Defending Behind the a-Pawn on the Sixth
Black to play and draw
PlayYou are the defender, a pawn down, facing a passed a-pawn on the sixth rank. The good news: the enemy rook is jammed in front of its own pawn, and that hands you the draw.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
Defending Behind the a-Pawn on the Sixth
Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Defending a pawn down in a rook ending is routine when you know the fortress against a rook pawn.
Rook behind the pawn. The defender's rook belongs on the file behind the passer, where it both attacks the pawn and freezes the enemy rook in front.
The lock. With the strong rook nailed to guard duty, the attacker has no way to make progress, so the position holds.
In this drill you hold the draw from the defending side, learning to keep the rook active and the fortress intact.