The Rule of the Square: Outrunning the King
White to play and win
PlayA lone passed pawn races a distant king. The rule of the square tells you at a glance whether the pawn queens, and here it does.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
The Rule of the Square: Outrunning the King
Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
The rule of the square answers a common question instantly: can the king catch the runaway pawn?
Draw the square. Imagine a square with one side from the pawn to its promotion rank. If the enemy king cannot step inside that square, the pawn queens on its own.
Just push. When the king is outside the square, no king support is required. Race the pawn forward and it promotes untouched.
In this drill the defender chases perfectly. Trust the square and push the pawn home.