Queen and Pawn vs Rook and Pawn: Two Safe Squares Draw
White to play and draw
PlayYou have the queen and a passed h-pawn, and it is still a draw. The rook has two safe squares, e6, protected by the f7 pawn, and h6, protected by the king, so there is no zugzwang. Black's defence has two rules: keep your queen out of f8, and never let the h-pawn advance safely. Your goal is to hold the draw.
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A Passed Pawn and Still No Zugzwang
White to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
Count the rook's safe squares: e6, protected by the f7 pawn, and h6, protected by the king on g7. Attack one, and the rook goes to the other.
Adding pawns to queen versus rook does not guarantee a win. The criterion still rules.
Two safe squares. In Grigoriev's 1917 position the black rook has e6 and h6. Two safe squares means the attacker cannot create a zugzwang, and without a zugzwang there is no way to force a concession.
The defender's two commandments. Keep the white queen out of f8, and do not permit a safe advance of the h-pawn. Everything else takes care of itself.
In this drill you hold the stronger side and the honest result is a draw. Then look at the companion position where the white king starts on the seventh rank: there both commandments break at once, and White wins.
Keep going
The King on the Seventh Changes the Verdict
White to play and win
Adjacent Pawns: Walk the King to g7
Black to play and draw
The Queen Sacrifice That Breaks the Wall
White to play and win
All 19 queen vs rook positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)