The W-Maneuver is a technique used to checkmate an opponent's lone King with a Knight and Bishop.
This method involves driving the enemy King to a corner of the same color as the Bishop. The name "W-Maneuver" comes from the pattern the Knight traces on the board, resembling the letter "W." This procedure requires precise coordination and understanding of the Knight and Bishop's combined capabilities. In the diagram above, White wins with the following sequence: 1.Bh7 Ke8 2.Ne5 Kf8 3.Nd7+ Ke8 4.Ke6 Kd8 5.Kd6 Ke8 6.Bg6+ Kd8 7.Nc5 Kc8 8.Bf7 Kd8 9.Nb7+ Kc8 10.Kc6 Kb8 11.Kb6 Kc8 12.Be6+ Kb8 13.Nc5 Ka8 14.Bf5 Kb8 15.Na6+ Ka8 16.Be4#
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When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on the Knight and Bishop W-Maneuver. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this checkmating technique.
In this video by Robert Plunkett's Chess Lab you are introduced not to the fastest method to mate with N+B but to an original EASY-to-memorize / EASY-to-reproduce procedure. Have a look at it.
This lesson by GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is all about the famous Knight and Bishop Maneuver. It’s part of a very nice endgame series that the former Women's World Champion created for Chess.com. Don’t forget to do the interactive challenges at the end of the lesson.
This is another excellent book on endgames by Karsten Müller. It's not just for kids. The principles, including the famous checkmating W-maneuver, are all covered. The writing is easy to follow, and the tests at the end help reinforce what you have learned. Highly recommended.
A fantastic five-star book on endgames by Jesús de la Villa. Perfect for serious beginners and intermediates. The W-maneuver is clearly explained. Don’t miss this gem.
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