Has anyone promoted a Pawn to a Knight and have it work?

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EthanPV

I'm fully aware that promoting a pawn to a rook or bishop is completely pointless because a Queen is literally both of them, but since you can promote to a knight and because a knight isn't neither a bishop nor a rook, has anyone ever promoted to a knight?

Bonsai_Dragon

EthanPV wrote:

I'm fully aware that promoting a pawn to a rook or bishop is completely pointless because a Queen is literally both of them, but since you can promote to a knight and because a knight isn't neither a bishop nor a rook, has anyone ever promoted to a knight?

Once when promoting to a knight would checkmate, but that was rare.

urk
I've never had occasion for it.
universityofpawns

It has never actually happened to me either in years of playing, but one of the most noteworthy puzzles is a "smothered" mate in one where you promote to knight and immediate checkmate....I'll see if I can find it and get back.

MickinMD
EthanPV wrote:

I'm fully aware that promoting a pawn to a rook or bishop is completely pointless because a Queen is literally both of them, but since you can promote to a knight and because a knight isn't neither a bishop nor a rook, has anyone ever promoted to a knight?

I did it once with one of the high school kids whose club/team I coached when the guy, Matt, was grinning from ear-to-ear and I realized he had intentionally dropped his queen and maneuvered his King so there would be a stalemate when my new queen began existence.  When I pushed the pawn to the queening square and said, "Give me a Knight," his lower jaw almost hit the floor.

I only had barely enough edge to eventually win, but I did.

I told him it was a good example of why we need to keep our emotions controlled - I'd have missed it without the Cheshire Cat-like grin!

 

universityofpawns

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-showcase/pawn-promotion-to-knight-delivers-mate

was in a thread here if this is right

universityofpawns

that was not the one that I remember, but can't find it...the above is just a mate with a knight, not "smothered".

universityofpawns

here is one I made up...white promotes to knight and smothered mate

condude2

I've done a rook to avoid stalemate before. Take the pawn off the board, drop the rook, and watch my opponent's face go from gleeful to depressed in short order.