Rook and Pawn on the Fifth: Why It Is Only a Draw

White to play and draw

Play

You have the extra pawn, but this is Philidor's position: his king stands in front of your pawn and his rook can get behind it. It is a draw even with you to move. Kf6 is the natural try, and one defense stops it: his rook behind the pawn and his king on the short side. Keep your pieces safe and take the repetition.

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The Fifth-Rank Fortress: 1.Kf6 Does Not Win

White 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.

First, what you are hoping for. After Kf6, the obvious check Rf1+? would lose for him: Ke6 Kf8 Ra8+ Kg7 Ke7 Rb1 e6, and his rook on b1 is only two files from your pawn, too close to stop it.

An extra pawn does not win a rook ending by itself. Against the Philidor setup, with the defending king in front of the pawn and the defending rook with room behind it, the position is drawn with either side to move.

1.Kf6 does not win. This was long considered the winning try. Black replies 1...Re1!, the rook drops behind the pawn and attacks it, and after 2.Ke6 Kf8! the king goes to the short side. 3.Ra8+ Kg7 4.Kd6 Kf7 and White must retrace his steps.

Short side for the king, distance for the rook. With the pawn on the e-file, f8 and g7 are the squares the defending king wants: it stays out of the way while the rook works from behind the pawn or from the long side.

Why it holds. Advancing the pawn takes the shelter away from your own king and hands the defender endless checks from the rear. There is no breakthrough to find.

In this drill you play the stronger side and still cannot win. The lesson is judgment: read the fortress and keep the balance.

Keep going

Rook Behind the Pawn, King to the Side

Black to play and draw

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

All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)