The Frontal Defense
Black to play and draw
PlayYour king is cut off from the pawn, which usually spells disaster. But the pawn has not yet crossed the middle of the board, so your rook can hold it back alone, face to face.
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
The Frontal Defense
Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Philidor assumes your king reached the queening square. The short-side defense assumes it is at least nearby. The frontal defense is the method for the ugly case: your king is cut off on the wrong side entirely, and your rook must fight the pawn alone.
The setup. Park the rook directly in front of the pawn, as far away as possible. The pawn cannot advance through the rook, so progress requires the attacking king to step ahead of its pawn and escort it. That is your trigger: check from the front. With the whole file between you, the king cannot approach your rook, and the only shelter from the checks is back behind the pawn, where it escorts nothing.
The two conditions. (1) The pawn must still be on its fourth rank or earlier: each advance shortens your checking runway, and past the midline the shelter squares in front do the attacker's work. (2) Keep at least three squares between your rook and the pawn; closer, and the king simply walks to your rook and asks it to leave.
Why it completes the set: with Philidor, the short-side defense and the frontal defense you have a drawing method for every placement of your king in rook and pawn versus rook. The tablebase attacker here will probe the exact boundary of the technique: one slow check and the escort slips through.