The Knockout Knight: Looking For an Outpost
The knockout knight has much learning to do before facing the evil opposition. They wish to limit the knight's moves and, in the end, capture it. The knight needs your help to destroy the opposition, and cause chaos with its knockout abilities.
The first step to this long way is to find an outpost. An outpost is a square on the board where a type of pawn guards it and no opposing pawn can attack the knight. The opposing team is most likely to try to undermine the pawn hook and attack the knight, but, before that, the knight will cause much damage. Outposts are found in the 4th, 5th, or even 6th row! But, beware, young master, knights are, most of the time, rather dim on the rims of the boards.
Here are some puzzles to let you see if you can spot an outpost.
Did you find the knight's sweet outpost on d5 and how to get to it? Hah! Black would not be happy. Do you see the control of white's knockout knight? Just a few threats and black's position will crumble. Look at white's knight's circular domination!
Haha! You've got the hang of finding outposts!
The next step is to identify the best way to an outpost! Now, as I have stated above, the knight outpost can only be in specific places, but, sometimes it doesn't need the pawn hook. Look at the example here!
Do you see how white's knight handled the three pawns? Technically, that still counts as an outpost because black's bishop can't do any harm to it, it is extremely useful, and no black pawn can attack it.
The last but not least thing you need to know about knight outposts is how to break one. Your enemy might have read this blog too, and builds a good outpost for a knight. You have to undermine it and destroy it before it does any harm!
A good way to undermine an outpost is to...
1. Attack the hook pawn, then, trade it off.
2. Trade the good piece for one of your lousy pieces.
3. Restrict the activity of the fantastic knight
4. Create an attack that will force the knight back to defend.
Some of the above can only be achieved in a certain position, (numbers 4, 3) but many can be accomplished in that position. Also, remember that no human is perfect, and they may not be able to pull off the victory if you make it hard for your opposition.
Here are 3 puzzles to end this lesson blog, I hope you have a wonderful day!
Also, please consider joining one of my clubs,
https://www.chess.com/club/on-the-road-of-a-world-champ/join
