Knights are fiendishly tricky pieces and their movements are hard to anticipate, especially during the endgame. Players who can't foresee deadly knight moves are often termed as having 'knight blindness' (harr harr). However, as a player matures, it becomes noticeable that knights can be awkwardly trapped by other pieces and also how their ability to check kings without being blocked can be used to gain an advantage.
Working with knights:
Players should always remember, knights love the 5th rank (4th rank for black). They are absolutely drooling to plant themselves on squares like b5, f5, d5, e5, etc. Due to the general configuration of the opening systems such as Sicilian games, the London game, these squares are potent. Don't make the mistake of exchanging your knight for a bishop when you've created an outpost, though! Despite the fact that bishops are superior to knights in open games, the bishop would most likely be caged in by its own pawns, so it would be a disadvantageous trade. Using these outposts, knights are very useful for attacking castled kings. They work in tandem with queens.
A juicy outpost on g6 from which the knight can never be removed. Although here playing a rook to g6 is more practical to obtain a passed pawn.
Knights are famous for their forking capabilities especially snapping up rooks in corners. Players should get pieces into a configuration where a knight can fork 2 major pieces or a king and a major piece. Hence it is important to stay in the blind zones of these slick buggers. Some of them are 2 squares to the corner of the knight and the square right next to it.
Knights are a little restricted when it comes to defence because of manoeuvrability issues. However, when they have space, they're awesome at blocking checks from queens and rooks. They control the closest squares around the defending king. Due to this, knights should be kept close to the king in endgames where the rooks or queens are still active. For a good example of this, refer to Carlsen's rapid game with Grischuk where he survives an incredibly difficult position.
Working against knights
Apart from the mentioned 'blind spots' for evading annoying checks from knights, there are other ways to neutralise their threats. Knights, unlike bishops (sometimes), are terrible at the edge of the board. They're easily trapped and often don't make their way back into the centre. An exception to this rule is when there's an attack on a king and the knight needs to make it up the board, but the centre is cluttered with pawns. In this case, the knight can go to the edge and transfer forward.
There's a popular configuration in which a bishop can prevent a knight's advances. I don't know if there's an official name for it, but I call it the scissor barrier. It looks something like this:
Working with knights:
Players should always remember, knights love the 5th rank (4th rank for black). They are absolutely drooling to plant themselves on squares like b5, f5, d5, e5, etc. Due to the general configuration of the opening systems such as Sicilian games, the London game, these squares are potent. Don't make the mistake of exchanging your knight for a bishop when you've created an outpost, though! Despite the fact that bishops are superior to knights in open games, the bishop would most likely be caged in by its own pawns, so it would be a disadvantageous trade. Using these outposts, knights are very useful for attacking castled kings. They work in tandem with queens.
Knights are famous for their forking capabilities especially snapping up rooks in corners. Players should get pieces into a configuration where a knight can fork 2 major pieces or a king and a major piece. Hence it is important to stay in the blind zones of these slick buggers. Some of them are 2 squares to the corner of the knight and the square right next to it.
Knights are a little restricted when it comes to defence because of manoeuvrability issues. However, when they have space, they're awesome at blocking checks from queens and rooks. They control the closest squares around the defending king. Due to this, knights should be kept close to the king in endgames where the rooks or queens are still active. For a good example of this, refer to Carlsen's rapid game with Grischuk where he survives an incredibly difficult position.
Working against knights
Apart from the mentioned 'blind spots' for evading annoying checks from knights, there are other ways to neutralise their threats. Knights, unlike bishops (sometimes), are terrible at the edge of the board. They're easily trapped and often don't make their way back into the centre. An exception to this rule is when there's an attack on a king and the knight needs to make it up the board, but the centre is cluttered with pawns. In this case, the knight can go to the edge and transfer forward.
There's a popular configuration in which a bishop can prevent a knight's advances. I don't know if there's an official name for it, but I call it the scissor barrier. It looks something like this:
And of course, there's the general principle of keeping the position open, especially when you're working with a bishop.
NOTE: Knights are good blockaders, but they're pretty terrible at stopping passed pawns, especially outside ones. Also players, beware of knight retreats. They're dangerous! They're overlooked because they seem arbitrary, but they're usually to find a new path for the knight which the player may not notice.
Here the intention is to kick the d4 knight with c3 and manoeuvre to f3, if possible.
Here the intention is to kick the d4 knight with c3 and manoeuvre to f3, if possible.
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