1.Ne2! Kh2 (otherwise White will play 2.Ng3 mate).Let’s change the starting position of the pieces so that the White Knight starts at f4, like this… 1.Nf1 (stalemating the Black King, and so forcing his next move)īeautiful, isn’t it? But let’s make the position a little tougher.In this position, White can checkmate the enemy King with two beautiful moves: (Reuben Fine called this a “problem position.”) But it is helpful to know the idea, if only to know how the pieces react with one another.
Here’s the surprising part: the King and Knight can checkmate the enemy King in certain positions if we give Black a little more material - i.e., where Black has a Rook-pawn.įirst, you should know that this is merely theoretical it will almost never come up in a real game. But the King and Knight can sometimes mate the enemy King. If you doubt me on this, I encourage you to get out a chess board and try to set up a checkmate position. There is just no way to make a position where the King and Knight can checkmate the lone enemy King. As it turns out, there is no way to cover the four squares needed to construct the checkmating position. If we put White’s King on h3 or g3, it covers two escape squares (h2 and g2), but it leaves g1 open.Īnd if we put the White King on f1 or f2 to cover the g1 square, that leaves h2 open as an escape hatch. Now we just have to add the White King to cover the possible escape squares. Let’s imagine that the Knight is on f2 and delivering check to the enemy King at h1. So the Knight would have to sit on f2 or g3.
That means that the Knight would have to check the King at h1. Since the King can’t check the enemy King (the King giving check would also be in check himself), the check must be delivered by the Knight. So let’s say that the Black King is sitting on h1. In order to checkmate the enemy King, you must, at a bare minimum, be able to check the enemy King when he is in the corner of the board and cover the three possible escape squares. King and Knight can’t checkmate a lone King. First, let’s look at what happens when you try to checkmate a lone King with a King and Knight. The long answer is a little more interesting, and has a surprise in it. One of my readers, Phil, has asked this question: Can i win with a knight and king against a king?
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