Rook Vs Rook + Knight

[Keith Arkell]

The Karpov win - I wish I could be more precise - was from a favourable starting position.

This one?

[Event "Olympiad-28"] [Site "Thessaloniki"] [Date "1988.11.29"] [Round "14"] [White "Karpov, Anatoly"] [Black "Ftacnik, Lubomir"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A30"] [WhiteElo "2725"] [BlackElo "2475"] [Annotator "Nastasio,Davide"] [PlyCount "185"] [EventDate "1988.??.??"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Bg5 a6 10. Rfd1 Nbd7 11. Qd2 Qc8 12. b3 O-O 13. Rac1 Rd8 14. Qb2 Qc7 15. a4 Rac8 16. Ne1 Bxg2 17. Nxg2 Ne5 18. Be3 Qb7 19. f3 Nc6 20. Nf4 h6 21. g4 Ne5 22. Bf2 Ne8 23. Bg3 g6 24. Qd2 Bf6 25. Ng2 Kh7 26. Qe3 Bg7 27. Kh1 Nc6 28. Bf2 Rb8 29. Qd2 Ne7 30. e4 Nc6 31. h3 Nc7 32. Ne2 Ne8 33. Nd4 Nxd4 34. Bxd4 Bxd4 35. Qxd4 Qc6 36. Ne3 Qc5 37. Kg2 Qxd4 38. Rxd4 Rdc8 39. Rdd1 Kg7 40. f4 Rb7 41. Rc2 Ra8 42. Ra2 Rba7 43. Rda1 Rc8 44. Kf3 Rb7 45. Rd1 b5 46. Rd3 bxa4 47. Rxa4 Rcb8 48. Ra3 Kf6 49. Nc2 Rb6 50. Ke3 g5 51. b4 gxf4+ 52. Kxf4 Rc6 53. Rdc3 Rbc8 54. Ne3 Nc7 55. Rd3 Ne8 56. Ra5 Rxc4 57. Nxc4 Rxc4 58. Rxa6 Rxb4 59. Ra8 Nc7 60. Ra7 Ne8 61. Rda3 Kg6 62. R7a4 Rb1 63. Rd3 Rb6 64. Kf3 Nf6 65. Rad4 d5 66. exd5 Nxd5 67. Kg3 Rb4 68. Rxb4 Nxb4 69. Rd7 Nd5 70. Kf3 Nf6 71. Ra7 Nh7 72. Kf4 Nf6 73. Ke5 Nd5 74. Ra3 h5 75. gxh5+ Kxh5 76. Rg3 Kh6 77. Kd6 Nf4 78. Ke7 Kh5 79. Kf6 Nd5+ 80. Ke5 Kh4 81. Rf3 Nb6 82. Rxf7 Kxh3 83. Kxe6 Nc4 {[#] Nastasio: Mueller begins to show this diagram, pointing at the distance between the King and the knight.} 84. Rf3+ Kg4 (84... Kg2 {Nastasio: As always when reading a book I ask myself why Black didn't play a certain move. In this case we are lucky, because Karpov showed a line.} 85. Rc3 Na5 86. Kd5 {Nastasio: this line was shown by Karpov in the Informant 46/38.} Nb7 {Karpov gave decisive advantage to White, but I continued a little the line, to show how White would win.} 87. Rc7 Nd8 (87... Na5 88. Ra7 Nb3 89. Ra2+ Kf1 90. Rb2 Na5 91. Rb5 { Nastasio: and the knight cannot escape.}) 88. Rd7 {Nastasio: and now the knight cannot escape anymore.}) 85. Rd3 $1 Kg5 (85... Nb2 {Nastasio: this was another line shown by Karpov.} 86. Rd2 {Nastasio: Now the knight cannot go on the fourth rank, because the rook will fork king and knight.}) 86. Kd5 Nb6+ ( 86... Nb2 87. Rd4 Kf5 88. Kc6 Ke5 89. Kc5 Ke6 90. Kb4 Kf5 (90... Ke5 {Nastasio: in case Black attacks the rook again, now the knight cannot escape.} 91. Rd2) 91. Kb3 Ke5 92. Kc3 {Nastasio: also this line was given by Karpov.}) 87. Ke5 Nc4+ 88. Ke4 Nb6 89. Rd8 Nc4 90. Rd4 Nb6 91. Ke5 {Nastasio: notice how the king, at the right time keeps the enemy king at bay, and prevents a happy reunion!} Nc8 92. Ke6 Na7 93. Kd7 {Nastasio: now if Black moves the knight on the fifth rank is lost, and if he moves the king, White closes the trap.} 1-0

I was actually standing near the board watching that game.

I rarely get R+N v R but did get it in a blitz game on Lichess recently:

[Event "Lichess Liga 3C Team Battle"]
[Site "lichess.org"]
[Date "2022.07.28"]
[White "Atomrod"]
[Black "Chess-Orca"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2437"]
[BlackElo "2595"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]

1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Bf5 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Nxe4
Bxe4 9. Be3 c6 10. Qd2 Nd7 11. Bh6 Nf6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. b4 d5 14. Qc3 dxc4 15.
Qxc4 Bd5 16. Qc3 Qb6 17. Ne5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Nd5 19. Qc5 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 Nxb4 21.
Rab1 Nxa2 22. Rxb7 Nc3 23. e3 Rac8 24. Rc1 Nd5 25. Rxc6 a5 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27.
Rb5 e6 28. Rxa5 Rc2 29. Kf3 f6 30. Ra7+ Kg8 31. Nd7 f5 32. Nc5 g5 33. g4 h5 34.
h3 fxg4+ 35. hxg4 hxg4+ 36. Kxg4 Rxf2 37. Nxe6 Nxe3+ 38. Kxg5 Rg2+ 39. Kf6 Ng4+
40. Kf5 Ne3+ 41. Ke4 Nc4 42. Nf4 Rg7 43. Ra8+ Kf7 44. Ra6 Rg1 45. Ra7+ Kf6 46.
Nd5+ Ke6 47. Ra6+ Kd7 48. Nf6+ Kc7 49. Kd5 Nb6+ 50. Ke6 Re1+ 51. Kf5 Nc4 52. d5
Ne3+ 53. Kf4 Nxd5+ 54. Nxd5+ Kb7 55. Rb6+ Ka7 56. Rb4 Ka6 57. Ne3 Ka5 58. Rb2
Ka4 59. Ke4 Rh1 60. Kd4 Rh4+ 61. Kc5 Ka3 62. Rb1 Ka2 63. Rb8 Ka3 64. Nc4+ Ka2
65. Rb2+ Ka1 66. Re2 Kb1 67. Kb4 Rh3 68. Ne3 Rh8 69. Kc3 Rc8+ 70. Nc4 Rc7 71.
Re8 Rc6 72. Kb3 {Normal} 1-0

https://lichess.org/KDlDEpvY/black#139

Please can someone post a diag of the final position?

[Chris Rice]

4R3/8/2r5/8/2N5/1K6/8/1k6 b - - 0 72