Blogs
Win Knight And Pawn Endgames! | MVP Chess Twitch Highlight

Win Knight And Pawn Endgames! | MVP Chess Twitch Highlight

MVP_Chess
| 8

MVP_Chess is my daily Twitch stream where you can join me on my road from USCF Expert to National Master. I hope you enjoy this highlight from today's stream! Click the button below to follow my Twitch channel and learn more about private chess lessons by visiting my website: www.mvpchess.com


How To Win Knight And Pawn Endgames!

King and pawn endgames are like mathematics. If you can calculate accurately, it is possible to determine the precise outcome of the game: a win, draw, or loss. However, endgames with pieces can be more difficult to evaluate precisely. For example, rook and pawn endgames are tricky because the defensive side often has many resources with rear and lateral checks. The same goes for queen and pawn endgames because the threat of perpetual check is always looming. Bishops are effective long-range defenders with pawns on both sides of the board. What about the knight?

During one of my games today, I had the opportunity to win a pawn on move 29. However, should I take with the bishop or take with the knight? I correctly took with the bishop because I knew that knight endgames can be evaluated similarly to king and pawn endgames. Since the knight is a slow piece and ineffective long-range defender, the side with the extra pawn has good winning chances by activating the king and creating a passed pawn. See how I was able to convert a knight and pawn endgame by watching my live commentary:

Tom Shupe, founder of MVP Chess and Chess.com Coach of the Month, is an active tournament player with a peak USCF rating of 2025. An award-winning writer, his work has been published in print by American Chess Magazine and online by Chess.com. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for educational and instructive chess content.