Yesterday I saw a 2200 player not able to win with Bishop and Knight vs. King on the Internet. Can you do it?
White to move and checkmate in 6.
1k6/5B2/2K1N3/8/8/8/8/8 w – – 0 24
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Basic endgame
Yes. Memorized it years ago with a battered copy of Fine’s “Basic Chess Endings.”
1. Kb6 Kc8
2. Be8 Kb8
3. Bd7 Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Na6+ Ka8
6. Bc6#
Jeremy Silman says he didn’t include this in his volume because it rarely occurs OTB. Has anyone reading this ever run into it in one of their games? I’ve played it only once in a game that I steered that way deliberately just to test myself. (I sacrificed a promoting pawn.) I got lost along the way, but finally found it a couple moves shy of 50.
Naw Susan its too complex, UM mixed up!!!
1. Kb6, Kc8;
2. Be8, Kb8;
3. Bd7, Ka8;
4. Nc7+, Kb8;
5. Na6+, Ka8;
6. Bc6#
Ciao
Luigi
I am too lazy to look for this mate in 6, but I see a clear cut mate in 8 after Kb6 (unless I am missing somthing really obvious).
1. Kb6 Kc8
2. Be8 Kb8
3. Bd7 Ka8
4. Nd4 Kb8
5. Nc6 Ka8
6. Nb4 Kb8
7. Na6 Ka8
8. Bc6#
The other major line is:
1. Kb6 Ka8
2. Nd4 Kb8
3. Be6 Ka8
4. Bd7 Kb8
5. Nc6 Ka8
6. Nb4 Kb8
7. Na6 Ka8
8. Bc6#
They failed from this point in the game?
I have done this before in a game, with 5 minutes and 5 second increment (my opponent probably made it easier for me since he had even less time to think than I did). The most challenging part is corraling the king to the board edge. After that, the next hardest part is walking him to the proper corner. From this point in the diagram, I don’t see the real difficulty.
Lol.
Everyone can learn it in 5 minutes.
1. correct corner
2. driving out of the wrong corner
3. trapping in a big triangle (only position you must know)
4. moving to a smaler triangle
5. mate
Good practice problem for lazy foggies like me!
1. Kg6
(hem the king to a8-b8-c8 first, then take away c8)
1. … Kc8
2. Be8 Kb8
3. Bd7 Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Na6+ Ka8
6. Bc6#
The main theoretical thing if I remember right is that the king has to be pushed to the corner that is controlled by the bishop — in this case, the a8 or the h1 corner, right?
I’m no where near 2200, but I do know this ending.
1. Kb7 Kc8
2. Be8 Kb8
3. Bd7 Ka8
4. Nc7+ Kb8
5. Na6+ Ka8
6. Bc6#
Still working on the QvsR endgame, though…
I managed in 8 moves, on first attempt:
1.Kb6 Kc8
2.Be8 Kb8
3.Bd7 Ka8
4.Bb5 Kb8
5.Ba6 Ka8
6.Nd8 Kb8
7.Nc6+ Ka8
8.Bb7#
So I can pretend my rating is
+2200. Also, now I am in the position to fully understand the games of Super-GM’s (according to Aronian). Not bad.
susan, where you play? icc?
The black king is in the appropriate corner, so white just has to be careful not to make a wrong move that would delay the mate.
1. Kb6, …
1. … , Ka8 or 1. … , Kc8
2. Be8, Kb8
3. Bd7, Ka8
4. Nc7+, Kb8
5. Na6+, Ka8
6. Bc6++
Best regards from Spain,
Miguel
Kb6/Be8/Bd7/Nc5/Na6/Bc6
Another example of patzers becoming masters without learning the fundamentals.
I could deliver mate from this position before I ever became rated.
Delivering mate from this position is easy, but that doesn’t mean that KNB vs K is easy! If you can get a position like this you can mate easily, but the trick is getting a position like this! Just knowing you have to drive the K to the corner with the color of your bishop is not enough. There is a tricky position where it appears black can escape this but actually can’t, however the solution in the critical position is not easy to see over the board.
I made it to 2100 CFC without ever managing to learn this ending properly, and believe me I tried. I agree with Silman.
Just replay
I learned this mate from Capablanca but in my tournament games I only once had to perform this mate and it took me 48 moves! I was two moves away from the 50 move draw rule.
I was just teaching this ending to my 4th-grade daughter last night!
You guys actually know these endings from “studying” ? Wow, you have motivation.
It’s just hard to get motivated to learn endings… the positions are just so boring… just like Kramnik’s games 🙂
It’s better to finish off an opponent in the middle game! lol
Of course, my comment doesn’t apply to aspiring GMs and IMs. If you are aiming for that, every half-point counts.
Got it first time in 8 then went back and did it in 6.
Mate with bishop and knight is one of my pet themes. I can force a mate in about 30-40 seconds from any given position.
1.Be8 Kc8 (or 2… Ka8)
2.Kb6 Kb8
3.Bd7 Ka8
4.Nc5 Kb8
5.Na6+ Ka8
6.Bc6#
Raisha
1.Be8 Kc8 (or 2… Ka8)
2.Kb6 Kb8
3.Bd7 Ka8
4.Nc5 Kb8
5.Na6+ Ka8
6.Bc6#
1.Kb6! Ka8
2.Be8 Kb8
3.Bd7 Ka8
4.Nc5 Kb8
5.Na6+ Ka8
6.Bc6#
And if 1. … Kc8
2.Be8 Kb8
3.Bd7 Ka8
4.Nc7+ Kb8
5.Na6+ Ka8
6.Bc6#
Raisha