Bishop and Pawn vs Rook: Holding the Draw
Black to play and draw
PlayRook against bishop is usually a draw, and here you even have a pawn. The danger is a rook check that hits your king and your bishop on the same line. The rule: keep your king next to the bishop, so that after any check it is still protected.
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Bishop & Pawn Hold vs Rook
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
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The rook is worth more than bishop and pawn, but the extra material is empty: rook against a lone bishop is a theoretical draw, so the pawn is a bonus rather than the thing your defence rests on.
The method. There is nothing to build here. Rook against bishop is drawn on its own, so you are free to push the pawn or to leave it: after e2 Kxe2 you are simply defending rook against bishop, which holds.
What to avoid. A skewer or pin that wins the bishop turns the draw into a loss, so keep king and bishop off the rook's lines. And if your king is driven to the edge, head for the corner of the opposite colour to your bishop: yours is dark-squared, so a1 and h8 are the corners to stay out of.
In this drill you defend with bishop and pawn. Keep the bishop safe and sidestep the rook's tricks: the half point is there for the taking.
Keep going
Rook vs Bishop: The Safe Corner
Black to play and draw
Bishop Against Rook and f-Pawn: the Defender Holds
Black to play and draw
Rook and Bishop: The Philidor Win
White to play and win
All 30 rook vs minor positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)