Chess lessons › Chess endgames
Rook against knight
A draw while the knight stays beside its king; a knight far from its king, or a king in a corner, can lose.
The idea
A draw while the knight stays by its king; apart, it can be trapped.
- Black’s knight on a2 is far from its king.
- White’s king covers c1 and c3, two of its three squares.
- Rh4 takes the third square, b4, and the knight is trapped.
In a game: Against a lone knight, count its squares, and cut it off from its king.
How the lesson begins
Rook against knight is usually a draw too, as long as the knight stays beside its king. Here Black’s knight on e5 stands next to the king on d5, and with White to move the tablebase says it is a draw.
The danger comes when knight and king are separated, or when the king is stuck in a corner.
Find the move
Black to move. The knight is stuck on a1, in the corner and far from its king. Only one move draws. Find it.
A hint
The knight has two squares. Use the one with check.
Show the answer
1... Nb3+
Nb3+. From a1 the knight has only two squares, b3 and c2, and the check gains the time it needs to get out. Every other move loses.
In numbers
Positions to practise
8 positions in the study, every result proved by the tablebase: 4 are wins and 4 draws for the side to move, with best play on both sides.