FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

1

Karsten Müller:

Endgames with rook and
minor piece against rook and
minor piece

These endgames occur very often in
practical play, even much more often than
rook endings, but were more or less
neglected by the classical literature. Only a
few works like Flear's Practical Endgame
Play - Beyond the Basics, Everyman 2007
and Christopher Lutz Endgame Secrets,
Batsford 1999 deal with them in detail.
There are 4 different material
constellations and each of them has its own
guidelines. Furthermore the endgame with
rook and bishop against rook and knight is
ruled by completely different guidelines
and strategies depending on the question,
which minor piece has the advantage.

1. Rook and knight against rook

and knight

As both pieces do not like passivity already
a light initiative usually weighs heavily.

Andersson U. : Robatsch K.
Munich 1979
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–
0 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 0–0 8.Nc3 d5 9.Nd5
Nd5 10.Bg7 Kg7 11.cd5 Qd5 12.d4 cd4
13.Qd4 Qd4 14.Nd4 Bg2 15.Kg2

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Directly from the opening this interesting
endgame has arisen. Without knights it
would of course be completely drawn, but
with them matters are not so easy as
White's strategical initiative does count for
something.
15...a6?!
This is quite slow. 15...Rc8 is the main
move, when one famous game was
16.Rac1 Nd7 17.Rfd1 Nc5 18.b4 Na4
19.Nb5 Rc1 20.Rc1 a5 21.a3 Rd8 22.Rc7
Rd5 23.Na7 ab4 24.ab4 e6 25.Nc6

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25...Rd2? Now White's attack gets too
strong. (25...Nb2! was forced and Black
should be able to defend, e.g. 26.e4 (26.f4
Nc4) 26...Rd2 27.Ne5 Nd3! Such tactical
tricks are quite typical for this endgame.
The knight is a concrete piece, which
wants to be active or at least not purely
passive. 28.Rf7 Kg8 29.Nc4 Rc2 30.Nd6
Rd2) 26.Ne5 Re2 27.Nf7 h5 28.Ng5 Kf6
29.Kf1! Rf2 30.Kf2 Kg5 31.Ke3 Kg4
32.b5 Kh3 33.Rc4 Nb2 34.Rc2, 1:0,
Smyslov V. : Benko P., Monte Carlo 1969.
16.Rac1 Ra7
16...Nd7 can be met by 17.Rc7 Rfd8
18.Rd1 Rac8 19.Ra7 Kf8 20.Nf3 Nb8
21.Rd8 Rd8 22.Rb7 Nd7 23.b4 with a
dangerous initiative.
17.Rc2 Rd8 18.e3 e5 19.Nf3 f6

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

2

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20.g4!
A typical approach to gain space and to
open the option to undermind Black's pawn
chain f6–e5 with g4–g5.
20...Rd6?
The following set up is too passive.
20...Rad7 21.Rfc1 Kf7 22.Rc7 Ke6 offers
more resistance.
21.Rfc1 Nd7?! 22.Rc6!

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Andersson exchanges Black's active rook
so that Black remains with passive pieces.
22...Rc6
22...Rd5 23.R1c2 Rb7 24.Nd2±.
23.Rc6 Kf7 24.Nd2 Ke7 25.Ne4 Rb7
26.b4 Rb8 27.Nc3 f5
27...Rb7 28.Nd5 Kf7 29.Kf3 a5 30.b5 Kg7
31.Re6+–.
28.Nd5 Kf7 29.Kg3 h5?!

This violates the rule that you should not
play on the wing where the opponent is
stronger and which the opponent wants to
open, but Black is lost in any case, e.g.
29...fg4 30.Kg4 a5 31.b5 a4 32.h4 Rb7
33.Kg5 Kg7 34.h5 gh5 35.Kh5 e4 36.Kg5
Ne5 37.Rb6 Rf7 38.Nf4+–.
30.gf5 gf5 31.Rd6 Rb7 32.Kh4 Kg7
33.Kh5 1:0.

2. Endings with rooks and same

colored bishops

Here the "traditional values" like space
advantage, good bishop, the more active
king and initiative count for a lot.

Carlsen M. : Caruana F.
Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012

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29.Re4!
White's activity is extremely difficult to
deal with as Black has no real counterplay.
Especially Black's bishop can't really find
an active role.
29...g6 30.g4!?
Carlsen makes it difficult for Black to get
rid off his potentially weak pawns (f7, h6).
30...Kf8 31.h4 Re4 32.Ke4 Re8 33.Kd3
Re6 34.Be3 Kg7 35.Rb5 Bd8 36.h5!
The typical lever to undermine Black's
structure.
36...Rd6 37.Kc4 Rc6 38.Kd5 Re6
38...Rc3?? runs into 39.Bd4+–.
39.Bd4 Kf8 40.f4 Bc7?
Without his king Black can not deal with
the coming invasion of White's king.

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

3

40...Ke7 makes it more difficult for
Carlsen's king, e.g. 41.c4 (41.f5 Rd6
42.Ke4 gh5 43.gh5 Rc6) 41...Kd7 42.f5
gf5 43.gf5 Rd6 44.Ke4 Rc6 and in both
cases Black can still offer tough resistance,
but it is hard to believe that he can really
defend in the long run.
41.f5!
Magnus prepares to open roads and takes
away e6 from Black's rook.
41...Rd6 42.Ke4 Rc6 43.Rb1!
Carlsen redirects his rook so that it can
operate quickly on both wings.
43...Ke8
43...gh5 44.gh5 Rc4 45.Kd5 Ra4 46.Kc6
Bb8 47.Rg1 Rc4 48.Kb6+–; 43...g5
44.Kd5 Rd6 45.Kc4 Ke7 46.Re1 Kd7
47.Kb5+–.
44.hg6 fg6

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45.Rh1!
Typical play on two wings. The defender
has more problems to bring his forces to
the other front than the attacker.
45...Kf7 46.Kd5 Rd6 47.Kc4 gf5?!
Usually it is good, if the defender
exchanges pawns. But this is an exception
as in the following the whole kingside is
exchanged and Black has no means of
creating counterplay there.
47...g5! is more tenacious, but White
should be winning anyway in the long run,
e.g. 48.Kb5 Bd8 49.Re1 Bf6 50.Bb6 Bc3
(50...h5 51.gh5 Rd5 52.Kc6 Rf5 53.c4 g4
54.Rg1+–) 51.Rc1 Bb4 52.Rc7 Kf6 53.Rh7

Rd5 54.Kc6 Rd6 55.Kb7 Rd2 56.Rh6 Kf7
57.Rh7 Kg8 58.Rc7 Rg2 59.Rc4+–.
48.gf5 Bd8 49.f6!
This breaks the lines of communication in
Black's camp. Now it is over as Black's
king is too far away from the queenside.
49...Bf6
49...Kg6 50.Rg1 Kf7 51.Rg7 Ke6
52.Rh7+–.
50.Rh6 Be7 51.Rd6 Bd6 52.Kb5 Ke6
53.Bb6 Kd7 54.c4 Kc8 55.Ba5 Kb7
56.Bb4
Of course not 56.c5?? Bc5 57.Kc5 Ka8=.
56...Bf4 57.c5 Ka7 58.c6 Kb8 59.a5 Ka7
60.a6 Ka8 61.Bc5 Bb8 62.Kc4 Bc7
63.Kd5 Bd8 64.Ke6 Bc7 65.Kd7 Ba5
66.Be7 1:0.
An impressive performance by Magnus
Carlsen!

3. Rooks and opposite colored

bishops

Müller K. : Heinemann T.
Altenkirchen 1999
The drawish tendency of pure opposite
colored bishops endings is much reduced
due to the presence of rooks. The guideline
from the middlegame that opposite colored
bishops favor the attacker is valid here as
well:

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White has several winning motifs like the
exchange sacrifice, a mating attack and
invading with the pieces including the
king.

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

4

1.Rc3
A rook exchange must of course be
avoided.
1...Rf8 2.Ke2 Bd4 3.Rc7 Rf7 4.Rc6 Rb7
5.Bc4
Simplification into a rook ending with
5.Kd3? Rb5 6.Kd4 (6.Bc4 Rc5=) 6...Rb3
7.Ke5 Rg3= is of course uncalled for due
to the large drawish tendency of these
endgames.
5...e5 6.Kd3 Kh6 7.Rd6!? Bf2
After 7...Kg5 I had planned 8.Rd4 ed4
9.Kd4 and the white pawns can't be
stopped e.g. 9...Kf4 (9...Kf6 10.e5 Ke7
11.Kc5 Rc7 12.Kd5 Rd7 13.Kc6 Rd2
14.b6 Rc2 15.Kc5 Rb2 16.Bd5+–) 10.e5
Rb8 11.e6 Kf5 12.b6 Kf6 13.Kc5 Ke7
14.Ba6 Ke6 15.Kc6+–.
8.Rd5 Re7 9.Rd8 Rb7 10.Ke2 Ba7
11.Rd5 Re7 12.Rd6 Rb7 13.Ra6 Bd4
14.Rd6 Ba7

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15.g3!
First Black's king is restricted to stop his
counterplay.
15...Kg5 16.Kf3 Kh6 17.h4 Kh5 18.Kg2
Bc5
18...Kg4?? 19.Be2#; 18...g5? 19.Be2 g4
20.Bc4 Bd4 21.Rf6+–.
19.Rc6 Bd4 20.Kh3 Kh6 21.g4 Kg7 22.g5
Be3

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23.Bd5!
The tactical trick breaks the blockade on
b6.
23...Rb8
23...Rb5 24.Rc7 Kf8 (24...Kh8? 25.Rc8
Kg7 26.Rg8#) 25.Rf7 Ke8 26.Rf3 Rd5
27.ed5 Bc5 28.Rf6+–; 23...h5 24.Rg6 Kg6
25.Bb7 Bc5 26.Bc8 Bb6 27.Bf5 Kf7
28.Kg3+–.
24.Rc7 Kh8 25.Bc6 Rf8 26.Re7 Bd4
27.Bd5 Rf3 28.Kg2 Rf2 29.Kg3 h6
29...Rf8 30.Re6 Rb8 31.Kg4 Kg7 32.Re7
Kh8 33.h5 Rf8 34.Re6 Rb8 35.hg6 hg6
36.Rg6 Rb5 37.Rg8 Kh7 38.g6 Kh6
39.Kf5+–.
30.gh6
This wins prosaically, but 30.h5+– was
much more beautiful.
30...Rf4 31.Re6 Kh7 32.b6 Rf8 33.b7 Ba7
34.h5 gh5 35.Kh4 Rf1 36.Kh5 Rg1
37.Re7 Kh8 38.Re5 1:0.

4. The Fischer endgame R+B

against R+N
(the bishop is better)

Fischer R. : Taimanov M.
Vancouver 1971
The endgame rook and bishop against rook
and knight is called Fischer endgame,
when the side with the bishop has the
advantage due to the many instructive
games of the American world champion.
The following guideline shall help you too

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

5

see, if the side with the bishop is better or
not:
1) Rook and bishop usually cooperate as
long range piece better together than rook
and knight. Often they profit from an open
position. Furthermore the rook somewhat
compensates the blindness of the bishop on
the other color complex.
2) Pawns only on one wing are often good
for the slower knight.
3) Fluid pawn structures are often good for
the bishop as it can then choose the way to
use them to restrict the knight. Broken
structures and weak color complexes can
help the knight to find outposts.
4) The knight always wants to have control
so that the knight has time for its slow
manovers.
5) If the bishop has the advantage it will
often use zugzwang, restriction methods
and exchanges to make progress. So often
the pawns shall be placed to complement
the bishop to restrict the knight further and
so that the pawns are not in the way of the
bishop.In the following famous classic
Fischer gives an instructive demonstration:

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24...b6?
This weaknes the light squares too much.
Kasparov gives in his excellent On my
great predecessors volume 4 on Fischer:
24...Kd6! 25.a4 (25.Re3 Rb8; 25.Bb7 Rb8
26.Ba6 Rb2) 25...b5 26.a5 c4 27.c3
(27.Bb7? Rb8 28.Ba6? runs into 28...Nd5)
27...Rb8 with good drawing chances.
25.Bf1!

Fischer immediately exploits the mistake
and increases the pressure on the light
squares.
25...a5 26.Bc4 Rf8 27.Kg2 Kd6 28.Kf3
Nd7 29.Re3 Nb8 30.Rd3 Kc7

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31.c3!?
Fischer restricts the knight and
complements his bishop - a typical
attacking strategy.
31...Nc6 32.Re3 Kd6 33.a4 Ne7 34.h3
Such a move in the do not rush style is
strong psychologically. Black can only sit
and wait.
34...Nc6 35.h4
With the plan h5,g4,Kg3–h4,g5 followed
by Kg4.
35...h5 36.Rd3 Kc7

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37.Rd5!

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

6

Fischer forces Taimanov to place more
pawns on light squares.
37...f5 38.Rd2 Rf6 39.Re2 Kd7 40.Re3 g6
41.Bb5 Rd6
Taimanov's sealed move.
42.Ke2 Kd8?
This allows Fischer to simplify into a won
bishop vs knight endgame.
Andrew Soltis' suggestion 42...Rf6 43.Kd3
and now not 43...Kd8? (but 43...Rd6
44.Kc4 Rf6 when White should be winning
in the long run, but matters are not easy
(see analysis by Charles Sullivan in
Endgame Corner 106 in the Archives of
ChessCafe.com).) 44.Bc6! Rc6 45.Kc4
Rd6 46.Kb5 Kd7 (46...Rd2 47.Kb6 Rb2
48.Kc5 Kd7 49.Rd3 Ke7 50.Rd6+–) 47.b3
Kc7 48.c4 Kd8 49.Ka6 Rc6 50.Kb7 Rf6
51.Rd3 Ke7 52.Kc7 Re6 53.Rd7 Ke8
54.Rd6 Re3 55.Rg6 Rb3 56.Rb6 Rb4
57.Rb5 Ra4 58.Rc5+–.
43.Rd3! Kc7 44.Rd6 Kd6 45.Kd3

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Black would have a fortress, if he could
transfer his knight to d6, but as he does not
have control he does not find the time for
the regrouping.
45...Ne7 46.Be8 Kd5 47.Bf7 Kd6 48.Kc4
Kc6 49.Be8 Kb7 50.Kb5 Nc8 51.Bc6
The hasty 51.Bg6?? runs into 51...Nd6#.
51...Kc7 52.Bd5 Ne7 53.Bf7 Kb7
Now Fischer uses the sharp endgame
weapon zugzwang again.
54.Bb3 Ka7 55.Bd1 Kb7 56.Bf3 Kc7
57.Ka6 Nc8

Activating the knight with 57...Ng8 58.Bd5
Nf6 59.Bf7 Ne4 does not help as the
bishop is far superior in the coming fight
on both wings, e.g. 60.Bg6 Ng3 61.Be8
Ne2 62.Bh5 Nf4 63.Bf3 Ng6 64.h5 Ne5
65.h6+–.
58.Bd5 Ne7 59.Bc4 Nc6 60.Bf7 Ne7

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Now comes the final zugzwang:
61.Be8! Kd8 62.Bg6! Ng6 63.Kb6 Kd7
64.Kc5 Ne7 65.b4 ab4 66.cb4 Nc8 67.a5
Nd6 68.b5 Ne4 69.Kb6 Kc8 70.Kc6 Kb8
71.b6 1:0.

5. The Andersson endgame R+B

against R+N

(the knight is better)

Andersson U. : Franco Ocampos Z.
Buenos Aires 1979
The endgame rook and knight against rook
and bishop, where the side with the knight
has the advantage is sometimes called
Andersson endgame due to the many
impressive victories of the famous Swedish
grandmaster. The following guidelines
shall help you too see, if the knight has the
advantage:
1) The side with the knight has full control,
so that the knight has time for its
manovers.
2) The bishop is restricted by its own
pawns or "hits only the air".
3) The color complex, which is not
controlled by the bishop is weak.

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

7

4) The knight finds strong outpost squares
due to the pawn structure. Often a broken
pawn structure favors the knight and a
fluid one the bishop. But now let's see an
example of the famous Swede himself:

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cd5 Nd5
5.e4 Nc3 6.dc3 Qd1 7.Kd1 f6 8.Be3 e5
9.Nd2 Be6 10.Bc4 Bc4?!
10...Kf7 is more circumspect.
11.Nc4 Nd7 12.b4! Nb6 13.Na5 0–0–0
14.Kc2 Be7 15.a3 f5

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16.Bb6!
Andersson trades down to his favored
material distribution. White has still two
rooks on the board which adds more
middlegame elements to the Andersson
endgame. But the main strategy to play on
the color, which the bishop can't control is
the same here.
16...ab6 17.Nc4 Bf6?
Playing statically gives White time to build
up his attack based on his light squared
powerplay.
Black should aim for dynamics with
17...fe4 18.Rae1 Rhf8 19.Rhf1 b5 20.Nd2
Rd5 21.Ne4 Kd7 when White is better, but
the damage is limited.
18.a4! Bg7 19.Rhe1 Rhe8 20.b5 f4?
This blocks the kingside completely. Again
the more dynamical solution 20...fe4
21.Re4 Rf8 22.f3 Rf4 23.Rae1 Re4 24.Re4
Rd5 was called for.
21.a5 ba5 22.Ra5 b6 23.Ra7 Bf6 24.Rea1
Re6 25.R1a6 Rde8

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26.Kb3!
Andersson even has time to introduce his
king into the attack.
26...Bd8 27.Ra8 Kd7 28.Ra2 Bf6 29.Rd2
Ke7 30.Ra7
White does not exchange his active rook.
30...Rc8 31.Rd5 Ke8 32.h3 Ke7 33.Nb2
Ke8 34.Nd3 Bg7
34...c6 is met by 35.Rdd7 cb5 36.Nb4! Ra8
(36...Re7? 37.Nd5 Rd7 38.Nf6 Ke7
39.Nd7+–) 37.Rh7 Ra7 38.Ra7 Bd8
39.Nd5+–.
35.c4 Bf6 36.c5 bc5 37.Nc5 Re7 38.Ra6
Bh8 39.Kc4 Bg7 40.f3 Rb8 41.Ne6

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Now all of White's pieces are on light
squares. What a demonstration of
powerplay on one color complex!
41...Bf6 42.Rc6 1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

8

EXERCISES

1. Vitiugov N. : Bacrot E.,

Ohrid 2009

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How did Vitiugov exploit Bacrot's Achilles
heel?

2. Schebler G. : Boensch U.

Germany 2006

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How to defend with Black?

3. Sakaev K. : Meister Y.

Sochi 2004

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Which master move was uncorked by
Meister?

4. Nuesken N. : Peschel A.

Pardubice 2004

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How can White strike tactically?

FIDE Surveys – Karsten Müller

9

SOLUTIONS

(1.)
37.Rc6!
Takes aim at the pawn e6, which will fall
sooner or later.
37.Rh7? is met by 37...Bc5 38.Be8 Re3
39.Kg4 e5 40.Rf7 (40.f5 e4 41.Rh6 Kg7
42.Re6 Re2 43.f6 Kh6 44.Kf5 Bf8=)
40...Ke6 41.f5 Kd5 42.Rf6 (42.f6 Ke6
43.Rc7 Bd6=) 42...Bd6 43.Bf7 Kc5 44.Re6
e4 45.f6 (45.h4 Rg3 46.Kh5 e3 47.f6 Rf3
48.Kg5 Bf4 49.Kg4 Rf2 50.Bg6 e2 51.Bd3
Kd5 52.Re8 Bd2 53.Be2 Rf6=) 45...Rg3
46.Kf5 Rf3 47.Ke4 Rf4 48.Ke3 Rf5
49.Bg6 Re5 50.Re5 Be5 51.f7 Bg7=; and
after 37.Bc4? Black has 37...Rc3 38.Rc6
Bd6 and in all cases he has good drawing
chances.
37...Ra7 38.Bc4 Re7 39.e4 Bh6 40.e5 1:0.

(2.)
22...Rfc8!!
Black must seek dynamic counterplay.
After 22...b5? 23.Nc5 a5 24.Kd2 White has
the better minor pieces and good winning
chances.
23.Kd2
23.Nb6 Rc6 24.Rc6 Bc6 25.Nc4 Bd5!= is
also equal; and 23.Rb6? Bc6! even
backfires completely.
23...Bc6 24.Nc3 Kf8 25.e4 Ke7 26.e5 f5
27.Ke3 b5 28.d5 ed5 29.Rd1 b4 30.Nd5
Bd5 31.R6d5 Rc7 32.Rc1 Rb5 33.Kd4
Rd5 34.Kd5 Rd7 35.Kc5 Rd2 36.Rc4
Rb2 37.Rb4 Ra2 38.g4 fg4 39.fg4 Ke6
40.Kd4 Rd2 41.Ke4 Re2 42.Kf4 Rf2
43.Kg5 Ke5 44.Ra4 Rf7 45.Ra6 Rb7
46.Ra8 Ke6 47.Ra4 Ke5 48.Kh6 Rc7
49.Kg5 Rb7 50.Ra1 Ke6 51.Rf1 Rb4
52.h5 gh5 53.gh5 Rb5 54.Kh6 Rb7
55.Rf6 ½.

(3.)
46...Rh5!!
What a brilliant shot!
47.Rh5
47.Re1 Kf7 48.Rd1 Rh2 49.Rd3 Rb2–+.

47...gh5 48.Kh5 Kf7 49.Kg4 Nd4 50.Bc3
Nc2 51.Bb2 Ne3 52.Kf3 Nc4 53.Bc1 Ke6
54.Ke2
54.Kg4 runs into 54...d4 55.f5 Kf7 56.Kf3
d3 57.Bg5 Na3 58.Ke3 Nc4 59.Kd3 a3–+
and White's pieces are amazingly unable to
stop the a-pawn.
54...Na5!

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+p+k+-+0
9sn-zPp+-+-0
9p+-+-zP-+0
9zP-+-+-+-0
9-+-+K+-+0
9+-vL-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Good technique to the end. Meister stops
any White counterplay in its tracks.
55.Bd2 Nb3 56.Be3 Kf6 57.Kd3 Kf5
58.Bg1
58.Kc3 Ke4–+.
58...Kf4 59.Kc3 Ke4 60.Kb4 d4 61.Ka4
Nc5 62.Kb4 d3 0:1.

(4.)
37.Nb5?
Misses the tactical shot. 37.Nc6! Rd7
(37...Rc7 38.Re6!+–) 38.Rd1 Kg7
(38...Rc8 39.Ne5+–) 39.Red4 d5 40.cd5
ed5 41.Rd5 Rd5 42.Rd5±.
37...Rd7 38.Rf4 Nf6 39.Rd1 Red8
40.Rfd4 d5 41.cd5 Nd5 42.Kf3 Ke7
43.Rc1 a6 44.Nc3 Rf8 45.Kg2 Nc3
46.Rd7 Kd7 47.Rc3 Rf5 48.Kf1 h5
49.Ke2 a5 50.Rf3 Kd6 51.Rc3 ½.