Holding the a-Pawn Draw From Behind
Black to play and draw
PlayA single passed a-pawn on the sixth is not enough to win when its own rook blocks the way. Defend from behind and the half point is yours.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
Holding the a-Pawn Draw From Behind
Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
The rook-pawn fortress is the single most useful drawing technique in rook endings, and it appears constantly in practice.
The setup. Post the rook behind the enemy passer, not in front and not to the side, so it attacks and restrains at once.
Why it holds. The attacking rook cannot leave its blocking square, so the pawn stays frozen and the material edge is meaningless.
In this drill you defend and prove that an extra rook pawn, badly escorted, is only a draw.