Hideous knight endgames

[Mats Winther]

I played this knight endgame today in a blitz game. This is so typical
of knight endgames. When I exchanged the rooks I thought I was
winning, which I wasn't. But how is one to foresee such things in a
standard game? Knight endgames are far more difficult than the
middlegame situation. It is curious that positions with so few pieces
are much more difficult to handle than a congested board with queens
and rooks. There is no way of foreseeing whether a knight endgame is
won, lost or drawn. Perhaps one should agree on a draw instead of
playing it out.

Mats

[Event "Rated game, 5m + 3s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2011.10.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anon."]
[Black "M. Winther"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D20"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p5p1/1p1Np2p/2p1P3/2P5/7P/n4PPK/8 w - - 0 28"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2011.10.30"]
[TimeControl "300+3"]

28. Nc8 b5 29. cxb5 c4 30. Nxa7 c3 31. b6 Nb4 32. b7 Na6 33.
Nc6 c2 34. Nb4 c1=Q 35. Nxa6 Qf4+ 36. Kg1 Qc1+ 37. Kh2 Qf4+ 38.
Kg1 Qc1+ 39. Kh2 1/2-1/2