Cutting Off the King in Rook and Pawn Endgames
White to play and win
PlayYour rook on the f-file cuts his king off two files from your pawn. The rule: king first, pawn last. Walk your king up the board, answering each check by stepping toward his rook. Once your king reaches the sixth rank, your rook comes behind the pawn, and only then does the pawn move.
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Cut Off by Two Files: King First, Pawn Last
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
First, what not to do. After d5 the pawn has left your king behind, and Rxd5+ simply takes it. Draw.
Cutting the enemy king off is the sharpest weapon in rook endings. When the cut is wide enough, even a pawn short of the mid-line wins, and the pawn is the last thing you touch.
The cut does the work. The rook on the f-file keeps the black king two files away from the pawn. Leave it there. Pushing the pawn at once with 1.d5 throws the win away.
Walk at the checks. After 1.Kc4 the black rook checks from the side. Meet every check by stepping toward the rook: Kb5, Kc5, Kb6. The checking rook has to keep returning to the d-file to stop the pawn, so the checks buy the defender nothing.
The pawn moves last. Once your king has reached the sixth rank, on b6, the rook drops back behind the pawn (Rd1) and only then does the pawn run.
In this drill the defense will fight to bring its king back. Hold the cut, march the king, push last.
Keep going
Zugzwang Against a King on the Edge
White to play and win
Knight Pawn: the Defender Checks from the Front
Black to play and draw
Philidor's Defense on the Fifth
Black to play and draw
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)