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Theory/The Passive Back-Rank Defense

The Passive Back-Rank Defense

Against a knight pawn, the simplest defense in rook endings holds: your king on the square in front of the pawn, your rook on the back rank. One rule covers every move. The rook waits on the back rank, out of reach of his rook. When a check drives your king off b8, it goes into the corner, never toward the center.

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