Knight v Bishop (part eight)

White has just captured on d1 in D Path (144 BCF) - Spanton (2115), Hastings Challengers 1998-9. Who stands better, and by how much?

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Black is winning, according to Stockfish12; has the upper hand (+1.22), according to Komodo11.01.

21...Nh4 22.Kf1!?

I gave this move a question mark in my original notes, but it is Stockfish12's choice.

I thought White had to try to keep Black's king out of the white position, starting with 22.h3, which is Komodo11.01's choice. After 22...Kh7 23.Kh2 Kg6 24.Kg3 Kg5, which is in my notes and is also Komodo11.01's main line, the position is still very good for Black (even Komodo11.01 comes to regard Black's advantage as a winning one). A plausible continuation: 25.Bb3 f6 26.Bc4 h5 27.Bd5 b6 28.Bc4 Ng6 29.Ba6 h4+ 30.Kg2 Nf4+ 31.Kh2 Ne6 32.Bb5 Kf4 33.Kg2 Nc5 34.b4 Nb7 35.Ba6 Nd6 36.Bd3 c6 37.a4 a5 38.bxa5 bxa5 39.Ba6 Nf7 40.Bd3 Ng5 41.Be2 c5 42.Bd1 f5!? (Black's advantage is huge, according to the engines, but this seems the only way to make progress) 43.exf5 Kxf5 44.Be2 Kf4 45.Bd1 e4!? 46.fxe4 Nxe4 47.c4 Nd2 48.Be2 Ke4 (zugzwang) 49.Kg1 Kd4 50.Kg2 Nxc4 and Black wins. This is a very long line, much of it non-forcing, but seems reasonably representative of how the position should be played.

22...Kh7 23.Ke2 Kg6 24.Ke3 Kg5 25.Be2

The engines reckon better resistance is afforded by 25.f4+!? exf4+ 26.Kd4 Ng6 27.e5 f6 28.exf6 (28.e6 f5) gxf6!? 29.Ke4 Ne5 30.Be2 Ng4 31.h4+ Kxh4 32.Kxf4 Nxf2 33.Kf5, but after 33...Kg3 34.Kxf6 Kf4, Black seems to be winning.

25...Ng2+ 26.Kd2 Kf4 27.Bc4 f6 28.Be2 Nh4 29.Kd3 Nxf3 30.h3 Ng5 0-1