The curious thing is, a minor piece (along with the king of course) can in fact be ‘sufficient’ to deliver a checkmate. To understand the rare occasions when a minor piece ends up being “sufficient”, let’s have a look at some fascinating examples. White to play and win – J Gunst (1922)White wins if he manages to capture both the black pawns without losing any of his minor pieces. It’s tricky because the black king is threatening to spoil the party. 1.Bb7 and 1.Bxd7 both run into 1…Kc7 attacking both the minor pieces.

Source: The Nation September 04, 2021 20:37 UTC