Rook vs Two Pawns: The Tail-Hook Draw
Black to play and draw
PlayTwo connected pawns with their king behind them, and your own king looks hopelessly far away. It is not. The drawing picture is called the tail-hook: your rook owns the front pawn's promotion square, and your king grabs the backward pawn, the tail. Neither pawn can then advance without being lost.
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The Tail-Hook
Black to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Two connected passed pawns with their king in support usually roll home, but there is a drawing formation even when your king is far away. It is called the tail-hook.
Rook on the head, king on the tail. The rook takes the leading pawn's promotion square so that pawn can never queen. The king attacks the backward pawn, the tail. With both pawns held, neither can advance without simply being captured.
Set it up in order. The paradoxical Rf3 stops the front runner and keeps the enemy king out of g7. After the leader is pushed you switch behind it with Rg3, then march the king across to hook the tail, Kd4-Ke5.
In this drill the defender will try to run the pawns before your king arrives. Start with checks if you must, reach the hook, and hold the half point. If the pawns ever sit safely on the sixth together, though, the hook is too late and they win.
Keep going
Hold the Rook Pawn with Precise Checks
Black to play and draw
The Second-Rank Defense against Doubled Pawns
White to play and draw
F- and H-Pawns Beat the Back-Rank King
White to play and win
All 96 rook endgames positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)