Rook Endgame: Lasker's Idea With the Quiet King Move
White to play and win
PlayYour c-pawn is one step from queening, but his rook on c2 attacks it and his h-pawn is one step from queening too. The winning idea is Lasker's manoeuvre. Your king steps off c8 to renew the threat, his rook has to come back to the c-file, and each time it does, your rook checks his king one rank lower. When his king reaches the second rank, your rook takes h2.
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Lasker's Idea: Check, Then Capture
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.
The natural check Rh6+ throws the win away. His king steps to a7, and it is a draw: only the quiet king move keeps the win.
Lasker's idea is a famous resource in rook endings where both sides have a dangerous passed pawn.
The quiet king move first. The immediate rook check only draws; stepping the king off the pin renews the queening threat and forces the defender to check on your terms.
Then the ladder. Each side check from your rook drives the enemy king one rank lower, and each time his rook must run back to stop the pawn. When his king reaches the second rank, your rook takes on h2 with tempo and the c-pawn decides.
In this drill you execute Lasker's idea against a defence that never cracks, eliminating the counterplay and queening your own pawn.
Keep going
Active Defence: Walk the King to the Passer
Black to play and draw
Self-Propelled Pawns Against a Counter-Runner
White to play and draw
One Tempo for the a-Pawn
Black to play and draw
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)