Rook Endgame: Exchange Threat and Rook Sacrifice
Black to play and draw, after Marshall - Capablanca, 1909
PlayYou are a pawn down, and only active defence saves this ending. You need two methods, in this order. First drive his rook away by offering a trade that leaves a drawn pawn ending. Then take a pawn with your king and give your rook for his last pawn.
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The Exchange Threat and the Rook Sacrifice
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.
Start with the trap. The check 1...Rc7+ looks active, but 2.Kf6 Rb7 3.Ke5 brings his king to the centre. After 3...Rb4 4.Rxb4+ axb4 5.a5 the pawn ending is lost for you. The trade only saves you while his king stays far away.
Only active defence saves the weaker side in rook endings. Two methods carry most of the load.
The exchange threat. When the enemy rook is placed on the rank from which it defends both pawns, drive it away by threatening to trade rooks. If the pawn ending after the trade is drawn, he cannot accept, so he must abandon the rank and with it a pawn.
The rook for a pawn. Give the rook up for a pawn, take the other pawn with the king, and hold the resulting pawn-versus-rook ending. Your own passer, far enough advanced and far from the enemy king, is enough.
In practice they combine. The exchange threat wins the first pawn, the sacrifice deals with the second.
Keep going
Doubled Pawns and the Philidor Draw
White to play and draw
The Gap Between the f- and h-Pawns
White to play and draw
Defending Against Split Kingside Pawns
Black to play and draw
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)