Pawn on the Sixth: The Rook Goes to h7
White to play and win
PlayYour king is already on g6 and the black rook is condemned to sit on the eighth rank. The win is a rook maneuver, and your king does not move at all.
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Pawn on the Sixth: The Rook Goes to h7
White to play and win · Win against perfect defense
Waking the engine…
The theory
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Black's rook has to stay passive on the eighth rank, so it is your rook that goes to work. Your king on g6 is the reason this position wins, and it stays exactly where it is.
With the pawn on the sixth and your king already on g6, the win is a rook maneuver, not a king march. Your king never moves.
Rook to the seventh. Rb7 first. The defending rook is stuck on the eighth rank and can only shuffle.
The h7 square. Rg7+ drives the black king to f8, and then Rh7 waits. Black has nothing better than going back to g8.
The finish. f7+ is check, Kf8 is forced, and Rh8+ collects the black rook on the eighth rank. The pawn queens. All of it depends on your king standing on g6: from e6 the identical position is only a draw.
Keep going
Holding the Sixth-Rank Pawn
Black to play and draw
The Wrong Side of the Pawn
White to play and draw
A Drawn Pawn on the Sixth
White to play and draw
All 83 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)