Knight against c-pawn
The fork
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Draw
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Other moves here
Lesson 1 of 4
IntermediateKnight Against Pawn
A knight on its own can stop a passed pawn, even with the enemy king beside it, but only if it finds the right square in time. Guard the queening square, use checks to win a tempo, and watch for the fork against a new queen.
When your king is far away, a knight is often all that stands between a pawn and a new queen. A knight is slow, and it cannot lose a move, so everything depends on squares: it must reach a square that guards the queening square, or stand in front of the pawn, before the pawn gets there.
Two tricks help it. A check gains a tempo, because the enemy king has to answer it, so a knight move with check can arrive one move earlier than it seems. And when the pawn does queen, a knight fork can win the new queen at once.
Rook pawns are the hardest. The queening square of a rook pawn can be reached by a knight from only two squares, so the knight has very few routes. This lesson is taught from the knight's side. Every result comes from a tablebase. You get three conditions, each with the move that holds and one that loses, two defences move by move, and four positions to solve.
The idea
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Guard the queening square
From d6 the knight guards c8, the square in front of the pawn. If the pawn queens, the knight takes it.
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The fork
After 1…Ne8 2.c8=Q Nd6+ the new queen and the king are forked, and Black takes the queen.
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The rook pawn
Against a rook pawn the knight has few routes. From b5 it guards a7, the square in front of the pawn.
Before you play it: the checklist
Each condition with two positions: one where it holds and the move works, one where it is missing and the same move fails. The number is Stockfish's evaluation after the move, from the attacker's side.
1.Guard the queening square
The knight must control the square where the pawn queens, not just squares nearby.
It works
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1…Nd6Draw
1…Nd6 guards c8. Draw.
It fails
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1…Nd8Loss
1…Nd8? guards b7 and c6, but not c8, and the tablebase says White wins.
The engine prefers Nd6 (Draw).
2.Win a tempo with a check
A check forces the king to move, and gives the knight the extra move it needs.
It works
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1…Nb5+Draw
1…Nb5+ checks the king and attacks the pawn. Draw.
It fails
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1…Nd5Loss
1…Nd5? attacks the pawn without a check, and the tablebase says White wins.
The engine prefers Nb5+ (Draw).
3.Let it queen, then fork
If the knight cannot guard the queening square, it can wait for the queen and fork it.
It works
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1…Ne8Draw
1…Ne8! and if the pawn queens, 2.c8=Q Nd6+ forks king and queen. Draw.
It fails
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1…Nd7Loss
1…Nd7? guards b8, but not c8, and there is no fork after the pawn queens. The tablebase says White wins.
The engine prefers Ne8 (Draw).
Move by move
Click a move or use the arrows. Under each note you'll find the defender's other choices and how to answer them. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation from the attacker's side.
Knight against d-pawn
From the corner
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Draw
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Other moves here
Your turn
Each position has one best move. Find it, then check the solution.
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Exercise 1
Black to move and draw. White threatens to queen.
Show solution
1...Ne8
1…Ne8! 2.c8=Q Nd6+ forks the king and the new queen. Every other move loses.
Knight against pawn.
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Exercise 2
Black to move and draw. White's a-pawn is about to run.
Show solution
1...Nb5
1…Nb5 guards a7, the square in front of the pawn. Every other move loses.
Knight against rook pawn.
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Exercise 3
Black to move and draw. The knight is stuck in the corner.
Show solution
1...Nb3
1…Nb3! heads for a5 and c6, in time to stop the pawn or fork the new queen. Every other move loses.
Knight against pawn.
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Exercise 4
Black to move and draw. White threatens to queen.
Show solution
1...Nd5+
1…Nd5+ checks the king and attacks the pawn on c7, which falls next move. Every other move loses.
Knight against pawn.
Take these into your games
The queening square
A knight stops a pawn by guarding the square in front of it, or the queening square itself.
Checks win tempi
A knight move with check gains a move. Look for checks first.
The fork
When the pawn is about to queen, see whether the new queen can be forked.
Rook pawns are hardest
A knight reaches the corner from only two squares. Get there early.
Count the moves
Count knight moves to the key square against pawn moves to the queening square. One tempo decides.