Guided lesson · Intermediate · Endgames
Knight and rook pawn: clear the corner
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A rook’s pawn is not doomed to draw when its king and knight are active. The knight controls an escape square and helps drive the king from the corner. Do not apply this result with a distant king or a badly placed knight. King and knight can arrive in either order: Kg6 and Nd6 win equally quickly. Here the mistake is pushing h7 before preparing the pieces. The example stops before promotion; keep the pieces coordinated and watch for stalemate.
The key idea
Coordinate king and knight before pushing the rook pawn.
Example 1 · Clear the corner before advancing
Kg6 approaches the corner while protecting h6.
- Kg6 Kg6 approaches the corner while protecting h6.
- Kg8 Black’s king must leave h8.
- Nd6 Nd6 controls e8. After the king goes to f8 and h7 advances, e8 will not be an escape square.
- Kf8 Black’s king continues moving away from the pawn.
- h7 Now h7 advances with the king’s support.
- Ke7 Black’s king retreats; promotion still needs to be completed.
Example 2 · The knight restricts the defending king
Kb6 secures the a6-pawn’s advance.
- Kb6 Kb6 secures the a6-pawn’s advance.
- Kb8 The defender leaves the corner for b8.
- Ne6 Ne6 controls c7 and d8, restricting its route.
- Kc8 Black’s king continues through c8.
- a7 a7 approaches promotion with king support.
- Kd7 Black’s king moves away; the position remains won beyond this line.
Practice
Play White. Coordinate king and knight before pushing the rook pawn.
- Kg6 approaches the corner while protecting h6. Nd6 also reaches mate just as quickly, but needs another continuation. To follow this exercise, play Kg6.
- Nd6 controls e8. After the king goes to f8 and h7 advances, e8 will not be an escape square. Place the knight to control e8; the king already protects the pawn.
- You preserve the win. Keep the win: h7, Nf7 are equivalent options here.
You have preserved the win. The pawn has not promoted yet: keep calculating without losing coordination.