Rook and King Escort a Rook Pawn: The Precise Draw
Black to play and draw
PlayHis rook on c6 shields his king, and his pawn on a5 is ready to run. The rule: check from b1 first, so that his rook has to leave the c-file to block, then take that file with your rook and check his king from the side.
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Hold the Rook Pawn with Precise Checks
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.
A rook pawn escorted by both the enemy king and rook looks terminal, yet one precise sequence saves it. Everything turns on tempo and checking distance.
Check, then take the c-file. Start with Rb1+. White must block with Rb6, and that forced interposition is the tempo you need. Swing the rook to c1: from there it checks the white king every time the pawn steps toward a8, and the king can never both hide from the checks and free the pawn.
The king finishes the job. When the white rook finally interposes on b7 to stop the checks, your own king walks to c8. It denies b8 to the white king, which is jamming its own pawn on a7, so the pawn cannot step forward. When the white king comes out to b6, your rook drops back to c1 and the checks start again. Taking b8 away, not guarding a8, is what holds the draw.
In this drill White will push the pawn and try to wriggle the king out of the checks. Keep the rook on its checking file, bring the king to c8 at the right moment, and hold the half point.
Keep going
The Second-Rank Defense against Doubled Pawns
White to play and draw
F- and H-Pawns Beat the Back-Rank King
White to play and win
The e6 Wedge: Two Pawns Beat One
White to play and win
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)