How to play knight vs. pawn chess endings
In this type of endings the goal of the stronger side is to reach a draw. But if you play knight vs. pawn ending and your opponent has a pawn on a-column or h-column then you can get into serious troubles sometimes.
Let’s look at some examples:
1.Kc5 Kc3 2.Kc6 Na8 3.Kb7 (and white wins)
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But this position is a draw:
1.Kf5 Nh7 2.Kg6 Nf8+ 3.Kg7 Ne6+ 4.Kf7 Ng5+ 5.Kg6 Ne6 6.h7 Nf8+ (and Nxh7 in the next move)
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This position is also a draw:
1.Kd5 Kd3 (black’s king can stay almost whereever. It is not necessary to involve him into fight.) 2.Kd6 Nb8 3.Kc7 Na6+ (now the knight can move to a safe square – compare with the first diagram!) 4.Kb6 Nb8 (draw)
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So how is it possible to win this type of ending if you are the side with a pawn? The answer lies in the situation when the opponent’s knight does not have access to the promoting square. See this example:
1. b6 (1. Kc8 $2 Ne3 2. b6 Nc4 3. b7 Nd6+ =) (1. Ka7 $2 Nf4 2. b6 Ne6 3. b7
Nd8 4. b8=Q Nc6+ =) (1. Ka8 $2 Ne3 2. b6 Nc4 3. b7 Nb6+ 4. Ka7 Nd7 =) 1…
Ne3 (1… Nf4 2. Kc8 Nd5 3. b7 Nb6+ 4. Kd8 {and white wins}) 2. Ka6 Nd5 3. b7
Nc7+ 4. Ka5 {and white wins} *
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