Rook and Bishop: The Philidor Win
White to play and win
PlayRook and bishop against rook is a draw in general, but many positions win, and this is one of them. The path runs through Philidor's famous winning setup.
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Rook and Bishop: The Philidor Win
Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Rook and bishop against rook is a theoretical draw, yet the defense is so hard that many positions are lost. The stronger side wins through Philidor's position.
The target setup. In Philidor's position the defending king is trapped in the corner matching the bishop's color, its rook badly placed, ready to be forced away.
Force the rook out. A precise sequence of threats drives the defending rook off, and then bishop and rook deliver mate. One careless tempo lets the defender regroup.
In this drill the defense is flawless. Steer into Philidor's position and execute the mating maneuver.