Chess Endgame: Superior King in Front of Rook Pawn

[callogician]

outstanding video. The position appear superficially totally uninteresting until I absorbed your analysis.

[scraccomatto]

OTTIMO!!

[fezzjr]

while 7:29 isn't ur ideal position for white, cant a8=N allow you to salvage a draw? i dont knkow for sure, but Rook vs Knight seems like a draw.... i really dont know i didn't look much more than 2-3 moves in but it looks like white can get out and be rook vs knight... but would this be a draw?

[GreenCastleBlock]

It usually is but not when the knight is in the corner. Look one move ahead after a8N Kc6, White is dead already. I didn't comment on this because White is playing to win and has better.

[buenotc]

greatttt

[xclosertotheheartx]

thanks very much for the video. it was REALLY instructional. however, the question remains : is the game drawish with rook pawns for the player in disadvantge? keep it up greencastle!!!

[veorens]

thanks, i like these endgame videos you've done lately, showing many different possibilities and such.

[GreenCastleBlock]

The Black rook doesn't have checking distance on the g file.

...Rg1 (instead of ...Rh1 at 6:00 ) Ke8 now works.

...Rg8+ Kf7 and Black loses.

[skreyer]

At 1:45. I think white can't go to Rg2 because black can answer with Rb8#, or am I missing something?

[GreenCastleBlock]

White's pawn on a7 covers that square.

[skreyer]

Oh of course. sorry I've missed the sides.

[GreenCastleBlock]

Easy mistake to make. Sometimes I show Black at the bottom when I am showing whole games. But in chess diagrams, always assume White's pawns are going up.

[skreyer]

Or maybe just listening more assiduously at the beginning. Anyway good instructive video...

[greger333]

crystal clear explanation!

[trixapete]

sweet video!

[brucewallace2]

Excellent!!

[MoonchildMindaugasRo]

another great vid, Matt :)

[ongyj]

Just thought of another thing.

At 1:44, where White just played 1. Rg8-g2, can Black just play 1...Rc1 ? I thought it looks slightly easier for Black to defend, since White now has no move that can displace the Black king from both c8 and c7 squares.

[GreenCastleBlock]

Yes that is equally good. I was just trying to show a variety of positions.

[ongyj]

Nice one, Matt.

Just a short query.

At 7:30 kind of endgame, I think White lost because of 1. a8=N+ Kc6 and the Knight is dead.

I wonder if you could do a video on Lone King + Rook vs Lone King + Bishop or Knight, and what are the criteria in determining whether the player with the Rook can win?

[iceheart920]

For such a seemingly simple position, it's more complex than one would imagine.

[bearpickle]

what up, Matty P!

[GreenCastleBlock]

simply Matt would be ok.

Returning to your question: nm.

[bearpickle]

Matt is nice but doesn't have the flavor of Matty P... can you make an exception for me? If fail, then how about Matt-Dogg or MC GCB?

[dgrakovsky]

Great video, thanks Matt.