Outflanking: The Réti Study

White to play and win, after Réti, 1928

A famous study by Réti from 1928. Your rook is planted in front of the pawn, and the winning move throws that blockade away on purpose.

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Outflanking: The Réti Study

White to play and win · Win against perfect defense

Waking the engine…

The theory

Réti's 1928 study packs two king techniques, shouldering and outflanking, into four moves.

Release the blockade. The rook sits in front of the pawn on d4 and the winning move is to leave: Rd2 or Rd3. Blocking on d1 is only a draw, and Rxd5+ is a dead draw as well.

Block again from further back. After 1...d4 the rook returns with 2.Rd1. The pawn is stopped once more, but it has committed itself, and White's king finally has something to aim at.

Outflank. 3.Kd7 is the only win: the king walks around its rival rather than into it. After 3...Kc4 4.Ke6 the pawn falls, and rook against a lone king is elementary.

Keep going

Rook Against Connected Pawns

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Connected Passers: Shelter Behind Your Own Pawn

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The Rook Belongs Behind the Leading Pawn

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All 83 rook endgames positions Follow the full curriculum (free)