The straightforward king march to the kingside pawns comes too late: 1 Kc5? h5! 2 Kd4 (intending 3 Kd3) 2...Kb1 3 Rg1+ c1Q 4 Rxc1+ Kxc1 5 Ke3 (with the king on d5 or d6, White could go after the g7-pawn; but from d4, the road is much too long) 5...Kc2 6 Kf4 Kd3 7 Kg5 Ke4, and wins; 1 Kc6? h5! 2 Kd6 h4! 3 Ke6 h3 (Black has won a vital tempo) 4 Rh2 Kb1 5 Rh1+ c1Q 6 Rxc1+ Kxc1 7 Kf7 h2 8 Kxg7 h1Q, and wins.
The “strategic double attack!” This move not only brings the king closer to the g7-pawn (as may be seen in the variant 1...Kb1 2 Rg1+ c1Q+ 3 Rxc1+ Kxc1 4 Kd7 h5 5 Ke7 h4 6 Kf7 h3 7 Kxg7 h2 8 f6 h1Q 9 f7 =), but at the same time prepares a completely different idea.
1...h5! 2 Kb8!! Kb1 (the same reply comes after 2...h4) 3 Rxg7! c1Q 4 Rb7+ =.
On 1 Rh3? c4+! 2 Kxc4 a2, White’s in zugzwang. For example: 3 h6 (or 3 Kb4 c5+ 4 Kc4 h6!) 3...c5! (both sides have used up their extra pawn moves at the same time) 4 Rg3 (4 Kd3 Kc1 wins) 4...Ke2 5 Rg2+ Kf1 and wins (on the g-file, the rook is too close to the pawn - only two files between them!) So White must lose a move!
1...a2? 2 Rg1+ Ke2 3 Kc2 would be a mistake - White wins; and Black gets nothing out of 1...Kc1 2 Rc3+ Kb1 3 Rd3.
4 h6! (and now it’s Black who’s in zugzwang) 4...Kc2 5 Rc3+ Kb2 5 Rb3+ Kc1 7 Rc3+ Kd1 8 Rh3! Ke2 9 Rh2+ Ke1 10 Rh1+ Ke2 11 Rh2+ Kd1 12 Rh3! =
A Very Powerful Piece: The Octopus
A knight in the heart of the enemy's position, aiming at both the kingside and the queenside, paralyzing the opponent's pieces. Sounds good, doesn't it? Such a knight is sometimes referred to as an octopus, comparing its eight legs to the eight squares that the mighty knight controls.
A knight in the heart of the enemy's position, aiming at both the kingside and the queenside, paralyzing the opponent's pieces. Sounds good, doesn't it? Such a knight is sometimes referred to as an octopus, comparing its eight legs to the eight squares that the mighty knight controls.