Rook Endgame: When the King Is Already in Front of the Pawn

Black to play and draw

Play

The white king already stands in front of its pawn, so your rook can no longer hold its third rank. The other way to draw is to attack the pawn from behind. The rule: leave the rook on e1 and step aside with your king, to the short side. When the white rook leaves the a-file, your rook takes the long side and checks from there.

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Rook Behind the Pawn, King to the Side

Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

Watch the method: press play to see the winning idea run, or step through it move by move.

Kd8, toward the long side, also holds, but only just. After Ra8+ Kc7 Re8, only Rh1 saves the game, and every other move loses. With an f-pawn or a g-pawn this escape would not exist. Take the short side.

Philidor's defense needs the rook on the third rank. Once the attacking king has crossed to the sixth, that resource is gone and the defense changes shape completely.

Rook behind the pawn, king to the side. Your rook on e1 attacks the pawn on e5, which is defended only by the king on e6. So the white king cannot step aside to let the pawn run. That is why only the king moves Kd8 and Kf8 hold, and why any rook move loses at once.

Wait for the file to be blocked. White's one way forward is to put his own rook in front of the pawn on e8. Only then is your rook free.

And then, distance. After 1...Kd8 2.Ra8+ Kc7 3.Re8, the only drawing move is 3...Rh1. The rook has to land as far away as the board allows; a1, b1, c1 and d1 all lose. Checking distance is measured, not felt.

In this drill the move list is short. Two king moves draw. Everything else loses.

Keep going

Knight Pawn: The Long Side or Nothing

Black to play and draw

Pawn on the Sixth: The Rook Goes to h7

White to play and win

Holding the Sixth-Rank Pawn

Black to play and draw

All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)