Rook vs Pawn: Winning the Race by Counting
White to play and win
PlayRook against a lone passed pawn often comes down to plain arithmetic. When the kings stand on opposite sides of the pawn and no check gains a tempo, you simply count: moves for the pawn to queen against moves for your king and rook to control the queening square. Here it is five against five, so whoever moves first gets their way.
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Just Counting: The Promotion Race
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Most rook-versus-pawn endings hide a special trick, but the plainest ones are decided by counting. Before anything else, check where the kings stand.
When counting works. With the kings on opposite sides of the pawn, and no rook check that gains a tempo, there are no tricks left. Add up the moves each side needs: the pawn's march to queen against your king and rook taking control of the queening square.
Five against five. Here both counts are five, so the tempo is everything: White to move wins, Black to move draws. Start the king at once with Kg5, and mind the move order, since 1.Rc8 first lets 1...Kc3 interfere.
In this drill the defender will push the pawn and try to distract you with the king. Ignore the noise, count the race, and bring king and rook to c1 on time.
Keep going
Outflanking From Behind the Pawn
White to play and win
The Attacker's Shoulder-Charge
White to play and win
Cut Off One Rank Ahead of the Pawn
Black to play and draw
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)