FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

1

Efstratios Grivas :
Rook & Knight vs Rook

Concept

In the latest FIDE World Championship in
Sochi, Russia, the following position was seen
in the 7

th

game of the match between World

Champion Magnus Carlsen and the ex-FIDE
World Champion Vishy Anand:

Carlsen M. : Anand V.
Sochi 2014

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Although Carlsen pressed for a quite number of
moves, Anand defended with accuracy and
hadn’t really many problems to solve.
104...Rd1 105.Rg6 Kf7 106.Rh6 Rg1
107.Kd5 Rg5 108.Kd4 Rg6 109.Rh1 Rg2
110.Ne4 Ra2 111.Rf1 Ke7 112.Nc3 Rh2
113.Nd5 Kd6 114.Rf6 Kd7 115.Nf4 Rh1
116.Rg6 Rd1 117.Nd3 Ke7 118.Ra6 Kd7
119.Ke4 Ke7 120.Rc6 Kd7 121.Rc1 Rc1
122.Nc1 ½-½

Identification

This ending is drawn and the defender's task is
much easier than in that of Rook & Bishop vs
Rook.
Naturally, certain exceptions do exist here as
well. In all of next five exceptional cases, the
defending king has been restricted to the last
rank.
The analysis of these positions has been known
since the 18

th

century and is based on the work

of Centurini. Barring these five exceptional
cases, the attacking side can win the game only
with the kind help of the opponent!
The main defensive concept is pinning the

knight, so as to avoid having the king caught in
a mating net; this would force either the
defending rook to a passive position or the king
to a corner. Pinning can be effected
horizontally or vertically.

Example 1

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The simplest case. White's plan is to place his
king on g6 and his knight on f6, when mate
with Rh7 follows, or the king to h6 and the
knight on g6, when Rg7 will again be mate.
Thus, White must guard his 6

th

rank.

1.Kg6 Kg8
Other tries also fail: 1...Rg8 2.Kh6 Rc8
(2...Rg1 3.Ng5) 3.Nf4 Kg8 4.Ng6 Rc7 5.Ne7;
1...Rc8 2.Ra7 Rb8 3.Rc7 Ra8 4.Rc6 Re8 5.Kf7
Ra8 6.Rc5 Ra7 7.Nc7; 1...Re8 2.Ng5 Rg8
3.Kh6 Rc8 4.Rh7 Kg8 5.Rg7 Kf8 6.Nh7 Ke8
7.Nf6 Kf8 8.Rg8.
2.Rb6 Re8 3.Rc6 Ra8 4.Ng5 Kf8 5.Re6! Rb8
6.Nh7 Kg8 7.Re7 Rb6 8.Nf6 1:0.

Example 2

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1.Re3! Rf2
White wins after 1...Kf8 2.Nh7 Kg8 3.Re8 or
1...Rf8 2.Nh7.
2.Re1 Rf4 3.Ra1 Rf2
It now becomes apparent why White first of all

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

2

forced the black rook to move to f4: 3...Kf8?
4.Ne6.
4.Ne4! Rg2 5.Kf6 Kh8
5...Rg4 6.Ra8 Kh7 7.Ng5 leads to mate.
6.Ra3!
Forcing the black rook to the 4

th

rank.

6...Rg1 7.Ra2 Rg4 8.Ng5! Rf4 9.Kg6 Kg8
10.Ne6! Rg4 11.Kf6 Kh8 12.Kf7! Rh4 13.Kg6
Rg4 14.Ng5 1:0.

The second is more complicated, as the black
king is caught in a stalemate position.

Example 3

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1...Rg3 2.Kf7 Rg7 3.Ke6 Rb7
Or 3...Rg1 4.Rd7! Re1 5.Kf7.
4.Rg2!
Certainly not 4.Rh2 Kg7 5.Rh7 Kf8! 6.Rb7
stalemate!
4...Rb6 5.Kf5 Rb5 6.Kg6 Rb2 7.Rg5 Rb5
8.Nd5 Rb7 9.Kf6 Rh7
The alternatives fail to save Black: 9...Rd7
10.Ne7 Rd6 11.Kf7 Kh7 12.Rg7 Kh6 (12...Kh8
13.Ng6) 13.Nf5; 9...Ra7 10.Rg1 Rb7 11.Ra1!
Rd7 12.Ne7 Rd6 13.Kf7 Kh7 14.Nf5 Rd7
15.Kf6 Rb7 16.Rh1 Kg8 17.Ne7 Kf8 18.Rh8 #;
9...Rg7 10.Re5! Rd7 (10...Ra7 11.Re1) 11.Ne7
Rd6 12.Kf7 Kh7 13.Re1 Ra6 (13...Kh6
14.Nf5+) 14.Rh1 Rh6 15.Ra1 Rh3 16.Ng8!
Kh8 (16...Rh2 17.Nf6 Kh6 18.Rg1 Rg2
19.Ng8) 17.Nf6!.
10.Ne7 Rh6
Or 10...Rg7 11.Ra5 Rh7 12.Ra8#.
11.Kf7 Rh7 12.Kf8 Rh3 13.Rg8 Kh7 14.Rg7
Kh6 15.Ng8 Kh5 16.Nf6 1:0.

Example 4

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y

1...Kf8
No help is offered by the alternatives: 1...Kh8
2.Ne7! Rb8 3.Kh6 Rd8 4.Ng6 Kg8 5.Ra7 or
1...Rb8 2.Rf6 Kh8 3.Kh6 or, finally, 1...Rf8
2.Ne7 Kh8 3.Ra1!.
2.Rf6 Kg8 3.Nh6 Kh8 4.Kf7! Ra8 5.Nf5 Ra7
6.Kg6 Ra8 7.Kh6 Re8 8.Ne7! Ra8 9.Rf7 Ra6
10.Ng6 1:0.

Example 5

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y

In this example, which side is to move makes
no difference, as White can ‘lose’ a tempo. The
bad placement of the black king and the
passivity of its rook determine the outcome.
1.Rc7! Rb8
The alternative 1...Kg8 2.Kg6 Kh8 3.Rh7 Kg8
4.Rg7 Kf8 5.Rf7 Kg8 6.Ne4 also loses.
2.Ra7 Rd8
Or 2...Kg8 3.Kg6 Kh8 4.Rh7 Kg8 5.Rg7 Kf8
6.Kh7 Rb7 7.Nb7.
3.Nf5 Rb8 4.Rf7 Kg8 5.Ne7 Kh8 6.Ng6 Kg8
7.Rg7# 1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

3

The defending side fails to defend!

Well, defending this ending can be a tricky
business! If the defending king is cornered,
problems begin…

Polgar J. : Kasparov G.
Dos Hermanas 1996

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y

The white king is already on the edge of the
board, so some 'care' is in need...
60.Kg4
60.Rh8 is also drawn: 60...Rg3 61.Re8 Rg2
62.Kh3 Nf4 63.Kh4 Rg7 =.
60...Ke6 61.Rb5 Rg3 62.Kh4 Rg1 63.Rg5 Rf1
64.Ra5
64.Kg4 is good as well: 64...Kf6 (64...Rg1
65.Kh4 Rf1 66.Kg4=) 65.Ra5 Rf4 66.Kh3
(66.Kh5? Ng3 67.Kh6 Rh4 68.Rh5 Rh5#)
66...Kg6 67.Ra2=.
64...Kf6 65.Ra8 Rg1 66.Rf8 Ke5 67.Re8 Kf4
68.Rf8 Ke4 69.Re8 Kf3 70.Kh5
Although the text move spoils nothing, nice is
70.Rf8! Nf4 71.Rg8! Rh1 (71...Rg8 -
Stalemate!) 72.Kg5 Rg1 73.Kh4=.
70...Ng3 71.Kh6
White should not fall for 71.Kh4? Nf5 72.Kh5
(72.Kh3 Rh1#) 72...Ng7 -+. Also good is
71.Kg5 Ne4 72.Kh6 =, but not 72.Kf5? Nd6 -+
or 72.Kh4? Rh1# or, finally, 72.Kh5? Nf6-+.
And maybe the best is 71.Kg6 Ne4 72.Kh6=,
but not again 72.Kh7? Nf6 -+ or 72.Kf7? Nd6.
71...Nf5 72.Kh7
72.Kh5? Ng7 -+.
72...Kf4 73.Rb8
73.Rg8? now, loses to 73...Rh1 74.Kg6 Ne7 -+.
73...Rg7 74.Kh8
Now the white king has been driven to the
corner; White must be on the alert ...
74...Rd7 75.Re8
75.Rf8? now loses to 75...Kg5 76.Ra8 Kg6

77.Rg8 (77.Rb8 Rh7 78.Kg8 Ne7 79.Kf8 Rh8 -
+) 77...Kh6 78.Rg1 Rd8! 79.Rg8 Rd3 80.Rg1
Rf3 81.Rg4 (81.Kg8 Ne7 82.Kh8 Rf8-+)
81...Ne7 82.Rh4 Kg6! (82...Kg5? 83.Rh6!!
Ng6 84.Kg7 [84.Kh7? Rf7 85.Kg8 Kf6-+)
84...Ne5 85.Re6=) 83.Rg4 (83.Rh6 Kf7-+)
83...Kf6 84.Rg7 Re3-+.
75...Kg5 76.Re6
If Black manages to put the knight on f6 then
his position is winning. But how to do that? If
the knight is going away from his king then
White starts checking. So it's important at the
moment for Black to move his knight in a way
that White has no more any check.
76...Nd4 77.Re1
Or 77.Rb6 Re7 (77...Kf5 78.Kg8 Ne6 79.Rb1
Kg6 80.Rg1 Ng5 81.Kf8=) 78.Kg8 Ne6
79.Rb1! (79.Rb8? Kg6-+) 79...Kg6 80.Rg1
Ng5 81.Kf8!=.
77...Kf6 78.Rd1
78.Rf1 is good enough: 78...Nf5 (78...Ke7
79.Kg7=) 79.Kg8 Rg7 80.Kf8 (80.Kh8? Rg2
81.Kh7 Rg5 82.Kh8 Kf7 83.Rh1 Rg2 84.Rh3
Rf2 85.Kh7 Ne7 86.Kh6 Rf5 87.Kh7 Ng8
88.Rh1 Rg5 89.Rh2 Nf6 90.Kh8 Rg8#)
80...Ra7 81.Ke8=, as the white king has
escaped the dangerous corner.
78...Rd5!

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And now White has only one good move ...
79.Ra1?
Also losing is 79.Rh1? Nf3! 80.Rh6 Kf7
81.Rh7 Kg6! (81...Kf8? 82.Ra7=) 82.Rg7 Kf6
83.Rg4 (83.Rg8? Rh5#) 83...Ng5 84.Rf4 Kg6
85.Kg8 Ne6 86.Rg4 Kf6 87.Rg2 (87.Kh7 Ng5
88.Kh6 Nf7 89.Kh7 Rh5 90.Kg8 Rh8#)
87...Rd8 88.Kh7 Ng5 89.Kh6 Rh8#. White has
to find the only move: 79.Rf1! Nf5 80.Rf2
(keep the knight pinned!) 80...Rd4 (80...Kg6
81.Rg2 Kf7 82.Rf2 Rd8 83.Kh7 Kf6 84.Rf1=)
81.Kg8! (81.Rh2? Kf7 82.Rh1 Rf4 83.Rh7 Kf8
84.Rh3 Ne7 85.Kh7 Kf7 86.Rh1 Ng8 87.Rh3

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

4

Rg4 88.Rh1 Nf6 89.Kh8 Rg8#) 81...Rd1
82.Rf4!=.
79...Ne6!
Very accurate - only winning move!
80.Ra6 Kf7 81.Ra7 Kg6 82.Ra8 Rd7 83.Rb8
Rc7 84.Kg8 Rc5 85.Ra8 Rb5 86.Kh8 Rb7
87.Rc8 Nc7
Accurate is 87...Rb6! 88.Kg8 Ng5 89.Kf8 Re6
90.Kg8 Nh7 91.Kh8 Nf6 92.Rf8 Re7-+.
88.Rg8 Kh6 89.Rg1
More stubborn is 89.Rf8, but after 89...Rb6
90.Kg8 Kg6 91.Rd8 Ne6 Black is on the right
track again ...
89...Rb8 90.Rg8 Ne8!

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y

And White resigned, as she cannot stop the
wining set-up with the knight on f6: 91.Rf8
Kg6 92.Rg8 Kf7 93.Rg1 Nf6 94.Rg8 Rg8# 0:1.

Onischuk A. : Dominguez L.
Biel 2008

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y

White holds, as usual, but some traps do exist...
88.Rd7?
No less than eight moves would have preserved
a drawish position: 88.Ka1, 88.Re7, 88.Rf7,
88.Rg7, 88.Rh7, 88.Rc5, 88.Rc1 and 88.Rc8.
88...Kc2!
White missed this simple tactic and now there

is no way back!
89.Ka3 Nc6! 90.Ka4 Rb4 91.Ka3 Rb5!
And White resigned, as the end is near ... 0:1.

Carlsen M. : L'Ami E.
Wijk aan Zee 2011

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y

Being tired after the long defence, L'Ami did
not manage to hold this theoretically drawn
endgame.
76.Kd4 Re1 77.Ng4 Kg3 78.Ne3 Ra1 79.Rg7
Kf4 80.Rf7 Kg3 81.Nc2 Ra4 82.Ke3 Kg4
83.Nd4 Kg5 84.Ke4 Kg6 85.Rf1 Ra5 86.Nc6
Ra4 87.Ke5 Kg5 88.Rg1 Rg4 89.Ra1 Rg3
90.Re1 Rg2 91.Ne7 Kg4 92.Nf5 Ra2 93.Rg1

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y

93...Kf3?
A blunder. After 93...Kh3 or 93...Kh5 it is still
a draw.
94.Nh4!
Black resigned because after the text move he
loses a rook: 94...Ke3 95.Rg3! Kd2 96.Rg2
1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

5

Zhigalko S. : Kuzubov Y.
Moscow 2011

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y

Black has defended well, but here cracks:
93...Rf1?
Moves like 93...Ra2, 93...Ra5 and 93...Ra6
should be OK for the draw.
94.Nf5 Kh8 95.Rg2 Rh1
Or 95...Rf4 96.Rg5 Ra4 97.Rh5 Kg8 98.Ne7
Kf8 99.Rh8#.
96.Ra2 Rf1 97.Rg2 Rh1 98.Kf7! Rh7 99.Kf8
Rh5
99...Rh3 100.Nd6! Kh7 101.Nf7 Rg3
102.Ng5+-.
100.Nd6!
Black resigned due to 100...Rh1 (100...Kh7
101.Rg7 Kh6 102.Nf7#) 101.Nf7 Kh7
102.Rg7#. Unfortunately for him, he took
things a bit more ‘lightly’ than he should and
the time-trouble wasn’t on his side … 1:0.

Nabaty T. : Ali Sebbar
Caleta 2012

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y

The black king looks in bad shape, but the
‘right’ of the defender is a privilege ...
103...Ra6!
Pinning is the best! An alternative like
103...Ra8? loses after 104.Rh4 Kg8 105.Rc4

Kh7 106.Ng5 Kg8 107.Rc6+-.
104.Rc4 Rb6 105.Ra4 Kg8?
The black king stands 'fine' on h7. Black should
simply play 105...Rd6! =.
106.Ra7!
Back rank occupation ...
106...Kh8 107.Re7 Ra6 108.Kg6 Ra8
109.Rb7 Kg8 110.Nc7!
Remember: the knight belongs on f6!
110...Rf8 111.Nd5
And Black resigned due to 111...Ra8 112.Nf6
Kh8 113.Rh7# 1:0.

Ivanchuk V. : Karpov A.
Cap d'Agde 2012

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y

White should be safe, but after all this is a rapid
game ...
60.Ra3 Ne4 61.Ra8 Kf4 62.Rf8
The other pin with 62.Ra4 is safe as well.
62...Ke3 63.Re8
Pinning the knight!
63...Rg6 64.Kh3?
Losing! White had to find the drawing 64.Kf1!
(only move!) 64...Rg7 65.Re5=.
64...Kf3! 65.Kh2
65.Rf8 doesn't help: 65...Nf6 66.Kh2 Kf2
67.Rh8 Rg3 68.Kh1 Rg1 69.Kh2 Ng4 70.Kh3
Rh1-+.
65...Rg2+ 66.Kh3 Ng5 67.Kh4 Nf7
67...Nh7 is quicker: 68.Kh3 Rg5 69.Kh4 Rg1
70.Kh5 Nf6-+.
68.Kh5
A bit more stubborn is 68.Kh3 Ng5 69.Kh4, as
Black would have to find the winning
69...Nh7!.
68...Rg5 69.Kh4 Rg6! 70.Rh8!? Nh8 0:1.

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

6

Neverov V. : Bogdanovich S.
Kiev 2013

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y

Even though the white king is badly placed, the
endgame is still drawn.
173.Kh2 Rg5 174.Kh3 Nf5 175.Ra7 Ke4
176.Ra4 Kf3 177.Ra3 Ne3 178.Kh4 Rb5
179.Rc3 Kf4 180.Ra3 Re5 181.Ra4 Kf3
182.Ra3 Rb5 183.Rc3 Kf4 184.Ra3 Nf5
185.Kh3 Rb4 186.Kg2 Ne3 187.Kh3 Kf3
188.Ra8 Rf4 189.Ra3 Re4 190.Ra8 Nd5
191.Ra3 Ne3 192.Ra8 Re5 193.Rf8 Nf5
194.Ra8 Re3 195.Rf8 Ke4 196.Kh2
The alternative good move is 196.Kg2, but not
196.Kg4? Rg3 197.Kh5 Kf4-+.
196...Kf4 197.Rf7 Kg4 198.Kg1 Rf3 199.Rf8
Rf4 200.Rg8 Kh3 201.Rh8 Nh4 202.Ra8 Kg3
203.Rg8 Kf3 204.Ra8 Nf5 205.Rf8 Ke2
White should be OK with any rook move
except 206.Rf5? and 206.Rh8?. Neverov was
probably tired after a very long game and so he
erred ...

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y

206.Kh2?
206.Rh8? Rg4 207.Kh1 Kf1-+.
206...Kf2! 207.Rh8
The only move to stop mate but now there is no
escape for the king.
207...Rg4 208.Rh7 Rg2 209.Kh3 Rg3

210.Kh2 Nd4!
White resigned because of 211.Rf7 Nf3
212.Rf3 Rf3 213.Kh1 Rh3#
0:1.

The defending side succeeds to defend!

Maybe in the end of the today, the defence is
not that difficult. Let’s see some examples!

Kramnik V. : Kasparov G.
London 2000

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y

Black was extremely lucky beforehand and he
didn't missed his good fortune now!
62.Kb4 Kb6 63.Nd5 Ka6 64.Rg6 Kb7 65.Kb5
Rc1 66.Rg2 Kc8!
The black king escapes the corner!
67.Rg7 Kd8 68.Nf6 Rc7 69.Rg5 Rf7 70.Nd5
Kd7 71.Rg6 Rf1 72.Kc5 Rc1 73.Kd4 Rd1
74.Ke5 ½-½.

Svidler P. : Grischuk A.
Odessa 2008

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y

2800 players cannot easily miss their defending
chances - see why:
67...Ra7 68.Rg5 Kh6 69.Rg1 Kh5 70.Nf5 Ra5
71.Ne3 Re5 72.Nd5 Re6 73.Kc5 Ra6 74.Kd4

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

7

Ra4 75.Ke5 Ra5!
Pinning the knight!
76.Ke4 Kh6 77.Nf4 Ra4 78.Kf5 Ra5 79.Kf6
Ra6 80.Ne6 Kh5 ½-½.

Ivanchuk V. : Carlsen M.
Leon 2009

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Carlsen seems to love playing this ending! But
here Ivanchuk presented a model game of
accurate defence.
48.Rf1 Ng6 49.Rf5 Rb4 50.Ke3 Ne7 51.Ra5
Kf6 52.Kd3 Ke6 53.Rh5 Nf5 54.Kc3 Rg4
55.Kd3 Ke5 56.Kc3 Rf4 57.Kd3 Kd5 58.Kc3
Rf3 59.Kb4 Kc6 60.Rg5 Ne3 61.Rc5 Kd6
62.Rh5 Nd5 63.Kc4 Rf4 64.Kd3 Rg4 65.Rf5
Kc5 66.Rh5 Rf4 67.Rg5 Rh4 68.Rf5 Rh3
69.Ke2 Kd4 70.Rf8 Nc3 71.Kf2 Ne4 72.Kg2
Rg3 73.Kh2 Ke3 74.Rf7 Rg8 75.Rf5 Ng5
76.Ra5 Nf3 77.Kh3 Ng1 78.Kh4 Ne2 79.Rg5
Rh8 80.Kg4 Ke4 81.Rg7 Re8 82.Ra7 Rg8
83.Kh4 Nd4 84.Kh3 Nf5 85.Ra4 Kf3 86.Ra3
Ne3 87.Kh4 Rg1 88.Kh5 Kf4 89.Ra4 Ke5
90.Ra5 Nd5 91.Rb5 Ke4 92.Ra5 Nf6 93.Kh6
Ng8 94.Kh5 Nf6 95.Kh6 Kf4 96.Ra4 Kf5
97.Ra5 Ke6 98.Ra6 Kf7 99.Ra7 Kf8 100.Rf7!
½-½.

Aronian L. : Anand V.
Mainz 2009

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And Anand seems to love to defend it! Here is
his model game, although against Carlsen as
well he played accurately.
55...Kf6 56.Rc5 Ke6 57.Re5 Kd7 58.Ke4 Ra1
59.Rh5 Ra4 60.Ke5 Ra1 61.Rh6 Re1 62.Kd4
Ra1 63.Nc4 Rd1 64.Kc5 Ke7 65.Ne3 Rc1
66.Kd5 Re1 67.Re6 Kf7 68.Re4 Ra1 69.Ke5
Re1 70.Kf5 Re2 71.Re5 Re1 72.Re6 Re2
73.Rf6 Ke7 74.Nd5 Kd7 ½-½.

Ivanchuk V. : Kramnik V.
Nice 2010

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+k+0
9tR-+-+N+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+K+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-tr-+-0
xiiiiiiii

y

As we already had noticed, Kramnik is an
expert in defence! And even in blindfold
games!
83...Rf1 84.Ke4 Re1 85.Ne3 Kf6 86.Ra6 Ke7
87.Kd4 Kd7 88.Nf5 Rd1 89.Ke5 Re1 90.Kd5
Rd1 91.Nd4 Ke7 92.Rb6 Kf7 93.Rc6 Ke7
94.Re6 Kf7 95.Re4 Kf6 96.Kd6 Rd3 97.Rg4
Rd1 98.Kd5 Rf1 99.Rg2 Rd1 100.Rf2 Ke7
101.Ke5 Re1 102.Ne2 Kd7 103.Kd5 Rd1
104.Nd4 Ke7 105.Rf4 Ke8 106.Kd6 Rd3
107.Rh4 Kf7 108.Ke5 Rd1 109.Nf3 Rf1
110.Rh7 Kg6 111.Rh3 Kf7 112.Kf5 Ke7 ½-½.

Karjakin S. : Caruana F-
Moscow 2013

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-mkRsN-+-+0
9+-+K+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

118...Ka5!

FIDE Surveys – Efstratios Grivas

8

118...Ka3? loses to 119.Kc3.
119.Kc3 Kb6 120.Rb4 Ka6 121.Kc4 Rc8
122.Kd5 Ka5 123.Rb1 Rc3 124.Ne6 Rh3
125.Kc4 Rh4 126.Nd4 Ka6 127.Kc5 Rh5
128.Kd6 Rh6 129.Ne6 Ka5 130.Kc5 Rh5
131.Kc4 Rh4 132.Nd4 Ka6 133.Kc5 Rh5
134.Kd6 Rh6 135.Ne6 Ka5 136.Rb2 Ka4
137.Kd5 Rh5 138.Ke4 ½-½.

Conclusion

Of course the ending is drawish, but still some
advices are good enough for the defending side:
1. Try to pin the knight.
2. Avoid corner the king.
3. Little time left never helps…
4. Study this survey!

If you do all of these, you will always get the
maximum from your position, no matter if you
have the knight or not!