Holding the Draw with Rook Pawns and a Wing Pawn
Black to play and draw
PlayYou are Black and you draw, and the move is yours. The rule: rook pawns that block each other with the middle of the board between them are a draw, as long as your king gets back to c8 in time. So play a5 first, then take the f-pawn and walk home.
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Fix the Pawns and Draw
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
First the trap. Every king move loses: after Kg7, White plays a5 himself, and his rook pawn has crossed the middle of the board.
The mirror image of the winning version: same board, other player to move. That alone flips the result, which tells you exactly what kind of ending this is.
One tempo. With White to move, a4-a5 fixes your rook pawn on a6 and his king wins the race to it. With you to move, ...a5! blocks his pawn on a4 first, and the race ends level.
No fortress. Nobody blockades anything. The rook pawns stop each other without a king in sight, and your king watches the far pawn until the race sends it back to c8.
Hold the passer. Once the rook pawns are locked, Kf6 is the move that keeps the draw against everything. Stand in front of the pawn and let White probe.
In this drill count the race and then trust the count. One extra pawn is not enough.
Keep going
The Tempo Count Decides
White to play and win
The Extra Pawn That Cannot Win
Black to play and draw
The Outside Passed Pawn
White to play and win
All 68 king & pawn positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)