The Rook Pawn Falls to a Close King
White to play and win
PlayA rook pawn on the seventh is the hardest pawn for a queen to catch, yet not here. Your king sits just close enough to break the stalemate defense and force the win.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
The Rook Pawn Falls to a Close King
Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Queen against a rook pawn on the seventh is the most stubborn drawing case, but it is not automatic. The whole question is how far away the attacking king stands.
The stalemate wall. Normally the queen forces the king in front of the a-pawn, and capturing produces stalemate. That defense recurs indefinitely, and the game is drawn.
Breaking through. If your king is already near the pawn, you can use the queen to hold the king in place while your monarch steps up to guard the queening square. With that square covered, there is no stalemate and the pawn simply drops.
In this drill the margin is thin, so every tempo counts. Coordinate queen and king precisely and the perfect defender still loses.