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

White to play and draw

You are the attacker this time, and there is nothing here. Philidor's position does not stop being a draw because you have the move: 1.Kf6 was believed to win for a long time, and it does not.

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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

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

The Umbrella: Hiding Behind an Enemy Pawn

Black to play and win

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