Knight and Pawn vs Bishop Endgame

Knight and pawn versus a lone bishop is often only a draw: the bishop blockades the pawn on its own colour, or sacrifices itself for it. It takes special circumstances to win, and here a tactic supplies them.

Why this one wins. Nothing general: the bishop on f6 is undefended, and Nxf6 takes it with check, because the king on d7 does not cover f6. What is left is knight and pawn against a bare king, an easy win.

The general rule. Knight and pawn beat a bishop only when the bishop's stopping diagonals are short. Given a long diagonal in front of the pawn, the bishop shuttles along it or gives itself for the pawn and draws; on a short one the knight and king can take its squares away, and then everything turns on whether the defending king arrives in time.

In this drill you convert. Play Nxf6 at once: every other move, leading with the king included, lets the bishop give itself for the d-pawn or reach a safe diagonal, and the draw is there.