Knight and Pawn vs Bishop: Defending With the King

Black to play and draw

White's pawn on d7 is one step from queening, and your bishop on c7 holds d8. White's king is heading for b7 to drive the bishop away, so everything turns on one question: can your king arrive in time to stop that? Here it can. The rule: head for d6, where your king guards the bishop and attacks the pawn, and every step on the way is the only move that holds.

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Bring Your King in Time: Knight and Pawn vs Bishop

Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.

Start with the right road. Ka3 is the tempting mistake: after Kc4, Ka4 and Kc5, you are in zugzwang, and you lose.

With a knight and a pawn against a bishop, the bishop usually cannot hold the queening square on its own. The result then depends on the defending king: can it stop the bishop from being driven away or cut off from its diagonal?

The attacker's plan. White's king marches to b7 to drive your bishop from c7. With your king on a1 or b1, that march wins.

The defender's road. From b2 your king arrives in time, but only by one road: Kc3, Kd3, Ke4, Kd5 and Kd6. Every other king move on the way loses, Ka3 first of all.

In this drill you defend. Head for d6, where your king guards the bishop and attacks the pawn.

Keep going

One Tempo Turns the Draw into a Win

White to play and win

Pawn on the Seventh: Zugzwang, Not a Chase

White to play and win

Good Bishop vs Bad Knight

White to play and win

All 15 bishop vs knight positions Follow the full curriculum (free)