Mate with K + B + N vs. K does happen. I've seen it twice, but not in my games, and in both cases the stronger side could not deliver mate before the 50 move rule kicked in. If you know this mate, you can achieve checkmate from the worst conceivable starting position in 34 moves.
It's a great exercise to learn to coordinate all three pieces.
Originally posted by ivan2908 Accordion Silman there is no need for learning it since it never happens. 😞
It is true that the chance of this endgame occuring in your games is really small, but it might just happen to you.
A few months ago in an OTB team match this endgame showed up. My teammate was playing a lost rook vs knight & bishop (+ some pawns both side). At some point (I already had gone home when this happened) he traded the rook for his opponent's remaining pawn and ended up in this endgame. His opponent didn't know how to win this ending so he accepted a draw. He was nearly in tears, or so I heard.
I liked "Accordian Silman" much better than "According to Silman". Now I have this mental picture of Silman playing one of those squeezeboxes. 🙂
The first (and only) large tournament that I played in had a KBN vs K game. I watched part of it. I was a tournament beginner, and it had to be explained to me just how rare these games are. BTW, the player successfully delivered mate, never having learned the procedure. He figured it out OTB!
One of my recent engine-engine tournament games (1800 games) had a KBN vs K game, and the engine was able to deliver mate. (It wasn't using tablebases.) I've never tried to figure out what percentage of engine games are this type, although it would be an interesting statistic.
I also didn't think that this endgame had any practical value. I learned it because petrovitch was going to make me stand in a corner if I didn't. It was very easy to learn, and I'm glad I did. I may never see this position in practical play in my life (after all, I've been playing this game for many years like most of you, and haven't seen it yet), but by learning it you will learn things about the interaction between B & N that can have lasting practical value. Besides that, I have to admit that it is a little bit of fun just knowing that I can finally do this.
Originally posted by schakuhr It is true that the chance of this endgame occuring in your games is really small, but it might just happen to you.
A few months ago in an OTB team match this endgame showed up. My teammate was playing a lost rook vs knight & bishop (+ some pawns both side). At some point (I already had gone home when this happened) he traded the rook for his opponent's ...[text shortened]... dn't know how to win this ending so he accepted a draw. He was nearly in tears, or so I heard.
A buddy of mine did this exact same stunt in a high school match and secured a draw. This was over 20 years ago though, and I've never seen it happen since...
Not sure of the utility of learning this endgame overall. I get into tons of rook endings, I think my time is better spent there.
Mate with King, Knight and Bishop
25 Mar '08 11:321 edit
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