Rook vs Pawn: Outflanking the Blocking King
White to play and win
PlayYour king stands behind the pawn and his king blocks the road ahead. The rule: do not push his king back from behind, because the pawn then promotes to a knight with check and holds. Walk your king around his instead, and attack the pawn from the other side.
Updated
New to this ending? Learn the method first: Rook Endgames
No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.
Outflanking From Behind the Pawn
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.
Against most passed pawns you cannot simply shove the defending king backwards: he underpromotes to a knight and draws. When your king starts behind the pawn, the answer is to walk around it.
Why not push. One rank lower, the direct push straight down the board runs into the knight promotion trick. Outflanking sidesteps it entirely by bringing your king to the far side of the pawn.
The detour. A rook check makes the defender choose a square, and then the king circles the queenside, Kc6-Kb5-Kb4, gaining ground the blockader cannot contest. When the pawn runs to c2, the rook drops behind with Rc5 and the king takes it.
In this drill the defender is tied to his pawn and will push it as fast as he can. Check once, march the king around, and arrive in front of the pawn in time.
Keep going
The Attacker's Shoulder-Charge
White to play and win
Cut Off One Rank Ahead of the Pawn
Black to play and draw
The Outside Passer: Play Where You Are a Piece Up
White to play and win
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)