The story behind the game
After the heavy pieces disappear, Korchnoi reroutes a knight and reorganizes his bishops around the remaining pawn targets. The exchange on a3 changes the minor-piece balance, and a bishop capture on f5 restores material. This is a lesson in connecting quiet manoeuvres to a concrete endgame target.
Take these ideas to your next game
- A knight retreat can prepare a central outpost.
- Use pawn moves to limit the opposing knight’s squares.
- A bishop retreat can prepare a more useful diagonal.
- Count the remaining minor pieces after a bishop exchange.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Nd2 challenges the centralized knight and prepares a new route. Black supports the knight with f5 and White moves to f3. The retreat is useful through the squares it reaches next, not through a general rule that backward moves are good. Compare the pawn support before exchanging knights.
Ne5 establishes a supported central knight. Black gains kingside space and White challenges the pawn structure with f3 and a capture on f5. Keep the knight’s support and Black’s counterplay in view: an attractive outpost still needs a concrete role in the resulting exchanges.
Bf1 prepares a more useful diagonal for the bishop. Black’s knight moves to b1 and White brings the bishop to d3. The other bishops soon exchange on a3. Count those trades before deciding which bishop should pursue the f5 pawn.
Bxf5 recovers a pawn after the bishop exchanges on a3. Black advances the a-pawn and White activates the king. A later knight exchange changes the ending again, leaving the bishop with a new pawn target on c4. Follow the remaining pieces and king routes rather than stopping the assessment at this capture.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 30: Begin a purposeful knight retreat
Which knight move attacks the knight on e4? In the game: Nd2. Nd2 challenges the centralized knight and prepares a new route. Black supports the knight with f5 and White moves to f3. The retreat is useful through the squares it reaches next, not through a general rule that backward moves are good. Compare the pawn support before exchanging knights.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd2 b5 Nb3 Be7 Bd2 Nb1 Bxe4 dxe4 Bc1 Nc3 Bd2 · +0.00 · depth 21
Bb2 Be7 Nd2 Nxd2 Bxc3 Nc4 a4 b5 axb5 Nd6 Bd2 Bh4 · -0.02 · depth 21
Bxe4 Nxe4 Ke2 Ke7 f3 Ng5 h4 Nh7 e4 Bg3 a4 Ke8 · -0.10 · depth 20
Move 33: Occupy the central square
Which knight move reaches e5 with support from the d4 pawn? In the game: Ne5. Ne5 establishes a supported central knight. Black gains kingside space and White challenges the pawn structure with f3 and a capture on f5. Keep the knight’s support and Black’s counterplay in view: an attractive outpost still needs a concrete role in the resulting exchanges.
Engine-supported alternatives
Ne5 Bxe5 dxe5 Nc5 Bd2 Nd3+ Kf1 Nb1 Bxa5 Nxa3 Ke2 Nc4 · +0.12 · depth 22
Nd2 a4 Bf1 Be7 Nxe4 fxe4 g5 Kf7 h4 Nb1 Bb5 Bxa3 · +0.00 · depth 22
gxf5 gxf5 · -0.06 · depth 22
Move 36: Reroute the bishop toward a target
Which bishop retreat prepares Bd3 against the pawn on f5? In the game: Bf1. Bf1 prepares a more useful diagonal for the bishop. Black’s knight moves to b1 and White brings the bishop to d3. The other bishops soon exchange on a3. Count those trades before deciding which bishop should pursue the f5 pawn.
Engine-supported alternatives
Bf1 Nb1 Bd3 Bxa3 Bxa3+ Nxa3 Bxf5 a4 Kd2 Nb5 Kc2 Ke7 · +0.40 · depth 20
Bb2 Na4 Bc1 Nc3 Bf1 Nb1 Bd3 Bxa3 Bxa3+ Nxa3 Bxf5 a4 · +0.33 · depth 20
Nd3 Nd7 · +0.14 · depth 20
Move 39: Recover the pawn with the active bishop
Which bishop capture removes the pawn on f5? In the game: Bxf5. Bxf5 recovers a pawn after the bishop exchanges on a3. Black advances the a-pawn and White activates the king. A later knight exchange changes the ending again, leaving the bishop with a new pawn target on c4. Follow the remaining pieces and king routes rather than stopping the assessment at this capture.
Engine-supported alternatives
Bxf5 Ne8 Kd2 Nd6 Bd3 a4 Kc3 Nab5+ Kb4 a3 Kb3 Ke7 · +0.60 · depth 20
Kd2 · +0.57 · depth 20
Nc6 g4 hxg4 fxg4 Nxa5 gxf3 Kf2 g5 Kxf3 Ke7 Nc6+ Kf7 · +0.01 · depth 19
Every piece has a part to play.
After the heavy pieces disappear, Korchnoi reroutes a knight and reorganizes his bishops around the remaining pawn targets. The exchange on a3 changes the minor-piece balance, and a bishop capture on f5 restores material. This is a lesson in connecting quiet manoeuvres to a concrete endgame target.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 13–22. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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