Author: Howard Exner
Date: 18:59:41 05/13/98
Some of the games I've managed to win against computers, and these are few in comparison to the many defeats I've suffered, contain the theme of the "trapped piece". Common themes are Knights trapped in the corner and basically pieces that have their mobility stripped. To illustrate here is a line that I've played from the Crafty vs Rebel game from KKup2. [FEN "8/2N1R3/7p/R4r2/3pkr1P/1P6/2P5/2K2b2 b - - 0 1"] 1... Kf3 2. Rxf5 Rxf5 3. Rd7 Ke4 4. Kd2 Rh5 5. Ne6 Ke5 6. Nxd4 Rxh4 7. Nf3+ Ke6 8. Nxh4 Kxd7 9. Nf5 Bh3 10. Nxh6 Be6 11. c4 Kc6 12. Kc3 Kc5 13. b4+ Kc6 14. Kd4 Kb6 15. Kd3 Kc6 16. Kc3 Kb6 17. Kd4 Kc6 * Granted it was played rather quickly so I doubt very much that this will transpire in the real game. I took black's side here and had Rebel 8 play for white. After the move 10. Nxh6 Rebel thinks its position is quite good, but the move Be6 traps the Knight. This kind of position is nothing new to the readers here but it made me wonder how programmers deal with this type of thing. How can positions were pieces get trapped be avoided? I see no way for white to make any progress from the above line despite the material plus. Black simply has its king prevent the advance of the white pawns. Would any program play the move 9 ... Bh3 so as to trap the Knight if Nxh5?
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