Rook Endgame: The Limit of the Vancura Defence
Black to play and draw, after Romanovsky, 1950
PlayThe same pawn on a6, but the white king already stands on f4. That one tempo means the Vancura setup no longer arrives in time, and only two moves save the game.
Updated
New to this ending? Learn the method first: Rook Endgames
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
One Tempo Too Late for Vancura
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Vancura's defence has a range. Move the attacking king one square closer and the rook can no longer reach its side post in time.
Cut the king off. With the white king on f4, Rc1 is the move: it denies the king the c-file and with it the route to b6 and b7, where it would free the rook from a8.
Then switch. Once White's rook leaves a8, go back behind the pawn on a1. When his rook takes over the defence from the side, hit the pawn from the side yourself with Ra5. Bring the king across all the while.
The family rule. Across every position of this type, one check decides your workload: if your rook can reach its sideways post with check, play it and stop calculating. If it cannot, the setup alone is not enough, so you must also slow the enemy king down or join the race to the queenside with your own king.
In this drill the passive a-file moves all lose. Only Rc1 and Ra5 hold the balance.
Keep going
The Standard Draw: Rook in Front of the Pawn on the Seventh
White to play and draw
Rook Behind the Passed Pawn
White to play and win
The Frontal Defense
Black to play and draw
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)