Rook Endgame: f- and h-Pawns and the Missing Support
White to play and draw
PlayTwo extra pawns on the kingside look like a win, but your f- and h-pawns are split by the empty g-file. Pawns that cannot support each other often fall short, and this is a draw.
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The Gap Between the f- and h-Pawns
White to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Two extra pawns do not guarantee a win when they cannot help each other, and a gap between them is exactly such a weakness.
Split pawns. Pawns separated by a file form no phalanx, so the defender can attack one and blockade the other.
The rim factor. An h-pawn is a rook pawn, the easiest of all to hold against, which drags the evaluation toward a draw.
In this drill you play the stronger side and learn to recognize when a two-pawn kingside edge simply does not win.
Keep going
Defending Against Split Kingside Pawns
Black to play and draw
Giving Up the h-Pawn to Push the f-Pawn
White to play and draw
Lasker's Idea: Check, Then Capture
White to play and win
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)