“With a knight on f8, you can never be mated” - Bent Larsen

I remember this little saying well from Larsen's best games book, unfortunately long out-of-print.. I play openings like the c3 Sicilian, Panov-Botvinnik, and others in which the Q-B battery against h7 is white's most potent threat, and where a knight planted on f8 can discourage White's intentions – often to the point that black's positional trumps will outweigh my short-term attacking chances..

Of course, Larsen was not referring to an example such as this recent super-GM game and super-blunder (ChessBase called it the “blunder of the century”); he meant a black knight on f8, of course, but the position is too amusing not to show here:

Deep Fritz 10 – Kramnik, 2007



Mate in one!

Black just played the Q from a7 to e3, he could have drawn with Kg8 and a perpetual check. Instead he plays the “helpmate” move... we've all been there, right? If not, you are a better player than me.......

But more to the point is the following:

Aronsson-Wadling
Sweden 1951



White stands well in any case, even withdrawing the knight on e5 maintains an advantage. But:

1.Bxh7+! Nxh7 (1... Kh8?? 2. Nf7# {an embarrasing smothered mate!}) 2. Qg6
fxe5 3. Qxe8+ Bf8 4. fxe5 {4. ... Qb4 or 4. ... Qd2 are black's only chances
to try to hold, but even then, white is winning.} 4. ... Nb6 {Here white misses the simple 5. Rxf8+ Nxf8 and after 6. Rf1! black can resign with a clear
conscience - and the N is back on f8!} 5. Nh5 {Not as good, but still winning.....} Bd7?{now its a simple mate in 5 - and the knight will again occupy f8!} 6. Rxf8+ Nxf8 7. Qe7 {and mate follows.} 1-0

Here an even earlier example with known players. Tarrasch lambasts Teichmann in the tournament book for his choice in this position, which is 1. ... Rg6. The great Tarrasch prefered 1. ... Qxe5. What would happen then?

Vidmar-Teichmann
Carlsbad, 1907




1... Qxe5?? 2. Qxh7+!!! Nxh7 3. Rd8+ Qe8 4. Rxe8+ Nf8 5. Rh8+ {since the knight is pinned, Bh7+ serves just as well, but is less flashy - and we all like
flashy!} 5. ...Kxh8 6. Rxf8#

Ouch, and a fitting end to the article.

If you like this article, and would like to suggest a title for another – or have any other commentary, feel free to contact me here or at drdowd@gmail.com.