 10.Nc4 Nb6 11.Na5 Bd7 12.b3 0–0 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Ba3 Re8 15.c4 Be7 16.c5 Nc8 17.Nb7 1–0 Game of the week Carlsen, MagnusNakamura, Hikaru Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands 1/26/2013
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5!?(A) 5.Nb5 d6 6.g3(B) h5(C) 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 b5(D) 9.Nd5(E) Nge7 10.Bg2 Bg4 11.f3 Be6 12.c3(F) h4 13.Nc2 Bxd5 14.exd5 Na5 15.f4(G) Nf5?!(H) 16.g4 h3 17.Be4 Nh4(I) 18.0–0(J) g6 19.Kh1 Bg7(K) 20.f5(L) gxf5 21.gxf5 Ng2 22.f6!(M) Bf8(N) 23.Qf3 Qc7(O) 24.Nb4 Nb7 25.Nc6 Nc5 26.Bf5 Nd7 27.Bg5 Rg8(P) 28.Qh5(Q) Nb6 29.Be6!(R) Rxg5(S) 30.Qxg5 fxe6 31.dxe6(T) 1–0
A) The Kalashnikov Sicilian. Our many-time American Champion is afraid of no man. This somewhat suspect opening creates a gaping hole at d5 for white to utilize. In exchange, Nakamura gets attacking chances. Despite having black, he intends to go all out to win against the world’s top-ranked player. B) By avoiding the most commonly played 6. Nbc3 and 6.c4, Carlsen sidesteps the mainlines while still managing to pressure the d5 square in another way. C) Not waiting a moment. This is the type of entertainment Nakamura often provides. Milder mannered types would probably choose ...Nf6 followed by ...Be7. D) 8...h4 was tried in top-level play once with White prevailing over a World Championship Challenger [John Nunn - Nigel Short]. E) Hopping into the hole in enemy territory. F) Allowing the a3 knight to re-maneuver via c2. G) To loosen black’s central pawns. H) speculatively teasing white to attack the knight, which he does. I) 17...Qh4+ 18.Kf1 Nh6 19.Rg1 and white’s pieces are better placed. J) Black’s game is extremely disjointed. Note the two knights placed on the opposite edges of the board, the fact that castling is prohibited, and the poorly situated black pieces in general. K) 19...f5 20.Bd3 e4 21.Be2 Bg7 22.Nd4 creates even more weaknesses around black’s king. L) Confining black’s bishop. M) 22.Bxg2?? hxg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qh4 24.Rh1 Qe4+ 25.Kf2 Qxf5+ 26.Ke1 Qe4+ 27.Kf2 Bf6, and black is winning. N) 22...Bxf6? 23.Qf3 Rh4 24.Bg5 Nf4 (24...Bxg5?? 25.Qxf7 mate) 25.Bxh4 Bxh4 leaves white ahead.; 22...Bh6 23.Qh5 Nf4 24.Bxf4 exf4 25.Rxf4 is a plus for white. O) 23...Nc4 24.b3 Nb6 25.Nb4 Qc8 26.Nc6 leaves black nearly helpless. P) 27...Nb8? 28.Nxe5! dxe5 29.d6 Qa7 30.Be4 wins. Q) Black is being smothered. His king is fixed in position, unable to defend against the upcoming assault. R) a sharp shot. Next comes Ne7 and a capture on f7. S) 29...Rg6 30.Qxg6 fxg6 31.f7+ Qxf7 32.Rxf7. Here is a cute one: 29...Nc4 30.Ne7 Kd8 31.Qxf7 Rh8 32.Qe8+!! Kxe8 33.f7+ Kd8 34.Nc6 mate. Here is another: 29...Nf4 30.Bxf4 exf4 31.Bxf7+ Qxf7 32.Rae1+ Kd7 33.Qxf7+ Be7 34.Rxe7+ Kc8 35.Qxg8 mate. T) The upcoming f7+ will end matters; for instance: 31...Qxc6 32.f7 mate.