The Knight Guards the Blockaded Pawn
White to play and win
PlayThe two c-pawns block each other, so nothing is getting pushed for a long time. Your knight is a defender here, not an attacker: it guards your c4-pawn while your king does the winning.
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The Knight Guards the Blockaded Pawn
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
A knight is at its most economical when its own pawn is blockaded head to head with an enemy pawn on the same file. It can then defend that pawn from a small handful of safe squares and still have time to do nothing else.
The knight defends, the king wins. 1.Nb5 does not attack anything. It sits on a square protected by your own c4-pawn and covers d4 and c3, the entry squares the black king needs. When the king does reach d3, Nd6 guards the pawn.
Do not dawdle. The knight must take up its post at once. A slow king move allows 1...Kd4, and the c4-pawn falls with a draw.
In this drill the defender will circle your pawn. Shuttle the knight between b5 and d6, bring your king across the board, and convert.
Keep going
Sacrifice to Clear the Pawn's Path
White to play and win
Two Knights Cage the King
White to play and draw
A Lone Knight Mates in the Corner
White to play and win
All 16 knight endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)